This was a lot of fun. I’ve never read a “cozy mystery” before. I haven’t read many mysteries, cozy or otherwise, to be honest. It’s not a genre I’m terribly familiar with but - and forgive the cliché - I would read a book full of IKEA furniture instructions if they were written by Alexis Hall. But now I wish I had more knowledge of mysteries because with my minuscule pop culture knowledge I was able to pick up on the not-so-subtle nods to all six of the original Clue characters and Hercule Poirot and the general premise of And Then There Were None. I just wonder what other genre references I’m missing.

And the cozy mystery might be a new genre for Hall but this book has several of his hallmarks (“Hall”marks? Get it?): socially conscious characters and discussions about class, race and sexuality; smart, insightful humor; a penchant for playing with language; a whole lot of Britishness; and a smooth, easy-to-read writing style that keeps everything moving.

The setting is fabulous: a beautiful old castle-turned-hotel tucked away in the snowy Scottish Highlands. The descriptions really bring the castle to life. It’s the perfect locale for a murder mystery if there ever was one.

The chapter titles had me cracking up. They were all plays on Clue guesses (“[person] in the [location] with the [item]”).

His exploration of a married couple who loves one another but has stopped liking one another was really lovely and moving. It felt so accurate in the ways Liza & Hanna would inadvertently hurt one another, or take offense over perceived slights, or bring up baggage from the past.

I think this will really please fans of the cozy mystery genre. I felt it could be a little tedious at times with the investigation details and exposition (and that’s probably just me not being a mystery aficionado) but overall it made me smile and was well written.

3.5 stars out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the digital arc.