Murder On The Christmas Express

Alexandra (A. K.) Benedict is a bestselling, award-winning writer of short stories, novels and scripts. Educated at Cambridge, Sussex and Clown School, Alexandra has been an indie-rock singer, an actor, an RLF Fellow and a composer for film and TV, as well as teaching and running the prestigious MA in Crime Thrillers at City University. She is now a full-time writer and creative coach. As A. K. Benedict she writes acclaimed short stories, high-concept novels and award-winning audio drama for Big Finish, Audible UK, Audible US and BBC Sounds, among others. She won the Scribe Award for her Doctor Who radio drama The Calendar Man, and was shortlisted for the eDunnit Novel Award for The Beauty of Murder and the BBC Audio Drama Podcast Award for Children of the Stones. As Alexandra Benedict she writes puzzle-filled Christmas mysteries, of which The Christmas Murder Game and Murder on the Christmas Express were both bestsellers and The Christmas Murder Game was longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. Her first festive thriller to feature Edie O'Sullivan, The Christmas Jigsaw Murders, was published in 2023. She lives on the south coast of England with writer Guy Adams, their daughter Verity, and dog Dame Margaret Rutherford.Follow her on X @ak_benedict and Instagram @a.k.benedict

PRAISE FOR MURDER ON THE CHRISTMAS EXPRESS: ‘Magnificent! A smart, suspenseful and snow-covered mystery with plenty of heart and more than a few quiz questions. A total must read for Christmas’ STEPH BROADRIBB ‘I absolutely loved it! Such a clever and pacy read with a glorious nod to classic Christie’ JO JAKEMAN ‘An engrossing and heart-warming mystery. Like a glorious Christmas chocolate – beautiful on the outside with a richly dark centre. Perfect to curl up with on cold winter nights’ MARION TODD ‘A genuine Christmas Feast. Its traditional wrapping conceals a fiendish mystery, a heart of darkness and – in Roz – a wonderfully flawed heroine that you will absolutely fall in love with. If you like your Christmas murderous and melancholy, it's going to keep you very happy over the Festive Period’ DEREK FARRELL ‘A thought-provoking modern take on a Golden Age mystery. Set on a sleeper train racing into the snowy darkness, this atmospheric tale features a tight cast of vividly-drawn characters, and piercing observation. Expertly crafted, the story kept me glued to the pages until the mystery was finally – and satisfyingly – revealed. A great read’ AMANDA JENNINGS ‘It’s an absolute cracker (not sorry . . .). Many try to emulate Christie but this is the real atmospheric deal’ SINEAD CROWLEY 'As twisty and turny as Agatha Christie’s classic, but with a fresh and sharp modern take. A fantastically atmospheric and compelling mystery, I couldn’t stop racing through the pages' KAT AILES, author of The Expectant Detectives ‘Another cracking Xmas mystery from Alexandra Benedict. This should definitely become an annual tradition. I hope we’re going to see more of Roz!’ GEORGE MANN  ‘All aboard the Christmas express for a wonderfully gripping murder mystery this Christmas’ METRO ‘This festive Agatha-Christie-like whodunnit is full of brilliant puzzles and mystery’ SUN ‘The ultimate Christmas mystery’ SHOTS ‘Benedict has pulled together plenty of classic elements – including a locked room mystery – but she’s also thrown a bit of grit into proceedings to elevate the novel beyond its cosy crime trappings’ THE CRACK, Book of the Month   PRAISE FOR ALEXANDRA BENEDICT’S CHRISTMAS BOOKS: ‘The perfect gift for quizzers and mystery addicts . . . A delicious locked room mystery crammed with cryptic clues, secrets in sonnets and a deadly game. But it's more than a series of puzzles, it's also an entertaining exploration of relationships and a riveting read’ VAL McDERMID ‘Perfectly pitched for cold nights and warm fires. A lovely Golden Age tribute’ SINEAD CROWLEY  ‘A perfectly plotted festive mystery’ SUSI HOLLIDAY ‘This is the perfect Christmas book. Get it for yourself to read when the nights are cold and dark and give it as a present. To everyone!’ MARTYN WAITES ‘Curl up by the fire (and lock all the doors) for this Christmas cracker of a book’ C. S. GREEN ‘Utterly original and breathtakingly intriguing . . . A must-read this Christmas’ STEPH BROADRIBB ‘The perfect updating of the classic Christmas Country House mystery . . . Fabulous festive fun’ DEREK FARRELL ‘The perfect Christmas read . . . and puzzles galore for both readers and the players of the game’ W.C. RYAN ‘Clever and twisty’ CRIME MONTHLY  ‘One for book lovers that can't get enough of mystery fiction – even during Christmas’ SUN ‘Packed with riddles, anagrams and puzzles, this is an engaging murder mystery that will grip you until the end’ DAILY MIRROR ‘Atmospheric and pacy’ BEST