In Alexandra Benedict's very tricky mystery, our protagonist, Lily Armitage, has been estranged from most of her family ever since her mother died --supposedly by suicide-- 21 years ago. She hates the stately home, Endgame House, where the aunt who raised her still lives. When her Aunt Liliana sends Lily an invitation to the annual Endgame House Christmas Game, which this year will award the winner ownership of the house itself, Lily has no interest in returning to, much less owning, Endgame House. But Liliana has also promised to reveal secrets to Lily about the house and about Lily's mother's death. When Lily arrives, she finds her aunt has died but has left their attorney specific instructions and daily clues for the Christmas game which lasts for the 12 days of Christmas. Lily will be confined with her estranged cousins and the housekeeper/cook for the duration without any outside communication. An untimely and sever snowstorm insures that no one will be leaving anytime soon. Lily has always been the cleverest one who could solve the clues in the game, but she doesn't want the house, only the clues. So she solves the riddles but gives the keys to her favorite cousin. However, one by one, her cousins or their partners begin to die and it's clear that--unless an unlikely stranger braved the storm and broke into the house--one of her family members is responsible.
Publishers Weekly describes the book as a "fun contemporary British country house mystery..." and recommends "Puzzle-loving readers will enjoy searching for anagrams of the gifts mentioned in "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and for the titles of 12 of the author's favorite country house mysteries embedded in the text." Kirkus concludes that the puzzle-full mystery is "Super brainy in an appropriately superficial way."
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