Six guests are invited to Midwinter Trust, an upscale, exclusive resort in the North Pennines. Fieldstone buildings, cozy fireplaces, gourmet meals, a quiet place to enjoy the holiday. The guests all have connections to the mystery writing world but they each hide a secret (mostly, they don’t want anyone else to know they are basically washed up). Still, they are eager to join in the planned getaway (all expenses paid). Perhaps it will be a step to restoring their reputations.
But the guests aren’t the only ones at the retreat. There are also six staff members with varied backgrounds and motives (and secrets). Frankie the chauffeur picks up each guest at the train station and starts up into the remote mountain roads as fat snowflakes begin to fall. As their ride gets more precarious, it becomes clear no one is getting in–or out–of the gettogether for a few days.
As I watched the flames leap in the fireplace, listened to the crackle of the burning logs, I reminded myself that nobody had forced me to spend Christmas here. I was a volunteer, not a conscript. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. ~Loc. 1107
The perfect setting for a few people to start dying under mysterious circumstances–and certain suspicious behavior to muddy the waters.
The more I read the descriptions of the fictional Midwinter Trust, the more I wondered if author Martin Edwards visited the same place I did last Christmas. A small rural village, owned and managed by a trust, with amazing food and incredible history. The location mirrors the real Lord Crewe Arms in so many ways (minus the murder and intrigue). I couldn’t help by picture my getaway while reading.
Lord Crewe Arms, near River Derwent
Edwards has taken his considerable experience writing and researching Golden Age of Crime novels to construct one for modern readers. He sets out the game for the reader and lays out plenty of clues. It almost acts as a guide for beginners. The practiced reader probably won’t find much of a challenge in solving the intermediary puzzles. It’s a great way for a new locked room puzzle mystery fan to practice their observation skills.
My thanks to Hartley at Poisoned Pen Press for the review copy.
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication date: October 7, 2025
Print length: 432 pages (English)
ISBN-10: 1464252963