The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

A Novel

Ally Carter, Saskia Maarleveld, Zachary Webber

HarperCollins · Print & ebook · September 23, 2025

Featuring an exclusive, new epilogue!

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Who it’s for
A playful cozy mystery that leans into comfort, wit, and easy momentum.
Genres
Cozy Holiday Mysteries, Holiday Romance, Romantic Comedy
Published
HarperCollins, September 23, 2025

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About this book

Featuring an exclusive, new epilogue! "Full of tongue-in-cheek humor, excellent dialogue, and fantastic characters, this expertly crafted story from Carter (The Blonde Identity) is a heart-melting rivals-to-lovers romance combined with a delightful locked-room mystery." — Library Journal (starred review) Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter. The bridge is out. The phones are down.

Continue reading

And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room two days before Christmas. Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt: She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery. He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy. She hates his guts. He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.) But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself. That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone. She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust? As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor. Assuming they don’t kill each other first. The laugh out loud holiday "romystery" that you've been waiting for! - A touching holiday read - Perfect for fans of uplifting winter romances - A delightful Christmas gift

Cozy with a Wink

A playful cozy mystery that leans into comfort, wit, and easy momentum.

Come here for

  • playful cozy-mystery momentum
  • author-familiar comfort, with a lighter touch

Expect

  • sustained, immersive read
  • romance-adjacent frisson without heavy grit

Where it sits

Romantic Comedy68%
Cozy Holiday Mysteries63%
Holiday Romance43%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Women Detectives
  • Amateur Sleuths
  • Cozy Holiday Mysteries
  • Contemporary Romance
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Romantic Comedy
  • Romance Adventure
  • Holiday Romance
  • Women's Fiction
Authors
Ally Carter, Saskia Maarleveld, Zachary Webber
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
September 23, 2025
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Women Detectives