Christmas crime books to read in 2026

Reading lists

12 Christmas murder mystery books to get you feeling festive

The Trouble With Mrs Montgomery Hurst

A love letter to Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell, The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst is a witty novel of manners and gossip, class and family, scandal and romance. 
'Romance and scandal abound in this compelling period drama . . . Recommended for all lovers of Regency historical fiction' LAURA SHEPPERSON, author of The Heroines 
 
'Warm and witty, with a wonderful cast of quirky characters whose company I found irresistible' JESSICA BULL, author of Miss Austen Investigates 
 
--- 
 
1841 
The trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst is not Mrs Montgomery Hurst – as young Miss Amelia Ashpoint well knows. 
The real trouble is the polite society of Wickenshire, with its inescapable gossip about the arrival of the new Mrs Hurst and – whisper it – her three children from a previous marriage. 
In Wickenshire, nobody’s business is their own. And in this strange match, the local families sense scandal – and they will do anything to expose it. 
Meanwhile, Amelia Ashpoint, though handsome, clever and rich, is avoiding talk of marriage at all costs. 
For while society expects Amelia to marry well, her heart is drawing her in a very different direction . . . 
 
--- 
 
‘A glittering comedy with spiky wit, an eye for social critique, and (of course) a terrific sense of irony’ TOM MEAD, author of Death and the Conjuror 
 
'Rich with scandal, romance and social mores . . . a total delight!' ANITA FRANK, author of The Good Liars 
 
'A feast of clever wit and lovingly drawn characters, this is an absolute treat for fans of Jane Austen - or anyone looking for top-rate storytelling' HESTER MUSSON 
 
'An absolute dream of a book. A compelling storyline that kept me gripped to the last page, and beyond. I think this book will establish her – deservedly – as one of our best historical fiction writers' ANNE CORLETT

An insightful and compassionate tale of a Victorian county town and the people who live there. Romance and scandal abound in this compelling period drama, and Lumsden is not afraid to explore the issues Jane Austen could only hint at

Warm and witty, with a wonderful cast of quirky characters whose company I found irresistible

A feast of clever wit and lovingly drawn characters, this is an absolute treat for fans of Jane Austen - or anyone looking for top-rate storytelling. I haven't felt such unadulterated pleasure in a book for ages

Rich with scandal, romance and social mores, The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst is a total delight! Threaded with a biting humour reminiscent of Austen, it proves both poignant and thought-provoking as it exposes the bitter realities hidden within many nineteenth-century classics.

An intriguing delight, with scandal, gossip and romance, and a cast of characters Jane Austen would be proud of.

I loved this exquisitely crafted, sweeping Viennese Waltz of a book by Katie Lumsden. It propels you beautifully into a 19th century world of vivid characters and intricately interwoven storylines, echoing the best of Thomas Hardy, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Anne Brontë and Jane Austen, but singing with modern heart and empathy. By the end of the book, I was deeply enmeshed in the lives of its characters and heartily sorry to see it end. Enter the county of Wickenshire at your peril, because you will never want to leave.

Sheer delight! A glittering comedy of manners told with spiky wit, an eye for social critique, and (of course) a terrific sense of irony. It is impossible not to be swept off one’s feet by the elegance and rich music of Katie Lumsden’s prose

With its witty writing, memorable characters, and meticulous plot, this is definitely a future classic. I absolutely loved it

An absolute dream of a book. The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst has a compelling storyline that kept me gripped to the last page, and beyond. It’s one of those books that plays on your mind, making you wish there was more left to read. It covers what could be familiar ground for historical fiction – wealth or the lack of it, social class, marriage prospects – but in fresh and surprising ways. The prose is flawless, and the author handles her large, diverse cast of characters with a deftness of touch that is evocative of Jane Austen. I think this book will establish her - deservedly - as one of our best historical fiction writers.

Run don’t walk to get your copy... Katie has created a vivid community and deftly surfaced the undercurrents bubbling beneath classic novels. Pitch-perfect Cranford vibes - I read every page with a smile on my face.

Katie Lumsden read Jane Eyre at the age of thirteen and never looked back. She spent her teenage years devouring nineteenth century literature, reading every Dickens, Brontë, Gaskell, Austen and Hardy novel she could find. She has a degree in English literature and history from the University of Durham and an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University. Her short stories have been shortlisted for the London Short Story Prize and the Bridport Prize, and have been published in various literary magazines. Katie's YouTube channel, Books and Things, has more than 28,000 subscribers. She lives in London and works as an editor. Katie's debut novel, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, was shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award.

1841. Mr Montgomery Hurst is getting married. To the great consternation of Wickenshire, he is not marrying the daughter of an earl, but an impoverished widow with three children, whom nobody has ever heard of. Society is both appalled and intrigued. Nobody is more curious than Mr Ashpoint, a wealthy local brewer, who had thought Mr Hurst might choose his daughter, Amelia, as his bride. Only, Amelia has no interest in marrying Mr Hurst - or indeed marrying at all. Mr Hurst's marriage kicks off a series of events, as it becomes clear his business is everyone's but his own...

The mysterious and atmospheric gothic novel for fans of Stacey Hall

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall

Discover the haunting new gothic historical mystery, perfect for fans of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, Stacey Halls and Bridget Collins 
 
 *SHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA DEBUT CROWN AWARD* 
 
 'I loved this fresh take on the gothic genre. Vivid, haunting, surprising' Stacey Halls, author of Sunday Times bestsellers The Familiars, The Foundling and Mrs England 
‘A full-blooded gothic mystery with bite’ Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters 
‘Dark, twisty, gothic and full of surprises ... a deliciously atmospheric page-turner’ Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts 
 
 
 ‘Nobody ever goes to Hartwood Hall . . .’ 
 
 1852. When Margaret Lennox, a young widow, is offered a position as governess at Hartwood Hall, she quickly accepts, hoping this isolated country house will allow her to leave the past behind. 
 
 But she soon feels there's something odd about Hartwood: strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants and a wing of the house no one uses. 
 
 Why do the locals eye her employer, widowed Mrs Evesham, with suspicion? What is hidden in the abandoned East Wing? Who are the strangers coming and going under darkness? 
 
 Hartwood Hall conceals mysteries, perhaps even danger. 
 
 Margaret is certain that everyone here has something to hide, and as her own past threatens to catch up with her, she must learn to trust her instincts before it's too late... 
 Praise for The Secrets of Hartwood Hall: 
 
 ‘A delicious Gothic mystery with an unexpected final twist’ Heat 
‘With echoes of Jane Eyre but with a heart of its own’ Susan Stokes-Chapman, Sunday Times bestselling author of Pandora 
‘A creepy, captivating gothic mystery’ Woman's Weekly 
‘An immersive, atmospheric novel and a true love letter to Gothic fiction’ i 
‘A brilliantly creepy and utterly compelling read’ Caroline Lea, author of gothic thriller The Glass Woman 
‘This book delivers HUGE Jane Eyre vibes, gothic and mysterious Victoriana. I LOVED it’ Sophie Irwin, author of Sunday Times bestseller A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting

I loved this fresh take on the gothic genre. Vivid, haunting, surprising

Stacey Halls, author of Sunday Times bestsellers The Familiars, The Foundling and Mrs England

A full-blooded gothic mystery with bite, great characterisation and heaps of atmosphere

A delicious Gothic mystery with an unexpected final twist

A brilliantly creepy and utterly compelling read, which put me in mind of Laura Purcell, Stacey Halls and Michelle Paver: it's up there with the most wonderfully engrossing and twisty gothic historical fiction

A creepy, captivating gothic mystery

Smart, atmospheric, gripping and full of surprises, this is a Gothic spine-chiller by an absolutely modern writer

This book delivers HUGE Jane Eyre vibes, gothic and mysterious Victoriana. I LOVED it

Sophie Irwin, author of Sunday Times bestseller A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting

An immersive, atmospheric novel and a true love letter to Gothic fiction

With echoes of Jane Eyre but with a heart of its own . . . a suspenseful and beautifully crafted novel filled with atmosphere, rich characters and plenty of layers to keep a reader hooked right to the end

Susan Stokes-Chapman, the SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of PANDORA

In her atmospheric debut, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, Katie Lumsden enthralls us with a quintessential manor-home mystery. Fans of gothic literature will savor the peculiar characters, the abandoned corridors, the deceptions and twists behind every door... Ultimately a story about women and the haunting secrets they keep, Lumsden's debut reminds us never to trust first appearances. A mesmerizing debut!

The Secret of Hartwood Hall is exactly the book you want on a cold, stormy night when the wind is sneaking in the cracks. A thoroughly impressive debut with fantastically timed surprises throughout

Deeply immersive, atmospheric, and a true love letter to gothic fiction. An impressive, standout debut, sure to leave readers on the edge of their seats

Incredibly rich prose in this absorbing, deeply atmospheric story of governess, Margaret Lennox. A brilliant love letter to classic Victorian fiction and a standout debut

Dark, twisty, gothic and full of surprises ... a deliciously atmospheric page-turner

A real blast...I really enjoyed this haunting, gothic tale

DINAH JEFFERIES, bestselling author of the SUNDAY TIMES number one bestseller THE TEA-PLANTER'S WIFE

Katie Lumsden read Jane Eyre at the age of thirteen and never looked back. She spent her teenage years devouring nineteenth century literature, reading every Dickens, Brontë, Gaskell, Austen and Hardy novel she could find. She has a degree in English literature and history from the University of Durham and an MA in creative writing from Bath Spa University. Her short stories have been shortlisted for the London Short Story Prize and the Bridport Prize, and have been published in various literary magazines. 
Katie's YouTube channel, Books and Things, has more than 37,000 subscribers. She lives in London and works as an editor. 
 
Katie's debut novel, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, was shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award. Her second novel, The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst, is a love letter to Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell.

I loved this fresh take on the gothic genre. Vivid, haunting, surprising' STACEY HALLS 
'A full-blooded gothic mystery with bite, great characterisation and heaps of atmosphere' EMMA STONEX 
 
1852. Margaret Lennox, a young widow, is offered a position as governess at Hartwood Hall. She quickly accepts, hoping this isolated country house will allow her to leave the past behind. 
 
Margaret soon feels there's something odd about Hartwood: strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants and an abandoned east wing. 
 
Margaret is certain that everyone here has something to hide, and as her own past threatens to catch up with her, she must learn to trust her instincts before it's too late...

Katie Lumsden

A fabulous book, I was immersed from the very first page. Katie Lumsden writes with wonderful style, confidence, and absolute control. The Christmas-Tree Murders is superb entertainment, a rich puzzle imbued with all the splendour of the Victorian Gothic

TOM MEAD, author of DEATH AND THE CONJUROR

Clever, intriguing and beautifully atmospheric, The Christmas Tree Murders is an immaculate slice of festive fiction. The characters are vivid and electric, the plot unfolds like a perfect Victorian puzzle-box and the writing is just sumptuous. Katie Lumsden is such a talent.

This immersive Victorian treat of a book is packed with fascinating characters and clues. It's an absolute delight

Delightfully festive and irresistibly addictive, The Christmas Tree Murders is an essential addition to your Christmas list. Just brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!

Full of atmosphere and fantastic characters. This is a proper Victorian murder mystery that kept me turning the pages to find out whodunnit. A perfect Christmas read.

Imagine Janice Hallett writing a Victorian murder mystery, and you have this book - a perfect Christmas read

Uniquely voiced, and murderously charming, this thoroughly beguiling whodunnit should be under everyone’s Christmas tree this year.

This is the perfect read to curl up with on Christmas Day. I was completely immersed in the windswept, snowy surrounds of Clifftop House, captivated by the charming and wry omniscient narrator from the very first line, and thoroughly entertained by the eclectic cast of characters who have plenty of secrets between them. The chapters are expertly paced, and the attention to historical accuracy is (as fans of Lumsden have come to expect) impeccable. Katie has outdone herself with this clever, witty and warm mystery. I hope it goes flying off the shelves and winds up under Christmas trees up and down the country.

A deliciously entertaining murder mystery with a unique historical setting. I loved the feast of characters, especially the unstoppable Millie, and the very original narrator was a touch of genius

An absolute joy of a book, told in Katie’s inimitable style. The central mystery keeps you guessing to the end, and the unique setting makes for an extra layer of intrigue

A full-blooded gothic mystery with bite, great characterisation and heaps of atmosphere

A suspenseful and beautifully crafted novel filled with atmosphere, rich characters and plenty of layers to keep a reader hooked right to the end

An intriguing delight, with scandal, gossip and romance, and a cast of characters Jane Austen would be proud of

This book delivers HUGE Jane Eyre vibes, gothic and mysterious Victoriana. I LOVED it

A brilliantly creepy and utterly compelling read

Dark, twisty, gothic and full of surprises ... a deliciously atmospheric page-turner

December 1883. Inventor and millionaire Sir Russell Morgan has invited his friends and investors to celebrate Christmas at Clifftop House. But when a footman is found dead – electrocuted – on the very first night of the party, festivities are thrown to the wind. The police dismiss Fred’s death as an accident, but his friend Millie, the kitchenmaid, is not so sure. 
Who would have wanted to kill Fred? Did he know a secret about the Morgan family? Or about Sir Russell’s guests? 
Christmas Day comes, and with it another dead body. 
Can the killer be caught before they strike again?

Katie Lumsden

Books by Katie Lumsden

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12 Christmas murder mystery books to get you feeling festive

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