#BookReview: Happy Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton @mummyblogger @AvonBooksUK @IndiesAbout #HappyBloodyChristmas #JoMiddleton #FestiveRead

Book Synopsis:

Anna’s Christmas Eve To Do List:

1. Wrap the kids’ presents​

2. Peel the potatoes ​

3. Get rid of the dead body?!

Hungover and exhausted after her family’s annual party, all Anna Johnson wants for Christmas is to finish her to-do list and finally sit down with the world’s biggest glass of wine.

But when she stumbles across a dead body in her larder, her plans are well and truly buggered.

A mysterious death in her home really is the last thing she needs, but with her judgemental in-laws arriving in less than twenty-four hours, turning her house into a crime scene is not an option. If she’s going to save Christmas, it’s up to Anna to find out what the hell’s gone on. Oh – and figure out what to do with the body before one of the kids finds it.

And you thought burning the turkey was the worst that could happen…

My Review:

Happy Bloody Christmas is a hilarious, gripping read that is perfect for reading in this festive period.

Firstly I absolutely loved Anna and enjoyed following her throughout the book. She’s such a relatable character who I really felt for as she tries to plan for Chirstmas, solve a murder and deal with the impending visit from the mother in law from hell. Most of the messy scenarios mentioned are recognisable from ones you might have suffered through yourself and I like reading about them when it wasn’t happening to me. She has really made me feel better about my own Christmas disasters.

I thought the book had a great pace to it and I was quickly drawn into the story. It was fun to slowly learn more about the characters and their relationship with them murder victim. There were hilarious moments that had me laughing out loud and some really heart warming family scenarios that were lovely to read about. The many surprising twists kept me guessing until the end which I always enjoy and I’m now very excited for the sequel which is coming out next year!

Huge thanks to Avon and Indie Thinking for sending me a copy of this book. If you are after a gripping read to help you get into the Christmas spirit then I highly recommend this book.

About The Author:

Jo Middleton is a writer, mum of two grown up children and slave to a golden retriever and three cats, named after fictional detectives. Jo published her first novel, Playgroups and Prosecco, in 2019 and has since gone on to work with her good friend Gill Sims, hosting her 2022 theatre tour and co-hosting a podcast, It’s Five O’clock Somewhere. Happy Bloody Christmas is her first crime novel and is an amalgamation of everything she loves best – murder at Christmas, what’s not to love?

Jo lives in Somerset and when she’s not working or tending to a pet she loves reading murder mysteries, binge-watching dating reality TV shows and being dragged around the countryside by her disrespectful dog Mako.