Not Another Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton review – A riotous festive whodunnit
No other Christmas book is going to make you laugh this much.
Not Another Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton: The key details
- Publish date: 23 October 2025
- Genre: Comedy/Mystery
- Publisher: Avon
- Available formats: Paperback, ebook, audio
- Series/standalone: Book 2 of 2 (although can be read as a standalone)
- Length: 320 pages
Blurb: Anna’s taking the family away for a quiet Christmas in this hilarious, standalone murder mystery…
Unlike last year, there will be no risk of her burning the turkey, far less nagging from her mother-in-law and – crucially – a zero per cent chance of finding a dead body in her larder.
All she wants is to relax with a glass of wine in front of the fire. But when another group of guests show up just before a snowstorm, her plans begin to go awry. And the appearance of a dead body threatens to bugger up Christmas once again…
Can Anna get merry and root out the murderer? Or will this be another bloody Christmas nightmare?
Not Another Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton: The review
After last year, Anna is desperate for a quiet family Christmas. After all, as you’ll know if you read Happy Bloody Christmas, she found a dead body in her larder. Not exactly the way she intended the big day going. And so, in Not Another Bloody Christmas, she whisks her husband and two children away to a big country manor. No stress, no worries, and certainly no murder.
Or so she thinks. When a large group turns up due to a double booking, Anna’s quiet family Christmas goes out of the window. And when one of the other party goes and gets themselves murdered in the library, Anna’s left to try and solve a murder. Again.
The stakes feel higher this time around, and the result is a thoroughly enjoyable traditional murder mystery that channels the likes of Agatha Christie. It’s steeped with humour; Jo Middleton’s writing will make you laugh time and time again thanks to its endless quips and real-world references. It might not always be believable, but it doesn’t matter: it’s such great fun to read that it’s very easy to suspend disbelief for a while.
The entire events of Not Another Bloody Christmas happen over a single day – Christmas Eve this time, in fact – and it’s a very easy, quick read. Anna’s scatty character is loveable, and the cast of guests all bring something different to the table, from the stuck-up Honoria to the social media obsessed Everlie.
If you need a light-hearted, fun read this Christmas that isn’t a romance, look no further. Better yet, it’s currently just 99p on Kindle – you don’t need to have read the first book to enjoy this, but that too is worth your time.
Discover more from What The Book
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
