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13/11/2025 The Christmas Magpie by Mark Edwards
A Christmas offering from The Magpies series. A young couple move into their first home in Telford, Shropshire, looking forward to their first Christmas. They have moved to a very friendly neighbourhood community and are not surprised to receive a gift on their doorstep from 'Secret Santa'. However, the gift isn't as nice as first appears and is followed by more surprise gifts that become personalised, chilling and very creepy.
This is a pacy, short read told from two perspectives. The first is the man from the couple - born on Christmas eve and named Noel - and the serial killer woman from other Magpie books. She is in prison and is writing a modern version of A Christmas Carol for the inmates to perform. The two stories run side by side although they are linked by the 'Secret Santa'. A cosy crime whodunnit, not quite the psychological thriller I expected but there are plenty of characters to keep the reader engaged, although they are rather stereotypical. It is perfect for the festive crime library at this time of year as there is so much going on in our own lives and this fills that reading gap without being taxing. Beautiful cover.
Published by Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House on 13 November 2025.
Advance review copy supplied by the publisher. 
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