Whatever you unwrap for Christmas, you had better hope it’s this book. This is 21st-century cosy Christmas crime that doesn’t shy away from the darkness. Eighteen passengers, seven stops, one killer Christmas read' JANICE HALLETT This book should come with multiple trigger warnings, it includes the topics of rape, domestic violence, pregnancy/birth trauma, right from the start. Too many topics shoe-horned into one novel means that the book just seems confused, with fairly unlikeable characters as well. Roz is the saving grace, but only just!

One thing that always features in my Christmas reading is a mystery - whether it's revisiting M. R. James ghost stories for the nth time, or a Christmas-themed murder mystery. This book certainly fits the bill with its deliberate reference to Agatha Christie's title, and Christmas thrown in. On the journey, more or less half the book, involves setting up the characters. We have Meg, a social media influencer, her aggressive reality television show partner, some students, a belittled father, an elderly woman with her adoring son, and some others. When the train is detailed and a body found, it is up to Roz to solve the crime. Começou a todo o vapor mas depois perdeu fôlego. Foi um retelling do famoso Um Crime no Expresso do Oriente de Agatha Christie, que é um livro espetacular. Alexandra Benedict teve uma ideia mesmo muito boa. Sendo o primeiro livro, nota-se a sua inexperiência mas também uma carreira promissora e desejo-lhe toda a sorte. Magnificent! A smart, suspenseful and snow-covered mystery with plenty of heart and more than a few quiz questions. A total must read for Christmas’ STEPH BROADRIBB This was one twisty tale! Although I read it in February in sunny Sri Lanka I was instantly transported to the height of winter in Scotland. Truly atmospheric. I also enjoyed the references to famous books, songs, and movies that were scattered through the story.

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The perfect book to read on a train . . . A thrilling journey from start to finish. Highly recommended' ELLY GRIFFITHS The Midlands Polar Express Ride –We encourage our guests, young and old to wear pyjamas just as in the book with a dressing gown for good measure also. Children love it and if you can persuade our older guests, Mums, Dads, Granny and Grandpa to also join in, the atmosphere in the train comes alive for a truly magical experience! Well received -- very appropriate for the season -- audiences laughed, cried, and applauded. Easily staged -- a nice turn from traditional Christmas offerings." I say this in a somewhat jesting way, but I mean this warning with seriousness. What is presented here in the title, the cover art, and the publisher’s summary is a fun holiday mystery. In actuality, this is a very upsetting book about the devastating effects of sexual assault and rape on survivors and includes multiple graphic and unsettling first person accounts of rape, as well as a lot of horror show pregnancy and delivery content as well that I would absolutely not recommend reading while pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant. The perfect Christmas read . . . and puzzles galore for both readers and the players of the game’ W.C. RYAN

Travel to Levisham Station, where you will see a dazzling light show, as our heritage steam engine prepares for the return journey. This is the perfect Christmas book. Get it for yourself to read when the nights are cold and dark and give it as a present. To everyone!’ MARTYN WAITES Climb aboard the The Train to Christmas Town, a train ride expertly designed to bring the spirit of Christmas to life for another year. Bringing the whole family together for a special ride to remember, experience festive fun with fabulous characters and interactive entertainment.The story begins well when the night train to the Scottish Highlands is derailed by a fallen tree and any chance of rescue is many hours away. Unfortunately there is a killer on board and several murders occur one after another. Also on board is ex cop Roz Parker and she begins the search for the murderer. Yes this does sound like the perfect description of a cosy mystery. My other issue with the book is that none of the characters come across as particularly likeable; they don't really develop any kind of personality other than long descriptions of what they're doing or obsessing about. This isn't helped by unnecessarily long descriptions of how a character uses his vape pen, or eats a sweet. In the first part of the book, the detective, Roz, is trying to get to Scotland to be with her daughter who has gone into labour. Roz feels that she's failing her daughter by not being there. We know this because we're told it over and over again. Roz has made a traditional Scottish sweet to take with her. We hear about this sweet endlessly while Roz is waiting for the train, how it tastes, how long it lasts, how she should have sent some to her daughter in the post. When I started this novel, I expected a nice Christmas cozy with all the trimmings but this is definitely not that. First, the only connection to Christmas is the time of year but it hardly factors into the story. Second, it was a long and sometimes draggy ride to the first murder which doesn’t occur until about a third of the way into the story. And there is nothing cozy here. This is a very dark tale with several references to rape, sexual, emotional and physical assaults as well as descriptions of a high risk pregnancy. And it’s a shame, because the story itself really isn’t bad. It just has nothing to do with Christmas, reads nothing like the summary implies it will in tone, content, or theme, and has the potential to be a nasty surprise for readers who are sensitive to this type of material. All aboard a cozy murder mystery on the Christmas Express. Think Agatha Christie meets anagrams, hidden word searches, a recipe and a pub quiz. It’s the perfect mysterious festive read.

Steam Dreams Rail Co. has announced dates for its highly anticipated Santa Steam Express trips this winter, departing from London Victoria. Land at a Station and you can move again, or land on a bridge and take a shortcut. Or play 3 of a kind and move directly to the next station… there are many ways to be first to the North Pole Station. Having said that, it's good that the author is trying to create positive representation, even if it is done in a clunky and expositional way. I'm definitely going to grow up to be a crone! It is possible to write amazing older characters (for example) without them constantly turning to face the camera and announcing with a wink how they are flouting societies expectations. Keep the characters, but with less of the sermonising. The perfect updating of the classic Christmas Country House mystery . . . Fabulous festive fun’ DEREK FARRELL You will travel through an enchanted forest which is transformed by a multitude of lights and surprises. You will then arrive at Levisham Station, where a dazzling light show will begin. Experience a light extravaganza and a snow covered authentic heritage station, like you’ve never seen before!For example, there are some strained similes - there's a midwife 'whose low, reassuring tones flowed like the warm water that filled a birthing pool'. Like many real passengers, Roz notices the glimpsed lives of people as the train passes their houses, but as she 'became aware of thousands of parallel lives', she feels that 'Like every small part of the train, each life was integral. Essential.' Really? This observation is then extended to wildly misunderstand Schrödinger's cat with the thought that 'Each box of a window with its blinds or curtains could contain an atrocity. Schrödinger's casement.' I will read more from the author. This book did show some development from her debut - there were more characters, there was more going on and I felt more engaged. I expect one of these days she's going to write a stonker and I'm looking forward to reading it. There were things I liked about it - the characters were amalgamated well into what was set up to be a modern take on the classic mystery-on-a-train Golden Age plot (yay!) Unfortunately, it wasn't particularly twisty, the solutions were unimaginative and some of the characters behaved in ridiculous ways. Once you have returned from Father Christmas’s Winter Wonderland, you can then visit the Activity Area where you can write Father Christmas a letter and post it to him at our festive post office. Also enjoy craft making, face painting, story telling and our dance tent! Throughout your journey, you may tangle with the caribou and other magical happenings, as you have the original story of THE POLAR EXPRESS™ told to you by the singing Chefs. Don’t forget to have a bite of your cookie and a sip of authentic hot chocolate before meeting the main man himself Santa Claus.