Best Christmas Mystery Books for Adults (2026)

Finding the best christmas mystery books for adults starts with the reader’s holiday mood: a cozy whodunit for one evening, or a long night of puzzles. We compared five books by page count, series position and publication date, so you can match the mystery to the mood.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	Christmas Mysteries by Penzler	9.8/10	Buy on Amazon
2	Murder Game by Benedict	9.7/10	Buy on Amazon
3	Has a Secret by Stevenson	9.6/10	Buy on Amazon
4	Mistletoe Hall by Brown	9.6/10	Buy on Amazon
5	Santa Suit by Andrews	9.5/10	Buy on Amazon

1

Christmas Mysteries by Penzler

Otto Penzler·9.8/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

An anthology of sixty holiday crime stories from Arthur Conan Doyle, Isaac Asimov and Mary Higgins Clark.

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Pros

• Sixty holiday crime stories in one 672-page volume.
• Selected by an Edgar Award winner.
• Suspenseful, funny, frightening and poignant stories.

Cons

• The October 2013 edition is the oldest here.
• An anthology: no single continuous mystery.
• At 672 pages it is the longest read.

2

Murder Game by Benedict

Alexandra Benedict·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A locked-room Christmas mystery: a holiday tradition of riddles leads Lily Armitage toward the keys to Endgame House.

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Pros

• Riddles play out to Twelfth Night.
• A locked-room setup with deadly family secrets.
• At 288 pages it is the longest novel here.

Cons

• Death and family secrets run through the description.
• Only this one book follows these characters.
• No reading age or grade level is stated.

3

Has a Secret by Stevenson

Benjamin Stevenson·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A Christmas whodunit backstage at a magician's show: Ernest Cunningham faces a murder and an advent calendar of clues.

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Pros

• Book 3 of 4 in the Ernest Cunningham series.
• The October 2024 date is the newest here.
• Framed for fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club.

Cons

• Book 3 of a series: start new readers at Book 1.
• A suspect covered in blood appears in the description.
• At 192 pages it is the shortest pick here.

4

Mistletoe Hall by Brown

Benedict Brown·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 1920s Christmas whodunit: eight strangers trapped in a deserted manor as snow falls and the body count rises.

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Pros

• Described as standalone, so Book 4 works on its own.
• A 1920s setting for fans of Golden Age style.
• Nods to And Then There Were None and The Sittaford Mystery.

Cons

• Bodies pile up; preview for sensitive readers.
• Book 4 of 15 for readers starting at Book 1.
• The November 2021 date is older than the 2024 pick.

5

Santa Suit by Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews·9.5/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 224-page novella: a divorcee finds an old Santa suit and a decades-old Christmas wish in a farmhouse closet.

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Pros

• A 224-page novella that fits a weekend read.
• The mystery of who wrote the note is solved.
• The October 2022 edition is newer than most picks.

Cons

• Romance leads; the mystery is a subplot.
• No series or sequel is stated.
• No reading age or grade level is stated.

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More picks to compare

• Comfort & Joy by HannahA Christmas fable about a woman finding happiness.Check on Amazon
• Twelve Books of Christmas by CarlisleA holiday murder mystery in Scotland, Book 17 of 17.Check on Amazon
• Christmas Express by BenedictA locked-room mystery on a snowbound train.Check on Amazon
• Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by DelanyFirst Year-Round Christmas mystery in Rudolph, New York.Check on Amazon
• A Murderous Christmas by DelanySecond Year-Round Christmas mystery with shop owner Merry Wilkinson.Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Book details as published on each listing, collected 22 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs fit, contents and edition, value, and the listed reading age or level. None of the five listings states a reading age or grade level. How we pick explains the weights.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best christmas mystery books for adults

Match the length to the holiday

A 192-page whodunit fits one evening; the 672-page anthology carries a reader through the season.

Series or standalone

Two picks are mid-series: Book 3 of 4 for the Stevenson whodunit and Book 4 of 15 for the Brown mystery, though the Brown listing calls itself standalone. For more of the same characters, see the mystery series for adults.

Before you buy

• Check the publication date: 2013 for the anthology, October 2024 for the newest whodunit.
• Confirm the book number: two picks here are mid-series volumes.
• Check the print length against gift timing: 192 to 672 pages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I read the series in order?

Mistletoe Hall is described as standalone despite being Book 4 of 15. The Stevenson book is Book 3 of 4.

Which pick is the longest?

The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries lists 672 pages; the longest novel is The Christmas Murder Game at 288 pages.

Do these mysteries get violent?

Murders and bodies appear in the descriptions. Preview one for a sensitive reader.

Still deciding? Our top pickChristmas Mysteries by Penzler

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Related lists

See every thriller-mystery list and all fiction lists.

More lists: mystery books for young adults, history mystery books and mystery puzzle books for adults.