The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did you react to the fact that Eleanor never reveals how she escaped her den, Mistletoe Manor, and the country? Should these details have been fully explained? Why or why not?

2. Is the author’s portrayal of Ethan Wyatt’ realistic? Why or why not?

3. Compare this book to other locked-door mysteries that you might have read, such as Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. How does Carter both honor and subvert the conventions of this subgenre?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Has anyone ever tried to discount your lived experience of events, as Colin does to Maggie? What strategies did you use to counter this manipulation?

2. How have you benefited from teamwork in your life? What was the outcome of the team’s involvement? What do you think would’ve happened if you’d have had to solve the issue alone?

3. Describe a time in your life when you played a part or put on a mask, figuratively speaking, in order to protect yourself from emotional harm. Is Carter’s depiction of this process in the text accurate? Explain your reasoning.

4. Have you ever had an Eleanor Ashley in your life? Or a Maggie Chase? Who is it, and how did that relationship develop?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Maggie believes that “man’s” greatest power is his ability to gaslight women into thinking they are misguided and prone to errors. Does your experience of the real world confirm or reject this notion?

2. Society often conveys the message that women should not take up space, make too much noise, or draw attention to themselves. How are these patriarchal attitudes reflected in the text?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Why is the book set in the English countryside? What are the effects of uprooting the main characters from their home?

2. Which aspects of the plot could have been explained more clearly? Did you have any trouble following Maggie’s logic as she chased one clue to the next and assessed their relevance?

3. The majority of the chapters are quite short. What effect does this structure have on the narrative’s tension and pacing?

4. What purpose is served by the police transcript interludes? They don’t usually reveal any new information, so why might Carter have included these segments?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If this text were adapted into a feature film, who would you cast to play Maggie, Ethan, Eleanor, Inspector Dobson, and the other characters? Explain your choices.

2. If you were to create a playlist that captures the mood of the book, what Christmas songs might you choose, and what non-Christmas songs seem appropriate? Why?