In her books to date, Nicola Upson has imagined how the golden age detective novelist and playwright Josephine Tey may have been at solving crimes (the latest being 'Shot with Crimson' and taking us to the world of Alfred Hitchcock and his film of 'Rebecca'). We've learnt something of the domestic life of the artist Stanley Spencer in 'Stanley and Elsie'. Now Upson introduces us to Anthony and Elva Pratt inventors of the game Cluedo. 

It's Christmas Eve in 1943 and the Pratts have arrived in an English village to run a murder-mystery event at the nearby hotel. 

They've created a map of the hotel and brought props as weapons to leave as clues. Their hope is that the hotel guests will engage in their parlour game and move through the rooms to work out 'whodunnit'.

But before they get to the hotel, the Pratts stop at the village shop where they discover the owner, Miss Silver, has been beaten to death. They soon find themselves tasked with uncovering her killer.

This is a fabulous short novel perfect for Christmas. A beautiful cover and an engrossing, wintry, nostalgic read which is just right for an afternoon sitting in front of the fire with a hot cup of tea or a glass of sherry!