What an end to the year it’s been. Stocking Stuffers has launched, and then of course, the most wonderful time of the year – Christmas! It’s been a month of cheesy films, cheesy music and lots of cheese. I suspect I may actually be eating cheese until summer…
That being said, I’m going to do a condensed wrap-up for the last month or so, as things are a bit different, plus I watch the same movies every year, so I won’t be recapping those in any detail!
The writing break has continued as predicted. And with some significant changes in the early part of 2026, it may well continue for some time. However, I can share that I’ve had even more ideas for new writing. My resolution to you is that I’m not sure what I’ll be writing, but who knows?
Murder at the Christmas Emporium by Andreina Cordani
A seemingly unconnected group of individuals receive a special invite to the Christmas Emporium – a place filled with festive magic. But when they find themselves trapped inside after hours and the guests dying in unpleasant circumstances, things turn dark. As the evening proceeds, the victims come to uncover their perceived crimes and the one person who connects them all.
The Christmas Cracker Killer by Alexandra Benedict
Another cracking, grisly festive murder mystery derails Edie O’Sullivan’s plans for a quiet, luxurious Christmas at the soft launch of a hotel on a Scottish island. As the perfect soft-launch unravels with ominous portents and bodies piling up on the isolated isle, Edie and Shaun find themselves in a race to catch a killer before Christmas Day. Another fun, fast murder mystery at the most wonderful time of the year.
The Christmas Eve Murders by Noelle Allbright
When your car breaks down in a small Yorkshire Dales village on Christmas Eve as the snow sets in, what do you do? You accept the kindness of strangers and head to the local pub. When it’s clear there’s no rescue coming through the storm, a pub scavenger hunt seems a fun way to pass the time. Until a body turns up. The only suspects are locked in the pub. It makes for a thrilling Christmas Eve as the pub patrons seek to survive the night and unmask the murderer in their midst.
Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict
A sleeper train to the Scottish highlands should have been the end of a career in the police and the start of a new life as a grandparent. That is, until a social media star turns up dead. When her abusive partner suffers a similar fate, followed by a student and a quizzer, it seems retirement will have to wait as a killer needs catching. A fantastic read for the festive season.
The Christmas Magpie by Mark Edwards
When Dani and Noel buy their first home together, they look forward to their first Christmas together. A street Christmas lights switch-on and festive parties give them a sense of community. That is, until strange and unsettling packages and happenings start to occur. When the pattern seems to mimic a locally-imprisoned murderer, Lucy, and her pattern of harassment, things take a dark and deadly turn. This one is definitely my pick of the festive reads for this year.
King of Christmas by JE Rowney
A DNF is a rarity for me, but at the time of writing this is looking increasingly likely for this choose your own festive thriller. I’m struggling to engage with the characters, and the narrative choices aren’t overly compelling. If I do make it to the end of this and find it improves, I’ll revise my review, but I’m not holding out hope on this one.
IT: Welcome to Derry (Season 1)
Wow! I’ve been looking forward to this series since it was announced. By the creators of the two films, IT: Welcome to Derry takes things back before the films by 27 years. It expands on the lore set out in the book by Stephen King and amps up the horror. As if Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise could be any creepier. It explored the character of Bill Grey, the first incarnation of Pennywise, and introduces the first loser’s club. A graphic, horrific and magnificent expansion of one of my favourite stories.
Severance (Season 1)
Another new series to the line up this December, and it’s blown my mind. It’s an incredible concept blending sci-fi and dystopian elements with a large dose of office-based mundanity to make a creepy, unsettling series that brings a whole new meaning to “leave work at the door”. The set design is beautiful in its sterility, all whites and greys and bland office and hallways. Even the “outside world” has a blandness in keeping with the sets. There’s a deeper conspiracy at play that underlines this fantastic first series.
After months of work, Stocking Stuffers released at the start of the month. Since then, we’ve had Christmas and look towards 2026. I’m not pressuring myself to write at the moment and will pick whichever of my projects most interests me to work on next. I’ll see you all next month/year!
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Steven Smith 