Book Review: Murder At The Christmas Emporium by Andreina Cordani
About the book
Christmas shopping can be murder.
It's Christmas Eve at the Emporium, a bespoke gift shop hidden in the depths of London's winding streets, where a select few shoppers are browsing its handcrafted delights.
But when they go to leave, they find the doors are locked and it isn't long before they realise this is no innocent mix-up.
The shoppers have been trapped here by someone who knows their darkest secrets, who will stop at nothing until they have all been unwrapped - and there is a gruesome gift waiting in Santa's grotto...
For those that survive the night, it will be a Christmas to remember.
Why we love it
This is great fun - a full on festive thriller, with a great cast of characters and a fast-paced plot, that I just couldn't put down!
Who hasn't imagined being locked in their favourite shop overnight? Well, you might just want to reconsider that after reading Murder At The Christmas Emporium.
When a group of apparently unconnected strangers attend a VIP event at Verity's Emporium, an old-fashioned toy and gift store dating back to the Victorian era, they find themselves unexpectedly trapped inside whilst an unknown and unseen murderer picks them off one by one.
Think Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, except in a London toy shop instead of a remote island.
Cleverly constructed, this locked room style mystery has all the plot twists and turns you could possibly imagine and kept me guessing right up until the very last page.
Often books fall into two categories - those that prioritise plot and those that focus on characters. Murder At The Christmas Emporium pulls off that rare trick of making both equally gripping. The story shifts between multiple viewpoints, giving us an insight into this cast of complex characters, each with something to hide. It adds an extra layer of intrigue to the story which made it even more absorbing and compelling to read.
Perfectly constructed, it's the perfect read for anyone who loves twisty-turny plots and intriguing characters with a hefty side helping of festive flair. Loved it!
