Literary Flits: Killer Resolutions by Elizabeth McKenna + #Giveaway

Friday, 6 December 2019

Killer Resolutions by Elizabeth McKenna + #Giveaway

Killer Resolutions by Elizabeth McKenna
Published in the USA by Maureen Lippert on the 2nd October 2019.

One of my 2019 New Release Challenge reads

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For fans of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None . . .

In a remote lodge in northern Wisconsin, friends gather for a festive, New Year’s Eve weekend. When a blizzard traps them with a murderer, who will be left to kiss at midnight?

Five years ago, a tragedy shattered the friendship between Dani, her older brother, and their college pals. When her brother invites the old gang for a weekend of outdoor winter fun at a remote lodge, she sees it as a chance to reconnect and heal. But when her friends are murdered one-by-one, Dani must determine whom she can trust before she becomes the next victim.

I hadn't read any Elizabeth McKenna novels before this one and was expecting Killer Resolutions to be a Christmassy cosy mystery. In fact it is much darker in tone and I found myself in agreement with the synopsis recommendation of the story being apt for Agatha Christie fans. Is this actually a relocated retelling of And Then There Were None? I'm not sure to be honest, but Killer Resolutions certainly makes the most of its isolated snow-bound Wisconsin setting for a nailbitingly tense atmosphere.

I wasn't initially sure how much I would like this story because I didn't easily identify with the characters, however the very first scene - depicting the tragedy the synopsis alludes to - is gripping and once McKenna started us on our travels to Wisconsin I was well and truly hooked. I don't think I've ever experienced the volumes of snow described here and I loved the idea of this secluded cabin hideaway - well, until everything starts getting scary anyway! The increasingly intense narrative is cleverly portrayed and I could understand how people's shocked reactions led them to act in the ways they do. Killer Resolutions is an exciting murder mystery which kept me glued to its story all the way though, and the plot has a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended as a refreshing change from more saccharine seasonal novels!

Meet the author:

Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene). Her novels reflect her mercurial temperament and include historical romances, contemporary romances, cozy mysteries, and dark mysteries. With some being “clean” and some being “naughty,” she has a book for your every mood. Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.

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