Death Wrapped in Ribbons

On a bleak December day, an unnamed killer meticulously wraps a present in black-and-white paper, tying it with a blood-red ribbon. This is no ordinary gift: it's the first move in a plan that will see several people dead by Christmas Eve. The killer, haunted by regrets and driven by a need for retribution, delivers the package to Edie O'Sullivan, a retired teacher and renowned crossword compiler. The present contains jigsaw pieces depicting a crime scene, and a chilling card: solve the puzzle, or people will die. The killer's motives are personal, their resolve absolute, and the game has begun.

The Pensioner Puzzler's Challenge

Edie O'Sullivan, a sharp-tongued, solitary octogenarian, receives the mysterious jigsaw and taunting note. The message is clear: unless she solves the puzzle, more deaths will follow. Edie, who finds solace in crosswords, cats, and tea, is both terrified and intrigued. She confides in her neighbor Riga, a herbalist and her closest friend, and her great-nephew Sean, a detective inspector. The jigsaw's imagery—blood, tiles, and a chalk outline—suggests a murder yet to happen. Edie's past, especially her failed relationship with Sky and the locked dining room full of memories, begins to resurface as the puzzle's threat becomes real.

Ghosts of Christmas Past

Edie's life is shaped by loss: her mother died on Christmas, her brother in a car crash, and she raised Sean after his parents' deaths. Christmas is a season of grief for her, and her relationship with Sean is both loving and fraught. Sean, now a detective, is in the process of adopting a child with his husband, Liam. The jigsaw's arrival stirs up Edie's guilt over past betrayals, especially with Sky, her lost love. The puzzle is not just a game—it's a summons to confront the ghosts of her own history.

A Killer's First Move

The killer stalks Carl Latimer, a self-absorbed games teacher and runner, through the dark woods. Carl, obsessed with his own prowess, is ambushed, struck down, and left for dead. The killer leaves a jigsaw piece in Carl's hand, marking the first real-world move in their deadly game. The attack is both calculated and emotionally charged, as the killer struggles with the reality of taking a life. The woods become a stage for vengeance, and the killer's sense of purpose is both chilling and tragic.

Jigsaw Clues and Family Ties

Sean joins Edie at the pub to discuss the jigsaw. They analyze the clues: black-and-white tiles, a sign from a school gym, and a watch that once belonged to Sean's family. The pieces point to St Mary's School, where Edie once taught and where painful memories linger. Sean and Edie visit the school, uncovering connections to the past and to Carl Latimer. The investigation is both a police matter and a personal reckoning, as Edie's history with the school and her lost love Sky come to the fore.

The Games Teacher Falls

Carl is found alive but gravely injured, clutching a jigsaw piece. In the hospital, he's arrogant and dismissive, but the attack has shaken him. Sean and Edie question him, learning about a motivational sign in the school gym and the presence of music at the scene. The jigsaw's imagery—tiles, blood, and a street sign—suggests a broader pattern. The police begin to suspect that the killer is targeting people connected to Edie's past, and the puzzle's stakes escalate.

School Secrets and Old Wounds

At St Mary's, Edie and Sean encounter a web of secrets: the headmaster Dr. Berkeley's affair with fertility doctor Veronica Princeton, the school's history of covering up scandals, and Edie's own unresolved guilt over a student's drowning years ago. The receptionist, Mrs. Challis, is a crossword fan and becomes an unlikely ally. The school is a microcosm of the community's hidden wounds, and the killer's puzzle is forcing old secrets into the light.

The First Murdered Woman

Veronica Princeton, a prominent fertility doctor and former student of Edie's, is found murdered in an alley, jigsaw pieces tangled in her hair. The police investigation reveals her connections to the running club, the school, and a history of professional complaints. Edie is wracked with guilt, feeling she failed to solve the puzzle in time. The killer's pattern is becoming clearer: each victim is linked to Edie's past, and each death is a piece of a larger, vengeful picture.

Crosswords, Cats, and Regret

As the body count rises, Edie retreats into her routines—crosswords, jigsaws, and caring for her cats. She's haunted by memories of Sky and the locked dining room, and by her failures as a teacher, lover, and guardian. Riga urges her to confront her past and take control of the investigation. Edie's sense of responsibility grows, but so does her fear that she is the true target of the killer's game.

The Running Club's Dark Side

The investigation widens to include the Weymouth Running Club, where many suspects—victims and potential killers—intersect. Lucy Pringle, a neighbor and club member, is revealed to have been a victim of Carl Latimer's abuse. The club's social media is full of threats against Veronica, and the killer's knowledge of routines and relationships suggests an insider. The puzzle's complexity mirrors the tangled lives of the community, and the killer's motives seem both personal and systemic.

The Puzzle Grows Bloodier

Carl Latimer is murdered in his home, smothered by the killer posing as a delivery driver. Linus Cramer, a carpet warehouse owner linked to past scandals, is also killed. Each crime scene yields new jigsaw pieces, each more gruesome and symbolic. The killer's pattern is anti-clockwise, building towards a central, personal revelation. Edie's guilt intensifies as she realizes the victims are all connected to her failures—professional, personal, and moral.

The Ex Returns

Sky, Edie's long-lost love, returns to town, reigniting old feelings and unresolved pain. Their reunion is bittersweet: Sky has moved on, married, and built a family, while Edie remains trapped by her past. Their conversation is a catalyst for Edie, forcing her to confront her regrets and the ways she's pushed people away. The killer's game is not just about murder—it's about forcing Edie to face the consequences of her choices.

The Headmaster's Confession

As the police close in, Dr. Berkeley confesses to the murders in a suicide note, dying by cyanide at the school Christmas party. The note and evidence seem to close the case, but Edie senses something is wrong. The jigsaw is incomplete, and the true mastermind remains at large. The killer's knowledge of Edie's past and the puzzle's unsolved clues point to a deeper, more personal vendetta.

The Fourth Corner Collapses

Sean is lured to a fake meeting and kidnapped by the real killer, who is revealed to be Bridget Berkeley, Dr. Berkeley's daughter, living under the alias Isla. Bridget's life was destroyed by abuse, neglect, and the failures of adults—including Edie. The final jigsaw pieces are delivered, and Edie realizes the puzzle's center is her own guilt over a student's drowning years ago. The killer's true aim is not just revenge, but confession and reckoning.

The Crypt's Final Piece

Edie follows the clues to the crypt beneath St Mary Magdalene's church, where she finds Sean, injured but alive, and Bridget, armed and desperate. Bridget forces Edie to confess her failures: abandoning her class, failing to protect her students, and crushing Bridget's dreams. Edie drinks poisoned wine as penance, but has prepared by taking activated charcoal. The confrontation is both a climax and a catharsis, as Edie finally faces the truth of her past.

Confessions and Forgiveness

Bridget, dying of cancer and broken by trauma, is arrested after Edie survives the poisoning. The police piece together the full story: the murders were acts of vengeance for abuse, neglect, and institutional betrayal. Edie, Sean, and Liam are left to pick up the pieces, their relationships strengthened by honesty and forgiveness. Edie apologizes to those she's hurt, including Riga and Liam, and begins to let go of her self-imposed isolation.

Christmas Day, New Beginnings

On Christmas Day, Sean recovers in hospital, surrounded by loved ones. The adoption of Juniper, and possibly her sibling, is approved, and Edie is welcomed into the family's celebrations. For the first time, she embraces Christmas, bringing gifts and joy instead of bitterness and regret. The puzzle is complete—not just the jigsaw, but the work of healing, confession, and connection. The story ends with hope, love, and the promise of new beginnings.

Characters

Edie O'Sullivan

Edie is a retired teacher, crossword compiler, and the reluctant protagonist of the killer's game. Her life is marked by loss—her mother, brother, and partner Sky—and by guilt over past failures, especially the drowning of a student under her watch. Edie's sharp wit and abrasive manner mask deep vulnerability and a longing for connection. Her relationship with Sean is both maternal and fraught, shaped by her inability to express love openly. Over the course of the novel, Edie is forced to confront her past, confess her mistakes, and accept forgiveness. Her journey is one from isolation and self-loathing to acceptance, love, and hope.

Sean Brand-O'Sullivan

Sean is Edie's great-nephew, adopted son, and a detective inspector. Raised by Edie after his parents' deaths, Sean is compassionate, diligent, and eager to please. His desire to build a family with his husband, Liam, drives much of his emotional arc. Sean's relationship with Edie is complex: he loves her fiercely but is often hurt by her emotional distance. As the investigation unfolds, Sean becomes both a target and a symbol of Edie's legacy. His survival and eventual happiness represent the possibility of healing generational trauma.

Riga Novack

Riga is Edie's neighbor, best friend, and emotional support. A herbalist and self-described "kitchen witch," Riga provides both comic relief and sage advice. She challenges Edie to confront her past, take risks, and open her heart. Riga's own loneliness and estrangement from family mirror Edie's, and their friendship is a lifeline for both. Riga's encouragement is instrumental in Edie's journey toward confession and reconciliation.

Liam Brand-O'Sullivan

Liam is Sean's husband, a florist, and a stabilizing force in the family. He is patient with Edie's prickliness, though often wounded by her barbs. Liam's anxieties about fatherhood and his place in the family are central to his arc. His love for Sean and desire to build a home are tested by the dangers of the case and Edie's emotional walls. Ultimately, Liam's acceptance and forgiveness help bring Edie into the fold.

Bridget Berkeley / Isla

Bridget, the true killer, is the daughter of Dr. Berkeley, living under the alias Isla. Her life is shattered by abuse (by Carl Latimer), neglect (by her father), and institutional betrayal (by Edie and the school). Dying of cancer, Bridget orchestrates the murders as both revenge and a demand for confession. Her psychological complexity—simultaneously victim and perpetrator—embodies the novel's themes of trauma, accountability, and the desperate need for acknowledgment. Her final confrontation with Edie is both a reckoning and a plea for understanding.

Dr. Edward Berkeley

The headmaster of St Mary's, Dr. Berkeley is a respected academic whose affair with Veronica Princeton and neglect of his daughter set the stage for tragedy. His eventual suicide, staged as a confession, is an attempt to take responsibility and end the cycle of violence. Berkeley's inability to protect Bridget or confront his own failings is emblematic of the novel's critique of authority figures who prioritize reputation over truth.

Veronica Princeton

A fertility doctor and former student of Edie's, Veronica is both a symbol of success and a casualty of the community's secrets. Her affair with Berkeley, professional controversies, and eventual murder are all tied to the web of betrayal and neglect that the killer seeks to expose. Veronica's death is both a personal loss for Edie and a turning point in the puzzle.

Carl Latimer

A games teacher and serial abuser, Carl is the first victim of the killer's campaign. His crimes against Bridget and others are emblematic of the novel's focus on institutional failure and the long shadow of abuse. Carl's death is both retribution and a catalyst for the unraveling of the community's secrets.

Lucy Pringle

Lucy is Edie's neighbor, a member of the running club, and a survivor of Carl Latimer's abuse. Her role as both victim and suspect highlights the novel's exploration of trauma and the difficulty of distinguishing between guilt and pain. Lucy's resilience and eventual cooperation with the investigation are a testament to the possibility of recovery.

Ama Phillips

Ama is a young detective who assists Sean and Edie in the investigation. Her enthusiasm, attention to detail, and emotional intelligence make her a valuable ally. Ama's own experiences of loss and her willingness to learn from Edie's unconventional methods position her as a bridge between generations and a symbol of hope for the future.

Plot Devices

The Jigsaw Puzzle

The killer's use of jigsaw pieces as clues is both a literal device—delivering pieces depicting crime scenes, weapons, and symbols—and a metaphor for the process of uncovering hidden truths. Each piece represents a victim, a secret, or a step in Edie's journey toward confession. The anti-clockwise assembly of the puzzle mirrors the unraveling of the community's history and Edie's own psyche. The incomplete puzzle at the story's climax symbolizes the impossibility of perfect resolution, but also the necessity of confronting the past.

Crosswords and Anagrams

Edie's identity as a crossword compiler is woven throughout the narrative, with clues, anagrams, and word games serving as both hints and red herrings. The killer's messages are laced with cryptic language, challenging Edie to apply her skills to real-life stakes. This device reinforces the theme that life, like a puzzle, is full of ambiguity, misdirection, and the need for creative thinking.

Dual Timelines and Flashbacks

The novel frequently shifts between present-day investigation and flashbacks to Edie's teaching career, her relationship with Sky, and the traumatic events at St Mary's. These temporal shifts deepen the psychological complexity of the characters and reveal the roots of the current violence. The structure emphasizes that the past is never truly buried, and that healing requires acknowledgment and confession.

Multiple Perspectives

Chapters alternate between Edie, Sean, the killer, and other key characters, providing insight into motives, fears, and secrets. The killer's perspective is especially effective in building suspense and humanizing the antagonist, revealing the pain and desperation behind the violence. This device also allows the reader to piece together the mystery alongside the protagonists.

Symbolism and Motifs

The black-and-white tiles, holly leaves, and broken watches recur throughout the novel, symbolizing the duality of innocence and guilt, the passage of time, and the cyclical nature of trauma. Christmas, usually a time of joy, is inverted as a season of reckoning and grief. These motifs reinforce the novel's themes and provide visual and emotional continuity.

Analysis

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders is more than a whodunit; it's a meditation on the ways communities and individuals fail to protect the vulnerable, and the corrosive effects of secrets and shame. Alexandra Benedict uses the structure of a puzzle—both jigsaw and crossword—to explore how trauma, guilt, and love are interlocked. The novel critiques institutions (schools, families, police) that prioritize reputation over truth, and it challenges the reader to consider the price of looking away. Ultimately, the story is about the necessity of confession—not just to others, but to oneself—and the possibility of redemption through honesty, connection, and forgiveness. By the end, Edie's journey from isolation to belonging, and the family's embrace of new beginnings, offer a hopeful vision: that even the most broken lives can be pieced together, if we dare to face the truth.

Last updated: May 4, 2025