Not Another Bloody Christmas – The Johnson Family Return With Another Murder To Solve!

Last Updated on April 22, 2026

In 2024, Jo Middleton published the outrageously funny Happy Bloody Christmas (review here), which I devoured in one sitting.

It was sharp, chaotic, and delightfully British in all the ways I adore, and somehow Jo Middleton has managed to bottle that lightning all over again in Not Another Bloody Christmas.

Anna Johnson is back, still married to patient (if slightly exasperated) Oli, still wrangling kids Ben and Lily, and still managing to get herself entangled in murder without even trying.

Last Christmas brought her the unforgettable debacle of finding a dead man in her larder, which is enough to put anyone off hosting Christmas for life, so this year she takes matters into her own hands.

No turkey to burn, no constant commentary from the mother-in-law, no risk of shifting furniture to make space for a corpse.

Instead, Anna books the family into a rural Christmas getaway with visions of fireside wine, long walks in the snow, and zero murderous interruptions.

Of course, this is Anna we’re talking about. The universe, and Jo Middleton, have very different plans!

Festive Break Gone Wrong

The idyllic retreat turns out to be not-so-idyllic after all. There’s a double booking, meaning Anna and her family are forced to share their snowy escape with a colourful bunch of strangers.

Then a snowstorm sweeps in, trapping everyone together under one roof. And then, because when it rains, it murders, a body turns up in the library. So much for relaxing with that glass of wine!

The setup is classic locked-room (or rather, locked-house) mystery: nobody can leave, suspicion falls on everyone, and the truth has to be teased out before the killer strikes again.

But Middleton delivers it with a knowing wink and heaps of relatable comedy, making it feel wonderfully fresh rather than formulaic.

Anna isn’t your standard cozy sleuth. She’s not a retired detective, a sharp-eyed librarian, or a Miss Marple-in-waiting.

She’s a normal woman in her forties, just trying to keep her family fed, her kids from climbing the walls, and her sanity intact.

She investigates the crime the same way she tackles Christmas shopping, with a mixture of muddling through, slipping into awkward situations, and occasionally stumbling onto the right answer.

That’s part of what makes Not Another Bloody Christmas so special. She’s not superhuman; she’s one of us.

The Comedy Is Spot-on

What I really appreciate about these books is the way real-life humor is sprinkled into the most absurd of situations.

Between the tension of being snowed in with a potential killer, we get the tiny, throwaway domestic details that make Anna so relatable.

She had me at cashing in saved-up Boots Advantage points for a serum she absolutely doesn’t need but saw on Instagram.

Then there’s the usual diplomacy required to avoid family politics – the kind you really have to dig deep in your soul to find, as well as the exasperation of dealing with the ‘influencer’ in the house, all while trying to keep your patience in check.

This isn’t Hallmark-style sweetness, and that’s its charm. The humor is a little irreverent, a touch sharp around the edges, with the occasional well-placed swear word – exactly how many of us talk when things go pear-shaped.

It’s British comedy through and through, and if you’ve ever found yourself muttering under your breath in a store Christmas queue, you’ll feel right at home.

A Cast You’ll Want To Follow

Thankfully, the supporting characters are not just there to make up the numbers and are as strong as the main mystery.

Sophie, the overprotective mother, brings her own brand of chaos with her two rather unusual children.

Everlie, the airy-fairy influencer with her curated life and perfectly timed arrivals, seems dropped in from another planet entirely (and is all the funnier for it).

The mysterious Mrs Haddock is a scene-stealer – eccentric, enigmatic, and exactly the sort of person who makes you think, “Oh, she’s definitely hiding something.”

Every single one of them could be a suspect, but each also gets their own comedic spotlight.

Even Oli, who could so easily be relegated to “the husband” in a lesser book, has his moments. He’s the grounding force to Anna’s whirlwind, but also gets swept along in the absurdity, much to my delight.

Not Another Bloody Christmas – A Mystery That Delivers

While the comedy is front and centre, author Jo Middleton doesn’t short-change us on the mystery element.

Not Another Bloody Christmas has plenty of clues for the observant reader to spot, and there’s a decent mix of red herrings and genuine misdirection.

It’s actually quite refreshing to see someone go about solving a murder without relying on the usual cozy tropes.

The pacing works beautifully with enough intrigue to keep you guessing, and enough twists to make you turn pages long after you planned to stop.

And the fact that it’s a proper locked-house mystery adds to the fun. The snowstorm seals everyone in, the tunnels add a dash of adventure, and the tension builds as personalities clash.

The balance between danger and fun is delightful, and while the stakes are high, you’re never far from a laugh-out-loud moment.

Christmas cozies are often drenched in cinnamon-scented sentimentality, but Middleton resists the urge to get too sweet.

Yes, there are twinkling lights, yuletide feasts, and roaring fires, but this is firmly rooted in the reality of British family Christmas.

There’s bickering as well as bonding, frozen toes as well as festive cheer, and more than one moment where you feel Anna would happily swap Christmas pudding for a large gin.

If you’re after a snow-globe fantasy, this isn’t quite that. But if you want your holiday mystery with a dose of honesty, a bit of bite, and a lot of belly laughs, you’re in for a treat.

Five stars. Roll on next Christmas.