Murder at the Christmas Emporium by Andreina Cordani #MurderAtTheChristmasEmporium @AndreinaCordani @ZaffreBooks #BookReview

 

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.

Murder At The Christmas Emporium by Andreina Cordani was published in hardback by Zaffre on 24 October 2024. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

Well, this one took me completely by surprise. I'm not sure why, but I was expecting a 'cosy crime's sort of mystery.  I think it may be the title; the word Emporium conjures up a sweet, cosy place. Somewhere to browse happily. Yes, there's murder in the title, but I wasn't expecting quite so many, or for it to be quite so dark. I loved it. I was totally engrossed by the setting, the cast of eclectic and cleverly created characters and the plot that weaves and twists so well. 

If you love the original Willie Wonka / Charlie and the Chocolate Factory story, and not the wiped-clean film version from the 1930s, then you will adore this. There's a definite feeling of Roald Dahl's original book, with hints of Willie Wonka played by Johnny Depp. 

The Emporium is a shop nestled in a dark alley in London. It's a famous place, having been around for many years. Recently a Montague, younger member of Verity family who have owned the site for years has re-opened the store.  Christmas Eve is a special night. A group of invited guests are VIP shoppers, with gold tickets, treated to a warming hot chocolate before they enter the store and given the run of the shop to find their perfect Christmas presents. 

The story starts way back in the Christmas Past when a young girl named Peggy is taken to the Emporium by her parents. Peggy's visit has its mishaps, and life for this youngster doesn't go well. 

We are then brought bang up to date by main narrator Merry. Merry wasn't really invited to the special night, but pinched the ticket sent to her boss and is determined to buy the perfect gift for Ross; the guy that she is in love with but who keeps swatting away her affections. 

The setting of this novel is exquisitely done. The author has created an Emporium that everyone would want to visit. Filled with hand crafted toys, bespoke perfumes and beautiful food, the imagery jumps from the page and the reader is transported into the shop. With gaslighting and secret tunnels, with floors of delectable delights, it's a wondrous place.

However, this is a murder mystery and the story soon turns to darkness. With some awful deaths along the way. The gold ticket holders begin to realise that this is far more than an ordinary shopping evening. There is more to the shop than they thought, and each of them have a link to Montague Verity - which is not a good thing. 

This is a wonderful read. Written with flair and imagination, with a setting that enchants and characters who are certainly more than they appear at first sight. Full of suspense and tension, it kept me reading until late into the night. Recommended. 

Before writing her first novel, Andreina Cordani was a senior editor and writer for women's magazines including Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan.

She is the author of two dark thrillers for young adults as well as two Christmas murder mysteries for adults. 

Andreina lives on the Dorset coast with her family where she reads voraciously, occasionally makes TikTok videos and swims in the sea. 

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