The Booksellers Association has today announced The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict, as Fiction Book of the Month, while The Grumpus and his Dastardly, Dreadful Christmas Plan by Alex T. Smith is Children’s Book of the Month.
 
Independent bookshops around the UK and Ireland will be promoting The Christmas Murder Game and The Grumpus and his Dastardly, Dreadful Christmas Plan throughout December on social media and in-store. The Booksellers Association will be supporting the promotion of the Indie Books of the Month through social media and promotional material.
 
The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict is a mysterious novel which tells the story of a family tradition: the annual treasure hunt. All you have to do is follow the clues, find the fortune and solve the mystery. As the family are drawn deeper into the game, the clues seem to point not to the deeds to the manor house, but to the key to a twenty-year-old mystery: what happened to Lily’s mother? As a storm cuts them off from the village, it becomes apparent that the game has turned deadly and that Lily is fighting for more than just an inheritance, she is now fighting for her life. 12 clues, 12 keys and 12 days of Christmas for the heirs of Endgame House to find their inheritance, but how many will die before Twelfth Night? The Christmas Murder Game was published on 27 October by Zaffre and is available to buy in bookshops now. 
 
Alexandra Benedict said: “I LOVE independent bookshops! Each one is different, reflecting the aesthetic and literary tastes of the booksellers. I find myself holding my breath as I walk into an independent bookshop. They are magical – full of worlds, words and possibilities. Indie bookshops are treasure troves of words, and booksellers are the wise and welcoming custodians. The vast knowledge of book sellers, their love for books and words, and their recommendations, are vital for helping books to find readers, and readers find books. Being recommended by a bookseller is the ultimate honour for a writer.”
 
The Grumpus and his Dastardly, Dreadful Christmas Plan by Alex T. Smith is a heart-warming story that celebrates the true meaning of Christmas, a modern day Grinch. It is a fantastically festive Christmas adventure about a very grumpy character. Do you know about The Grumpus? And his Dastardly, Dreadful Christmas Plan? And about the Awful Thing that happened at the North Pole on Christmas Eve? The Grumpus and his Dastardly, Dreadful Christmas Plan was published on 29 September by Macmillan Children’s Books and is available to buy in bookshops now.
 
Alex T. Smith said: “Everybody knows Indie bookshops are special places, and they are never more magical than at Christmas time. They are wonderful places where expert booksellers champion and hand sell children’s books - getting the perfect book into exactly the right little hands. I am SO delighted for The Grumpus to be the December Book of the Month. (I just hope he doesn’t cause too much trouble in the process…)” 
The Indie Book of the Month titles are selected by panels of booksellers from publisher submissions. The Fiction panel for December comprised booksellers from Goldstone Books, Carmarthen; The Bookery, Crediton and Hewson Books.  The Children’s panel for December comprised booksellers from Padstow Bookseller; Chiltern Bookshop; Kibworth Books; The Book Shop, Bridport and Children’s Bookshop, Lindley.
 
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