It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Ally Carter
Publication Date: October 13, 2026
Summary from Netgalley:
Ella Chambers didn’t kill Liam Montgomery.
If she had, she certainly wouldn’t have done it outside his family’s mansion during the Christmas party of the year. She definitely wouldn’t have loaded his body into the trunk of her car. And she absolutely would not have announced to the town that the boy who ruined her life ten years ago was “so dead to her.”
But now Liam is missing—nothing but a bloody spot on the drive and a host of unanswered questions—and Ella is the only person who knows he’s still alive.
So it’s up to her to prove it.
Liam Montgomery didn’t want to die.
But, it turns out, when you’re the sole heir to a billionaire, someone might want you dead. Luckily for Liam, being dead works for him.
Now he’s on the hunt for a killer. Unfortunately, Ella is on the hunt for him.
She’ll have to prove he’s still alive to clear her name, but that’s easier said than done in a quaint mountain town where everyone knows your story but no one knows the truth. Can the billionaire’s grandson and the housekeeper’s daughter join forces to catch a killer? Or is their past too steeped in secrets and lies?
As the storm of the century blows in, every step will bring these two childhood rivals closer to a killer—and each other.
Because, this Christmas, only one thing is certain: it’s beginning to look a lot like murder.
ARC provided by Avon and Harper Voyager via Netgalley for an honest review.
Confession:
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Murder was a really fun, cozy mystery romance with a great cast of characters and a lovely setting. It wasn’t quite as funny as I remember the first book in the series being, but still a lot of fun to read.
Ella is a great character. She is one of those people who just feels like she has to take care of everyone, or at least she can’t say no to anyone. I loved that her name was Ella as she is very much a Cinderella type character. Her interactions with Liam’s parents certainly highlight this aspect of her character. But Ella is a strong woman as well, even when she is feeling like everyone is taking advantage of her. She is very capable of taking care of herself even when things are tough. It just takes her awhile to stand up to the family, but she finally does at the end.
I loved her relationship with Liam. They were childhood frenemies always wanting to play together but ending up arguing. Liam is a sweet guy who apparently had feelings for Ella for a long time. Just couldn’t admit to them, or perhaps didn’t feel that the feelings were reciprocated. It does take her a long time to admit she is attracted to him and has romantic feelings for him as well. Their banter was good and often had me smiling.
The plot overall was good, but felt a little weak and confusing at times. I think some of this was just I had a hard time keeping track of who was who in the secondary characters. There were four families to keep track of and it was complicated as to their motives how their families were dependent on each other. Also, there never seemed to be enough clear clues to help the reader figure out who was trying to kill Liam. The murderer was a surprise as was the motive, and it almost didn’t quite make sense. Maybe I just missed something. Anyways, the ending was fine and it was fun getting there.
Overall this was a fun cozy romance with a mystery. If you are looking for a holiday romance this is certainly one to think about reading. If you are looking for a solid holiday mystery, you could still give this one a try.
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