The Case of the Missing First Edition – Mystery Advent Calendar

A murder-mystery-style advent calendar (no murder!): open one clue a day, question six suspects and solve who stole Santa's rare first edition by Christmas Eve.

Product description

It's Christmas Eve at Hollybrook Manor. The fire is crackling, the pudding is flaming… and Santa's most treasured book, a first edition of A Christmas Carol, has vanished from its glass case.

The lights went out for just three minutes. When they came back on, the case was empty. Six guests were in the house that night, and every one of them had a reason to be near that library.

Hidden around the manor's grand library are 24 little doors. Behind each one is a clue: an illustrated piece of evidence with a short note from the case file. Open one door a day, cross suspects off your list, and see if you can name the thief before Christmas Eve. Then open the sealed envelope to read the full solution.

How it works

1. Meet the suspects. A separate illustrated suspect card introduces all six guests, from the elegant hostess to the scruffy sea captain (and his dog).
2. Open one clue a day. Each door reveals a picture clue plus a short line of evidence. Some clues point the right way… and some are designed to mislead you.
3. Play detective. Cross off suspects as their alibis appear. Play solo, as a couple, or as a family "detective agency".
4. Reveal the solution on Christmas Eve. The sealed envelope explains exactly what happened, which clue proves what, and how each innocent guest was cleared.

Why mystery lovers love it

• A real whodunit in 24 days: a complete, fair-play story with red herrings, alibis and a satisfying final twist. Every clue matters.
• Solvable, but not too easy: sharp-eyed detectives can crack the case a few days before Christmas Eve, and everyone else gets a proper "aha!" moment.
• Hand-illustrated artwork: a cosy ink-and-watercolour manor library full of suspects, secrets and tiny details worth studying with a magnifying glass.
• Family-friendly: a classic country-house mystery with no violence and nothing scary, just a missing book and a houseful of suspects.
• Screen-free fun: a daily ritual that gets the whole family talking (and accusing each other) over breakfast.

Perfect for

Mystery and detective-story fans, book lovers, puzzle and escape-room fans, book clubs, families with older kids, and anyone who always guesses the ending first (or claims to).

What's included

• 1 illustrated advent calendar, A4 landscape (21 × 29.7 cm / 8.3 × 11.7 in), with 24 perforated clue doors
• 1 illustrated suspect card introducing all six guests
• 1 illustrated solution sheet explaining the whole case, clue by clue
• 1 illustrated "The Solution" envelope to keep the answer secret until Christmas Eve

Good to know

• The calendar contains no food or treats. Behind each door is a clue to solve the case.
• All clues and the solution are in English.
• Recommended for ages 10+. Younger detectives will love solving it with a grown-up.

Grab your magnifying glass. The case opens December 1st. 🔍📖🎄