Celebrate the start of the festive season with a new murder mystery from much-loved crime fiction author Elly Griffiths. Our annual Christmas Crime evening is always a popular event and we’re delighted to reveal that Elly will be joining us this year to discuss her new novella, The Case of the Christmas Card.

Featuring much-loved time-travelling detective Ali Dawson, The Case of the Christmas Card, is split into 24 chapters – the perfect build-up to the big day.

Tickets include a mulled wine and a mince pie to get us all in the festive spirit. What’s not to love!

The Case of the Christmas Card:
No-one is more surprised than time-travelling detective Ali Dawson when Charles Dickens suddenly turns up on her doorstep a few days before Christmas. The Great Writer is as baffled as she is as to how he got there. Ali takes him in, despite being preoccupied with a new cold case around the murdered artist Sylvester Strong.

Dickens is a rather demanding house guest. However, as a detective, he shows distinct promise and together they embark on finding the truth behind the appearance of new paintings by the deceased artist. On top of that Nell, the daughter of Ali’s best friend Meg, has vanished without a trace. As the whole of London is in full festive swing and preparing for the most special day of the year, Ali and Dickens are exploring the town, desperate to solve not just one but two crime cases. Will they succeed before Christmas Day arrives and more importantly, will Charles find a way back home?

Elly Griffiths is a multi-award-winning and a No 1 bestselling author. She has written twenty-six crime novels for adults; four for children, and a volume of short stories. Her books for adults include the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries, the Brighton Mysteries and the Detective Harbinder Kaur series. Over 6 million copies of Elly Griffiths’ books have been sold, and she’s made over 50 appearances in the Sunday Times top ten. Elly’s many accolades include the Bookseller Association Author of the Year 2024, CWA Dagger in the Library, the Edgar Award and the Fingerprint Award for Crime Novel of the Year and the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of her remarkable crime writing career and commitment to the genre. Most recently, she was awarded the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year Award 2026 for The Frozen People.

All tickets include a mulled wine and a mince pie on arrival.

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Monday 30 November | 7.30 pm
All Saints Church, Victoria Square, Penarth, CF64 3EL
Tickets: £22.00 Event ticket with a copy of The Case of the Christmas Card (RRP: £14.99) / £15.00 Event Only / £10.00 Inclusive Ticket

**Any book not collected at the event will be held in Griffin Books for three months after the date of the event.
***There are a limited number of Event Only and Inclusive tickets available.