Alexandra Benedict on middle grade debut The Merry Christmas Murders

Could you tell us a little about your new middle grade novel, The Merry Christmas Murders?

Brooke Parkin not expecting it to be a very merry Christmas. She is an anxious autistic ADHDer whose only friend is her loyal support dog, Buoy, and the headmaster of her new school has died in mysterious circumstances.

And then she meets the other members of the Neurokind Club, an after-school group for neurodivergent kids. Together, Brooke and the rest of the club must embrace their strengths and their growing friendship to solve the murders and make Christmas merry after all.

Congratulations on your debut children’s book. How was the process of writing The Merry Christmas Murders different to your previously published work, such as Murder on the Christmas Express, and what are the biggest differences in writing for middle grade readers as opposed to an adult audience?

I was really surprised that, for me, the process of writing for kids was really similar to that of for adults, aside from getting the tone right for middle grade (not too dark, not too light) and making motives for the murders age appropriate.

We hear that growing up you were a fan of The Famous Five and The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton. How have those books inspired you on your journey to being a successful author?

I loved the spooky atmospheres, the plots, and how they all used different skills to solve the mystery, something I hope also appears in The Merry Christmas Murders. Most of all, I absolutely adored George – she was so strong and clever.

I was really inspired by how she rejected expectations of what it is to be female. And who didn’t love Timmy the dog? Buoy, Brooke’s support animal, is directly inspired by Timmy.

I am really driven by writing fully rounded neurodivergent characters. Looking back, all of my main characters have been ND, even if at the time I didn’t know it!

The Merry Christmas Murders features a strong neurodiverse cast, including Brooke, Robyn and Nisha. As somebody that was diagnosed as Autistic and ADHD as an adult, how important was it to you to create main characters that reflected the neurodiverse community? Which of your characters, from this book or one of your other novels, inspires you the most?

I am really driven by writing fully rounded neurodivergent characters. Looking back, all of my main characters have been ND, even if at the time I didn’t know it! I love Brooke’s bravery – she is so anxious, all of the time, and it takes her real courage to not hide it. She inspires me to get outside when I otherwise would stay in for days.

There’s a lot of attention given to the humble mince pie in this story. What does a perfect Christmas look like to you?

In the run up to Christmas, I revel in festive activities such as Christmas markets, wreath making, going on the Polar Express, seeing friends, making decorations, etc. From Christmas Eve on, I relish being at home with my little family, eating lots, watching lots, playing lots and laughing even more. I love Christmas SO MUCH!

If you had to sum up The Merry Christmas Murders in only three words, what would you choose?

Fun, kind, inclusive.

Can you tell us what other projects you are currently working on – will there be more adventures from the Neurokind Club to look forward to?

The Neurokind Club will be back next year in The Jingle Bell Murders! I’m writing it at the moment, alongside my next adult Christmas mystery, The Advent of Death.

What top tips would you give to readers looking to pursue their dream of becoming a published author? And what are the biggest challenges?

Read and write as much as you can, in different genres and styles! A classic piece of advice in creative writing circles is to ‘write what you know’, but I advise writing about what you’d like to know.

What fascinates you? What story has gripped you so much that you have to tell it?

Finding purpose in your writing is really important as it’s a very difficult industry to get into, and even harder to stay in, so believing in yourself and your words is essential. I’d also advise finding other writer friends to celebrate with when you have success and commiserate with at all other times!

Alexandra Benedict

Alexandra Benedict is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning writer for children and adults. Her novels, including the Gold Dagger shortlisted The Christmas Murder Game and Little Red Death are published in twenty territories.

Laura Jones is a secondary school teacher in Cornwall. She teaches English and Media and recently completed an MA in Publishing. Laura is part of a local writing group and hopes to eventually complete one of the many book ideas she has saved on her laptop, some of which are inspired by the Cornish landscape.