Book Review: Little Red Death by A.K Benedict

When dark fairytales and murder combine

Hello March! Today, I’m excited to share my review for a book that I know will be whizzing over to the Enchanted Emporium for the witches perusal shortly – Little Red Death by A.K Benedict. The blurb drew me in with the mention of a murder case connected with fairy tales. Yes, I’m still in my phase of loving crime novels again and I couldn’t wait to jump in.

Scroll down to see if this new detective, DI Layla Rondell weaved the magic I expected.

Thank you Random Thing Tours for an advanced copy to read so I could give an honest and an unbiased review.

Book Review: Little Red Death by A.K Benedict

Title: Little Red Death

Author: A.K Benedict

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Genre: horror/crime fairy tale

Release date: 13th February 2025

Blurb

ONCE UPON A TIME LIKE YOU’VE NEVER READ IT BEFORE . . .

DI Lyla Rondell is on the case of a lifetime. Tasked with investigating a series of perplexing deaths, the only lead she has is that each appears to be based on a different classic fairy tale. Far from the stuff of bedtime stories, the press is having a field day with what they have named the Grimm Ripper Murders.

But as the bodies stack up, Lyla’s whole world is about to flip on its head. Because the killer’s bloody trail stretches deep into her own origin story, and when she discovers the truth, nothing will ever be the same again.

Faced with the fact that everything she knows is fiction, Lyla will have to take a little creative license of her own if she’s going to turn the final page on the killings . . .

My Thoughts

Dark magic was weaved within this crime novel and it was anything but expected. The blurb lulled me into the belief, I’d be reading a familiar crime procedural novel with a fairytale motivated killer and new detective to follow but nope. This book was darker, more twisted in many unusual and mind-blowing ways. A.K Benedict took the crime genre and merged it with the surreal worthy of the fairytales it’s based on. By the mid-point, I realised this would be a difficult to review because the joy/horror of this read is following the breadcrumbs left by the author and the journey to the truth. Write too much, I could easily reveal spoilers.

So what can I say? The main characters were intriguing and unforgettable. They made me question what I’d do in their situation and my own morality. Katie (it is always weird reading about a protagonist who shares your name) was an abducted crime writer who needs to write fairytale inspired murders for the Wolf to enact to save her life. His motivation was to show her an author’s words have powerful consequences beyond the page. As a writer, this concept was unnerving and on the edge of the insanity seen in Stephen King’s Misery. By Katie giving into his demands, this book danced with the horror genre. The fairytales chosen were based on those gathered by the Brothers Grimm rather than the more gentle Disney versions but these gruesome crimes enabled her to leave clues for the police.

DI Lyla Rondell had the job to find and follow these leads. A lone wolf, fairytale obsessed detective was the ideal person for this case especially when they are linked to her missing childhood friend, Alison. She hoped by solving this case, she would discover what happened then. For all the characters, she was the most developed and relatable. I loved how her ADHD mind was seen as a positive and the representation of how she saw the world made me feel seen.

Would I recommend?

Little Red Death is an unnerving and original thriller with quirky, thought-provoking twists which nudge towards the surreal. It is ideal for fans of Grimm, dark fairytales, crime and horror or those who want a literary journey like no other. For readers who are also writers, it’ll make you question every character you create and their motivation you’re about to unleash on the page. Stephen King’s Annie Wilkes isn’t the only obsessive reader in the world.

Author Biography

A.K Benedict

A. K. (ALEXANDRA) BENEDICT is a best-selling, award-winning writer of short stories, novels and scripts. Educated at Cambridge, Sussex and Clown School, she has been an indie-rock singer, an actor, RLF Fellow, and a composer for film and TV, as well as teaching and running the prestigious MA in Crime Thrillers at City University. She is now a full-time writer and creative coach.

As A. K. Benedict, she writes acclaimed short stories, high-concept novels and award-winning audio drama for Big Finish, Audible UK, Audible US and BBC Sounds, among others. She won the Scribe Award for her Doctor Who radio drama, The Calendar Man , and was shortlisted for the eDunnit Novel Award for The Beauty of Murder and the BBC Audio Drama Podcast Award for Children of the Stones. As Alexandra Benedict she writes puzzle-filled Christmas mysteries, of which The Christmas Murder Game and Murder on the Christmas Express were both bestsellers and The Christmas Murder Game was longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. Her most recent festive thriller, The Christmas Jigsaw Murders , was published in 2023.

She lives on the south coast of England with writer Guy Adams, their daughter, Verity, and dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.

Follow her on X @ak_benedict and Instagram @a.k.benedict.