Christmas is Murder by C.S. Challinor

Prompted by memories of happy childhood visits at Swanmere Manor, QC Rex Graves travels to that remote estate, looking forward to a relaxing Christmas holiday in the country. His mother's friend, the widowed Dahlia Smithings, is still in residence there, having converted her family home to a small hotel.
A series of unexpected events complicates his plans in this entertaining debut novel straight out of the Agatha Christie school of plotting.
His arrival coincides with a blizzard that will bury the inn, effectively isolating both guests and staff. Within minutes, he learns that the previous afternoon's tea had been disrupted by a sudden death. One of the guests confides to Rex that he has questions about the cause of death: Was it a stroke - or poison in the almond tart?
Soon, there's another death. An accident? Or is there indeed a murderer in the house? The body count rises and Rex investigates, aided by two fellow guests. The amateur sleuths uncover some curious secrets and an abundance of possible motives as the list of suspects grows. Unfortunately, that list must include Rex's two confederates, one of whom is an attractive young woman who has sparked a romantic interest in the bachelor barrister.
Finally, in the classic denouement, the survivors gather in the drawing room to hear Rex reveal the solution to this contemporary cozy mystery.

An entertaining seasonal mystery and suspense read.