Secret Santa by Andrew Shaffer is a holiday horror book that follows Lussi as she navigates her new job as senior editor at a failing publishing house. Lussi starts the job out with an interview in which the owner suffers a heart attack and eventually dies. Lussi then meets the owner's son and convinces him that she can turn around the publishing house by finding the next great horror writer. Lussi is met with an odd group of coworkers and an even odder building but things take an even weirder turn when Lussi receives a secret santa gift of a terrifying doll. Accidents begin to plague those around Lussi and she is forced to get to the bottom of the strange occurrences - no matter where the investigation may lead her.

This was a quick read and not too heavy for a horror book. It was definitely a book that readers will enjoy if they are looking for a funny and fast-paced horror novel with a holiday twist. The book is set in the 80s during the major push of horror novels in publishing and it made for a fun backdrop to the more "campy" style of the book. While I mostly enjoyed the book, readers looking for a scarier book will need to keep looking. It was funny and had some spooky elements to it, but I personally didn't find it to be scary. This will be a good book for readers who want a fun, fast, spooky read with a little bit of scary moments in it. This book will stand out in that there aren't many horror holiday books on the market (at least that I'm aware of at my store) and that not being too scary gives it a broader appeal. I would recommend this book to fans of Grady Hendrix or those that want to try horror but don't want it to be too gory or graphic.

Blackwood-Patterson isn’t Lussi’s dream publisher to work at, but a botched interview and an unexpected death land her a senior role and the task of finding the next Stephen King. But her new co-workers aren’t happy, and Lussi finds herself the target of some cruel pranks, including being given a demonic-looking object in the annual Secret Santa gift exchange. Suddenly, her co-workers start falling victim to horrific accidents.

Secret Santa is dark with some quite violent events, but it isn’t particularly scary or creepy. There’s a consistent level of humour that really stops things from getting very serious, but the plot is dark enough that it never quite makes it into the realm of spoof or comedy. Because of these two deeply contrasting moods, the book never settles into a comfortable genre and feels a little lost as a result.

I actually got on pretty well with this book up until a bit over halfway when things take a rather drastic turn in the form of a kidnapping and attempted lynching. This particular part of the story felt like it came totally out of the blue and at that point I started to lose interest.

It’s decent enough, but if you’re going to base a novel on a demonically possessed doll that causes the violent deaths of the people around it, you should stick with that and go for full-blown horror instead of sitting halfway between horror and… not.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

This was pretty fun overall, though it wasn't quite as scary or humorous as I hoped. The prologue was extremely odd, but there ends up being a funny reference/call back to it later on which I really enjoyed. I definitely liked the setting/time period here! We have a creepy building, and the story generally felt reminiscent of 80s horror. There's some campy moments that were really fun! I don't feel like I've really read anything like this, and I really enjoyed this doll and trying to figure out what was going on. There are some gruesome scenes for sure! I also really enjoyed the ending and thought it was a bit unexpected.

Lussi was an enjoyable main character. I liked how she's just trying to get a job and figure out what was going on. She's mostly intelligent, but she does make some questionable decisions when creepy things start happening around her. Overall, I found her to be pretty humorous and rooted for her!

I definitely had a good time with this book and would recommend it, especially for the holidays!

I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.

My video review can be seen on my channel (around minutes 6:34-8:48 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6garXLWD6M

Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

The blurb drew me in right away with this one, 'The office meets Stephen King I mean come on who wouldn't want to read this one? It was a little early when i was sent the widget for this but come what may I wanted to dive right in after reading the plot and just thought it might be a fun ride.

It was like going back to the 80s and it was a very nostalgic book, of course a lot of the way you really have to take it with a pinch of salt but I thoroughly enjoyed the humour element and the main character. Trashy meets 80s is the very best way to describe this one and it is very very enjoyable if you want something festive but also a bit dark and fun too.

This book was everything any trash-horror fan could dream of!
The story is fast-paced and enthralling, making you doubt every chapter what is going on!
Really recommend it for anyone who loves this genre and wants something not too scary but spooky at the same time!

I was a huge fan of Point Horror books back in the day and this book was nostalgia tied up in a pretty ribbon.
I thought Lussi's character was a little slow catching on, especially with her Grandmother's previous tales of the creature, but I suppose she had other things on her mind. The atmosphere was one of gentle foreboding and the horror element was mild, which was why it reminded me of my old Point Horror books.
As I also received a free physical copy from Quirk books I will have a longer review on my own website within the next few days.
The only downside to the entire book was the epilogue. It really didn't need it.

If you're looking for something really spooky, you don't find it in Secret Santa. But still you should read this book. Secret Santa is more a light horror. It's like the Poltergeist, a horror movie that is not so horror, but still amazing.

I liked the plot of this book. That doll sounded pretty scary so I looked up for it on Google and yeah, it looks really spooky. You couldn't pay me enough to get one of these! I mean, a hairy doll with horns doesn't sounds like Barbie. Apparently, the legend says that this doll can protect you from the evil. But what happens when the doll is the evil? Who should protect you from it?

Well, Lussi, the main character, can protect herself. She has a strong personality, she is not a scary cat and everyone should think twice before getting on her nerves. All Lussi wants it's to find the next Stephen King, but soon she will find herself in one of his horror books.

An interesting book with a crazy ending. Thank you Quirk Books for the opportunity to read Secret Santa in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis of this book really drew me in and I loved the idea of it being based in a publishing company! This was also a small novel and I ended up devouring it in one evening. Shaffer has an amazing way of writing that just keeps you hooked and eager to know what happens next. I really liked Lussi as a main character and I liked reading as she slowly realised what was happening. All the characters were well written and whilst they made some choices I would never make, I found them to be one of the best things about this book!

Whilst this wasn't a particularly scary book, there were creepy elements to this book that had me on the edge of my seat! I already have an issue with dolls so this book did not help in that department!

However, whilst I enjoyed this book I did feel like there was just something missing. I think I went in to this book with too high expectations and felt slightly disappointed when it was over. At points this book just felt rushed and I just think that this book missed the mark for me sadly!

Overall, this was an enjoyable read full of gore, wit and classic horror. As long as you go into this book not expecting dark horror then I think you'll enjoy this take on Secret Santa!

It’s the publishing world in the 80s, and Lussi Meyer is out of a job. It’s been months, and she’s gotten desperate enough to give Blackwood-Patterson a try. Their prestige publishing ethos doesn’t quite vibe with Lussi’s background in finding great horror, but a job’s a job, right?

Lussi’s interview is a success (albeit one with a body count), and she finds herself in a senior editor position at Blackwood-Patterson, during what one could call a “transitional period,” tasked with finding the next Stephen King to launch the company into its future.

But (and there’s always a “but” in these stories, isn’t there?), something is seriously fucked up at Blackwood-Patterson. There’s something nightmarish down in the basement with the slush pile. There’s a creepy little doll called the Percht lurking around. And someone’s put a secret santa gift for her under the office Christmas tree, and no one knows who it was.

Secret Santa is everything you love about 80s horror: wisecracking banter, a cranking machine of a plot that gets us from scare to scare without wasting any time, scary shit in the dark, some good moments of gore, and a gleeful wicked spirit that knows we’re all here just to have a good time.

But don’t think you’re getting a story you can stay three steps ahead of. Shaffer keeps the proceedings fresh and surprising, with a couple of twists that are genuinely delightful. This homage to old school horror never feels stale. It’s got tricks up its sleeves to keep you turning pages. Finding that sweet spot where horror is both frightening and fun can be elusive for some storytellers. Not so for Shaffer. Secret Santa is loads of fun, with likable wiseass characters you root for.

Cross your fingers someone leaves you this one under the tree.

But not the Percht. Dear God, not the Percht.

🎁This was such a fun book to read! It gave me all the 80s vibes. Please note that before you start reading this book, ensure that you take it with a pinch of salt. It is very far fetched as you would expect in this genre. It is pretty much a homage to the 80’s horror boom with some added wit.

🎁I found it so refreshing to read a Christmas book as unique as this instead of your usual romcom type stories. It is a character driven narrative and is a very quick read at just over 200 pages long and I did feel that it was enough for this story. It concluded brilliantly which is something lately I have been missing in books.

🎁All you horror fans who desperately want a tongue in cheek Christmas holiday read that will appeal to you, then this is the book for you. Even if you are not a horror fan but would like something a bit different to read during the festive season, try this book. It is very retro and nostalgic with an eerie atmosphere.

Actual rating 4.5

I'm so glad that I picked up this holiday horror novel. I know that sounds a bit weird, but it really worked!
We follow our main character of Lussi (Lucy) as she tries to figure out exactly what is going on in her new job at a publishing house. There were a lot of publishing and book references and some of them were meta to the actual book. And it was set in the 1980s! I really enjoyed these aspects and it made the story very unique.

I also loved the humor that Lussi maintained throughout all the weird and horrifying events in the story. She was a very relatable character and I was rooting for her throughout.
While this horror story is not too bloody, gory, or scary, it was perfect for what it was.

I really think that I need to check out more of Andrew Shaffer's work.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Andrew Shaffer's 'Secret Santa' is positively riddled with the type of dark humor I've come to expect from Quirk Books. This was a fast and hilarious read that perhaps I enjoyed more than most because I work in publishing and now I want to buy a copy for all of my colleagues.

No doubt, the 1980s witnessed a surge of readers hungry for horror fiction. In this dizzying world full of Stephen King wannabes, we meet ambitious genre editor, Lussi Meyer. Recently out of work, Lussi prepares for an interview with the prestigious publishing house - Blackwood Publishing. She is hired by the skin of her teeth, and in rapid order, Lussi finds herself at the center of one bad happening after another. She thinks it's all part of some elaborate "new hire" hazing, but Shaffer has something far more sinister in store for his main character. By the end, I was cackling with evil laughter.

Based on the publicity copy, I was expecting more atmosphere for 'Secret Santa' that was perhaps reminiscent of Ira Levin's 'Sliver' (if you like fiction about publishing and horror, I highly recommend it). However, I was quickly reminded that Shaffer doesn't really do extra work on atmosphere, and instead, relies on his readers to fill in those details. To that end, this is a character driven narrative that showcases Shaffer's sarcasm and wit at every turn.

'Secret Santa' reads like a love letter to 80s B-list horror at the height of its glory. Astute readers will enjoy subtle reference to films like Chucky and Gremlins. You'll revel in the glimpses into life in Reaganomics New York complete with gutter punks, Wall Street wolves, and fading remnants of the city's post-war glamour. Throw in a dose of Satanic Panic, smoke filled conference rooms, the sticky fog of AquaNet, a can of New Coke (with rum), and get on the 'Secret Santa' sleigh.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lussi has applied for a promising job at a book publishing company named Blackwood. Having previous experience in the publishing industry she is hopeful for employment after scheduling an interview with the proprietor. Following a parade of unusual circumstances she finds herself employed. However In addition to her new occupation she reluctantly has become associated with a discernible inheritance of conjured evil.
Andrew Shaffer’s Secret Santa is an enjoyable fictional slideshow of sinister images transpiring during the 1980's. His combination of mysterious ghostly entities and subtle humor captures a haunting reading experience for the horror connoisseur. A nice touch to the existing evil and an added level to the creepiness is a Percht, a menacing fur covered horned doll with teeth. Its looming physical presence arouses an unsettling sensation. Having the story center around an historic publishing structure was a clever aspect as were slight nods to famous authors we all know and have grown to love. The mystery surrounding this fortress not only exists within its walls, but also has its shocking history gradually revealed making the story that much more compelling. Fictional contoured shadows and cult like worshipers bring the Blackwood Building to life making it the definitive main character.
Successfully combining two of the most popular holidays, Halloween and Christmas, Andrew Shaffer becomes the readers Secret Santa bringing forth a sacrificial spooky story entangled with decorative Christmas lights. A solid 4 Horror Bookworm rating just in time for the holidays.

This was a campy, entertaining read with some really fun settings (NYC publishing industry at the height of the 80s horror boom + the old, creepy office building our protagonist Lussie works in). Plus, it's the perfect type of book for the post-Halloween/pre-Christmas time of year -- the holiday horror combo I didn't know I needed in my life until now!

This was an interesting story that did start out a little slow. I liked the writing style but overall wasn't completely captivated which is a shame.

I guess I've been a good boy this year because someone sent me a special present - an early copy of Secret Santa by Andrew Shaffer. The cover is a shout out (through a bullhorn) to the vintage horror paperbacks of the 80's and I almost tossed it aside assuming it would be just as badly written as so many of those old books were. But I figure it was short and gift horse's mouths and all, so I decided to give it a try and... Nazis. If you think zombies are ready to be retired from the horror industry, let's talk about Nazis. Nazis were the horror industry's bare chested Brad Pitt's interviewed vampire before Anne Rice started chanting her Rosary backwards to see if she could conjure the devil. I gave the book exactly one more chapter before it met a horrific end in my paper shredder.

Set in the publishing era of the early 80's, Secret Santa is a throwback to the way horror novels used to be written. Not the vomit encrusted splatterpunk books of the Skipp and Spector period, but the slow burn era of Charles Grant's Oxrun Station saga. There are no literary pretensions here, just a desire to show the reader a good time and return them to their lives with minimal psychological damage - think Goosebumps for an older demographic. Is the book scary? I didn't think so, but I haven't been scared by a book since Jack Ketchum introduced me to The Girl Next Door and I learned that the worst monsters are the one's that you smile at every morning as you leave for work.

The author tries to interject humor into his story and succeeds at times and fails at others. The more subtle the humor, the better it works. For example, the opening Nazi chapter is referenced by Lussi (the editor / protagonist / final girl) as being the most hoary of horror cliches. At another time an intern was referred to as "earning every penny he wasn't being paid." It's blink and you miss it humor and the author uses it to great effect. On the other hand, there is a conversation about The Ox-bow Incident that is shockingly out of place that it completely destroys the tension of the moment. I understand what the author was attempting to do, but it is so badly done that I'm shocked the books editor allowed it to be printed.

I suppose my other issue with the book is that it doesn't really take advantage of its Christmas setting. Aside from an unfortunate incident with a stolen Stollen, none of the deaths in the book take advantage of the deadly weapons that surround us during the holidays. Off the top of my head I can think of a situation where a mechanical pencil should have been a candy cane. Seems like a missed opportunity.

Still, I had a great time with Secret Santa and hope Mr. Shaffer gives horror another go sooner rather than later.

According to my holiday branded rating system, Secret Santa gets four stars.

5 stars - World peace and an end to hunger.
4 stars - An angora sweater from Aunt Hilda made with love in every stitch.
3 stars - Brute by Faberge and an antique straight razor.
2 stars - A lump of coal for you.
1 star - Someone gifted you a fruitcake.

Gotta love Aunt Hilda.

This was an interesting concept that unfortunately didn't really work for me. It reminded me a lot of a crime novel (a genre I unfortunately don't like) with supernatural horror aspects sprinkled in for tension more than it felt like a horror novel on its own. I saw it comped as Stephen King meets The Office and that hurt it a lot in my opinion. As an atmospheric novella it might have stood just fine on its own, but those particular comps made me expect strong horror or strong comedy at least, and this novella just didn't hit me with either. The atmosphere and mystery of what was going on in the publishing company was interesting and engaging enough to keep me reading but I was expecting this to be a lot scarier than it ended up being. I loved the setting and as an quick read I don't regret picking this up, I think I just had my expectations set at the wrong level.

Love it! Pulpy 80s horror that works well for Halloween or Christmas. Nazis, creepy coworkers, evil dolls, the darkness of human nature, and a dash of gore make this one a win for me. I also loved that it is a short quick read and will be a perfect pocket paperback read.

I would definitely watch this if it was a film. It's better than half the horror films that are being put out these days.

Thanks to Netgalley and the Quirk Books for the advanced reader copy.

Chucky meets Jingle Bells in this unforgettable, un-put-down-able, roller coaster of a book!

Lussi accepts a job at a struggling, arrogant, literary publishing house but she soon discovers there’s something a bit off with her coworkers, boss, and everything that happens to her at work.

I’ll just be blunt: I loved every single thing about this book. It scratched a nostalgic holiday horror itch I didn’t even know I had. Setting it in the 1980s and adding in Christmas horror is pure genius. Shaffer is just a master at his craft here, beautifully spinning a tale that unwrapping itself like a Christmas present. The characters are real and unique and Lussi is someone I kept cheering for. His pacing is perfect offering a book with never a dull moment. The concept and plot are so well done. Lussi is given a gift during an office Christmas party Secret Santa exchange that really shifts this book into high gear.

Secret Santa instantly jumps to top position for all Christmas horror and this will be a book I recommend over and over again.

Shaffer’s new novel is a throwback to 80’s pulp horror fiction which held itself at the top of paperback sales in the 80’s. Having been a child of the 80’s, I read these and devoured them faster than they could release them. Secret Santa’s ode to those paperbacks, slightly falls short of hitting that benchmark.

The plot is very readable and it is keeps you invested until the very end. The only down fall that if you are to write an 80’s pulp horror you probably should be more graphic and there was a lot of un-PC sex with guys ogling females which would have set the right tone for this kind of novel. The book lacks on these and although I must look at the female archetypes from this era, it is quite touchy on whether this would play on a book written today. Not sure Richard Laymon would have the same career today that he had then should he have not passed away.

Saying that though, the book does keep the Reader interested and although there are some plot points that seem a bit forced overall it does do what it says on the cover.

The characters are very strongly written and interesting. In fact, it is Shaffer’s handling of the characters that is the strong point of the book and they are very much grounded into this 80’s world that they find themselves in. There are some character choices which are very questionable but as this is supposed to be pulp fiction, you tend to go with it.

Overall, this is an enjoyable little horror holiday novel with a nod to the bygone era of horror pulp of the 80’s. Shaffer does capture elements and I do understand what he was trying to do but would have liked him to push the envelope a little bit to capture what made this era in publishing such a treat to look back on. This comes across as more YA fiction than Shaun Hutson or Richard Laymon. It is an enjoyable book and the comedy against horror is well handled but would have loved a more darker book with more scary elements to become a great book.