The author set out to write a short story set during Christmas that could easily be read in one sitting, and he succeeded at every level. An English manor house, a murder, a ghost, dark figures, and guilty conscience, it all comes together for a satisfying story that cannot be put down.

Ashley accepts an invitation from her friend Emma to come home with her for the holidays. What starts out as a great decision turns wuickly. This is a page turning novella. THe story is awesome and is a fast read. IT keeps you guessing as well. I loved this story.

Many thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I enjoy Peter Swanson but this was just OK. I didn't think the writing quality was up to his usual standard and I'm really not a huge fan of thriller novellas. A quick and easy Christmas read.

Alright so never go with a 'friend' to their manor house on vacation, got it. This was a pretty decent little short story surrounding Christmastime and a mystery. The ARC I read was in two parts and I much preferred the diary writing as opposed to the 2nd part of the book.

I am behind in my reading since I'm just now getting to a Christmas tale. Or, perhaps, I am way ahead for Christmas 2024. Either way, getting to this story was a major win.

This tale is short; it's technically considered a novella and is only three hours long as an audiobook. For this story, Esther Wane does the narration and immediately became a favorite for me. Her narration brought this story into the room with me and made it feel like I was hearing this from Ashley herself.

The story follows a woman at Christmas; she doesn't travel for the holiday and instead spends the day digging through a spare bedroom to find items to toss out or donate. But she instead reads an old journal, and this is where we meet Ashley Smith.

The story is told primarily through Ashley's diary entries from Christmas 1989. This was especially clever because it allowed only fragments to be told, but still feel complete. Ashley comes to life with her diary entries; we see an enthusiastic young woman who is ecstatic over being invited to go home with another student for the Christmas holiday. Ashley has no family as her mother passed away a few years back, and she had originally planned to spend time alone in London. Throughout, Ashley is expecting a grand adventure. In her diary, she ponders if she'll have a holiday romance, or maybe a ghost story, or a gothic mystery.

It starts leaning towards romance when Ashley meets Adam, the brother of her friend, Emma. Ashley seems immediately smitten with Adam, and it appears he feels the same way. He even purchases her an expensive scarf when he realizes she doesn't have one. But as the romance is going on, other haunting events are happening. A strange man in the woods motioning at Ashley, and the murder of a girl months prior seem to haunt the town. Even more disturbing, several people think Ashley looks identical to the dead girl.

The ending of this story is insane. I was listening at work and as the rest of the story came out, my jaw was dropped wide open. The twists were completely unexpected and the truth that came out continued to become more and more horrifying. The author did an exceptional job of giving the reader a complete thriller, with only the length of a novella. I would highly recommend listening to/reading this one. So incredibly good!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

This book was short but PACKED with intrigue and mystery. This is my first book by Peter Swanson and definitely wont be my last. This book had me hooked from the beginning and had a twist I didn't see coming.

Here's to a very scary Christmas! Told in diary entries from the past and narrated during the present time, this novella packs a lot into it's short form. For your Christmas cheer: how about a little murder? I read this in one sitting and it was so entertaining.
The atmospheric setting added to the mystique and there was tons of suspense for such a short read.
I loved Swanson’s note - like a sneak peek inside his brain on why he wrote The Christmas Guest. I was impressed with the character development and would read more little books by Swanson.

I am usually not the biggest novella fan but this one worked for me! It was a great seasonal themed read (which I always love). It was a very intriguing and gripping story that kept your attention! I will be surely recommend this one to people as a thrilling holiday read!

Perfect one sitting Christmas read! Can’t wait to gift this next year! Typically we only get hallmark at Christmas - this is a welcome change!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Every Peter Swanson book I read is more disappointing than the last. At least this one was short.

I've never read a thriller novella before but I really enjoyed this one. It was short but still did a great job of telling the story in detail and giving you plenty of twists to keep you guessing. I also loved the Christmas English country house setting.

I read this book during the holidays and found it a delightful, quick read. The pacing is excellent and hooks you into the story immediately. It took twists and turns I wasn’t expecting and was spooky without being too scary or unsettling.

short and still twisty!

This was a nice change up to all the Christmas romance... I would love to see more Christmas mysteries! Especially novellas...

And of course Peter Swanson is an auto buy for me.

This was such a refreshingly different Christmas read. I got sucked in right away and read this twisty novella in a single sitting. It was such a great change from all the holiday romances and surprised me in all the best ways. Ashley Smith has no family to spend the holidays with. So when her classmate Emma Chapman invites her to spend Christmas at Starvewood Hall, she immediately accepts. After all, what could be more delightful than Christmas at an English manor? But soon after she arrives, Ashley begins to suspect everything isn't all jolly and cheer. There is a sinister figure lurking in the woods and an unsolved murder hanging over the family. It would be impossible to say more without spoiling the surprises, but there are several twists that keep the reader intrigued. This short spooky tale is perfect to read in one sitting during Christmas time!

Many Thanks to Peter Swanson, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the opportunity.

Swanson's Christmas novella is a clever and fast-paced murder mystery with a gothic feel. There are a few unexpected twists that will keep you engaged from start to finish. If you've enjoyed Swanson's previous work, you'll definitely want to give this one a try.

I just really did not like this book. It had nothing of the Christmas spirit. I finished it hopin it woul get better - not!

Ashley Smith is studying art in London and is alone for the holidays. Her classmate Emma invites her to stay with her at her family home, Starwood Hall. Ashley quickly finds herself falling for Emma's brother Adam, who . is the prime suspect in the murder of a local woman. .Lots of twists and turns. You think it is romance and then it is a murder mystery. It is told through Ashley's point of view through her diaries years later.

This was a good read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

This was such a good Christmas mystery. I just loved it. I did not see the twists coming. I loved the build up in the story. The way the story is laid out just pulled me in and made me need to know all the things. I also loved the cover of this one. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a quick read. I unfortunately figured out the plot before the reveal so I was a little disappointed but overall it was an enjoyable read.