This is the second book I have read by this author and I didn’t like either book I have read by her. I just don’t find her writing that good. Her thrillers don’t really give me the thriller vibes I like. Oh well. But an interesting take on a Christmas vibe.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.


I've never read a Lisa Unger book before, but I probably will read more now. Murders, kidnapping, survivor's guilt, PTSD, not knowing who to trust. This really had all the components necessary for a good, little thriller. The first murder/attempted murder/kidnappings take place on December 23, and the present day kidnapping/attempted murders take place on the days leading up to Christmas. These repetitive events throw a black cloud over this small town during a normally bright, joyous time. Even though I think the guilty party was fairly easy to guess pretty early on, I still enjoyed this little read.

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger
The title of the book will fool you. You think that it is about happy times during the holidays but it is not. It is about Madeline who was almost murdered by her boyfriend. She is trying to put her life back together and trying to forget about what happen until Harley Granger comes to town to do a podcast and get Madeline side of the story.. Badger Maddy's friend is the one who saved her life that night doesn't want her to talk to Hatley.. Where the Christmas presents come in because she is getting them put on her porch every Christmas and she thinks that Evan her boyfriend who tried to kill her is sending them to her., Evan was accused of trying to kill her and killed two of her best friends and they never found their bodies.. Some young women have been disappearing and Madeline and Badger think a copycat is involved. Madeline father James was sheriff at the time of the murders and Madeline is taking care of him because of a stroke.. Madeline and Badger decided to investigate on their own and some shocking revelations are revealed and you find out where the presents were really coming from..

Opening my review with a disclaimer, this is not a Christmas story that will put you in the holiday spirit, just wanted to make that clear. But this is a pretty good who dun-it mystery. A crime was committed many years back, and a well-known podcaster decides to open the cold case for investigation. This opens up a whole lot of questions and feelings that surrounded the crime.

The pros are the storyline is a good one, the cons are the story jumps back and forth in time and characters, this caused a bit of confusion.
There are quite a few twists and turns and I didn’t figure out the guilty party. The ending was especially satisfying.

I was provided an uncorrected ARC from NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for a voluntary review if I so wished, I thank them. This is a 4-star.

This is my first book by this author — very intriguing from the start and good build of the characters to get you invested in the story very quickly, I needed to know how everything played out and how they are interconnected . Who is sending her these Christmas presents … if the person who hurt Maddy is supposedly in Jail ? Who is this crazy masked Santa ?
Quite the page turner, difficult to put down and go back to real life- lots of twists and secrets to reveal before this story was over. I definitely didn`t expect the ending — but it was tied up a little too quickly for my liking, though the podcast was a good finale - overall - It was a great read , good writing and a thriller for anytime of year even if Christmas is in the title.


Thank-you to Netgalley and Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press for this ARC . This is my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley & Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press for allowing me to read a copy of Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger.

"Fuck you Santa, I think. Fuck your lists and your judgments and your stupid presents. I'm going to take you down."

Madeline Miller is a survivor of a traumatic past; she is still trying to put the pieces together and fully remember what happened years ago. Madeline was attacked, her best friend Steph was murdered, and her two friends Ainsley and Samantha (sisters) are still missing. Her ex-boyfriend Evan was put in jail for the crime. In the present day, Lolly Morris is another girl who has disappeared. Harley Granger, a podcaster and crime writer, has decided to move into town to write about the event that shook the quiet, safe town to its core; and investigate the disappearance of recent missing girls. Are these crimes related? If so, who's responsible if Evan is in jail? What really happened to Madeline, Steph, Ainsley, and Sam?

I really enjoyed this story. Lisa did a great job of inserting the atmosphere of winter and Christmas, while telling a chilling mystery/thriller. This is NOT a cozy mystery; do not go in thinking that. If I were to compare this story to others I would say mix Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier and All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham and What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall; then, sprinkle in some Christmas into the mix. It was a dark story, and it was good.

My only issue is that since this is a novella, I felt like the ending was a bit abrupt. Although it mostly wrapped up what happened, I think the ending could have used a twist as the story was slightly predictable. That is why I rated it 4 stars instead of 5. But it was an intriguing story, especially for a Christmas mystery/thriller. It is something that is different than the typical Christmas cozy mysteries or hallmark Christmas stories that are a dime a dozen.

I just discovered this author and I’m truly loving her plot twists! Who knew a Christmas story could be such a page turner! I was trying to solve things myself as I was reading and I definitely never saw THAT coming!! What a great book to read curled up under twinkling lights with cocoa and a warm fire!

3.5 stars rounded up! Quick Christmas thriller novella. It was a bit predictable, but also enjoyable to read! I enjoy reading Lisa Unger’s books!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press and Lisa Unger for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This is my second book by Lisa and I’m looking forward to reading more.

I love a good Christmas book and a Christmas thriller makes it even better.

Living in a small town you think you know everyone and everything. As it turns out that’s not always true. Following Madeline’s story from 10 years ago and now kept me wondering what was going to happen next.

I really enjoyed this Christmas thriller... oh, the irony! It was just a fun read that I enjoyed it one sitting.

Unrequited love, a serial killer, a current kidnapping, missing teenage girls, grief, taking care of a parent - these are all heavy themes, but surprisingly they fit in this mystery.

This was a novella that had as much action as a regular thriller novel typically does.

I usually read Christmas romances, but I thought this was a fun during Christmas mystery ... with a touch or romance ... or not. :)

I definitely want to read more of Lisa's works.

Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for an e-copy of CHRISTMAS PRESENTS to review.

I rate CHRISTMAS PRESENTS four out of five stars.

I love Lisa Unger’s books and was so happy to have received this on my kindle! I’m happy that Lisa Unger has written a novella (a tiny bit long, but still good) and it takes place around Christmas time. From the very beginning this story had its hooks in me and I couldn’t put it down. Even though the ending is predictable, that didn’t hinder my enjoyment. Thank you Lisa Unger, NetGalley and Mysterious Press for this early digital copy.

I picked up this nail-biter of a novel and set it down 2 hours later, absolutely drained. This is a whopper of a story that grabs ahold from the first chapter and doesn’t let you go until the final sentence. Everything works here from the characters to the dialog to the narrative structure and description - it all comes together in this incendiary story that will have you gripping the book, white-knuckled, as you gnaw on your fingernails.

So well done.

Jeeeeepers. I finished this just after midnight and now it’s almost 9 am and I’m still feeling off balance. I just don’t trust the ending lol. I had someone else (Badger) pegged as the accomplice and I just can’t get it out of my head. Are we supposed to trust the way it wrapped up and cheer for the happy ending just in time for Christmas? Or is anyone else feeling like Chet took the fall for something they were doing together? I just feel like the fact that the abducted girls all looked like Maddie and the flashback she had where she wasn’t sure if it was Badger stabbing Steph, and the guy who picked up Lolly had a wedding ring and called himself Steve, and the way her dad was trying to communicate to her not to leave with Badger…I guess they were all red herrings but in this case I feel the author did her job TOO well because I trust the red getting more than the “actual” perp revealed. Also how was Chet shooting Rog and Harley and then back at the lake house so quickly?!?! I guess I don’t have AC exact timeline for the POVs but it seemed like Lolly’s escape from Santa and the shootings were happening kinda simultaneously. I don’t know, but the book was great! 4/5 stars

2 very generous stars
I love Lisa Unger. This book had a fascinating premise. However, I never felt completely engaged in the novel due to writing issues that made the narrative choppy and the characters not really connect with me.

So you have a true crime podcaster tackling a cold case that completely wrecked a town. Ironically, Christmas seems like the most legitimate time to open these wounds. Maybe because the man( Evan Handy) put behind bars wants to tell his side of the story. Enter Madeline Martin, ex-girlfriend of the convicted man and survivor. Madeline's a local bookstore owner and reluctant to give the podcaster what he wants. As the 226-page "novella" jumps from past to present, some very startling truths come to light.

So as I sit on Outlier Island, I do feel this book almost drowned me. I hated the backstory taking up so much space. To me, it was easily summed up and anything else afterward just felt like repetition. And the ending just left me "meh." Very disappointing.

I received access to this title because of NetGalley and Penzler Publishers. All opinions expressed are my own.


Expected Publication 24/10/23
Goodreads Review 09/09/2023


#ChristmasPresents #NetGalley.

I was very happy to be granted an ARC of Lisa Unger's, Christmas Presents, as I always love her stories. This one did not disappoint. Eventhough it was only 224 pages, it still brought all the suspense and terror that I always expect from Lisa. I did correctly guess the killer about halfway through, but that in no way made me like the book any less. The unique setting of Christmas helped make this novella even more chilling. Definitely a must read for Lisa Unger fans & anyone who enjoys a good whodunnit.

Christmas Presents is a thrilling Christmas season read! There were some twists throughout the novella, and I was not sure until the end who was responsible for several murders and abductions. The story kept me guessing, and I enjoyed the main characters. i have read all of Lisa Unger's books, and this one did not. disappoint! Thank you to NetGalley and Mysterious Press for the ARC!

I had trouble with this book. The chapters jumped from present to past and sometimes it took a minute to figure out what time period we were in. There was a mystery but with a few twists. The book was set around Christmas but other than the title and. Few references to the holiday it didn’t feel very christmasy. I usually like her books but this one wasn’t for me. I will read her again. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This CHILLING 226 page novella by Lisa Unger may take place in the five days leading up to Christmas, but this is definitely NOT a Christmas story!

Madeline Martin is now the owner of a thriving independent business, The Next Chapter Bookshop, managing to put the past behind her despite being the only known survivor of a gruesome crime that took place while she was a high school student in her small, picturesque hometown. She loves escaping to her shop, wrapping gifts, and discussing books with her loyal customers.
(Can you guess which books they are?)

When Harley Granger, a failed novelist turned true crime podcaster, drifts into her shop in the days before Christmas, he seems intent on digging up events that Madeline would much rather forget.

TRUE CRIME is STRANGER THAN FICTION (and more lucrative)

It’s an investigation into the crime that had obsessed her father Sheriff James Martin right up until his stroke took his faculties-and it’s the one that scarred her, claimed the life of her closest friend, and is responsible for the unexplained disappearance of two of the other friends from their once tight knit group.

A CANDLELIGHT VIGIL IS STILL HELD FOR THE TWO MISSING SISTERS EVERY CHRISTMAS EVE.

But, since Evan Handy was convicted of the crime, three other women have gone missing-the latest a college dropout named Lolly who was working her last shift at a topless bar, before heading home to her parents house to regroup and get her life back on track.

That makes five young women missing in a decade in the same small area.

Are the latest crimes connected to those in the past? Or could Evan Handy actually be innocent of some of the things he was convicted of?

This atmospheric and engaging crime story grabbed my attention from page one and I finished the book in one day! Don’t expect sweet and sentimental from this one!

AVAILABLE OCTOBER 24, 2023
READ IT ANYTIME!

Thank You to the Mysterious Press for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley! It was my sincere pleasure to offer a candid review!

Thank you to Lisa Unger and The Mysterious Press New York Publisher for giving me an arc of Christmas Presents. I read Lisa Unger previous books and I was happy to get this arc from an author who writes great books. Christmas Presents is a novella and the title is misleading, this book is a true crime mystert and not the cozy book you expect when you read the title. Every couple of years a girl goes missing a podcaster/author tries to solve the case.

A podcaster has come town to resurrect interest in a cold case from Christmas 10 years ago. Maddie, owner of The Next Chapter Bookshop survived that night, but not without a lack of memory and scars both inside and out. Her best friend Stephanie was killed and two sisters disappeared. The killer? He sits in jail denying his reign of terror. Most don’t want the past brought up. Maddie’s father was the Sheriff when the murder occurred and even though retired, he constantly reviews the files for clues he may have missed. What happened that night? Did the killer act alone? Will this case ever be closed? An excellent fast paced thriller. Well worth the read no matter, even if it is not as yet Christmas. Thank you Netgalley and Penzier Publishing, Mystery Books for the early copy. I am voluntarily leaving this review.