Thank you to NetGalley, The Mysterious Press, and Lisa Unger for the opportunity to review this ARC of Christmas Presents. I enjoyed this novel, especially the fact that it wasn’t just a thriller; there was some romanice as well. I think the friendship with possibility of romance between Madeline and Badger was one of the best aspects of the story. I enjoyed Madeline’s friendship with her father’s caregiver and thought it added to the novel as well. The setting was perfect for a holiday book, rural and snowy, and it added to the creepy thriller aspect. While I greatly enjoyed the story, I had a few issues with the thriller aspect of it. First of all, I found the transition from the first chapter to the second extremely abrupt. I actually thought I might be reading a book of short stories and had to double check. I also found, without giving too much away, that how this cold case was solved a little unbelievable, as was the serial killer. It just seemed too easy and convenient and didn’t add up for me. Overall, I couldn’t put down this book, and while some parts of it including the ending were a little unsatisfying, there were some great parts. Lisa Unger is one of my favorite authors, and I look forward to her new releases.

A Christmas thriller!!! What more could you ask for?!? I was able to fly through this book, being only 260 pages but so much was packed in this novella and leaves you wanting more but in a good way. If you are a fan of Lisa Unger you will not be disappointed. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Serial killers, Christmas. My two favorite kinds of books. Thriller and Christmas. I enjoy this book I may read it again at Christmas time.
Thank you net Galley in publisher for providing this advanced copy

I am not usually one for Christmas stories, but a nice uncozy thriller set at Christmas time seemed to be up my alley and I was right! This book packs a wallop in not a lot of space. The characters are well developed and there is a sweet but not overbearing love story on the side. I wouldn't say it is super twisty but it is hard to put down and I may have yelled and gasped a few times while reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. I wish it was a novel instead so we could get more background and in depth character building but overall it was a great little read. I had an inkling of what was going to happen but I was still guessing quite a bit until the reveal. I would definitely recommend this book!

Wow! Lisa Unger delivers yet again! Loved this fresh take on podcasts and cold cases. This novella had a little bit of everything great. Lots of emotion and all the feels. Some definitely creepy characters! Just the perfect storm of a story!
Thank you NetGalley and Lisa Unger for the opportunity to read and review this book

Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a haunting and gripping Christmas thriller! While it was a longer novella (260 pages) I still found myself wanting MORE!! This is my first read by Lisa Unger and it will not be my last! I am not sure why I waited so long to read one of her books🤔?! I loved every page and it was a quick unputdownable read. 🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄

Madeline barely survived a horrifying attack that happened over ten years ago. Her best friend was murdered and two more friends disappeared without any trace. Evan, her boyfriend at the time, was convicted of the crimes and sentenced to life in prison. Now a decade later, she has learned how to move forward with her life and is the owner of The Next Chapter Bookshop in her small town. When a famous true crime podcaster comes to town to reopen the cold case it causes Madeline to revisit the events of that tragic night. Simultaneously, another woman goes missing! Are the crimes connected if so how? Could there have been more than one person involved in the crimes?

Overall, a predictable but satisfying ending and I cannot wait to read more by Lisa Unger! I highly recommend this book!🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was very well written but not very well developed. I would have loved to read a full novel on this topic.

This was a wonderful book. A great Thor ill er that kept me guessing the whole time. I would recommend this to all thriller lovers!

From the start this book sucked me in. I could not put it down. Over all it was a great thriller and gave us an interesting take on the true crime podcast aspect. It was not overly Christmas feeling but enough to keep that feel. I will say I did have a line in the suspect and when I reached the end was proven right. There were a few things I quite didn’t figure out. I will definitely recommend this to my friends and audience.

Christmas Presents is a riveting novella that skillfully weaves together the festive atmosphere of the holiday season with a spine-tingling true crime mystery. The story introduces us to Madeline Martin and Harley Granger, who embark on an engrossing journey to unearth the truth behind a long-buried case involving murder and disappearances. As the narrative unfolds, the tension steadily builds, keeping readers eagerly turning the pages. With its well-crafted characters and a plot that keeps you guessing until the end, this novella is a must-read for those who enjoy a perfect blend of suspense and holiday charm.

Pub date Oct 2023
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

Not your typical Christmas read! This is a suspenseful mystery set around the Christmas holidays.

Ten years ago, at 17, Madeline was rescued by her friend Badger after being knifed across her face. Her friend her murdered and 2 other friends went missing. An arrest was made but the girls never found. Each year she gets a gift at Christmas. This year, an investigative podcaster arrives in town when he finds out other local girls are missing.. Secrets open up, surprises abound.

This one kept me guessing although I had my suspicions!!

I was excited to start this book as I just came off a reading slump. It did take me a bit to get into the book, but once I did, I didn't want to put it down.
Fast pace mystery. Clues that made you know who was the bad guy, but then made you wonder if you were right. Can't wait to get to share with my mystery lover friends/patrons. They will love it.

I hope this is a prequel because I definitely want more of Harley and the podcast. This was a good mystery told from multiple pov and with time jumps, which kept the story moving quickly. I wish there was more character development and interaction between the two leads, but it works as a short story and, hopefully, the author gives us more! I would recommend this as a quick mystery!

Christmas Presents may be set during the Christmas season, but it didn't feel very Christmas-y to me.
I liked the podcast element and the different POVs, although the transitions between chapters was hard to follow at times. It went from present with multiple POVs to the past when Maddie was in high school. There was no indication what time period the chapters were in, so that took some getting used to.
I saw someone else mention this would be a good prequel to more books about Granger, the podcaster, and I agree. There just wasn't enough character development in this book because it was a novella, but I did like his character. But Granger and Maddie hardly had any interaction, so it felt like two different stories.
I figured out the twist pretty quickly,
Not a bad book, but just okay.

Lisa Unger is one of my go to authors that I recommend when patrons are looking for a suspense mystery book. Just like in her other books Lisa creates a world that is compelling and that draws the reader in right away with Christmas Presents. The one downside of this book was that I was able to predict one of the main reveals however it didn’t take away from the book too much. This book was just easier to predict than some of her others. I enjoyed watching Madeline trying to come to terms with her past, and how flashbacks were used to build onto the story.
Thank you so very much to Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

My thanks to Net Galley and Penzler Publishing/Mysterious Press for allow me to review this arc.

I liked the basic premise of this book. Harley Granger, a Podcaster comes to a town to interview the survivor where her 2 friends went missing and one friend murdered. Throw in a current kidnapping in present time.

Book was a tad confusing with jumping pov s. Ending wrapped up a bit quick. Decent read. Good Christmas theme, but just ok.

I really enjoyed reading this novella by Lisa Unger. This story takes place in a small town during the Christmas Season.The Next Chaper Bookshop is owned by Madeline Martin, who ten years before had been left for dead by her boyfriend who had killed her best friend. Two of her other friends, sisters, were missing and presumed dead.
When author, Harley Granger, shows up in her shop and wants to do a podcast about what happened to her, it opens up old wounds, she would rather leave buried. But women are going missing again.Just like before. That can't be ignored as there are too many similarities to the old case. So Harley and Madeline end up joining forces, bringing danger to themselves and others. This is not a cozy murder mystery! It is so much more than that!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ahead of time.
3.75 out of 5.

I have loved all of Lisa Unger’s books and Christmas Presents didn’t disappoint. Madeline survived a serial killer when she was a teenager but her friends weren’t so lucky one was killed and the other two have never been found. She lives a quiet life now and is the owner of a bookstore then a stranger shows up asking questions about what happened to her all those years ago and wanting her to do a podcast and talk about it. This was a great book that had me guessing and that surprise ending I didn’t expect. Thanks Netgalley for this arc.

Summary
Madeline Martin’s life was perfectly average until she met Evan Handy as a teenager. But, the events of that tragic night have fragmented her memory and left everyone with unanswered questions.

Evan was the new kid at school, and Madeline was completely fixated on him. Caught up in these new feelings, Madeline’s friend group begins to get a little more disjointed, and people are saying that Evan is dangerous. But, Maddie just doesn’t see it, until she does. While her memory remains incomplete, it was her testimony that helped to put Evan Handy behind bars for murdering her best friend Stephanie Cramer. Evan is also a suspect in the disappearance of two other members of the friend group, Ainsley and Sam Wallace.

Present day, the disappearance of the Wallace girls isn’t the only disappearance to occur. Three other young women have gone missing from the same area since then. How can the perpetrator still be at large if they’re to believe that the culprit was Evan Handy? That’s what Harley Granger is here to investigate.

Harley Granger is a novelist turned podcaster with questionable methods and a knack for cracking cases. With Madeline’s help, he knows that they can get to the bottom of this.

Review

This book was definitely shorter so it was quick, to the point, without much fluff. Which I prefer.

I like having a shifting POV, but the book could benefit from indicating who’s voice we have transitioned to. While Unger does a great job of making it clear early in the reading, it would be nice to know who we are hearing from before digging in.

I also feel like there is a missed opportunity in not hearing as much from the Evan Handy perspective. An alternating victim-killer perspective could’ve added some extra spice and added a psychological component to this novel.

Very good book, but lacking “wow” factor for me.