This book hooked me from the start. I love stories told my multiple characters that seem to be disconnected until they suddenly connect. That being said, I figured out the "plot twist" about halfway through and then just watched it play out.

I wish this book had been a full length novel. I feel like more character development would have helped with connecting to the characters and making the ending harder to predict.

Christmas Presents was the perfect Christmas thriller to read! I loved that there were multiple viewpoints as well as multiple time frames. Although it did take me a bit to get used to, as I did get a little confused at first! I loved that i didn't guess the plot line (which a lot of thrillers end up being predictable) and loved seeing all of the pieces come together to figure out what truly happened to all of the girls who went missing/murdered. If you're looking for a past paced, keeps you on your toes thriller, then I definitely recommend!

This one was very mediocre for me. It was hard to follow, and didn’t keep me wanting more like this author’s books normally do. Not bad, but also not great.

I sadly did not like this one. There were many points in the story that did not feel necessary at all, specifically the podcast felt like it was only there to add the buzzword "podcast" in the synopsis because it is currently popular. The relationship in here was extremely frustrating as well. I had a range of emotions from bored to angry while reading this and not in a good way. The epilogue was not something I liked either and I had a lot of issues with that as well. I have enjoyed from this author before though so I would still read another full length novel.

This is a well paced thriller that kept me guessing. At one point I suspected everyone in this book as being the killer - which is a sign of a well written book for me. The story comes together nicely and I love when I can look back and see the "easter eggs" along the way at the final reveal.
Thank you @netgalley, @w.w.norton and @highbridgeaudio for the gifted copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for an advance copy of this holiday ebook in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a bit lacking for me compared to previous books by Lisa Unger. A bit short, this left me not really caring about the characters and just feeling like I was along for the ride. Lots of red herrings in this one, but none that felt solid.
This was a mystery that was tied to a past cold case when a podcaster finds interest in an old murder that was thought to be solved. Nothing new and exciting for me, but an interesting well written story just the same.

December bookclub we read Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger. This novella was a fast paced thriller however there was one detail that was early on in the book that gave away who did it! I was surprised during our discussion nobody picked up on it. Otherwise the book was still a fast and suspenseful read that I enjoyed.

Thank you Penzer publishers and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

While an interesting premise, this was definitely more of a slow build for me. I really enjoyed the writing and character development for a shorter book.

I had a really hard time following the POV change, as it’s not identified between chapters. I also was wanting a little more of a twisty reveal at the end. However, the reveal did make perfect sense and overall I think this was a great holiday thriller!

I will definitely be reading more by Unger!
Thank you to Netgalley for my #gifted eARC and Mysterious Press for my gifted finished copy!

Lisa Unger is definitely a go-to gal for me when I need to guaranty myself I’ll enjoy what I’m reading. This was the perfect option for the holiday season for many reasons: stabby stabby, missing person, former missing person, murder podcast, a cold case, novella length and a very bad Santa.

Ho. Ho. Ho.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

I really enjoyed this book. Not just because I love Christmas (and a word of warning – this is not a feel-good Christmas story), but for the two female characters who tell their traumatic story, which takes place at Christmas but ten years apart, in an alternating dual timeline. Both Madeline and Lolly are strong women who fall prey to a handsome, sadistic killer. Although broken, they don’t allow their tormentor to get the best of them.

When true crime fiction podcaster Harley Granger opens the cold case on the ten-year old murder of Madeline’s friend and the disappearance of two other friends, it brings back the horror of the night when she herself was left for dead. Daughter of the town’s sheriff, Madeline is Evan Hardy’s only survivor. But with Evan behind bars and Madeline caring for her father, who has suffered a stroke, Harley convinces her that with recent similar disappearances of young women in the area, the case needs to be investigated further. The killer or an accomplice may still be on the loose.

When Lolly goes missing from a local strip club, Harley tries to uncover the truth about what happened to Madeline and her friends years ago and the connection to the other crimes since then. Madeline and her best friend, Badger, who rescued her the night she was nearly killed, also dig back into the past in an attempt to find Lolly’s whereabouts. The intertwining of the past and present is skillfully executed by the author, each woman’s point of view adding to the suspense of the story.

The small-town setting, The Next Chapter Bookshop owned by Madeline, the creepy old homes abandoned by Evan’s family and that of his murdered victim, and the wintry Christmas backdrop add to the cozy but chilling atmosphere. The premise of the past still being present brings an eeriness to charming Little Valley, where an annual Christmas vigil is kept for Madeline’s two missing friends.

A fast-paced ride that I was sorry to see end, Christmas Presents hooked me from the initial bookshop scene where Harley introduces himself to Madeline and instigates the whole reinvestigation into a past she has worked hard to put behind her. Several twists and surprises kept me riveted until the ending, which I did not anticipate.

The only thing I would like to see more of in this novella is more pages. A great thriller read for the Christmas season or year-round!

This was my first Lisa Unger but won’t be my last! Although the “mystery” of whodunit was easily predictable, I still thoroughly enjoyed the character development, the story, and the Christmas theme weaved in. I wouldn’t have minded if this book was double the length. A perfect short Christmas-y thriller I saved for the end of the year! I even bought a physical copy because I enjoyed it so much!

Thank you to Lisa, Mysterious Press, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for the e-galley and ALC! I chose to read the digital copy, so I have no feedback specific to the audiobook.

Lisa Unger is a phenomenal writer---I have yet to be disappointed in any of her books and this novella is no exception. Fast read but with characters that stay with you.

Christmas Presents is a faced paced thriller with lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Madeline Martin owns a bookshop the town she grew up in. When a author/podcaster comes in and wants to open up a trauma from her past, she reluctantly helps. But as more information comes out, Madeline questions everything she thought. Thank you to Lisa Unger, Net Galley and Mysterious press for the advanced copy.

This Lisa Unger book is just another really good book. Madeline meets Harley Granger, who seems intent on digging up events that she would much rather forget. Madeline is the only surviving victim of Evan Handy, the man who was convicted of murdering her best friend Steph, and is suspected in the disappearance of two sisters. Harley Granger has a lot of questions about the night Stephanie Cramer was killed, Ainsley and Sam Wallace disappeared, and Madeline Martin was left for dead, bleeding out on a riverbank. Since Evan Handy went to jail, three other young women have gone missing, most recently a young college dropout named Lolly. As Christmas approaches and a blizzard is heading their way, Madeline and her childhood friend Badger return to help find the missing Lolly and to answer questions that have haunted them both. I really enjoyed Unger's lastest book.

This was a fast paced, suspenseful, quick read. A woman is held hostage and trying to get away from the deranged person keeping her captive. Though it may be a shorter story, it’s not lacking in its ability to keep you on the edge of your seat and packing in all the suspense! I really enjoyed the Christmas theme mixed with the thriller aspect!

I loved the premise and set up for this book but really wanted it to be a full length novel instead of a novella. I think the tropes and structure would have worked much better with more pages to really develop the characters and gravity of the situation. There were so many great points and details - such as the titular Christmas presents - that really felt like they were mentioned off hand instead of being the bigger plot points they felt like they should be. I loved our protagonist and found her story very compelling but I would have loved more flashbacks to see the differences between back then and present day. This was great surface level read but I wanted more depth and development to both the characters and the plot. I would be interested in picking up more from this author

This was a short and sweet novella. I didn't completely get into this one but enjoyed the idea of a Christmas thriller!

It's so nice to mix up a Christmas thriller amidst all of the Hallmark type novels! This is my first one and definitely won't be my last. There is something about books where women are locked up and held hostage by a deranged person that really creeps me out. Most of the time thrillers are meh to me, but throw in an abducted hostage situation, and I will be flipping through pages so fast. It's nice that this was also a shorter novel. I knocked it out in a couple of hours. It held my interest from beginning to end. I'll be picking up more Lisa Unger in the future now!

Bookshop owners are the most inquisitive people, they love to dig around in the past. Teaming a bookshop owner with an investigative podcaster is brilliant. Their sleuthing skills was incredible and provides for an entertaining read you don’t want to put down.

I love books that are fast-paced and keep me wanting to read more and this was definitely one of those! It was a different kind of book to read over Christmas weekend. Will definitely recommend to others.