It is Christmastime in New York, and Madeline is a proud owner of her thriving bookstore, The Next Chapter Bookshop. Her past is horrifying as she watched her former best friend get murdered by her boyfriend, who left her to run for her life. When a true crime podcaster and novelist, Harley Granger, came by her bookshop to talk to her about the case, she felt haunted by her past again.

I have to admit I am slightly disappointed in this book. I did love that Unger created a creepy atmosphere involving Christmas, where it should be joyful and less murderous. The two alternating narrations felt very disconnected from each other. I felt like I was reading two completely different stories at times. The story itself was very fast-paced and was an easy read. It was still easy to get hooked and keep reading to find out who was the killer. Christmas Presents is an excellent book for anyone who wants a Christmas-themed book with murderous, creepy vibes and none the sweet Hallmark ones!

Thank you to NetGallery and to Mysterious Press for giving me a copy of the book.

This maybe a novella, but Lisa Unger packs a great story into a tight, well-developed story. Maddie survived a vicious attack as a teenager. She saw her friend killed and two more friends went missing that same night. Her life has never been the same. Now a real life murder podcaster /novelist has come to town to look into the case of the missing girls. Another girl has gone missing and the stories of the past and present are skillfully woven together so they never feel disjointed. I enjoyed this mystery and its satisfying ending.
Thanks to NetGalleyand Penzler Publishers for the ARC.

This reviewer confesses to being a huge Lisa Unger fan who has read all of her books, including her novellas and short stories, since the beginning of her career. Full disclosure, I admit to being enthusiastic about her work. When I was offered an advance copy of Christmas Presents to read and review, I immediately accepted. Lisa’s books are always unique and compelling, and this holiday thriller is no exception.

Christmas Presents gives readers the mystery and suspense of a full-length novel, since it’s packed with relatable characters, perfect pacing, and great writing. We see through the eyes of the central characters in alternating sequence as they attempt to solve a ten-year old cold case. The story is dark–this is no sweet holiday tale–but Unger brings light to the darkness by adding a welcome touch of romance and the gift of hope to its resolution, which I loved. Every story should have a happy ending, especially at Christmas.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mysterious Press for providing an advance copy of the book to read and review. This review will post to the Bayside Book Reviews website at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

Thank you netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm s lover of all Lisa Unger books. A nice Christmas thriller? Sign me up. I enjoyed this thoroughly.

4/5 ⭐

ARC provided by publisher in exchange for feedback, review contains my unbiased opinions.

5/10

Not altogether bad but also not the best thriller I have read. Some of the choices in storytelling are a bit odd, but more so than that my real issue with the story was that it was very predictable. Everything is basically spelled out to you but then conveyed in a tone of mystery. I saw the twist coming a mile away, as well as other reveals that were supposed to be shocking or at the least revealing. The end of the book also felt a bit shorthanded like it was rushed and seemed to just ignore some details from previous chapters.

I will say that the character work in this book seemed better than in Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six the only other book I have read by Lisa Unger so far. This was also a short read so if you are looking for something that won't take long and won't require deep thought this may be a good choice, but if you are looking to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes you may wish to look elsewhere.

This was pretty goof. Unger is a goof author of mystery and thriller and while this wasn't her best it was interesting. I think the big pet down was the ending; had it been better the whole story would easily been four stars.

I’ll open by saying that I generally like Lisa Unger books (In The Blood was great), so I was very excited to receive this ARC. While the pace was good, and the premise was there, the execution simply was not.

Maybe it’s because it was a novella (which I didn’t realize at first, but seems to be the consensus), the story just didn’t have time to become what it could have been. Many of the characters seemed kind of irrelevant, particularly Harley Granger, who felt to me like he should have had more of a role considering the book was supposed to be about his podcast (which, btw, it barely was). It also felt like we went from having questions to solving a murder in a split second, and that scene where they ‘put the pieces together’ just didn’t really make sense to me. Also, who shot Harley? What the heck was the point of that?

The ending of this book was also a let down. It tried to circle back to the podcast plot but it felt a bit lacklustre. And the effort to throw in the romance piece felt disingenuous, and the couple didn’t feel right.

Overall, it’s not that this book wasn’t good - it was fun and easy to read, but it felt like it never got to where it could have, with perhaps many more chapters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and write an honest review of this book.

Maddie owns a bookstore and lives in the town where she was severely injured, as a teen, and her best friend was killed by a boy who attended their high school.

Even though this killer is in prison for life, girls continue to go missing in their area. Did the killer have a partner that has never been caught? Maddie, her friend Badger, Maddie’s father, the retired sheriff, and author/true crime podcaster, Harley Granger are deep into solving this ongoing mystery.

Christmas Presents is about Madeline Martin a young woman who continues to live in her small town despite the darkness that holds her there. For ten years Madeline has had to live with the scar marring her face as a constant reminder of what Evan Handy did to her.
…
Harley Granger has written three true crime novels. His fourth sits on a shelf unpublished. With writing on hold he’s turned to broadcasting a true crime podcast show where he revisits unsolved cold-cases. So far he’s solved three cases. He’s in Madeline’s small town hoping to interview her about what happened with Evan Handy ten years ago. Evan is serving life without the possibility for parole at the state penitentiary. Harley Granger has a calling to this case hoping to find new evidence. Everyone in town doesn’t want to talk about it. Although, the past has a way of twisting and turning back into the present. In so many ways Madeline is still there in the past.
…
In recent news Lolly a young dancer has gone missing. She was suppose to be visiting her parents for Christmas, but she never showed. This news brings about old wounds and fears from ten years ago when two other girls went missing. Madeline’s father and former Sheriff believes Evan wasn’t working alone that another killer is on the loose.
…
Lisa Unger writes a chilling murder mystery set around Christmas time. Christmas is a time when families get together for food and presents. For some it’s a time of traumatic memories. This is not a Hallmark movie moment during Christmas time. Picture Gremlins during Christmas with crazy unhinged creatures roaming the small town. Except it’s ten years later and the murder scene has long been erased, yet the atmosphere hasn’t changed one bit for Madeline, the sole survivor.
…
This was a fantastic lay fast paced thriller. It’s an easy read that can be read in one sitting.

4 ⭐️

This is my second book by Lisa Unger and I have enjoyed this book! I did not know that this was a novella and I like novella and especially since I haven't read a lot of thriller books this month, it was a great change to read a short thriller! This is definitely fast paced and you can read this in one sitting. The winter chilly scary vibes are my fav and I don't know why and I love thrillers that have a snow cold setting bc I feel like I can feel it. The mystery crime aspect and the different POV was great with this writing plot style and there was times when I was confused bc of the different POV but overall I enjoyed the mystery vibes this book gave. Save this book for the winter cause the weather is going to enhance this book eerie vibes!

Thank you Netgalley, Penzler Publishers, and Mysterious Press, for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I didn’t realize that this was a novella and as a rule, I don’t read novellas, but in this instance, I am so happy that I did. Christmas Presents was Lisa Unger at her best. I first read Beautiful Lies when it first came out and was captivated by it. This latest book is just another beautiful feather to add to her cap.

The story is skillfully woven around a small-town upstate New York town at Christmastime where ten years ago one young woman was murdered, a friend left for dead, and two others disappeared without a trace. With the killer in jail, murders occurring again, and one young woman missing, a serial killer is on the loose.

I was hooked right from the start and invested in all the characters, constantly trying to decide who was guilty. There was Madeline Martin, the original surviving victim who now owns the town bookstore; her best friend Badger, expert car mechanic and antique car restorer; true crime novelist Harley Granger, who wants Madeline’s story for his podcast and book; Madeline’s father, the former Sheriff who is now infirm after suffering a stroke; or was it the strange man who took the young stripper out after her show?

I read this fabulous story in one sitting and was on the edge of my seat for the entire crazy ride. The last third was a nail-biting, squeeze-your-eyes-shut-tight type of experience. Many thanks to NetGalley, Penzier Publishers, and Mysterious Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion. I overlooked that it was a novella and gave it five stars!

A big thank you to #NetGalley and #PenzlerPublishers for the read and review of #ChristmasPresents by #LisaUnger. I am a huge fan of Lisa and live her books. This one is a big hit like all her other books. I cannot praise this woman enough. Fifteen stars if I could!!!

Incredibly thrilling, fun novella. I would gladly read a longer book like this one. I liked the characters and the plot was entertaining from start to finish. Recommended.

I LOVED this novella! As always, without giving away too much, I loved the two main characters and my only complaint about this was that I wanted more! However, I think the author did a great job of making this short and sweet. It was such an easy read. I loved the creepy vibe of the potential snowstorm. This author has quickly become an auto-buy for me, and I can't wait to recommend this to everyone. Thank you for letting me read this!

This was super good, Unger has done it once again and wrote something that I could not put down! I'm a sucker for books that go into the realm of fictional true crime via podcasts or just revisiting an older crime.

Madeline, now a local book store owner in a sleepy town, has a tragic past. Her friends were murdered roughly a decade earlier and the murderer was incarcerated. Harley is a podcaster who comes to town to revisit the crimes and dig into them further. At the same time, there are now more missing women. Are they connected and how?

This is a quick novella that takes place at Christmas time, told from different POV's as well as different timelines. I wanted more!!! It was a very fast read and had me intrigued from the beginning. I really enjoyed the little Easter Egg's from Unger's previous books - The Hollows. What I did want to hear more from was Evan, I would have loved a podcast/interview getting into more of that detail. I could have read another hundred pages of this one, I was sad it was so short! Overall, highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

My only regret- not reading this book in December. This is the perfect mystery novel with depth and thrillers unlike the typically cozy mystery books. I liked the pace of the book but I am not a fan of the authors dual POVs because she always has too many that don't help the plot but just convulute it. This book was the same with too many POV to track and it got a bit confusing. I loved the book though and will never hesitate to read a Lisa Unger thriller.

Loved this! The plot was engaging. The characters were relatable and likeable. I devoured it in one night!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Madeline has suffered a rough childhood being the only one who survived the murder of her best friend and the disappearance of her sisters. With Evan in jail three other women have disappeared. Have they locked up the wrong man? Harley a writer of true crime comes and wants to talk to Madeline about this case.- can he find answers that others couldn’t ?
Then Madeline and her friend Badger look through her dads files of the case and decide to return where it happened to see if they could find answers and what they find shocks them!

My favorite that Lisa Unger has wrote to date! I was drawn in from page one. In the beginning, the switching between POVs was a bit confusing and took until the next chapter to realize what time period you just read. I figured out the ending but in no way did it take away from the story or the ending for that matter. This was a quick and enjoyable read. I love the bookworm main character.

Thank you to Netgalley, Mysterious Press, and Lisa Unger for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date for Christmas Presents is October 24, 2023.

This is a great quick read for the upcoming holiday season.

Madeline has put the trauma from her past behind her in the last 10 years. She’s built a successful business and is working on taking care of her dad. True crime podcaster Harley Granger has came to dig it all up.

Under 250 pages so this book starts off quick and keeps going until the very last page. I was confused when the book first started because we get different POVs and I had no clue who the first one was until the next chapter.

I did love the setting of the crime and the storyline that went along with it. I was drawn into the whole story and wanted to find out who the killer is and if the past killer was innocent or not.

Definitely going to be reading the back catalogue of Lisa Unger.

This is a great book, if you want the holiday feels that isn’t a Hallmark movie in a book.