Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the early review copy.

What a delightful read for December! For those who want a dark book but with Christmas festivities, the new Lisa Unger thriller will be the one to pick up. I love how the author writes about all things Internet, social circles, and how we communicate. She just gets it and puts it into the correct words on the page.
The book has an indie bookstore, the wrapping of presents vs putting them into bags discussion, and a strong women's power.
While the twist was somewhat predictable I enjoyed the journey and the ride. It made perfect sense and I was still not 100% of whodunit until the very end.

Many thanks to @mysteriouspress and @netgalley for my #gifted copy. Out now!!

This was such a great Christmas mystery/thriller that I could not put down! I loved the snowy small town setting, and I especially loved the bookstore that the MC owned.

Madeline Martin is the only surviving victim of Evan Handy, the serial killer convicted for the murder of her best friend Steph, and suspected in several other disappearances ten years ago. Madeline has done her best to put the past behind her, and she now owns The Next Chapter Books, a thriving bookstore. Harley Granger, a famous true crime podcaster enters the bookstore in hopes to talk to Madeline about her past and what happened on that dreadful night, and is it possible that Evan Handly committed all those crimes in one single night?

Suspenseful, thrilling, and dark, it was so refreshing to read a book centered around Christmas that was in my favorite genre and not the typical rom-com. I loved that Madeline owned a bookstore, which gave the book a slight "bookish" subplot. Because there was a podcast plot as well, the book did read a bit like true crime. Though a little predictable, I still really enjoyed this quick, fast-paced read.

This is not your average, happy-g0-lucky Christmas story! As the matter of fact, I often forgot it was Christmas novella at all. It is a pulse-pounding, edge of your seat thriller by the prolific Lisa Unger that had me tearing through the pages in less than a day.
Madeline Martin is the owner of a cute, small-town bookshop. It has success and is her safe haven. Sounds cute and cozy enough. Right before Christmas, famous author and podcaster, Harley Granger, walks into her bookshop. He wants to talk to her about her past...She is the sole survivor of a horrific homicide/missing persons event that traumatized her in her pivotal high school years. And he wants to dredge up her past to find out what really happened.
The crime has obsessed her father- the retired Sheriff and baffled the town for ten years. Evan Handy, Madeline's first love, was convicted of the crime, but the unanswered questions abound. And Harley is here to put the pieces together.
What a great read! I stayed up late, peeking through my blankets, to find out who was responsible for all the death and despair. It was twisty with a cherry on top! Loved it and thank you to Unger, the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC. 4.5 stars!

I had a really good time with this! It wasn’t particularly christmasy but that didn’t matter to me. I loved the vibes of this one and I loved that it was a short novella

“Everybody knows everything about you in this stupid town. And they know nothing.”


I didn’t realize this was a novella when I first started this book. I don’t usually have much luck with novellas because there never seems to be enough space to do what the author needs to do.

I didn’t feel like that with this book.

The whole ‘thrills and chills’ thing worked pretty well! There was enough mystery and suspense to the plot that kept you reading and the setting gave it the Christmas vibes that made it a great, short read around the holidays.

Novellas can’t be too complex because of their length, so it’s not the most complicated thriller, but it also didn’t feel like it wrapped up (pun!) too fast either. I’m not sure if I really had it figured out until the end so that was nice too. It wasn’t shocking but it wasn’t boring either.


The premise is:

A true crime podcaster, Harley Granger, has decided to investigate the years old murder and possibly related disappearance cases of a group of friends.

Madeline Martin, owner of a bookshop (nice Hallmark movie type of touch), lost 3 of her best friends that fateful night and almost didn’t survive herself. She doesn’t remember much about that night but her testimony put away their supposed friend Evan for the murder. (Not the disappearances because there was not enough evidence to link them)

But Granger has come around with some interesting theories, including that the murderer had an accomplice that is still at large. This is alarming because Madeline has been getting a Christmas present every year on the anniversary of the crime. She thought they were from the guy in prison (which apparently didn’t bother her that much because she never told anyone about them) but now she’s wondering who is actually sending them.

Another girl goes missing and the investigation is hot again. Will it melt the snow and ruin Christmas? But like, metaphorically…


The book is told from Madeline’s first person POV, Harley Granger’s third person POV, and the abducted woman’s first person POV. We also get flashbacks to the night of the crime. My advanced reader’s copy’s formatting was a little disjointed jumping around but I’m guessing in the finished product things will be more clear.


One thing that bothered me:

When Granger gets Maddie to talk to him about the case he shows her pictures of all the missing girls and says one thing they all had in common:

“‘Five young women missing in ten years in the same fifty-mile radius… They all look like you, Maddie.’”

But this line of thinking is never continued or brought up again.

I read an advanced reader’s copy so it’s possible this was changed before the book’s publishing, but if not, it feels like a very loose end that either should have been removed or should have been followed through on. It’s a pretty significant plot point to drop it.



One thing I found pretty funny:

At the beginning of the book Maddie comments on Granger buying a book from her at her shop: “the latest runaway bestseller with foil embossed type, the author’s name in a bigger, bolder font than the title. The dark, foreboding image just a sliver of a girl’s face.”

The fictional author in the book was ‘John Henderson.’ And I’m 99.9% sure Unger was referencing James Patterson here haha. I don’t really read his books anymore for the reasons stated— too aggressive and run-of-the-mill. The author’s name bigger than the title is one of my book pet peeves. Sell your books, not your name.



Recommendation

I think if you’re looking for a Christmas thriller this is a great option. It’s like a murderous Christmas hallmark movie.

There was some swearing, and a lot for such a short book, so wasn’t a fan of that.

But overall, it was a good read for a novella. Probably at the top of the list for novellas that I’ve read. Which may or may not be saying a lot.

The only other Lisa Unger book I’ve read so far has been The Red Hunter (which was four years ago) and from my review I really liked it but it had a lot of f-words. I think I may still give one of her full length books another shot and see if she’s one for me to continue to read.

If you’re already a fan of Lisa Unger, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this book.


**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

[Content Advisory: 23 f-words, 7 s-words; the abducted girl works as a pole dancer at a topless bar so there’s some comments about that, nothing too graphic]

I really liked this book! It was a nice change of pace from the Christmas romcoms I've been reading and it was gripping right from the beginning. This was my first read by Lisa Unger and I'm excited to pick up some of her other books because I loved the writing style in this one!

I really liked this book, it was different than anything else I've read which was a breath of fresh air. I will be recommending this to my friends, and auto buy this author!

This is my kind of holiday read!

Madeline Martin has built a life for herself as the young owner of a thriving business, The Next Chapter Bookshop, despite her tragic childhood and now needing to care for her infirm father. 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. She’s 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, also good friends of Madeline’s, who have been missing for nearly a decade. It’s an investigation that has obsessed her father Sheriff James Martin right up until his stroke took his faculties.

Short, quick read perfect for anyone who prefers action and mystery over holiday romances. This is not a Christmas story, but takes places at the days leading up to it.

I don’t listen to podcasts, but have always enjoyed reading stories that include podcasts. Harley Granger is in town to investigate the case. Throughout this sort read I kept wondering was Evan really guilty? Is Lolly’s disappearance connected to the cold case?

Great novella - I wish it was longer! I enjoyed Jennifer Pickens on audio, but I do feel like it could have benefited from multiple narrators.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penzler Publishing, and Lisa Unger for an advance copy of Christmas Presents in exchange for an honest review. Most people are calling this a novella but it’s over 250 pages so that seems weird to me- ANYWAYS, this was a fun, quick thriller for me! I love any kind of thriller that has a podcast thing so this was the perfect read! Lisa Unger keeps you captivated throughout the story with friendships, deep connections, and lots of secrets!
This is the perfect Christmas present ( see what I did there) for the thriller lover in your life!!

This Christmas "short story" was actually very well fleshed out and written. I wouldn't say this is one I would recommend to many or even remember in a few days. There are so few good Christmas thrillers that this genre is ready for a smash hit book- this just isn't it.

This was fairly simple, plot-wise, but I'm not sure otherwise why it's called a novella. I think of regular thrillers being 300ish pages and this is 260. Well over novella length. Regardless, it was exciting to have a Christmas read that was dark. I wish more books were set in a specific time of year!

The characters were drawn well and I liked Maddie. The plot could have used more development, even at the same length. The killer could have been anyone, although I appreciated the misdirect near the end that left me suspicious of one character even as everything wrapped up. Most importantly, the ending was specific and wrapped up all loose ends.

I liked this a lot! I liked the multiple POV and the setting. I suspected everybody in this one, and wasn’t totally surprised by the outcome, but liked it all the same. I hope this author writes more Christmas mysteries!

A book I read solely via audiobook and what I believe to be my first thriller audiobook experience and will absolutely not be my last! Not my first Lisa Unger book, so I knew before going in that I was probably going to enjoy, but to experience in a different medium was fun to try.

The main character is a bookstore owner, a future dream of my own, and she is living in the same small town that she was raised, but is trying to forget and hide some things of the past. BUT in walks a famous author who has a history of digging into things of the past and putting together podcasts to uncover secrets of the past. Madeline Martin may be a bit worried as to what Harley Granger may find and what she may have to confront.

Listening to the book was such a fun experience. To listen to a thriller and have the same joy of wanting to keep reading and reading and not stopping was awesome! I kept cleaning parts of my house and sitting in my car while running errands so I could continue listening to this riveting thriller.

I enjoyed this novella! I’m impressed with how much the author packed into these short pages. This is a short story that packs a punch- and left me wanting more. Well done!

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger is a psychological thriller about woman trying to move on from a violent past.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher  Penzler Publsihers and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Madeline Martin has slowly been re-building her life.  Ten years ago Evan Handy killed her friend Steph, and possibly two other friends, whose bodies have never been found.  He also left Madeline in the river, almost dead, bleeding from a savage cut to her face.  She still has that scar.

Madeline's life has changed.  She is looking after her father, who had a stroke.  He was the Sheriff who had handled the case against Evan Handy. Madeline is also the owner of a thriving bookstore.

When a young woman goes missing, fears re-emerge.  Lolly's family haven't heard from her, and it's almost Christmas.  She will be the third missing woman from the area in recent years.  Five if you count Maddy's two friends. 

Harley Granger, a true-crime podcaster comes to town,  and Evan Handry's case is front and center again.  How can this small town of Little Valley ever move on.



My Opinions:
I really enjoyed this book.   The characters and plot were both good.

The story is told from three perspectives: Madeline's, Lolly's and Harley's.  This worked well.

The suspense continued to build throughout, and although I had a good idea of the perpetrator, it didn't take away from the story.

The end was a little prolonged, and detailed.  Everything (and then some) was tied up in a neat little bow.

Overall, it was a fast and entertaining read.

For this being a short book it felt super long lol. The story line was fine but really wasn’t an amazing read. Reminded me a lot of all the dangerous things which was much better. The ending was exciting but that’s about it

Add this one to your holiday reading list if you're in the mood for a quick and entertaining Christmas mystery/thriller. Madeline Martin is the survivor of a vicious attack by her former boyfriend, who also killed her best friend. Two other girls went missing the same night of the attack. It's nearly 10 years later and Madeline is contacted by Harley Granger, a successful true crime author and podcaster. He's searching for answers to what happened that fateful night and hopes to find out what happened to the missing girls. It was a good mystery with an ending that wraps things up nicely but overall didn't feel like anything special. I did like the dual POV and alternating timelines.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a great read that kept me engaged from beginning to end! I love how Unger could write present day and past while keeping the storyline going. The background information from the past was perfect to bring the story forward. I will be recommending this book to others and look forward to reading more Unger books.

Lisa Unger's "Christmas Presents" is a riveting novella that expertly weaves past and present, keeping readers engaged with its intriguing characters and gripping storytelling.

Initially drawn in by the captivating plot and excellent characterization, I found myself guessing until the very end.
The narrative unfolds through different perspectives and timelines, adding a layer of complexity that, while confusing at first, eventually becomes clear. Jennifer Pickens' narration, though enjoyable, posed a challenge in distinguishing characters. Multiple narrators might have enhanced the experience.

The characters, particularly Madeleine Martin and Harley Granger, bear the weight of dysfunctional family dynamics, drawing intriguing parallels. I anticipated their connection to deepen, given their shared struggles. However, Unger took a different path, exploring how they coped with trauma and pursued answers to a cold case involving the disappearance of Ainsley and Sam Wallace.

While the plot is undeniably captivating, I yearned for more time with the characters. Unger skillfully explores the complexities of the characters' pasts and their quest for justice. "Christmas Presents" is a tale that keeps you on the edge, delving into the shadows of the characters' lives and the mystery that binds them.