There were several things I liked about this short novel. I liked Maddie, the main character. She owned a bookstore, what can I say? Having worked in a book store around the holidays myself, I instantly related to her and the way she managed her customers. Lolly, the hapless stripper who is kidnapped just as she's planning on going home and confessing to her family that she's dropped out of school, was also great. She was tough and tenacious. As I think back on it, though, Maddie and Lolly might have made me overlook a lot of other stuff.

Harley Granger, the author turned podcaster turned true crime investigator, was not a great guy. In fact, none of the guys in this book, Badger the best friend included, Maddie's father included, were great guys IMO.

The basics are that Maddie survived a life-threatening attack when she was seventeen which claimed three of her friends and she's sort of been stuck in limbo ever since. Harley has gotten interested in this past event because recently girls have been going missing near Maddie's town. He wants to interview Maddie to gather more information that might help with the present crimes.

The flashbacks to Maddie's high school years and her falling for her first love felt relatable. The author really captured a mood there. But there was a lot of information that we simply don't find out until the end of the book that Maddie knows. When she finally goes over the events of that fateful long-ago night it's very frustrating because it's all laid out pretty clear right there. And the mystery is solved basically by falling into Maddie's lap. While the author does a good job of keeping us from knowing who to trust, it's only because she is holding back information that the characters would know. The end goes very quickly and it felt like the author was in a rush to end the book after drawing out the backstory for pages and pages. And I didn't need a romance in this one.

First of all, I am a big fan of Lisa Unger's. This novel begins 5 days before Xmas. I think that this book would have been a 5-star book for me had it been longer; the plotline could have used more development.

Christmas Presents is a thriller based on crime in the past that is being revisited by a true crime podcaster due to some unanswered questions and family requests to revisit. Story revolves around Maddy who is the survivor of a horrific event where her best friend was murdered, other friends disappeared, and Maddie was lucky to survive. Evan, the new boy in town with a bad reputation, was exactly what was promised. Book has great dialogue and switches between characters and also between the past and present. Maddie struggles with mistakes that were made due to young love and often questions her memories and regrets her decisions. Harley Granger is investigating because of the missing people in the past case, and recent disappearances of young women in the area and pursues the angle that Evan may not have acted alone.

Author gives good breadcrumbs along the way; I admit I missed one of the bigger reveals when the killer's name is mentioned at the very beginning, and it came up later in the book. However, there was still a lot of tension and build up. The tie into Christmas Presents was cute.

Lisa Unger is a favorite author and I was thrilled to see this one. I devoured Christmas Presents in a day. Such a great read that I would highly recommend.

Really enjoyable Christmas time thriller! The mystery kept me invested and guessing the whole time. The multiple perspectives and timelines told the story piece by piece and the overall pacing was great. The ending did seem abrupt with the final reveal, but I was left feeling satisfied with the conclusion. I am going to check out more Lids Unger mysteries after reading this one.

I think I would've enjoyed this book a bit more if it had been full length versus a novella (albeit a long novella haha) just to flesh the characters out, especially with the dynamics of Madeline, Badger, her girl friends, and Evan in the past.

This was a really quick read. I enjoyed following the different character perspectives, especially the young woman that originally gave the statement that put Evan in prison. There were some fun twists too, all around a great read.

Christmas Presents isn’t the usual feel good holiday story. Instead, it’s a twisty, suspenseful story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s a novella, not a full length novel. It’s worth the read if you want a short mystery with some Christmas thrown in.

Christmas suspense with a smidge of romance just in time for the holidays...

Madeline is the sole survivor of a deadly attack by sadistic Evan Handy, who killed her best friend, Stephanie, and is suspected in the disappearance of two of her other close friends, all in the same night. Rescued by her lifelong friend, Badger, Maddie has spent the years since the attack just trying to move on with her life. But one visit from true crime podcaster and author Harley Granger opens that chapter of her life up once again. With additional women missing ten years later, Harley is convinced someone else was involved in the attacks that night, leaving Maddie reliving that terrible night to try to find the truth. Someone else out there knows what happened ten years ago -- and isn't ready to let the past go just yet...

Thoughts: This was a gripping yet quick Christmas suspense, especially if read in the days leading up to Christmas when the book takes place. It's a bit longer for a novella, but the plot moves fast and I was almost surprised to find I'd reached the end so soon. The ending as a whole was satisfying, but the big reveal isn't that shocking if you pay close enough attention to details. And while the slow-burn romance is sweet, it's almost completely one-sided until the very end of the story, which was a bit too rushed and weak for me. But I liked the character development and interactions, the suspenseful scenes told from a victim's POV, and the way that Lisa Unger packs a lot of plot into a shorter story.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publisher, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

More of a 3.5 star for this one. It’s super short and it was thrilling. I predicted the end really early on but I still enjoyed the ride to get there. The ending was a bit too clean for me and I would have liked a little more detail on the answers.

Otherwise, it wasn’t a bad read and it went by really fast. If you need to read just one more book before the end of year, read this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this read. The book was a good read just like Lisa Unger’s previous novels. This was fast and easy to read and interesting.

If Lisa Unger writes it, I'm going to read it. Plus I like to mix this up when it comes to my holiday reads so this novella came into my hands at just the right time. If you're looking for a quick, fun, murdery christmas read, you'll want to grab this one!

Madeline is a bookstore owner with a traumatic past she'd rather forget. A determined crime podcaster intent on doing a story on the gruesome crime, Madeline is the sole survivor of. Other women have since gone missing but is there a connection?

I loved the snowed-in setting and the past and present colliding. Lisa Unger's writing is always my cup of tea. For all my avid psychological thriller readers, I did figure out a key twist fairly early on but I think that's just the price we pay for reading the genre so much. It did not take away from the enjoyment factor though because I enjoyed the story so much.

Thank you Netgalley and Penzler Publishers, for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

This book felt like it was rushed out and needed another round of edits, which is not an issue on Lisa Unger’s part, but is frustrating when there’s multiple typos/typesetting issues and the spelling of a character’s name changes mid-book. Plot wise, I do think this was quite obvious. There were two possible suspects. It was also too short for certain relationships to be believable. That said, it did keep me engaged and reading and I would be interested in reading one of her longer books.

A fast-paced, entertaining read from one of my favorite authors. I loved the Christmas setting and the homage to Unger’s earlier works. Lots of twists make this a page-turner.

I really liked the writing, plot, and characters in this book, and read it in one sitting. It was a little predictable and didn't feel very Christmas-y. But I enjoyed it for a quick read.

This is so not your typical feel good Christmas read. But it has everything I love! Christmas, serial killers, quick read, and a mystery!

I love a good holiday thriller and this was a fun mystery! This felt a little long and I lost some steam in the middle but some good twists overall.

A great Christmas novella for fans of Unger. While not entirely original, it was a perfect read for wanting something a little darker during the winter season.

In the same vein that declared Die Hard a Christmas movie, Christmas Presents is a Christmas thriller. It takes place during the holidays, there are some presents, and a rather creepy form of Santa. But, this is not a Christmas book. lol it’s not about getting into the spirit, family togetherness, or any form of merriment. Nope, it’s missing girls and murder. lol
I actually really liked this book. The story had hints of darkness but never went completely dark. The main character, Madeline, is very likeable and I think would make a great character for several more books. The plot was great, it was fast moving, with lots of suspenseful moments.
I do recommend this for those that are looking for a quick thrill, not necessarily a holiday read.

A deliciously dark mystery for the holidays. We don't get a lot of mysteries around Christmas time. So I'm always excited to read when we do. And this was a wonderful surprise!

I know this one is listed numerous times as a novella, but it is over 200 pages. It packs a punch - a true crime podcaster has come to a small town to re-open the wounds of the families and friends left behind after a murder and 2 missing teens years before.

I loved the main character. She's a small town book shop owner preparing for the busy holiday buying season. But she's also the only survivor of the night where her friend was killed and others went missing. I liked the style of getting multiple POV - the author/podcaster and the bookstore owner - because it gave us both what was happening now and what happened the night of the murder.

Even with such a short amount of pages, the characters really grew on me. I loved getting to know them, how they were all surviving and making ends meet, and I'm sad I part with them here. There was maybe a hint at the end that the Podcast will keep going. Does that mean we might get more? I'd definitely read it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Loved this! I didn't figure it out. Well hidden breadcrumbs and I am delighted to admit I was wrong! A quick read and not too scary or stabby for this festive time of year. Highly recommend!