Christmas Presents was a total gift for the holiday season.

Unger has quickly become one of my favourite thriller writers, I was hooked after the ARC of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six. It's rare that I come across a thriller that truly surprises me anymore, and I love Unger's narratives and characters because I can't predict what happens next,

Christmas Presents is the perfect November read as we gear up for December. I found it quick, captivating, and a super fun read I would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a thrilling Christmas mystery!! Enjoyed the dual timeline of high school days and current around 30 year old Maddie and her local friends. Very relatable characters. Interesting plot with unexpected ending. Thoroughly developed characters for sure that made it easy to see the story unfolding in your head. Also some mild romance. And a cute book store setting for part of the story. Definitely recommend!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Pendleton Publishers for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own!

Thank you to Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press, and Netgalley for the gifted copy of CHRISTMAS PRESENTS by Lisa Unger!

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS is set in the days leading up to the holidays. Madeline is a young woman who spends her time running a successful bookstore, taking care of her father, and trying to forget her past. Madeline's best friend was murdered by Evan Handy and he was suspected of doing much more. Madeline was his only survivor and her father was obsessed with the case until he had a stroke that left him unable to care for himself.

Harley is a true crime podcaster and true crime author intent on getting answers to what happened, no matter what it takes. When he is in town, he begins to look into the cold case of Evan Handy and he has questions, dragging Madeline and her friend Badger back into the thick of it. Though Evan is in jail, more young women have gone missing, including a young woman named Lolly lost recently.

I really liked the idea of a thriller set at Christmas, where Christmas isn't the main focus. As someone who doesn't tend to want to do a TON of holiday related reading, this seemed perfect. Having it from an author I've enjoyed a lot in the past was also a plus.

Overall I found this to be a pretty typical thriller. It definitely gave me some questions about what was going on and I was interested to get to the answers, but I wouldn't say I was fully hooked. It is a fairly short book, but even so it was a little too easy to put down and took me a bit to get through. There were some twists I didn't fully guess, but I think that had I put more thought into it, I likely could have figured it out. Looking back at the book's full synopsis on Goodreads, I think it hints at too much and if I had read that before the book, I would have figured it out faster.

Overall, this was an entertaining and quick "holiday" read.

★★★★★ 5/5 stars

Synopsis
It’s days before Christmas & Madeline Martin is busy running her bookstore, The Next Chapter Bookshop. This time of year brings back terrible memories of a tragic time she’d rather forget, but she’s forced to relive it all when a true crime novelist walks into her store asking questions for his podcast. Instead of opening Christmas presents, they’re opening up a cold case.

My Thoughts
This was such a hit for me, maybe one of my new favorite thrillers! Pairing a wintery, holiday setting with a deeply unsettling & suspenseful plot, this book was exactly what I was looking for. The descriptions of being a bookstore owner were so perfectly cozy. Also, all the little tidbits of how carefully she wrapped the gifts sold in her store were so fun for me because gift-wrapping is my most favorite thing about the Christmas season. There was even a tiny bit of romance which I loved! This contrasted with the grim, brutal events that take place. I liked the way the ending came together, like it was wrapped up in a nice bow.

If you’re like me & are looking for something holiday themed that’s not a Christmas rom-com, I highly recommend this one!

Read if you:
* Ever dreamed of owning your own bookshop
* Really love wrapping Christmas gifts 🎁
* Love true crime, missing persons & cold cases
* Enjoy a quick read that really packs a punch
* Like reading about relatable characters
* Had a high-school boyfriend you look back on and cringe
* Need some Christmas suspense

Thank you to Lisa Unger, Netgalley & @mysteriouspress for the opportunity to read this arc ◡̈

I enjoyed this book. It was a fast read. I really enjoyed the characters. I like Madeline and her book store. I also enjoyed the happy ending. I would read another book by this author.

Christmas Presents is a fast paced thriller novella that you won’t want to put down! Our main character Madeline has survivors guilt in her daily life after a tragedy that occurred a decade prior. Christmas is approaching as well as the anniversary of the tragedy. A popular podcaster and true crime author comes into town to investigate the cold case himself. This sets off a series of events to reveal the truth of what happened ten years ago. As well as what is still actively happening today…

I originally got this ARC back in September and decided to save it for the Christmas season and I’m so glad I did! I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller. It was my first read by Lisa Unger and certainly won’t be my last! Thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for this ARC!

I typically enjoy Lisa Ungers writing, but I found this story to be a little disjointed. It's told through multiple perspectives, but it wasn't organized in the best way to keep them straight. I also figured out who the "villian" was fairly early from one clue that was given, though I could see where she was trying to trick you. Also, for a story that's titled Christmas Presents, they played a very small role in the book. Overall, just three stars. But I appreciate receiving the ebook from Netgalley and the publisher for review.

I was given this book by netgalley for an honest review. I was expecting a christmas story but it is NOT one. I really enjoyed the story and it kept me engaged the entire time. However, the multiple viewpoints kept me confused for a minute or 2 at the start of each chapter trying to figure out who/where I was. I knew this was gonna get twisty and it did keep me guessing. Definitely worth a read and it's a Novella so you can read it pretty quickly. I suggest you give it a try!

A great novella that I wish was longer! That being said, I did enjoy that it was a novella, some stories don't need a whole book to themselves.

Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for providing me with an ARC. *Spoilers*. One of the great things I loved about this novella was I thought we were dealing with a dual timeline and loved the surprise that we weren’t. I enjoyed this non- Christmasy Christmas story and it was a good straightforward thriller. The ending I thought left a little to be desired for the four stars instead of 5.

Do you want a dark Christmas read? If you do, you need to add Christmas Presents to your TBR list. Though, to be honest, there is not much of a Christmas vibe. BUT, there is certainly a dark murder mystery vibe!
Christmas Presents grabbed me from the first few pages. I read it in a few hours because I just had to know what the ending was going to be.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Short but not particularly fast-paced, Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger will nonetheless cater to both your need for thrills and your festive mood. Bookstore owner Madeline Martin is forced to relive her nightmares when a popular true-crime author moves to her hometown, insistent upon digging into a past that the town has never forgotten and that Madeline would prefer to avoid.

Madeline Martin returns home to work with a podcaster and solve a crime from her childhood. Some think she killed her best friend and two other girls when they were teenagers. Others thing the man in jail is guilty, despite his claim of innocence. As Maddy gets to know the writer and some former friends, she falls in love and finds out she can't always trust the people she once did. Everything comes together in a startling conclusion, but it was a wild ride and I loved the entire book. Wish it were longer.

This is the Christmas story I have been looking for it.

It is not sweet. It is not wrapped up with bows and cheesy Christmas music.

It is classic Lisa Unger psychological thriller and it's the Christmas gift us thriller lovers have been looking for.

I would describe it as a thriller set with a Christmas backdrop. It takes places as Christmas. And there are Christmas presents...as the title suggests.

Madeline Martin is the victim of a horrific crime as a teen. Her friend was murdered. Two girls are missing. And each year at Christmastime, the anniversary of it all, they hold vigil and hope against hope for the return of the two that are lost. This year is different though. Harley Granger -true crime writer and podcaster - has come to town to investigate. As they revisit the ghosts of Christmas past, will they end up with more than they bargained for? Will they, the town, finally find the closure they needed?

This is billed as a novella but, at over 200 pages, it's not your typical short story. There's enough meat to it that there was time to get into the story, to connect with the characters and to start to wonder just who the villain was before too much was revealed. There is enough space and latitude in the pages that, had she wanted to, Unger could have filled it out to create a full blown thriller out of this one and it would have been even better.

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. The downfall was that I requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before the book was archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

My guilty pleasure is a story that centers around a "final girl" and people stirring up mysterious murder from years prior. Add in some podcast elements and I'm sold!

In this case, Madeline Martin is busy running her bookstore, The Next Chapter Bookshop, as she tries to forget about the day her best friend was murdered and her two friends disappeared forever. It all comes back to the surface when a failed novelist comes to town and starts asking too many questions for his podcast.

For such a short book (224 p.), there sure was a lot going on! I loved the shorter "novella" length and think it would be a quick Christmas vacation read! This is not by any means a cozy mystery though and in fact it does get pretty intense at some points!

Lisa Unger definitely knows how to set a scene and build suspense and the blizzard at Christmas vibes were on point. I still think people could read/enjoy this year round.

3.5 stars

Thank you Penzler Publisher/Mysterious Press for the ARC. This book will be available for purchase on Oct 24th!

Thank you @highbridgeaudio @mysteriouspress & @netgalley for my digital and audio copies. My thoughts are my own.

Treat yourself to a Christmas thriller!

This seasonal thriller, though called a novella, is 260 pages, just long enough for you to get a really good mystery read in time for Christmas!

The story starts with a young woman, Lolly, who decides to quit working in a stripper bar. She plans to return home for Christmas and start over. Then, she accepts dinner with a stranger … and disappears.

Ten years ago, Madeline was attacked, her best friend was murdered, and two other friends disappeared. Madeline testified against her boyfriend, Evan, and he was sentenced to life in prison for these crimes. Today Madeline is a bookshop owner, and she has built a quiet life for herself. She does not realize that other young women have gone missing in the last 10 years.

When famous true crime podcaster Harley Granger moves to town, he has lots of questions about that night ten years ago, and he means to find answers. Known for finding the truth in unsolvable crimes, Harley doesn’t realize what he is stirring up when he comes to town.

The story takes place in the days just before Christmas, and is told primarily through the first person perspective of Madeline, with occasional chapters told through Lolly’s point of view. There are also chapters devoted to the third person perspective of Harley Granger. The story moves quickly, leading to a satisfying conclusion. Though only 260 pages, the story is strong, with well-developed characters and a good plotline. I did have my suspicions as I read this one, but parts of the ending still surprised me! I highly recommend this for thriller lovers at any time of the year!

I both read and listened to this one. I preferred the print version because the story was told in multiple perspectives, and the print version was easier for me to follow.

Madeline Martin survived a vicious attack that left her best friend dead & two girls missing. Her boyfriend at the time, Evan, was convicted of the crimes. Ten years later podcaster and author Harley Granger comes poking around to reopen the case and another woman is missing! Oof what a great thriller! It was spooky, gripping & I couldn’t put it down!

Lisa Unger is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. Christmas Presents is a novella about a cold case, that left two of Madeline's friends missing, one dead and Madeline herself injured and left to die by her boyfriend. But even though the boyfriend is behind bars, not everything adds up. A true crime podcaster is interested in the case, and by showing up brings disruption into Madeline's life once again.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

This was the first book I have read by this author. I was very confused at the beginning of the story and then it started to make a little sense.