Than you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was a great thriller, as all of this author's books are. A little taste of a Christmas with a serial killer in the mix. Maddie is the sole survivior of a Christmas time masacre that left one of her best friends dead and two others missing. Evan Handy was charged with and found guilty of the crimes. A podcaster and award winning author, Harley Granger, has bought and moved to the missing girls' home and is planning to do a podcast about the crimes. When he approaches maddie at her bopokstore, she is taken aback as she has vowed not to speak about the crime again, she has enough reminder with the scar on her face. Maddie's remaining best friend, Badger supports her decison and encourages her not to speak of the crimes.

Maddie finds herself wondering about the events more and more and finds herself drawn to finally filling in the missing events from her memory. Harley tells her thst more women are missing and he thinks the cases might be related, but how can it be if Evan Handy is still in jail? As Harley gets closer to the truth, is he in danger or will Maddie find herself at risk?

I did guess the edning but I enjoyed reading the story and found that it was a quick and great read.

By Lisa Unger

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc!

This book is the perfect pallet cleanser from cheesy holiday romance books - while still staying festive! If festive is a big kidnapping man wearing a Santa mask. 🎅🏻🫣

This little novella had all the things a quick thriller should- I felt like Lisa Unger did a great job as setting the characters in a short amount of time. I thought the toxic relationship between Evan and Maddie was so clear, but her age and insecurities kept her blind to it all. I loved hearing from three of the points of view- Maddie in the past, Maddie in the present, and current girl missing/kidnapped.

It *did* have a podcast element, which I'm very over, and we did hear some from that POV (which we probably could've done without) but it was just done to stir up the cold case and he wasn't the main focus.

Semi-Spoiler: It felt a little predictable until I was wrong at the end!

Anyways pick this up if you're a little sick to the stomach from all the super SWEET holiday reads and need something a little refreshing!

A holiday novella about a true crime podcaster looking for answers in the murder of one young woman and the disappearance of two others.

The plot caught my attention as I always enjoy a whodunnit that involves some digging into cold cases. This started out strong with the kidnapping of an erotic dancer that immediately pulled me in. Then we meet Madeline who survived a horrifying attack, the murder of her best friend and the disappearance of two other friends. Her boyfriend was arrested and jailed for the crimes but other girls have gone missing since. Are the crimes connected? Did he have a partner or can he be innocent?

Due to the short novella format, this moves quickly and never goes in too deeply. I had a pretty good guess of the bad guy from early on but I enjoyed this Christmasy murder mystery.

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger is a novella but a longer one and I savored every page. Unger makes it easy to suspect everyone then once the culprit is revealed, you realize how masterfully she weaved the pieces together so that it could only be that person. I was obsessed with Maddie and her bookstore, I wish that it were real! (Minus the trauma.) I found myself so impressed with the character development and how each characters voice was completely distinct. This may seem like a holiday book but get ready for twists, chills and bumps in the night with this one.

A wonderful spooky tale just perfect for the holidays. Deftly plotted and uniquely written. Immediately drew me in. Highly recommend.

Maddie can’t seem to face her past when her entire friend group was wiped out after one night, until she is forced to face the grim reality.
I figured out two of the key pieces to the plot fairly early and just has to wait to see how Unger would weave the story fabric.
It’s a good, quick read, great for those who love a holiday who some it book.

Lisa Unger's newest thriller set around Christmas, is anything but your typical holiday read. It's a gripping tale that revolves around Madeline Martin, the survivor of a horrific crime during her high school years. She's now the owner of The Next Chapter Bookshop, a cozy escape from her haunting past. But things take a turn when Harley Granger, a washed-up novelist turned true crime podcaster, stumbles into her shop, stirring up memories Madeline would rather leave buried.

The story delves into the investigation of the crime that consumed her father, the town's sheriff, until his stroke. This dark chapter of her life not only took her best friend but also led to the mysterious vanishing of two others from their close-knit group. Every Christmas Eve, the town holds a vigil for the two missing girls, a poignant reminder of the tragedy. Yet, even after Evan Handy's conviction, similar disappearances continue to haunt the small community. This raises questions: Are these new crimes connected to the past, or is there more to Evan Handy's guilt than meets the eye?

Unger's narrative is far from a cozy Christmas tale. It's an atmospheric crime story that had me hooked from the start. I breezed through it in a day, captivated by the suspense and the dark undercurrents of this small-town mystery. While the ending didn't exactly shock me, the journey there was thoroughly engaging. If you're looking for something that's a bit eerie and thought-provoking, this book is a perfect choice. Just don't expect any warm, fuzzy holiday vibes from this one!

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC!

A podcaster and book shop owner try to track down the missing Lilly during a blizzard. A perfect mystery read for Christmas. Fast paced and plenty of twists.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Super quick read! A fast paced holiday mystery that will shock you for sure. Definitely recommend especially this time of year! I really enjoyed it.

I found this book to be excellent and devoured it in a day! The characters were realistic and the tension between them was awesome. I highly recommend reading this book.

I found this book to be very interesting and intriguing. I would recommend this a friend because this is a book for everyone. I really enjoyed emerging myself into this book and it was just wonderful. This book evened my eyes to quite a few things and it’s one of those books that I’ll think about for quite awhile.

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger was an atmospheric novella following final girl Madeline Martin as she struggles to move on from the murder of her best friend and disappearance of two close classmates. Evan Handy is behind bars. Madeline should be safe, but someone keeps leaving her a Christmas present every December and more girls are going missing. When true crime podcaster Harley Granger decides Evan Handy will be his newest case, he knows Madeline is a crucial piece to the puzzle. Will Madeline’s repressed memories prove Evan’s guilt or did an innocent man go to prison?

This was a fun novella that kept me fully engaged, but wishing for a full-length story. If concepts could have been developed further, the story would have lended itself nicely to the novella’s cold atmosphere and the tension would have been significantly raised.

Thank you to Mysterious Press and Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars. I was intrigued by the premise of this one. A christmas mystery sounded interesting, but the Christmasy side of it really wasn't there as much as I was hoping. The read was entertaining, but I think I would have liked this one to be a normal length book. I'm not a fan of short books or novellas because the characters are never developed enough.

3.75⭐

When true crime writer and podcaster Harley Granger arrives in the small town of Little Valley, New York, just days before Christmas, bookstore owner Madeline Martin is compelled to revisit a traumatic event from her past. It has been over a decade since Madeline survived a vicious attack that left her seriously injured. On the same night, her close friend Stephanie was murdered and two other girls, also friends of Madeline and Stephanie, disappeared. Madeline’s then-boyfriend Evan Handy was convicted of the crime and was sentenced to life in prison. Madeline survived, though her memories of the events of that night remain cloudy. She has made life for herself in her hometown, keeps busy with the bookstore and takes care of her ailing father who was once the Sheriff of the town, but is wary of romantic relationships. Evan Handy maintains that he is innocent, and Harley Granger is in town to find out as much as can about the old case as well as the most recent disappearance of a young woman – one of three women who have disappeared after Evan was convicted.

Does this mean Evan was innocent? If so, who was responsible for the events from all those years ago? Are the most recent disappearances connected to the old case?

Told from multiple perspectives, Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger is an engaging read. The author seamlessly weaves past and present events into a gripping narrative that had me engaged from the very first page. The author depicts Madeline’s trauma and how it casts a shadow in her present life with much sensitivity. The ending did feel a tad rushed and was not entirely unpredictable, but I enjoyed this novella and thought that the plot was well structured, consistently paced and overall, well executed.

This was my first time reading Lisa Unger and look forward to exploring more of the author’s work.

Many thanks to Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novella. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Christmas Presents was published on October 24, 2023.

I love a good crime story. This was a quick read perfect for the holiday season with a couple great twists and turns.

Loved the setting and atmosphere it was told. Also the switching of timelines to give you a look into the MC's past events that led to how she is now.

I think however no shocking the story wrapped up really well and I throughly enjoyed it!

Thank you @netgalley @penzlerpub
@mysteriouspress
@launger for allowing me to read and give my honest review!

⭐⭐/5

• holiday mystery novella
• flat characters

I'm glad this was short because I didn't enjoy it. I was kind of confused while reading it which ended up with me being bored... probably just a "me" thing, but it felt choppy.

🗣️ Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book via gifted eARC! All opinions are honest and my own.

Madeline Martin owns a small bookshop in her hometown. When author/true crime podcaster Harley Granger walks into her shop, it's for more than a book signing. He knows Madeline is the only surviving victim of Evan Handy, the young man who murdered her best friend years ago. Since Handy has been in jail, three other women have gone missing, leading Granger and Madeline’s own father (Sheriff Martin), to think he has an accomplice. This Christmas, a local girl named Lolly is the latest girl to disappear. And Madeline has a secret: every Christmas, since Handy was arrested, she receives an anonymous Christmas present.

I love Lisa Unger so it was very much a Christmas present to hear she wrote a holiday novella! I loved everything about this story; told in dual timelines, Madeline’s past unfolds as the present plays out around her. The small town, surrounded by woods and cold, snowy weather, set an eerie backdrop as well. I was on the edge of my seat to find out what had happened to Lolly and if it was somehow related to Madeline. And as usual, the author had several perfectly executed twists that I did not see coming! This is the perfect story if you love Christmas and also love mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mysterious Press for the ARC! “Christmas Presents” is out now and this review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

I have only recently discovered Lisa Unger's books and they are so good. I'm sad I didn't find her sooner but glad I have several to read now.

I am a huge fan of mystery Christmas books and this did not disappoint!

I found myself being glad that this was a novella instead of a full-length novel. The plot was very slow-paced and at no point did I feel like I couldn't put the book down. I would have liked Christmas to play a little more into the story and the characters to be more developed. Everything felt a little shallow and the plot twist at the end felt forced.

This was a fun little holiday novella. I have enjoyed this author and this book was no different. Full of suspense, twists and add it to your holiday list.