a novella, contrasting the season of christmas with the painful history of the town with two missing women, a murdered woman and a survivor of that attack. told in the past, the present and the present version of another abducted woman and a true crime writer, looking into the unsolved case. I loved Lisa Unger's books and this one got me involved right away, i guessed the perpetrator, but it didn't matter and even shed a few tears towards the end.

It's Christmas season in a small New York town, and Melinnda Martin, an independent bookstore owner, is reliving a trauma from ten years ago. Her close friend Steph was killed, and two other friends abducted: and Harley Granger has come to town to research a podcast about the crimes. Unger weaves an engaging story of the search for whoever is snatching up more girls, since Steph's killer, Evan Handy, has been in jail for ten years. Good read!!

Really good mystery/suspense akin to Agatha Christie. Not much gore but instead uses word to build tension. Great read!

It’s almost Christmas and Santa’s on his way. Don’t let this Santa into your house! He’s a serial killer.

For the past ten years, since the murder of one of her friends and the disappearance of two others, Maddie has dealt with the sad, depressing anniversaries, her own disfigurement and now the weight of caring for her father after a devastating stroke. So when cold case investigator and podcaster Harley Granger moves to her small town to investigate the attacks, she refuses to help. After all, murderer Evan Handy is in jail. The case is closed. It should be, shouldn’t it?

That’s the question. Lisa Unger delivers a fast paced, suspenseful mystery with a coldly terrifying subplot involving a stripper. This is one you won’t be able to put down. It’s one of your Christmas Presents! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penzler Publishers and Lisa Unger for this ARC.

This was a fun ,quick , twisty thriller novella. Maddie has tried to forget the night she almost died. Now a true crime podcaster Harley Granger comes to town and wants her to share the nightmare she went through as he believes there is someone else involved in the murders. Who can be taking woman now?

The Christmas presents being left every year at her door and being such thoughtful gifts freaked me out.

Slowly, the truth is revealed of what went on years ago the night Steph died. Now, with all the pieces in place they can hopefully catch a killer.

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger Fast paced mystery, suspense, serial killer(s), a true crime author, a bookstore owner who survived a vicious attack with a love interest, some family drama and of an ending that you thought you know what was coming......but then.
Maddie and Badger were favorite characters. The podcast epilogue was quite interesting. The Christmas Presents were truly inspired,
Thank you to the author, Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

This was a fast paced Novella set around Christmas time. Told from multiple POVs and switching from past to present. Madeline (though spelled Madeleine on several pages) suffers a horrific tragedy when she was 17 and 10 years later is still looking for answers. I love Lisa Unger’s writing.

Book : Christmas Presents
Author : Lisa Unger
Release Date : 24 October 2023

Thank you NetGalley, Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press & the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When I saw this book show up on my recommendations I got so excited because there is not a single book Lisa has written that I do not love & I love a good holiday mystery/thriller novella. Even better, when I’m doing this ARC it is summer time and that’s my favorite time to read holiday thriller.

The plot/storyline was perfection, the character development was perfect and the characters felt so real to me. I loved all the characters that we followed through this story. This book had me guessing all the way to the very last page. Turn after turn there were little twists that I never was right about and you don’t get that comfy mystery feeling you get with some mystery/thrillers…you got this amazing creepy & eerie feeling. I sat down and read this book from front cover to back cover. A fast holiday novella that I didn’t want to put down at all.

I don’t want to say very much about this book because I don’t want to give away anything but will say that you need to scoop up this book and make sure that it is on your TBR. Pre-order and have it ready to go for the fall seasons release! You will not be disappointed.

Written by a talented author, one of my favorites, this book is a page turner. Although the protagonist survived a wicked attack, her friends did not. While running her bookstore and taking care of her father, former sheriff and stroke victim, she wonders about what really happened. A popular author enters the picture. Intrigue and mystery at its best. This book is fiction but reads like nonfiction at times. The story moves quickly with realistic characters. This is not a cozy read. It is difficult to try to determine the ending. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher, one of the best, and the much gifted author.

I love Lisa Unger books and her little novella, "Christmas Presents" was a quick awesome read. Great story

It’s nearly Christmas and Madeline, owner of The Next Chapter Bookshop in picturesque Little Valley in upstate New York, is surprised to find one of her favorite true crime authors buying a present for his father in her store. But he’s really there to talk to her, since Madeline is a final girl, a survivor of serial killer Evan Handy. This happened a decade ago and now the famous cold case investigator Harley Granger is restoring the abandoned home of missing sisters while he probes the old crime facts. He reveals something unknown to Maddie: other women have gone missing in the decade since Evan was imprisoned, including one just a few days ago.

Lisa Unger has delightedly decided to join the league of mystery writers who have published Christmas novellas (Janice Hallett has “The Christmas Appeal” and Peter Swanson has “The Christmas Guest” releasing in October 2023 when Lisa’s is due), and this one is perfect. Of course, there will be a big Christmas dinner to end the suspense, but who will survive to be around the table? 5 stars — this might not put you in a holly jolly mood, but it will satisfy a need for a holiday mystery!

Thank you to Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press, and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Steph, one of the victims, had startling sea-glass green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Just the expected snow-covered and decorated trees you’d expect in a Christmas novella.