Most people associate the holidays with earth, good cheer, and time with family.
This Christmas is anything but for Sachs’s family. She wants baby, her husband can’t get it together, her father is failing, and there is an abundance of family fraught to fracture even the strongest bonds.
I felt like a little kid peering around the corner at the presents because I wasn’t expecting anything that I unwrapped while reading this tangled tale.
It kept me on my toes and even the ending was quite surprising.

Sacha and her husband Neil are heading off to spend Christmas with Sacha’s parents and the rest of her family. It’s likely this will be the last one for her father Stuart as he has terminal cancer.

It soon becomes clear that Neil isn’t particularly fond of Sacha’s family other than her sister Christy none of them seem to have much time for him. Things go from bad to worse when Neil who is also suffering from depression gets himself very drunk on Christmas Eve, falls out with Sacha, and her family. Over the Christmas dinner toast a row breaks out between Neil and his brother in laws and they are sent out to go for a walk and sort out their differences. However only the 2 brother in laws return.

Sacha calls the police and a search is started and it’s not long before the police knock on the door informing Sacha her husbands body has been found at the bottom of a cliff. Suicide is suspected given Neil’s mental state however Sacha knows deep down her husband would never take his own life.

Soon after Neil’s death Sacha discovers she’s pregnant which her sister Rebecca (who is probably one of the most obnoxious characters in book history) decides to announce at Neil’s wake. Upset and angry Sacha leave the wake, only to wake up in hospital a month later after being hit by a car. Clearly someone has it in for Sacha and her family but who.

As the book goes on secrets and lies are unfolded. I was shocked when all was revealed as I hadn’t seen that ending coming. All families have their secrets but some clearly are more deep and darker than others. Let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be a part of Sacha’s family.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review. I’d certainly recommend this book for anyone looking for a good but slightly different Christmas thriller.

Sonia and Neil are heading to Sonya‘s parents for a three day Christmas visit and Neil isn’t happy about it at all. As a matter of fact he starts drinking before they even leave Yorkshire Neil already suffers from a form of depression and spending three days with his dying father-in-law and his negative wife doesn’t help his mood. When they arrive and find out they’ll be sleeping on an air mattress because they were the last to arrive it seems like things cannot get worse but they do especially when his brother-in-law Adam and Greg taunt him for not being able to impregnate Sonia but the next day when Greg thinks it’s appropriate to do it at the dinner table and makes a remark about Neil not being a part of the family that Neil has just had enough. He’s already asked Sonia if he can retreat to his dad‘s house and she said no and even made him feel guilty for it so when Greg starts up at the dinner table Neil finally speaks his mind. this is when mom Wendy tells them to leave and sort their differences out and don’t come back until they do but unfortunately only one of them comes back in before it’s over there will be family secrets that are so serious it will leave more than just one woman without a husband. Maria Franklin has nailed it when it comes to family get togethers of course minus the murder because the sisters reactions to each other totally reminded me of my family gatherings and mom windy seemed as if she was riding about my own mother. Having said that the rest was totally new to me and never happened in my family and OMG is it good I haven’t read her books in years but can’t for the life of me remember why because she is such a great writer and has overcome so much to be the thriller writer she is today I not only respect Maria Franklin but lover thriller books and this is a great example of why. I want to thank boldwood books and net galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Just started this book then realised it was familiar. On checking my Goodreads I had read it in December 2021.

It was a thoroughly good domestic thriller which I enjoyed from the beginning until the end and I can certainly recommend.

Unfortunately, this novel was not for me. It was more of a family drama than a psychological thriller, which isn’t a bad thing at all, but this family drama in particular was not the sort of drama I enjoy reading at all. The themes explored here are themes I despise, and I wasn’t aware of them when I started reading it. The characters were quite developed but none was likeable enough for me to keep me entertained. Some moments were full of dramatic tension and that was rather interesting, but the reason why the drama was being built up in the first place did not interest me — I don’t know if that makes a lot of sense. Clearly, it was not a novel for me. It was well-written but the topics chosen were not intriguing to me.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I will start by saying that I haven’t typically read holiday type novels in the past. When I saw this one mentioning Christmas and being a thriller, I was excited!

The story is told in multiple POV’s, Neil is suffering from depression, he’s miserable and forced to spend Christmas with his in-laws (who give him a hard time and make him feel like an outsider). Tensions are high, many drinks are had and well, it’s a recipe for disaster!

Christmas was the backdrop for the main trigger event in this story, but it moves on from that time quickly (so it wasn’t the Christmassy read I thought it was going to be). What transpired at first was a little predictable, but there continued to be some twists that kept me guessing!! There is quite a bit of family drama, so I’m not sure it felt like a psychological thriller much. The conclusion happened quickly, I would have liked a little more explanation but I often feel this way about shorter books (under 300 pages).

This is perfect for an in-between read, where you want to read something quick, easy and entertaining.

This is the first book I’ve read by Maria Franklin and I was pleasantly surprised. I really thought I had this one figured out and I definitely did not. I will say, some of the beginning of the book with a lot of the family drama and introducing some of the characters was a little slow but the book coming in right under 300 pages didn’t feel like it took up entirely too much of the book. If you enjoy books with a lot of dysfunctional family drama around the holidays then you’ll enjoy this book. They author did justice also to the struggles of cancer and infertility which is always appreciated. 4 out of 5 stars from me!

Really enjoyed this book. It was easy to follow yet I still didn't manage to hit the nail.on the head with the ending! Hard to put down from the very start
⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book was almost a DNF for me which is rare. Too slow….too many whiney relatives and predictability. Ahhhh…but predictability was not on the mind of this author. If you can get past the slowness of the first half of the book, there are plenty of twists to whip you through the book just to find out what is really happening Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for an early copy of this intriguing book. This review is my honest opinion.

I found Last Christmas to be more of a family domestic suspense read rather than a psychological thriller.
Most of the characters were completely unlikeable. As I read more and more into the book, I just wanted to slap them across the head!
What else will you get with reading Last Christmas?
Dysfunctional Family
Terminal cancer
Alcoholism
Infertility
Unemployment
Clinical Depression
Infidelity
If you are in the mood for a story about extreme sibling rivalry/drama, this is a book you should definitely pick up.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this book it was interesting and unique and fun. I didn’t expect the ending I thought I knew what was going on and then boom plot twist

Sacha and her husband Neil attend her family's Christmas. Sacha and Neil have been struggling to get pregnant and all the stress has sent Neil into a downward spiral. Neil is clinically depressed and consumed with an alcohol problem. During Christmas dinner Neil gets into an argument with Adam, a brother-in-law, and they are sent to walk it off and cool down. Only Neil doesn't return. Did Neil fall, jump, or even worse was he pushed?

This fast paced thriller is throughly enjoyable. Told from MPOV. Full of family drama and one tragedy after another it'll keep you on your toes. I took a star off because I felt it wasn't a very believable story line and it felt a little too soap operay, especially at the end. I also guessed one of the twists that is revealed in the final pages of the novel. Thank you to #Netgally and Bookoture for the E-ARC, out November 10!

This book was a quick, easy read for me but I found it very entertaining. Usually Christmas books are not so dark but I enjoyed this holiday mystery. The family dynamic and the multi-POV kept me engaged in the book. Overall, the story is well written with a good plot. I recommend. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the allowing me to give my unbiased review

Neila and Sasha are forced to spend the holidays with her family because of her sick father. The tensions are high as their marriage is not going well and Neil does not like her family, and her family does not like him. After celebrating Christmas, Neil is found dead. Did they dislike him enough to kill him? Or was it an accident?
I was so excited for this book as I love me a good Christmas thriller. I expected it to be a psychological thriller, but it's much more domestic family drama than a psychological thriller. None of the characters are likable and by the time Neil dies, I just did not care. I have read a lot of very good reviews about this, so maybe it will fit your taste more than it did mine.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a quick, easy read that focuses on a family Christmas gathering, which is memorable but not in a good way. Most of the characters range from flawed to obnoxious and hold dangerous secrets. This is a family thriller built around toxic interactions. I found some of the developments and twists to be disappointing, implausible, and predictable. There was plenty that could be criticized, but I found the story highly suspenseful, entertaining, and hard to put down.

Well-intentioned parents have invited their three daughters and husbands to spend Christmas with them. This will be their final Christmas together. Their father is terminally ill and will not survive much longer. Their home is in a remote area near a scenic cliff-top view. The dreadful Christmas 'holiday' is less than half the book, and the rest deals with its aftermath and sorting out what went so wrong.

Neil wants to avoid the Christmas gathering. He is on a downward trajectory, depressed and alcoholic, which has resulted in his unemployment. A diagnosis of infertility has rendered him feeling useless and a disappointment to his wife, Sacha. He is pressured into attending by Sacha. He has already disgraced himself by drinking to access away from the others and throwing up all over the patio. The two brothers-in-law (Adam and Greg) are hostile towards him during dinner. Adam's words are especially cruel. The mother orders Adam and Neil to leave the table and go for a walk to settle their differences. Greg later joins them. Disaster ensues.

Sacha feels guilt and remorse, deciding she loved Neil and should have been more supportive. She is horrified to learn some of the cruel insults that Adam threw at Neil. Her sister, Christy (Adam's wife), is kind and sympathetic towards her. Her other sister, Rebecca (Greg's wife), is colder and flaunts her pregnancy, which adds to the childless Sacha's misery. On Christmas evening, Sacha goes for a walk to clear her head. She is hit by a vehicle and ends up in hospital with broken bones and in a coma. The hit-and-run driver is unknown. The story now switches to Christy's perspective, following Sacha's slow progress in recovery while trying to grasp everything that has happened and why.

I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy of the book, which will be published on November 10 and recommended to mystery fans who enjoy a good, suspenseful family drama.

A twisty tale, unusually dark for the festive season. Husband and wife Sacha and Neil have to spend Christmas together with Sacha’s dysfunctional family because her father is terminally ill. None of the family like Neil, and he and Sacha aren’t getting on too well either, but when he dies on Christmas day she is distraught, especially as she has no idea if it was a tragic accident, suicide or murder. The story is told in chunks from three different character’s viewpoints and had a real twist at the end. A good read

Neil would rather be anywhere than spending time with his In-laws this Christmas. He has never felt like he belonged in Sacha's family and his marriage is in trouble. Family tensions quickly arise and come to a point during Christmas dinner. What happens next, sets off a series of events that will change every family member's lives.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it fell flat for me. The beginning was slow but picked up at the midway point. I liked some of the twist plots, but the reveals were predictable at times. My biggest problem with this book was the characters. I disliked most of the main characters, except for Christy. I found most of Sacha's family was selfish and only there for their own agenda. Even though Sacha and her family knew Neil was depressed, they were unsympathetic, and Sacha didn't seem to care. In the end, I was expecting a different outcome of this story based on the synopsis that was given.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to review Last Christmas. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

This holiday mystery was very engaging! I enjoyed that we got different POVs but didn't have to jump between them and it aided in how the story unfolded. I also really liked that though this was a mystery, the way Maria Frankland wrote characters who were grieving felt very authentic and not pandering. This quick read is definitely going on my recommendations list.

So disappointed in this - I was expecting a gripping thriller, but this didn’t deliver at all.

The first section of the book, is about how Neil is miserable, whines constantly and drinks himself into oblivion.

Next is Sacha’s POV after husband Neil’s death. She has seemingly forgotten how they could barely stand to be anywhere near each other!

The three daughters and their husbands are vile, toxic people, who I didn’t care for at all.

I nearly DNF’d several times, but pushed through, even though it was very obvious who the killer was and who was responsible for later events involving Sasha.

1 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Maria Frankland and Bookouture for an ARC in return for an honest review.

WOW! All the twists! Such a dysfunctional family and so many are guilty. It was a wild ride and in the end, I'm pretty sure that I think everyone got what they deserved.