Thank you to the publisher for letting me listen to this. The narration was engaging and I could not stop listening. I really loved it and hope others love it as well. The story was engaging as well as the characters. I would recommend.

Directly after reading, I gave it five stars. Lisa Unger is one of my fav authors! Now that I'm writing this review, I can't remember much of it. I did post it to my socials after I read it. I completely forgot to update my NetGalley. Insert awkward emoji. Sorry?

A Twisty Holiday Treat!

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger is the perfect mix of suspense and holiday cheer. The audiobook delivers a gripping story with twists and turns that kept me hooked until the very end. Unger’s writing is sharp, and she masterfully weaves together a mystery that feels both eerie and festive While the holiday backdrop is more subtle than I expected, it adds a unique charm to the suspenseful plot. If you’re looking for a quick listen that blends mystery with just a touch of Christmas spirit, this one is a great choice. It’s not your typical cozy holiday read, but it’s a refreshing twist for the season!

This was ok. It's a novella so it's a bit shorter than a regular novel. We read this for my book club.

There's some plot holes and it's really predictable. Some of the writing was awkward. This wasn't my favorite of hers but it was good for a holiday read.

Maddie has built a life for herself. She is learning to move on. She has had a difficult past that she just wants to forget
A true crime pod castor and book writer comes into her bookstore. He's here to dredge up the past that she is trying to forget. He wants answers.
Girls are missing, and the supposed killer is already locked up.
So what's going on in this town
Maddie dated Evan against everyone's better judgment. But Evan turned out to be a not very good person. With Evan behind bars who is taking these missing girls. Is this a copycat or a person who's worked with Evan all along

I enjoyed the audio of this quick book. Jennifer Pickens did a great job telling Madeline’s story.

I enjoyed the mystery of this story. Harley spends his time in Little Valley looking into missing women in the area. The man who was convicted in the beginning couldn’t have killed the more recent women, was there a copy cat, or was Evan innocent? Madeline ends up playing a part in Harley’s research. So many questions and I didn’t figure out who the killer was until almost the end.

Thank you NetGalley and High Bridge Audio for my ALC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I listened to this and also read the written version as well. I enjoyed both of them. Another great book by Lisa Unger!

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this book.
I generally enjoy mysteries and was interested in this premise. However, this book didn't deliver for me. I thought that the characters were very clunky and the plot was convoluted and didn't make much sense. I found myself really distracted and wasn't interested in the development of the story.
Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this advanced copy

I'm always a fan of a book with a podcast. Don't ask me why since I never listen to them.

This one couples everyone's happy time of Christmas with a determination to resolve a chilling crime. I'm torn on whether I liked the at oddsness of this or it was too much.

But this kept me on my toes and I listened to it in a day, so I guess the uniqueness of it won out.

Narrated by Jennifer Pickens, she does a good job of bringing the story to life and letting the plot shine.

I love Lisa Unger’s books, but I struggled with “Christmas Presents,” as I was granted an advance copy in audio form & I think it was too complicated to follow. The story had a good foundation & was timely with its true crime podcast theme. I think I will give it another chance, but read the book version this time, so I can follow the storyline better. Unger is always producing great thrillers, so I feel like the reduced star rating is on me.

Thank you so much NetGalley and HighBridge audio for the advanced copy and the chance to review it honestly.

Christmas Presents is an addicting story that is easily read or listened to in one sitting! I found it to be atmospheric and engaging. For a novella, it really packed a punch! It moves quickly not really giving you too much time for tension but it was still very enjoyable and a book is recommended to read during the holidays.

Happy reading!

"Christmas Presents" was listed as a novella but it felt like a complete story on its own! The point of views in the story and the pace of the story kept me wanting to read and not able to stop the audio. I had to know what was going to happen and was happening. The narrator of the audio had a voice that was easy to understand, kept a great pace with the story and made the book immersive! Thank you to NetGalley and High Bridge Audio for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

This is a well paced thriller that kept me guessing. At one point I suspected everyone in this book as being the killer - which is a sign of a well written book for me. The story comes together nicely and I love when I can look back and see the "easter eggs" along the way at the final reveal.
Thank you @netgalley, @w.w.norton and @highbridgeaudio for the gifted copy of this book.

I added this book to my holiday reading and it was a great addition to the normally fluffy holiday reads. Lisa Unger's books are always enjoyable to with shocking twists and fast paced writing. This book was quick and engaging and the narration was spot on. The setting at The Next Chapter Book Store at Christmas time added a cozy feel while the story was tense and suspenseful. Overall, it was a fun short novel to escape the holiday stresses. I would recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for providing me with an eAudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.instagram.com/_bookonthebrightside_/

I’ve been on the holiday romance trend for awhile now, but I’m loving that there are so many holiday thrillers releasing recently. I love author Lisa Unger, and was excited to read this holiday novella to kick things off this season.

𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧: 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
🖊️Lisa Unger
🗓️10.24.23
🔪Mystery/Thriller
★★★★

This was my first holiday thriller and I’m hooked! I loved that it was a novella, and the pacing was perfect. The plot had plenty of action with all the suspects, and I really enjoyed this one.

🎧The narration was great and I would definitely recommend this format!

*many thanks to High Bridge, publisher and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

I enjoy Lisa Unger's writing. It's down-to-earth and easy to read while sneaking in disturbing twists that keep the story fresh and appealing. The characters in this book were interesting and the narration was spot-on.

Typically my holiday reads are fluffy rom coms so I was SO excited when I found out Unger was doing a Christmas Thriller! I’m a big fan of her work and this one did not disappoint! I mean, who doesn’t love a festive serial killer read?! 😂

This one’s classified as a novella but i found it a bit longer than your typical novella but it’s still under 300 pages and something you can AND will easily fly through!

This small town setting was super atmospheric and it was certainly an engaging whodunit! In the end it was a bit predictable but ultimately I found it totally satisfying!

A quick and engaging novella! Loved the narrator, altho a 2nd narrator might have helped in some of the confusion on this one. Lisa Unger is always great for some solid entertainment :)

"Christmas Presents" is a gripping thriller that seamlessly blends the cozy atmosphere of the holiday season with a dark and suspenseful mystery. Madeline Martin, the owner of The Next Chapter Bookshop, is drawn into a chilling investigation when Harley Granger, a true crime podcaster, arrives in town with intentions to reopen a cold case involving the disappearance of two sisters and the murder of Madeline's best friend.

While the ending of "Christmas Presents" predictable, they were still captivated by the atmospheric nature of the crime story. The book managed to grab my attention from the first page. However, I thought it lacked the buildup of tension often found in great thrillers, I like to have more depth in the character development, but this is something hard to do in such a short book.

This was my first Lisa Unger but won’t be my last! Although the “mystery” of whodunit was easily predictable, I still thoroughly enjoyed the character development, the story, and the Christmas theme weaved in. I wouldn’t have minded if this book was double the length. A perfect short Christmas-y thriller I saved for the end of the year!

Thank you to Lisa, Mysterious Press, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for the e-galley and ALC! I chose to read the digital copy, so I have no feedback specific to the audiobook.