White Elephant is a multiple point of view, slow burn mystery set in Aspen, Colorado. Attendees of a real estate agency holiday party end up snowed in with the rich celebrity client they are hoping will buy the home where they’re throwing the party. One of the gifts entered in the white elephant gift exchange during the party is the murder weapon from crimes committed years earlier. Who brought the weapon and why?

The novel runs on two timelines. In present day, they are preparing for then attending the holiday party. In flashbacks we learn about when Claudine and Henry’s relationship and business began, and about the crimes committed with the “gift”.

The characters were interesting. I loved the snowed-in set up and the utilization of the gift exchange. I appreciated that the emotional repercussions of being involved in a murder years prior were not ignored. Readers who enjoy slow burn mysteries strongly focused on the events and psychological aspects leading up to the crime will likely enjoy this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #WhiteElephant #mystery

White Elephant (published 10/29/19) is a short novel where the majority of the action is centered around a gift exchange at a high-end home. It’s a pretty standard thriller and if you want something quick and easy to read, this may hit the spot.

I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t love it. The story is told through several first person POVs. Zara’s POV was quite honestly annoying. While I understand that it is first-person, I don’t want to read every “like” and “nuh-uh” that goes through the character’s mind.

My second issue is that the author used real-life famous people as part of the plot. Yes, that part of the story is in the past but it made me feel ICKY. Using Andy Williams and Claudine Longet felt…wrong.

Lastly, the ending. Oh, the ending. Without spoiling all I can say is that it didn’t make sense given the characters as written to that point. It didn’t work for me. Nuh-uh.

I know it sounds like I hated it. I didn’t. If you can turn off the analytical part of your brain (boy I wish I could sometimes), you will probably enjoy this quick read.

2.5/5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley for providing an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book equivalent of an overly dramatic Lifetime movie.

But it sure is fun.

White Elephant is an incredibly short, kitschy, over-the-top story about aspirational greed, and it truly is a hoot...full of characters you love to hate. The premise is intriguing, but there isn't much mystery here. And the conclusion, while satisfying, wraps a little woo quickly for my liking.

Overall, an entertaining holiday read.

**Thanks to the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my candid review.

This is a really short book. At only 240 pages you can *wrap* this one up quickly. It really reminded me of Liane Moriarty’s Truly Madly Guilty. It was an enjoyable fast read without a lot of depth or takeaways. I would definitely recommend this to those that are new to the thriller genre.

One thing I would say for sure is that the author really dumbs it down for you. It may even have felt repetitive at times because of that.

Overall, it was a quick, fast paced fun read with an interesting festive topic. It’s available today. You should pick it up today if you’re looking for something short to get you in the Christmas mood.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of White Elephant By Trish Harnetiaux. I love a good holiday book around the holidays including romance but mostly a good holiday murder story. This caught my eye immediately. A good old office game of white elephant turns deadly. This kelp me guessing until the very end and I also did not want it to end, definitely recommend.

I loved this book for so many reasons. It is almost impossible to find a holiday read that is not entrenched in a love story. This book serves that purpose so well. I am in a clue club where we play clue every week so I especially appreciated the mystery aspects of this novel. I would recommend!

Taking a different approach to a traditional holiday/Christmas themed novel, White Elephant is a twisty, slightly dark and delicious story set among a holiday party in Aspen. A fast-paced read with hints of Clue and Agatha Christie, White Elephant brings together a colorful cast of characters including Hollywood A-listers, real estate moguls and a former military captain. If you have ever played a White Elephant game at your family or work holiday parties you know that the game can turn from fun to nasty relatively quickly...but Claudine's famous White Elephant party turns deadly. An unexpected gift is unwrapped, a statue that brings back memories from the past that both Claudine and her husband Henry would rather forget, and everyone is a suspect. If you are looking for a holiday mystery this season pick up White Elephant!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

What an original concept that opens up along the lines of Clue. Dark, twisted , fast flowing whodunnit with fun characters. The perfect holiday mystery!

What a great book! I loved the Calhouns and as I read this I was mentally casting the characters because this has movie written all over it. TV movie. You will never look at gift exchanges the same way again. Cleverly plotted with engaging characters this was a fabulous read! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

There was a lot in this book's set up that I really liked-- the office party element at Christmas with secrets being revealed, a "Clue" like isolated closed circle mystery, strangers coming together for a whodunnit, etc. I think 3 main things kept this book from fully working: 1) the authorial voice was just a little off IMO, 2) the constant flashbacks really undercut the overall atmosphere and tone, and 3) it took far too long to get to the main events of the current day plot. Still, if you're looking for a holiday murder mystery with old school whodunnit vibes, this will be a light, fun read

You will enjoy the insiders view of Aspen from the standpoint of the Calhouns . She is an ambitious,unscrupulous and in the end vicious developer who used anyone who could help her and her artistic, earthy architect husband. An early land acquisition laid the foundation for the murder mystery that is at the core of this story. It is a great read for a night when the wind blows and your imagination roams free. Happy reading

I loved this little thriller. Comes in at under 300 pages so it’s a great length to just fly through!

One of my favorite things is that the chapters are small! Easily digestible. Easy to get through and feel you’ve accomplished a lot!

I liked that I didn’t like many of the characters! That’s fine by me, they’re interesting! I did like Zara, the pop star tho, that was a nice and interesting addition to the cast of characters.

I *did* very early on figure out who the murderer was, but I did *not* figure out who brought the murder weapon to the white elephant Christmas party! So that was a lot of fun. I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong!

We have a couple white elephant parties every Christmas with my family christmases so this really added a nice touch for me, being a fan of the game to begin with. And then the viciousness of the some of participants was really enticing. And the brashness by which the main character, Claudine, goes about setting it up every year and demanding from her employees and especially this year with the famous pop star coming over is really great!

Five star read for me.

A combination of psychological suspense and murder mystery, WHITE ELEPHANT by Trish Harnetiaux is a fast moving novel that keeps you wanting to read at least one more chapter every time you start to put it down. The story is told rotating among the points of view of three principals; Claudine, Zara, and Henry. A fourth point of view punctuates some of the story, although the reader doesn’t know until the end of the book who this person is. Each chapter is clearly labeled so it is easy to follow whose point of view is being read at any particular moment.
From the beginning of the book, the reader is told there has been a murder. The details of the murder and how the individuals in the book relate to it is slowly revealed as the story progresses through their narratives. It is a unique approach that lends itself well to the short chapters which tend to help the reader move more rapidly through the book.
Claudine is a driven real estate salesperson who, years ago formed a company with her architect husband Henry in Aspen, Colorado. For years they were phenomenally successful, selling properties to the A-list Hollywood elite who “discovered” Aspen. Henry designed gorgeous, unique homes and Claudine sold them to those who could afford the sky-high price tags. Now, after years of success, they are having difficulty selling properties as Henry’s physical and emotional health has declined. Claudine is desperate to find one big sale that will put their company back on top and allow her to continue living a lavish lifestyle. Henry is driven by his love for Claudine which compels him to do whatever she asks. Zara is the latest client for Claudine, a fabulously wealthy rock star to whom Claudine wants to sell the first home Henry designed.
The plan hatched by Claudine requires her to throw an elaborate holiday party at the mansion that is for sale, never mind that the company can no longer afford these parties. There are clearly events that took place at the mansion which Henry wants to forget, and he has to be coerced into attending the party. If he had his way, they would close the business and move away from Aspen all together. Recognizing that Claudine needs this sale, he agrees to her plan, thinking that this one last successful transaction will give them enough to start a new life.
Zara has recently broken up with her boyfriend who is fascinated by true crime stories, particularly those that have gone unsolved. Through this fascination, Zara has learned of the scandal revolving around Claudine Longet and Spider Sabich. Being captivated by the Claudine Longet story and thinking a remote location to have for writing her songs would be idea, Zara contacts Claudine and comes to Aspen to view the property for sale.
Over the years, Claudine has been famous for a gift exchange she has had annually at her Christmas party which has been called a “white elephant” exchange. It started out with people bringing a gag gift of some sort, but has morphed into a competition as the participants try to “one up” each other’s gifts. This year, someone has slipped in a gift that has hidden significance and the opening of it leads to long ago truths finally surfacing and an unexpected party finale.
A good book that pulls you through from the beginning to the end, the only flaw for me was I had a little difficulty intially getting into it. Once I was comfortable with the method of telling the story and as the different threads began to intertwine my interest grew until it got to the point I didn’t want to put the book down. If you are planning on reading the book, I would advise not reading the publisher’s blurb about it. I believe the story works best if you have no expectations or information about the principal characters. My thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an Advance Digital Read copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

When Claudine finds out that pop star Zara wants to view one of their homes on the same night as the annual Christmas party, Claudine decides to hold the party at the home Zara is interested in. She even invites Zara to participate in their traditional white elephant gift exchange. There are only 3 rules to the gift exchange: 1) Everyone brings a wrapped, unmarked gift. 2) Numbers are drawn to decide who picks first. 3) Gifts don’t need to be pricey—and often they’re downright tacky. Someone has chosen this opportunity to slip a murder weapon into the exchange. Who will wind up with it? And will there be more murders to come?
This was a fun book. Each chapter was told in the voice of various characters. I thought it was a fun whodunnit in a unique setting. It was a bit reminiscent of the game Clue. I think you will enjoy it.

Amazing, so addictive! A thriller for Christmas time? Yes please!!! Everyone hates the Christmas gift game white elephant.. but what if the stakes were higher? What would you do to get the prize you want. Would you literally die for it? Or kill for it?

White Elephant was a little far fetched but a quick read to get into the feels for Halloween if you’re looking for something fast and creepy. I loved that it centered around a White Elephant Christmas party because those are fun and the author found a great way to make that sinister. If you’re a real estate agent you may like this one more than the average person because it includes a lot about that lifestyle. Overall, this was a fun thriller!

An unusual mystery with vile characters that you love to hate! If you attend a White Elephant gift exchange, your expectations will never be the same.

This isn’t a deep and thought-provoking book. But if you want to satisfy a guilty pleasure by reading about vicious and vile characters—try this one! Although somewhat predictable, it hooked me from the start. I had to know what these wealthy, back-stabbing characters were going to do next!

The Christmas party and White Elephant game sounded like an exciting and original component for a mystery. I host a get together every year and the gift exchange is the best part. I’m going to have high expectations for the gift I receive this year...wow!!! These people know how to shop, but their party is too well-ordered and dramatic for me, lol.

<blockquote><b><i>”Say now, young friend, it’s holiday time!
With snow and gifts and cheese and wine.
The night you wait for with all your heart
When at last the White Elephant game will start.

What awaits you wrapped tightly in ribbons and bows?
Mystery, excitement, and likely some woes.
The game is designed to expose your true nature
It is not for those afraid of a little danger.

Go forth, be bold, take the gift that speaks to you
Even steal from your neighbor if you want to.
Be nasty, not nice, take what you like best
Now is the time to put your treachery to the test.”</i></b></blockquote>

I was drawn to the setting of Aspen. I live in Colorado, so that always peaks my interest in a book. The author brings the cold, snowy winter scenery of Colorado to life! I’m nowhere close to giving up summer, but it made me want to curl up by a cozy fire while reading the story.

Zara is my favorite character. She is currently the hottest pop-star in Hollywood. A bit eccentric, but surprisingly smart and talented. A refreshing change from what I initially expected from the young singer. She is drawn to Aspen, because she’s obsessed with the events surrounding Claudine Longet, Spider Sabich and Andy Williams.

The book references the real-life murder. And contains interesting facts and details about those involved. It’s gratifying to read a fiction novel about Colorado that uses actual events, landmarks and facts. It invites you to research the actual incident...which I love. That alone added a star to my rating! It might not be as interesting to someone without a connection to Colorado, but I truly enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Trish Harnetiaux and Simon & Schuster for this digital ARC, in exchange for my honest review!

<b>My Rating:</b> 4 ⭐️’s
<b>Published:</b> October 29th 2019 by Simon Schuster
<b>Pages:</b> 240

<b>Recommend:</b> Yes

I enjoyed the writing so much and found the plot weak in comparison. I did think the use of a true story as a starting point was well conceived and appreciated the architect Henry as the one believable character. having lived in Boulder at the time of the Jon Benet killing it brought back the way a population can spin and politicize tragedy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy


I liked this one fine, just not as much as I’d wanted too. A bit over the top with the gothic and characters a bit too flat. Just good enough

A remarkably twisty tale with a surprisingly vicious villain (very sneaky and Machiavellian) and some feckless "innocents" and undeserving villains. This was a one-sitting read as I raced through breathlessly awaiting the unraveling of the puzzles.

(I also reviewed this under the title The Secret Santa.)