I received a free copy of, The Christmas Guest, by Peter Swanson, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. American university student of art, Ashley Smith is studying in London for her junior year, thinking she would be spending the holidays alone, she is delighted when her classmate Emma invites her to stay with her family. Emma's family has a lot of baggage though. This book was a little disturbing to be honest, not a very cozy Christmas read.

Cozy, gothic, Christmas murder mystery is just up alley!! I loved the diary entries and I could not put it down. The ending kinda frustrated me just because I expected a twistier ending. But, another great Peter Swanson novel (la). Perfect read for a holiday vacation with a warm fire and hit chocolate! 4/5 ⭐️ 🎅🏼 🩸

Thank you William Morrow, Netgalley and Peter Swanson for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC of this new novella!

Ashley is an American studying aboard in England. She didn't immediately hit it off with Emma, one of her classmates, but when Emma invites her to her home for Christmas, Ashley accepts because who wants to be alone for the holidays? Ashley is immediately smitten with Emma's brother Adam, but everything is not as it seems. Lots of secrets, ulterior motives, and drama involved. This is a typical Peter Swanson thriller with twists and turns, but in snack size! Set in modern day NYC and also England during Christmas time in the late 1980's, this murder mystery has lots of creepy vibes. It's a quick read, the story progresses at a fast pace.

This part of my review is what I like to call, "it's not you, it's me." I just don't care for diary entries or letters as part of the narration in books. Like, I kinda hate it. And the first half of this novella was all dairy excerpts, so the story lost something for me because of that. But that's a me problem, and this style of writing may totally be your jam!

An unsatisfied, low 3 stars. Or maybe a high 2 stars. I can’t really make up my mind.

The first half of this novella sits somewhere between 4 and 5 stars. I loved it. But unfortunately, the second half landed between 1 or 2 stars. It frustrated me to no end. Overall, the two halves just did not successfully work as a book. But I can’t ignore how much I enjoyed the beginning! So, I’ve settled for a rating somewhere in the middle.

The second half was odd and did not fit into this novella, given how it started, with the ending being anticlimactic. It completely lacked impact. There was no punch to it, even though there was so much potential for a juicy or fun conclusion. It just fizzles out! All of it together didn't make sense as a book.

This novella definitely felt more like a thriller than a mystery, in my opinion. And it wasn’t really a take on a classic country house mystery either.

Another great one by Peter Swanson. I think he is so underrated. This is a short novella and he accomplishes a great Christmas feel, mixed with some twists and spooky settings all in 70 pages!

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 112 / Genre: Christmas Murder Mystery
Release Date: October 17, 2023

My first Christmas read of the year is a short one—just a 112-page novella by mystery writer Peter Swanson.

Orphaned American college student Ashely Smith is saved from spending another Christmas alone when her schoolmate Emma invites her to spend Christmas break with her at her idyllic country house in the Cotswolds. Emma also has a cute and charming brother who may or may not have killed a girl not long ago, but there’s also a weirdo running around the woods nearby, so it’s probably him who killed the girl, right? I enjoyed the fast pace of this little novella and the murder mystery twist on this Christmas read.

Thank you @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the advanced copy of this book.

My only gripe with The Christmas Guest is that I found myself wanting more. I wish it was longer. I didn't want it to end. This has everything you'd want and expect from Peter Swanson but with a Christmas flair. I found myself curled up with a blanket in the midst of this summer heat, and it was a fantastic escape. Thank you to Peter Swanson, Netgalley, and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest and nonbiased review.

What a fun and twisty thriller- holiday themed! I read this SO fast and it did not disappoint- only wish it was longer! Everything we've grown to expect from Swanson, just with a little Christmas flair!

I was hesitant about reading a novella because I’m reading for consideration of school library purchases, and many of my faithful readers want longer books. However, the author’s note explanation about wanting it to be a piece that can be read in one sitting as quintessential Christmas reading is spot-on. This novella is a perfect Christmas Eve/Jolabokaflod gift for someone who loves mystery!

Twisty, dark, and well-written even though the short length leaves less time than a typical novel spends on character development — I will definitely be buying this for the school library.

This is a cool Christmas murder mystery novella that can be read in one sitting. American Ashley is visiting British Emma at her country home over Christmas break. Emma's twin brother Adam seems attracted to Ashley, who hopes to have a fling, although she hesitates when she learns that Adam is a suspect in a recent death of a woman killed in the nearby woods. Most of the story is told through Ashley's diary, which adds to this clever, brief mystery. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing an ARC.

This book is all the best things about the holidays and mysteries packed into a short novella. We are transported to England in 1989, during the week leading up to Christmas. Ashley is visiting her friend Emma at her family's countryside manor. The majority of the story is told through Ashely's diary. I really enjoyed this style as it really let the reader get into Ashley's head. The setting was also delightful. I really felt like I was treated to a little slice of Christmas with the snow, the emphasis on all the decorations, and the inclusion of several Christmas carols. The mystery was so much more than I originally thought and I GASPED at several of the reveals. If you are looking for some Christmas magic mixed with a quaint murder mystery, this is the novella for you. Swanson has really delivered Christmas in July with this delightful novella that can easily be read in one sitting.

I didn’t even realize this was a novella at first, but it’s the perfect length and pacing for the story. I really liked the gothic vibes and the diary entries made it easy to get invested in the story.

I read this in one sitting and I’d recommend to anyone looking for a quick, solid read with some Christmas-y murder vibes!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy!

Oh man this was short but man did Peter Swanson pack a lot of story in such a short novella. This very much gave vibes of Christmas Carol in that the main character ends up haunted by the ghost of the person she murdered on the day of her death every year. The story opens Christmas day and Ashley is cleaning her apt since she never goes out for the holiday and ends up finding her old journal which chronicles the week before a tragedy. It was a really interesting read and the twist in the end I didn’t see coming.
Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

A little homicide for the holidays .. or Christmas in July 🙃

A really good quick read . I got through this in a couple hours & was completely into the story the whole time .
Def a "Christmas" book worth reading. 🖤

Thank u #Netgalley 🤘

A great novella that is a dark, gothic, and chilling tale told brilliantly with a twist I didn’t see coming and a good ending to boot. I enjoyed this read in one afternoon. I thank Netgalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love Christmas-themed stories, even at the end of July! The Christmas Guest was a simple yet uniquely written, good old fun-fashioned murder mystery. It was a fast read, a little over one hundred pages. Finished it in just over two hours. While I was engrossed in the story, I wavered on my rating, going back and forth between three and four stars. This is a novella, so decent character development isn't always established in such short length, but the ending cleared this up for me right away. There were a few surprises that made me smile and slap my head. Very clever, Peter Swanson!

Thank you to the author, William Morrow and NetGalley for granting me digital access in exchange for my honest review!

This mystery set during the Christmas holidays could be just the thing for fans of the author and readers looking for a quick mystery that can be read while tucked in on a cold winter day. No spoilers but I'll say it's a novella and I liked it!

Short novella thriller from one of my favorite authors. This was an average read for me—I did enjoy it and finished it quickly but didn’t feel a deep connection with the characters and some plot points including the ending felt rushed.

Perfect Christmas thriller which would be great to read with a glass of eggnog in front of a roaring fire. Swanson is one of my favorite writers and this gothic story is a bit different than his usual fare but equally as exciting as his typical mystery stories. A 50 year old woman who is alone at Christmas in New York, goes through her belongings and finds an old diary, a diary which tells of a very special Christmas many years earlier.

Ashley Smith was an American student studying in England. Ashely has no family and is delighted to be invited to spend Christmas with a friend named Emma Chapman. Ashley is delighted to be in the Chapman home which is very traditional and decorated for the holiday. She starts a diary in which she describes all of the fun things she and Emma do together and she is especially interested in Emma's twin brother Adam. All is not perfect this Christmas though; Emma's parents are not friendly at all and Ashely finds out a young woman who looked a lot like her was recently murdered and Adam was a suspect.

This book went in a different way than I suspected and I found the twists delightful. This is a clever novella which perfectly describes the feelings of being alone at Christmas and also serves up some traditional, gothic creepiness. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

4.5 stars

In Peter Swanson's upcoming novella THE CHRISTMAS GUEST, American Ashely reflects on her unforgettable Christmas in the Cotswolds at her friend Emma's family home 30 years prior when she finds her diary from that time. Then she opens up her diary from that week for the reader to be immersed in.

I was immediately taken by this novella. It has all the cozy gothic Christmas vibes that makes you yearn for a fireplace and a favorite warm beverage. I have read numerous Christmas novels that have more Christmas vibes on the cover than in the entire book, but this one does not disappoint in that area.

There are two parts to this story. The first part is almost entirely diary entries from 30 years ago, and the second part is a more typical narration. And that really worked for me! I am a fan of diary entries, but when it switched to a more typical voice, I was ready for it.

This is a thriller because, after all, it is the great Peter Swanson! The story itself is very interesting - although I struggled a bit with the reasoning given for what happened. And then how something that occurred 30 years later would create such a quick switchback. (Trying not to spoil) Other than that quibble, I had a rollicking good time with this novella.

If you're looking for a Christmas themed thriller, this one will likely fit the bill!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.