A great dark book perfect for reading on a cold day in December. Ties to The Christmas Carol but wholly original, will be recommending to others.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher, William Morrow, for a free digital copy of The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson for an honest review. I always enjoy Peter Swanson's books. He's a very talented and creative author. In this novella, American, Ashley Smith, is invited by her classmate, Emma Chapman, to spend Christmas with her family in Cotswold. Ashley is excited for the opportunity to spend Christmas in a real English manor and to not be alone for Christmas. At Cotswold, a mystery ensues when Ashley finds out that she looks exactly like a girl that had been brutally murdered the previous year. I really enjoyed this short story. The twist was surprising, and the mystery kept me turning pages. This was a fast, dark, intriguing read. It was not my favorite Peter Swanson story, but still a very enjoyable read!

quick thoughts:
🤓 perfect to read when you’re in a slump
👀 given the length, go in with lower expectations
📖 a very unique read
🔪 christmas vibes with a side of murder 😬

🎄 THE CHRISTMAS GUEST—my man Swanson never fails!!! if you’ve been here awhile, you know he’s my fave thriller author and writes my fave thriller book (THE KIND WORTH KILLING). this novella follows a girl that goes home with her friend for the holidays, but the friend’s brother that she has a huge crush on is being investigated for murder and she gets all wrapped up in the drama 👀 this twist did catch me by surprise. i was hoping for a biiiit more sinister-ness overall given his past work, but it really did give me THE KIND WORTH KILLING vibes—especially the ending 👀 iykyk. it’s definitely one you want to talk about with others.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Peter Swanson is the master at making me enjoy books about horrible people I don't care about. It is all about the mystery and the journey, not cheering for any of the characters to come out as winners in the end. Because they usually don't deserve it. I was at first nervous that the narritive was a series of diary entries (at least for the first third of the story), but my fears were unfounded. I quickly became engrossed and enjoyed deciphering the subtext behind the journals. I loved this book and found it a nice change from the usual fluffy Christmas stories that are released this time of year. I give The Christmas Guest a solid 4.5/5 stars.

Wow! This was a great Christmas thriller!! This was my first time reading this author but hopefully not the last. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The first half of this seemed a little harder for me to get into because of the instant information. There wasn’t a lot of build-up, but the second half was great. It kept me wanting to read faster. I really enjoyed this novella and would recommend it to others.

Looking for a quick creepy Christmas read? You've found it!

Peter Swanson puts a twist on the Christmas novella by sharing a dark holiday tale of deceit, family secrets, and murder. Ashley Smith, an American in London without a family to spend Christmas with, is surprised with rich, popular Emma Chapman invites her to the Chapman's English countryside estate. What follows is part coming-of-age, part murder mystery. A quick read and a cozy dark holiday mystery, Swanson's The Christmas Guest is great for readers looking for some Christmas ambiance with their side of murder. The first part of the story is told straight from Ashley Smith's diary, a format that I love as it allows readers to piece everything together with as little information as the main character. The second part of the story, in whodunnit terms, explains "how it was all done." I would've liked for the first part to be a bit longer and the second part a bit shorter -- they were almost equal in length -- but I appreciated the twists Swanson throws in during the second half to keep readers entertained. Easy and quick enough to finish in one sitting and the perfect holiday season nighttime read.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

Really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. The plotting of the book—half from one character’s perspective and half from the other—plus the use of a diary made it engaging and addicting.

The Christmas Guest is not your typical Christmas story. It’s dark and twisted a little Edgar Allen Poe. A super fast read perfect for mystery and suspense overs with a dash of Christmas

I read this novella in 2 hours! It had everything you could’ve wanted in a Christmas Thriller: love, friendship drama, murder, etc.

Two friends spend Christmas together and neither of their lives will ever be the same…

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

classic Swanson in this holiday themed murder novella. most of this takes place through diary entries which keeps the pace steady, and the christmasy atmosphere soaks through the story. definitely a one-sitting read, nothing too groundbreaking but fans of his previous work should enjoy this one.

I love me a good holiday mystery (I reread Christie's The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding every December) so was happy to see come across this Christmas novella. At just over 100 pages, it's a quick read---nice during what can be a busy time of year. The rural British setting, with its festively decorated pubs and drafty old houses, is well-described. Without going too much into the plot, I will say that this was less a mystery and more a pretty dark and macabre story of what happens when an orphaned American student living in England is invited to stay with a classmate over the holidays. There is no character trying to solve a crime, no trail of clues, just a sad, disturbing story. It's well-told, so there's that, and because it's short I didn't feel like it was a waste of time, but it wasn't the Christmassy mystery I expected.

It has been thirty years since Ashley Smith, an American Art History student in London, spent her Christmas holidays at her classmate Emma Chapman’s family home in Clevemoor. Ashley, far from home and with no close family, was excited to have company during the festive season. Ashley is in awe of the Chapmans’ manor home and initially enjoys the company, trips to the local pub and the idyllic village, not to mention the attention she gets from Adam, Emma’s handsome twin brother whose company she particularly enjoys. However, Adam is suspected of having brutally murdered a local girl with whom he is said to have been romantically involved. Ashley also notices some strange occurrences around the house and is a tad confused with her host’s strange behavior. Needless to say, Ashley’s holiday might not be quite as idyllic as it seems.

The first half of the narrative is presented through Ashley's journal entries dating back to 1989 after which we switch to the present day where we get to more about the events from thirty years ago and the aftermath of the same.

The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson is an exceptionally well-crafted, atmospheric and absorbing read. The setting, gothic tone, complex characters and shocking twists kept me hooked till the very last page. I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and would not hesitate to recommend it to those who enjoy dark, twisty reads.

Many thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novella. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The Christmas Guest was published on October 17, 2023.

Swanson tells us in the author’s note that he wanted to write a Christmas mystery that you could sit down and read in one sitting and he did just that. This novella has that classic mystery feel to it. He goes a little further at the end with a touch more of a horror element, but I really enjoyed it.

Set in the hauntingly atmospheric backdrop of the English countryside, The Christmas Guest is a gothic novella that I'd best describe overall as being dark and sad. I am a big fan of Peter Swanson's thrillers, but I was expecting more from this novella and because of this, it was just an okay read for me.

The story reads as diary entries, and as the story progresses, dark secrets are revealed, then years go by, and the reader uncovers the biggest secret of the story. I really wanted to love this novella so much more than I did....

Despite feeling a bit sad after reading this (it was kind of sad to me) I must say that I did feel that the ending hinted at the idea of redemption and the hope of having second chances in life. More specifically, being proactive in deciding to change for the better. I think this novella can also be described truly as a ghost story. Living with a ghost. A haunting.. A pretty sad holiday soul-searching cold-hearted haunting.

Thank you to William Morrow & Company and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

The Christmas Guest is a mystery set in England, revolving around Christmas, exploring class distinctions, morality. loyalty, and friendship. It was a fun read, and had a good ending.

This creepy, murderous, twisty novella was an absolute treat to read! I found myself wishing this was a full-length novel! It had all the Christmas and winter vibes but then had the dark twists that the author is known for.

In a small English village in 1989, a friend invites another friend to her home to celebrate Christmas with her family. Ashley’s diary of her week with Emma takes up about 50% of the book, then BAM, you’re hit with twist after twist. Highly recommend this short and thrilling read!

This one is short but packs a punch!! I am a huge fan of Peter Swanson and this one did not disappoint!

This is full of twists and surprises that are best discovered going in blind. So I am only going to say that this was a lot of fun and I really liked the story. A great Christmas read if you are tired of the usual happiness and fluff that the Holiday brings.

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars rounded to 4

Thank you to William Morrow for my eARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

If you are eager for a Christmas read that brings both cozy and gothic vibes, this is the novella for you! Written mostly in diary form, this is a quick read at only 112 pages.

Ashley is an American college student in England. With having no family of her own, she is asked by her friend, Emma, to come home to the Cotswolds for Christmas. Excited by the chance to be part of a family Christmas, Ashley agrees. She is taken with the large home, cozy Christmas decorations, and old manor's charm and develops a crush on Emma's brother. But Ashley soon learns about a local murder that occurred months before, and that Emma's brother is the main suspect.

I felt like the characters were a little flat but I understand that in a novella things have to happens quickly. I also thought there were a few things that didn't get explained even by the end. Overall, it was entertaining but wasn't super memorable.

I ended up really enjoying this! About halfway through, I was on the fence, but then it took a very dark turn toward the end, and I was hooked.

The Christmas Guest is a Christmas murder mystery novella. I loved the ghostly atmospheric Christmas vibes and can totally see myself making this an annual holiday read. The somber unearthly tones were great for a cold winter night, and it was short enough to read in one sitting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.