The Christmas Guest is a quick thrilling novella. When an American student gets invited to her college friend's manor house for Christmas, she is stoked. Ashley has no remaining family, so to spend the time is a wonderful manor away from school experiencing an English Christmas is a wonderful treat. Once she makes it to Cotswold, the manor has some secrets she is begins to unfold.

I enjoyed the story and felt eager to know how it ended. It was a super fast read, and I liked the amount of background and emotion that Swanson was able to achieve in such a short novel. I did not love the writing style though. Part of the story is written as a diary and the other is a person's reflection into the past so every suspenseful event was happening in the past tense. This took away a bit from the tension for me. I have read quite a few of Peter Swanson's books and they are not usually written in this format. Other than that it was fun to read a scary Christmas tale!

A last minute invite from a popular student at her boarding school has Ashley very excited. Ashley can't believe her incredible luck, she thought she would be spending this holiday alone. She soon meets her friend Emma's family at their charmingly large home and looks forward to the coming days. She soon learns that the local police are investigating Emma's brother over the violent death of a village girl. Thirty years later that horrible time is being looked at again. Follow along to see what answers will be revealed all those years ago.

If, like me, you’ve never found the time to squeeze in a Peter Swanson novel, "The Christmas Guest" is a great way to sample his work. This 100-page holiday whodunit can be read in a few hours, and it’ll give you a good feel for whether you jive with his writing style.

The first half of the story is told through the 1989 diary entries of an American art student living in London named Ashley Smith, who is invited by classmate Emma Chapman to spend Christmas with her family in Cotswold. Once arrived at the home of the Chapmans, Ashley is not only taken with the cozy manor house but also with Emma’s handsome brother, Adam. Ashley soon wonders what sort of mess she’s gotten herself into, though, when she learns that Adam is a murder suspect and then sees a creepy stranger prowling the woods.

After you read through the diary, the story switches to the present day when Ashley reflects back on the murderous events of 30 years ago. This is when the real games begin, with Swanson throwing in a few twists that you hopefully won’t see coming. I sure didn’t.

I’m even more motivated now to read Swanson. He’s got writing chops, because his diary entries are convincing. I totally believed they were written by a twenty-something female, and this is coming from a reviewer who doesn’t impress easily.


My sincerest appreciation to Peter Swanson, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

A huge mansion in the Cotswolds at Christmas time and there is a murder - I would be all over this book even if it wasn't written by one of my favorite authors, Peter Swanson. I love reading holiday themed murder mysteries although, with its October publication date, this one fits Halloween more than Christmas. It is a short but very dark read and written in two parts, each one equally grim. If you're looking for a good, spooky read with a Gothic feel to it, this one is for you. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

Peter Swanson has become a must-read author for me when it comes to crime fiction and I love that his books are so thrilling and binge-worthy and this latest one is no exception – especially as it is a holiday novella! It’s totally a one-sitting type of read and in fact, in the author’s note, that is exactly what Peter Swanson was hoping this would be.

This is a dark read that is completely atmospheric. It’s twisty and has characters that you just can’t be sure you can trust – all hallmarks I’ve come to love in a Peter Swanson book. I loved the format, where the first half brings us back to 1989 and is told using diary entries and the second half is told in the present and fills in the blanks. There is a sense of foreboding throughout, and I could not read this one fast enough. It certainly kept me on my toes and I was quite surprised when the final twist happened.

While this is a holiday novella, I loved the strong gothic undertones that are woven in, which makes reading it right now during spooky season perfect. This is the type of book that I could totally see being an annual reread each year to get you in the holiday spirit, bridging you from the dark, spooky reads to possibly more cheerful holiday reads. It’s definitely one I recommend reading and I’m glad to now have it as part of my collection!

A good English holiday mystery sounded appealing when I received this book and I was looking forward to reading it. I didn’t expect a light cozy Christmas mystery but I was disappointed it was almost completely unpleasant.

The mystery is set up right at the start with someone reading an old diary. The action then moves back in time 30 years to Christmas week in a small English village. The possible solutions to the mystery don’t seem too complicated and it feels like it will be just a matter of time to assemble enough clues to solve it.

Ashley, the American art student and writer of the diary, is invited to spend the holidays with Emma and her family. Ashley seems desperate, gullible, naïve, not too bright to begin with. She already kind of lives in a make-believe world and her diary entries are not particularly cute or charming, and more suited to a younger girl. Emma is vain, rude, selfish and until recently mocked and tried to humiliate Ashley whenever she could – and Emma appears to be the most normal person in her family. Their estate is run down and a cloud hangs over the family because her brother is suspected of murdering a young woman. There are a lot of comings-and-goings through the woods, encounters at bars, cryptic comments and eccentric behavior from family members and Emma runs hot in cold in wanting to spend time with Ashley or abandoning her. There is a sense that something horrible is going to happen but it doesn’t feel suspenseful; rather, you just haven’t put the clues together in the right order yet.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy of The Christmas Guest via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Unfortunately, I never could lose myself in the story and I was disappointed by the end. I leave this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an E-arc of this book. The following is my honest opinion*

3.6⭐ of 5⭐

I totally did not see the plot twist coming. I pride myself on being able to do that and that author really had me guessing. I really enjoyed the ambiguous voice that the author used in the first part of this book. The only "problem" I had with the book was the format of it. Some dialogues between the characters were conveyed through the main character with no indication that a character said it, for example using quotation marks, and other times it was shown as like text message format.

Other than that, I really enjoyed this novella and would recommend to others to read.

An entertaining quick read to get you in the holiday spirit if you’re a fan of holiday mysteries, though the quality of the story here would likely have been greatly improved had it been a full length novel.

I enjoy a novella or short story for the holidays, and this one gets a lot of the elements of that format right. It’s snappy and well paced, and manages to create good atmosphere (both of the holiday and the murder mystery variety) in a condensed format.

The premise is a good one, and a fun spin on the isolated country house trope. But it also feels rushed, and the length keeps the more revelatory components from unfolding naturally as they should in a mystery of this style.

The end too is a bit of a dud. It’s not that the solve itself isn’t satisfactory, it’s that the story seems to fade out with a whimper, and I was expecting something more akin to a clever twist to close it out, particularly because Swanson has demonstrated a solid ability to do this in other work.

In all, a bit on the half-baked side, but worth a read for the holidays.

The Christmas Guest is a thriller novella that will keep you up on Christmas Eve. An American orphan and student in London heads to the Cotswold home of her friend's family to celebrate a cozy and charming holiday season. But, this Christmas is anything but that. She learns that a woman died and few months earlier, and her friend's brother is suspected of foul play. There's also a creepy stranger lurking around as they venture out on Christmas Eve. And just like that, a joyous holiday becomes life-threatening. To me, this novella played out like all of Swanson's books I've read -- it becomes really sinister (almost too sinister), then ends really satisfyingly. Swanson said he envisioned the reader indulging in it with a warm beverage late on Christmas Eve, and I wholeheartedly agree with this -- if you are in the mood for a real thriller.

What a fun twist on a Christmas story! This was a quick read and I will recommend it to anyone looking to read a mini-mystery story with a Christmas setting..

The holiday season is the time of year when people curl up on the couch to read sappy holiday stories about snowy small-town romance. But you won’t find another sweet and charming country holiday story in author Peter Swanson’s haunting Christmas novella, The Christmas Guest.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

As a novella, this story must quickly build a story, characters and the crime, then gives us the investigation and solution while still holding our interest enough that we will tell all of our reading circle.....you have to read this book!!! Guess what? You have to read this book!!!
Told in two timelines with the same characters, we learn the 1989 details, including a murder investigation and some unusual suspects through the diary entries of a young woman who lived the story. Then we come back to present day where the reveal comes twisting it's way to surprise us all.

This is truly an excellent story, no matter the length, it's sure to have you talking about it for awhile.

"The Christmas Guest" is the perfect short story to pair with a cocktail and unwind after those chaotic Christmas moments before slumbering to sleep, if you can sleep after reading it, of course. It's an immersive, twisted story set partially during 1989 in a cozy English countryside manor with a cold family, secrets, young blooming love, and murder. Also, the cover is worthy of displaying with your holiday decor year after year.

Get ready to purchase, wrap, and stick this short and sweet story under the tree for that special thriller lover this Christmas.

Thank you Netgalley, WilliamMarrow and Peter Swanson for the gifted eARC for review considerations. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #WilliamMorrow for the ARC #TheChristmasGuest by #PeterSwanson. This novella is a great read including Christmas, murder and family. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it, especially if you are already a fan of Peter Swanson.

Peter Swanson’s novella, The Christmas Guest is an outstanding, nerve racking, frightening story with an amazing plot, twists and turns and an unbelievable chilling ending. Trust me, it’s a far cry from The Night Before Christmas!

American student, Ashley Smith is in London doing a junior year abroad. It’s coming up to Christmas, a difficult time for Ashley as she has no family, her mother dying years ago. She is used to spending the holiday alone, something she has gotten quite use to. Until this year when an English student, Emma Chapman asks her if she would like to come and stay at her family’s house for the week and celebrate Christmas with her, her parents and her brother Adam.

Ashley can’t believe her luck! Emma lives in Cotswold manor! What a luxury it will be for her to be pampered for once during the holiday season! She is so excited to find out what an English Christmas will be like. In her excitement she decides to buy a diary and document her stay which she can’t help but think will be the best week of her life!

But, as Ashely soon discovers, life at Cotswold manor is not what she imagined. It’s frightfully cold inside the house, she is left on her own quite a bit, Emma’s father is mean and unkind, and her mother, very meek. The only saving grace is Emma’s brother Adam who is not only handsome but funny and easy to talk to. Although she would never say the words out loud, she has a terrible crush on him!

There has also been a strange death in this cozy village. A young girl was murdered recently, and the killer has not been found. At one point Emma’s brother Adam had even been suspected on the crime, but he had a solid alibi. Now, Ashley has seen a terrifying stranger walking out of the woods and thinks she may have actually seen the killer!

As we follow the story through Ashley’s eyes and witness the dark path the story goes down and how its terribly horrendous turn, it will give the reader not only goosebumps but a shock at the stunning conclusion.

The Christmas Guest is another brilliant, imaginative Peter Swanson story, and even though it is short, it pacts that horrifying punch his readers are so use to and do look forward to. Merry Christmas?

Thank you #NetGalley #WilliamMorrow #PeterSwanson #TheChristmasGuest for the advanced copy.

I am such a HUGE fan of Peter Swanson, and I was so excited he was releasing a short story for Christmas.

This is short story is 112 pages, but the impact of a full-length story.

This was a gothic, gripping story set in the Cotswold's.
I absolutely love epistolary style novels and the diary entries that led the story were such a great surprise as I haven't seen that with this author before.

Ashley Smith the main character is so well crafted. I loved her diary entries and her story with the Chapman family. There was such a sense of foreboding which I had no clue what was going to happen.

OMG I never saw the end coming. In true Peter Swanson style, this book was jaw dropping and fantastic.

Finally, I loved the author's note and dedication.

Can't wait for his next masterpiece.

This was a really enjoyable quick read. I loved that the dedication was to two aunts who dislike Christmas, such an amusing choice for a Christmas story, but it really fits, all things considered. There wasn't a ton of character development, but the story was fast paced and I have to admit I didn't see the twist coming. Overall a fun story for a moody day.

My thanks to William Morrow, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book summary lays out the premise storyline for this entire short story: Ashley’s diary entries from 1989 regarding her Christmas vacation stay with a college friend, Emma, at Emma’s family home. The story starts out in the present day but the reader is transported to 1989 through Emma’s diary entries from that time. It also includes secondary storylines like Ashley’s attraction to Emma’s brother, Adam, along with the investigation of Adam for the murder of a local girl as well as the sightings of a “mysterious stranger” who haunts the wood.

Part One of the story had all the requisite features of an eerie ghost story: old, spooky, rundown, English country home – check, suspicious death of a vulnerable woman (Paula) and the accusation of an MC (Adam) as the murderer – check, and a creepy, old, deranged-looking, man chasing girls in the dark and dangerous woods – check! By the end of Part One, I already had my suspicions on who the crazy in the woods was as well as who killed Paula.

For Part Two, Swanson brings the reader back to the present day and the reader is met with a twist, one that I had most certainly not seen coming. The end comes pretty quickly after that to a fairly decent and satisfying end. Moral of the story: karma’s a bitch!!! This short story was a quick read. Swanson is a good writer and storyteller. I've had another one of his books on my to-read list for a while now that I'm thinking I want to get to sooner rather than later. I want to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #WilliamMorrow #TheChristmasGuest

Oh this was such a fun book! Peter Swanson is one of my favorite authors and I loved getting a chance to read this one. It was fun having the holiday twist in this one. I can't wait to see what he writes next.

Peter Swanson offers a Christmas mystery novella with a shocking twist in “The Christmas Guest.”

American student Ashley Smith is invited to her friend’s English country home for Christmas. She’s excited to experience a real English country Christmas, and spend time with her friend Emma’s hunky brother Adam. But when mysteries begin happening, can they be linked to the village’s past tragedies? And how do they relate to Ashley and her visit?

Told in two segments, through Ashley’s diary written 30 years ago when the mystery takes place, and in present day, “The Christmas Guest” offers a stunning story that will leave the reader in shock. Swanson does an incredible job of directing the story through twists and turns to its incredible ending.

Due out Oct. 17, fans of mysteries as well as authors like Ruth Ware will love “The Christmas Guest.” The story does contain some cursing, so be aware of that.

Five stars out of five.

William Morrow provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.