I’m a fan of Lisa Unger, and was excited to read a psych thriller plus holiday book! The plot had good potential, but the pacing was slow and repetitive, and then the final twist came a little too abruptly. Christmas was mentioned, but it didn’t rely heavily on the holiday background. It was long for a novella and short for a regular length book. Not bad, but could have been better!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“Instead of presents this Christmas, a true crime podcaster is opening up a cold case…”

Personal Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book seriously had it all, packed in a tiny 220 page novella - true crime, cozy hallmark Christmas movie vibes, an independent bookstore owner strong female lead, a podcaster - what more can you ask for in a winter read? Thank you @netgalley and @mysteriouspublishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review - I love anything Lisa Unger, but was sleeping on this one because I wasn’t ready for holiday vibes. This novella packs a punch, and plot twist, that no one sees coming! The character list is long, but the author did a great job of developing each of the characters and interwoven plot in such a small amount of pages. The cozy Next Chapter Bookstore and Maddie were intriguing, as the author slipped small details like breadcrumbs about the events leading up to the almost murder of Maddie and disappearance of multiple young women. Is there a serial killer on the loose? Is there multiple serial killers?! Santa isn’t the only one slaying this holiday season.

Synopsis: Madeline Martin has built a life for herself as the young owner of a thriving business, The Next Chapter Bookshop, despite her tragic childhood and now needing to care for her infirm father. When Harley Granger, a failed novelist turned true crime podcaster, drifts into her shop in the days before Christmas, he seems intent on digging up events that Madeline would much rather forget. She’s the only surviving victim of Evan Handy, the man who was convicted of murdering her best friend Steph, and is suspected in the disappearance of two sisters, also good friends of Madeline’s, who have been missing for nearly a decade.

A great Christmas themed thriller. I thought this book was a novella but at over 250 pages this is not a novella. Good story story though, love a holiday themed thriller.

This book was so good. I read it in one sitting because I needed answers. I loved how everything came together and was all tied up by the end.

This book was another five star read for me by Lisa Unger. The story has an eerie feel throughout and I loved the dual timeline/pov. The major revelation was not a surprise entirely but the path to get to it was so suspenseful and frightening that I didn’t even care that I had already figured it out. And who doesn’t love a seasonal setting?!

I am posting this review on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzB80gFr0WL/?igshid=NHNyejNnd2hyeTYw

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5916621919

And Amazon

I got sucked right into this - quick moving and a little scary at times - A+ for keeping me invested

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

3/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc. This book is listed as a novella, but it is a long one at 260 pages! Madeline lost her 3 best friends 10 years ago, and a reporter has came to revisit the case. Since putting the bad guy behind bars, there have been 3 more disappearances. Beginning was slow moving but picked up halfway through.

Christmas Presents, by Lisa Unger, is a tension-filled, eerie, small town novella set at Christmas!

A tragedy occurred ten years ago, and Madeline, the victim who survived, is finally coming to grips with the what her boyfriend did to her and others. She now runs a bookshop in her hometown and is putting the past behind her. When yet another girl goes missing, Harley Granger, a true crime podcaster, seeks out Madeline wanting to dive back into the old investigation. Madeline really just wants to put the past behind her. But Harley has a link to the brutal past and is determined to discover if the right perpetrator was sent to jail.

Christmas Presents is a fast-paced, chilling, quick-reading thriller that will captivate you and is easy to read during the busy holiday season.

Christmas Presents is not the normal kind of happy festive story I read at Christmas. I enjoy Lisa Unger's books, so jumped into this Christmas thriller/crime mystery. Madeline Martin survived a childhood tragedy and now has a new life, owns a bookstore and cares for her infirm father. Harley Granger is a novelist who is washed up and now has his own true crime podcast. He comes to town to investigate the disappearance of two other girls who disappeared the same night Evan Handy killed her best friend Steph and left her for dead. The sisters were never found, neither were their bodies. With his father dying in Little Valley, this is the perfect case for him to investigate while he is there. Does Madeline have information she doesn't even know she possesses? While this book is set during the Christmas season, the presents aren't happy and festive.

Although this book is called a novella, at 260 pages, it is a short novel. This is a quick story, with twists that had me guessing. With another girl missing, Madeline and her friend Badger are now considering an accomplice to the original crime. Madeline's father was the sheriff at the time of the original crime and she is sure he is trying to tell them something. Time is running out to identify the killer and find the missing woman before it’s too late? With suspense, mystery and a smidgeon of romance, this was a mystery that I enjoyed. I did a read/listen with Jennifer Pickens narrating. She does a nice job with this story and I recommend either format.

Accomplished author Lisa Unger has delivered another fast paced, psychological thriller.

Madeline Martin is the owner of a small bookstore in a rural community outside of New York. She lives with and cares for her infirm father, who was once the town sheriff. Having barely survived a traumatic attack by her then boyfriend, who was convicted of the attack on Madeline and the murder of her two friends. Madeline has put that behind her and built a satisfying life, enjoying her friends and spending her days operating her bookstore. All that is upended when author and true crime podcaster, Harley Granger, seeks her out to relive her past and help with the recent disappearance of three other young women throwing into suspect whether or not Madeline’s boyfriend really was the perpetrator all those years ago.

Told in a timeline that jumps from present to the past, this is a fast paced thriller that will keep the reader guessing.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced uncorrected proof.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am a fan of this author and have read many (if not all) of her other books. I would have to say this is not my favourite among them. I'd rate this at 3.5 (if we were able to give half stars) because the premise of the story is good. The main character is Madeline and we come to know her as a survivor of a vicious attack from her bad-boy boyfriend Evan several years before. We learn that Madeline was attacked at a party at Evan's house, where she was with her best friends Steph, Ainsley and Sam. The party ended with Steph murdered, Ainsley and Sam missing (presumed dead after still no leads years later) and Madeline barely clinging to life. Fast forward several years and Madeline is a bookstore owner and her sheriff father, who has had a stroke was still investigating the disappearance of Ainsley and Sam after all this time right up until the day he had his stroke. Her other best friend, a man who's nickname since they were kids is "Badger" and his brother Chet are still in her life. She is approached one day by a true-crime podcaster name Harley Granger who wants to cover Madeline's story. Evan is in prison serving a life sentence and Granger wants to reopen the investigation into what happened that night. Another girl goes missing during this time. This part of the story felt a bit disjointed to me. It was a bit confusing when it was going from Madeline's story, to the newly kidnapped girl named Lolly. It felt like that was thrown in to make the reader sense the tension, and realize this person could be the same one that took Ainsley and Sam all those years ago...which would mean Evan couldn't have done it since he was in prison. There wasn't a lot of character development and I found it felt fairly 2-dimensional. The story lacked the twisty plot that I usually find with this author's books. Generally, I felt that it missed the mark with me, compared to her other books.

This was everything that I hoped to find in a shorter book by such a talented writer. There was character development and enough suspense to keep me engrossed in such a fast paced story. The resolution was an unexpected surprise. Definitely going to be recommending this to my friends and family.

A decade ago, Madeline Martin was attacked and her best friend was murdered. On the same night two other local high school girls went missing and have yet to be found. Evan Handy, Maddie’s boyfriend is serving time for the murder of Stephanie and the attack on Maddie, he is also a suspect in the missing girls case, but claims he’s innocent. Every Christmas things focus around the missing girls as their mom hold a candlelight vigil every Christmas Eve. Maddie is marked by the trauma and what little she can remember of that night is not helpful. When an author and true crime podcaster comes to town, Maddie has no desire to talk with him about the case, but when another girl goes missing under similar circumstances, the stakes are suddenly higher. Maddie’s dad, the town sheriff, has always suspected that Evan had someone working with him, and has never given up the search, but when he’s sidelined by a stroke, he becomes agitated. He seems to know something about the case that he is unable to articulate. This is one Lisa Unger book that just didn’t pack its usual punch. Written more as a novella than a full fledged novel took away from the development of the story and characters. The podcast portion didn’t really fit as well as it could have and added little to the overall storyline. In the end it was just OK. This was a dual read/listen for me and at first I was unsure about the narrator, but as I became engrossed in the story she became easier to listen to. Thank you to Mysterious Press, HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for an ARC and ALC of this book.

I LOVED this book. It was Lisa Unger at her very best. Generally speaking novella’s aren’t my jam but I am so very glad for this one.

Girls going missing? A possible serial killer claiming innocence? A small town that CLEARLY has a gazillion secrets? YES, PLEASE.

Unger delivers everything you want and more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Madeline Martin had a tragic childhood but she hasn't let that keep her from building a good life for herself. She's the proud owner of The Next Chapter Bookshop and loves spending her days there. She has also become responsible for taking care of her father who recently became ill. When Harley Granger comes into her shop hoping she will revisit her past she immediately tells him no, she would love to be able to leave the past where it belongs, in the past. He doesn't let the no stop him though. You see Madeline is the only surviving victim of Evan Hardy. Granger wants to bring up the past and get the real story of what happened all those years ago. Girls have gone missing since Evan was put away so is.this someone else or are they connected with the killings Evans was accused of years ago. Follow along and enjoy the ride was Evan really a killer or was it someone else all along?

This was a fun novella but I almost immediately pegged the perpetrator.

The writing is done really well, highly immersive and provides lush descriptors. It was an effortless read for the most part with minimal character issues.

I enjoyed the story overall but the predictability of it was a let down. I was more reading to get to the end to see if I was right or if there was wrong and there was an awesome twist thrown in. It did leave some questions in my mind so for all these detractors, I give it a 3.5 but rounded up.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas Presents, Lisa Unger

Murder & Merriment - now this is a Christmas novel done right!

Only Lisa Unger could write a thrilling and unputdownable mystery set at Christmas that is shrouded around death AND include a touch of warmth. Yes!!

While it was set at Christmas, it wasn’t cliché. Murder and mystery elements were clever. The plot was nestled just right into the holiday touches nuanced throughout the book.
And, there were heart quickening moments on both extremes!
Eek & awe!
Well played, Lisa!!

I REALLY enjoyed this book!
I recommend reading whilst curled up in comfy blanket with a cup of cocoa under twinkling lights!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a huge fan of Lisa Unger for as long as I can remember, and I was thrilled to get an ARC of her novella Christmas Presents. True crime podcasts are HUGE right now, so I love the idea of incorporating them into a whodunnit. I think it elevates the plot and offers a unique perspective. Overall, great plot, great setting, and perfectly paced. 10/10 recommend!

Thank you to Lisa Unger, Penzler Publishers, and Netgalley for my ARC of Christmas Presents. I was excited to read this book as spooky season was wrapping up to get into a Christmas spirit but I should've read this during spooky season! While the ending of this book didn't surprise me, I truly was engrossed in this book! Podcaster coming to town to investigate? SIGN ME UP! This book was great, but I ended up wanting MORE. It almost left me with feelings that things weren't totally resolved. 3.5, rounded up to 4 stars. This book was great, definitely need to add it to your TBR!

In this intriguing tale, a true crime podcaster takes on the chilling case that once shattered an entire town. Surprisingly, it is during the Christmas season that the wounds of the past are to be reopened, possibly because Evan Handy, the man who was convicted and imprisoned, now wishes to share his version of events. Madeline Martin, the former girlfriend of the incarcerated man and a survivor herself, emerges as a pivotal figure in this narrative. Madeline is a local bookstore owner who is understandably hesitant to provide the podcaster with the information he seeks.

As the story unfolds, it effortlessly shifts between the past and the present, unveiling some astonishing and unsettling truths along the way. Although the premise of the book is captivating and Lisa Unger's work is typically impressive, I couldn't fully immerse myself in the novel due to certain writing shortcomings that created a disjointed narrative. Additionally, I found it challenging to form a strong connection with the characters as the story would have greatly benefited from further depth and character development.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.