I really enjoyed the story - the various perspectives were really well done ; but I do wish it was a bit longer ( I rarely wish for a book to be longer !) as I felt like the ending was a little rushed and I wasn’t ready for it to end yet !

The plot idea was interesting but execution was lacking. It seemed to dwell extra long on the events of 10 years prior at the expense of time to explore the characters and events of the present. It was fairly obvious early on who was responsible for the abductions and murders.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mysterious Press for the ARC to read and review.

Love Unger's books and this was a surprisingly dark one for Christmas but so good! Bookseller, Madeline meets podcaster Harley when he comes in for a book signing and is intrigued by him as he's unusual and not someone she'd usually be attracted to. Then we have Lolly, a topless dancer who meets an unnamed man and agrees to go to dinner with him. Of course these plots intersect as we go back in time and see "bad boy" Evan who is now in prison but is connected to the plot in ways we didn't imagine! It's full of surprises and shocking behavior that we've come to expect from Unger. Even so it's a delight to read!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

A very deceptive title - no heavenly, mistletoe, sugar plum sweetness of Christmas here. But this is a very well executed murder mystery that requires thought and at times a suspension of belief. Dealing with things that don’t want to be remembered,” the aftermath of trauma, of victimhood” of the actual reality and whether it can be revisited while maintaining your sanity. Lisa Unger is a pro at this. She easily explains how life, much like fiction, can be “dense, complicated, slow, meandering…” and she wraps all that into this story. Even the transparency and not so surprising reveals were fairly satisfying when everything is wrapped up in a tidy Christmas package.

Thank you Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press andNetGalley for a copy.

“Christmas Presents” by Lisa Unger follows Madeline, a women with a traumatic past. She now owns a bookstore and finding a way to cope with life, when podcaster Harley comes in. Harley tells her he wants to reopen the case from her past and to look at things from another light.

For all my thriller friends that need a good read that takes place during the Christmas season- pick this one up! I loved everyone moment of this book, and while I was able to predict the ending, I was so satisfied and can’t wait to read more from this author. Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a good read! It did a good job of showcasing some of the possible darker aspects of true-crime podcasting. This one had a happy ending and that makes me happy! Lisa Under is on my list of always read authors for a good reason!

#ChristmasPresents
#NetGalley

Rounded up from 3.5
Madeline, a bookshop owner, is surprised when Harley Granger, a failed novelist turned true crime podcaster, shows up to her shop in the days before Christmas, intent on digging up events that Madeline would much rather forget...
This is a suspense/mystery that drew me right in! It's a very quick read (under 250 pages), and despite it's title and the fact that it does unfold during Christmas time, it's not what I would call a Christmas story and can be enjoyed at any time. The story is told in dual timeline, what happened then and the investigation now, but I find that the distinction between the past and the present is sort of blurry which makes it hard to follow. Maybe it's because it's an ebook. Maybe it's because the layout is not completely done yet (I read this as an ARC), so maybe there's some fine-tuning that needs to be done, and hopefully, it will be done when it's published. Or maybe the author is just trying to confuse us. In which case, well done. Was the twist mind-blowing? No, but I do read a lot- a loooot- of thrillers, so my mind is very good at predicting the twists. Someone who is less well-versed in the thriller genre will probably be surprised.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. I generally like Unger’s books and I thought a Christmas thriller sounded interesting. It ultimately was just ok. I figured out who the killer was about 30% into the book and there were some annoying holes/details that need another edit. Like why did the killer go back in the house to get a sledgehammer when two sentences before that he was dangling the keys outside the truck window???? I think the whole thing felt a bit sloppy and hurried. I’m not sure why it had to be a novella? I think I was even on the long side for a novella, so why not add another 75-85 pages and have it be a better developed story?

I was so glad to get the NetGalley approval for this book. I didn’t realize that it was a novella at first so I thought it might be too short. However, I was wrong. It was actually the perfect length for this story, which made for a quick enjoyable read!

Madeline Martin has tried to put her tragic past behind her and has made a life for herself as the owner of The Next Chapter Bookstore. When true crime podcaster, Harley Granger visits her store one day, her past comes back to haunt her. Madeline is the only surviving victim of Evan Handy who is responsible for killing her best friend and for the disappearance of two sisters ten years ago. Harley wants to dig up the past and investigate the case for his podcast. Madeline is not comfortable with this but now another woman has gone missing. Evan Handy is in prison but she wonders if these cases could possibly be related and who is the mysterious person leaving her Christmas presents every year since that awful night?

This is a great short thriller that will keep you hooked. Since it takes place right before Christmas, it’s the perfect time of the year to read it. You won’t be disappointed!

Thank you to @netgalley and @w.w.norton for this ARC

This book had me guessing throughout. I highly recommend reading it
This will make a perfect gift for any Lisa Unger fan. It’s another great book from Lisa Unger and will not disappoint

Thank you Lisa Unger, Mysterious Press and Netgalley for providing an arc of this novel. Madeline Martin is a book shop owner who lived through a heinous crime when she was a teenager and she has been trying to move on for so long. But true crime podcaster Haley Granger has different plans, he's bought a property in the town and is here fixing it up and investigating the crime. This novella kept me guessing, as the crime was never fully solved and there is still a lot of questions that need answering. I enjoyed the book and was happy to get to read something holiday related but still a psychological thriller.

Oh those true crime podcasters! Harley upends Madeline's quiet life when he comes to town to interview her about the night she was left for dead after an attack by..her boyfriend who was convicted for killing her friend and was a suspect in the disappearance of others. Harley forces Madeline to acknowledge that not only does the time line not work for the original crimes, three other young women have also gone missing since he went to prison. Together, they peel back the past, the lies, the assumptions to get to the truth. This is short and Unger does a good job with packing the plot twists in (it's actually a reminder of how often this sort of novel goes on too long). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers from me.

Madeline Martin has turned her life around after experiencing a traumatic life event ten years ago. As Christmas approaches and her bookstore continues to thrive, Madeline is unprepared when a local woman goes missing and a true crime podcaster shows up at her door asking her about the past.

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS by Lisa Unger was such a fun novella (and also had me wishing for Christmas a little??? It’s October, I’m sorry!!)

This book draws you in right away, though the opening chapter doesn’t get hinted at again for quite a ways into the book, which threw me for a loop at first, and has all of that small town, nosy neighbors energy.

The investigative side of things was intriguing and the addition of a true crime podcast element was both fun and a bit unnecessary, BUT really amped up the story from its introduction!

Overall, a super fun murdery novella that will be perfect to pick up this holiday season!

Thanks to NetGalley, Penzler Publishers, and Mysterious Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: October 24

Christmas Presents is a fast-paced twisty thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the dual timelines, and Maddie and Badger were definitely my favorite characters. Lisa Unger packed a whole lot of story into this novella and I enjoyed every moment not figuring out who the killer was until the big reveal.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a mediocre read for me. It was a fun little mystery without being overly gory or violent. An easy, quick read that was not bad nor great.

I love this author! Her detail and character build is so addictive and the setting is so much of the story. As a blizzard builds, so does the suspense. Madeline is a survivor of a brutal attack from her boyfriend, Evan, that left her best friend Stephanie dead and two other girls missing. Her father, Sheriff James Martin worked diligently on the case. Evan is serving a life sentence for the crimes.

10 years have passed, but the wounds have been reopened with 3 other girls missing and a true crime pod caster has appeared in her Madeline's bookshop wanting answers. Harley Granger digs up more than answers something is lurking. Can the disappearances be related to the first ones? Could there be more than one person involved?
Excellent book with a suspenseful plot and a chilling setting. Don't miss this one!! I must say it was hard to stay focused on scenes with snow and Christmas while laying beside the ocean waves crashing.🌴
Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5/5 Not sure what to think of this not really a Christmas story Christmas story. The opening hook of a young woman going missing seemed like a great start, but then it got bogged down by a lot of backstory. Coming in at around 220 pages, I can't decide if this story was too long or too short. I didn't really connect with the characters, so it could have helped with some fleshing out of the story. However, it also seemed to drag at times, which could have been remedied with a shorter story and snappier pace. Overall, this story didn't really capture my attention.

Lisa Unger is the hero I didn't know we needed after giving us a truly spectacular Christmas-centered psychological thriller. As I read through the novella I found myself asking again and again "Why are there not more holiday crime stories? Surely these would kill (PUN INTENDED!) with the millennial true crime audience." The only answer that satisfied this curiosity was that no one else has the skill and the finesse Unger uses effortlessly to tell a story that is heartwrenching and deeply upsetting instead of tacky and overdone. "Christmas Presents" is a masterclass in how to write a thriller with both bite and suspense and compassion for all those whose lives are forever altered by a terrible crime.

Christmas, the most joyous time of the year for many, has been nothing but a nightmare for Madeline Martin since a fateful house party a decade ago. At the party, Maddie watched as her best friend, Steph, was stabbed to death by Evan Handy. Maddie was "lucky" enough to escape with a nearly fatal stab wound that traveled the length of her face and left her bleeding to death on the side of an icy riverbank. Two other friends, Sam and Ainsley, disappeared from the same party without a trace.

Although she's opened a successful bookstore in many ways Maddie has never moved past that night. She lives in the same small town, caring for her ailing father, and hoping against hope that each new year might bring news about Sam and Ainsley. When true crime author Harley Granger breezes into town hoping to dig up new evidence and solve the cold case disappearance, Maddie feels nothing but anger at him for so casually demanding entry to the most traumatic episode of her life. When he ties in the new disappearance of a local college woman, Lolly, Maddie must look deep within herself and face the question she's always had, did Evan Handy have an accomplice? Could there be another monster still lurking in the dark shadows of her quiet town?

Lisa, there are so many holidays that could use their own murder mystery. New Year's, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Arbor Day, the Fourth of July, Halloween, Earth Day, you write it and I would read it! Delightedly! Until the fateful day that Unger blesses us with another holiday masterpiece, I will be recommending this to everyone who starts listening to Christmas music on November 1st, and it will absolutely be the book club pick of the winter. Perfect for fans of Megan Goldin, Sallyhepworth, and everyone who wishes that just this once the handsome Christmas tree lot owner who sweeps the overworked and overtired city girl off her feet would have a body in the closet. Special thanks to NetGalley and to Penzler Publishers for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of "Christmas Presents" in exchange for an unbiased review. I

So, I didn't realize this was a novella when I requested it and I think my thoughts and opinions might be slightly skewed by that. However, even a novella can be written well and in un-rushed way. This story, unfortunately, did not accomplish that. I felt that the ending came crashing down at the end of the book, and the answers I was hoping for throughout the book felt like they were all dropped onto the last two pages. To be fair, I would consider this book to be on the longer side for a novella, so I really was hoping for a more skillfully written ending.
Did the suspense keep me reading? Absolutely. Were some of the characters complex and enjoyable? For sure. I especially liked the "presents" aspect of the story and the way that was integrated into the ending (no spoilers, I promise!). This was a creative concept, but I really wish she'd written a full novel and spent more time developing the story line.
Part of my problem is that I have loved many other Lisa Unger books, so I went into this one with extremely high hopes. That, combined with me not realizing it was so short, made this one feel very middle-of-the-road for me.
For those wondering, this is absolutely not a Christmas story. It's a story set around Christmas time, but if you're looking for a "spooky season" read, I'd recommend this one now versus around December. Can't say I loved it, but I wouldn't steer anyone away from reading it if they're interested!

This review will be featured on my bookstagram @leannaslittlelibrary on the publication day 10/24/23
Thank you for letting me read!

Love me some Lisa Unger and this book (novella) didn't disappoint. The writing was excellent and the characters well developed. I appreciate the opportunity of the ARC