Madeline Martin is the only victim that survived the killing spree of Evan Handy. Her best friend Stephanie was murdered, and twins Ainsley and Sam are still missing a decade later. When true crime podcaster Harley Granger shows up in Little Valley with the intent to reopen the case, Madeline must reface her past. With her childhood friend Badger by her side, they take a second look at the case, and realize the pieces don’t quite fit together as they once did.

Meanwhile, as Evan has sat in prison, three other women in the area have gone missing. Is it coincidence? Or perhaps there is another explanation that ties all of the horrific events together.

What I liked:
- The book is a novella, so there is not much time for a slow burn. Everything was quick and thrilling, but no shortage of descriptive writing!
- The way the timelines connected (that was incredible!!)
- Heartpounding escape scene
- Madeline was an excellent main character; selfless, intelligent, so brave! And she paired with Badger perfectly in my opinion

This was an easy 5 star read for me! Though this takes place around a typically joyous holiday, there was no shortage of suspense and chills.

Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company for the advanced reading copy!

I loved this thriller. It has everything you would want to keep you turning the pages. Poor Madeline was attacked ten years ago and has been trying to put the attack, the death of her BFF Steph, and the disappearance of two of two other friends behind her. She goes along with her life. She owns a bookstore and takes care of her father who was the Sheriff when the attack took place. He has had a stroke and is recovering at home. Her mother left them a long time ago. Her best friend now, Badger gives her all the emotional support she needs. Then a mystery writer/podcaster comes in to her bookstore asking about the attack. He wants to help Evan Hardy, the man who is charged with the murder/disappearance. Things start happening when the author starts digging and then is when the fun begins. The attack took place around Christmas and hence the title. I would recommend reading this book but it is not the typical Christmas mush it is more thrilling.
Thanks to #netgalley, @mysteriouspress and @launger for an ARC of this delicious read.

I love Lisa Unger but this story fell short for me. The plot was hard to follow and I don’t think it was as mystery/thriller as it was described.

Madeline is a local bookstore owner with a tragic past, living in a small town. Her friends were murdered a decade earlier by Evan Handy, now incarcerated. Harley Granger is a podcaster who comes to town to revisit the crimes. Since Evan Handy went to jail, three other young women have gone missing. Five young women missing in the same area in the last decade. Was Evan Handy innocent after all? Or was someone else there that night? Someone who is still kidnapping young women.

Lisa Unger does not disappoint with this one. I find cold cases fascinating so the idea of Harley Granger reopening a cold case drew me in from the start. The twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat, reading to find out what would happen next. The story is told from different points of view and timelines, which adds to the depth of the story. I enjoyed the characters and the picturesque snowy Christmas setting. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys thrillers! I give it 4/5 stars.

What really happened on the night that Madeline Martin narrowly escaped with her life when her then boyfriend, Evan Handy, went on a murderous rampage where one person was left murdered and two others missing. The question always remained how could Evan have murdered Madeline's best friend, Stephanie, while also doing something with two other bodies? Madeline's dad, then sheriff, always felt that Evan couldn't have acted alone that night and when Harley Granger, a true crime podcaster, connects a string of local missing young women, he comes to town to find the answers to long asked questions!

Will he prove Evan's innocence or will they uncover an unlikely accomplice? Is any character in Christmas Presents truly who they say they are? You'll be devouring this book to find out!

I was enthralled with Christmas Presents from beginning to end and devoured it! It was short, to the point, and interesting throughout the whole story! The characters were multi-dimensional and believable! Lisa Unger does a great job of building suspense with multiple scenarios that could play to keep you guessing! If you're looking for a quick, easy read full of suspense, then this is it!

Thank you Netgalley and Penzler Publishers for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Nearly a decade following a brutal murder, a savage assault, and the disappearance of two sisters, Harley Granger–an unsuccessful novelist-turned-crime podcaster–decides to play Mr. Grinch and reignites painful memories for the lone survivor (Madeline Martin) and the once serene town of Little Valley.

Reliving horrific details, which had lay dormant since the conviction of Evan Handy–Madeline’s teenage crush–Madeline, along with her lifelong friend Badger, consider Sheriff Martin’s theory regarding a second psychopath not so implausible and, together, they pick up the lawman’s rusting baton, determined to locate the most recent abductee. But can they identify the killer and find the woman before it’s too late?

A satisfying quick read from a proven author, CHRISTMAS PRESENTS is a cozy mystery with a somewhat predictable ending and a sprinkling of romance and suspense. I look forward to reading other titles by Ms. Unger. Much appreciation to NetGalley, Lisa Unger, and Mysterious Press for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I found this novel to be so fun and heartwarming, a perfect read leading up to the holidays. The characters felt real, the plot was developed well. I don’t try to guess the endings or plot twists, but I did see this one coming. However, it doesn’t take away from my enjoyment at all. I enjoyed following the clues Lisa Unger left for her readers and putting them together. For such a quick and easy read it felt very developed. This is my first book by the author, but I will definitely be picking up more in the future.

Years ago, Madeline survived a brutal attack by her boyfriend. Her best friend was murdered though, and two of her other friends disappeared without a trace. Now, she’s still trying to put it behind her when a true crime podcaster comes into town looking into the case. There’s another woman missing and Madeline hopes to find the truth before it’s too late.

This a novella so I think that threw things off here. I think this plot would’ve been better served by a full novel because we didn’t really get much investigation in. What we had was fine, but I wanted more. It just felt very surface level. It could’ve been like some other recent books with podcasters where we get episodes between chapters. It also just ends without a super satisfying conclusion. Not my favorite of Unger’s works, but an overall decent read.

Don't be fooled with the title nor the publish date. Christmas Presents is a wintery, murder mystery, thrilling novella. I picture people reading this novella on a cozy couch by a fireplace in the dead of winter (not on Halloween). Even though it sits at just under 230 pages, it still felt engaging and satisfying for a perfect winter read. Of course it was fast paced and got straight into the heart of the story, but it also did a great job of pulling you in to each scene and gave off such great ambience. I was seriously jealous of the main character's career as a local bookshop owner, especially located in a cozy small town. If you like books that touch on true crime podcasts, you have to check this one out.

This is a great holiday novella! Just kidding... it's actually really creepy and disturbing. If you're looking for a short thriller set around Christmas, this is the perfect read. I would go into it blind since the book summary gives SO much away. I loved the setting of this story and the abandoned houses the true crime podcaster, Harley explores. The small town was traumatized by the horrible crimes that took place 10 years ago.

The main character, Maddie, is very likable. I enjoyed the flashbacks to her teenage years with her friends, meeting Evan, and the night it all happened. Although I wasn't too surprised by the reveal at the end, I enjoyed the ride. It's a fast-paced thriller with a satisfying ending.

This book was bittersweet and beautifully written. I liked the characters and the romance interwoven with the dark mystery plot. I really loved the fact that the FMC was a bookshop owner too. Overall I enjoyed this story, it was a little sad but the ending was very sweet and satisfying.

Lisa Unger never disappoints with her novels! This is another that I couldn't put down. Madeline Martin has a quiet life running a bookstore and doing normal, every day things. Harley Granger, a true crime podcaster comes into Madeline's store right before Christmas and wants to dig up her past, which isn't so normal. She is a survivor of a convicted serial killer. Since Evan Handy, the convicted serial killer has been in prison, more women have gone missing, leaving them wondering if the right man was convicted or if he had help. Madeline is forced to face her past to look for answers so she can finally put her past behind her.

Okay, so I have to admit that I've been avoiding Lisa Unger's books for years. I don't really have a good reason as to why, except that there are a couple of other thriller authors that I'm not particularly fond of and I guess I've always imagined her books to be similar to theirs? I dunno. But then I saw this one on NetGalley and it was short and I thought “why not?” because I wouldn't really be out a whole lot of reading time if it ended up being terrible. And, well, I am totally willing to admit that I was wrong about Ms. Unger because Christmas Presents is actually a really good book. Go figure.

The first thing that drew me to this book is that the main character is an independent bookshop owner. I love reading about people who love books. And then one of the other main characters is an author, so there are two bookish people in this one novel. Yay! Madeline and Harley are really great characters, and I found them both to be sympathetic and likable.

The plot is suspenseful and fast-paced, and I probably would have finished it in one sitting had sleep not been necessary (I could read so much more if I never had to sleep!). I had a good guess as to who the villain of the story was at around the 50% mark, which turned out to be correct. This didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story at all, however, because I also had just a slight suspicion that it could have been someone else entirely, so I was eager to make it to the end to find out if my guess was correct.

The end of this book might've gotten a little sappier than I normally go for, but I'm not totally anti-sap as long as it's not too overbearing (here's looking at you, Mitch Albom). I'm sure some people probably got a little teary-eyed over certain bits, but I totally, one hundred percent did not. Nope, not even a little bit. My eyes were completely and totally dry. (*sniff*)

So, yeah. Christmas Presents is an engaging and entertaining thriller that I enjoyed far more than expected. 4.35 stars, rounded down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Mysterious Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

Don't let the title deceive you, this is a not a sweet Christmas story. Nearly a decade after two of Madeline Martin's high school friends disappear and one is killed, Harley Granger comes to town to interview Madeline for his true crime podcast. This brings up memories Madeline would rather not talk about, but it does raise questions again about where the two missing girls are and is the killer in prison really the killer, as in the last ten years more women have disappeared.

This is the first time I've read this author, but it will not be the last. Excellent plot, with interesting characters, fast-paced mystery/thriller from beginning to end.

I received this advance review copy from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

Madeline has gotten her bookstore to be successful. She has a customer that she doesn't recognize immediately, but then realizes he's Harley Granger. He has a podcast for his investigations of cold cases. Maddy, herself, was injured in the cold case being looked into. Her friend was murdered, and two other friends disappeared on that night, 10 years before, and just before Christmas. Someone is already in prison, but should the case be closed?

Maddy's father had been the sheriff in town forever, but he's had a stroke and is now slowly recovering.

Harley's appearance in town brings pain, anxiety, and hopefulness. Has he discovered a new clue to the murder and disappearances? Is there someone out there who was an accomplice?

Absolutely not a traditional Christmas story, but it's a mystery that grows more complicated and and twisted as the reader uncovers the previous story and the current one.

I was tempted to skip through parts to get to the end, but I enjoyed every word, instead.

Great read! Typical Lisa Unger! A little bit slow in the beginning. 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was fine I guess. It was short and very fast, and hits a popular theme with a podcaster trying to determine if someone was falsely accused of murder 10 years earlier. He's also investigating women who have gone missing in past years.
*
At just over 200 pages, this is really fast to get through, and has a couple possible interesting suspects. One of my issues with this was actually that it was so short--the ending came up pretty abruptly. There was also no need for the podcaster, he didn't actually accomplish anything, and it felt like it was just a plot device to cash in on the trope.
*
Also the repeated references to Madeline's "sexual awakening" were just...why?
*
So yeah..fine, fits the bill if you want something quick and simple, but nothing I'd go out of my way to recommend

I loved this delightfully fun and wild read! Lisa Unger is an expert at weaving together various plot points into a very compelling story which moves along at a satisfying pace. Once you pick up this book, you won't want to put it down.

If you are looking for a cozy Christmas story, do not read this book! If you are looking for a story of suspense and danger centering around the Christmas season, this is your book! Tense moments and several surprises!

A chilling novella from Lisa Unger. Ten years ago, a young women was murdered, two missing and one injured. Madeleine was injured, but the only survivor. The attacker is behind bars, but now more women are disappearing. Is this related to the horrific event from the past, is it a copy cat or unrelated?
Madeleine is front and center when a popular author comes to town to investigate the past.
A must read!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.