“But when I look back the road is empty. ‘Who?’ asks the big, bearded man she's with. ‘Who's following you?’
‘Santa,’ I breathe, using my last bit of strength.”

🎅🏼

Wow. Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for this holiday thriller. Coming October 2023 - just in time to keep you entertained on that long flight home for the holidays!

I (snow) plowed through this 230(ish) page novella in less than two days and loved every frosty second. Fast paced and somehow both cozy as a winter fire and scary as Krampus at the same time! This story has blizzards, teenage killers, friends to lovers, cliffhangers, an indie bookstore, and is truly a fun (sleigh)ride from start to finish. Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be chased by a serial killer Santa through frozen winter woodlands? Well have I got the book for you: Lisa Unger’s Christmas Presents!

Harley Granger is a true crime author and podcaster opening up a cold case in a small rural town. A decade ago, Madeline Martin was left for dead at a riverbank, one of her best friends was murdered and two other friends disappeared. Evan Handy was charged with the murder & attempted murder and is serving a life sentence in prison. The two girls have never been found. Despite the small area, another three women have also gone missing in the area. It can't be Evan, he's in jail. Harley is in town asking questions and digging up the past determined to find out if he is indeed the killer or falsely accused.

This book was a great read from the first page to the last. I absolutely love the the flow of the story, the character development and the suspense. While I had a good suspicion what was happening, it did not diminish my wanting to read to the end. The descriptive writing had me able to envision in my mind the surrounding and people clearly. I liked the winter vibe to it. Despite a very busy week, I found myself reaching for the book to sneak in a chapter to two in between doing things because I was absolutely invested. I really liked the podcast spin on the story.

The ending was fast paced and had great closure (very important to me!) I may have even had some watery eyes at the end. The book is shorter and a very fast read, highly recommend.

4.5 solid stars (only reason not 5 stars for my rating because it is a bit predictable. A 5 star for me is when I am blindsided) Rounding up to 5 stars for Goodreads rating.

Thank you SO much to Netgalley and the publisher Mysterious Press for a digital advanced reader copy to read and review.

I literally couldn’t put this book down from the moment I picked it up. The one surviving member of a serial killer. Many have questions and want to know why her. And what makes her so special. Things had died down but now people are questioning again thanks to an author coming into town and digging things up. This book has so many twists and turns it left my head spinning and holding my breath to find out what happened! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Unfortunately, this just wasn't the book for me and I had to DNF, even though I love a good Christmas murder. I know that other readers will enjoy this, it just wasn't what I was looking for and it was hard to follow

Thank you to @netgalley and @MysteriousPress for this ARC. Harley is a podcaster who looks into cold cases or those wrongfully accused. He arrives in town to speak to Madeline who survived the night she was slashed with a knife and left for dead while her best friend was killed and two others missing. With one man in jail, the disappearances has continued. Was Evan, the convicted, innocent or was he acting with someone else to get the deeds done? This novella was a quick read and I didn't want it to end. #ChristmasPresents #LisaUnger #Oct2023 #MysteriousPress

This novella was an easy read but I guessed the twist (which I rarely do because I'm an oblivious person by nature) and that knocked my rating down to 3 stars.

Christmas Presents is a thriller set in the days leading up to Christmas in a small town where tragedy keeps striking. Madeline survived a terrible attack while she was in high school, on the same night where one of her best friends was killed and two more disappeared without a trace. A decade later and Madeline is still living in the town where she runs a bookstore and cares for her aging father. Shortly before Christmas, Harley Granger arrives in town. He's a podcast host and author who investigates cold cases and is hoping to make a big break in the mysterious case that's been haunting the town for the past ten years.

I enjoyed this thriller and found it quite suspenseful until I guessed who the killer was and that kind of put a damper on the book for me. I will say this is worth the read and despite it being full of murder the book taking right before Christmas gave it a cozy feel. The premise was great and a lot of action was packed into a short book, but I didn't like the side romance plot point and felt it took away from the overall plot of catching the killer. Overall, I thought this was a fun read for anyone who likes thrillers and would recommend it!

Thank you to Penzler Publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

No one, and I mean no one, does twisty better than Lisa Unger. Christmas Presents focuses on Madeline Martin, her father (also the Sheriff), and her collection of friends at the time: Badgers, Sam, Ainsley, and Steph... and the new guy, Evan. At a Christmas party ten years ago, Steph was murdered, Madeline scarred, and Sam & Ainsley disappeared. Now a podcaster has come to review the events of that evening, as well as see if there's a link between the missing girls from the party and more missing girls from the area. Told in alternating voices, Ms. Unger tells a wonderfully twisty tale... it's a must read! Thank you to Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press for an advanced reader of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press for the Arc! Unfortunately, this just wasn't the book for me and I had to DNF, even though I love a good Christmas murder. I know that other readers will enjoy this, it just wasn't working for me.

A nice quick read that captured the mournful haunting of the past while also creating a sense of urgency with the current events. The characters were generally likable and the author painted a great picture that had me visualizing the scenes, feeling the small town vibe. I've generally enjoyed Lisa Unger's work and this title is no exception!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishing/Mysterious Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Unger does it again. I absolutely devoured this novella. Picturesque settings and a twits-y plot allows immediate envelopment into this story. You truly never know which direction it is going to go over the course of the story and I will say the final reveal was satisfying but not completely shocking. Harley and Madeleine's dynamic is intriguing to say the least and contributed greatly to the unsettling tension that surrounded the book as a whole. I found myself wanting more and only wished it would have been a full length novel. I feel like it could have been explored so much further and that the plot had so much potential, I could have read it for another 200 pages. 3.5/5 stars rounded up.

Madeline Martin owns a bookstore in the town where years before she was horribly attacked, her best friend murdered, and 4 others missing. PodcasterHarley Granger comes to town to investigate the crime and re-opens wounds and questions about what happened that night.

I enjoyed this mystery with a backdrop of Christmas and a bookstore. There were lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Lisa Unger and this book was the perfect novella. Definitely recommend for anyone who wants a shorter - but still thrilling - read!

Thank you, NetGalley and Penzler Publishers, for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Lisa Unger's novella, Christmas Presents. As a recent fan of the author, I knew I wanted to read her latest without even reading the synopsis, so I requested to read this novella and was ecstatic when I was approved to receive a copy for free in exchange for my honest review.

This novella falls into the mystery, thriller, and suspense genre but has a little romance and intrigue to it. Despite the genre, it even put me in the Christmas mood since it takes place during the holiday. It's the perfect book for those who love this genre and want a holiday read.

From the get go, I narrowed the killer down to two different people. As the storyline progressed, I did start to second guess myself and wondered if the narrator was unreliable. When the murderer was revealed, I was glad it was who it was . . . you're not going to get any spoilers from me. I will say that for all intent and purposes, Christmas Presents had a happy ending, and Lisa Unger did a nice job wrapping it up.

The story was told from alternating timelines. I don't always like it when an author does this because it can feel disjointed. However, Lisa Unger did a fabulous job with it because it had me on the edge of my seat wondering what really happened. It really helped move the story along.

Five out of five stars is what I gave Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger. Don't miss out on this fantastic novella . . . pre-order it today. You won't be sorry.

most novellas feel incomplete to me, but this felt like a full story. i was invested in the characters and their lives and i was hooked from the beginning. i do think a chapter at the end from the murderer’s POV could have clarified a few lingering questions, but overall great, quick read

Woah!! This book will creep you out during the most magical time of the year. I went in blind and that’s the best way to do it in my opinion. This was freaky and kept me on the edge of my seat!

While I wasn’t in the mood for a Christmas story yet, this was actually a really exciting read. It was based around Christmas, but didn’t feel out of place to read in the middle of august. I was hooked from the first chapter. There were many twists and turns and while I did figure out the ending before it came, there were many questions I wasn’t sure the answers to throughout. Overall another great read from Lisa! A little predictable, but still worth the time.

What a long NOVELLA. This was a good story I just had an issue with the pacing. It was a slow burn mystery for sure but the ending just happened so fast!
I did like the atmosphere and the setting as well as the backstory. I did want a bit more of the podcast bits but maybe it'll be explored in future books more!

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy for my honest thoughts.

This is not the joyous Christmas novel that the title may mislead you to assume. But we all know what happens when you assume.
Madeline's life hasn't really gone as planned. After a tragedy in high school where 3 out of 4 of her best friends were killed or presumed dead, by her high school boyfriend by the way, Madeline is still living in her hometown. She owns her own bookstore, where she meets esteemed podcaster Harley Granger, who makes her question everything that happened that night. Will her memories be preserved after all this time, or will a new story come to light?
It's not secret that I am a huge Lisa Unger fan, and this story did not disappoint. I honestly don’t have anything bad or constructive to say. It’s a good story, the Christmas theme is really only involved in a subtle manor so don’t go adding this to your holiday TBR list. But as a gift? Absolutely!
Thank you, Lisa Unger, Netgalley, and Penzler Publishers for this advanced copy!

This was a quick read but by no means my favorite Lisa Unger book. It didn't hook me and even though it was relatively short, I felt like it dragged on if that makes any sense.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Lisa Unger for an ARC of Christmas Presents. This is a page turner and holiday murder masterpiece! I feel like recently I’ve hit the mark with holiday thrillers. I thoroughly enjoyed following Madeline around through past and present to find out what happened to her friends. It’s easy to piece together what happened in the beginning, but it was still an enjoyable ride. I did really like it’s from the victims standpoint and not from the murderer as a lot of books are done that way (still nosey and want to know their side, but they don’t get a side!) lol! Definitely would recommend as a quick Holiday Mystery!