CHRISTMAS PRESENTS was a short and entertaining read by Lisa Unger, with a lot of plot packed into a novella. The podcast element added a fun concept to this story and the different viewpoints were engaging and easy to follow.

Obviously not as detailed as a full length novel, but still a good read! I’ll be looking forward to Lisa Unger’s next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the opportunity to read and review!

Review of Christmas PresentsChristmas Presents is a thriller novel about a true crime podcaster who chooses to look into a murder in a small town that happened ten years before around Christmas time. He believes it may be connected to other cases of missing women in the vicinity and a new case of a missing woman. The story is told from multiple points of view in both the present and the past with a friend of the original victim as the main character. I received an ebook copy from the publisher through NetGalley. It said it was a novella, so I thought it would be a quick read like Ring in the Dead by J. A. Jance (which I enjoyed), but it was a 250 page novel. I liked that the main character, a bookstore owner, has intriguing secrets right from the start. The way the facts are presented creates interesting dramatic questions with interesting details presenting connections a little bit at a time. The mixing of chapters in the present and chapters from ten years ago leading up to the night of the murder, mixed with chapters from the missing woman's POV all provided increasing suspense. The author also did a good job of creating doubt in each of the main characters and turning them into possible suspects, and possible victims. I think the only thing I didn't like was the Prologue, but once I got past it, I really enjoyed the book over all.  I highly recommend Christmas Presents to anyone who enjoys reading thriller novels.

I read this book in one sitting. Though this book is on the shorter side with only 224 pages, it doesn't lack in any of the qualities that make a suspense thriller great. This was the first book I've read by Lisa Unger, but it will not be my last. I loved the storyline. I loved the characters she created. The plot twist was a bit obvious to me. But how the author unfolds the story, keeping your attention until the very last page. That is what makes a good story great. I rate this book 4.5 round up to 5 stars.

I received this book from Netgalley for free in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.

True Crime writer/podcaster Harley Granger arrives in a small town where ten years earlier, Evan Handy was convicted of the murder of a classmate and attempted murder of another on December 23rd. The same night sisters Ainsley and Sam went missing and were never found. Granger wonders if an accomplice took the sisters as more women have disappeared over the years.

Madeline Martin, the surviving victim of Handy, runs a bookstore in her hometown and takes care of her father, who recently suffered a stroke. He also happened to have been Sheriff when the murder and disappearance happened. He never believed Handy acted alone and was still working on the cold case up.

Christmas Presents is considered a novella, but it actually felt like a novel. It was an easy book to read, and there was enough intrigue for me to want to keep reading. It felt easy to figure out where the story was going, but because it was so well written, I didn’t mind being able to predict the outcomes.

There were a few things about the book I did not like. The first was the transitions between the characters' points of view. It went very long and then suddenly switched. I didn’t realize it and was very confused. I had to go back and see if I missed something. There was nothing to indicate a change of point of view. I wish it had been more obvious.

The other is very nitpicky. Madeline Martin uses the term “this town” multiple times to show how small it is, but it’s unnecessary. Plenty of other information and descriptions show how small it is.

Overall I enjoyed the story and recommend it to people who enjoy thrillers. And people that enjoy thrillers set at Christmas time.

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger was an enjoyable thriller and a super quick read for those looking for something shorter. I basically read this novella on one shot because I became very invested in the story and wanted to see where it was going enough that I couldn’t stop once I got a few chapters in. It did take a few chapters to really hook me but once the plot really started going somewhere it was truly unputdownable.

For a novella I found it stood up really well as a full story, not feeling too rushed or as if it was missing depth, both to plot and characters. That isn’t to say that some things didn’t seem to wrap up too perfectly, particularly characters discovering evidence that somehow was missed for 10 years, and I definitely found the culprit very predictable and easy to suss out right from the beginning, but I also found the story itself good enough that this wasn’t actually something that bothered me. For this reason I feel it was a great read and it made me want to dive into more of the authors books, because enjoying a novella so much makes me feel she would be a good author to follow with my tendency to bypass novellas.

Christmas Presents is a multiple point of view read, told from the perspectives of; Madeline, Harley, and Lolly. Madeline is the only surviving victim to a crime that took place in the small town that this novella is set in 10 years previously, though the events still hang over her head, she tries to forget it ever happened. She has built a life for herself, owning her own bookstore and taking care of her ailing father who has suffered a stroke and is working on his recovery. It’s at her bookstore she meets Harley, an author of nonfiction crime who also runs a podcast on this same topic. He has come to this small town to dig up the past on this crime, who’s perpetrator is Evan Hardy, in jail though he claims to be falsely accused of said crime. Harley hopes to uncover if he is in fact innocent, or if there was someone else that took part in his murder spree of a decade previous, as two girls went missing and were never found either dead or alive, and Evan claims to be unable to reveal what happened to them.

Finally, there is Lolly, a college dropout who has been working at a topless dance bar while she tries to figure things out, and the latest victim after 10 years of silence in regards to women disappearing. Her chapters are scattered throughout every once in a while showing her situation and really added tension and intrigue to the story. I really enjoyed these small snippets because she was such a badass even for the very few pages she actually made an appearance and it gave a bit of an inside look to the individual who was holding her against her will.

All together I found all the points of view pretty enjoyable and it was paced well between each of them to the point of often leaving you on a cliffhanger with one character and desperately needing to read through to find out what happened. Though this was the case, it never felt like a slog having to read through a different character’s chapter to get the answers from said suspenseful cliffhanger, because every time I felt like I needed to contribute with one character’s story, I would end up sucked in to the next character’s storyline and forget all about what I was desperate to know more of prior.

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger ended up being a very interesting read and I’m looking forward to reading more of the authors work, hopefully full length novels next. I recommend this book to lovers of thrillers as I think it’s one that many will enjoy.

Thank you @netgalley @mysteriouspress for the #gifted e-arc.

Thank you @netgalley @mysteriouspress for the #gifted e-arc.

I am a big fan of Lisa Unger’s books so jumped at the chance to read this one! This book is about a woman with a tragic past who survived a killer and his accomplice when she was younger and who wants nothing more than to move on with her life now that she’s grown. She has opened a book store called The Next Chapter and right before Christmas a podcaster shows up to ask question and starts digging up details she’d rather just leave buried.

I thought the premise and plot of this book sounded like a book that I would absolutely love. The beginning of this book grabbed me and of course I didn’t want to put it down. I wanted to understand more about what and who has terrorized this town. I certainly did enjoy this story but I personally left feeling like I wanted to know more about the characters, especially Evan, the dangerous killer. I wanted to know more of what drove his actions and his personality. Same could be said about his accomplice. I think because this was a novella it lacked some of those details we would otherwise get if it was a bit longer. The ending wrapped up a bit quicker than I had hoped albeit I was still satisfied. I did enjoy this book I just wanted it to be longer. This is only my 2nd novella however so maybe it’s a learning curve for me. 😅

Lisa Unger has herself a hit! This book was so fun to read, I wish it had been longer, I couldn't get enough!

In the beginning I was super iffy, because they was lots of going back and forth and it was hard to keep up with but this book really turned out to be super good!

Lisa Unger is a very good writer, and this novella is a good story. The story is about a cold case, a horror filled night ten years ago, and goes back and forth to the present time. It is dark and compelling. Recommended for fans of Lisa Unger, and those who will become fans.

This is a novella set during the week of Christmas. An
older murder resurfaces at the same time a stripper goes missing and a true crime podcaster comes to town to research the old murder. It took me a bit to get the time frames straight. I liked it and it was a pretty quick read. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the ARC

This was a pretty fast, easy, suspenseful read that kept me wanting to find out more. This was my first book by this author and I’ll definitely read more.

My only critique is the ending seemed a bit abrupt. But it ended well.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NeGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thanks Penzler Publishers and NetGalley.

This was a quick thriller that wasn't quite my cup of tea, but it was a decent read nonetheless. A cold case is reopened as a blizzard approaches. Not a bad novella.

Lisa Unger never disappoints! This was a quick, dark Christmas story with a hopeful ending. It even brought a tear to my eye. I do think the killer was fairly obvious, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. Madeline's bookstore sounded so wonderful it made me wish I could shop there! I'm looking forward to Lisa Unger's next novel.

Expected publication: October 24, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I'm really struggling with how to review this one. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I also feel like it could have been even better if it were a full-length novel. The story itself was really good and kept me interested, but some of the suspense that is usually present in a mystery just wasn't there because there just wasn't as much time to build it. For example, in a longer book there probably would have been some more fleshed-out characters, which would have meant more suspects. Because of how few people were involved in this story, it was pretty easy to pinpoint the bad guy despite a few red herrings planted by the author to point suspicion at someone else.

Specifically one thing I really didn't like was that throughout the book there are multiple references to an upcoming interview between Harley Granger and Evan Handy, but because of other events that happen that never comes to fruition. I understand that it would have been difficult to fit that element in from a timing perspective, but I wish the author had just never mentioned it as a possibility because I was really looking forward to that and was disappointed that it doesn't actually happen.

I will say this, my absolute favorite part of this book, and the element that is the primary reason I am rating it 4 stars instead of 3 is the "podcast transcript" that is at the end of the book. A lot of thrillers/mysteries struggle to find a way that makes sense narratively to wrap up all of the loose ends and questions that come along throughout a book. Because of the nature of this story, pretty much every question I had got answered, which I loved as someone who hates unanswered questions at the end of a book. I understand why they happen sometimes, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

So basically to make a long review short, if you read mysteries because you want to be kept guessing until the very end, I would suggest looking for something longer(including some of Lisa Unger's full-length novels, I've read some and enjoyed them), but if a well-laid out story is enough for you even if you are able to figure out the big twist early on, I would definitely recommend this one.

This one for me was just.. fine. That’s the best way I can describe it. It didn’t really stand out and I felt like I’d already read this. It wasn’t bad but it also just didn’t keep my attention the way I had hoped.

Ten years ago in small town upstate New York at Christmas, one young woman was murdered k one was left for dead and two went missing. Now, the killer is in jail, murders are occurring again and a suspected serial killer is once again on the loose. But is he connected to the original crimes?
This was a short novella that had a lot of characters that I found myself instantly invested in-Madeleine, the one surviving victim, who now owns the town bookstore. Then Harley comes to town to do a podcast and reopen the cold case and write a book about the missing girls but Madeline doesn’t want to reopen those wounds. After all, it took one of her best friends, and two of her others havent been seen again since that night. And it left her with a scar so she can never forget what happened. Madeline’s dad, who happens to be the former sheriff of the town but who is now recovering from a stroke, was investigating the case at the time and never gave up searching for the girls, until he was unable to anymore.
As Christmas draw near, Madeleine and her lifelong friend Badger return to a past they both had hoped was behind them to try to find a missing girl and find answers to questions that have been haunting them both for all these years and the truth is much closer to home than they know.
This was a chilling, suspenseful plot that I was able to read in one sitting.
Thanks to Mysterious Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

I liked this novella because it was quick and twisty. I like to be shocked at the end but I figured out whodunit half way through. Still glad I read it for the fast thriller it is.

Christmas Presents is a seasonal novella by bestselling author Lisa Unger. It focuses on the small town of Little Valley and its tragic and haunting past that is being resurfaced by true crime podcaster Harley Granger. However, not only are the events of ten years ago of interest but there have been several recent missing women as well as the current disappearance of a woman named Lolly. Madeline Martin, owner of The Next Chapter bookstore, is the only survivor of her ex boyfriend and murderer Evan Hardy. She lives with her ex Sheriff dad who is recovering from a debilitating stroke and she navigates her life with her ever present best friend Badger by her side. Every Christmas since that horrific day, Maddie receives a little present that she is convinced is from Evan, who is locked up for life due to his crimes. Harley’s unwavering investigation of the crimes has unsettled locals and has brought up many questions and speculation as to whether the killer is in fact in prison or is the murderer still at large.

What I liked about this novella:
-dual timelines
- POV chapters of Grady, Maddie, and Lolly
-short chapters and pacing
-small town setting during Christmas
-true crime podcast aspect and Madeline’s Next Chapter bookstore
-the mysterious Christmas presents Maddie received and the reveal of who has sent them and why
-Badger and Maddie’s relationship

What I disliked about this novella:
-not as twisty as Unger’s other books
-needed more character development and the psychology of why they behave how they do-Unger usually excels at this but I think that due to the condensed nature of the novella that is not feasible
-would have made a better full book thriller that could be expanded
-predictable

My rating: 3 ½ out of 5

My final takeaway-I recommend this book to fans of Unger who want a seasonal short read. However go in with low expectations since it was more predictable with less character development for which she is known for in her thrillers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publisher Mysterious Press for this eARC which comes out October 24 2023.

This is my first Lisa Unger book and it won’t be my last!

Christmas Presents is a POV style novella told through the eyes of Madeline, Harley, and Lolly. The past intersects with the present and back again and their stories collide.

I loved the spacing of this book and the writing style! It was a fun, quick read that I didn’t want to put down. The author’s timing was magnificent! With each passing page, the intensity ramped up and it felt like you were tumbling into each chapter with more urgency. It was executed so well!

My only real critique, using that term loosely, is the title. Although it is relevant to the overall story, something about “Christmas Presents” doesn’t make me want to run out and buy this book. Luckily, I read it and know that it is the type of book I will gift this winter to fellow book lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers - Mysterious Press for the opportunity to read this ARC before it’s scheduled October 24th release date.

This is my second experience with stories told by Lisa Unger. I find her writing to be very good. It places you in the action and goosebumps arise as things take place. I felt like this was somewhat of an open ending---the mystery wrapped up sadly but neatly in a way that left one feeling as though it wasn't truly wrapped up. I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.