Madeline Martin returns home to work with a podcaster and solve a crime from her childhood. Some think she killed her best friend and two other girls when they were teenagers. Others thing the man in jail is guilty, despite his claim of innocence. As Maddy gets to know the writer and some former friends, she falls in love and finds out she can't always trust the people she once did. Everything comes together in a startling conclusion, but it was a wild ride and I loved the entire book. Wish it were longer.

This is the Christmas story I have been looking for it.

It is not sweet. It is not wrapped up with bows and cheesy Christmas music.

It is classic Lisa Unger psychological thriller and it's the Christmas gift us thriller lovers have been looking for.

I would describe it as a thriller set with a Christmas backdrop. It takes places as Christmas. And there are Christmas presents...as the title suggests.

Madeline Martin is the victim of a horrific crime as a teen. Her friend was murdered. Two girls are missing. And each year at Christmastime, the anniversary of it all, they hold vigil and hope against hope for the return of the two that are lost. This year is different though. Harley Granger -true crime writer and podcaster - has come to town to investigate. As they revisit the ghosts of Christmas past, will they end up with more than they bargained for? Will they, the town, finally find the closure they needed?

This is billed as a novella but, at over 200 pages, it's not your typical short story. There's enough meat to it that there was time to get into the story, to connect with the characters and to start to wonder just who the villain was before too much was revealed. There is enough space and latitude in the pages that, had she wanted to, Unger could have filled it out to create a full blown thriller out of this one and it would have been even better.

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. The downfall was that I requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before the book was archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

My guilty pleasure is a story that centers around a "final girl" and people stirring up mysterious murder from years prior. Add in some podcast elements and I'm sold!

In this case, Madeline Martin is busy running her bookstore, The Next Chapter Bookshop, as she tries to forget about the day her best friend was murdered and her two friends disappeared forever. It all comes back to the surface when a failed novelist comes to town and starts asking too many questions for his podcast.

For such a short book (224 p.), there sure was a lot going on! I loved the shorter "novella" length and think it would be a quick Christmas vacation read! This is not by any means a cozy mystery though and in fact it does get pretty intense at some points!

Lisa Unger definitely knows how to set a scene and build suspense and the blizzard at Christmas vibes were on point. I still think people could read/enjoy this year round.

3.5 stars

Thank you Penzler Publisher/Mysterious Press for the ARC. This book will be available for purchase on Oct 24th!

Thank you @highbridgeaudio @mysteriouspress & @netgalley for my digital and audio copies. My thoughts are my own.

Treat yourself to a Christmas thriller!

This seasonal thriller, though called a novella, is 260 pages, just long enough for you to get a really good mystery read in time for Christmas!

The story starts with a young woman, Lolly, who decides to quit working in a stripper bar. She plans to return home for Christmas and start over. Then, she accepts dinner with a stranger … and disappears.

Ten years ago, Madeline was attacked, her best friend was murdered, and two other friends disappeared. Madeline testified against her boyfriend, Evan, and he was sentenced to life in prison for these crimes. Today Madeline is a bookshop owner, and she has built a quiet life for herself. She does not realize that other young women have gone missing in the last 10 years.

When famous true crime podcaster Harley Granger moves to town, he has lots of questions about that night ten years ago, and he means to find answers. Known for finding the truth in unsolvable crimes, Harley doesn’t realize what he is stirring up when he comes to town.

The story takes place in the days just before Christmas, and is told primarily through the first person perspective of Madeline, with occasional chapters told through Lolly’s point of view. There are also chapters devoted to the third person perspective of Harley Granger. The story moves quickly, leading to a satisfying conclusion. Though only 260 pages, the story is strong, with well-developed characters and a good plotline. I did have my suspicions as I read this one, but parts of the ending still surprised me! I highly recommend this for thriller lovers at any time of the year!

I both read and listened to this one. I preferred the print version because the story was told in multiple perspectives, and the print version was easier for me to follow.

Madeline Martin survived a vicious attack that left her best friend dead & two girls missing. Her boyfriend at the time, Evan, was convicted of the crimes. Ten years later podcaster and author Harley Granger comes poking around to reopen the case and another woman is missing! Oof what a great thriller! It was spooky, gripping & I couldn’t put it down!

Lisa Unger is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. Christmas Presents is a novella about a cold case, that left two of Madeline's friends missing, one dead and Madeline herself injured and left to die by her boyfriend. But even though the boyfriend is behind bars, not everything adds up. A true crime podcaster is interested in the case, and by showing up brings disruption into Madeline's life once again.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

This was the first book I have read by this author. I was very confused at the beginning of the story and then it started to make a little sense.

Than you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was a great thriller, as all of this author's books are. A little taste of a Christmas with a serial killer in the mix. Maddie is the sole survivior of a Christmas time masacre that left one of her best friends dead and two others missing. Evan Handy was charged with and found guilty of the crimes. A podcaster and award winning author, Harley Granger, has bought and moved to the missing girls' home and is planning to do a podcast about the crimes. When he approaches maddie at her bopokstore, she is taken aback as she has vowed not to speak about the crime again, she has enough reminder with the scar on her face. Maddie's remaining best friend, Badger supports her decison and encourages her not to speak of the crimes.

Maddie finds herself wondering about the events more and more and finds herself drawn to finally filling in the missing events from her memory. Harley tells her thst more women are missing and he thinks the cases might be related, but how can it be if Evan Handy is still in jail? As Harley gets closer to the truth, is he in danger or will Maddie find herself at risk?

I did guess the edning but I enjoyed reading the story and found that it was a quick and great read.

By Lisa Unger

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc!

This book is the perfect pallet cleanser from cheesy holiday romance books - while still staying festive! If festive is a big kidnapping man wearing a Santa mask. 🎅🏻🫣

This little novella had all the things a quick thriller should- I felt like Lisa Unger did a great job as setting the characters in a short amount of time. I thought the toxic relationship between Evan and Maddie was so clear, but her age and insecurities kept her blind to it all. I loved hearing from three of the points of view- Maddie in the past, Maddie in the present, and current girl missing/kidnapped.

It *did* have a podcast element, which I'm very over, and we did hear some from that POV (which we probably could've done without) but it was just done to stir up the cold case and he wasn't the main focus.

Semi-Spoiler: It felt a little predictable until I was wrong at the end!

Anyways pick this up if you're a little sick to the stomach from all the super SWEET holiday reads and need something a little refreshing!

A holiday novella about a true crime podcaster looking for answers in the murder of one young woman and the disappearance of two others.

The plot caught my attention as I always enjoy a whodunnit that involves some digging into cold cases. This started out strong with the kidnapping of an erotic dancer that immediately pulled me in. Then we meet Madeline who survived a horrifying attack, the murder of her best friend and the disappearance of two other friends. Her boyfriend was arrested and jailed for the crimes but other girls have gone missing since. Are the crimes connected? Did he have a partner or can he be innocent?

Due to the short novella format, this moves quickly and never goes in too deeply. I had a pretty good guess of the bad guy from early on but I enjoyed this Christmasy murder mystery.

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger is a novella but a longer one and I savored every page. Unger makes it easy to suspect everyone then once the culprit is revealed, you realize how masterfully she weaved the pieces together so that it could only be that person. I was obsessed with Maddie and her bookstore, I wish that it were real! (Minus the trauma.) I found myself so impressed with the character development and how each characters voice was completely distinct. This may seem like a holiday book but get ready for twists, chills and bumps in the night with this one.

A wonderful spooky tale just perfect for the holidays. Deftly plotted and uniquely written. Immediately drew me in. Highly recommend.

Maddie can’t seem to face her past when her entire friend group was wiped out after one night, until she is forced to face the grim reality.
I figured out two of the key pieces to the plot fairly early and just has to wait to see how Unger would weave the story fabric.
It’s a good, quick read, great for those who love a holiday who some it book.

Lisa Unger's newest thriller set around Christmas, is anything but your typical holiday read. It's a gripping tale that revolves around Madeline Martin, the survivor of a horrific crime during her high school years. She's now the owner of The Next Chapter Bookshop, a cozy escape from her haunting past. But things take a turn when Harley Granger, a washed-up novelist turned true crime podcaster, stumbles into her shop, stirring up memories Madeline would rather leave buried.

The story delves into the investigation of the crime that consumed her father, the town's sheriff, until his stroke. This dark chapter of her life not only took her best friend but also led to the mysterious vanishing of two others from their close-knit group. Every Christmas Eve, the town holds a vigil for the two missing girls, a poignant reminder of the tragedy. Yet, even after Evan Handy's conviction, similar disappearances continue to haunt the small community. This raises questions: Are these new crimes connected to the past, or is there more to Evan Handy's guilt than meets the eye?

Unger's narrative is far from a cozy Christmas tale. It's an atmospheric crime story that had me hooked from the start. I breezed through it in a day, captivated by the suspense and the dark undercurrents of this small-town mystery. While the ending didn't exactly shock me, the journey there was thoroughly engaging. If you're looking for something that's a bit eerie and thought-provoking, this book is a perfect choice. Just don't expect any warm, fuzzy holiday vibes from this one!

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC!

A podcaster and book shop owner try to track down the missing Lilly during a blizzard. A perfect mystery read for Christmas. Fast paced and plenty of twists.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Super quick read! A fast paced holiday mystery that will shock you for sure. Definitely recommend especially this time of year! I really enjoyed it.

I found this book to be excellent and devoured it in a day! The characters were realistic and the tension between them was awesome. I highly recommend reading this book.

I found this book to be very interesting and intriguing. I would recommend this a friend because this is a book for everyone. I really enjoyed emerging myself into this book and it was just wonderful. This book evened my eyes to quite a few things and it’s one of those books that I’ll think about for quite awhile.

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger was an atmospheric novella following final girl Madeline Martin as she struggles to move on from the murder of her best friend and disappearance of two close classmates. Evan Handy is behind bars. Madeline should be safe, but someone keeps leaving her a Christmas present every December and more girls are going missing. When true crime podcaster Harley Granger decides Evan Handy will be his newest case, he knows Madeline is a crucial piece to the puzzle. Will Madeline’s repressed memories prove Evan’s guilt or did an innocent man go to prison?

This was a fun novella that kept me fully engaged, but wishing for a full-length story. If concepts could have been developed further, the story would have lended itself nicely to the novella’s cold atmosphere and the tension would have been significantly raised.

Thank you to Mysterious Press and Netgalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.