Christmas Presents
By Lisa Unger

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the advanced copy in turn for my honest review.

Sometimes when you listen to stories, you get instantly vested in the story. This one I was excited to listen to as I am a fan of Lisa Unger but unfortunately I can only wonder what I just listened too. I found myself losing interest.

Thank you again.

I loved that this book was a quick listen. It was fast paced and the narrator was great! However I think because this is a novella it is only so long. With it being short made it feel like a lot of the information was either not discussed enough or took up too much time. Points that weren’t developing the plot of this specific mystery may not have been completely necessary. Overall it was a fun listen just needed more focus

Lisa Unger writes a great novel and this is no exception. This novel is shorter than many of hers which made it a very quick read, but I do wish it were just a little longer as the middle part felt like it was missing details to really make the story cement in our minds

This is my kind of holiday read!

Madeline Martin has built a life for herself as the young owner of a thriving business, The Next Chapter Bookshop, despite her tragic childhood and now needing to care for her infirm father. When Harley Granger, a failed novelist turned true crime podcaster, drifts into her shop in the days before Christmas, he seems intent on digging up events that Madeline would much rather forget. She’s the only surviving victim of Evan Handy, the man who was convicted of murdering her best friend Steph, and is suspected in the disappearance of two sisters, also good friends of Madeline’s, who have been missing for nearly a decade. It’s an investigation that has obsessed her father Sheriff James Martin right up until his stroke took his faculties.

Short, quick read perfect for anyone who prefers action and mystery over holiday romances. This is not a Christmas story, but takes places at the days leading up to it.

I don’t listen to podcasts, but have always enjoyed reading stories that include podcasts. Harley Granger is in town to investigate the case. Throughout this sort read I kept wondering was Evan really guilty? Is Lolly’s disappearance connected to the cold case?

Great novella - I wish it was longer! I enjoyed Jennifer Pickens on audio, but I do feel like it could have benefited from multiple narrators.

What a fast-paced, entertaining thriller! I binged this in an evening; the narrator was excellent and kept me engaged. There were also so many fun aspects - bookstore owner MC, crime podcast, cold case, multiple POVs and timelines, compelling twists. A refreshing take on a holiday read. I previously also enjoyed Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six so I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘺!

I love Lisa Unger’s books and this one was no exception. I loved the pace, loved the twists and the suspense, it kept me engaged and at the edge of my seat. My kind of thriller!

Thank you HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 by Lisa Unger released October 24, 2023.

A book I read solely via audiobook and what I believe to be my first thriller audiobook experience and will absolutely not be my last! Not my first Lisa Unger book, so I knew before going in that I was probably going to enjoy, but to experience in a different medium was fun to try.

The main character is a bookstore owner, a future dream of my own, and she is living in the same small town that she was raised, but is trying to forget and hide some things of the past. BUT in walks a famous author who has a history of digging into things of the past and putting together podcasts to uncover secrets of the past. Madeline Martin may be a bit worried as to what Harley Granger may find and what she may have to confront.

Listening to the book was such a fun experience. To listen to a thriller and have the same joy of wanting to keep reading and reading and not stopping was awesome! I kept cleaning parts of my house and sitting in my car while running errands so I could continue listening to this riveting thriller.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was well written and kept me interested throughout. I almost wish it was longer so it could have been a little more in-depth but I enjoyed the twists and thought the characters were all very interesting. I would read more by this author. The narrator did a good job as well.

This was a good book. I just wished it was longer. Everything was there. The chemistry between the characters, the plot, the mystery; however, the story felt rushed. Everything moved too quickly, there are some points that are glossed over, some characters that are introduced and then put on the back burner, and the ending was too perfect for everything that happened. I think maybe another 100 pages to work some things out would do this book a whole lot of justice.

This had so much potential to be really good, but it was so short (like novella sized) that the ideas didn't get fully fleshed out. There was opportunity to do a bunch for flashbacks and more time spent with the kidnapped girls, but everything felt rushed.

Although this book was entertaining it was definitely not up to par with other books I have read by this author. The characters were likable, but the story line was very predictable, which took some of the enjoyment out of the story for me. However, there are not very many Christmas oriented thrillers. So I definitely still recommend it for that reason.

This might be my favorite Lisa Unger book...and I love all of her books! This novella was not what I was expecting, and it is a perfect read for this time of year!

If you say the words "thriller" and "true crime" in the description of a book, I'm going to buy it. Furthermore, if there is someone who wants to make a podcast in the story, I won't be able to preorder the book fast enough. This story focuses on Madeline Martin, a woman who survived a horrific trauma when she was 17. She now owns her own independent bookstore - love this - and helps to take care of her father after his recent stroke.

Enter Harley Granger - a true crime podcaster - who wants to investigate the case that involved Madeline, and thinks that things are not as they seem. His arrival sets off a chain of events that takes the reader back in time to the original crime, and through present day, where a woman has gone missing.

This may be considered a shorter story/novella, but it packs a punch. It has a wonderful cast of characters, and the author gives you the opportunity to get to know all of the players. I loved that the title has true meaning in this story, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way. It is fast paced, and the twist and turns are incredible!

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book! It has a wonderful narrator, and the pace is amazing. This is the perfect read for December. I highly recommend it!

I enjoyed the twists and turns. This book had a little bit of everything- crime, family, romance and suspense. All wrapped up in a pretty little Christmas bow.

#AudiobookReview
My sincere thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for the complimentary audiobook.

We ♥️ a main character who is a bookseller. Madeline is also the survivor of a disfiguring attack back in her teen years that took place around Christmas - the same night her best friends were kidnapped and her frienemy was murdered. Who scarred Madeline in more ways than one? Her very own boyfriend.

While he brutalized her and left her to die, her two childhood friends go missing and remain so. Evan couldn’t have committed both crimes, so who took her friends? A cold case podcaster and author, Harley Granger, means to find out.

Our third POV comes from an abducted stripper named Lolly. It seems there’s a serial killer on the loose, and once again at Christmas time. How is he connected to the cases long ago?

What worked:
The narration is 11/10, Jen Pickens is a favorite of mine. She manages to be both soothing *and* inspire quiet terror…

I really enjoyed the MC and the realism of her relationship with Steph (the murdered frienemy). I also liked her relationship with her father’s caregiver.

The descriptions of PTSD are accurate, but I wish Madeline would’ve called herself a survivor, not a victim.

What didn’t work for me:
Telling somebody they aren’t asexual - that their body just hasn’t “figured out yet” that they like boys = textbook acephobia. There is a HUGE difference between being asexual and being a late bloomer.

Excessive references to IG, I’m trying to avoid socials when I’m reading, so unless the book is *about* an influencer - I don’t want to hear about Instagram so much.

Other “boomery” lingo like calling Lolly a pole-dancer instead of a stripper, discussing filter preferences and calling the teen workers at the bookstore “woke” as a compliment felt very Carol from accounting? Not in line with Madeline’s personality…

Ableism: An older character talks about how her friend reads by audiobook because of failing vision, but then turns around and says she doesn’t know what she’ll do when her eyesight goes, that if she can’t read - she’ll die. Um…she can still read by audiobook (like the friend she *just* mentioned) because audiobooks ARE reading.

Perhaps the author meant to make this character ableist? Dunno, but it boils my blood whenever I come across anyone being elitist/gatekeeping reading. Physical books aren’t superior to audio or e-books,

The podcast/Harley felt superfluous. I’d rather have learned more about the cold case sisters to add depth to their loss.

Podcast integration works better when it’s adding production value to the audiobook like in Sadie (Courtney Summers) or Meg Goldin’s series, otherwise it’s best left out.

I’ve rounded up my rating to a four stars to account for the stellar narration.

⚠️ TW/CWs: Alzheimer’s, stroke, palliative care, maternal abandonment, rape, graphic violence, kidnapping, murder, infidelity, emotional affair, drugging, torture, disfigurement, acephobia/aphobia, alcohol use, alcoholism, ableism.

I'm sure this is my fault, but this was my first Lisa Unger book and I was very let down by it. I will eventually go back and read some of the others in their catalog, but I never got fully invested in this story. Maybe it was in part because it was a novella and not a full length novel, but there was something that just never clicked with me about the story or characters.

This was an enjoyable thriller that wove true crime themes in a Christmas setting. This was a short but good creepy read.

This story featured a lot of familiar tropes. While it never felt revolutionary. I still enjoyed my time with this one.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher

A fast-paced, entertaining read from one of my favorite authors. I loved the Christmas setting and the homage to Unger’s earlier works. The audio version is excellent and goes very quickly. A shocking ending wraps this up nicely.

I love a good holiday thriller and this was a fun mystery! This felt a little long and I lost some steam in the middle but some good twists overall.

Thank you to Recorded Books and Netgalley for the gifted audiobook copy of CHRISTMAS PRESENTS by Lisa Unger!

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS is set in the days leading up to the holidays. Madeline is a young woman who spends her time running a successful bookstore, taking care of her father, and trying to forget her past. Madeline's best friend was murdered by Evan Handy and he was suspected of doing much more. Madeline was his only survivor and her father was obsessed with the case until he had a stroke that left him unable to care for himself.

Harley is a true crime podcaster and true crime author intent on getting answers to what happened, no matter what it takes. When he is in town, he begins to look into the cold case of Evan Handy and he has questions, dragging Madeline and her friend Badger back into the thick of it. Though Evan is in jail, more young women have gone missing, including a young woman named Lolly lost recently.

I really liked the idea of a thriller set at Christmas, where Christmas isn't the main focus. As someone who doesn't tend to want to do a TON of holiday related reading, this seemed perfect. Having it from an author I've enjoyed a lot in the past was also a plus.

Overall I found this to be a pretty typical thriller. It definitely gave me some questions about what was going on and I was interested to get to the answers, but I wouldn't say I was fully hooked. It is a fairly short book, but even so it was a little too easy to put down and took me a bit to get through. There were some twists I didn't fully guess, but I think that had I put more thought into it, I likely could have figured it out. Looking back at the book's full synopsis on Goodreads, I think it hints at too much and if I had read that before the book, I would have figured it out faster.

Overall, this was an entertaining and quick "holiday" read.

This short, holiday thriller was a great read for the fall. Following the recent trend of mysteries/thrillers set around a crime podcast, this story alternates between past and present as a crime affecting a small town 10 years ago is investigated by a famous podcaster.

There wasn't anything particularly unique here, but I enjoyed the story. The Christmas aspect was pretty minimal. There were a few plot points that could have been explored further had the book been longer, but none of them took away from the central plot for me. Multiple points of view are used well here to delineate the threads of the timeline.

The narration was great as well.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HighBridgeAudio for a free copy of #ChristmasPresents by Lisa Unger. All opinions are my own.