This holiday whodunit was a fast-paced, twisty ride. When a cold case true crime podcaster comes to town, all kinds of old memories and hidden secrets come to light. Madeline has done her best to leave the past in the past, but now another woman is missing and Harley, the podcaster is in town to investigate the latest disappearance along with the past murder of Madeline's friend and disappearance of several other women. Is the right guy in jail, or is the killer/kidnapper still out there? Each year Madeline has been receiving a Christmas present from an unknown person - could that be linked to the real criminal and is she next?

Hold on tight for this entertaining, fast moving read. It's the perfect fit scratch any holiday-themed thriller itch that you've got.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger. This was another hit by this author. I finished this book in one day. It was absolutely bingeable in the best way. If this author writes a book, I’m reading it.

Christmas Presents was a total gift for the holiday season.

Unger has quickly become one of my favourite thriller writers, I was hooked after the ARC of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six. It's rare that I come across a thriller that truly surprises me anymore, and I love Unger's narratives and characters because I truly can't predict what happens next!

Christmas Presents is the perfect November read as we gear up for December. I found it quick, captivating, and a super fun read I would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness, I loved this Holiday thriller from Lisa Unger! It is more of a novella length, but she managed to write a captivating mystery that I just couldn’t stop listening to! This story was so good and the audiobook is INCREDIBLE! I absolutely loved it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ -Audiobook

Madeline Martin’s life changed dramatically the night her best friend Stephanie Cramer was murdered by fellow student Evan Handy and Madeleine herself was left for dead. Their other best friends, Ainsley and Sam Wallace went missing the same night and were never found. Evan was charged and sentenced for Stephanie’s death and attempted murder of Madeline, but not for the Wallace Sisters disappearance. Fast forward ten years later and three more women have gone missing. Evan is behind bars so who’s to blame? I guessed the person fairly early in the book and usually that ruins the book for me, but this was so atmospheric and interesting that I still enjoyed it from beginning to end! A highly recommended read for a cold snowy December night!!

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.

This was a quick read and helped me get out of a funk between reads. Wasn't amazing but it was good. I'll probably recommend to some friends

This was a pretty fun and fast-paced thriller novella. Perfect if you are looking for a little christmas themed thriller for the holidays. This was my first book by Lisa Unger, but it was definitely not my last.

This was a little predictable, but what I like when I just want a fun thriller read. I bumped this down to four stars because there was one element I wish had explored more but wasn't. I won't go into detail so as not to be a spoiler! I did absolutely love the tie-in with a little bookstore! I adore books with book tie-ins. I have to say the fact I wanted more to this story caused me to give it a solid 4!

The narration was suburb, and she kept me intrigued the entire time!

Overall, if you like a little thriller that is reminiscent of like Scream or The Inmate, this would be a read for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penzier Publishers, Mysterious Press for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS by Lisa Unger and narrated by Jennifer Pickens is another holiday murder mystery worth checking out!

I must admit that I am reading so many more holiday stories than I usually do! Nevermind that they all revolve around murder. I don't know what that says about me and the holidays.

This story was immediately intriguing as Madeline Martin is the owner of a bookstore! That is where the cozy images end. Madeline is the survivor of a horrible attack that left her best friend dead. The perpetrator has been in jail, but the recent disappearance of another young girl on the fringes brings it all back, along with a true crime Podcaster intent on digging up old wounds.

This felt like an intense story with deeper questions about our relationship with true crime. This is not a new topic, as I have seen it in multiple stories lately, but I do think it is done well here.

The mystery of the story was also done well, leaving me questioning the past/present connections and characters. Having the audio was a great way to enjoy this story for me. I thought Pickens had a perfect voice for Madeline. I also really liked the multiple POV'S with Lollie, the missing girl. It gave an intensity that I appreciated, and the audio brought her snippets out perfectly.

If you are like me and need a bit of darker holiday entertainment (that is also resolved by the end of the book), be sure to grab this one! It was published on October 24, so it is available now! Thank you to @netgalley & @highbridgeaudio for this title and letting me share my thoughts.

2.5 stars. I was intrigued by the premise of this one. A christmas mystery sounded interesting, but the Christmasy side of it really wasn't there as much as I was hoping. The read was entertaining, but I think I would have liked this one to be a normal length book. I'm not a fan of short books or novellas because the characters are never developed enough. The narrator did a good job with the different people and setting the tone for the book.

Great twisty read with some Christmasy cheer. Creative and will keep you questioning who to trust.

Loved the narrator, but wish each character had its own voice.

Excellent, every element. Narration, story, characters. I only wish it was longer! Big fan of Unger.

I listened to this on audiobook in a day. It's very fast-paced and a nice potato chip type of thriller (tasty while it lasts but kind of blends together with all the other bingeable/unmemorable-type thrillers).

Christmas Presents is a short, action-packed thriller in true Lisa Unger style! If you want to dip your toe into the thriller genre then this is the book for you! Madeline is the only survivor of serial killer Evan Hardy, but three other women have gone missing since he went to jail. Did Evan Hardy really kill those other girls and attempt to kill Madeline or is there a deeper plot going on?

LIsa Unger takes you on a psychologically twisting journey on the discovery to the truth. With multiple POVs and timelines, you get insight into the different characters and the story unravels before your eyes. Despite there being a lot of characters, all of them are developed beautifully. The audiobook was well-done and really brought the story and characters to life.

As always, make sure you check out any trigger warnings that the publisher puts out. Other than that the only reason I can imagine that you would not want to read this is if you struggle with multiple POVs and timelines. That said, even when listening to the audio, the book was so well formatted that I did not have any issue keeping up.

I have loved everything that I have read by Lisa Unger. She is a go to thriller author for me and this book did not dissuade me from that, more enforced why I feel that way. I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the audio book.

I loved this one. At first I was concerned because I thought it was a novella but it’s honestly really good and well executed. Is this a novella? It doesn’t seem like it. It’s 260 pages. The perfect length to burn through very quickly. I thought the book was fast paced and the characters were complex and interesting. I was glued to it the entire time!

‘Tis the season to make our murdery reads festive 🤣 I love reading books that correlate with the season I’m in, but I also don’t want to give up all thrillers for romance! So thank you @lisaungers for writing this book just for me! And one thing I love is a well done novella! Sometimes you just want to read a story that is thrilling all the way through and not so much “fluff”. Don’t get me wrong, I love the extra details normally, but every once in awhile I like to just get down to the nitty gritty! Lisa throws you into the bulk of this story, weaving in the backstory details from ten years ago with the current timeline. Christmas Presents was the perfect balance for me!! It was full of relatable, well developed characters, a missing person, a podcast, a possible serial killer, all in this small town with tons of secrets. The three POVs worked so well and I was not able to flip the pages fast enough! This book provides the twists wrapped up in a beautiful Christmas bow! The narration was so well done on this! It kept me in this story and engaged!

I liked this and I do recommend but it wasn't one of the best of hers. Thanks so much for the opportunity.

This was a quick and enjoyable read from the talented Lisa Unger. I wish it had been longer, as I enjoyed the characters and would have liked to delve deeper into their lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mysterious Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Madeline survived an attack as a teen that left her three friends either dead or missing. When a podcaster shows up in her town to review the case, Madeline must deal with the trauma of her past.

This was a short, fast-paced read -- but I guessed the culprit very early on. The first 50% of the book started strong, but I felt the twists towards the end became very unrealistic and abrupt.

3/5 stars-- I wish this was a novel and not a novella so we could have had more development between the characters and how the mystery unfolds.

Christmas Presents is not the normal kind of happy festive story I read at Christmas. I enjoy Lisa Unger's books, so jumped into this Christmas thriller/crime mystery. Madeline Martin survived a childhood tragedy and now has a new life, owns a bookstore and cares for her infirm father. Harley Granger is a novelist who is washed up and now has his own true crime podcast. He comes to town to investigate the disappearance of two other girls who disappeared the same night Evan Handy killed her best friend Steph and left her for dead. The sisters were never found, neither were their bodies. With his father dying in Little Valley, this is the perfect case for him to investigate while he is there. Does Madeline have information she doesn't even know she possesses? While this book is set during the Christmas season, the presents aren't happy and festive.

Although this book is called a novella, at 260 pages, it is a short novel. This is a quick story, with twists that had me guessing. With another girl missing, Madeline and her friend Badger are now considering an accomplice to the original crime. Madeline's father was the sheriff at the time of the original crime and she is sure he is trying to tell them something. Time is running out to identify the killer and find the missing woman before it’s too late? With suspense, mystery and a smidgeon of romance, this was a mystery that I enjoyed. I did a read/listen with Jennifer Pickens narrating. She does a nice job with this story and I recommend either format.