Thank you so much to @netgalley for the chance to review Lisa Unger's Christmas Presents. This book was so good - creepy and twisty, told in several POV and timelines. The reader meets Madeline Martin, a book owner with a tragic past, and Harley Granger, a true crime novelist who wants to dig just a bit deeper into her case. The perpetrator has been in jail for years... As Christmas approaches, a local woman is missing, and new questions come to light.
Excellent narration, great storytelling. A must read - and I loved the juxtaposition of cozy winter Christmas with the haunting nature of the tale.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

This was solid. I definitely enjoyed it light-years beyond Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, so that's a plus and makes me open to picking up more from this author. I wish this could have been a little longer, honestly. I felt a little clipped. I would have enjoyed learning even more about this group of characters. Maybe their stories will be continued, or elaborated on, at another time?

In this story, we are following a few different characters. Madeline Martin is a bookshop owner in Little Valley, who in her teen years survived a brutal attack that left her best friend, Steph, dead. Madeline has been living with the shadow of that night looming over her ever since.

Harley Granger is a True Crime Podcaster, who arrives in Little Valley looking to speak to Madeline about the night she would just as soon forget. It seems Harley has been in contact with Evan Handy, the man convicted of murdering Steph and plans to explore these crimes on his Podcast. Since Evan's conviction, three other women have disappeared, casting doubts on whether or not he worked alone.

Finally, we follow Lolly, an exotic dancer who gets thrown into the drama unfolding in the small town. Even though we do get Lolly's perspective, Madeline and Harley are definitely the stars of this show.

The story is comprised of current day sections, as well as glimpses into the past, in particular surrounding Madeline's life and the night of the crimes. I listened to the audiobook for this, and while I enjoyed it quite a bit, I do feel the story could've been better served by having two, or even three, different narrators. This is personal preference though, but I think it could have helped to delineate between perspectives.

With this being said, I did think the content and set-up were very interesting. The characters were well-developed and easy to follow. At the same time, since this was so short, I feel like I could have been even more connected, and enjoyed it even more, if it had been a tad longer. That way, all facets could have been taken a little futher. For what is here though, it is well done and I think a lot of Readers are going to really enjoy it.

An added bonus was the setting. The Christmasy-Winter-feel was great and it definitely put me in the mood for some colder weather reads!

Thank you so much to the publisher, HighBridge Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I definitely recommend this one to Unger fans, or anyone looking to try her work for the first time. I think this one would give you a great feel for her writing style.

I really enjoyed Confessions on the 7:45 so I thought I'd give this one a try. I like the plot and the characters but I felt that it lacked the suspense I expected. Still worth the read/listen as its a short story. The narrator was great.

Excellent, fast paced novella about a young bookseller who survived a horrific attack after watching her best friends murder. . Madeline is a young woman with a tragic past she would rather forget, so when a true crime podcaster comes to town to speak to her about the crime, she is less than thrilled. But as she has lost her memory of many of the events that night, maybe the podcaster can help make sure the correct person is brought to justice. Excellent narration brings this edge of your seat thriller to life. Definitely one of Unger’s best.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me early access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.


The book was fine. I kind of struggled to get through it, but I can't say if that was the content of the book, or the narrarator.

This is a quick, exciting read! I listened to the audio in like two days. It is not quite a novella but still pretty short. It delivered on all my expectations. It wasn’t anything mind-blowingly fresh for the genre but I still really enjoyed it. If you’re looking for a solid, classic mystery-thriller experience, this is a great choice. I love all the tropes: small-town, tragic past, new crime that digs up the truth. I doubt it will be something I’ll remember the details of years from now, but it will be one that I remember having a really good time while reading it. This is the kind of book that I want to devour during the holiday season while cozied up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate, a fire roaring, and comfy blankets. I liked the characters, the plot was fast-paced and kept me turning the pages, the setting was well-crafted. It just has everything you want and expect from a thriller like this. The audio was also well done and easy to listen to. Definitely recommend!

Despite her tragic childhood and now needing to care for her father, Madeline Martin has built a life for herself as the young owner of a thriving bookshop in her hometown of Little Valley, New York. A few days before Christmas, Harley Granger, a failed novelist turned true crime podcaster, comes into her bookshop. Granger tells Madeline that he plans on doing a podcast about Evan Handy, the man who was convicted of murdering Madeline’s best friend, Steph. Madeline is the only surviving victim of Handy, who is also suspected in the disappearance of two sisters who have been missing for nearly a decade. Since Handy went to jail, three other young women have gone missing, most recently a young woman named Lolly. As Christmas approaches, Madeline and her childhood friend Badger hope to find Lolly and answer the questions that have haunted them both. Are these disappearances connected? Was Handy innocent? Or, did he have a partner?

This was my first Lisa Unger book, and I will definitely be reading more! Just 224 pages, this novella is a quick read that you can easily binge in a day. This book was a page-turner, with short chapters and a fast-paced plot. I was absorbed in the story and could not put it down until I found out the truth. With its cozy setting and suspenseful storyline, “Christmas Presents” can be read during spooky season or at Christmastime.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jennifer Pickens. She did a great setting the tone of the story, and you could feel the emotion. It was a little difficult at first to tell the characters apart, but it got easier as the story continued. Overall, an enjoyable and bingeable audiobook at just 5 hours and 38 minutes.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for an ARC of this audiobook.

I really enjoyed this for the most part. It's quick, spooky, and fast-paced. By the end, the story felt rushed and frantic. I feel like the goal with this book was to make it short, not necessarily to develop it well. It definitely could have been longer. I consume a lot of audiobooks and was shocked that this one was less than 6 hours.

As Christmas approaches, so does Harley Granger who is a podcaster that digs into cold cases. He approaches Madelin Martin regarding her abduction, which at the same time her best friend was killed, and she was left to die in the cold.

The individual sent to jail for the crime is Evan Handy, who Madeline was in love with. She can't remember what happened that night, but her scars reminder her daily of what happened. The same night 2 sisters have disappeared.

Evan is intent on finding out if there was a second individual that night because years later another girl is taken and is missing.

A wonderful, suspenseful mystery.

4.5 stars

Lisa Unger’s new novella Christmas Presents delivers a new spin of the ghost of Christmas past. Madeline Martin is less than thrilled when true crime podcaster Harley Granger comes into her bookstore. Why? Because she knows he’s there looking to dig into the tragedy of her past. A past that included the murder of one friend, the disappearance of two others, and also left her scarred…both physically and psychologically. Though at first she wants nothing to do with reliving her past, but with the old memories stirred up she decides that perhaps it’s time to uncover the truth once and for all. This is a well constructed mystery/thriller that will keep you guessing. This is a quick listen and Jennifer Pickens does an excellent job with the narration. I’d like to thank HighBridge Audio an NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the audio version of Christmas Presents.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3BNSXP4OZZKJT/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I love Lisa Unger, and I love Jenn Pickens, so when I saw this dynamic duo, I couldn't hit "Request" fast enough! This was such a great little bitesized holiday-ish thriller, with twists and turns galore. Unger keeps us guessing til the end.

Jenn's narration is spectacular!! I could listen to her read all day long.

My review will be posted to my Booksta in the coming days ❤️

Thanks Highpoint for the gifted ALC.

3.5 Stars

Madeline Martin is the sole survivor of the murders orchestrated by Evan Handy, a chapter of her life she's desperate to erase from memory. Fast forward ten years, Harley Granger, a devoted true crime podcast host, is determined to unearth the buried past. He has stumbled upon hints and pieces of evidence that suggest a string of murders similar to those committed by Evan Handy has continued even after Handy was locked behind bars. Was Evan Handy wrongfully accused?

Intriguing concept and storyline. My only complaint would be that it was too short. The story could have used some more depth and character development. All in all, it was a quick and entertaining read. Perfect for those looking for a quick holiday thriller.

*** Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Unger, and HigherBridge Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

Christmas Presents had an interesting premise of a hometown girl trying to outlive her trauma and near murder as a teen. That perpetrator was put away, but the, why are girls disappearing 20 years later? Enter true-crime writer who moves to said small town to investigate the disappearances. In addition to all of these sub-plots, we also are told, in first-person, about the most recent abduction. For a 6 hour audiobook, the author tried to do too much. As a result, none of it shined. There is definitely potential there, but it needed to be fleshed out more.
Thank you to Mysterious Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was an enjoyable novella that brings my love of Christmas and thrillers into one neat package. I enjoyed the story and was captivated the entire time.

I really wanted to love this book and while the story was enjoyable, I found the end rushed and there were a number of loose ends that left me feeling like there was more story to tell. I understand the true crime podcast spin, but feel that the character of Harley Granger was not necessary. His story and involvement didn't really add anything to the story and didn't feel needed.

Despite all of this, I enjoyed the story enough and would definitely read more Lisa Unger books, especially if they involve Christmas!

3.5/5

Madeline Martin was left for dead on the edge of a river. She is the only one of her friends that Evan Handy, her boyfriend at the time didn’t successfully murder. She continues to relive this nightmare as Christmas approaches and she receives yet another one of the mysterious Christmas gifts on her doorstep.
Five days before Christmas a gentleman walks into Madeline’s bookstore under the pretense of buying a book for his father. He turns out to be the true crime podcaster and author, Harley Granger who is interested in interviewing the town about the attacks that left two of Madeline’s friend’s dead and the bodies never found.
Madeline teams up with her best friend Badger to try and solve the mystery before Harley Granger can wreak anymore havoc by stirring up the old case.
Christmas Presents is a captivating mystery with characters you will be cheering on. Thank you NetGalley and High Bridge Audio for my ARC.

Perfect seasonal reading for the spooky Halloween season all the way through Christmas! You won't be able to put this one down.

Maddie survived a horrific assault as a teen which took the life of her best friend and, during which, two other friends disappeared. The perpetrator is in prison and she has worked hard to move on despite her scars, both physical and emotional. But, when a true crime podcaster moves to town with the intent to reopen the case, his presence seems to stir things up again especially as he ties that earlier tragedy to two other murders and the recent disappearance of a stripper. Maddie knows that the right man was convicted of the original crime but is it possible he wasn’t alone that night?

Christmas plays very little role in Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger except as a timeframe for the story. Nor is this your typical Christmas cozy but rather a well-paced thriller that kept me engaged throughout. The story is told through two different timelines, the events leading up to the original crime and the present and two different voices, Maddie and Lolly, the stripper who has disappeared, but it was fairly easy to keep their different voices separate. My only quibble with the story was how easy it was to spot the perpetrators but this didn’t interfere too much with my enjoyment since the real mystery is what happened to Maggie and her friends in the past and where Lolly is in the present. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jennifer Pickens who does an excellent job.

I received an early audiobook from Netgalley and HighBridge Audio in exchange for an honest review

Christmas Presents made for a great audiobook. This is the first book by Lisa Unger that I've read and am looking forward to reading more of her books!

Madeline has worked hard to get past the devastating events that happened 10 years ago. Her best friend was murder by Madeline’s boyfriend and 2 other girls went missing. Now another woman has gone missing and a famous podcaster is coming around trying to get the bottom of things. Are these connected? Did Madeline’s boyfriend work with someone?

I listened to the audiobook of this ARC. I felt like with the audio version I had a hard time figuring out which parts were flashbacks and which weren’t. There was no distinction. The narrator did a great job other then that. I felt like there wasn’t a whole lot of depth to the story. It was a quick read which I enjoyed but it was kinda predictable. Not a lot of “umph” in my opinion. I have enjoyed other books by the author but this one didn’t quite do it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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. 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.

Jennifer Pickens did a fabulous job on the narration and I'd highly suggest the audio route!

3.5 stars

Thank you HighBridge Audio for the ALC. This book will be available for purchase on Oct 24th!