Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger
Narrator, Jennifer Pickens
This was a short and creepy novella for Christmas. I have read all this author’s books in the The Hollows series but I have not read her more recent work. The town of the Hollows is mentioned a couple of times in this story so it felt like a bit of a homecoming for me as a reader. And what a story! I felt it was edge of the seat tense and scary. I suspected everybody, the boyfriend, the friend, the podcaster and others. It’s long enough to be satisfying but short enough to listen in one go. I think I have to get back to some of the more recent works by this author.
Narration was excellent.

🎁🎄🎧 𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 🎧🎄🎁

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Christmas Presents 🎁
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Lisa Unger
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿: Jennifer Pickens
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: October 24
4⭐️

Thank you so much to @highbridgeaudio and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

🎄 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🎄
This book is a perfect Christmas suspense novella that comes out during the spooky season, which brings all the vibes!

Madeline Martin is a survivor of a brutal attack in high school from someone she thought she loved. That attack left her wounded, her best friend dead and two others missing. That attack was just days before Christmas!

Present day, true crime writer/podcaster Harley Granger is interested in looking at the case again. There are more missing women, even though Evan Handy was convicted years ago. Granger seems to think the cases are connected.

This twisty Christmas thriller is suspenseful, full of mysteries and twists, and is a perfect spooky holiday read. Pick this up for a fun holiday twisty read!

Parts of this book also may have had me cracking up a bit. There may be a Santa mask involved that gives the women a scare!

🎧 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 🎧
Jennifer Pickens voiced the all of the characters in this novella very well! You could feel the fear and nervousness from Madeline and also from the current missing girl. She made you live the girls fears as they went through trauma and a scary situation!

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🎄 Christmas Setting Thrillers
🎄 Mystery Novellas
🎄 Multiple Timelines
🎄 True Crime Podcasts

I was grateful to have the opportunity to review Christmas Presents because I’ve always enjoyed Lisa Unger’s thriller novels. Christmas Presents maintained my attention and kept me entertained. It was short and not flowery; almost a bit rushed with the timeline. I liked the storyline, but felt the characters could have been fleshed out more. I didn’t quite understand the motivation of the “bad guy”. The device of incorporating a podcast point-of-view was fun and felt current. Different POV’s always engage me as a reader.
For what it is, a quick, entertaining read by a prolific thriller author, it hit the spot

Thank you so much to NetGalley, HighBridge Audio, Lisa Unger, and Jennifer Pickens for providing this spine tingling audiobook for my honest review. I was hooked in this story from the very beginning. The narrator’s voice had me feeling like I was part of the story. I was so invested. I couldn’t help but try to guess at what was coming, but I was never quite successful in guessing the twists. I really loved this book so much. I highly recommend it and the audiobook is wonderful. This book had so many elements to it. It involves a podcaster digging in to the past, a survivor coming home for the first time in a long time, old friends reconnecting, and unanswered questions coming to the surface. This was such a wonderful Christmas thriller! I can’t wait for more by Lisa Unger. Thank you again for allowing me to review this fast paced twisty book.

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS review

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5

🎄Tis the season for holiday reads?! I know it’s not even Halloween yet but as a huuuuge Christmas lover I couldn’t wait to dive into my holiday tbr. This one publishes today so if you’re also in the holiday spirit you can snag this one now!

🎄Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Madeline has suffered a lot of tragedy in her life and now wants live a quiet life running a bookstore in her hometown. But when a popular true crime podcaster comes to town he starts to dig up parts of the past Madeline would rather forget. The killer has been caught years ago, so why are more women going missing? As Christmas gets closer, Madeline starts to wonder if the true killer is still out there…

🎄It was fun to read a Christmas thriller! The only other one I’ve read was The Family Game and I loved reading a spookier holiday book! I think I would have enjoyed this one more if it had been a full length novel instead of a novella. I felt like with the shorter story some of the storylines felt incomplete and I had more questions I wanted answered! Also I don’t love that soooo many thrillers lately seem to have a romance subplot included. Not every book needs a love story, especially when the main plot of the book is about finding a serial killer. 🫠 Parts of this book gave me the creeps and made me look over my shoulder as I was reading. 😂 Overall, I’d recommend this one if you want a quick, holiday thriller!

🎄Thanks @penzlerpub and @highbridgeaudio for my advance copy of this one! It publishes today!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was so thrilling! This may have been a novella, but it packed a punch and had a lot of story. The way in which the past was interwoven with the present and the abduction of Lolly was so well done. I has hooked on this story because of how well the stories were woven. I am just in awe as I did not see that ending coming.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

"The past is alive. It lies, keeps secrets, taunts, invades our thoughts and dreams. It demands reckoning, even after we've tried to bury it, still breathing in the shallow grave of our subconscious. Ignore it at your peril."

"Funny how things work, the twisting path that life takes. How one thing leads to the next. How you make all kinds of vows to yourself about what you'll do and won't do. And then break them."

"Thats why they put erasers on pencils. Everyone makes mistakes. It's what you do next that counts."

Happy Pub Day to this gem!!!

This book may be set around Christmas time, but it is anything but a happy holiday book. This one starts off fast and doesn't let up throughout the entire book. This is considered a novella, but I also would say it's anything but. It is jampacked with a perfect atmospheric setting, with a well throughout plot and mystery, perfectly developed characters and plenty of twist and turns to have you flying through this one. I thought this one was such a fun read. This is literally everything that I want in thrillers, no lagging, the perfect amount of backstory with a great mystery and well-developed characters.

Christmas Presents is told in multiple POVs, throughout multiple timelines and also through bits and pieces of a podcast. I always enjoy when authors use a mixed media format, I find it to be very entertaining. I cannot say enough how fast paced this one is, once you start you aren't able to stop as you are sucked into the mystery of this story. I did manage to figure out how the ending was going to go about midway through but that did not stop from my enjoyment of this story. Everything about this story is wrapped up nicely in the end and I was super thrilled with how, dare is say - wholesome, parts of the ending were.
I was lucky enough to listen to this one via audio while also reading on my kindle. The narrator, Jennifer Pickens, was phenomenal. She managed to create voices for all of the characters that kept my ears glued to the air pods!
Huge thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Unger, HighBridge Audio, Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review. Christmas Presents releases today and I highly recommend both the Audiobook and the print for a very fast paced, atmospheric, thrilling and gripping read.

"They say we don't fall in love with other people; we fall in love with how they make us feel about ourselves."

Christmas Presents by gripping thriller author Lisa Unger is a menacing Christmas time tale.

Madeline's a 10 year survivor from a brutal attempted murder where her bad boy motorcycle riding boyfriend Evan killed her best friend and two girls are still missing. When a notorious true crime podcaster comes to town to investigate new cases of missing girls, Madeline has to wonder if Evan, in prison, had a partner or is this a copy cat killer?

The immeasurably talented voice actress Jennifer Pickens brings a haunting tone to this small town eerie Christmas murder mystery where Santa knows when you've been bad.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

For a novella, Christmas Presents packs in quite a bit! Note that this is much more of a thriller than a "Christmas" book, but it would be fun for those who don't like typical holiday/Hallmark type books. Although not totally remarkable, I was entertained.

A thrilling novella set at Christmas time! A cold case of a murder and missing girls being looked at by an author and podcaster. I thought the narrator for this one didn’t hold my attention as well as others so I was lucky to have the ebook as well as the audiobook. The narrator was able to convey some emotion but I think I wanted a bit more for a thriller on audio.

The story itself was definitely good. A crime committed years ago, someone already in jail for said crime, but when Harley Granger shows up to investigate, more details are revealed. We also get a dual timeline as the story unfolds which provided much needed details. This novella was surprisingly detailed and packed with action. The ending was something I didn’t see coming. A very enjoyable thriller!

When a local dancer goes missing it brings True Crime rider in podcaster Harley Granger to Madeline‘s little book shop in town. Madeline has a lot on her plate she runs a small book shop and her father recently had a stroke and she is also haunted by her friend who was murdered and the others who went missing when she was a teenager. Evan Handy went to jail for the murder but the two girls were never found in Harley want’s to find out what happened to them. Madeline‘s best friend badger thanks the True Crime rider should leave it alone they’ve all said what they know he don’t know how talking to him will help but unbeknownst to him Madeline does have things she’s never told anyone especially about the Christmas presents she receives every year to mark the occasion. I don’t know what it is about Lisa Angeir‘s writing style but I do believe she could probably write the phonebook and make it feel creepy… Do they still have phonebooks? She has weaved a clever who done it that is not only creepy but twisty and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. With great narration from Jennifer Pickens Who set the tone expertly and just ads to this atmospheric read I read this book into days and would’ve read it in one if I wouldn’t be moving. This was such a great book I loved it and highly recommend it I want to think Highbridge audio and net galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

A viral podcaster visits the town of an old murder / escaped victim. While this book had a good premise and was a quick read, the characters were not developed enough, and I had a hard time following each character clearly. I did enjoy parts of this story, but I did not feel it was long enough to truly try and guess "who dun it".

The ending was fast-paced and intriguing, but still feel I did not have enough pages to guess or even be surprised by the end.

All in all, a very quick read and an entertaining story.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penzler Publishing and HighBridge Audio for the arc!

I enjoyed this thriller set in the days leading up to Christmas in a small town where tragedy keeps striking. It gave me cozy winter vibes ❄️
There were quite a few characters to keep up with and it kept jumping from past to present.
Madeline survives an awful attack in high school, on the same night her friends killed &2 more disappear without a trace.
A decade later & Madeline is still living in the same town where she now runs a bookstore while caring for her elderly dad.
Shortly before Christmas, Harley Granger arrives in town. He's an author and podcast host investigating cold cases and is hoping to make a huge break in this case that's been haunting the town for the past 10 years.
I enjoyed this fun thriller and found it quite suspenseful with a lot of action.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review!!

What an amazing thriller! I loved this book. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! The narrator is amazing. The tone, the distinction between characters, everything. Sucked me in and kept me engrossed in every chapter.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

I read this book and enjoyed it. I was approved for the audiobook at decided to listen to it. It was less enjoyable than reading it. The narrator sounds like Delaney Rowe from TikTok when she’s doing POVs of insufferable people/actors. I had to stop listening at about 30%. Again, I really enjoyed the book when reading it. The narrator just wasn’t my cup of tea. Thank you for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

Christmas Presents holds all of my favorite things... A bookshop owner, a struggling writer, and murder. This thriller kept me guessing and is fast-paced. I enjoyed the characters as well as the plot lines. Give yourself an early Christmas present and pick up Christmas Presents. Also, the narrator did a fantastic job.

Christmas is a time for spending time with family and remembering those who are gone. For the last ten years Madeline relives the tragedy that happened to her and her friends on Christmas Eve. One girl was murdered, one survivor, and two girls disappeared.
…
Before Evan Handy came to town they were a small town with small town problems. Sheriff James Martin warned his daughter to stay away from Evan. Madeline didn’t heed his warning. Now Evan sits a prison cell without the possibility for parole for murder.
…
No sooner Harley Granger comes into town and another girl disappears bringing back tragic memories of when Evan Handy was convicted of murder. Harley is here to reinvestigate the disappearance of two girls. He’s a true crime podcaster and writer.
…
Madeline is the surviving girl. She’s remained in the same town despite the tragedy. She continues to suffer the loss of her friend and constantly wonders what happened to the sisters who’ve never been found. When Harley comes to town it’s the kick start she needs to help him with his investigation.
…
Jennifer Pickens is the solo female performer of Christmas Presents written by Lisa Unger. I couldn’t imagine anyone more fitting for this narration. A stunning performance.
…
Lisa Unger writes a clever and thought provoking thriller. It’s an easy read. I’m an eyes and ears person. I’m always on the hunt for both the audiobook and ebook. This audiobook delivers a chilling experience that readers will enjoy.

NYT bestselling author and master of suspense, Lisa Unger (favorite author), returns following Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six with one of the best Christmas crime thriller novellas, CHRISTMAS PRESENTS —It has it ALL! Everything you look for in an engrossing psychological crime WHODUNIT thriller! Top Books of 2023. 5 Stars +

It checks all the boxes!
~A bookseller
~A survivor with a scarred face
~An author/true crime podcaster
~A devoted father/cop with a stroke
~A cold case
~A serial killer wearing a Santa mask
~Mysterious annual Christmas presents to the surviving victim
~Atmospheric secluded winter setting: Little Valley/The Hollows (reference -love)
~Missing Girls
~A snow blizzard
~A remote lake house
~Two friends unite from the past crime to search for the missing girls
~A Countdown to Christmas

RIVETING and unputdownable! The past and present collide as it is closer to the anniversary date of the decades-old crime for an explosive, jaw-dropping, heart-pounding conclusion.

I LOVED CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. Of course, I am a long-time Lisa Unger avid fan and have read all her books!

Madeline Martin is a survivor and now owns The Next Chapter Bookstore. She cares for her father (ex-cop), Sheriff James Martin, who was working on the case and obsessed until he had a stroke.

Madeline is scarred for life (both physically and mentally). She still wears the star across her face, left for dead by the lake, but she lived when her friend Stephanie was not so fortunate - stabbed seventeen times and two other friends still out there, missing.

Harley Granger, a novelist turned true crime podcaster, walks into her store days before Christmas and wants to revisit the events from the past.

Madeline was the sole survivor of Evan Handy, whom she thought was her boyfriend (bad, rich boy) her father warned her not to see. But she did not listen. Evan is in prison, serving a life sentence, convicted of murder, which she helped put behind bars.

Her two other friends, Ainsley and Sam Wallace (sisters), have never been found for nearly a decade, and now there is another girl recently missing, Lolly. She does not want to relive the past, but at the same time, if she can help find Lolly, she will do what she can. These girls are being drugged and taken.

Did Evan have help that night, or is someone on the outside still working with him, taking young girls and women?

In addition, Madeline receives Christmas presents (thoughtful gifts) each year since the murders, but she has not told anyone. She suspects they are from Evan.

Lolly Morris was a college student who had dropped out and was a stripper at a local club and was heading home to the Hollows for Christmas. She went to the diner with some man and has been missing since. He was nice. But he turned out to be a monster. Her parents will be worried. (both lyrical and poetic, Lolly's thoughts and dreams of her parents and Christmas).

Time is running out. Madeline and her best friend Badger (who helped save her that night), along with Harley and the cops, must work diligently before it is too late to find Lolly before he kills again and the missing girls.

Five young women are missing in the same area in a decade. Are they connected? Was Evan Handy innocent after all? Or was there someone else there that night?

Lolly is fighting for her life, held captive by a monster psychopath dressed as Santa with a mask. She must find a way to escape. (I loved the car/forest/ice scene).

As Christmas draws near amid a blizzard, Madeline and Badger find her dad's files and maps in the basement, and they have a clue. Will her dad be able to speak? The danger is closer than they may know.

What a book! Nailbiting and heart-pounding CHRISTMAS PRESENTS is action-packed, beautifully written, and will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the explosive conclusion!

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS is packed with sharp characters, psychological suspense, and gasp-worthy plot twists. As always, Lisa is a pro when it comes to creepy, unsettling settings and characters, both good and evil. Superb writing and twists you do not see coming.

Claustrophobic and haunting, I enjoyed Lolly's character, tenacious, a survivor—Spine-chilling—A perfect book for Halloween or Christmas true crime fans.

After reading and loving the book, I listened to the audiobook by Jennifer Pickens, and the performance was SPELLBINDING—A fantastic and engaging listening experience for all voices!.

This is a must-read Christmas novella for Lisa Unger fans! Perfect for gift-giving and book clubs.

Thanks to Mysterious Press, Penzler Publishers, and NetGalley for an ARC and Highbridge Audio for an ALC for an honest review. I also purchased the hardcover copy for my home LU library!

UPCOMING: Put Lisa's 2024 book on your TBR list, The New Couple in 5B, Coming March 5, 2024.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: Oct 24, 2023
Oct 2023 Must-Read Books
Oct Newsletter

Looking for the rare Christmas mystery/thriller? Lisa Unger has written a novella - Christmas Presents.

"Madeline Martin just wants to sell books and be left alone. But true crime podcaster, Harley Granger, is looking at an old case. One where Madeline was the only survivor the night her best friend was killed and two others disappeared. Evan Handy went to jail for the crimes but other girls have gone missing since. Now Granger is dredging up old memories and looking at what really happened that night."

Great performance on the audiobook by Jennifer Pickens. Several characters - male and female - but she nails all the voices. And the terror and emotion of that fateful night.

Mostly told through Madeline's POV, including the flashbacks when she is telling her story to Granger. Other times we get Granger's POV. And one from a missing girl. Unger keeps you guessing about what's happening and who the killer might be. I didn't guess. There's some creepy scenes with a Santa mask. And a wild ending.

I like this short form because the tension never lets up - there's always something happening.

Great pick for thriller fans wanting a Christmas setting.

This was a great story that flipped between present day and the past. I always enjoy a murder mystery that is partially told through podcast and has a new person trying to uncover the secrets of the past.