I was attracted to this book firstly because I like this author and secondly I like a book that involves true crime and podcasts. I did like this book but I found it to be too predictable.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book for an honest review.

Christmas Presents follows Madeline Martin owner of The Next Chapter Bookshop and survivor of a notorious serial killer Evan Handy who had killed many locals including her best friend and injured her to near death.

Madeline is trying to get on with her life following this traumatic events years ago when a famous true crime podcaster Harley Granger comes into town keen to dig up the past as he feels there is more to the story than was reported.

He has linked the case to multiple cases in recent years in the surrounding areas and he thinks that either the wrong person was caught or there was second killer.

Can they get to the bottom of this and should the past be dug up?

Overall I found this book OK I enjoyed reading it but found it to be quite predictable in who the second killer was and I was hoping there was a bit of a more clever twist to the tale.

It was quite a short book so maybe there weren't enough pages to flesh out the story satisfactorily.

Overall a fun read but probably not one I would reach for again.

I really enjoyed this thriller set around the Christmas period .Madeline Martin seems to have her life back together after an attack that left her scarred. She owns a bookshop which seems to be thriving. Along comes Harley a true crime podcaster, who wants to investigate what happened to her . It is only a short book but quite a lot happens and is definitely a page turner. We have snow, Santa , food and festivities and also a missing girl. I enjoyed the characters and I enjoyed how it all unfolded . We learn about Madeline’s past and her friends and family and her lovely bookshop. We have a dramatic ending which didn’t surprise me but a very enjoyable read .

This wasn't the cosy Christmas read I was expecting but something much darker. Madeline Martin is the owner of Next Chapter bookshop in a small town. Living with her father, retired sheriff, she is haunted by events of a decade ago when her best friend was murdered, she was left for dead and her other two friends disappeared and were never seen again. Maddy was rescued by her friend Badger and they remain close. When investigative author Harley Granger comes to town and opens the cold case, Maddy's feelings are once more stirred up. He's convinced the recent disappearance of local strip club dancer, Lolly is linked. Maddy and Badger look into her dad's case notes convinced he has discovered something. As the sheriff had a stroke six months previously he's locked in his body, unable to tell them. Maddy and Badger work it out and head on out to investigate. Harley and his friend, doing their own investigation, are not so lucky. Violence, danger and jeopardy, a really good read. #netgalley #christmaspresents

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger is a suspenseful holiday thriller that pleasantly surprised me. I'm not usually a fan of holiday-themed reads, but the thrilling plot and well-crafted twists kept me hooked. The story unfolds with strong characters and plenty of suspense, blending festive charm with mystery. While I really enjoyed the pacing and intrigue, I felt the book could have been a bit longer to develop the plot even more fully. Still, it’s a gripping, fast read perfect for anyone looking for a holiday thriller. Definitely recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

When true crime podcaster Harley Granger drifts into Madeline Martin’s small town bookshop days before Christmas, he seems intent on digging up a past that Madeline would much rather forget. Granger’s work has earned him fame and wealth, as well as criticism for his various unethical practices. Madeline does not want to relive the night that she was left for dead, the only surviving victim of the notorious killer Evan Handy, but Granger is insistent.

Handy, who also murdered Madeline’s best friend and is suspected in the disappearance of two local sisters, has been in jail for a decade. Since then, though, three other young women have gone missing in similar circumstances. Is the true predator still out there somewhere? And is the truth more terrible than Madeline ever imagined?

Christmas Presents is a very well written crime story, with an elegantly crafted plot and some nicely developed characters. The dual timeline works very well, with Lisa adroitly capturing the essence of Madeline as a teenager, and later as a damaged young woman. The events in the present day imbrue the story with an overriding sense of suspense and tension, and the book builds to a surprising climax. The true crime podcast aspects of the story are also well handled, and enable the plot to unfold at a brisk pace.

Christmas Presents is a good reminder of Lisa’s skills as an author and her ability to quickly evoke a scene and its atmosphere

Overall, Christmas Presents is a very enjoyable, dark take on the Christmas mystery. Recommended.

Christmas Presents is a fun, dark, fast paced thriller set around Christmas. I normally would not pick up a holiday themed book but the fact this book was a thriller I had to give it a go. I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters and loved the small town feel of the book. I went back and forth with who I thought the killer was and loved how the ending tied up the loose ends. I think if this book was longer it could’ve been even better. Parts of the storyline needed extra build up for that thriller tension we all love so much. Overall, a great Christmas thriller novella!

3.5 stars
If you’re expecting a cosy Christmas read, then this one isn’t for you.
Madeline has a successful bookshop and manages work as well as caring for her father.
A famous podcaster comes into the shop and she’s starstruck, but when he asks if she’ll speak to him about her attack, she’s hesitant.
Madeline was left for dead after an attack when she was a teenager, and it seems young women are now being targeted again, so Harley wants to investigate this.
Madeline eventually speaks to him and we find out what really happened all those years ago.
This is a good read.
Thanks to Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read this book.

‘But that was a long time ago. Now Christmas brings back other memories.’
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With tour wrapping up my reading has taken a downward turn, but now we’ve closed the show, I’m ready and raring to have a few weeks of solid reading time! Starting with a buddy read with my dad actually!
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But I did just FINALLY finish this wonderful Novella that was published YESTERDAY! So perfect timing! And what a wonderful read to kick off my time off, it was short, thrilling and packed the punch a bigger novel also would yet only coming in at 260 pages!
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True crime podcasts, cold cases and independent bookshop owners all meet in perfect synergy to give us a juicy moreish thriller set around Christmas, so it’s the perfect book to pick up now to get you in the mood for the festive season without giving too much of a festive feel. A must for thriller readers!
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Thank you to the publisher for the early copy of this one! I loved it!!

🤍Book review 🤍

Christmas Presents
by Lisa Unger



Christmas Presents is a dark and suspenseful novella perfect for thriller fans. The story follows true crime podcaster Harley Granger as he digs into a cold case involving Madeline Martin, the only survivor of a serial killer. As Harley tries to uncover the truth, Madeline is forced to confront her traumatic past.
The book is fast-paced, with a chilling atmosphere that contrasts with the cosy, snowy Christmas setting. I enjoyed the suspense and twists throughout, and the shorter length kept the story focused and engaging. While I felt the characters, especially Harley and Madeline, could have been explored more deeply, the plot was gripping and kept me hooked until the end.
The combination of true crime, a mysterious cold case, and the holiday backdrop made for an exciting and eerie read. Overall, it’s a great, quick thriller perfect for the holiday season!
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy , opinions are my own

A extremely dark and dangerous thriller that gave me chills. It's impossible to guess the killer until it is revealed and then it all made sense. Not your average festive Christmas book but more of a horror Halloween.

A cold case being investigated is a sure way of getting a killer to make their presence known. Was the right person jailed? Did they have an accomplice? I kept guessing, but I hadn't really suspected who was responsible. And who was sending the Christmas presents each year! A good book.i read it in a day, wanting to see who survived and who was responsible for what

We start with true crime aficionado and podcaster Harley Granger popping into a bookshop to buy a Christmas present. Although that's not the whole truth. He is actually targeting the owner, Madeline Martin, as she is connected to the crime he is currently investigating. You see, Madeline is the only surviving victim of killer Evan Handy. A rather nasty killer who was also responsible for the death of Madeline's best friend and the disappearance of two other young women. He is currently incarcerated but Granger isn't sure that the whole truth has come out.
Especially considering that, in the ten years since then, there have been other similar disappearances, and in the present, another young woman has gone missing...
Could the police have got it all wrong? Can Granger persuade Madeline to help him?
This is only a novella but I feel that it is the right length for the story being told effectively. This means that without any intrusive waffle or padding, the story gets on with itself very well indeed. Holding my attention all the way through. But... that said, I do feel that the two main characters - Madeline and Granger - have so much more to give and that this book only scratches the surface of their capability. They both have similar pasts and have been scarred emotionally in similar ways which I think helps the connection that develops between them as the book progresses.
Pacing is good and matches the narrative throughout too, ramping up as we reach the final denouement, delivering an ending that wholly satisfied ( and left me feeling a bit smug too as I did guess early!)
All in all, a good solid read that is a worth addition to an already well impressive back catalogue. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This was such a great thriller, I found myself hooked right away, The podcast element added more excitement for me.

Chilling And Thrilling..
A true crime podcaster with some questionable moral standards digs deep into a cold case in this dark and twisted seasonal story. An atmospheric and almost cosy backdrop is at odds with the darkest of content and the most unsettling of plots. Compelling and immersive, chilling and thrilling.

Absolutely brilliant! A gripping Christmas thriller! 5 stars from me! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC

This was a fast read, it kept me gripped the whole way through and had some shocking twists. The ending felt a bit rushed for me and I wish it was a bit longer. But overall an enjoyable read.

Coming up for 10 years since Madeline was left for dead and her best friend killed and 2 others missing. Harvey Granger who is a true crime podcaster turns up wanting to find out more and to find out if Evan Handy really did the crimes

I love Lisa Unger - her books are incredibly unputdownable and Christmas Presents was no different. Gripping read from start to finish, highly recommend

Madeline Martin is the owner of a bookshop in Little Valley, where she has lived all of her life. Maddie is lucky to have survived an attmept on her life by her boyfriend, Evan Handy ten years ago. Evan was sent to prison for the murder of Stephanie Cramer, 17. In a bizarre coincidence, this was the same night that Ainsley and Samantha Wallace went missing and were never seen again. The story is told over dual time lines - 10 years ago and the present. Maddie meets Harley Granger, podcaster, cold case detective and true crime writer, in her shop when he comes in to ask for her to be interviewed the Evan Handy murder case. The story is well written, full of unexpected twists and turns that leads to a explosive ending. All I can say is that I never thought who the killer would be.