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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
I love a good cozy murder mystery. It actually surprised me how much I enjoyed this! Super short and sweet for Christmas.
This starts out as a classic Christmas story when an American student is invited to a wealthy fellow student's stately home for the Christmas holidays. Not only does she think she has made a new friend, but she finds her friend's brother mesmerizing. But all, of course, is not as it appears, and the cozy Christmas tale turns cold and dark.
It was supposedly written for non-fans of Christmas, and certainly fits the bill. Well, it's not really anti-Christmas, just anti-warm and fuzzy. It's extremely well-written, both characters and plotting, and even expecting the darkness, you still won't quite see the twists coming. Very much a novella, but length was just right for the story. Very well done. Highly recommended.
It was supposedly written for non-fans of Christmas, and certainly fits the bill. Well, it's not really anti-Christmas, just anti-warm and fuzzy. It's extremely well-written, both characters and plotting, and even expecting the darkness, you still won't quite see the twists coming. Very much a novella, but length was just right for the story. Very well done. Highly recommended.
A dark Christmas novella with murder and suspense.
The story is divided into three acts, we start with a single American woman being alone having a clear out but expecting a guest.
Act 2 is all about the diary and it is told through the eyes of a teenage American girl, her loneliness her new friendship and a hopeful romance. Then it begins to turn!
Act 3 is the resolution and the gift of all the answers.
Really well told and felt like a ghost story being told round a campfire
I received this book as an ARC and provide and honest review
The story is divided into three acts, we start with a single American woman being alone having a clear out but expecting a guest.
Act 2 is all about the diary and it is told through the eyes of a teenage American girl, her loneliness her new friendship and a hopeful romance. Then it begins to turn!
Act 3 is the resolution and the gift of all the answers.
Really well told and felt like a ghost story being told round a campfire
I received this book as an ARC and provide and honest review
Tis’ the season for holiday-themed reading! Peter Swanson’s novella, The Christmas Guest, has all of the necessary elements for a holiday story — an old manor house in the Cotswolds, a large family gathering for Christmas, and a murder mystery. (Haha!) Ashley Smith is an American art student studying in London. She accepts an invitation by a fellow student, Emma Chapman, to spend the holiday break with her family at their country manor house. The setting is idyllic as she settles into her private room in the mansion, surrounded by Christmas decorations, cozy fireplaces, and even a pub in the nearby village. Ashley starts to develop a crush on Emma’s brother, Adam. The story takes a mysterious turn when Ashley learns that Adam is suspected of the recent murder of a local woman.
Ashley’s holiday in the Cotswolds is recounted in her diary thirty years later. The Christmas Guest is a good novella that ticks all the boxes for what I enjoy in a holiday-themed murder mystery. It also embodies the qualities of a Peter Swanson book that I like — suspense, well-executed twists, and a surprise ending. I borrowed the audiobook from my local library with the Hoopla app. Esther Wane did a great job narrating, but I wasn’t a big fan of the narration production. The story is primarily told through diary entries, which added an old-fashioned and distant feel to the recording. I appreciate the producers’ efforts to create a unique audiobook experience. Overall, it was an enjoyable holiday read.
I have photos, videos, and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog
Ashley’s holiday in the Cotswolds is recounted in her diary thirty years later. The Christmas Guest is a good novella that ticks all the boxes for what I enjoy in a holiday-themed murder mystery. It also embodies the qualities of a Peter Swanson book that I like — suspense, well-executed twists, and a surprise ending. I borrowed the audiobook from my local library with the Hoopla app. Esther Wane did a great job narrating, but I wasn’t a big fan of the narration production. The story is primarily told through diary entries, which added an old-fashioned and distant feel to the recording. I appreciate the producers’ efforts to create a unique audiobook experience. Overall, it was an enjoyable holiday read.
I have photos, videos, and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog
Just when I thought I knew what direction the story was going, it twisted in a way I didn’t see coming at all! A great mystery set during what was supposed to be a cozy holiday season in England. Would easily read this again!
WOW.. This story was a fantastic short Christmas thriller. I thought I knew what was happening, then it changed the story's perspective. After that, I was sure I knew what was happening and then I was not expecting the ending at all.
The characters were not as dull and deluded as you first think. It seems like you know what is happening with each character, but you would be wrong.
Such a good read for a short story
The characters were not as dull and deluded as you first think. It seems like you know what is happening with each character, but you would be wrong.
Such a good read for a short story
It's an entertaining novella set around Christmas time that switches between 1989 and present day. Most of the story taking place in the past is relayed via diary entries from college student, Ashley, as she visits a fellow student celebrating the holiday in the Cotswolds where a suspicious death had happened months earlier.
The Christmas Guest isn't a traditional mystery. There's not much in the way of a murder with clues / suspects. It's easy for the reader to see where the story is heading unfortunately. The plot twists are well-developed, but probably won't be a surprise for most readers.
The Christmas Guest isn't a traditional mystery. There's not much in the way of a murder with clues / suspects. It's easy for the reader to see where the story is heading unfortunately. The plot twists are well-developed, but probably won't be a surprise for most readers.
it took me far too long to read a book this short. as far as murder mysteries go, this is nothing thrilling or impressive. fairly boring with some strange plot twists