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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
An okay story, and I get what Swanson was going for, but this also lacked the punch of his full length novels. There was a decent twist I didn’t fully see coming, but most of the story felt predictable. We also spent no time with the narrator, so I had a hard time caring about her in the second half of the story. Not his strongest work.
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This hits the spot for a Christmas mystery novella, but it lacks substance. American art student, Ashley Smith, is invited by her uni classmate, Emma Chapman, to join her at the family estate for Christmas. Ashley is a little mystified, because she broke girl code by hooking up with Emma's crush, and they aren't really friends. But Ashley is as thick as Christmas pudding so doesn't think about this (or anything) too hard.
Emma has a classic country manor mystery set up: a beautiful estate, a charming local village (with a charming local pub), a cruel and distant father, a passive and distant mother, and a charismatic, handsome brother who is suspected of murdering a local girl. Ashley is immediately in lust with Emma's brother, Adam, despite learning he may be a killer. Because he's so dreamy! Everyone consistently says he is, if not a murderer, at least a rogueish playboy who doesn't believe in monogamy. But he gave her a cashmere scarf so he must be in love with her! Ashley is at heart a twelve-year-old who spends her days writing boy band fanfiction, trapped in the body of a uni student, apparently. After learning of the unsolved murder of a girl her age who looks just like her, Ashley giggles into her journal that she is not just in a romance, but is in a mystery romance, teehee! If Too-Dumb-To-Live had a contest, Ashley would earn a blue ribbon.
When the book jumps back to the "present" (the manor house mystery takes place in 1989 and is told through Ashley's diary entries), it gives you the mystery's resolution and then jumps the shark to bring this novella to a quick conclusion ().
Emma has a classic country manor mystery set up: a beautiful estate, a charming local village (with a charming local pub), a cruel and distant father, a passive and distant mother, and a charismatic, handsome brother who is suspected of murdering a local girl. Ashley is immediately in lust with Emma's brother, Adam, despite learning he may be a killer. Because he's so dreamy! Everyone consistently says he is, if not a murderer, at least a rogueish playboy who doesn't believe in monogamy. But he gave her a cashmere scarf so he must be in love with her! Ashley is at heart a twelve-year-old who spends her days writing boy band fanfiction, trapped in the body of a uni student, apparently. After learning of the unsolved murder of a girl her age who looks just like her, Ashley giggles into her journal that she is not just in a romance, but is in a mystery romance, teehee! If Too-Dumb-To-Live had a contest, Ashley would earn a blue ribbon.
When the book jumps back to the "present" (the manor house mystery takes place in 1989 and is told through Ashley's diary entries), it gives you the mystery's resolution and then jumps the shark to bring this novella to a quick conclusion (
Spoiler
Really hate that Swanson put in a supernatural twist for no reason - what the heck does Ashley's ghost add to this plot, except a vague Christmas Carol Christmas-ghost-as-guilty-conscience nod. After decades and additional dead bodies, Emma FINALLY decides to turn her brother Adam in for murder. Because Ashley's ghost has finally guilted her into it. Nothing has changed except the novella is ending and Swanson needs to wrap it all up with a bow.
2 Stars.
The vibes:
- novella
- Dysfunctional family
- Winter setting
- Creepy
My thoughts:
I wanted something Christmas, and I had this on my TBR shelf so I decided to give it a go. Romance? Murder mystery? Sure! Why not?
When an American student is invited to spend the holidays in a British manor house, she discovers dangerous secrets and a grim history hiding behind a seemingly charming Christmas celebration.
I thought this would be a cozy murder mystery of some sort. No. I felt creeped out. And I’m now asking myself, “What in tarnation did I just read???” Very weird. Very gross. Quite dark and demented all around. You’ve been warned. There’s a quote in the book “The whole thing was a misadventure”.
Yes. That. (Full spoiler/unhinged thoughts at the very end).
Something I DID enjoy is that this book has journal entires, conversations, and even some police reports. I love a mix of media in books. The audio had cool features that made it easier to differentiate what was a journal entry (papers shuffling in the background; audio sounded more like a voice recorder).
Note- language; check CW if concerned (basically every CW is involved here)
SPOILER UNHINGED REACTIONS:
(This is an excerpt of text messages I sent to my sister while reading but I feel like it sums it all up.)
Ok. Half of it is in the pov of the victim. Half is in the pov of the killer. In full detail of their various crimes. And I guess I just don’t want to be in this sick and twisted brain and see what they do to animals or people. Let me go wash my brain with alcohol or holy water or something. Because that was disturbing.
Also a character throws a huge rock in the air and looks up so it can land on their face. *Marv with a brick falling on his face from Home Alone gif* All this to make them not seem like the offender. And then at the end ghosts enter the plot. Which you know what? That was the least disturbing thing that happened here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death
When I read the author's "Why I Wrote This" section, I can say that he checked all the boxes of what he was aiming for. A good read in a single sitting. Not stunning literature and a twist that you could definitely see coming, but a good read.
This book is the reason I live for novellas. You get on the ride and you go quick, with a few twists. Peter Swanson did such a good job with this fun Christmas THRILLER novella. My kind of book. I enjoyed the quick story of the American girl in London for the holidays, in what should be cute Hallmark tale…but it’s not.
I enjoyed this! Kind of classic Gone Girl with part two completely turning what happened in part one on its head. I like this author and this was a delightfully murderous Christmassy novella.
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sometimes I feel as though Peter Swanson doesn't know what genre he wants to write. Sometimes I think he wants to be an amalgamation of many genres. It is only when he's mimicked Agatha Christie in Nine Lives, that I've enjoyed his storytelling. I've read a few of his books to now officially classify him as a definite miss for me. If I ever read from him again it's because of FOMO.
This novella was incredibly predictable and because of the length, the character work was lacking. I did enjoy the concept of an English small town Christmas, however.
His stories just feel so abrupt and the motive of the characters just comes out of nowhere. There's no reasoning AT ALL. There's not even the slightest touch of realism.
This novella was incredibly predictable and because of the length, the character work was lacking. I did enjoy the concept of an English small town Christmas, however.
His stories just feel so abrupt and the motive of the characters just comes out of nowhere. There's no reasoning AT ALL. There's not even the slightest touch of realism.