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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
I was looking forward to a Christmas dark thriller amid all my Christmas romances, but this book was just "ok" unfortunately. I had to rewind and relisten to a few parts because the audiobook (maybe it was the distracting sound effects or the British accent) had me a little confused at times, but it did take a different turn when it switched from Part 1 to Part 2. I found myself more engaged at that point. I think it just was my cup of Peppermint tea and that's ok.
I've heard great things about this author so I'll have to give another of his books a go.
I've heard great things about this author so I'll have to give another of his books a go.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is not that Christmas-y, so if you're looking for a holiday read in December like I was, this ain't it. Also, the characters are all so unlikable, you won't really care who dies. At least it was short.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
When I picked up this novel, I was purely chasing Christmas vibes—snowy settings, cozy firesides, and a hint of romance to get me hyped for the season. What I didn’t expect was to be utterly captivated, staying up way past my bedtime and devouring 90% of the book in one sitting!
The story starts in 1989, with Ashley Smith, an American art student spending Christmas in a charming English village at the invitation of her friend Emma Chapman. Starvewood Hall, the Chapman family’s sprawling country estate, is a winter wonderland straight out of a dream.
The house, the snowy landscape, and the warm, firelit atmosphere pulled me in immediately. Add in Emma’s aloof (and handsome) brother Adam and the growing tension surrounding a recent murder in the village, and I was hooked.
But as Ashley explores her place in this story, the cozy Christmas vibes take a darker turn. Is she in a romance? A gothic mystery? Or something far more sinister? The tension escalates, especially with the arrival of a mysterious stranger haunting the nearby woods.
Part II, however, is where things really took me by surprise.
Set over thirty years later, the story revisits the events of that fateful Christmas week through a diary and the chilling echoes of the past in modern-day New York. I thought I had the killer figured out by the middle, but even then, the twists managed to shock me.
Looking back, I wish I’d saved this book for a perfect cozy reading setup—a lit candle, a steaming mug of hot chocolate—but even curled up in bed, it was absolutely spellbinding. The first part immerses you in a snow-covered, festive world, while the second delivers the chilling revelations that leave you reeling.
If you’re looking for a Christmas mystery that blends warmth, suspense, and just the right amount of gothic terror, this novel is a must-read. Trust me—you’ll want to clear your schedule for this one.
I enjoyed this easy, quick holiday thriller. The twist in chapter 2 was unexpected, but I did expect a bigger "bang" at the end.
This book was definitely a rollercoaster for me for sure! I felt that the beginning of this book was very slow and kind of hard to get into at first because of all of the filler scenes. I also didn’t really care for the storyline at the beginning and had a hard time connecting with the characters at first. However, towards the middle of the book, the plot definitely started to pick up for me and the plot twist halfway through the book had me shocked. Overall, I loved how short and quick paced this Christmas murder mystery book was, even though the beginning felt kind of slow for me, and I thought it was a nice short book to close out my 2023 reading with!
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review!
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review!
