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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
This novella left nothing in the table. A very quick read that had the holidays, family dynamics, murder and mystery. I’ll be reading more of Mr. Swanson!
Peter Swanson is a smart mystery/thriller writer and I enjoy how he surprises me. This novella got me good in a little bit of a twist that I didn’t see coming. The gothic ambience was perfect for the story and it really did feel like the diary entries in the first part of the book were written by a college-aged young women, which is impressive since the author is far from that. I definitely enjoyed this tale of Christmas murder that I read in one sitting before bed!
fast-paced
This little novella would be perfect for the season, or so I thought. It works well enough, helped by snow, chill, and Christmas lights. I almost didn’t finish though. I had it on audio and because I have misophonia and the diary part with the accompanied crinkling and crackling of paper nearly drove me insane. Of course I normally love the sound of paper, but this was super annoying and exaggerated.
Ashley Smith, an orphaned American in London, is invited to her friend Emma’s house in the country for the holidays. The year is 1989. The house is large and Emma’s twin brother Adam is hot. Of course, there is the fact that Ashley looks like his dead ex too.
Lying in the bath tub with a glass of red, the twist in the middle of the novella actually took me rather by surprise. After that the crinkling of paper stopped since the diary part was over.
This isn’t great, but it definitely goes well with an open fire and mulled wine.
Ashley Smith, an orphaned American in London, is invited to her friend Emma’s house in the country for the holidays. The year is 1989. The house is large and Emma’s twin brother Adam is hot. Of course, there is the fact that Ashley looks like his dead ex too.
Lying in the bath tub with a glass of red, the twist in the middle of the novella actually took me rather by surprise. After that the crinkling of paper stopped since the diary part was over.
This isn’t great, but it definitely goes well with an open fire and mulled wine.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Perfect to curl up with on a cold winters night.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder