Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley and Titan Books for a sneak peek of A Christmas Ghost Story.

Unfortunately, this book was just for me. I had no idea what was going on. The writing felt very disconnected and choppy. It just wasn't what I was hoping for.

4.5 stars

Angie Wickings and her 15-year-old son Rust live in Angie’s childhood home of Six Elms outside Sutton Mallet, the most haunted village in England. In the Wickings family, Christmas is kind of a big deal and comes annually with highlights such as too much mince mince pie, an ostentatious number of fairy lights, crosses carved into the sprouts, and other charming traditions. But this year, the festive season brings with it something more unsettling than the annual morbid parodies of beloved carols (aka “Christmas Cruels”), when, on the first of December, the first in a series of anonymous cards arrives at Six Elms, heralding the coming of something far more sinister than Saint Nick.

I thoroughly enjoyed A Christmas Ghost Story from start to finish. With direct references to some of my favorite classic ghost stories and authors, such as M.R. James, as well as the BBC’s well-loved series “A Ghost Story for Christmas," and indirect nods to other standout horror works like the story “Petey” by T.E.D. Klein, there was little chance that this novella wouldn’t be right up my alley. However, the influences of these straightforward and classic stories are really limited to certain plot elements and not necessarily the telling of Newman’s story. A Christmas Ghost Story has a decidedly weird flavor in the way the goings-on at Six Elms are related, and floats in and out of that fever dream style which is more common in contemporary horror fiction.

Newman’s style of writing, at least here, is also rather disconcerting, and while this lends itself to the overall strangeness of the story, I can very much see this not working for some readers. The writing reminded me of Ramsey Campbell's fiction, where the reader feels like they are dropped into the midst of a story well in progress without having the benefit of all of the references being made, and associations don’t always make a lot of sense. While this type of writing adds to the fever dream atmosphere and dislocation felt by the reader, I know it is a style that is not for everyone. As a fan of both Campbell and fever dream horror, I ate it up and felt the writing served the story well. I could definitely see myself rereading this during the festive season at some point in the future, and I now plan to check out more of Newman’s work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for a digital advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. A Christmas Ghost Story will be published on October 8, 2024.

I loved this book and this is going in a masterpost I'm making about christmas horror soon after Halloween passes. This book was 4 stars for sure.

Everybody has the perfect scary read for Halloween, but one for your cool Yule? Well, step right up, because here it is! And just in time for, well, Halloween, but I would save this one for the holidays.

It’s December 1, and deep in the Somerset countryside Angie and her teenage son, Rust (if you please) are preparing their isolated home for Christmas. Angie is a small-time sexy suspense writer and Rust is into archeology, Gorgantuabots and his podcast on the paranormal.

And on that same day, Rust receives his first Christmas card. It’s addressed only to him, very formal, and it’s unsigned with an odd, somewhat disturbing picture and message.

Each day, day after day the cards keep coming, each more sinister than the last. The mail carrier is always just out of reach, or they’ve just missed them. And the cards remind Angie of a TV movie from her childhood called “The Cards,” but, strangely, no one else seems to recall it, and there seems to be no evidence of it having been shown.

Then Rust becomes ill, a winter storm traps them in the house and strange things start to happen. I’m not sure this is going to be a happy Christmas for Angie and Rust.

This was a delightfully dark novella, with hints of even worse stuff (but nothing explicit; it’s perfect for a pre-Christmas read on a snowy day, if you live in a part of the world where you get those (we might get some rain, so I would have to make do with that. It’s witty (“supernatural curse delivery isn’t what it was before Brexit”) and very British with multiple mentions of David Attenborough, which is, of course, the universal measuring stick.

And don’t be lulled into thinking this is some sweet Christmas tale. “At some point, every mystery story turns into a horror story.” It’s marred only by a slightly rushed ending, but is still great fun. 4.5 stars and I’m rounding up because it’s Christmas, dammit!

Given their shorter length its unusual to think of novellas as hard to finish but thid one was an exception.

The syntax of this novella is difficult to parse through in a lot of sections but smooth in others, making it feel choppy.

This book is also chock full of British Emglish colloquialisms that are going to leave American readers in the dark, this also contributed to my struggle with reading it.

It felt like being forced to learn a lot of irrelevant details about this household before the horror sets in.

Honestly the story within the story was far superior in quality to the modern framing around it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an ARC of A Christmas Ghost Story.

Unfortunately, I DNF this at 10%. The writing was so strange and abrupt, every sentence felt like an incomplete thought and when paired with the heavily British slang I had absolutely no idea what was even happening in the story.

This one wasn’t for me but thank you for the approval anyway! I think people that enjoy trippy little fever dreams will enjoy this novella.

As far as I can tell, this book is about two people who are suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, because that is the only way that any of it makes sense. And yet I kind of didn't hate it?

I mean, okay, so I learned French as a second language, but I haven't used it in years and years and years so when I try to read something in French it's all jumbly. Like, I can understand the general gist of the text, but the individual bits don't all quite make sense? That's what the first third of this book felt like, except that it is most certainly written in English. Everything was just kind of, I dunno, fuzzy around the edges and I sort of knew what was going on but not totally?

And then the middle is a proper ghost story. Angie (who is called “Lynda” in the Goodreads blurb but is most definitely named Angie in the story) and her son Rust are receiving strange Christmas cards in the mail, and things start to get creepy. They spend a lot of time chasing after their mail carrier and talking about mince pies and lining things up on their mantel, but it's all oddly entertaining.

And the ending? Well, the heck if I know what that was about. It's like a (very tame) The Shining meets a fever dream.

So, yeah. I feel like I shouldn't have enjoyed this one – I don't generally like books that make me feel like I've done heavy hallucinogenic drugs, but I was totally invested. Who is sending those weird Christmas cards? And why are they so obsessed with their mail carrier? It's all very witty and there are some truly funny lines (in an understated British sort of way), which I think did a lot toward, you know, making me not hate it.

I'm still not convinced that carbon monoxide wasn't involved, though. I mean, there is a lot of talk about firewood and the fireplace and not once did Rust and Angie-not-Lynda check their chimney for obstructions. Just sayin'. (Edit: Now that I think about it, I seem to recall snow falling into the fireplace via the chimney at one point. Oh well, there goes that theory.)

My overall rating: (a very weird) 3.6 stars, rounded up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is October 8, 2024.

Rust and , his mom don’t have a good relationship together This is the Christmas story. It was haunting and spooky, and I had of mix of other ghost stories in it. I loved it. It was such a page turner.

"From the acclaimed author of Anno Dracula, the perfect gift for those who love the dark fantastic imaginations of Neil Gaiman and T. Kingfisher, this is a nightmarish tale of a haunted Christmas set deep in the British countryside not too long ago. Cosy traditions are made twisted and terrifying as a mother and son grapple with their painful past.

December 1st. Angie and her teenage son Rust prepare for Christmas, stringing fairy lights around their isolated home on the Somerset levels and decorating a tree with traditional ornaments. The first door of the advent calendar is opened, but the chocolate inside tastes off. Rust receives his first Christmas card; it's unsigned, and the message is 'pinch, punch... first of the month'. The robin chirruping on a bough in a snowy woodland picture looks like a nasty piece of work.

The cards keep coming, one each day and each more sinister than the last, and a frightened Angie recalls 'The Cards' - a seasonal TV show from her childhood that featured similar happenings, and while she remembers it vividly, there is no evidence that it was ever broadcast...

Christmas cheer is gradually poisoned, with cruels instead of carols, the turkey rotting in the fridge, unwelcome visits from the Merciless Gentlemen and the Jingle Basterds, and Rust becoming increasingly unwell. Angie begins to wonder if her childhood Christmases were in fact as joy filled as she remembers...

A frightening tale of seasonal dread from the acclaimed author of Anno Dracula. Cosy traditions are made twisted and terrifying as a mother and son grapple with their painful past."

THIS! This right here is my ideal Christmas reading. And yes, it's the top of my "to be read" pile for this holiday season.

This was an unusual and sinister read that will keep you turning the pages and probably checking behind you for Krampus. The writing was dark, dreary, and very immersive with all the imagery. I loved the story and the unique concept of the cards.

Christmas means different things to different people. Each family has their own set of traditions they abide by, whether they enjoy them or not. Rust has an odd relationship with his mom, which I still don’t think I fully understand. However, this just added to the overall level of uneasiness that I felt while reading this and I don’t want to say too much and inadvertently give spoilers!

A Christmas Ghost Story does indeed have references to classic ghost stories, such as those by MR James and using the advent calendar idea, whereby a new grisly card is received every day, allows tension to mount during the festive season. I particularly liked the link to the annual BBC ghost stories broadcast in the 70s and the echoes of Krampus. Short enough to be read in one sitting and really immerse yourself.

Preparing for the Christmas season Lynda and her son are tring to be festive. As Christmas cards start arriving they realise things are not as they expected.

What an unusual and very different novel this is. I loved it..

It is creepy and sinister and I loved how the tale undolded. It is dark dark dark and just perfect for this time of year where the nights are closing in early and you need to cosy up..

Everything is not merry and bright in A Christmas Ghost Story. A mother, Lynda and her teenage son, Rust are preparing for Christmas. But things are beginning to dim their holiday cheer. Cards begin arriving and they are lacking in holiday cheer and season’s greetings. They are sinister and remind Lynda of a show she watched in her youth....

I so wanted to love this one. I thought that it would, but alas, this one just did not work for me. The story is unique, bizarre, and full of dread. The author pulled off the dread and feeling of something not being quite right in this book.

We can't love them all and that is the case with this book for me. I can't fault the writer or the plot. This just didn't work for me. Others are enjoying it more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Holy creepy Christmas! I love horror and I love that this one is at Christmas time. I was so creeper out and kept on the edge of my seat. I'm definitely going to be thinking twice about buying an advent calendar this Christmas season!

I love how horror authors are taking back winter and this is another great example of that. A spooky, funny story that brings in a great mother/son dynamic and some super creepy imagery.