I like nothing better than Christmas except a Christmas thriller book! This one has it all festive season cheer with murder, mystery, isolation, intrigue, family feuds and much more wrapped in a short book. I don't normally read short stories but I am glad that I read this one.

I received a complementary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the author and the publisher.
I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller. It's written so you can read a chapter a day, like an advent calendar. I chose to read it all at once, I couldn't wait to find out what happened. If this sounds like something that interests you, throw in some Christmas season, this is the book for you. It had enough Christmas spirit in it along with edge of your seat thrills and chills.

Great short story! I normally don’t like short stories but this one had just enough that I feel like I got the whole story! It had suspense, intriguing, murder, mystery and a fabulous who done it that I didn’t see!! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I just finished the most entertaining Christmas thriller. Xmas Break: A Christmas Thriller was a great time!!

thank you NetGalley for having this book available to read!

I have mixed thoughts on this one.. i definitely needed it to be long and more sinister.. it had such potential to be a really good one.. but feel sort of flat once the big reveal came out.. the reasoning wasn’t at all scary.. although i did love the isolated/trapped snowstorm vibe the book had going on.. but I needed way more for this one..

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Xmas Break releases November 22, 2024

After being estranged with her sister for the past three years, Clara invites Isla and her husband James to an isolated cabin in a snow-capped mountain setting for Christmas.

This is perfect for those that are looking for a one-sitting read around the holidays, and are interested by smart homes and motivations rooted in money.

I think overall, the characterizations could have been a bit more defined as they didn’t always seem to fit the narrative. There was a lot of evasiveness and sentences that would trail off into ellipses which became frustrating, and left the story feeling rather surface-level.
I would have loved if this was dual pov! The addition of Clara’s pov would have added a lot more depth and dimension, and strengthened the familial themes.

A nice little novella for the Christmas season, I enjoyed it and was just the right size book, good ideas as well