The Nightmare Under the Mistletoe: A Christmas Thriller Novelette

by Nadija Mujagic

★★★★★ "This short story had me at the edge of my seat the whole time! I love everything about Christmas and horror so this was the perfect read for me!" Goodreads review★★★★★ "It's a great novella that packs a punch! I absolutely love the story, the characters, and the twists." Goodreads review__________________________________________Choose wisely the Christmas soirée you attend!After a recent breakup, Emma seeks solace at a coworker's Christmas party, hoping for a carefree evening. But things go wrong, terribly wrong for her.She gets entrapped in the basement without a clue as to why, and the night goes from "ho-ho-ho" to "uh-oh" real fast! Hours later, when she is finally released, she discovers a sinister surprise orchestrated by her colleague and the party's host, Seth. The nightmare he has prepared is far worse than anything she could have imagined.As he makes the party a living nightmare, survival becomes her sole objective. Will Emma's determination to survive the night be enough to overcome the relentless horrors Seth has unleashed upon the party?

Genres: Christmas, Horror, Short Stories

64 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 5, 2023

About the author

Nadija has written several psychological thrillers and a memoir series. In her spare time, she enjoys playing sports and electric bass guitar.

Reviews

[Celeste Velocci (bookrecs_by_celeste) · Rating 2 out of 5]

People are so whacky lol this was a short holiday story about a Christmas work party gone wrong. This is why you won’t catch me wanting to go and meet a ton of new people!

[Sarah * Between the Lines Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and Thrilling

Excellent novella by Nadija Mujagic . Want a quick and thrilling Christmas read? This one is it.
Definitely recommend this one.

[Babbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was decent, but a longer novella would have been better! So much more could have been done with this material.

[Tina A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nightmare Under the Mistletoe is a darkly entertaining, claustrophobic and unhinged novelette! It drew me in and held my attention to the end! The pacing was perfectly fine for me and didn’t feel rushed, while the characters and plot were well-developed and led to a satisfying conclusion. I definitely recommend it!

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not the Christmas dinner I want to attend

Listen! Seth told these folks exactly what he wanted, it’s not his fault they didn’t listen lol. These coworkers should have been suspicious from the start, when they got the Christmas Dinner invite from Seth. Quick fun holiday thriller! Managers.. beware 😬.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a novella to get you into the Christmas spirit (or to hit your reading goal for the year) this would be an excellent choice. It was a fun and quick read!

[Ciarra · Rating 2 out of 5]

In what world would someone not get fired for stealing from their company lmfao what

[Dr CG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, it was ok. It was just a short novella, but didn’t really knock my socks off or anything.

[Maricel Sonatore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short read! I only wish it was turned into a longer novel, because it was really good

[Elaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Previously, I read and thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Mujagic's book, The Master of Demise, so I was eager to read this novelette by the same author. While the story is interesting, I didn't feel that the writing was of the same calibre. It's apparent that the author is not a native English speaker, which in and of itself is not a problem, but the writing would have benefitted from more proofing. In many places, there are articles that do not need to be where they are, there are places where past tense would have been more appropriate than the present tense, which was used. The characters were a bit shallow, and Seth, the coworker hosting the holiday party, really needed to be rounded out a lot more. The dialogue between the various characters also needs a bit more sophistication. I don't like to give less than great reviews, I know that writing is a labor of love and is a great deal of work, but this story really needs more editing.

I received an ARC from BookSirens, the opinions expressed herein are strictly my own.

[Veronica Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick and straight to the point. Very predictable and kind of boring.


*spoilers ahead*


Yeah, I wasn’t impressed by this at all. A guy wants a raise at work and decides to take matters into his own hands. It didn’t really work out well in the end, and that’s about it!

[Monica Mil-Homens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opinião: Apropriado para esta época assustadora e para a época natalícia, esta pequena estória/novela reflete um pouco a forma como nos relacionamentos com os nossos colegas de trabalho e como isso por vezes se torna um inferno. Esta era apenas uma festa de Natal providenciada por Seth, um dos funcionários da empresa (um simples subordinado) que vive num enorme casarão cheio de luxo (alerta, alerta, como conseguiu ele pagar isso tudo?) e que além de ser e ter um ambiente estranho, com muita bebida e pouca comida, Seth envia Emma, sua superior hierárquica na empresa para o que ele apregoa ser o local onde se guarda o vinho, mas que afinal é uma cave bolorenta, cheia de armadilhas e Emma fica aprisionada sem entender nada do que se está a passar. Quando finalmente se liberta e consegue voltar para junto dos colegas, nada está como estava antes. E agora é sobreviver ao que por aí vem. Eu gostei muito, divertiu-me, é um livro curtinho e cheio de sátiras e eu julgo que serve o seu propósito.

ENG REVIEW: Appropriate for this spooky season and the Christmas season, this short story/novel reflects a little on how relationships with our work colleagues can sometimes become hell. This was just a Christmas party organized by Seth, one of the company's employees (a simple subordinate) who lives in a huge mansion full of luxury (alert, alert, how did he manage to pay for all that?) and who, in addition to being and having a strange environment, with lots of drink and little food, Seth sends Emma, ​​his superior at the company, to what he says is the place where the wine is kept, but which turns out to be a moldy basement, full of traps and Emma is trapped without understanding what’s going on. When she finally frees herself and manages to return to her colleagues, nothing is as it was before. And now it’s time to survive what’s coming. I really liked it, i had fun, it's a short book full of satire and I think it serves its purpose. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

@bibliotecamil_insta /bibliotecamil.wordpress.com

[Sweet book of mine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emma está atravesando por la ruptura de la relación con su exnovio, han sido días difíciles y necesita distraerse. Así que ir a la fiesta navideña de Seth es la mejor opción.

Seth es el nuevo en la oficina. Es muy trabajador, entrega todo a tiempo, nunca se queja ni cuestiona a nadie; su trabajo es impecable. Sólo que es un poco retraído y solitario, nunca habla durante las reuniones y parece no tener muchos amigos.

Al llegar a la fiesta, Emma se sorprende por la casa en la que Seth vive, es enorme y muy lujosa. Siendo su jefa, Emma sabe que lo que Seth gana no sería suficiente para costear una casa así.

Qué secreto está escondiendo Seth? Tal vez sea mejor no saberlo, tal vez hubiera sido mejor no haber venido a esta fiesta
navideña de pesadilla…

Otro thriller navideño!! Me encantan!! Ésta es una novela corta que pasa de 0 a 100 en un instante. Aunque la trama es bastante predecible, esto no lo hizo menos interesante y disfrutable.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you want to go to a work Christmas Party? Are you sure about that?

Emma is invited to Seth's (work colleague) Christmas party. She's just broken up with her fiance Fred, so she is excited to attend with her other workmates.

The night is going ok, although Seth is acting weird and keeps staring at her. Seth asks her to get more wine from the cellar. Only, the cellar is a cold, dark, and smelly basement, and someone has locked her down there.

When the door finally opens, Emma cautiously returns to the party room where she finds Seth - and a horrific scene.

Will Emma escape this living nightmare?

I enjoyed this short story - I wanted more! Nadija's descriptive writing pulled me in quickly, and she set the scene for a thrilling tale.

Thanks Nadija, this is my 12th story of yours! I just love the way you build up and describe the tension so it's felt and heard 🥰

[Rachael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had this been any longer than 55 pages it would have gone straight to DNF. I don’t use this term lightly when it comes to characters, but the main character in this novella was nothing shy of absolutely insufferable. I was more intrigued by the villain backstory than if our FMC made it out of this situation alive. Overall wholly unrealistic, dramatic, and somehow both over and underdeveloped at the same time. The irony of there being an entire paragraph towards a joke about how the MC would never write an email with atrocious grammar, with actual grammatical errors within said paragraph (and many, many others across 55 pages) was not lost on me.
This was bad, and I read three books from the After series this year. The bar is once again in hell.

[Elise Ballard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was actually a very good thriller. It’s about a small office party with a revenge plot. There is plot twists. It keeps you hooked while you read it. It is a very quick read. Longer than a short story but well detailed. I thought the plot was a great idea and the way everything went. The characters develop was decent for a novella. It mostly started on the main characters but that works on tremendously in a novella. I recommend for ya and up. There is a violent scene but it is not overly descriptive. I personally read YA with a lot more, even Harry Potter had more violence and gore.

[VDKeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fun, short, somewhat horrific story of Emma who is recovering from a painful breakup. When a coworker invites her to a Christmas party, she accepts. Her goal is to have fun and forget her problems for a while. But, someone else has other plans for Emma. It all starts when she’s asked to go downstairs to the wine cellar for more wine. This is the point where you’re shouting ‘no, don’t go down there’. But, she does and that’s where the horror starts. This is a short story, 70 pages, but the characters are believable and the storyline is solid. It’s a great way to start your seasons readings with a twist.

[Rachel Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Nightmare Under The Mistletoe” by Nadija Mujagic is a thrilling Christmas novelette that grabbed my attention from the start. It’s the perfect blend of holiday cheer and suspense, with just the right amount of tension to keep me on edge. The festive setting adds an intriguing layer to the dark twists and turns, making it an unexpected yet captivating read. I found myself hooked, eager to see what would happen next, and was pleasantly surprised by the chilling suspense. If you're looking for a quick, intense thriller to add a little thrill to your holiday season, this one is definitely worth checking out.

[Lindatugby81 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma seeks solace from a recent breakup at a coworker’s Christmas party , hoping for a care free evening .But when socially awkward colleague and party host Seth leads her to the basement under false pretenses and locks her in , the night takes a harrowing turn. Hours tick by before she escapes , only to find a chilling surprise awaiting her upstairs .Seth , driven by a hidden grudge, turns the Christmas party into a living nightmare.

In this gripping novelette , ‘ The Nightmare under the Mistletoe,’ Emma must summon her inner strength to outwit her tormentor and reclaim her life from the depths of despair.

Will she emerge triumphant , or be consumed by the darkness that surround her ?

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to BookSirens for this ARC - sadly, the little blurb provided revealed all but the last couple of pages of plot so there really wasn't much excitement in reading it. I accept that it was a novelette and didn't have time for much depth of character, but maybe cutting out a few people could have provided time for fleshing out a little more. I also found the consequences at the end (when Rob knew she had been embezzling money and promoted her for it? made very little sense.

[Delphia Von Heeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nightmare Under the Mistletoe is A Christmas Thriller short novella by Nadija Mujagic. The story opened with Christmas party invitations. BUT.. this holiday office party went downhill fast. I felt that the author wrote a wonderfully enjoyable Christmas story with laughter and holiday fun then she spun the story on a dime and I was surprised and had no idea what was going to happen next. Then, just when I thought I could breath the author flipped the story and I said wow! I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.

[Brenda Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you get a chance to read this short story by The Nightmare Under The Mistletoe this holiday season?

Everything that happens in this novel, is a nightmare. It starts out with just a Christmas party and a broken heart, 💔 and ends up a nightmare for Emma, thanks to her employee Seth. And well speaking of the ending, you know the very end? Totally unpredictable!

Do not wait to read this Christmas thriller, just in case your going to a Christmas gathering; you'll want to know what can happen at such things! (Oh and bring your own wine! Better yet; bring enough for everyone!)

[JRM · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title suggests, this was a very twisted story. A work Christmas party staged by an awkward co-worker that goes wrong in a number of ways, but mainly focused on his direct boss who he feels is holding him back. He has some dirt on her that he wants to use against her to get her out of the way and for him to elevate his status.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[SKP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the worst novella thriller I’ve read, but not the best either. Not all that thrilling, and wimps out at the end. I’m surprised at how many people in the Kindle reviews said it was “intense”. I didn’t think it was all that intense or suspenseful at all. It seemed to have potential at first, but it didn’t live up to my expectations. Maybe it was just too short to do much with the characters and plot.

[Nicole Milazzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Nightmare Under the Mistletoe" by Nadija Mujagic is a thrilling Christmas novella that's perfect for the holiday season. The story follows Emma, who's recovering from a breakup and attends a coworker's Christmas party, only to find herself trapped in a living nightmare.

This is a perfect Christmas horror story that's suspenseful and leaves you questioning whether you should skip your Christmas work party this year!

[Artemis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novelette was a book which kept you reading it to figure out what happened in the end. It also teaches a valuable lesson on making sure that someone's background is good before hiring. Overall, I appreciate how the story concluded at the end.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Joan Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank You Nadija Mujagic and BookSirens

This is a Psychological Thriller of a holiday home party gone wrong. I liked the twist I the story the best.

The story was a slow burn that gets better as you read deeper into the story. I rounded the 3.5 star up to 4 stars. I would read this author again.

Psychological Thriller
Holiday Season

[jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and no mistletor.

Enjoyed the quick read right up to the odd quick ending. A more logical way out should be apparent to everyone. It would have been more satisfying for me had she just shut up and let the crazy take the blame rather than the cheesy confession. But that's just me.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thrilling read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[✦denisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

short, tense, and twisted—this christmas party turns into a terrifying trap, leaving emma fighting for her life. the setup is gripping and the revenge twist adds a chilling edge, but it all feels too brief. with more pages, the plot and characters could’ve been even stronger. still, it’s a solid, fast-paced thriller that keeps you hooked.