Her Silent Night: A Martina Monroe Christmas Thriller

by H.K. Christie

This Christmas, the season of joy turns into a terrifying game of revenge.

A man dressed as Santa is found murdered and shoved up a chimney—a meticulously staged scene straight out of a nightmare. Days later, another murder staged like a twisted Christmas display is discovered.

With every gruesome crime comes a taunting Christmas card bearing a hand-drawn snowflake… delivered directly to PI Martina Monroe’s door.

Martina, fearless and unyielding, teams up with homicide detective Kate Maddox and crime reporter Natalie Sloane, whose articles on real-life Christmas tragedies have begun inspiring the killer’s next acts—a sure sign he isn’t just reading her stories. He’s watching her.

As the killer’s motives come into focus, one thing becomes terrifyingly this isn’t just revenge. It’s a message.

Now, with the clock ticking toward December 25th, Martina and Kate must unmask a killer before the holiday turns deadly for them all.

Her Silent Night is a special holiday installment in the Martina Monroe series. It’s a dark, chilling standalone Christmas thriller that is perfect for longtime fans and new readers alike.

Genres: Christmas, Thriller, Holiday, Mystery, Book Club

224 pages, Paperback

Published September 28, 2025

About the author

H. K. Christie watched horror films far too early in life. Inspired by the likes of Stephen King, Jodi Picoult, true crime podcasts, and a vivid imagination she now writes suspenseful thrillers. When not working on her latest novel, she can be found eating & drinking with friends, walking around the lakes, or playing with her favorite furry pal. 
She is a native and current resident of the San Francisco Bay Area. 


The MARTINA MONROE series featuring Private Investigator Martina Monroe and her unofficial partner, Detective August Hirsch of the Cold Case Squad, is a nail-bing crime thriller series full of suspense. If you like high-stakes games, jaw-dropping twists, and embattled seekers struggling to do right, then you’ll love the thrilling Martina Monroe series.

The SELENA BAILEY series is a collection of suspenseful stories detailing one young woman's turbulent path to becoming a top-notch, kick-ass private investigator. If you like thrilling twists, dark tension, and smart and driven women, then you’ll love this new dark thriller series. A Permanent Mark is a suspenseful murder mystery featuring a grown-up Selena Bailey.

www.authorhkchristie.com

Reviews

[Madi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh! I loved the idea of a Christmas serial killer, however this was mostly unremarkable and boring.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick Christmasy thriller!

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out pretty good, I was into it. But as it went on I could tell the writing was very simple and plain for my taste. Especially at the end… I loved that this was an under 200 page read, but at the end I literally just was reading it in a narrator voice at the end of a cozy mystery feel-good if that makes sense?

No hate at all to Christie!!! My Taylor Adams and Lucinda Berry
brain just need the added layer in my opinion than just a cozy Christmas thriller if that makes sense???

[Tameaka Maurer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

This was our pick for my work bookclub. It read a little like a police procedural but I was invested in the story. Had to know whodunit and loved that the three leads were badass women. We really get stuff done.

[Jen (noelle w. ihli's version) · Rating 2 out of 5]

that’s it, i hate crime thrillers.

[Julia Potter · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a Christmas thriller it was in fact “Christmasy” but not “thrilling”🤷‍♀️
While the writing was good it was very dry and predictable .

[Rosio · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great Christmas thriller with a great ending to bring awareness to the foster system.

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Christmasy murder scenes were creepy and got me to read all of it hoping there would be more but there wasn’t. Everyone was too dumb to live and I did not vibe with the writing.

[Melissa Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun holiday thriller, I enjoyed it especially after the investigation and loved the strong conversation around kids in the foster system

[Marguerite Dumesnil · Rating 1 out of 5]

jai eu de la difficulté à le finir.. do not recommend

[Macey Hurrle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it! I was invested in the story and wanted to know who did it. I also really liked the three man characters. The twist wasn’t anything crazy but it still worked.

[Anika · Rating 4 out of 5]

4🌟 because I enjoyed my time with it!
Not anything groundbreaking but it had my full attention . I read a detective story like this after a while so I surely enjoyed it. I just feel like there could have been so much more to dive deeper into the main antagonist characters and make it more interesting.

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow—this series just keeps getting better! And a Christmas-time thriller? Absolutely perfect.

This installment delivers another chilling, fast-paced ride filled with shocking twists and horrifying crimes. The tension is relentless as the investigators race against time to uncover who’s behind these brutal killings—before another victim falls.

The storyline is immersive and cleverly plotted, with a killer who always seems to be one step ahead. I loved how Martina, even while on vacation, finds herself drawn into an intense case. With the help of the local PD, she dives into the investigation, raising the stakes even higher.

This series has completely hooked me—I love it more with every book, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Thank you so much to H.K. Christie for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Highly recommend!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read the first sentence, I was hooked! That sentence turned into the first paragraph – You know its gonna be a great book when you read that first paragraph to your husband and the look on his face was priceless and then he said, I’m gonna sleep with one eye open! This book was a great read for a dark sinister holiday! Run and read this as your next read! Thank you so much for the ARC copy @authorhkchristie – its such an honor to be on your ARC team #HKChristie #HerSilentNight

[Billie Wiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely Intense and Exciting Christmas Thriller! 😳

With the moral code of “Dexter”, complex insights of “High Potential” and forensic focus of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” this one hits all the marks with precision! If you love any of these shows, you have got to get reading now!

Written in first person POV of each character, including the serial killer, this one really pulls you into the mind of each perspective. Which is always exactly where I want to be!

H.K. Christie really knows her stuff! With so many real life accounts of murder and mayhem woven into this story, the research is proven and documented immaculately. So much so that I took a deep dive into all the articles and links she’s included at the end of the book, including the article about the murder that took place close to home for me in a nearby town in 1945 Fayetteville, WV!

Don’t miss out on this one this Holiday Season!

[Kim that.bookish.mama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect for those who love a little thrill with their eggnog!

Someone just stuffed Santa up the chimney and he isn’t done there! Who is this Christmas Killer and what does he want? Could there be a connection he is trying to make between these kills or is it just random??
A cop, a PI, and a journalist come together to solve this case and figure out that not all is what it seems with this one!

This book was a solid thriller, I didn’t get that “wow” moment but it did keep me engaged and interested the whole time!
I also really liked the message that it brought to light in the end and made this one a little more thought provoking.

I do think it was a great read for the Christmas season!
It was super quick and easy but also entertaining!
Definitely a worthy add to that holiday TBR!

[Jessica LC Weller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man dressed as Santa, shoved up a chimney? "Festive" Christmas cards showing up in mailboxes without postage? Additional Christmas-themed staged murders?

Sounds like a Christmas nightmare! Which is just what I was looking for in a Christmas thriller!

I really enjoyed this standalone in the Martina Monroe series. Almost entirely led by strong female characters, this murder mystery/thriller held my attention the entire time.

A break between Christmas books that are holly and bright, this story, bloody and full of fright, did the trick!

I listened to the audiobook on Hoopla. The narrator is Robin McAlpine.

If any of this sounds like a fun read to you, I do recommend!

[Michelle Brownfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Silent Night is a gripping Christmas-set thriller that blends suspense with heart. The festive backdrop adds an eerie contrast to the dark mystery, making this a perfect seasonal read for thriller lovers who enjoy a holiday twist. The story kept me engaged from start to finish, with steady pacing and a strong sense of tension throughout.

What truly stood out was the emotional depth woven into the plot, especially the thoughtful look into foster children and foster parents. This element added meaning and humanity to the story, elevating it beyond a standard crime thriller. Christie does a great job balancing suspense with compassion, reminding readers that behind every mystery are real lives and difficult choices. A solid holiday thriller with substance—I’d definitely recommend this one. 🎄🔍📚

[Nikos Drosinos · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️- I loved the idea of a Christmas serial killer 🎄🔪, but despite being a short read, it never fully grabbed my attention 💤 The writing felt quite dry and didn’t deliver the tension or excitement you’d expect from a thriller 😕📖. The lack of a twist at the end was also disappointing and left things feeling a bit flat and rushed 🏃.

Overall, it was okay, not bad, but not amazing either 🤷‍♀️. It works as a quick festive read 🎅 ❄️, but don’t go in expecting a mind-blowing thriller, as it leans much more toward a straightforward murder mystery than a true thriller 🕵️‍♂️.

[Juliana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was advertised on tik tok as a Freida McFadden type book and that could not be farther from the truth. This was not a psychological thriller by any means. Closer to a horror meets a bad crime tv show. I did want to know what happens so I kept reading and why I gave it two stars but I think that was more my curiosity than actually wanting to read the book.

[Pasquina Santina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a fan of detective-led books. The way the individuals were murdered was super interesting, and then book started off strong, but the storyline lost me and the ending was a bit anti climactic for me.

[Fairly Kitten ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

first Christmas themed book I read
short but fun to read
I didn't like the end tho it was a little bit rushed
the killer death was quick and catching him was quick too since he bragged about being that smart

[tei hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

i didn’t know how much i needed a christmas martina book in my life until i had it! twisty, turny, and that all round perfect thriller.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little Christmas thriller! Fun fast paced read

[Kendra Hohenstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought there was gonna be more twist and turns in this book :( it wasn’t awful but I didn’t love it either

[Michelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ a fun one for the Holidays!

[Chlo ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟 really enjoyed this !!!!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy, quick Christmas thriller. It was fine... lacked on twists and anything surprising but it kept my interest enough.

[Candice Ybarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique Christmas novel with suspense and holiday spirit. Perfect for fans of whodunits who love a festive twist!

[Larae Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars