Vengeance Unwrapped: A Gripping Psychological Thriller Novella

by Glede Browne Kabongo

You destroyed my family. Now I'll destroy yours.

It's twelve days before Christmas, and the gifts begin arriving—but these special deliveries hold something far more sinister than holiday cheer.

Dr. Abbie Rambally thought her nightmare ended when her kidnapped son was rescued seven years ago. But now anonymous presents prove someone hasn't forgotten—and hasn't forgiven. Each beautifully wrapped gift contains a piece of her memories she's tried to forget, secrets she's buried deep. They know what happened at Yale. They hold her responsible for destroying an entire family. And they want her to pay the ultimate price.

As a psychologist, Abbie knows how obsession works. As a mother, she knows what fear feels like, and with each passing day, the gifts grow more terrifying. Someone has unfinished business with Dr. Rambally. The countdown to Christmas has begun—and that someone's saving the deadliest gift for last.

164 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 20, 2025

About the author

Gledé Browne Kabongo is a multiple award-winning author of unputdownable psychological thrillers about resilient women who navigate dark secrets, deadly lies, and impossible choices.

Her novels, characterized by their strong emotional core, heart-pounding suspense, and jaw- dropping twists include: The Forbidden Heiress, A Game of Malice, Our Wicked Lies, Fool Me Twice, Conspiracy of Silence, and the Fearless series.

Readers have described Gledé’s work as "unbelievably addictive," "brilliant," "captivating," "unputdownable," "spellbinding," "deliciously duplicitous," and "haunting and complex."

Gledé has spoken at multiple industry events including the Boston Book Festival, Sisters in Crime (SinC) New England Crime Bake, Concord Festival of Authors, and the Women in Publishing Summit.

She lives outside Boston with her husband and children. You can reach her at glede@gledekabongo.com or her author website.

Reviews

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

All gifts aren’t good gifts!!

I don’t know how these people can opt out do these mysterious gifts that show up but they definitely need to do so. Someone is definitely holding a grudge against Abbie and each day that she doesn’t figure it out puts her & her family in more and more danger! Enjoyed the concept of this story & how it dove into how long some people are truly willing to wait to exact revenge!

[Luciluvsbooksandbags · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice psychological thriller novella to round out my end of the year reading.

[Connie Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Out of fear of saying too much I will just say this is one of the most compelling books I have read in a while. It is a story that evokes all feelings, that had my adrenaline amped my, almost had me reverting back to old bad habits I gave up more that 40 years ago, cried copious tears. This one deserves more than five stars, but five is all I have with which to work.

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came for the holiday themed story and stayed for the revenge plan. The book follows Abbie and her family as they struggle with overcoming trauma as a mysterious person from Abbie's past comes seeking vengeance. This book balances between the POV of Abbie and our mysterious stalker. I found that having both perspectives is what made me be so invested into the novella.

My favorite part about this book is discovering the clues alongside Abbie and being able to witness the stalker's side of things. Abbie has become one of my favorite characters because of her strength and her willingness to do anything for her family. The family connection in this story was perfect.

It was refreshing to see Christmas being tied into a story like this. Family is one of the most important parts about Christmas, so it was a perfect setting for a story focused on ruining a family's sense of safety after intense traumas. I was eager to see what the next gift Abbie would be receiving and I was always left stunned at what the gifts meant to her. I appreciated knowing how the antagonist was throughout the story. It definitely made the psychological thriller aspect more suspenseful for me as a reader.

This novella was a perfect way to end the Christmas season.

Thank you to BookSirens, Gledé Browne Kabongo, and BrowneStar Media for this ARC, and this is a voluntary review.

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Holiday psychological thriller where gifts are left as an act of vengeance.
TW: stalking, mention of suicide, trauma
4 stars
ARC

[Nadya Rolinska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vengeance Unwrapped begins with an engaging and emotionally charged setup that immediately draws the reader in. Gledé Browne Kabongo, known for her award-winning psychological thrillers, once again explores themes of trauma, secrecy, and family tension. The opening builds suspense effectively, revealing fragments of the protagonist’s past and creating a strong sense of mystery.

The writing is clear and accessible, and the first half delivers solid intrigue. However, the tension becomes more predictable in the later chapters, and readers expecting major twists typical of the genre may find the story unfolding along familiar lines. Even so, the novel remains readable, with a relatable main character and steady pacing.

Overall, Vengeance Unwrapped is a decent, straightforward psychological thriller—ideal for readers who enjoy suspenseful but not overly complex stories, and who prefer emotional stakes over shocking plot turns.

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

[Ney oh the thrill of it FN · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

I really enjoyed this story as it was a truly suspense filled festive thriller, that immediately grabbed my attention. Although a short story Glede does a great job of introducing the characters and building the story.

The action is fast paced and is a real page turner.

At times the main character Dr Abbie Rumbally a highly educated psychiatrist had me screaming for her to just go to the police! But in true thriller/horror movie style she ran towards the danger.

I would have liked to have had some more back story as it was alluded to a lot so I was pleased to find out there is a pre story called Autumn of fear which will be getting added to my tbr. Looking forward to reading more from this author soon.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vengeance Unwrapped was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I loved the central plot, and the main characters were written with so much depth—I felt like I really knew them by the end.

However, the main reason I’m landing on 3 stars is that the middle felt a bit circular. It kind of felt like the story was retreading the same ground before finally getting to the point. And I know that some of the repetition was needed in order to create the tension, but I found myself wanting the plot to move forward a bit faster. I also wish the secondary characters had a bit more personality; they felt a little thin compared to how vibrant the leads were. Definitely worth a read for the plot, but be prepared for a bit of a slower pace.

Thank you to BookSirens, author Gledé Browne Kabongo and BrowneStar Media for this advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author. I liked it so much I just bought 4 more of her books.
Abby Rambally is a psychologist specializing in patients who’ve experienced trauma, something she’s very familiar with. Just before Christmas a person from her past comes back to get vengeance. That’s all I can say without it feeling like spoilers.
This thriller was very well written. It was logical and believable. I had a feeling how it was going to end but I was still on the edge of my seat. There was a classic horror movie moment when I started yelling at Abby because I knew there was danger ahead. She didn’t listen. lol.
I did receive this book as a free ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a twisted, gripping, and compelling read. A family is terrified to find their stalker and kidnapper of their son Lucas is nearby and taunting the family. He won't quit until he feels he has revenge on the person who interrupted his grand plan! Who will come out of this one alive? Its' creep factor is high and the intensity ramps up nicely. I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest review.

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review:

For me this was different than most Psychological thrillers as it didn't follow the same story arc. There was no shocking twist, HOWEVER, that is not to say it was not extremely suspenseful, because it was! I had to keep reading to find out how it was gonna end. Most Holiday themed books are fluffy RomComs so this was a great break in that for me personally!

[Cherihy808 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I really enjoyed this one. It was a quick but suspenseful book. It may have been a slow burn at times but in a good way. It kept you wanting to read to find out what the next “gift” would be. I think the ending was predictable but it was still good! I definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for a psychological thriller with a Christmas theme!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick read. A man who disrupted her family years ago, comes back for revenge. This story kept me engaged and wanting to keep reading. I could feel the fear in the protagonist while she was trying to figure out who was actually behind all the notes/creepy presents being sent to her.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a few other people, I needed a quick read to finish book challenges!
I was not ready for how captivating and chilling this was! I'm so here for it! I kept wondering if this was a sequel because of all of the references to the past, but I'm so excited to learn that this is the first in the series!

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading this authors work and I must say her writing is great. The story line was interesting and kept me asking what happened? Well I'll find the answer if I keep reading which i did. The characters were amazing and well liked. The ending was a bit tame for what I'm used to but, all in all it was a great read.
This was an ARC for my honest opinion.

[Sandy Goguen-Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

A psychological thriller that pulls you in right from the first page. A great psychological thriller with family secrets, tensions and trauma.

Thanks to Book Sirens for this ARC book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsession and festive feels are prominent and I could feel the uncertainty. I had a rather surprised reaction to some of the disturbing gifts.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Rebecca]

I didn’t realize till 50% though this is the 5th book in a series (a bunch of stuff kept being brought up like I should know about it so I looked up the authors other books) it was fine but I would not read it as a stand alone book

[Yolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this thriller. It kept me engaged and was the perfect length. This author was new to me, and I’m definitely planning to read more of her work. I especially loved the different points of view throughout the book. Highly recommend.

[Kendi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short story about revenge from seven years ago. I have really enjoyed fast, short stories. A short story needs to give you details and get I to the plot quickly. This story does just that.

[Katie Bates · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast-paced novella to end out my 2025 reading year. Book 30!

[Cheryl Eichelberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it kept me motivated to read. It was suspenseful and I couldn’t figure out a couple of points until the ends.

[Lindsay Abila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent enough to keep me going to see who was behind it.

[Johanna Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good novella, made me want to pick up the first book. Short and sweet and lots of action