25 Candles: An edge-of-your-seat advent-style Christmas thriller

by Iris Baxter

25 days. 25 chapters. A chilling countdown to Christmas.
When nurse Hannah Mark loses a patient, she returns to her hometown seeking peace. But Greenridge—once a picture-perfect town—hides more than Christmas lights and snow.

Each December, candles are lit to mark the days until Christmas. This year, with every new flame, tragedy strikes again. Fires. Disappearances. Death.
And at the center of it all—Hannah.

The past isn’t buried. It’s burning.

25 Candles is an Advent-style psychological thriller. Read one chapter every day until Christmas.

Genres: Christmas, Mystery

240 pages, Paperback

Published November 7, 2025

Reviews

[Sabryna Richardson]

DNF — and I almost never leave a book unfinished. I really tried to stick with this one, but I just couldn’t get past the writing. It felt like the author heard that similes and metaphors make your writing stronger and decided to cram one into every single sentence. Instead of enhancing the story, it completely pulled me out of it. I pushed through four chapters hoping things would settle in or improve, but I just found myself getting more and more annoyed.

[Kathy Zink · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you enjoy reading garbage AI, this is the book for you.
“The road to the orphanage dipped and then broke into packed dirt where plows didn’t bother to pretend.” Who says that?
I could not finish this after day two. Every sentence is a crappy analogy that sounds like it came from an AI robot that fishes for answers off of Reddit.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for some holiday reading that packs a punch, I turned to this story by Iris Baxter. Promoted as an 'advent thriller', Baxter suggests reading a chapter a day from December 1st to Christmas Day. After losing a patient, Nurse Hannah Mark returns to her hometown of Greenridge. She hopes to heal, surrounded by familiar scenes she has not witnessed since she was last here for her father's funeral. The town tradition of lighting a candle each night of Advent pulls her in as everyone counts down towards Christmas. The pall of the memory surrounding a fire years ago that burnt down an orphanage, killing all the town's children, lingers but is not subsuming. This year's candle celebrations go hand in hand with tragedies each night: from a shed burning down, people going missing, and even death. While some might call this coincidence, there seems to be someone pulling the strings and Hannah is curious to see if she can crack the code before Christmas inches closer. A decent thriller by Iris Baxter that has a good holiday flavouring.

Christmas is the ideal reading time, no matter what genre interests you. This short novel by Iris Baxter proved quick and entertaining. Its narrative clipped along, helping the story gain needed momentum. Use of candles to depict each day was an added touch and made things go even faster. The reader is pulled in by brief chapters and some assessment of events, through the eyes of many. The reader can see this as a mystery, as well as a semi-procedural, with the suspect lurking in the shadows as Hannah Mark seeks answers for all.

Characters are plentiful and Baxter makes some of them memorable. This permits the reader to see things from all angles as truths emerge to shape the piece. Readers seek to better understand what's happening and how the candle countdown will shape what is taking place in this American town. Baxter knows how to create the connection and leave the reader wondering about Hannah Mark, as well as some of the townsfolk who all play a role in the mystery.

Surprises emerge to keep the reader wondering. While things flow with ease, I found myself not connecting on all levels. This left me less surprised or shocked by all that was taking place, forcing me to concentrate more than I might have liked. Iris Baxter does create something suspenseful and I am curious to see more of her writing, with a hope that she pens a great full-length thriller. This was a good Christmas thriller addition and I hope others can enjoy it too!

Kudos, Madam Baxter, for a holiday treat!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Katie Thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF…don’t make chatGPT write your books for you then pass it off as your own for a profit. Icky behavior

[Tori · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would give this book half a star if I could.

The idea was a solid one… but the execution was so poor. If I hadn’t been buddy reading this and had friends to complain to and laugh with about the incessant metaphors and inconsistencies, this would have easily been a DNF for me.

[Jo Sygrove · Rating 1 out of 5]

Avoid!! This may well be the worst book ever written. Presumably by AI as every chapter is almost identical, you learn absolutely nothing of the characters and it is unreadable due to almost every sentence having a metaphor/simile etc in it. At half way through it has become a DNF because quite frankly life is too short for bad books!

[Alisha Pontius]

This book was a struggle to read, even when I was only reading one chapter a day. There were weird descriptions and I didn't care for the main character at all. I really try to finish books once I start them, but this one felt more and more like a waste of time. DNF at 35%.

[Mickey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure whether it actually was or not, but this one felt like it was written by AI. The overuse of smilies and metaphors, the repetition, and the use of phrases that didn’t quite make sense all made it feel robotic rather than human. The story itself wasn’t very good, either—I figured out who the survivor from the orphanage was almost as soon as their age was mentioned.
This was another advent-style book, but there’s no way I would have finished it if I’d only been reading a chapter a day. Instead, I read it in a single day and regretted finishing it at all.

[Maddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

how many cups of tea can one woman possible drink in one book

[Halie Holley · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF this one after day 5 as well. These advents aren’t working in my favor.

[Carmela Garcia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly it was terrible. Same words and story every chapter. I stuck with it because I have a hard time DNF books. No way I would recommend this book, sorry

[Scarlet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It's a little slow paced at the beginning but picks up as you go. I see a lot of comments saying this is possibly written by AI due to the phrases in the books however while reading this I didn't see one thing that didn't add up. This is more of a Mystery advent more than a horror, which is why I feel like most reviews here word things that say phrases don't match up. However most books on kindle are self published! We are human. We have flaws such as improper grammar and punctuation. I truly believe this book teaches a valuable lesson and is honestly really good.

[Erika · Rating 1 out of 5]

I truly wanted to enjoy 25 Candles, but unfortunately this was a miss for me. The writing felt extremely repetitive, with the same thoughts, phrases, and situations rehashed over and over without adding anything new or meaningful. Instead of feeling reflective or heartfelt, it became tedious.

I found myself hate-reading just to get to the end, hoping it would improve, but it never really did. The pacing dragged, and the lack of growth or depth made it hard to stay engaged.

This book just wasn’t for me, and I would honestly caution others before picking it up—especially if repetitive writing and slow progress are deal-breakers for you.

Here, I had AI write my review, just like the author had AI write this terrible story.

[Amanda Hopwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok,

[Gem Woodroofe · Rating 1 out of 5]

25 Candles by Iris Baxter promises warmth, reflection, and emotional depth - but delivers little more than repetitive angst and underdeveloped ideas. I ultimately DNF’d the book at Chapter 6 because it never gave me a reason to keep going.

What could have been a poignant exploration of milestones instead feels like a collection of half-formed thoughts stretched thin to fill pages. The characters lack depth, the dialogue often sounds unnatural, and the pacing drags painfully early on, with long stretches where nothing of consequence happens.

Moments meant to feel profound come across as forced or cliché, as if the book is constantly telling the reader how to feel rather than earning it through storytelling. By Chapter 6, it was clear there wouldn’t be a meaningful payoff for sticking it out. Overall, 25 Candles is a missed opportunity that needed stronger editing, sharper insight, and far more originality to shine.

[Shannen Householder · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really wanting so much more from this book. Too easy to guess and not enough adrenaline pumping moments for me.

[Allison Maples · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wouldn’t even give this book one star if that were an option. The best part was the beginning—before the story even started. Once it did, the writing quickly became unbearable: repetitive, poorly written, and frustrating throughout. Quite frankly, this is the worst book I’ve read.

[Jo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This might be the worst book I’ve read all year. The characters are unlikable, the writing is repetitive, and the metaphors are so bad they deserve their own apology tour. There are at least two or three ridiculous similes per page. The only mercy is that it’s short.

[Brittany Whiteman · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF-I tried I really tried. At first I thought it was because I was reading 2 thriller advent style books at the same time, the other one I couldnt wait I had to finish it and just paused this one. started this one back up and restarted it. similes in just about every sentence, " the cold cut like knife blade" "a truck glided across the road like a boat on the water" it just felt like a filler to make the book longer. the actual plot of the book could have been an email.

[Kayse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably literally the worst book I’ve ever finished. If I could award this zero stars, I would.

[Sue Pook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok read , a bit repetitive by chapter until the twist at the end which made it ok

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many times I wanted to turn my kindle off and not finish this book. It is dark, not just the story, but the atmosphere, the weather and so many difficult feelings. But, I kept going because the story grabbed me. I wanted to know the secrets, as tragic as they were. The suspense and tension was unbelievable, but I finished in a day. Still unsure how I feel………….

[Kris Peters · Rating 1 out of 5]

One chapter a day. I just kept thinking it would get better but it was wordy yet not in the least entertaining. DNF

[Cheyenne Joy Mijdam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
25 Candles by Iris Baxter

Let’s get one thing straight: I did not read this as an advent calendar. I tried. I failed. I am a feral, zero–self-control reading goblin and once I light a candle, I burn the whole damn house down. Metaphorically. Mostly.

And honestly? Worth it.

The tension in this book is chef’s kiss with a nervous twitch. The build-up is slow, deliberate, and cruel in the best way. That quiet kind of fire that doesn’t explode right away but smolders under your skin until you realize—too late—you’re already scorched. I felt it. The heat. The anger. The guilt. The inevitability.

This ended up being my final Christmas read, and I loved almost every word of it. Yes, my inner detective clocked the culprit pretty early (curse of being chronically suspicious of fictional humans), but that didn’t cheapen the story. Not even a little. Because this book isn’t really about the who. It’s about the why. And the consequences.

The message hits hard and doesn’t apologize:
Nothing goes unpunished.
Everyone deserves to be remembered.
And sooner or later, you will have to own your mistakes—whether you’re ready or not.

Some lines straight-up lodged themselves in my brain like emotional shrapnel:

“Bravery can look a lot like self-destruction when no one’s beside you.”
“She was everything I wanted to believe still existed in the world—steady, kind, unbroken.”

Yeah. Those sentences don’t just pass by. They sit down. They stare at you. They ask uncomfortable questions.

So yes—25 Candles is absolutely worth reading. Advent or not. If not this year, then put it on your list for next Christmas. Light one candle at a time if you’re stronger than me. Or don’t. Burn through it. Feel it. Let it linger.

Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas—
and maybe a little emotional damage under the tree. 🎄🔥

[Annalisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad this book was one of my christmas advent picks. It was thought provoking, moving, intriguing, and meaningful. The descriptions were beautiful and really brought the book to life. I liked how the setting was a character itself. I liked how all the smells and feelings and other senses were captured. There were nice bits of warmth and coziness sprinkled into a dark story that in my opinion captured the feel of winter well. For people who value character development, I think this book would be good. it's very human and looks inside the people involved. There are complex and interesting relationships. each day I was excited for my new chapter to learn a bit more. it was a unique story in a way I can't quite explain. I thought it was really good.

[Sara Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was bad. I was too busy to read it in December like an actual advent book so I finished it in January but…. Wow. The writing was terrible. And now reading other reviews it definitely makes sense that this was probably written by AI. The amount of similes and metaphors was infuriating. I started to count the amount of times “as if” was used. At one point an orange dropped on the ground and split open? What? Also the anytime things she knew from nursing were referenced I cringed because… no. 2 stars because the plot could have been good.

[Sandy Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Town Without Pity

The town of Greenridge is not having a Holly, Jolly Christmas. Acts of vandalism are happening every night of Advent. It seems the past has come back to haunt the citizens for a devastating crime of neglect that ended in fire and death twenty years ago. Fear and blame escalate with each passing night until a final reckoning on Christmas Eve. This dark tale, reminiscent of Shirley Jackson’s writing, kept me turning pages. If I hadn’t fallen asleep, I would have finished it in one sitting. Not a nappy tale, but a haunting one.

[Claire Talbot · Rating 1 out of 5]

Possibly the worst book I’ve read ever. I’m pretty sure I read the same chapter 25 times because the story had no progression. I solved the so called mystery immediately. I’m convinced this was written by AI cause NO ONE speaks like these characters do. Everything is in metaphors and riddles and it was exhausting to read. I don’t DNF books but I got damn close.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Christmas countdown

Within tragedy there is love. A very tragic story of a fire where many children died. I enjoyed the 25 candle countdown to Christmas as the story unfolds.. Very good!

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars