Silent Night

by Shelby Shaw

A Christmas homecoming. A missing family. A reality no one else remembers.

I come home for the holidays expecting family traditions and seasonal comfort.
Instead, I find my sister alone in my parents’ living room—calm, radiant, and strangely untouched by time.

There’s just one problem.

Her husband and children don’t exist.

Marlowe insists she was never married. My parents back her up with concerned smiles and soft reassurances, blaming my memories on stress, exhaustion, and emotional fragility after what happened years ago.

But I remember everything.
Holiday dinners. Childhood milestones. Family photos that should exist.

They don’t.

There are no pictures.
No social media traces.
No proof my nephew and niece ever lived.

As the days pass, the house fills with forced cheer, endless wine, and quiet surveillance. My parents insist I rest. That I relax. That I let them take care of me.

But something is wrong.

My sister reaches for children’s snacks she doesn’t remember buying.
She whispers goodnight to empty rooms.
And my parents—loving, protective, relentless—seem determined to keep me too disoriented to question the truth.

This Christmas isn’t about celebration.
It’s about control, erased memories, and a family hiding something deadly.

The truth is coming.

I just hope I survive long enough to uncover it.

Tropes & Themes You’ll Love ✨

Psychological ThrillerDomestic SuspenseFamily SecretsGaslighting & Emotional ManipulationErased MemoriesUnreliable RealityConcerned Parents with Dark IntentionsMissing ChildrenChristmas / Holiday SettingSlow-Burn DreadTwisty Psychological MysteryShocking RevealSilent Night is a psychological thriller featuring family secrets, memory manipulation, and a deeply unsettling ending that lingers long after the final page.

157 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2025

Reviews

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mouth dropped about 12% in when Celeste realizes that her family has absolutely no recollection of Mateo, Olivia, or Will 😳. I mean literally, her parents and sister are staring at her with the most inquisitive looks as she keeps asking where they are, and from that moment on, I knew I was in for something twisted.

What I liked most was the suspense. I truly did not know what was happening in this story, and Shelby Shaw did an excellent job of keeping me uneasy, confused (in the best way), and turning pages nonstop. The story also dove into the idea that family trauma doesn’t just disappear, it can ripple through multiple generations in devastating ways. Overall, a tense, unsettling holiday thriller that proves not all family reunions are merry and bright.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for me.

Coming home for Christmas was something Celeste was dreading,as her home town hold for her painful memories.Nothing could be more surprising then her sister Marlowe's husband and children gone like they never existed.

Is she's losing her mind and forgetting something?


It was confusing for me at the beginning,and I was not sure what was going on.Glad I stick to it,because the surprising truth was really something twisted.In a way mysterious ,and in a way heartbreaking when someone push through boundaries just to keep you safe.
Quick read by Shelby Shaw,only she can pack so much in such short novel,her ideas are really something.


Thank you booksprout and author for arc,my review is honest and my own.

[Beth Stromberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shelby Shaw has done it again. In Silent Night, the tension builds from the very moment you start reading it. The tension continues building to such a point, that I couldn't put it down, and read it in one sitting.
Celeste comes home, from London, for the holidays. She's coming back to the town she fled, because if something terrible that haunts her.
. When she gets there, she feels as if she has lost her mind, or is her family gaslighting her.
It tells the story in such a convincing way, that you don't know, and neither does she, whether she's gone crazy, or something is weird.
The story continues to hold you in its grip ,to the very end. Watch out for a surprises.
If you like Freida McFadden, I think Shaw is following her lead.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jennifer Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Shelby Shaw for the opportunity to review Silent Night, a Christmas-themed thriller that blends holiday atmosphere with suspense.

The premise is immediately intriguing—combining festive cheer with a sinister undercurrent that keeps the pages turning. Shaw crafts a setting that feels both cozy and tense, making the contrast between warmth and danger one of the book’s strongest elements.

That said, Silent Night asks the reader to suspend disbelief more than once. Some plot points feel inconsistent or unfold in ways that aren’t entirely realistic, and a few character decisions may leave readers questioning motivations. While these moments can pull you out of the story, they don’t erase the fact that the core concept is compelling and the pacing moves briskly.

Overall, Silent Night is perfect for readers who enjoy seasonal mysteries and are willing to overlook some bumps in logic for the sake of an intriguing read.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mandi Dawes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so far one of my favorite books by this author. Celeste comes home for Christmas only something doesn't feel right. Is it in her head or is something going on with her sister and parents. The people in the book made start to doubt my own self and wondered if she was going crazy. This isn't a long book as you can go through it pretty fast.I couldn't put it down once I started it.This book tricks you into thinking about one thing when wonder if that truly happened.This book is one you need to read before holiday's are over.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Silent Night by Shelby Shaw
.
Well that was weird, it took me a bit to get through the first 3 chapters thinking what is this all about.
The tale that wraps around 2 sisters and the heartaches they have gone through or was it heartaches or just what they were made to believe. I would not say this was a holiday book other than the timeline is centered around Christmas. I am going to go with 3 stars on this one. Not a bad story just I feel like it could had gone about it a different way.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ya know, overall, not too shabby! I felt like the story had a good flow to it and good storyline. I did bump the star level down a little because of the Epilogue. I didn’t like the re-explanation of how certain events played out. I think it should have been left alone because before the epilogue there was a certain level of crazy that was taken away by the epilogue explanation, just my opinion though.

[dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It had everything a book should need.. without giving too much away, the first couple of chapters were a bit dragged out, but after that, the story began it was a good read.. How far would some parents go to protect their kids...!!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stefanie Verhelst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shelby Shaw is very good at creating a psychological web of mysteries, that will keep you engaged from the very first sentence until the gripping ending!

If you like mysterious psychological thrillers, with a plot you can’t see coming, than Shelby’s books have it all!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ameche · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was a good short read

A dark, moody read that pulls you in fast and keeps the tension high. Silent Night delivers chilling vibes, emotional depth, and a steady unraveling of secrets that made it hard to put down. Perfect for readers who love suspense with a haunting atmosphere—especially during the holidays.

[Bryna Cruckshank · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dark, moody read that pulls you in fast and keeps the tension high. Would recommend to anyone who loves a good psychological thriller.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Chrissy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where was the mind blowing twist?! Like, there was nothing shocking here - I’m disappointed!

[Karm Barter · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.50. That was wild. I couldn’t put this one down. I would have loved it to be fleshed out more. I’ll read this author again.

[karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange.