The Cruelest Christmas: A Novella

by Jenna Moquin

A Christmas Carol for anyone who’s ever had a nightmare boss.

Elena Jacobs has done everything right. She works nights and weekends. She completes her projects before the deadline. She bends herself into a pretzel to survive a boss who gaslights, manipulates, and quietly sabotages her career.

Three days before Christmas, she’s fired anyway.

Stephanie Devlin has everything Elena doesn’t—money, power, and control. She calls it leadership. Everyone else calls it toxic. And this Christmas Eve, Stephanie is about to learn that some sins don’t stay buried.

When a dead former employee appears in her office, Stephanie is dragged into a long, haunted night—one that will force her to face the damage she’s done, the lives she’s broken, and the future waiting for her if she refuses to change.

A supernatural holiday novella about toxic workplace culture, and long-overdue consequences, this modern re-imagining of A Christmas Carol is perfect for readers who’ve ever survived a nightmare boss—and wished karma would finally show up.

**Includes bonus short story Angel-La, a Christmas horror tale**

Genres: Christmas, Holiday, Thriller

58 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 17, 2025

About the author

Jenna Moquin's short stories and poetry have appeared in The Literary Hatchet, Asylum Ink, Heater, 34 Orchard, PARABNORMAL Magazine, Das Gift, and Wicked Sick. In 2016 she released a collection of dark tales, Safe: New and Selected Stories. In 2021, she compiled a charity anthology featuring 1980s-themed horror stories by the New England Horror Writers.

In 2024, her debut thriller STALKS was released, and her follow-up thriller THE CEMETERY SPOT was published 6 months later. She is a proud aunt to 6 nieces and nephews, and currently resides in Las Vegas with her Devil's Ivy plants while working on her latest story.

Upcoming Book Releases:

EYELAND: A Psychological Thriller
February 3, 2026

THE RED POSSESSION: A Horror Novel
May 1, 2026

https://www.jennamoquin.com/

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Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great start but then very boring and predictable end. Pass.

[Lydia Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenna can do no wrong! This one is no different! It was a modern take on A Christmas Story plus a little surprise at the end!
This one delivers thriller, Christmas vibes, gasps, a good nooooo moment! If you want a quick, fast paced read just this one out!

[Jessica Delaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

It coulda been better

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75-3⭐️
The storyline was entertaining for a novella. Same idea of Ghosts of Christmas past for a terrible human.
I wanted more from the ending. It didn’t match the rest of the novella.

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m sorry but what a joke of a read. One of my favorite authors rated this 5 stars and I’m not sure how. “Ghost of gaslighting” “ghost of toxicity” come on…… and the language used throughout this was weird like a tween wrote it. I painful made myself finish this 58 page book. They didn’t even wrap up the ending.

[Anna-Marie Corcoran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book 92

2/5 ⭐️

A twist of A Christmas carol. Ended abruptly. Passed half hour of my time

[Emily Johnson! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty solid novella. Like honestly for 60 pages this was good

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story

Great little story and a bonus one too .
A great Christmas tale to read and highly recommend you do.

[Kacianna Schmitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Christmas carol but worse

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, easy read and perfect for the Christmas season. It’s a business-themed twist on A Christmas Carol, with a clear redemption-and-comeuppance storyline.

The bonus story about a man named Z was included as well, and I enjoyed that too. Both stories follow a pretty straightforward “actions have consequences” kind of moral, where people who commit crimes ultimately suffer the results. Because of that, it was easy to read without any lingering bad aftertaste—simple, seasonal, and satisfying.

[Roxana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Think A Christmas Carol, but with Ebenezer Scrooge replaced by an uptight, unkind woman named Stephanie. She’s a terrible boss, has few (if any) friends, and is just not a good person. On Christmas Eve, she’s visited by three ghosts who show her how awful she’s been to the people around her. You know the rest. I picked this up because I saw on Goodreads that Freida McFadden had given it a 5⭐️ review, but honestly, I didn’t enjoy it much. 🙈 The story’s organization was kind of meh, and overall it left a lot to be desired.

[Jenae Gilchrist · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Cruelest Christmas is a modern, corporate take on A Christmas Carol. It’s a short and easy read, but still engaging and satisfying. The main character is very clearly held accountable for her actions, and it was genuinely satisfying to watch her cruelty come back to her through some well-earned karma. A great quick seasonal read and an easy four stars. I wanted more for the ending.🎄

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

wtf

[Zaida JoliCoeur · Rating 3 out of 5]

spin off xmas carol i liked

[Candy Turk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this quick read.

[Freida McFadden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling holiday read! Highly recommend!

[Sara Cohn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has potential but needs to be developed more

[Dallas Hunt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not unreadable, but more of a rough draft?

[Riss Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very quick read, somewhat cheesy but also couldn’t stop reading.

[Kerri Topping · Rating 3 out of 5]

A modern day Christmas Carol - I felt this was rushed, even for a novella.

[Jeana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shocking

Didn’t expect the outcome of this book. Short read but good. Will read more books from Jenna Moquin. Hope you enjoy the read as well.