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The Secret Santa
THIS YEAR, YOU'LL GET WHAT YOU DESERVE...
_____________________
You're invited to a lavish Christmas party in an isolated mansion.
And your hosts will do anything to keep you from finding out their secrets...
When husband and wife Henry and Claudine organise their company's Christmas party in a remote mansion, they expect it to be a night to remember.
But the festive mood quickly turns sour when a sinister gift is unwrapped in the Secret Santa gift exchange.
As heavy snow traps the guests inside the mountainside lodge, it quickly becomes clear that one of the party is out for revenge.
It's no longer just about enduring the evening. It's about making sure you get out alive.
A lavish locked-room mystery with a seasonal edge, THE SECRET SANTA is packed with twists that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
_____________________
'Better than a pair of socks!' Readers say The Secret Santa is the Christmas gift they've been waiting for:
'Henry, Zara and Claudine are excellent characters. Highly recommended.'
'a fun mystery read ... you learn what people are really capable of as their true colours start to seep through'
'a good Christmas read for anyone who enjoys mysteries'
'This Christmas-themed murder mystery is well written, with believable, if not likeable, characters and enough twists and turns to make you want to know whodunnit. A nice atmospheric Christmas read.'
'A fun Christmas based thriller that had me laughing one moment and gasping the next'
'The characters were extremely well drawn and sympathetic, and the storyline was seamless.'
'A remarkably twisty tale with a surprisingly vicious villain (very sneaky and Machiavellian) and some feckless "innocents" and undeserving villains. This was a one-sitting read as I raced through breathlessly awaiting the unravelling of the puzzles.'
'This book is a compelling read, teasing you, urging you to read on and uncover the mystery of Montague House... a page-turner of a murder mystery - I read it in one day! An atmospheric, thrilling, good read.' My Weekly
_____________________
You're invited to a lavish Christmas party in an isolated mansion.
And your hosts will do anything to keep you from finding out their secrets...
When husband and wife Henry and Claudine organise their company's Christmas party in a remote mansion, they expect it to be a night to remember.
But the festive mood quickly turns sour when a sinister gift is unwrapped in the Secret Santa gift exchange.
As heavy snow traps the guests inside the mountainside lodge, it quickly becomes clear that one of the party is out for revenge.
It's no longer just about enduring the evening. It's about making sure you get out alive.
A lavish locked-room mystery with a seasonal edge, THE SECRET SANTA is packed with twists that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
_____________________
'Better than a pair of socks!' Readers say The Secret Santa is the Christmas gift they've been waiting for:
'Henry, Zara and Claudine are excellent characters. Highly recommended.'
'a fun mystery read ... you learn what people are really capable of as their true colours start to seep through'
'a good Christmas read for anyone who enjoys mysteries'
'This Christmas-themed murder mystery is well written, with believable, if not likeable, characters and enough twists and turns to make you want to know whodunnit. A nice atmospheric Christmas read.'
'A fun Christmas based thriller that had me laughing one moment and gasping the next'
'The characters were extremely well drawn and sympathetic, and the storyline was seamless.'
'A remarkably twisty tale with a surprisingly vicious villain (very sneaky and Machiavellian) and some feckless "innocents" and undeserving villains. This was a one-sitting read as I raced through breathlessly awaiting the unravelling of the puzzles.'
'This book is a compelling read, teasing you, urging you to read on and uncover the mystery of Montague House... a page-turner of a murder mystery - I read it in one day! An atmospheric, thrilling, good read.' My Weekly
304 pages, Paperback
Published October 31, 2019
105 people are currently reading
790 people want to read
About the author
Trish Harnetiaux
10 books31 followersTrish Harnetiaux is a Brooklyn-based writer. Her play Tin Cat Shoes premiered in 2018 kicking off Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks (Playwrights Horizons Superlab). Currently she is developing Bender and Brian, an epic tale of subversive Breakfast Club fan fiction (Exponential Festival, Prelude Festival, forthcoming JACK) and We Are Not Well (Clifford Odets Commission).
Harnetiaux was an Executive Producer on the off-beat comedy series Driver Ed that premiered at 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. She has been a resident at MacDowell, Yaddo, The Millay Colony, and SPACE at Ryder Farm. She was a member of the Ars Nova Play Group and the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab. Affiliate member of New Georges. MFA in playwriting from Brooklyn College. Her novel, White Elephant, is forthcoming this fall (Simon & Schuster). UK edition The Secret Santa (Penguin Random House).
A Washington State native, she's partial to hard rain and volcanic ash.
Harnetiaux was an Executive Producer on the off-beat comedy series Driver Ed that premiered at 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. She has been a resident at MacDowell, Yaddo, The Millay Colony, and SPACE at Ryder Farm. She was a member of the Ars Nova Play Group and the Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab. Affiliate member of New Georges. MFA in playwriting from Brooklyn College. Her novel, White Elephant, is forthcoming this fall (Simon & Schuster). UK edition The Secret Santa (Penguin Random House).
A Washington State native, she's partial to hard rain and volcanic ash.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
December 4, 2019
The opportunity to showcase the exquisite Montague House to a potential showbiz celebrity is too good to be true for husband and wife team Henry and Claudine, in fact they decided to move the annual Christmas party to the location to help make the property more appealing.
Part of the annual tradition includes a secret Santa presentation, but one of the gifts has a darker backstory that holds a sinister secret.
The book really racks up the tension once the reader is introduced to the characters and setting, the seclusion of the Aspen location is well drawn out including a clever plot contrivance for the lack of mobile phone usage.
Once the gifts were being unveiled during the second half of the novel, I’d realised I was completely hooked and was desperate to known what would happen next.
It was quite a simple but addictive mystery that is told through the various guests and even though the conclusion is clearly sign posted it was still an entertaining read.
My biggest takeaway from this book was an actual true crime event that was referenced in this book - I went down a YouTube rabbit hole with that one!
Part of the annual tradition includes a secret Santa presentation, but one of the gifts has a darker backstory that holds a sinister secret.
The book really racks up the tension once the reader is introduced to the characters and setting, the seclusion of the Aspen location is well drawn out including a clever plot contrivance for the lack of mobile phone usage.
Once the gifts were being unveiled during the second half of the novel, I’d realised I was completely hooked and was desperate to known what would happen next.
It was quite a simple but addictive mystery that is told through the various guests and even though the conclusion is clearly sign posted it was still an entertaining read.
My biggest takeaway from this book was an actual true crime event that was referenced in this book - I went down a YouTube rabbit hole with that one!
November 5, 2019
4.5 Stars
Wow I did not see that coming!! I could tell the whole book was building to something, but really wasn't sure how it would all come together and i didn't guess the actual outcome at all.
I will freely admit this was an impulse request from Netgalley, I love Christmas books, and always curious about a clearly more sinister darker side of a festive story, so couldn't really resist it. And it is definitely one of the smarted impulse decisions I have made.
I've never know an office Secret Santa to be so sinister, OK, I've not known it to have this quality of gifts in it either, but this is Aspen - the playground for the rich and famous.
And the main setting, the house in the mountains, on an incredibly snowy day, no phone signal, is just the best in terms of eerie settings for something disastrous to happen.
The story is written in a multiple parts, and we have three viewpoints, power couple Henry and Claudine, and superstar singer who may be about to buy a house in Aspen, Zara. We see just what this property means to all of them, and also all manner of key incidents in Henry and Claudine's past.
I can't say I particularly warmed to either of them, but I did have a soft spot for Zara, but regardless due to the fabulous writing, I was utterly hooked on this book. It flowed so well, and I found that when I settled down to read, it the pages seemed to just go past so fast, and the percentage read meter went up rapidly.
I was't really sure where the story was leading at times, and with the mention of a locked room mystery in the blurb, I was expecting that aspect to occur a lot earlier in the story and for the book to be teaming with detectives... but I was completely surprised instead by just how the scene was set and how it all seemed to work perfectly.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I'm incredibly impressed and feel I will need to look out for more from them in the future.
Thank you to Cornerstone on Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Wow I did not see that coming!! I could tell the whole book was building to something, but really wasn't sure how it would all come together and i didn't guess the actual outcome at all.
I will freely admit this was an impulse request from Netgalley, I love Christmas books, and always curious about a clearly more sinister darker side of a festive story, so couldn't really resist it. And it is definitely one of the smarted impulse decisions I have made.
I've never know an office Secret Santa to be so sinister, OK, I've not known it to have this quality of gifts in it either, but this is Aspen - the playground for the rich and famous.
And the main setting, the house in the mountains, on an incredibly snowy day, no phone signal, is just the best in terms of eerie settings for something disastrous to happen.
The story is written in a multiple parts, and we have three viewpoints, power couple Henry and Claudine, and superstar singer who may be about to buy a house in Aspen, Zara. We see just what this property means to all of them, and also all manner of key incidents in Henry and Claudine's past.
I can't say I particularly warmed to either of them, but I did have a soft spot for Zara, but regardless due to the fabulous writing, I was utterly hooked on this book. It flowed so well, and I found that when I settled down to read, it the pages seemed to just go past so fast, and the percentage read meter went up rapidly.
I was't really sure where the story was leading at times, and with the mention of a locked room mystery in the blurb, I was expecting that aspect to occur a lot earlier in the story and for the book to be teaming with detectives... but I was completely surprised instead by just how the scene was set and how it all seemed to work perfectly.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I'm incredibly impressed and feel I will need to look out for more from them in the future.
Thank you to Cornerstone on Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
October 24, 2019
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I enjoyed reading every word, every sentence , every page, and every chapter so much so that I didn’t want The Secret Santa, to end.
The Secret Santa is Trish Harnertiaux debut novel, I’m pleased to say Trish Harnetiaux has now become one of my favourite authors and I will now be on the careful watch eye for more thrillers by her.
The setting of this story is rather like playing clue do at Christmas. My favourite characters were Claudine Calhoun and her husband Henry.
My first impression I had of Claudine is rather a Mrs bossy boots. And as for architect Henry he just seemed to bow at his wife and did everything his wife said.
When Claudine came up with the idea that Henry would design houses and Claudine would sell them , they were in business as Calhoun + Calhoun.
Claudine wanted to sell the mansion Montague House the first mansion Henry had designed. The bright idea Claudine had was to host a holiday party at the mansion with Secret Santa, where every guest will bring a wrapped gift, with one special guest who is invited, is a pop star who is interested in buying the mansion Montague House.
Will the pop star buy the mansion? And will the secret Santa gift that Claudine receives reveal something that she has been hiding. Now is the time where Claudine and Henry have close secrets, that brings them closer together. Yes they needed each other, but why?
A lavish locked-room mystery with a seasonal edge, THE SECRET SANTA is packed with twists that will keep you guessing until the final page.
I very strongly recommend reading The Secret Santa by Trish Harnertiaux, because there’s something with in this story, This year you’ll get what you deserve
I enjoyed reading every word, every sentence , every page, and every chapter so much so that I didn’t want The Secret Santa, to end.
The Secret Santa is Trish Harnertiaux debut novel, I’m pleased to say Trish Harnetiaux has now become one of my favourite authors and I will now be on the careful watch eye for more thrillers by her.
The setting of this story is rather like playing clue do at Christmas. My favourite characters were Claudine Calhoun and her husband Henry.
My first impression I had of Claudine is rather a Mrs bossy boots. And as for architect Henry he just seemed to bow at his wife and did everything his wife said.
When Claudine came up with the idea that Henry would design houses and Claudine would sell them , they were in business as Calhoun + Calhoun.
Claudine wanted to sell the mansion Montague House the first mansion Henry had designed. The bright idea Claudine had was to host a holiday party at the mansion with Secret Santa, where every guest will bring a wrapped gift, with one special guest who is invited, is a pop star who is interested in buying the mansion Montague House.
Will the pop star buy the mansion? And will the secret Santa gift that Claudine receives reveal something that she has been hiding. Now is the time where Claudine and Henry have close secrets, that brings them closer together. Yes they needed each other, but why?
A lavish locked-room mystery with a seasonal edge, THE SECRET SANTA is packed with twists that will keep you guessing until the final page.
I very strongly recommend reading The Secret Santa by Trish Harnertiaux, because there’s something with in this story, This year you’ll get what you deserve
January 16, 2021
The first thing that struck me about this novel was just how blatantly unoriginal some of the ideas were. The setting: a large remote snowbound building in the middle of a Colorado winter. Well, surely The Shining had all the bases covered there more than sufficiently. The plot: a group of people in an isolated location and a murder is involved. That’s an idea which possibly originated with Arthur Conan-Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Devil’s Foot 110 years ago and has since been deployed in modified forms many times, including by Agatha Christie. It’s also used as the basis for the board game “Cluedo”. The characters: almost beyond cliché; the ruthless and domineering wife, her henpecked husband, the fragile young pop star, the elderly couple, the gay couple etc. etc.
Another minus factor was the continuing use of product placement; an annoying habit I thought had died out in the 1990s. If someone checks their watch, I just want to know the time, not the make of the watch or how much it cost, thank you very much!
Having said that, it was a very easy read and there was some degree of mystery to it. Probably the sort of book someone would choose for an undemanding read to while away the time on a flight or railway journey.
Another minus factor was the continuing use of product placement; an annoying habit I thought had died out in the 1990s. If someone checks their watch, I just want to know the time, not the make of the watch or how much it cost, thank you very much!
Having said that, it was a very easy read and there was some degree of mystery to it. Probably the sort of book someone would choose for an undemanding read to while away the time on a flight or railway journey.
December 13, 2021
Omg...I don't even know where to start. No plot. Boring characters. Yawn-worthy ending. It took over half the book to even get to the secret santa bit! It's a nope from me.
September 22, 2019
Claudine and her husband Henry are celebrating their annual Christmas Party and Claudine is making sure that this year's one goes down with a bang as she changes the venue to Montague House - this was the first house that Henry and Claudine built and sold. This was the house that launched their careers. It is also a house though that holds some sad and terrible memories and the house that started to pull them apart as a couple. Celebrity Pop Singer Zara is wanting to move to Aspen as she was obsessed with the Claudine and Spyder Killer Case and with Claudine being the estate agent, she sees this as a sign. Once arrived, everyone hands in their Secret Santa gifts and all goes well until Natalie unwraps her gift and memories of that night years ago come flashing back to Claudine. A night that has become a dark secret that she has kept for all these years, to help protect Henry and their legacy. In between the story, we learn about what happened those many years ago and the terrible things that went down on the property where the party is being hosted? Who is out to make Claudine and Henry pay for that night? Who here knows their darkest and deepest secrets and will make sure they do everything in their power to expose them for the terrible people they are ?. The Secret Santa was a fun mystery read and I like books like this where people are invited to a party with ulterior motives as it makes the story more enjoyable as it's in books like this that you learn what people are really capable of as their true colors start to seep through and shine.
November 17, 2019
Wow!! Loved the premise of the story.
A party on isolated mansion and two hosts who would do anything to protect their secrets. But it all unraveled when a gift unwrapped in the secret Santa gift exchange. And the entire party soon turned to revenge.
My first book by this author, I was quite in a good rapture when the revenge plot sunk in. The author did a brilliant job in keeping the atmosphere spooky and suspenseful, especially on the backdrop of Christmas.
The characters were not very likable and that made the plot gallop. I wanted to see if they would get their justs and who was playing them so well. The setting of scenes were smooth, the locked room concept was well done.
Overall, a wonderful exciting read.
A party on isolated mansion and two hosts who would do anything to protect their secrets. But it all unraveled when a gift unwrapped in the secret Santa gift exchange. And the entire party soon turned to revenge.
My first book by this author, I was quite in a good rapture when the revenge plot sunk in. The author did a brilliant job in keeping the atmosphere spooky and suspenseful, especially on the backdrop of Christmas.
The characters were not very likable and that made the plot gallop. I wanted to see if they would get their justs and who was playing them so well. The setting of scenes were smooth, the locked room concept was well done.
Overall, a wonderful exciting read.
December 18, 2019
As soon as I saw this book in the shop, I just had to buy it. Just look at that cover! The premise was incredibly interesting and I've been really looking forward to reading it.
I read this book in one sitting. I was hooked from the second I started the first page.
It was quite fast-paced and everything was explained perfectly coming to a rather exciting finish. It didn't quite go the way I had expected and I'm glad because it meant the penny didn't drop for me until I was reading it in black and white.
I can't say I ever warmed to Claudine and Henry a.k.a the power couple, but I absolutely loved Zara. There was quite a variety of characters which is always good in a book.
I don't want to say too much about this, but I will say that I highly recommend. As a debut novel from Trish Harnetiaux, it's definitely encouraged me to keep an eye out for her future work.
I read this book in one sitting. I was hooked from the second I started the first page.
It was quite fast-paced and everything was explained perfectly coming to a rather exciting finish. It didn't quite go the way I had expected and I'm glad because it meant the penny didn't drop for me until I was reading it in black and white.
I can't say I ever warmed to Claudine and Henry a.k.a the power couple, but I absolutely loved Zara. There was quite a variety of characters which is always good in a book.
I don't want to say too much about this, but I will say that I highly recommend. As a debut novel from Trish Harnetiaux, it's definitely encouraged me to keep an eye out for her future work.
December 27, 2020
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars for me overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️ this was a short seasonal read with an interesting concept. However, I hated all of the characters (they were very two dimensional in my opinion and needed to be fleshed out more) and the storyline didn’t quite live up to the blurb for me. I also found the conclusion to the story to be anti-climatic and quite forgettable. That being said, it kept me reading to find out what happened in the end but is not one I would sadly read again.
December 21, 2019
The Secret Santa is an atmospheric, intriguing read which is perfect for anyone wanting an unusual Christmas read.
The story is told from the point of view of Claudia and Henry, a husband and wife team who run an upmarket estate agents, Zara who is a rather spoiled celebrity and a mysterious person who the reader is lead to believe is involved with what was going to happen. I liked how the author had managed to give each of them their own voice so it was easy to follow each of their stories individually and not get confused between them. My favourite character was Henry as I felt very sorry for him over how he had been treated my Claudia. I also really liked the way he described things which made me, like Zara, hang off his every word. Claudia was someone I loved to hate and really didn’t warm to. She’s very calculated and likes things how she likes them, and wow betide anyone who thinks different. She’s willing to do anything to get ahead and I actually found myself hoping she’d get taken during a peg or two.
The setting of this book in Aspen is brilliant and I enjoyed learning more about the posh lifestyles people live there. The author does a great job of describing the snowy beauty of the place so I felt I could really imagine it in my mind. It sounds like a fun, beautiful place and one I’d love to visit in the future.
The actual murder mystery part of the story was very interesting as there aren’t many suspects to choose from. Throughout the story we slowly learn more about the characters, their relationships with each other and the secrets they are hiding which made for intriguing reading. I found it incredibly fun trying to work out who the mysterious narrator was and who was responsible for the murder.
Overall I thought this was an enjoyable murder mystery which will make a great book to curl up with and escape from the relatives this Christmas. I felt it was similar in style to The Hunting Party so if you liked that book I think you’ll enjoy this one too.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Arrow publishers for sending me a link to this book via Netgalley.
The story is told from the point of view of Claudia and Henry, a husband and wife team who run an upmarket estate agents, Zara who is a rather spoiled celebrity and a mysterious person who the reader is lead to believe is involved with what was going to happen. I liked how the author had managed to give each of them their own voice so it was easy to follow each of their stories individually and not get confused between them. My favourite character was Henry as I felt very sorry for him over how he had been treated my Claudia. I also really liked the way he described things which made me, like Zara, hang off his every word. Claudia was someone I loved to hate and really didn’t warm to. She’s very calculated and likes things how she likes them, and wow betide anyone who thinks different. She’s willing to do anything to get ahead and I actually found myself hoping she’d get taken during a peg or two.
The setting of this book in Aspen is brilliant and I enjoyed learning more about the posh lifestyles people live there. The author does a great job of describing the snowy beauty of the place so I felt I could really imagine it in my mind. It sounds like a fun, beautiful place and one I’d love to visit in the future.
The actual murder mystery part of the story was very interesting as there aren’t many suspects to choose from. Throughout the story we slowly learn more about the characters, their relationships with each other and the secrets they are hiding which made for intriguing reading. I found it incredibly fun trying to work out who the mysterious narrator was and who was responsible for the murder.
Overall I thought this was an enjoyable murder mystery which will make a great book to curl up with and escape from the relatives this Christmas. I felt it was similar in style to The Hunting Party so if you liked that book I think you’ll enjoy this one too.
Huge thanks to Rachel from Arrow publishers for sending me a link to this book via Netgalley.
October 14, 2019
Probably up there as one of the worst books I've read this year. Didn't get any better after Part 2, didn't make for a great story, could have been so much better. Also why it was called secret santa I don't know, as nothing in the book pointed towards anything to do with Christmas. Disappointed that I wasted my money on this.
January 15, 2020
Synopsis sounded interesting but the story didn't grab me. Too dull and boring, didn't care for any of the characters.
December 5, 2019
⭐️/5
I love our buddy reads. I love the variety! There are books some of us wouldn’t usually read, books that have been on our TBR for ages, books that have had so much hype around them and we just want to get stuck into them too because you know we all get serious FOMO! Then we read and there’s some books we absolutely love and some that are utter shite.
I’m sorry for the brutality here but this one was one of them. Maybe that’s karma for us all being a little sadistic and saying ‘let’s all read a good murder mystery - non of that soppy crap.’ . . . Girls let’s stick to soppy crap when it comes to the festive season 😂.
Unfortunately for me this book just didn’t grip me. I love a thriller and usually within the first few chapters I know if it’s going to be good. I know I’m going to try and out smart the plot and try and guess and every time I’m wrong and I’m left flabbergasted 😮 haha. I didn’t connect with this story at all. The characters were uninteresting. Nothing happened and I had already read over 100 pages. When you start flicking pages and thinking ‘ yeh okay, yaddy yaddy yada ‘ you know you’re doomed. It was overly descriptive and a little confusing as you forget who you’re reading about. The whole reveal was just so disappointing. Never mind onto the next festive read!
I love our buddy reads. I love the variety! There are books some of us wouldn’t usually read, books that have been on our TBR for ages, books that have had so much hype around them and we just want to get stuck into them too because you know we all get serious FOMO! Then we read and there’s some books we absolutely love and some that are utter shite.
I’m sorry for the brutality here but this one was one of them. Maybe that’s karma for us all being a little sadistic and saying ‘let’s all read a good murder mystery - non of that soppy crap.’ . . . Girls let’s stick to soppy crap when it comes to the festive season 😂.
Unfortunately for me this book just didn’t grip me. I love a thriller and usually within the first few chapters I know if it’s going to be good. I know I’m going to try and out smart the plot and try and guess and every time I’m wrong and I’m left flabbergasted 😮 haha. I didn’t connect with this story at all. The characters were uninteresting. Nothing happened and I had already read over 100 pages. When you start flicking pages and thinking ‘ yeh okay, yaddy yaddy yada ‘ you know you’re doomed. It was overly descriptive and a little confusing as you forget who you’re reading about. The whole reveal was just so disappointing. Never mind onto the next festive read!
October 21, 2019
So never heard of this author before but the book cover, title and blurb really appealed to me which is what made me give this book a go.
I have to say that the story was a little slow going and a bit confusing to begin with, but once you get passed the 40% it gets really good and things start to make sense and pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place.
The story was a really good one, quite unique too. Pretty well written, sets the scenes and location really well.
There is something of a twist come the end but to be honest I'd already guessed it, I still enjoyed the story though. It was a great ending and I'm pleased that everything worked out well for character Zara come the end.
I have to say that the story was a little slow going and a bit confusing to begin with, but once you get passed the 40% it gets really good and things start to make sense and pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place.
The story was a really good one, quite unique too. Pretty well written, sets the scenes and location really well.
There is something of a twist come the end but to be honest I'd already guessed it, I still enjoyed the story though. It was a great ending and I'm pleased that everything worked out well for character Zara come the end.
December 10, 2019
This had such a strong premise and had really good potential but it turned out to be a really below average thriller.
My first problem with this book was the fact that it is based around a secret Santa game yet that doesn't really get going till around 160 pages in.
Secondly, the characters were incredibly annoying. I hate reading about rich people doing rich people things. These characters were just beyond frustrating.
The writing wasn't very good, it jumps around in time a lot and it is hard to keep track of what was going on.
The ending was quite underwhelming and nothing that shocking.
I feel like this would have worked better as a short 150 page story, not a 300 page book.
Overall, great idea but very poor execution
My first problem with this book was the fact that it is based around a secret Santa game yet that doesn't really get going till around 160 pages in.
Secondly, the characters were incredibly annoying. I hate reading about rich people doing rich people things. These characters were just beyond frustrating.
The writing wasn't very good, it jumps around in time a lot and it is hard to keep track of what was going on.
The ending was quite underwhelming and nothing that shocking.
I feel like this would have worked better as a short 150 page story, not a 300 page book.
Overall, great idea but very poor execution
December 16, 2022
Literally nothing happened for 150 pages of this 280 page book. It was really bad to be honest, I knew exactly who had done it before it even happened- the actual ending was ok🤦🏻♀️
December 6, 2019
Husband and wife Cluadine and Henry are hosting a lavish Christmas party in a mansion in Aspen. A special guest, superstar Zara has been invited. Things turn sour when the secret santa game takes place and somebody opens a sinister present.
I read this book because of its seasonal theme. I found the book a quick, snappy fun read. I have to say that I did quite enjoy it.
The book has that claustrophobic feel with the guests been stranded in a house in heavy snow. It also has that Agatha Christie feel to it. It's not the best out there with that type of feel, No Exit by Taylor Adam's is much better.
Overall I enjoyed the book very much. Not really one to take too seriously but a fun read.
I read this book because of its seasonal theme. I found the book a quick, snappy fun read. I have to say that I did quite enjoy it.
The book has that claustrophobic feel with the guests been stranded in a house in heavy snow. It also has that Agatha Christie feel to it. It's not the best out there with that type of feel, No Exit by Taylor Adam's is much better.
Overall I enjoyed the book very much. Not really one to take too seriously but a fun read.
December 28, 2020
A quick read - and one that was a little over the top but was still good. I love that this story was told from multiple POV. It really gave a good movement for the plot and also a lot of answers before all the others in the story had them.
I loved the idea of this competitive Secret Santa gifts from co-workers. There need to have the best, be the best, just cracked me up. Their fight over the presents were interesting. I like the star also adding a bit of fun to the story.
But the bad guy was a little over the top, almost mustache twirling and cackling. But I liked the way it was all pulled together. Fun mystery, interesting story.
I loved the idea of this competitive Secret Santa gifts from co-workers. There need to have the best, be the best, just cracked me up. Their fight over the presents were interesting. I like the star also adding a bit of fun to the story.
But the bad guy was a little over the top, almost mustache twirling and cackling. But I liked the way it was all pulled together. Fun mystery, interesting story.
December 11, 2020
A nice light read for christmas.
A secret Santa gift turns up that threatens some well hidden secrets and lies are exposed.
I liked the plot but it didn't feel very believable and I think purely this has something to do with the book being 300 pages. It felt it lacked depth of characters and of the setting. It felt a little rushed, like it was trying to build suspense but failed.
Considering it is meant to be thriller/mystery, I don't feel I was led on a 'whodunit' kind of scenario or did it give off any thriller elements. Some of the scenes felt very convenient within the book.
A secret Santa gift turns up that threatens some well hidden secrets and lies are exposed.
I liked the plot but it didn't feel very believable and I think purely this has something to do with the book being 300 pages. It felt it lacked depth of characters and of the setting. It felt a little rushed, like it was trying to build suspense but failed.
Considering it is meant to be thriller/mystery, I don't feel I was led on a 'whodunit' kind of scenario or did it give off any thriller elements. Some of the scenes felt very convenient within the book.
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April 28, 2024Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of the secret Santa by Trish Harnetiaux. First I want to say that while I like this book it was eerily similar to the book white elephant that I just also read. The plots were almost spot on the same. That was a bit of a disappointment although there were some things I really did enjoy about this book.
December 1, 2020
Good story easy reading enjoyed this Festive book 9/10
December 31, 2024
I wouldn’t recommend…
December 15, 2021
Лёгкий детектив чик, где на самом деле больше драматизма. Детективная линия быстро предугадывается. Но роман подойдёт скоротать зимний вечерок, местами заставит улыбнуться и мозгам отдохнуть после сложного чтива.
December 3, 2024
i get Henry- i also like my women extremely mean and with increasing psychopathic tendencies
December 25, 2024
2.5 🌟 I found this hard to follow, it wasn’t really a thriller or murder mystery and I guessed the plot twist from the start of the book
December 9, 2019
I was looking forward to reading this for a buddy read, I don't mind the typical romantic festive reads but was also looking forward to adding a bit of a darker book to the selection.
Boy, were we wrong. It's not that this book was entirely awful but I just found there to be no substance or grit. The story meandered along with no rhythm or pace, I didn't connect with any of the characters and the "twist" didn't surprise me at all.
I still finished the book as I wanted to know what happened but I could easily have skipped pages (or chapters) and I think I would have easily caught up, there just was no flow or excitement.
I'm glad we tried a different genre for a festive read, however I think I will be sticking to the usual romantic Christmas reads.
Boy, were we wrong. It's not that this book was entirely awful but I just found there to be no substance or grit. The story meandered along with no rhythm or pace, I didn't connect with any of the characters and the "twist" didn't surprise me at all.
I still finished the book as I wanted to know what happened but I could easily have skipped pages (or chapters) and I think I would have easily caught up, there just was no flow or excitement.
I'm glad we tried a different genre for a festive read, however I think I will be sticking to the usual romantic Christmas reads.
November 2, 2019
An unusual and entertaining Christmas story, fast paced and well crafted.
It's a closed room mystery and it's well crafted even if I found it a bit claustrophobic at times.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing, the cast of characters interesting and it was a good read.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It's a closed room mystery and it's well crafted even if I found it a bit claustrophobic at times.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing, the cast of characters interesting and it was a good read.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
December 28, 2019
Completely dreadful. Can think of no redeeming features. A weak and dull storyline, two-dimensional characters, an unsatisfying, rushed ending. Annoyed I wasted my hard-earned money (and precious time!) on this drivel. Avoid it like the plague!!!
December 2, 2022
It took me a while to get into this one, but about half way through I was at a point of no return and was hooked! The more I read, the more intrigues of the story started to seep in and I needed to know what was going to happen.
Such a clever plot line, with secret Santa at the core of the mystery. I liked Zara’s character I have to admit and the split character perspectives added a lot of suspense and drama to the story.
I was satisfied with the ending and was kept guessing up until the very end. It took half of the book though for me to follow what the story was getting at and wasn’t quite sure which direction it was going to take but it was an entertaining audiobook.
I was torn between 3 and 4 stars but I fixed on 3 at the end as it was an enjoyable ‘not bad at all but not the best thing I’ve read all year’ kind of deal. But I enjoyed the mystery!
Such a clever plot line, with secret Santa at the core of the mystery. I liked Zara’s character I have to admit and the split character perspectives added a lot of suspense and drama to the story.
I was satisfied with the ending and was kept guessing up until the very end. It took half of the book though for me to follow what the story was getting at and wasn’t quite sure which direction it was going to take but it was an entertaining audiobook.
I was torn between 3 and 4 stars but I fixed on 3 at the end as it was an enjoyable ‘not bad at all but not the best thing I’ve read all year’ kind of deal. But I enjoyed the mystery!
January 21, 2023
Not quite the Secret Santa I was expecting! The story evolved by telling the tale from different points of view; written in the third person, I found the characters tricky to connect with and therefore didn’t fully immerse myself in the drama. The conclusion was pulled together in an intriguing way, resulting in a good story, however it didn’t evoke the full Christmassy encounter I was hoping for.
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