While Lisa Unger’s Christmas Presents was better than the other Christmas story I read recently, I think I’m going to stick with Charles Dickens for stories of the ghosts of Christmas past. Neither of the recent books are very Christmassy, in my opinion.
Madeline Martin doesn’t have time for a podcaster. She’s the owner of an independent bookstore, The Next Chapter Bookstore. Although she has caregivers for her father after his stroke, she also takes care of him. She also suffers from survivor’s guilt and PTSD. Why would she want to talk with Harley Granger, a true crime author and podcaster, about the events that leave her trapped emotionally and physically, in this small upstate New York town?
Madeline still blames herself for what happened almost ten years earlier. She and her childhood friends were a close-knit group at seventeen. Madeline ran around with Stephanie Cramer, sisters Ainsley and Samantha Wallace, and her best friend, Badger. She’s the one who introduced a newcomer to the group. Evan Handy already had a reputation when he arrived in town, and Madeline’s father, Sheriff James Martin, knew he was trouble. Despite warnings, Madeline broke every rule to be with Evan. It all blew up on Dec. 23, 2014 at a party at Evan’s house. Stephanie was killed, Ainsley and Sam disappeared, and Madeline was left for dead in a riverbank. Although Sheriff Martin arrested Evan, he always suspected there was a second person involved in the violence. He chased the truth until his stroke six months earlier.
Now, almost ten years later, Handy still protests that he’s innocent. Granger is in Little Valley to question townspeople. And, another young woman has disappeared, a dancer at a local topless bar. Granger points out that five young women have disappeared in the last ten years in the local area. He lets Madeline know he thinks she has the clue to the truth.
Unger’s story is truly about the ghosts of the past, and how they continue to haunt survivors. In a story with two timelines, she peels back the layers to a surprising solution. It’s right before us, but unexpected. For those looking for a disturbing story for the holidays, Christmas Presents works.
Note: Here’s the light note from the book, a quote from a scene at The Next Chapter Bookstore. ‘Those of us who come alive in the pages of books, and struggle with the “real” world – we recognize each other.’
Lisa Unger’s website is https://lisaunger.com/
Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger. Mysterious Press, 2023. ISBN 9781613164518 (hardcover), 224p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I read a galley from NetGalley in order to review the book for a journal.
