Ooh this was such a fun, murderous little Christmas tale!
Ashley Smith has no family to spend the holidays with. So when her classmate Emma Chapman invites her to spend Christmas at Starvewood Hall, she immediately accepts. After all, what could be more delightful than Christmas at an English manor? But soon after she arrives, Ashley begins to suspect everything isn't all jolly and cheer. There is a sinister figure lurking in the woods and an unsolved murder hanging over the family.
I'm always a little hesitant to pick up a novella. Just as you're getting into the story, it's already over. But I found this to be a satisfying little tale. The first half is mostly told through journal entries from the past, while the latter half is set in the present. And for how short this is, there was plenty of entertainment packed in.
I feel like Peter Swanson's books always turn out a little darker than I'd think and so it is with this one. But there's a difference between fun dark and no-fun dark, and his books are always the former. The characters are nasty, the plot eyebrow-raising, and the twists just keep coming.
A lot of books advertise as one-sit reads, but this one really is. My copy is a short 96 pages, and I bumped through it in about two hours. I imagine it would be a fun one to read on actual Christmas day or Christmas Eve, after all the festivities are wrapped up and one's tummy is full of eggnog and good cheer. Then you can crack this open and see how crazy a family can really be during the holidays.
Every year, I have grand plans to read all these festive books during the holiday season. And inevitably, I never make it. So when January rolls around, I admit defeat and relegate the poor pile to next December, when the ignominious cycle repeats. If you're anything like me, let me recommend this book. Not only is it fun and short, but it puts you in the jolly murderous spirit. And hey, when January rolls around, at least you can say you've managed to read one holiday book.
Readaroo Rating: 4 stars
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