New York Times bestselling author Peter Swanson pens a spectacularly spine-chilling novella in which an American art student in London is invited to join a classmate for the holidays at Starvewood Hall, her family’s Cotswold manor house. But behind the holly and pine boughs, secrets are about to unravel, revealing this seemingly charming English village’s grim history. Ashley Smith, an American art student in London for her junior year, was planning on spending Christmas alone, but a last-minute invitation from fellow student Emma Chapman brings her to Starvewood Hall, country residence of the Chapman family. The Cotswold manor house, festooned in pine boughs and crammed with guests for Christmas week, is a dream come true for Ashley. She is mesmerized by the cozy, firelit house, the large family, and the charming village of Clevemoor, but also by Adam Chapman, Emma’s aloof and handsome brother. But Adam is being investigated by the local police over the recent brutal slaying of a girl from the village, and there is a mysterious stranger who haunts the woodland path between Starvewood Hall and the local pub. Ashley begins to wonder what kind of story she is actually inhabiting. Is she in a grand romance? A gothic tale? Or has she wandered into something far more sinister and terrifying than she’d ever imagined? Over thirty years later the events of that horrific week are revisited, along with a diary from that time. What began in a small English village in 1989 reaches its ghostly conclusion in modern-day New York, many Christmas seasons later.
I collect Christmas and holiday books, especially novellas. I
love a few quick reads to get me in the Christmas spirit.
The Christmas Guest is an unexpectedly delightful murder/mystery from Peter Swanson. I enjoy how he tells a story and keeps me on edge from beginning to end. I was waiting for the hook and twist that would make me shiver. The story starts with remembering the Christmas of 1989 via reading a diary.
Ashley is an American studying art in London for a year. She is alone now that her grandmother is dead and has nothing to keep her anchored in the U.S. Ashley is thrilled when her friend, Emma Chapman, invites her to spend Christmas at her home. Ashley is excited to experience a true British celebration.
From the start, it doesn't feel right. Ashley is surprised when she finds her room in the servants' quarters. It is freezing cold. Emma's family isn't what Ashley expected, either. Secrets are floating around the house. Regardless, Ashley is happy to be with a family. When Adam, Emma's twin brother, shows up, Ashley wonders if the adventure will turn from a Gothic murder story to a Gothic romance. Her experience is all documented in her diary.
There is a lot of story in this concise 110-page thriller. It is short enough to finish in one day but long enough to keep me wondering until the end. I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. The ending took me by surprise. It's a wonderfully unexpected twist. I don't know if I will add this to my yearly reading list, but I will recommend it to my mystery lover fans.
The Christmas Guest is an unexpectedly delightful murder/mystery from Peter Swanson. I enjoy how he tells a story and keeps me on edge from beginning to end. I was waiting for the hook and twist that would make me shiver. The story starts with remembering the Christmas of 1989 via reading a diary.
Ashley is an American studying art in London for a year. She is alone now that her grandmother is dead and has nothing to keep her anchored in the U.S. Ashley is thrilled when her friend, Emma Chapman, invites her to spend Christmas at her home. Ashley is excited to experience a true British celebration.
From the start, it doesn't feel right. Ashley is surprised when she finds her room in the servants' quarters. It is freezing cold. Emma's family isn't what Ashley expected, either. Secrets are floating around the house. Regardless, Ashley is happy to be with a family. When Adam, Emma's twin brother, shows up, Ashley wonders if the adventure will turn from a Gothic murder story to a Gothic romance. Her experience is all documented in her diary.
There is a lot of story in this concise 110-page thriller. It is short enough to finish in one day but long enough to keep me wondering until the end. I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller. The ending took me by surprise. It's a wonderfully unexpected twist. I don't know if I will add this to my yearly reading list, but I will recommend it to my mystery lover fans.
5 Stars
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