Last Christmas
- Downloads：9792
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-12-02 17:22:09
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Maria Frankland
- ISBN：B0CH3GJHQP
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Ilah Murphy
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Beginning to EndThe book cover drew me in but the first chapters were not good。 I didn't like the thin， boring plot of a failing marriage。 However， I kept reading， until the wee hours of the morning to the very end。 My， oh， my。 What a story。 I'm glad it ended。 I don't know if I liked it or not。 It was like a soap opera from the '60"s。 Read the previews。 You decide if you want to try it。 Did he jump or fall？ Was her infertile husband her baby's father？ Who drove over her？ Was justice served？ Beginning to EndThe book cover drew me in but the first chapters were not good。 I didn't like the thin， boring plot of a failing marriage。 However， I kept reading， until the wee hours of the morning to the very end。 My， oh， my。 What a story。 I'm glad it ended。 I don't know if I liked it or not。 It was like a soap opera from the '60"s。 Read the previews。 You decide if you want to try it。 Did he jump or fall？ Was her infertile husband her baby's father？ Who drove over her？ Was justice served？ 。。。more
Erin Gatlin
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Quick read。 I was able to read it In 2 days。 Didn’t expect the plot twists that kept coming！
Melissa O'Donnell
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Sacha and Neil head to her parents’ new home for her terminally ill father’s last Christmas， but it’s the last place that Neil wants to be。 He’s not in a great place， has been drinking heavily and is currently unemployed。 He can’t stand the idea of having to listen to his obnoxious brothers-in-law and spend time with a family he feels has never truly accepted him。 Having too much to drink on Christmas Eve， Neil doesn’t start off the holiday on the right foot。 His brothers-in-law are constantly m Sacha and Neil head to her parents’ new home for her terminally ill father’s last Christmas， but it’s the last place that Neil wants to be。 He’s not in a great place， has been drinking heavily and is currently unemployed。 He can’t stand the idea of having to listen to his obnoxious brothers-in-law and spend time with a family he feels has never truly accepted him。 Having too much to drink on Christmas Eve， Neil doesn’t start off the holiday on the right foot。 His brothers-in-law are constantly making quips at Neil’s expense and during Christmas dinner he’s had enough。 Sacha’s mother sends Neil and Adam out for a walk telling them not to return until they’ve sorted their differences。 Hours pass and Neil still hasn’t returned; Sacha doesn’t have a good feeling so alerts the authorities。 Neil’s body is found the next day。 Sacha knows Neil wasn’t in a great place but can’t come to terms with the fact he flung himself from a cliff。 Her brothers-in-law have never been close but there seems to be something different between them， so she can’t help but wonder if they know more than they are saying。 Fast forward a few months and Sacha ends up in a hospital bed fighting for her life。 Who is responsible？ This novel kept me on my toes and always had me questioning what the characters were up to and how the pieces of the puzzle would fit together。 I fit some of the pieces together but didn’t want to stop reading until I got to the end and found out how everything would unfold。 Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel。 #NetGalley #LastChristmas 。。。more
Taelored reads
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This book was a train wreck in only the best sense of the phrase。 I COULD NOT LOOK AWAY！！！！ This book is about a couple who are having some serious marriage problems。 Which just seem to get much worse when the husband has to spend a couple days at Christmas with his in-laws。 Which is the last thing in the world he wants to do。 After a heated exchange after dinner he heads out into the cold never to come back。 Also he wasn’t the only one from the family who venture out that night。 What happened t This book was a train wreck in only the best sense of the phrase。 I COULD NOT LOOK AWAY！！！！ This book is about a couple who are having some serious marriage problems。 Which just seem to get much worse when the husband has to spend a couple days at Christmas with his in-laws。 Which is the last thing in the world he wants to do。 After a heated exchange after dinner he heads out into the cold never to come back。 Also he wasn’t the only one from the family who venture out that night。 What happened to the husband？ If you think that’s a big question mark， oh just wait…。 Boy does the plot thicken！ The family drama is intense！ Keeps your friends close and you’re family closer。 The book is told in multiple POV’s but they don’t bounce back and forth。 It sticks with each pov for a good chunk of the book。 I really liked that element。 If you are looking for a great who done it this Christmas you should definitely give this book a go！！ 。。。more
Victoria Jackson
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The description to Last Christmas really drew me in and I was really looking forward to it。 When I started it it did take me a little while to get into it but once I did I really enjoyed it。 It had plenty of twists that I didn't see coming but I would actually describe it more as a family drama rather than a thriller。 Very entertaining。Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC。 The description to Last Christmas really drew me in and I was really looking forward to it。 When I started it it did take me a little while to get into it but once I did I really enjoyed it。 It had plenty of twists that I didn't see coming but I would actually describe it more as a family drama rather than a thriller。 Very entertaining。Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC。 。。。more
Joyce Stewart Reviews
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This story took me awhile to really get into it。 It moved really slow in some spots and fast in others。 Told from three different narratives with so many things going on all at once made it really hard for me to keep up with at times。 It has so many twists that there is no way you can guess them all。 The writing itself was done in such a way that you could feel the emotions of all characters。 *******Disclosure*******I just want to say Thank you to the author， publisher， and Netgalley for the opp This story took me awhile to really get into it。 It moved really slow in some spots and fast in others。 Told from three different narratives with so many things going on all at once made it really hard for me to keep up with at times。 It has so many twists that there is no way you can guess them all。 The writing itself was done in such a way that you could feel the emotions of all characters。 *******Disclosure*******I just want to say Thank you to the author， publisher， and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this story 。 I truly appreciate it。 I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way。 All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family。 。。。more
Janine Smith
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This had my gripped throughout loved this book， the twists were great
Meredith Molloy
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📚: Last Christmas by Maria Frankland⭐️: 3/5A Christmas that no one is sure to forget， struggling couple Sacha and Neil trek to her family's home for the holiday。 With a father approaching the end of his life， a pregnant younger sister， and brother-in-laws who get a laugh at Neil's expense， the dysfunction only grows when someone turns up missing and dead by the end of the night。 A solid， but not groundbreaking， domestic thriller with a Christmas season backdrop， Last Christmas brings a few predi 📚: Last Christmas by Maria Frankland⭐️: 3/5A Christmas that no one is sure to forget， struggling couple Sacha and Neil trek to her family's home for the holiday。 With a father approaching the end of his life， a pregnant younger sister， and brother-in-laws who get a laugh at Neil's expense， the dysfunction only grows when someone turns up missing and dead by the end of the night。 A solid， but not groundbreaking， domestic thriller with a Christmas season backdrop， Last Christmas brings a few predictable twists， a couple unpredictable ones， and a family that， I for one， am happy to not be a part of。 An overall three star rating for the ending feeling just a bit lackluster （a flashback scene could have tied up a few lingering questions。 As a heads up: The synopsis for this book on Goodreads reads like a hot mess - the book itself is stronger than the blurb。 Big thanks to @bookouture via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Last Christmas is out， and available on Kindle Unlimited now。 。。。more
Rah
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This book is much more family drama than mystery/thriller。Sacha brings herself and her husband to her parents house for Christmas with the family。 Both of her sisters and their families will be there as well。 Their father is terminal， and this will be his last Christmas。 Sacha and Neil are having a hard time in their marriage， he is drinking too much， they are infertile， and he is depressed and won’t take his medication， but they try to hold it together for the holiday。 When Neil doesn’t return This book is much more family drama than mystery/thriller。Sacha brings herself and her husband to her parents house for Christmas with the family。 Both of her sisters and their families will be there as well。 Their father is terminal， and this will be his last Christmas。 Sacha and Neil are having a hard time in their marriage， he is drinking too much， they are infertile， and he is depressed and won’t take his medication， but they try to hold it together for the holiday。 When Neil doesn’t return from a walk after an argument Sacha begins to worry。 Who would have wanted to hurt Neil， or better off， who wouldn’t have。 There’s way more to the story than just what happened to Neil。 The book is told in three parts from three different narratives。 Even though we are in the mind of the character for their portion， we as the reader never get their full truth or their full thoughts。 Lots of things are hinted at and only half said， but this doesn’t enhance suspense or anything。 I found the characters terrible。 This family was terrible。 They were toxic to one another， even each couple was toxic within themselves。 I cannot image real families being like that and still hanging out for holidays。 The writing was good。 The flow was nice and the chapters were easy to read。 I was kept interested enough throughout。 However， when the big reveal is overhearing someone explain the entire thing in perfect detail， it’s pretty lazy writing to me， like the author didn’t know how to end the story so someone will just completely confess and be overheard。 I’m conflicted in my review for this one。 。。。more
Amber Monroe
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Something I enjoyed about this book was the sequential POV， we got to see the story from multiple angles not just two like most stories。 Something that was hard for me was the drama！！！！ it just seemed to keep coming。 We started with a very depressed husband who ends up dead。 His wife is dealing with this loss and also with her very dysfunctional family。 While the investigation is still going she ends up in a coma， then there is the question of an affair， also her father is dying！ I think for me Something I enjoyed about this book was the sequential POV， we got to see the story from multiple angles not just two like most stories。 Something that was hard for me was the drama！！！！ it just seemed to keep coming。 We started with a very depressed husband who ends up dead。 His wife is dealing with this loss and also with her very dysfunctional family。 While the investigation is still going she ends up in a coma， then there is the question of an affair， also her father is dying！ I think for me there were so many things going on at once it was just a lot for me to keep up with。 The writing itself was well done， you felt the emotions of all characters when it was their turn in the story， I just think it didn't hit the mark for me。 。。。more
Renee Lee
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disappointing This story was basic and easy to predict。 I only continued on with it because I felt I already put too much time into it。 Figured out the “twist” the first reading…。
Amy
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I enjoyed this book。 It was well written and the storyline was enough to keep me interested。 There were a few twists I didn’t see coming which is what I like in a book。 If you need or want a quick read， I recommend this book！
Nichola Gorji
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I have just read this book in one sitting as it was impossible to put down。 This is definitely not your average run of the mill cozy Christmas story。 An amazing psychological thriller that kept me constantly guessing right until the end。 It had so many great plot twists and I definitely had a few open mouth moments！ A great family centred drama with lots of intense moments and great dialogue。 I will definitely be looking for more of this authors books to read。 Thank you to Netgalley for allowing I have just read this book in one sitting as it was impossible to put down。 This is definitely not your average run of the mill cozy Christmas story。 An amazing psychological thriller that kept me constantly guessing right until the end。 It had so many great plot twists and I definitely had a few open mouth moments！ A great family centred drama with lots of intense moments and great dialogue。 I will definitely be looking for more of this authors books to read。 Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review。 5 stars from me。 。。。more
Carol Borcher
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Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC。What an àmazing and intense family drama。 Sacha and Neil have to spend Christmas together with Sacha's family for the last time due to her father being terminally ill。 Sacha's 2 sisters and their husbands are also there。 Not everyone is going to survive this family Christmas together and many secrets are revealed throughout the story。 The twists and turns are quite shocking。 I was hooked from the beginning and did not expect the ending at all。 The Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC。What an àmazing and intense family drama。 Sacha and Neil have to spend Christmas together with Sacha's family for the last time due to her father being terminally ill。 Sacha's 2 sisters and their husbands are also there。 Not everyone is going to survive this family Christmas together and many secrets are revealed throughout the story。 The twists and turns are quite shocking。 I was hooked from the beginning and did not expect the ending at all。 The story is told from 3 different points of view and I loved the different perspectives 。。。more
Silke
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This was an incredibly fast read。 Fast paced and keeping me enthralled with every page。The writing is very easy to read， one of the reasons you will fly through the pages。 This book had me on the edge of my seat most of the times。 And although it is fast paced， it is also build really well。 The POV is split into different characters， so you get the time to really immerge yourself in the family dynamics that play a huge role in the family psychological thriller。 Almost all of the characters are u This was an incredibly fast read。 Fast paced and keeping me enthralled with every page。The writing is very easy to read， one of the reasons you will fly through the pages。 This book had me on the edge of my seat most of the times。 And although it is fast paced， it is also build really well。 The POV is split into different characters， so you get the time to really immerge yourself in the family dynamics that play a huge role in the family psychological thriller。 Almost all of the characters are unlikable and unreliable。 You have to be a fan of that… but I loved it。 Although I knew what had happened from the first third of the book （there is one small line that gives it all away pretty early on）， I kept second guessing myself。 And when the moment came when I yelled， see I am right at my book， I wasn’t really disappointed。 If you like spiteful sibling， a whole lot of drama and some murder as the cherry on top， then give this book a try。 Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me an advance copy of this book。 。。。more
Misty Williams
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I loved this book！！ It was a great story with great characters and all the action you could want！ Could not put it down！！
Clarke
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2。5 rounded up。 This thriller is set at Christmas and centres on a dysfunctional family with a terminally ill patriarch， and is split up into sections of POV chapters。 The core mystery wasn't that mysterious， and it was obvious who dunnit。 I found pretty much everyone was annoying at best and I didn't like anyone at all， so I didn't really care what the fallout was。 There's a couple of twists towards the end and it was decent enough overall。 I don't think it was the best portrayal of sensitive t 2。5 rounded up。 This thriller is set at Christmas and centres on a dysfunctional family with a terminally ill patriarch， and is split up into sections of POV chapters。 The core mystery wasn't that mysterious， and it was obvious who dunnit。 I found pretty much everyone was annoying at best and I didn't like anyone at all， so I didn't really care what the fallout was。 There's a couple of twists towards the end and it was decent enough overall。 I don't think it was the best portrayal of sensitive topics like depression， suicide， terminal illness， fertility issues， etc despite being featured heavily throughout。 Thank you to netgalley for the arc。 。。。more
Jami
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I enjoyed this story。 The characters were interesting and the family drama kept me guessing！！
Julie
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I would count this as more of a domestic/family drama than a thriller。 The beginning was quite slow， although I liked the multiple POVs and that they didn’t repeat themselves。 The ending was somewhat predictable but that didn’t take away from the story。 Overall a decent read， my first from this author and I would read more of her books。 Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。
Kristin B *BookarazziBookNook*
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Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 Rating 2/5This was marketed as a twisty physiological thriller， however it did not fall into any of those categories。 This was a tale of a very dysfunctional family during the holidays， that’s it。While I did enjoy the layout of the story in sequential POVs instead of back and forth POV you commonly see， I found this book lacking in the suspense and entertainment department。 The writing style was average。 I was just not pulled in to the stor Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 Rating 2/5This was marketed as a twisty physiological thriller， however it did not fall into any of those categories。 This was a tale of a very dysfunctional family during the holidays， that’s it。While I did enjoy the layout of the story in sequential POVs instead of back and forth POV you commonly see， I found this book lacking in the suspense and entertainment department。 The writing style was average。 I was just not pulled in to the story， and it was very predictable。 。。。more
Donna Mallery
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Boy， is this one dysfunctional family！ We can all relate to the stresses of Christmas and maybe even family members we don’t get along with。 This book takes it to a whole new level！ There’s even a death！ Well， of course there is！ I enjoyed this book along with all of its twists！ And I love how this author always wraps things up nicely！
dianas_books_cars_coffee
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3。5⭐️ rounded up to 4This was not a bad book。 It just was not what I was expecting。 I thought it was going to be more of a Christmas thriller， but it ended up being more of a family drama and had very little to do with Christmas。 Neil is forced to spend Christmas with his wife Sacha's family。 Her father is dying and wants just one last family gathering。 Neil has never really felt like he fit in， and since he's been struggling with depression and alcoholism this seems like the wrong time to be 3。5⭐️ rounded up to 4This was not a bad book。 It just was not what I was expecting。 I thought it was going to be more of a Christmas thriller， but it ended up being more of a family drama and had very little to do with Christmas。 Neil is forced to spend Christmas with his wife Sacha's family。 Her father is dying and wants just one last family gathering。 Neil has never really felt like he fit in， and since he's been struggling with depression and alcoholism this seems like the wrong time to be spending three days there。 Especially since he and Sacha have been having issues dealing with infertility。 Sacha's two sisters and their husbands don't make the situation any easier。 In fact， they make it worse。 As tensions start to rise， the Christmas family dinner turns into a disaster。 Neil turns up missing and is found the next day at the bottom of a cliff。 But how did he end up there？ Was he so fed up that he ended his own life？ Or did someone push him？ This book was written well， and the ending was shocking， but unfortunately， it wasn't what I was looking for。 There were definitely some cringe-worthy moments between sisters。 None of the characters were very likable， and I had a hard time connecting with any of them or with the plot。 This does not mean I wouldn't recommend this book。 Everyone has different tastes， and if you're looking for a book with lots of family drama around Christmas， this is it！ 。。。more
Lana DeLayne Barney
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This was a very fast， Christmasy dramatic thriller with nice twists！ I read this book in only a few hours and loved the different point of views of each main character in the story。 I thought the characters were well developed and you either loved or hated them。 Poor Neil was absolutely miserable and you felt sorry for him。 His marriage deteriorating because of infertility and alcohol， forced to spend Christmas with his perfect in-laws who mostly despised him。 Neil ends up dead on Christmas Day This was a very fast， Christmasy dramatic thriller with nice twists！ I read this book in only a few hours and loved the different point of views of each main character in the story。 I thought the characters were well developed and you either loved or hated them。 Poor Neil was absolutely miserable and you felt sorry for him。 His marriage deteriorating because of infertility and alcohol， forced to spend Christmas with his perfect in-laws who mostly despised him。 Neil ends up dead on Christmas Day and everyone is suspect including Neil himself。 This story has lots of twists and turns， lots of secrets to uncover。 Not everyone is who they seem to be。 I really enjoyed this read and will definitely recommend it。 Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my review！ Love this publisher， you really can’t go wrong with one of their books！ 。。。more
Shabana
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Last Christmas by Maria FranklandBookouture10 November 2023- Available Now！4⭐️If you're expecting a cozy holiday read about a terminally ill man spending his last Christmas with his family， then this book isn't for you。 But， if you're expecting a roller coaster of family drama filled with lies， secrets， and betrayal， then you're in the right place。This book was a quick read filled with twists and turns。 Ones that I could predict， but more importantly， ones that I couldn't， and I enjoyed reading Last Christmas by Maria FranklandBookouture10 November 2023- Available Now！4⭐️If you're expecting a cozy holiday read about a terminally ill man spending his last Christmas with his family， then this book isn't for you。 But， if you're expecting a roller coaster of family drama filled with lies， secrets， and betrayal， then you're in the right place。This book was a quick read filled with twists and turns。 Ones that I could predict， but more importantly， ones that I couldn't， and I enjoyed reading them。 I liked that the book was divided up into three parts， each accompanied by their own POV， although I would have loved to see some of the other characters' POVs and read their thoughts about the events in the book。Thank you， @netgalley ， @bookouture ， and @writermaria_f ， for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Shereadbookblog
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Three sisters and their husbands have gathered at their parents house to celebrate one last Christmas together as their father has a fatal illness。 Sacha is married to Neil who is dealing with depression and the couple’s infertility problems。 He didn’t want to go; he doesn’t feel accepted by her family and is， in fact， treated abominably by the brothers-in-law。 Of course his own behavior and over drinking doesn’t help。 When his body is found at the bottom of a cliff， the authorities wonder if it Three sisters and their husbands have gathered at their parents house to celebrate one last Christmas together as their father has a fatal illness。 Sacha is married to Neil who is dealing with depression and the couple’s infertility problems。 He didn’t want to go; he doesn’t feel accepted by her family and is， in fact， treated abominably by the brothers-in-law。 Of course his own behavior and over drinking doesn’t help。 When his body is found at the bottom of a cliff， the authorities wonder if it was an accident， suicide， or something nefarious。 This is the beginning of the even more unraveling of family unity and secrets。 Don’t let the title of this novel mislead you…。no cozy holiday read this！ There are some tough topics here including terminal cancer， depression and alcoholism。 The story doesn’t really revolve around Christmas except that the holiday gives the opportunity for the dysfunctional family to gather together。Told from three POVs， the story is soapy， cliched， full of despicable people， and I couldn’t put it down。 The author drew me in and wouldn’t let me go until I finished the book。 I read this as an ARC and had one problem with a timeline…perhaps that will be cleared up in the printed edition。By the way， this novel made me even more thankful than I already am for being an only child！ 。。。more
Lana DeLayne Barney
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This was a very fast， Christmasy dramatic thriller with nice twists！ I read this book in only a few hours and loved the different point of views of each main character in the story。 I thought the characters were well developed and you either loved or hated them。 Poor Neil was absolutely miserable and you felt sorry for him。 His marriage deteriorating because of infertility and alcohol， forced to spend Christmas with his perfect in-laws who mostly despised him。 Neil ends up dead on Christmas Day This was a very fast， Christmasy dramatic thriller with nice twists！ I read this book in only a few hours and loved the different point of views of each main character in the story。 I thought the characters were well developed and you either loved or hated them。 Poor Neil was absolutely miserable and you felt sorry for him。 His marriage deteriorating because of infertility and alcohol， forced to spend Christmas with his perfect in-laws who mostly despised him。 Neil ends up dead on Christmas Day and everyone is suspect including Neil himself。 This story has lots of twists and turns， lots of secrets to uncover。 Not everyone is who they seem to be。 I really enjoyed this read and will definitely recommend it。 Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for my review！ Love this publisher， you really can’t go wrong with one of their books！ 。。。more
Kiersten Pyrtle
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“The doorbell cuts through the sound of the howling wind outside。 Snowflakes from the freezing December air whirl into the house as I open the front door to the police。 The look on their faces says everything。 My husband is dead。 Did one of my family kill him？”This was my first book by Maria Frankland。 It started off a bit slow as all the background information was revealed and the characters were introduced， but then it really picked up！ There were quite a few twists that I did NOT see coming （ “The doorbell cuts through the sound of the howling wind outside。 Snowflakes from the freezing December air whirl into the house as I open the front door to the police。 The look on their faces says everything。 My husband is dead。 Did one of my family kill him？”This was my first book by Maria Frankland。 It started off a bit slow as all the background information was revealed and the characters were introduced， but then it really picked up！ There were quite a few twists that I did NOT see coming （and that I never could have predicted in a million years）。 I enjoyed the crime drama as well as the marriage/family drama in Last Christmas。 This book is told in three parts， with each part being a different character’s point of view （part 1: Neil; part 2:Sacha; part 3: Christy）。 I thought this was a unique way to organize the story and I enjoyed being able to understand each character on an even deeper level during their portion。 Frankland’s writing was clear and concise。 Thank you so much @Netgalley @bookouture and @writermaria_f for a copy of this ARC！ 。。。more
Linda Leone
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Last Christmas is the first book I've read by this author。 Neil reluctantly spends Christmas with his in-laws。 They don't make a secret of the fact they don't like him。 They are rude to say the least。 I wouldn't want to spend any day with these people， much less a holiday。I found the first half to be repetitive and quite slow。 However， the second half picked up and became much more interesting。 Full of family drama， dysfunction and secrets。 It just didn't suck me in as I had hoped。Thanks to netg Last Christmas is the first book I've read by this author。 Neil reluctantly spends Christmas with his in-laws。 They don't make a secret of the fact they don't like him。 They are rude to say the least。 I wouldn't want to spend any day with these people， much less a holiday。I found the first half to be repetitive and quite slow。 However， the second half picked up and became much more interesting。 Full of family drama， dysfunction and secrets。 It just didn't suck me in as I had hoped。Thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the arc。 。。。more
MeWriter
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In this tense and taut domestic thriller about the in-laws from hell， one will not survive the holiday！！ Lots going on for the protagonists and adding alcohol and a dysfunctional family add to the mystery。 Good read！Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC！
Jenny M
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