A true crime podcaster unwraps a bookseller's dark past in this chilling holiday mystery from "a master" (Booklist). Against all odds, indie bookshop owner Madeline Martin has built a pleasant life for herself, overcoming a traumatic childhood and the daily struggle of caring for an elderly and infirm father. But in the days leading up to Christmas, Madeline's tenuous grasp on happiness is tested by the arrival of a celebrity true crime podcaster Harley Granger, a man whose prodding questions about her most painful memories threaten to bring them back to the surface. Madeline is the only surviving victim of Evan Handy, the serial killer convicted for the murder of her best friend and suspected in several other disappearances. Since Handy went to jail, three more young women have gone missing, suggesting either that there is a copycat at work or that the authorities locked up the wrong man. As the holiday approaches and a blizzard bears down, Madeline and her childhood friend Badger must confront a deadly possibility; in the process, they'll discover a truth more terrible and much closer to home than they ever imagined. Coupling a picturesque, cozy setting with a deeply unsettling suspense plot, Christmas Presents is a thrilling seasonal novella from an author that's "one of the genre's best" (Jennifer Hillier). -- Provided by bookflap.