Book Review: The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker

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The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker  was published on March 17, 2025. It opens with Detective Declan Shaw at a closed subway station trying to work up the nerve to commit suicide when he receives a call from his partner about a break in and homicide at the home of a true crime author. Shaw makes his way to the crime scene to work the case, and in a turn of events, Declan comes under scrutiny in another case loosely connected to this new case. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Writer  from NetGalley and Little , Brown, and Company for free in exchange for my honest review. I'm appreciative that my request for this book was approved. With this story opening with the main character trying to commit suicide, I almost didn't go any further with the book. However, I am glad I stuck with it as it took me on a fantastic ride and had my emotions all over the place. There were so many twists and turns that just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was ...
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Book Review: Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger

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book review christmas presents lisa unger

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger is a novella expected to be published on October 24, 2023 by Penzler Publishers.  Madeline Martin is the owner of a thriving business, a bookstore.  When author and podcaster Harley Granger stops by her store, Madeline is starstruck.  However, bad memories are dredged up for Madeline by the author when he mentions that he is reopening a cold case that she survived.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penzler Publishers, for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Lisa Unger's novella, Christmas Presents.  As a recent fan of the author, I knew I wanted to read her latest without even reading the synopsis, so I requested to read this novella and was ecstatic when I was approved to receive a copy for free in exchange for my honest review.

This novella falls into the mystery, thriller, and suspense genre but has a little romance and intrigue to it.  Despite the genre, it even put me in the Christmas mood since it takes place during the holiday.  It's the perfect book for those who love this genre and want a holiday read.

From the get go, I narrowed the killer down to two different people.  As the storyline progressed, I did start to second guess myself and wondered if the narrator was unreliable.  When the murderer was revealed, I was glad it was who it was . . . you're not going to get any spoilers from me.  I will say that for all intent and purposes, Christmas Presents had a happy ending, and Lisa Unger did a nice job wrapping it up.

The story was told from alternating timelines.  I don't always like it when an author does this because it can feel disjointed.  However, Lisa Unger did a fabulous job with it because it had me on the edge of my seat wondering what really happened.  It really helped move the story along.

Five out of five stars is what I gave Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger.  Don't miss out on this fantastic novella . . . pre-order it today.  You won't be sorry.

 

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