Book Review: The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

Rating :⭐⭐⭐⭐

It has been thirty years since Ashley Smith, an American Art History student in London, spent her Christmas holidays at her classmate Emma Chapman’s family home in Clevemoor. Ashley, far from home and with no close family, was excited to have company during the festive season. Ashley is in awe of the Chapmans’ manor home and initially enjoys the company, trips to the local pub and the idyllic village, not to mention the attention she gets from Adam, Emma’s handsome twin brother whose company she particularly enjoys. However, Adam is suspected of having brutally murdered a local girl with whom he is said to have been romantically involved. Ashley also notices some strange occurrences around the house and is a tad confused with her host’s strange behavior. Needless to say, Ashley’s holiday might not be quite as idyllic as it seems.

The first half of the narrative is presented through Ashley's journal entries dating back to 1989 after which we switch to the present day where we get to more about the events from thirty years ago and the aftermath of the same.

The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson is an exceptionally well-crafted, atmospheric and absorbing read. The setting, gothic tone, complex characters and shocking twists kept me hooked till the very last page. I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and would not hesitate to recommend it to those who enjoy dark, twisty reads.

Many thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novella. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The Christmas Guest was published on October 17, 2023.