Unfortunately I requested this book without knowing it was a part of a series.. therefore I didn’t get to read it.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to have this book in exchange for a honest review.

The Present has a good premise, yet the book doesn't exactly deliver the very mysterious atmosphere it promised. It is a good book, I just think it needs some more mystery elements, if that makes sense.
This is based on the twelve days of Christmas song, the murderer is leaving "presents" for the police. Anna, a journalist, gets trapped along with the police to get to this murderer before he kills any more victims.
It started right off with action and we quickly get hooked to what will happen next. As I said before, some parts were a bit obvious for me, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless.
I should also mention that it contains some gruesome details. So if that's something you're not comfortable with, I don't think this is for you.

A brilliant idea for a book and love that it is a thriller set at Christmas - we don’t see enough of those! Whilst the premise of the book was good and it definitely kept me reading, it fell a bit flat for me and wasn’t quite the whodunnit in the end as I was able to predict what would happen. Great idea, slightly disappointing in the end.

This novel had such promise , the storyline was good but it had so many holes in it it became extremely unbelievable. To allow a investigative reporter into an investigation and use her as ‘bait’ then allow her access to all evidence was just too much. The ending was dreadful which was a real disappointment as it could’ve been so good if it wasn’t so far fetched.

A beautifully written book full of festive feeling.
The characters were fantastic and relatable, the storyline was intriguing and kept me hooked throughout.
A beautifully written book that I thoroughly enjoyed!

A beautiful warm fuzzy Christmas feeling comes with this book. Love every word of it, the characters are are real and well thought out, the story is Christmas at its best.

This book had me gripped from the onset. The evil and violence pervading the pages, was at times shocking, but necessary to the plot. The characters were very descriptive and easy to identify with, and the final denouement, as Santa is exposed in all his pyschopathical glory, is one most readers will probably be wrong footed by. I was totally enthralled by this novel and thoroughly reccomend it.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for this fantastic read.

This book was right up my street. I was intrigued from the start as it seemed to go hand in hand with the book of the same title by Charlotte Phillips, however they were definitely very different.
This was a quick and easy read, and had a nice twist to it. I would definitely read more from this author. Thanks netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book

It was a Christmas I can't forget! Who knew a story set on Christmas could be so brutal? I really underestimated this book and got pleasantly surprised.

Anna sometimes would grind my gears, and I just wanted to scream at her and tell her what to do, but thankfully I couldn't because they were all bad ideas.

I never had a clue who the killer was even though I was looking left and right and reading between the lines. I'm sad that my hunch was wrong. I thought I had it, that I guessed it from the start. Although the revelation of the killer made the story even better. I think I'm still in shock!

This idea always sounded very original and it's a great twist in such a wonderful season. Forget all the Christmas romances all I want for Christmas are murder mysteries from now on.

Puts a whole new meaning to the 12 days of Christmas with a plot twist you most probably won’t be expecting!

fter reading the description of this book, I was so excited to start reading. The premise of a serial killer, targeting couples every two years in the lead up to the Christmas holidays and using the popular '12 Days of Christmas' song to taunt the police, seems to contain all of the required elements for a heart-stopping thriller.
However, despite my high hopes, 'The Present' did not deliver. From the start, I found the character of Anna to be a little predictable - the hardhitting but caring journalist, who is willing to put her life on the life for the sake of another. While well-written, Anna was just a little too-predictable for my liking.
Of course, the character needs to display just these characteristics in order to be determined enough to inset herself into the investigation for the 'Santa' killer. But for me, Anna seems too reminiscent of other protagonists in crime novels and does not stand out in her out right.
The overall storyline is creepy and certainly not for the faint-hearted. Despite my negative feelings towards a main character, I did really enjoy the overall story and the little hints dropped throughtout about just who the would prove to be 'Santa'. Though, I don't think that I will be listening to the '12 Days of Christmas' anytime soon. ;)

Thank you to @netgalley as I received an ARC of this @harpercollins book from them in return for an honest review.

Five stars; because wow ... i mean wow..... I could not put this down.... a real on the edge of your seat book...... this is one that scares you but you have to just keep on reading......
Jim the detective seems to be out smarted by the "Santa" at every step of the way.... and eventually you will find out why....
The clues are in there... the idea of who it is torments you as a reader and keeps you guessing.....but it is all in there for you to pick up on .....
It was only when i had finished did i see the clues and they fell into place like a domino effect....

The twelve days of Christmas begins the countdown each year of a spree of killing and fear....
each year the psychopath starts his deadly run of gruesome murders...
who is it seems to be the challenge for the detective and each year "Santa" outsmarts the police

The Present opens up with a delivery of a gift to a journalist .... it takes hold at this point and the clock starts to tick down as the twelve days of Christmas starts the whole process of the murders and gruesome attacks....

A great written book that i have really enjoyed..... but one note that i would have liked to have read is to have some knowledge of what his mother did to him that made him into such a gruesome psychopathic killer

But it was a good read and would recommend it to others

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It contains enough clues to keep me guessing but was also an easy read.
I liked the concept of the book so much that I ordered the follow up.
The characters are realistic and relatable. I have recommended this book to colleagues and friends. I will definitely read it again.

This book certainly isn't one for the faint hearted. It's a great story, I wasn't sure who the killer was right up until the end. However,, it is seriously gory, gratuitously so in my opinion. So if you tend to be squeamish I'm not sure that this is the book for you.

This was a fascinating thriller that kept me up past my bedtime. Excellent character development along with a twisty story. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing until the end - I had a couple of suspects earmarked from early on - and I read it in almost a single sitting.

This is a Christmas thriller, quite easy to read but lacks the mystery component!

The story starts off with a good premise but…

I tend to like stories that are peppered with thought-provoking twists and turns and this story, unfortunately, has none; guessing the culprit was basically a walk in the park.

If you’re looking for an easy ready, revolving around some incredibly gruesome crimes and you’re not bothered by the lack of mystery then you should definitely give this book a read.

I would like to thank the Publishers, NetGalley, and the Author for sending me a copy of this book.

#ThePresent #NetGalley
12 deadly presents, a serial killer. How the police will catch him? I thought I have read these kinds of books before but i was so wrong. Highly recommended.

Cannot give feedback as the book is stuck on my shelf unable to be downloaded because something is missing despite there being no archive date.

A fantastic crime novel that ties in very well with the twelve days of Christmas theme. I thought the author, DS Devlin's concept of the countdown and the delivering of presents coinciding with the twelve days of Christmas was a quality idea.

The Present was a hugely enjoyable read without the complexity and twists and turns of many other mysteries and thrillers but it still kept me questioning and guessing until the end and there were plenty of red herrings to lead me astray.

It becomes apparent later in the book why the Santa Killer chose to abduct and kill his victims around the Christmas period each year.

The story moved along at a comfortable pace and for me, this was a brilliant crime thriller/murder mystery read. I highly recommend The Present to anyone who favours this genre.

With gratitude to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review a copy of this novel.