I used to be in with a Secret Santa group but this book takes it to a whole new level!

Claudine, a back-biting climber in the real estate world and her quiet, architect husband, Henry host a Holiday party. After we are given the background of Claudine and Henry, we are brought to the present - a party with a Secret Santa gift theme.

At the party are friends/co-workers and Zara, a pop star. Zara was invited because she wanted to perhaps buy the house in Aspen as a getaway. She likes Henry but finds Claudine to be a bit "nasty".

The game begins as in any holiday party but ramps itself up. So much that...

What a great read! Wonderful character development on the three main characters; Claudine, Henry and Zara. An unusual plotline that should appeal to many readers!

Many Thanks to Random House, UK / Cornerstone and NetGalley for a great read.

I’ve played so many times the Secret Santa at school and in my work, that I would never thought it could be something so competitive and dangerous!
The story is told in the present, like the memories and thoughts of the characters but they relate to the story from the past, like someone has recollected all the events that happened a few days before the fatidic moment. There aren’t many characters, but they are interesting and with a few dark secrets hidden, sadly all of them will see the light sooner than they expect.
Let’s talk a little about the characters, Claudine and Henry are the owners of Calhoun + Calhoun, but the business is not as good as it was so Claudine thinks the best move would be sell the first house her husband created, nothing less than to the famous celebrity Zara. The most interesting characters of the story for me were Claudine and Henry, Claudine is so bossy and self centered that the reader can’t wait to discover what the story has prepared for her! And her husband Henry seem really scared to return to the first house he built, something happened there and he doesn’t want to remember it. But the secrets they both have, seem to connect Claudine and Henry together, what I don’t know is what will happen when they will come out.
It’s been a little difficult in this book to make the review without any spoiler, because saying too much would make the story being discovered too soon!
This had been an amazing read, I was totally invested with the story, the characters felt real and complex I really couldn’t put it down!
Ready to discover The Secret Santa?

This was a lovely Christmas story to read. Not my usual genre. But I absolutely loved it would recommend to others who are looking for a pre Christmas read 5******

So never heard of this author before but the book cover, title and blurb really appealed to me which is what made me give this book a go.

I have to say that the story was a little slow going and a bit confusing to begin with, but once you get passed the 40% it gets really good and things start to make sense and pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place.

The story was a really good one, quite unique too. Pretty well written, sets the scenes and location really well.

There is something of a twist come the end but to be honest I'd already guessed it, I still enjoyed the story though. It was a great ending and I'm pleased that everything worked out well for character Zara come the end.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and had twists that no one could see coming. I think they could have maybe pushed publication back as it is a Christmas themed book but I would definately recommend

I quite enjoyed this story, even more than I thought I would. I'm not one to read seasonal holiday books but this one grabbed my attention from the cover and the synopsis and I was quite pleasantly pleased with the whole story. The story came together at a slow and steady pace that kept me fully engaged all the way through. A couple of the plot twists were a tad predictable but not so much that it ruined the story and there were a couple other twists that I didn't expect! This was a fun seasonal mystery to curl up by the fire and read this holiday season! Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the chance to read it!

Real estate agent and architect Claudine and Henry Calhoun are finding business a little too slow of late so when pop sensation Zara contacts Claudine to view a mansion on their books she is more than determined to show the house off.  However, this isn't just any old mansion but Montague House, the first house Calhoun & Calhoun ever sold .  The problem is Claudine promised Henry he would never have to go back there and now it looks like everything Henry has tried to keep buried is about to come back to life!

I really enjoyed this book.  It's a great paced 'closed room' type mystery with a well thought out back story full of secrets and lies.

It moves along with a good flow, looking back at the history of Calhoun & Calhoun and the secrets Claudine and Henry have kept hidden about Montague House.  Delighting us with the wonderful cast of characters we meet at the company's annual holiday's party, now taking place at the mansion, so that Zara can attend and also view the property, the tension mounts when a Secret Santa gift throws Claudine into blind panic.  Who bought it?  How did they get it? And what do they know?

The Secret Santa game used in the story is different to the one I'm used to here in the UK, but sounds far more exciting! With the chance, each turn, to steal the gift last opened, it lends itself really well to the story and highlights Claudine's devilish character. Not a particularly likeable character but superbly told with her ferociously determined nature coming through more and more as you read along.

The book gathers great momentum as it moves along divulging more and more about the buried past, weaving twists and turns into the story and throwing suspicion onto different characters.

Will it all fall apart for Calhoun & Calhoun???

I don't find admitting I enjoyed this more than I thought I would! A great festive read.

Quite a fun yet dark murder mystery. A nice easy read, well written and enjoyable. I would recommend this to murder mystery lovers. Based in a lovely setting too x

I enjoyed the book very much. There were some trist and turns and some omg moments. I was expecting some gruesome writing, but it was fun to read,

Thanks, NetGalley for the advance copy to review.

Lovely festive read. It was a heart warming romance. It was a wonderful book to read. It was well written and flowed well.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to read this book early. I was not at all familiar with this author but I love a good mystery/thriller and this sounded as such so I decided to give it a try.
I finished the book a few days ago but I am still trying to find the words to describe it for review.
It starts with an unkown 'person' writing a letter to someone since it was discovered that this 'person' is dying and wanted to share secrets of the past to the receiver of the letter. I admit it definitely had me curious. I honestly did not dislike this book but I can't really say that I loved it either but I think I did like it.
Claudine is the main character along with her husband Henry. Claudine is an obvious sociopath who is willing to do anything to make a name for herself and the money that generally goes along with it. One of the annoying things was the author always designer/name dropping with everything Claudine wore or had or wanted.
The Secret Santa game is set up for their office holiday party that's also a way to show the house to the very famous Zara who they are hoping will buy the Montague House where the party is taking place because their business has been slow and they are desparate for the sale. According to Claudine the game is also a way to show how nasty people can be and if they are willing to steal the gifts they want as the game goes on. As the story continues so does the letter written by the mysterious person that clearly runs parallel to the story of Claudine. Some things were really obvious to me as is just how strong of a hold that Claudine has over everyone especially her drunk wimpy husband Henry.
The ending was pretty decent and some things were a bit unexpected but others were not.
I would probably be willing to read this author again.

Not for me I’m afraid. Machiavellian estate agent Claudine throws a Christmas party to persuade a pop star to buy a house. A special house - the first one designed and built by her husband , Henry. But there are secrets relating back to the house’s inception... and someone else knows them.
A light read but I could see too many of the plot twists coming.

Interesting cozy mystery that had plenty of twists and turns to me me guessing. Claudine and Henry are hosting their office Christmas party, and when a secret Santa gift is revealed, it has people scrambling.
This is a little out of my normal expectation for a cozy mystery, but a fun read.

This was such a fun, campy read! It's quite short compared to what I'm used to reading and I wish there had been more to it, as the story flows quickly and I couldn't wait for the reveal. Set in Aspen, it revolves around a holiday party for the prestigious design firm Calhoun + Calhoun that is being held in the intriguing Montague House. An epic house with a dark past that the firm's co-owner, Claudine, is desperately trying to sell to a young Hollywood singer, Zara. She attends the party as a way to see the property that she's interested in buying. The guest list is small, each guest selected by Claudine for their unique attributes that will help present the house and her firm in the best light..

Claudine Calhoun is a ruthless and ambitious woman who has done whatever it takes to get to the top and stay there. Her husband, Henry, is a brilliant architect who designs and builds the properties that Claudine sells. Montague House was their first creation together and it doesn't quite bring about the warm feeling of pride and nostalgia one would expect. Why is that? What happened there long ago that sends Henry to the hospital just thinking about returning to the property? That's the key to the story - someone at the lavish party decides it's time to bring justice to those who have been wronged. With the opening of one particular present, the night becomes one that no one will forget.

I did expect the crucial Secret Santa moment to come much earlier in the book, figuring that the implosion of the party and the resulting fallout would get much more of a focus than it actually does. That was disappointing, as there could have been more development of the minor characters who didn't get the attention they could have. Almost as if the author knew they were insignificant and didn't bother fleshing them out more. A bit more actual mystery or suspense would have improved the story immensely, without which it comes across as a fast breezy read, when it could be so much more.

#TheSecretSanta #NetGalley
Henry and Claudine are husband and wife and are celebrating in the house which they built and sold. But is this house safe? Is it hiding any secrets? How would you react when you came to know that the house you're going to purchase has bones inside almirah? To know the answer of all these questions you have to read this amazing book. Henry, Zara and Claudine are excellent characters. Highly recommended.

Claudine and her husband Henry are celebrating their annual Christmas Party and Claudine is making sure that this year's one goes down with a bang as she changes the venue to Montague House - this was the first house that Henry and Claudine built and sold. This was the house that launched their careers. It is also a house though that holds some sad and terrible memories and the house that started to pull them apart as a couple. Celebrity Pop Singer Zara is wanting to move to Aspen as she was obsessed with the Claudine and Spyder Killer Case and with Claudine being the estate agent, she sees this as a sign. Once arrived, everyone hands in their Secret Santa gifts and all goes well until Natalie unwraps her gift and memories of that night years ago come flashing back to Claudine. A night that has become a dark secret that she has kept for all these years, to help protect Henry and their legacy. In between the story, we learn about what happened those many years ago and the terrible things that went down on the property where the party is being hosted? Who is out to make Claudine and Henry pay for that night? Who here knows their darkest and deepest secrets and will make sure they do everything in their power to expose them for the terrible people they are ?. The Secret Santa was a fun mystery read and I like books like this where people are invited to a party with ulterior motives as it makes the story more enjoyable as it's in books like this that you learn what people are really capable of as their true colors start to seep through and shine.

I almost loved this book! It's well written and easy to read. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the little details of a fabulously wealthy world I know nothing about, and Zara's narration. But what let it down for me were the twists. Without getting spoilery, one was obvious right from the start, and the other came out of left field with no foreshadowing or clues at all. Kind of the extremes of twists, when really they should have been somewhere in the middle! Still, I did enjoy the book and it would make a good Christmas read for anyone who enjoys mysteries.

Claudine and Henry are struggling to keep their business going in the cut-throat luxury real estate market in Aspen. They also have a secret that’s helping to drive them apart. Claudine decides they need one final push, to sell pop singer Zara the first property they ever built, by inviting her to their annual firms Christmas party set at the house. And, as every year, this will include her big spending Secret Santa. But things don’t go as planned,
This Christmas-themed murder mystery is well written, with believable, if not likeable, characters and enough twists and turns to make you want to know who dunnit. A nice atmospheric Christmas read.

The Secret Santa is a fun Christmas based thriller that had me laughing one moment and gasping the next. Some great minor twists in this and would make a great gift for the thriller fans in your life!
I felt no affection for any of the characters (other than Pip the dog!) but their terrible personalities makes the storyline work perfectly!

I enjoyed this novel very much. The characters were extremely well drawn and sympathetic, and the story line was seamless. Highly reccomend this excellent book.