Trish Harnetiaux writes a hugely engrossing and entertaining début novel. I love the odd Christmas story, and I am morbidly curious about the sinister, darker side of a good festive story, so  I couldn't  resist reading The Secret Santa. 

Architect and estate agent Henry and Claudine Calhoun are hosting their company’s lavish Christmas party in a remote mansion, and they're hoping it will be a night to remember. The chosen venue, Montague House in affluent Aspen, was the first house that Henry and Claudine built and sold. 

Things are going well, but the festive mood quickly turns sour when a sinister gift is unwrapped in the Secret Santa gift exchange. The lavish mountain lodge is isolated and cut off due to heavy snow, trapping the guests inside and it soon becomes apparent that one of the party is out for revenge...

As one of the guests unwraps her gift, memories of a night years ago come flashing back to Claudine. A night that became a dark secret that Claudine has kept closeted away for years to help protect Henry and their legacy. The husband and wife hosts will do anything to protect their darkest secrets and as the story unfolds, the reader learns exactly what happened that horrifying night.

Trish Harnetiaux delivers an unrestrained and exuberant story of drama in this toxic concoction of secrets, lies and deception. Taut and compelling, it was a cracking story and a book that I revelled in all the way through. The main setting, the lodge in the mountains, on an incredibly wintery and snowy day and no phone signal, is the perfect creepy, eerie setting for something catastrophic to occur.

It brought no disappointments and the clever plotting enabled me to fully grasp the motivations of the protagonists. The story was told from three viewpoints, power couple Henry and Claudine, and superstar singer, Zara, who is considering buying the property in Aspen, and the reader is made aware of precisely what this property means to each of them. The shifting of perspectives between Henry, Claudine and Zara was handled with a deft touch by Trish Harnetiaux and the masterful twists throughout paved the way for an enthralling and fulfilling denouement. 

I totally relished this abundant locked-room mystery with it's seasonal edge, and I would love to read more from this gifted story-teller. I am delighted to be able to recommend The Secret Santa.
 
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Cornerstone via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Secret Santa
It’s beginning to look a lot like murder…
by Trish Harnetiaux
287 pages 
3 ⭐⭐⭐
Pub Date 31 Oct 2019
Description 
THIS YEAR, YOU'LL GET WHAT YOU DESERVE...
_____________________
A lavish party.
An isolated mansion.
Two hosts who will do anything to protect their secrets.When husband and wife Henry and Claudine organise their company's Christmas party in a remote mansion, they expect it to be a night to remember.But the festive mood quickly turns sour when a sinister gift is unwrapped in the Secret Santa gift exchange.As heavy snow traps the guests inside the mountainside lodge, it quickly becomes clear that one of the party is out for revenge.It’s no longer just about enduring the evening. It’s about making sure you get out alive.
🎄MY REVIEW🎄
None of the characters were likable at all except Zara . Which made it very too hard to get into. Far too much time was spent on the background of each character. The story made me think of a lifetime movie. I was about 35 % into it and about ready to give up on it before it really got good. The timeline flips from the present to past. It is a fast paced short read that will not take you long to read. Many thanks to the Publisher , the Author , and NetGalley for a ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own. 
#TheSecretSanta #NetGalley

The synopsis does a good job of letting you know a little bit about this murder mystery story. A of seeing a stunning property means a change of location for Henry and Claudine’s staff Christmas do. The party will be moved to the remote property so that it can be shown off at its best for a potential buyer. Part of the party is the Secret Santa, a game of exchanging presents has been something that has increased over the years and everyone tries to out-do each other, however this year one of the gifts has a catch!

This is a murder mystery read that is about revenge for something that was done in the past. The truth is not revealed until far later in the story and it is where all the answers are suddenly revealed.

The story is told in quick chapters from the perspective of different characters, Claudine, Henry and Zara as well as a mystery italicised chapters! I like this style as it gave me a chance to get inside the heads of various people, see their thoughts and some of what they really think.

The story is well paced and definitely kept me guessing, gradually introducing me to everyone involved and also drawing me further into the story. The setting is good though not overwhelming, there are several good mentions about it and it does sound idyllic, isolated, remote and scenic. The focus is more on the people.

This is a murder mystery that has drama and suspense rather than blood and guts. Its not a thriller or police procedural and would suit cosy mystery readers. It is one I would recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and Arrow for a copy of “The secret Santa “ for an honest review.

Unfortunately I couldn’t warm to this book at all.I didn’t like the style of writing or the characters portrayed .I hoped as I got further into the book I would change my opinion.About a third of the way into the book I decided to give up , so I’ve given an average score bearing in mind  I didn’t continue reading.

This was a fun thriller, although, I wish I was able to have read it closer to Christmas, as I think that would make it even better.  Well written, characters developed amazingly.  I wasn’t as engrossed or unable to set down, as I am in books I rate with a 5 star, but I truly enjoyed the creepy book.  Chills, thrills, shocks, and some holiday fear may accompany you as reading, since it did me!  Definitely pick up a copy and give it a read closer to the holiday!  You won’t regret it!  
Will make sure I give it some buzzing up!

Wow!! Loved the premise of the story.
A party on isolated mansion and two hosts who would do anything to protect their secrets. But it all unraveled when a gift unwrapped in the secret Santa gift exchange. And the entire party soon turned to revenge.

My first book by this author, I was quite in a good rapture when the revenge plot sunk in. The author did a brilliant job in keeping the atmosphere spooky and suspenseful, especially on the backdrop of Christmas.

The characters were not very likable and that made the plot gallop. I wanted to see if they would get their justs and who was playing them so well. The setting of scenes were smooth, the locked room concept was well done. 

Overall, a wonderful exciting read.

good concept though did take me a while to get into it and and struggled putting myself in the character's shoes/understanding the, especially Claudine was also dissapointed in the ending

This book had so much potential to be great, if it focused less on the background of each character and more on the actual thriller side of this I think I would’ve enjoyed this book a lot more. Having said that, it was a quick and easy read, I was also pleasantly surprised by the ending too. Would recommend as an alternative to the tradition ‘happily ever after’ Christmas novels.

This is not a typical Christmas read, nevertheless, it is a pageturner!

The story is told from four main characters' in an uneven sequence.

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and the king and queen of Aspen's real estate, Henry and Claudine are prepared for their annual company Christmas party. This year, a famous pop star and potential client/buyer joins their holiday celebration. Calhoun's annual Christmas party is famous around town for its very unique "Secret Santa" game. As guests enjoy themselves in a cozy little mention, they are slowly being trapped in the house by an unpredictable snowfall. And it's all fun and games until a very specific object makes an appearance at the party. An item, that besides disturbing the mellow little party can also ruin the lives of its hosts.

An astonishing plot, with a phenomenal twist at the end, makes this novel a captivating read. I love everything about it: the location, the secrets, the characters. Big thank you Trish Harnetiaux for a thrilling ride across the pages of her newest novel, and NetGalley and Arrow publisher for a free and advanced copy of the book.

Found this book a little hard to get into at first, due to the constant changes of  the narrator but once I got the hang of it, it was an intriguing mystery, with characters which aroused personal feelings of likes or dislikes, the story progressed at a good pace with an ending that filled all the gaps.

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

4.5 Stars

Wow I did not see that coming!! I could tell the whole book was building to something, but really wasn't sure how it would all come together and i didn't guess the actual outcome at all. 

I will freely admit this was an impulse request from Netgalley, I love Christmas books, and always curious about a clearly more sinister darker side of a festive story, so couldn't really resist it.   And it is definitely one of the smarted impulse decisions I have made. 

I've never know an office Secret Santa to be so sinister, OK, I've not known it to have this quality of gifts in it either, but this is Aspen - the playground for the rich and famous. 

And the main setting, the house in the mountains, on an incredibly snowy day, no phone signal, is just the best in terms of eerie settings for something disastrous to happen. 

The story is written in a multiple parts, and we have three viewpoints, power couple Henry and Claudine, and superstar singer who may be about to buy a house in Aspen, Zara.    We see just what this property means to all of them, and also all manner of key incidents in Henry and Claudine's past. 

I can't say I particularly warmed to either of them, but I did have a soft spot for Zara, but regardless due to the fabulous writing,  I was utterly hooked on this book.  It flowed so well, and I found that when I settled down to read, it the pages seemed to just go past so fast, and the percentage read meter went up rapidly. 

I was't really sure where the story was leading at times, and with the mention of a locked room mystery in the blurb, I was expecting that aspect to occur a lot earlier in the story and for the book to be teaming with detectives... but I was completely surprised instead by just how the scene was set and how it all seemed to work perfectly. 

This is the first book I've read by this author and I'm incredibly impressed and feel I will need to look out for more from them in the future. 

Thank you to Cornerstone on Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A fun festive mystery, with plenty of twists to keep the reader hooked. I enjoyed this very much.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An unusual and entertaining Christmas story, fast paced and well crafted.
It's a closed room mystery and it's well crafted even if I found it a bit claustrophobic at times.
The mystery is solid and kept me guessing, the cast of characters interesting and it was a good read.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Zara a popstar hitting the highs, the celeb everyone wants to be seen with right now, to be sure of buying the best house she can shes called Claudine Calhoun to buy a house in Aspen, to escape California and the chaos, she seeks calm.

Is the house, designed by Claudine’s Husband Henry, is Aspen going to bring what she wants and craves right now, after a high profile romance goes bust. Invited by Claudine to see Montague house at its best – in full Christmas Party swing, Zara is heading in the heavy snowfall to the Calhoun & Calhoun Christmas Party – an exclusive, invite-only event, legendary amongst employees, townsfolk and guests.

Will everyones Secret Santa gifts be the desired object of the night?

Will more than just Santa’s secrets get told and will Zara find what she’s looking for?

A fun, festive and chilling read !

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of the secret Santa by Trish Harnetiaux. First I want to say that while I like this book it was eerily similar to the book white elephant that I just also read. The plots were almost spot on the same. That was a bit of a disappointment although there were some things I really did enjoy about this book.

The Secret Santa is an entertaining mystery.  Loved the twisted plot, it really kept me glued to the story.  I can’t imagine being confined in a room with so much animosity.  If you enjoy mysteries this is the book for you.  I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

A fun locked room mystery where the characters were so well drawn I was easily immersed in the story.   Don’t be surprised if the Lifetime channel picks up the movie rights on this one. FYI the book is being published in the US as “White Elephant.”

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?