Devi Nair
Confession: I love a good locked-room mystery, especially one wrapped in tinsel. I wanted to like this one. The setup is pure catnip: strangers locked inside a whimsical London gift emporium, secrets spilling like overturned ornament boxes, a killer doling out deadly presents. Early chapters teased delicious dread, with quirky shoppers and creepy grotto vibes. Katherine Press's narration is crisp and atmospheric; she nails the escalating panic without overacting.
Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t land for me. By the 38% mark, I found myself dragging the story along, struggling to stay invested. The narrative felt disorganized, hopping between characters without enough context or build-up, which made it difficult to care about who lived or died. The tension and suspense, which should have been driving the plot, never quite clicked. There were glimpses of clever twists and interesting character secrets, but they were buried under a haphazard pacing that left the story feeling flat.
The idea of a festive thriller should have sparkled, but this one dimmed early. The characters blended together rather than standing out as unique suspects, and the suspense never quite gripped hard enough to make me care who made it out.
Would I recommend it? Skip this one unless you're a die-hard Andreina Cordani completionist or desperate for Christmas murder mystery audiobooks. The premise screams festive frights, but execution left me cold, disorganized, unengaging, and forgettable.
Holiday horror or holiday snooze? Would you keep listening to a sluggish story hoping it redeems itself, or do you DNF without guilt once the spark’s gone? Tell me how you handle it in the comments!
Confession: I love a good locked-room mystery, especially one wrapped in tinsel. I wanted to like this one. The setup is pure catnip: strangers locked inside a whimsical London gift emporium, secrets spilling like overturned ornament boxes, a killer doling out deadly presents. Early chapters teased delicious dread, with quirky shoppers and creepy grotto vibes. Katherine Press's narration is crisp and atmospheric; she nails the escalating panic without overacting.
Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t land for me. By the 38% mark, I found myself dragging the story along, struggling to stay invested. The narrative felt disorganized, hopping between characters without enough context or build-up, which made it difficult to care about who lived or died. The tension and suspense, which should have been driving the plot, never quite clicked. There were glimpses of clever twists and interesting character secrets, but they were buried under a haphazard pacing that left the story feeling flat.
The idea of a festive thriller should have sparkled, but this one dimmed early. The characters blended together rather than standing out as unique suspects, and the suspense never quite gripped hard enough to make me care who made it out.
Would I recommend it? Skip this one unless you're a die-hard Andreina Cordani completionist or desperate for Christmas murder mystery audiobooks. The premise screams festive frights, but execution left me cold, disorganized, unengaging, and forgettable.
Holiday horror or holiday snooze? Would you keep listening to a sluggish story hoping it redeems itself, or do you DNF without guilt once the spark’s gone? Tell me how you handle it in the comments!