25 Days by Per Jacobsen

 25 days, 25 chapters. This December, the countdown to Christmas will chill you to the bone.

Hoping to bring his family closer together, Adam Gray arranges a vacation in a remote cabin on a snowy mountain. Things take a dark turn, however, when someone starts leaving gifts in the Christmas stocking mounted on the barn door.

Each morning brings something new, and with every passing day, the contents become more terrifying. Soon, the family makes a spine-chilling discovery that they’ve been dragged into a deranged game of Secret Santa, and if they want to survive, they will have to fight.

A peaceful family vacation in an isolated country cabin turns into a harrowing fight for survival in this holiday horror.

The scenic location and lack of internet or cell service seems like the ideal way to bring this family of four closer together. At first, it does just that, until the Christmas stocking appears on the barn with a new threatening gift each day. 

I love Christmas horror so this seemed like it would be right up my alley! I also love when stories take place in snowy, isolated conditions with no way to call for help.

What I do not love is never being told who the perpetrator is or even the why of it all. So I find myself torn. 

I was all in for the first half of this book. The claustrophobic feeling of being trapped with an unknown threat was so creepy! At some point in the second half is when I began to get annoyed. I wanted to know the who and the why of this threat. 
Just when I thought the answers were finally coming it was a letdown when they never materialized. I think the author may also have lost track of some of the injuries that occurred.
In the author's notes at the end of the book is his explanation for this choice to leave us hanging. I was less than satisfied with the reason.

My thanks to HumbleBooks for the gifted e-copy.

Get a copy

About the author