Dying for Christmas: A Novel

by Tammy Cohen Narrated by Esther Wane

Overview

Out Christmas shopping one December afternoon, Jessica Gould meets the charming Dominic Lacey and impulsively agrees to go home with him for a drink. What follows is a Twelve Days of Christmas from hell as Lacey holds Jessica captive, forcing her to wear his missing wife's gowns and eat lavish holiday meals. Each day, he gifts her with one item from his twisted past-his dead sister's favorite toy, disturbing family photos, a box of teeth. As the days pass and the “gifts” become darker and darker, Jessica realizes that Lacey has a plan for her, and he never intends to let her go. But Jessica has a secret of her own...a secret that may just mean she has a chance to make it out alive.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

09/19/2016
Jessica Gold, the unreliable narrator of this exciting, chillingly complex psychological thriller from Cohen (First One Missing), is prone to blackouts and hears voices; even her own family calls her a misfit. Two days before Christmas, while loaded down with packages, Jessica stops at a coffee shop, where she meets a stranger, the charming, smiling, dimpled Dominic Lacey, who says she reminds him of his former wife. Recklessly, Jessica rides with Dominic to his apartment, located in an isolated area outside London. There he holds her captive, torturing her and making her sleep in a dog crate, with a so-called gift for each of the 12 days of Christmas. Jessica is sure her death will be the final present. Meanwhile, ambitious policewoman Kim Harper digs into Jessica’s disappearance, hoping the case will bring a promotion. A deliciously dark twist midway through turns the plot around while keeping the story believable. Cohen realistically shapes her self-centered characters, with Jessica perhaps the most emotionally well-balanced. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider/ICM Partners. (Nov.)

Midwest Book Review

"Tammy Cohen is a master of the suspense/thriller genre and her latest novel is a truly riveting read from beginning to end."

Bookreporter

"Intriguing, startling and frightening. One of those books that begs to be read twice to fully appreciate what has occurred. Cohen’s writing is so strong that even when one learns the truth, the indoctrination sewn throughout the narrative has set in so well that its aftereffects linger right up to the final page. Read it and enjoy. You’ll hesitate before you ever respond to a stranger again."

The Globe and Mail

"A downright chilling psychological suspense novel. Perfect holiday reading."

Library Journal

10/15/2016
On Christmas Eve, introverted archivist Jessica Gold does some last-minute shopping in London and meets charming Dominic Lacey. Dissatisfied with her life and longtime boyfriend Travis, Jessica accepts Dominic's invitation to go back to his place. It's a decision she quickly regrets as Dominic holds her captive for the 12 days of Christmas. When her family finally reports her missing, police officer Kim Harper investigates and suspects that she's not getting the full story. VERDICT The details of Jessica's imprisonment get a bit gruesome but are worth enduring for the story's satisfying twists and turns. Cohen's (When She Was Bad) holiday-tinged psychological thriller is perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940177203508
Publisher:	Dreamscape Media
Publication date:	12/10/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged

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