The Christmas Getaway
A romantic Christmas getaway turns into a frozen nightmare when Laura uncovers a dark secret about her surgeon boyfriend. Trapped by the snow in a remote cabin, she must uncover the truth before the holiday ends in disaster.
- Laura - Bruno’s girlfriend
- Bruno Mancini - Laura’s boyfriend
- Mrs. Maria Piccardi - Mancini family housekeeper
- Tommy - Laura’s little brother
- Laura and Bruno go to his family’s cabin to celebrate Christmas.
- Bruno’s father died a few years ago.
- Laura goes creeping around the house and runs into Maria who thinks Laura looks familiar.
- Before Maria leaves she gives Laura her phone number.
- Laura finds a nutcracker outside with some red staining on it and brings it in the house.
- Laura shows Bruno the nutcracker. The sight of the nutcracker makes Bruno uneasy and he tosses it into the fireplace when Laura isn’t looking.
- Laura goes snooping in Bruno’s parent’s bedroom and finds a police letter indicating a cover up of a crime, orchestrated by Bruno’s father.
- Bruno and Laura start decorating the Christmas tree and Laura places a star she brought from home as the topper.
- Laura finds a picture of Bruno as a twelve year old holding the nutcracker and standing with a younger boy in the backyard of the cabin.
- Bruno says the younger boy is just some neighborhood kid and quickly changes the subject.
- After dinner Laura gives Bruno his present; it’s more pictures of the boy from the photo, his name is Tommy.
- Tommy was Laura’s little brother who went missing.
- Laura’s tree topper has a recording device in it that has been live streaming.
- Laura had been targeting Bruno from the start because she knew Tommy had been at Bruno’s house before he vanished.
- Bruno tells Laura what happened; Tommy wandered over to Bruno’s yard and the boys built a snowman together. Then Tommy found the nutcracker and wouldn’t give it back. When Bruno pulled on the nutcracker to take it back Tommy fell backward and hit his head on a rock.
- Bruno ran to his father but when they checked on Tommy he was already dead.
- Bruno’s father put Tommy’s body in the well in their backyard. He covered up the crime to protect the family’s reputation and swore Bruno to secrecy.
- Police arrive and arrest Bruno.
- Maria had recognized Laura from seeing her family on TV after Tommy went missing. Maria kept the nutcracker and the Mancini’s family secret all these years because Bruno’s mother threatened her to keep her quiet.
- Maria is the one who placed the bloody nutcracker in the yard to help Laura find the truth.
If you're looking for a quick holiday thrill, The Christmas Getaway by Flavia Labre is a great choice. This suspense novella wastes no time establishing tension between the main characters, Laura and Bruno. It kept me guessing whether one—or both—of them are hiding sinister intentions behind their romantic winter escape.
The suspense pays off with an interesting big reveal that feels earned rather than rushed. The story delivers with a satisfying conclusion that feels just right. It’s a great pick if you want a fast-paced mystery to cleanse your palate between heavier reads.
- Laura - Alive - At peace now that she knows the truth about what happened to Tommy
- Bruno - Alive - Arrested for his part in Tommy’s death
- Tommy - Dead - Hit his head on a rock, disposed of in a well by Bruno’s father
- Child death
Publisher: Independently Published
ASIN: B0DPCN1ZDC
Publication Date: November 30, 2024
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
