Xmas Break
When Isla reluctantly accepts her estranged sister Clara's invitation to spend Christmas at a luxury mountain retreat, she expects awkward family tension - not a fight for survival. After years of silence following their mother's death, this holiday reunion seems too good to be true. And it is.
As a brutal snowstorm cuts them off from civilization, dark secrets begin to surface. With time running out and nowhere to run, two sisters must put aside years of mistrust to survive the night. But in a house full of lies, how do you know who to trust?
A pulse-pounding Christmas thriller that will make you think twice about accepting that family holiday invitation.
When Isla reluctantly accepts her estranged sister Clara's invitation to spend Christmas at a luxury mountain retreat, she expects awkward family tension - not a fight for survival. After years of silence following their mother's death, this holiday reunion seems too good to be true. And it is.
As a brutal snowstorm cuts them off from civilization, dark secrets begin to surface. With time running out and nowhere to run, two sisters must put aside years of mistrust to survive the night. But in a house full of lies, how do you know who to trust?
A pulse-pounding Christmas thriller that will make you think twice about accepting that family holiday invitation.
- Isla - Protagonist
- James - Isla's husband
- Clara - Isla's younger sister
- Greg - Clara's husband
- Lillian - Jame's aunt
- As soon as James and Isla arrive at the cabin Isla notices Clara and Greg acting strange.
- The power goes out so Greg and James go out into the snowstorm to try and fix it but James comes back alone saying he got separated from Greg.
- Clara and James go out to look for Greg while Isla stays behind.
- Greg finds his way back into the house with a bloody wound on his head and Isla tends to him while he goes in and out of consciousness.
- It is revealed that when Isla and Clara's mom died she left her money to Isla who gave it all to Clara hoping it would help her mature.
- Clara's shame over being seen as a charity case is what led her to push Isla away and lose contact.
- Clara returns from the storm saying James tried to kill her.
- Isla, Clara and Greg go hide and call 911.
- James breaks into the house and confronts the other three but Isla subdues him.
- James is enraged because he and Isla spent the last year caring for Lillian and when she died she left them no inheritance and in a lot of debt from caring for her.
- James was angry that Isla gave all her mother's money to Clara when it could have kept them out of debt.
- James says Greg slipped outside and Greg confirms it but James left him outside to die.
- After Greg fell James decided it would be easier to kill him and Clara than ask for a loan to help with their debts which was his original plan.
- Police arrive and arrest James
- Six months later: Greg is recovering very well, James is pleading guilty, and Clara, Isla and Greg get together on a regular basis.
A short, fast-paced thriller with a Christmas setting that keeps you turning pages. Isla and Clara’s reunion quickly turns dangerous, and the story does a great job of blending holiday vibes with suspense and family secrets. The twist was good and the way the story builds tension by reading only one chapter a day was a fun new spin on how to read a book!
- Isla - Alive - Divorced from Greg, happy to be reunited with Clara
- James - Alive - Presumed in prison for attempting to murder Clara and Greg
- Clara - Alive - Happy to be reunited with Isla
- Greg - Alive - Almost fully recovered from the brain injury he sustained from his fall
- Lillian - Dead - Died from a long illness, not specified
- Death
- Death of parent
- Violence
- Grief
Publisher: Little Fox Publishing
ISBN: 9781917398039
Publication Date: November 22, 2024
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.Contribute Your Spoils
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