Dying for Christmas: A Novel

by Tammy Cohen

Overview

A novel full of twists, surprising turns, and suspense, Dying for Christmas is Tammy Cohen's most disturbing psychological thriller yet.

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 are 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681772851
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	11/22/2016
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	928,124
File size:	776 KB

About the Author

Tammy Cohen (who also writes as Tamar Cohen) is a freelance journalist writing for national magazines and newspapers. After a late start, she has now written seven novels - The Mistress's Revenge, The War of the Wives, Someone Else's Wedding, The Broken, Dying For Christmas, First One Missing, and When She Was Bad - all published by Doubleday/Black Swan. She is a member of the Killer Women crime writing collective and lives in North London with her partner and three (nearly) grown children, plus one very badly behaved dog.
Tammy Cohen (who also writes as Tamar Cohen) is the author of seven novels, including Dying for Christmas. She is a member of the Killer Women crime writing collective and lives in North London.

Editorial Reviews

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.)

Publishers Weekly

"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."

Bookreporter

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

Midwest Book Review

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

The Globe and Mail

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.

Library Journal