Out of work for months, Lussi Meyer is desperate to work anywhere in publishing. Prestigious Blackwood-Patterson isn’t the perfect fit, but a bizarre set of circumstances leads to her hire and a firm mandate: Lussi must find the next horror superstar to compete with Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Peter Straub. It’s the ’80s, after all, and horror is the hottest genre.
But as soon as she arrives, Lussi finds herself the target of her co-workers’ mean-spirited pranks. The hazing reaches its peak during the company’s annual Secret Santa gift exchange, when Lussi receives a demonic-looking object that she recognizes but doesn’t understand. Suddenly, her coworkers begin falling victim to a series of horrific accidents akin to a George Romero movie, and Lussi suspects that her gift is involved. With the help of her former author, the flamboyant Fabien Nightingale, Lussi must track down her anonymous Secret Santa and figure out the true meaning of the cursed object in her possession before it destroys the company – and her soul.
Secret Santa by Andrew Shaffer. Narrated by Andi Arndt. Published by Blackstone Publishing, 2021. Run time is 5 hours and 25 minutes.
This is a very fun, very evil little horror story. Extremely quick pace. Everything was said and done and over before you even knew it! The plot is a clever use of a secret Santa idea. What an EVIL gift! I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the carnage take place at the office. There was something very satisfying about it! 😀
Also, the cover is just GREAT! Draws you in, and makes you immediately think “What’s in the box? What’s in the BOX??” Spooky yet festive. The colors are amazing! It really puts you in the right mindset… you know exactly what you are in for! I had such a great time reading Secret Santa. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a holiday themed horror read.
Creature From The Book Lagoon 
Reblogged this on Buried Under Books and commented:
Ami, thank you for the heads up—this sounds like just the thing to fit my mood right now 😉