In a quiet diner four strangers meet as the restaurant is closing, they decide to spend Christmas together, rather than alone. Ro, a struggling writer, invites the group back to her house and as their evening progresses, they pass the time telling ghost stories. Although they do not keep in close contact throughout the year, they plan to meet up for the following holiday, only to learn that a tragedy has befallen a member of their little group. Could the horrors from the stories they told be impacting their real lives?

A friend loaned this quirky, creepy book to me over the winter. The full title is the best, Lucky Girl: How I Became a Horror Writer. A Krampus Story. There is so much to unpack with the title and spoiler alert, Krampus does come into play. Oddly enough, I think the most unsettling part of the story was the beginning, when the strangers are meeting at the diner. The tone was immediately set for “something bad is going to happen.” I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be open to connecting with strangers or helping lonely people during the holidays, but this is an odd bunch.

If you like a little horror with your Christmas, M. Rickerts’s Lucky Girl is a great choice. It’s a tension filled, spine-chilling ride.