The Gift

A first Christmas together should feel like magic, but for the young wife at the centre of Freida McFadden's festive short story, it feels like a reckoning. She works two jobs and still cannot afford a present for her husband, and the season meant to be a celebration becomes a daily reminder of everything she lacks. The question that drives the story is a simple, unsettling one: what would she give up for the perfect gift?

From the bestselling author of The Housemaid, this is a compact psychological thriller with a seasonal chill, built to be read in a single sitting on a dark December evening. It suits anyone who likes their Christmas stories with a sharp edge.