I Saw Mummy Killing Santa Claus

In this story Nick witnesses his mother having just murdered his father, on Christmas Eve, when he was just 8 years of age. Ever since, he has hated Christmas but then a friend gives him a challenge: to complete a Christmas activity every day in the lead up to Christmas in which each challenge is presented as a written instruction in 25 Advent envelopes to open on each day in the run-up to Christmas. I really enjoyed how the very first chapter brings you straight into the story with a dramatic beginning. Each of the 25 chapters can be read through days 1-25 of December which adds to the fun, and each is short and snappy keeping the pace. It’s perfect for someone who loves Christmas as well as thrillers, and I couldn’t wait to hear what would happen next. There are lots of emotional parts to this story but it is also heartwarming too. I really felt for Nick throughout the story and enjoyed hearing about his experiences leading up to Christmas. The story also makes you reflect on your own life and encourages you to do more and say ‘yes’ more often to new experiences.

I received this as an ARC from the author

This wasn't what I was expecting but I enjoyed it. It was dark and heartwarming at the same time. The twist was good and the ending was unexpected.

Nick Winter hates Christmas. He saw his mother killing Santa Claus when he was eight, and obviously now has an aversion to anything Christmassy.

His friend, John, decides enough is enough. He is a therapist and is determined that Nick will get over his intense hatred for the Season of Goodwill.

Jessica Huntley definitely did not disappoint with this short book. I would probably read her shopping list, she is that good.

(haha).

There is so much packed into this book, and I could relate to a lot of it as well.

I liked the gradual change in Nick's personality and there was just so much dark humour in the book, I feel it is a must read.

It is a 25 chapter book, a chapter for each day in December leading up to Christmas. However, I read it all in one go.

From Killjoy to Merrymaker. Nick's journey is heartwarming.

Loved the Novella.

5/5 stars from me.

☆☆☆ARC Review ☆☆☆

Release date 29th November

I Saw Mummy killing Santa Claus

by Jessica Huntley

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What an incredibly emotional festive rollercoaster by Jessica,

I was instantly hooked by this story of the traumatic event experienced 30 years earlier by Nick Winter, when he was 8 years old.

On Christmas Eve, he witnessed his mum kill Santa Claus and discovering it was his dad dressed up and then being forced to bury their secret.

From that fateful night, Nick had a complete and utterly hatred for Christmas and avoided anything to do with it, her detested December.

He gets annoyed by anyone wishing him a Merry Christmas and offering festive cheer, yelling at them to get lost.

Nick's best friend of over 20 years John a fully trained therapist his many offers to help over the years and has always been turned down, John has had enough of trying, and gives Nick a 25 day advent challenge for December of Christmas activities he has to complete.

Will Nick be able to complete the challenges of prove to John he is an hopeless case, or will he come dace to face with the truth of that traumatic night, and realise Christmas is a most joyous time of year.

I absolutely loved this book, it is a totally gripping story, if trauma, extremely emotional, at the same time it is so funny, Nick's retorts to people wishing him a Merry Christmas, had me bursting out laughing.

This truly is a must-read book, such a different kind of thriller, an amazing mixture of feelings, sadness, emotions, and hope.

I really enjoyed this Christmas novella. Highly recommend. I loved the fast pace of this book and the story was excellent.

If I could rate this higher than 5 stars I totally would!!!

~Jessica Huntley

Once upon a time, there was an eight-year-old boy named Nick who loved Christmas so much that he set up a video camera to catch Santa in the act. But on Christmas Eve, when downstairs there arose such a clatter, Nick crept down the steps to see what was the matter. And what to his wondering eyes should appear but Mummy dearest with a butcher knife, hacking away at Santa… who just happened to be Daddy. Oh dear.

So begins I Saw Mummy Killing Santa Claus by Jessica Huntley, an advent calendar of a novella with a knife hidden behind door number one. The next twenty-four doors deliver belly laughs, tissues, and the occasional mince pie you never asked for. It's dark, it's absurd, and it's sneakily sweet. Think of spiking the eggnog only to discover it tastes even better that way.

Fast-forward thirty years, and Nick Winter is now a postman in the small English town where it all happened. Heck, he even lives in the same house. Everyone knows his story, and they know that come December 1st, the safest way to greet Nick is to avoid saying Merry Christmas altogether. But this year, things are about to change, thanks to his two lifelong best friends, John and Bill.

John, a trained therapist, has enlisted Bill to help with a plan to change Nick's view of Christmas. His solution? A festive advent-style countdown beginning December 1st. Each day, Nick opens an envelope containing a Christmas-themed task to complete, ranging from buying a Christmas tree to singing carols around town. By December 25th, John hopes that a little festive exposure therapy will cure Nick's aversion to all things Christmas. But these tasks do more than drag a reluctant Grinch through the holiday season. Each one nudges Nick closer to the truth about the night his mother killed his father and, perhaps, toward the possibility of finally finding happiness.

Huntley makes one thing very clear right at the beginning of the book: there is cursing, and there is trauma. If you can't handle either, please step away from the book. That right there was the star on top of the tree for me. I barely opened the book before nearly falling out of my airplane seat laughing at that page.

So, if you're reading this, Ms. Jessica… BRA-FRACK-ING-V-O!!!! I would totally use the actual word, but then it would never make it past the review monitors, and, well, this deserves to be seen.

On we go.

Huntley spares no expense when it comes to this cast of Christmas characters. Nick is a Grinch with a very good reason, and it works. He's endured trauma that no eight-year-old should ever have to experience, much less carry into adulthood. His defense mechanism is sarcasm and humor sharp enough to carve the Christmas turkey. But beneath the wisecracks are the nightmares and that locked dining room door, constant reminders of why he built those walls in the first place. The real magic of his journey is watching those walls slowly come down as the advent tasks unfold.

John is warm, patient, and the kind of friend who keeps showing up long after most people would have given up. He cares enough to challenge Nick, even when Nick makes it abundantly clear that he wants no part of the festivities. Bill brings the cheeky banter, while Kim gives Nick room to soften without making him feel as though he's lost his edge. One of Huntley's greatest strengths here is creating a lovable grump without sanding away all his rough edges.

Huntley has structured this novella so you can read one chapter at a time, revealing the story just as you would open an advent calendar. Or, if you're anything like me, you'll sit down intending to read a chapter or two and end up devouring the entire thing in one sitting. Once those advent tasks begin, the pacing settles into a wonderfully addictive rhythm. There's the day, the task, and then the next day. Repeat. It's a repetitive routine, but in the best possible way. Before you know it, the book has you hooked and refuses to let go. Life, kids, meals… apparently, none of those are important anymore.

The atmosphere is cinematic. It feels like a dram-com-edy-stery? Is that a word? You've got flashbacks circling back like the Ghosts of Christmas Past, revealing just a little more each time until they finally yank the tablecloth out from beneath Christmas dinner and expose EVERYTHING! The cozy English town and nonstop holiday chaos pull you right into the festivities. From ice-skating jealousy to a singing winter miracle, there's plenty happening beneath the tinsel. And the shift from bah-humbug to bittersweet is entirely earned.

I Saw Mummy Killing Santa Claus by Jessica Huntley is absolutely worth the sleigh ride. It's funny, a little morbid, and far more heartwarming than you'd ever expect from a book with this title. If you love a grumpy MMC, dark humor, a little romance, and a holiday read with a twist tucked into its stocking, then put I Saw Mummy Killing Santa Claus by Jessica Huntley on your radar for its November 29, 2026 release.

I would like to thank InsideStory and author Jessica Huntley for allowing me to preview I Saw Mummy Killing Santa Claus. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition, Karen Brooks aka The Tx Lit Chic. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher for a fair and honest review of I Saw Mummy Killing Santa Claus.

I absolutely loved this one! “I Saw Mummy Killing Santa Claus” by Jessica Huntley is dark, twisted, sad, and absolutely hilarious! I laughed out loud and even shed a few tears. I loved the advent-style format, but there was no way I could stick to reading just one chapter a day. I was way too hooked and ended up reading the entire thing in one night! It was a fun, wild, and unexpectedly emotional Christmas read.

A Christmas Story with a Seriously Dark Twist!

Who knew Christmas cheer could come with this much trauma, dark humor, and murder?!

“I Saw Mummy Killing Santa Claus” by Jessica Huntley is a wonderfully twisted Christmas novella that balances laugh-out-loud moments with a surprisingly emotional storyline. Nick’s journey through 25 days of Christmas activities is equal parts entertaining, heartbreaking, and uncomfortable in the best way.

Underneath the Grinch-like attitude is a man carrying some seriously heavy childhood trauma, and watching him navigate the holiday season makes for a unique festive read. And that ending? I genuinely did NOT see that plot twist coming!

A perfect pick for readers who like their Christmas stories with a little darkness, a lot of humor, and absolutely no ordinary holiday magic.

Okay, so I was just going to read Nick’s first few days of his advent adventures, but once I started, I was hooked and ended up reading the entire thing!

Yes, Nick is a Scrooge. He hates Christmas, people, music, decorations, pretty much everything. And honestly, after suffering a horrible childhood tragedy, he feels he’s earned the right to be a Christmas hating grump.

But his best buddy John, who also happens to be a trained therapist, has just the plan to help Nick cope with the holiday season and maybe life in general . A 25-day countdown calendar, with each day a very specific task.

Let me tell you, this was a ride!

When I say this book did NOT take me where I thought it would, that is an understatement. Yes, I was expecting the laughs. I was expecting the gruesome. I mean, the mommy killed Santa!!

But what I wasn’t expecting was all the FEELS I experienced every single time Nick completed another task. With each passing task I was so proud of Nick and more invested.

Do I dare say my heart grew a little bigger with every page?

This was so fun, an unexpected mix of humor, horror, Christmas chaos, and heartfelt moments. 

This is a perfect read for your Christmas reading list!

Wow! I actually loved this book, what a great read for the lead up to Christmas time! You could read as an advent or all on one go, but either way it's fantastic! Full of mystery, emotion, suspense and wonder. Amazing!

This is my first time with Jessica Huntley’s book and I can say with confidence that this won’t be my last cause damn the way this book made me fall for it.