We’re experiencing scorching hot temperatures right now in Johannesburg, so reading this one made me long for a snowy winter getaway in a gorgeous setting. But after reading this one, I think I might settle for staying at home – these guests weren’t people I’d like to be snowed in with! Once again, Sue Watson has created a thriller that keeps you guessing and second-guessing right up until the end!
Blurb:
āPlease ā someone ā help us. Weāre at The Lodge, the snow is everywhere. Weāre trapped. There was an argument last nightā¦ things got out of hand. Someone went missing in the middle of the night. We think they might be deadā¦ā
Two days ago the Wilson family checked into the imposing, glass-fronted Lodge, surrounded by snow and perched perilously on the edge of a cliff looking out to a grey sea. Not everyone was looking forward to the family get-together. But mother-in-lawĀ AngelaĀ insisted the winter trip would help heal their riftsā¦
Danni:Ā The new wife who feels like an imposter. She doesnāt trust anyone ā even her husband. But is she trustworthy herself?
Fiona:Ā The ex-wife who feels that all eyes are on her. Sheās here for the sake of her children, but she fails to hide her seething jealousy towards her ex-husbandās new familyā¦
Angela:Ā The mother-in-law who canāt help but interfere. She planned the family holiday to get everyone together, but does she really want to keep the peace?
Scott:Ā The husband torn between his ex-wife and his new wife. He says he wants to do right by his family, but heās been telling lies to them all. Now his darkest secret is about to be revealed.
After a night of arguments, morning breaks with a single scream. Not everyone came to The Lodge to play happy families.Ā Someone came to get revengeā¦
My Review:
When the family matriarch calls everyone together for a weekend away to celebrate her 75th birthday, hinting that it might be her last, nobody feels that they can say no – well, especially not when she’s covering all the costs!
They gather on the edge of Cornwall in a gorgeous, but remote lodge, each one arriving as the weather gradually worsens. And eventually, all the players are assembled: Angela, her son (and only child), Scott, his first wife, Fiona, their teenage children, Sam and Georgia, and Scott’s second (current) wife Danni with their baby Olivia. There’s also Jenna, a surprise element invited by Angela as the chef for the weekend!
Almost as soon as everyone starts to settle in for their stay, tension already looming and nerves already starting to fray, they learn that there’s been a fatal, seemingly deliberate hit-and-run incident on the road leading to their lodge. The police are of the opinion that only one of them could have been driving the car that caused it. Unsurprisingly, every one of them claims complete ignorance of any such incident, which only increases their already heightened unease with each other.
The story unfolds in chapters that alternate between the voices of Fiona and Danni – the two ‘wives’. I loved the alternating points of view, as I started to wonder who was being more paranoid and hysterical. Nobody is who they appear to be at face value. Everyone is hiding something, and they all have hidden agendas. I kept wondering who was going to snap first, and then kept changing my mind! The volatile situation made everyone’s moods swing all over the place too. Ultimately though, I found the focal point to be the push-pull between Fiona and Danni. I thought that it would be Scott who was constantly causing friction between them, but strangely, I found it to be more Angela who worked as the catalyst here. It was almost like she wanted to be the Queen Bee in her son’s life, despite both his wife and ex-wife being there.
Watson has created a group of characters who aren’t exactly the most likeable. They might each have one or two redeeming features, but as a collective group, they’re a pretty grim lot, and as a family, their level of dysfunction is somewhere in the gutter!
As the hours march on, and they learn that the dire weather conditions will keep them confined to their quarters for longer than they’d anticipated, tempers start to flare … and then the unthinkable happens! It’s all twisty, dark and atmospheric – everything that a great locked-room thriller needs to be. I could literally feel the unease creeping up my back, and needed to get up and have a walk around at some points! It’s so, so good!
Thank you to Bookouture for another fabulous Books On Tour!
Author Bio:
Sue Watson was a journalist on national magazines and newspapers before becoming a TV producer with the BBC.
Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue explores the darker side of life, writing psychological thrillers with big twists.
Originally from Manchester, she now lives with her family in leafy Worcestershire where much of her day is spent writing ā and procrastinating. Her hobby is eating cake while watching diet and exercise programmes from the sofa, a skill sheās perfected after many years of practice.
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Purchase Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CGX6Z6QWsocial
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