Goodreads Summary
Could your dream home be your worst nightmare?
After what happened in London, Kirsty needs a fresh start with her family.
And running a guesthouse in the Welsh mountains sounds idyllic.
But then their first guest arrives.
Selena is the last person Kirsty wants to see.
It’s 17 years since she tore everything apart.
Why has she chosen now to walk back into Kirsty’s life?
Is Selena running from something too?
Or is there an even darker reason for her visit?
Because Kirsty knows that once you invite trouble into your home, it can be murder getting rid of it . . .
Review
After a difficult 18 months married couple, Kirsty and Adrian, pack up their things and move to the Brecon Beacons in Wales to open their own bed and breakfast. Their daughters, Evie, 7, and Amelia, 11, have opposing views to the move – Evie being excited and Amelia being completely against it. Kirsty’s mother moves in with them to help financially and in the general runnings of the B&B.
All is seemingly going well until Kirsty’s mum, Carol, announces that Kirsty’s estranged cousin, Selena, is going to be staying. For more than 16 years, Kirsty had done everything to keep her lying, manipulative cousin away from the family. Everything begins to tumble out of place when more people from their pasts start to arrive at the B&B. There is trouble on the horizon.
This family is bursting with secrets that mount up as the book progresses. Some secrets are more horrifying than others. This book includes themes some readers may find distressing including domestic violence, infidelity, murder, marital problems, mental health issues, and parenting.
It took a little while to really get invested in the family’s story, but by the final quarter, I was hooked. The twists and turns were brilliant and increased the pace as the book went on. There are so many layers to this family and their story, and everyone has their own demons to contend with.
My main gripe with the book was the ending, I found the culprit of the crime to be a bit… far-fetched. The likelihood of the person being able to actually commit the crime seemed pretty unlikely to me. The explanation of how the murder happened added an extra sprinkle of suspense though, which I did really enjoy.
Having never read any of Clare Douglas’ books before, I was pleasantly surprised by how great this one was. It’s not necessarily an amazing thriller, but it is intense and does cause a few gasps along the way. It has a good plot, and it is a very enjoyable read.
I’d rate this 4/5 as I did feel it needed to be a little more suspenseful at times, and I also felt some character descriptions were lacking a little. I’d recommend this book to those who enjoy crime and psychological thrillers. I’m looking forward to reading more of Douglas’ books in the future.
Enjoy this review? Take a look at my others here.
