Neve is a bit of a flaky character. Sleeping in her sister's spare room after breaking up with her boyfriend, she is barely managing. Her work is basic, her lack of money is a problem, as is her drinking. She needs to grow up and take responsiblity instead of acting like a teenager. One night walking home along Waterloo Bridge a woman she talks to briefly jumps off the bridge in front of her. This leaves Neve in shock but she becomes more shocked when she discovers this woman has left her a cottage.

Neve irritated me. She really needed to grow up and get a hold on her life. She behaves very irresponsibly and is very childish, forever expecting other people to bail her out. I never really took to her. I did feel that the supporting cast, however, were well written. Neve's sister is a good sister, forever bailing her out but obviously coming to the end of her tether. The people she meets who live near the cottage are all very plausible and nice. It did take a while to work out who wasn't quite what they seemed.

The actual plot of this book is sound. Why did Isabelle throw herself off the bridge? What is going on in the cottage? There are plenty of questions for the reader to get their teeth into. I have to say that some twists towards the end weren't exactly what I had been expecting which was nice.

This is a well written book. I wouldn't have said that this was a psychological thriller as I didn't feel a read build up of suspense. However, it was an excellent mystery with some tension & a sound plot. It is a shame that I couldn't feel for Neve at all. Had I felt a glimmer of compassion for her it would have involved me a little bit more and maybe I would have felt more suspense.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Excellent book - Great characters and plot. I would highly recommend this book.

Late one night Neve comes across a troubled young woman called Isabelle on Waterloo Bridge.Isabelle forces a package into Neve`s hands before jumping to her death in the icy Thames below.

Two weeks later,Neve`s wreck of a life in London is collapsing around her when she receives a unexpected lifeline - a charming cottage in Cornwall has been left to her by Isabelle.Neve sees this as the solution to all her problems.

But when Neve arrives,alone in the dark woods late one night,she finds a sinister looking bungalow with bars across the Windows.And her dream home quickly becomes her worst nightmare - a house hiding a twisted secret that will change her life forever.

The story is almost entirely narrated by Neve,who for about half of the book isn't the most likeable of characters and it is fascinating to witness the changes in her character as the story unfolds.Interspersed throughout the story are italicized chapters that are voiced by Isabelle,these where my favourite parts of the story.I felt they had more mystery and intrigue that Neve`s parts.I really loved the descriptions of the creepy cottage in the dark woods,situated in the middle of the Cornish countryside miles from civilization.It was easy to understand how living in isolation after being used to the hustle and bustle of life in London plus the other mysterious events could cause Neve to fear for her life just like Isabelle had.

The story was intreguing at times and did have a couple of unexpected twists towards the end but I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would.There was long spells in the book where nothing actually happened,even when Neve got to the cottage there was just lots of pages about Neve meeting various people.It was far too obvious that one person was not as nice or trustworthy as they pretended to be and the final reveal and the reasons behind all the events where a bit anti climatic.

I loved The Woman Next Door but I was a bit disappointed with this book which is a shame but it won't stop me reading more books by this author in the future.

Having read Cass Green's previous novel, the excellent "The Woman Next Door", I was excited to receive this review copy of "In A Cottage In A Wood".
This is a compelling psychological thriller which I found difficult to put down.
Neve's life is not great: both her parents have died, she has a dead end job, she is an unwelcome guest in her sister's home and she has split up with her boyfriend. One evening, en route home she comes across a woman on a bridge in London. Her name is Isabelle and she appears suicidal. Neve does her best to try and save her but to no avail and it is only later that she discovers Isabelle has left her a cottage in a bizarre sort of oral codicil to her will.
Keen to start a new life Neve decides to move into the cottage which is located in Cornwall in an isolated location. However things do not go as planned and Neve fears that someone is stalking her and breaking into the cottage. She finds a dead bird in the sink, and her radio switches on and off without her knowledge. She wonders if she is going mad in the same way as Isabelle who was so scared she put bars on the windows to keep out intruders.
Resolving to find out what is happening, Neve starts to look into Isabelle's life and things will never be the same again for her.
I really enjoyed this book, particularly the way the author built up the tension as the story progressed. Telling the story from Neve's point of view ensured that the reader felt empathy for her although she did not seem a very likeable character at the beginning. She behaves in a reckless and selfish way, treating her sister's home like a hotel and cheating on her boyfriend. She seems to be on a path to self destruction. As the novel progresses she becomes much more likeable and the reader feels sorry for her as events unfold at the cottage.
The opening sequence where Neve encounters Isabelle is well written and really sucks the reader in- I was keen to carry on reading to find out what was going to happen next.
This is a fabulous five star read, thoroughly recommended by me. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Five brilliant stars!

I loved The Woman Next Door so the moment I knew there was a new thriller by Cass Green coming I wanted to read it. And I was not disappointed; this novel is excellent.
It has the right amount of seclusion that can guarantee some creepiness but still sound believable. It has good characters, an intriguing mystery and a wonderful protagonist. Neve reminded me so much of one of Sophie Kinsella's main characters--which is a huge compliment for me since Kinsella is one of my all time favorite authors.

Safe to say now that Cass Green is on my go to list of authors--I'll read anything she comes up with next, for sure.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Never comes across a troubled woman on Waterloo Bridge. Her name is Isabelle. She pushes a parcel into Neves hands then jumps to her death into the Thames below. A few weeks later she learns that Isabelle, ( the woman on the bridge), has left her a cottage in Cornwall. Is this a solution to all of Neeve's problems?

Mysterious events keep happening to Neve. The pace is quite slow at times, with little incidents happening throughout. We have to wait until nearly the end for the twists to occur and I admit I never saw them coming. I had a different sinarios playing out for the ending. There are parts that are quite creepy. The ending was rushed and it was a bit disappointing as well.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author Cass Green for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic! It gripped me from the very first page and whilst I was compelled to keep turning the pages I didn't want it to end! It was intriguing, bewitching and captivating and the characters were well rounded and the story line very enjoyable!

I enjoyed this book, the story was original and engaging and the pace was just right. Although I would categorise it as crime fiction it was also very much about the people and the characters and I enjoyed this depth to the story. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys crime/drama books as a gripping easy read.

This is an interesting book, in which Neve is left a cottage in Cornwall from a woman she meets 10 minutes before she commits suicide right in front of her.

The bequest comes at exactly the right moment in Neve's life. She has broken up with her boyfriend, her friends are all settled and having children, her job is going no-where and she decides on a whim to walk out, she has no-where to live and cannot afford to rent in London. She decides to retreat to the country, lick her wounds and start afresh.

However, the cottage is not all that she imagined and there are some dark secrets to uncover. The tone of the book is creepy and the sense of unease that Neve feels is palpable. The dark and damp atmosphere of the cottage was really well described, and Neve's fear when the lights go out quite infectious. I did start to get an inkling of who or what was behind the disturbances mid way through the book, but this didn't matter really, as there are further secrets waiting to be unveiled and the character development of Neve was equally as important as the plot.

I did enjoy the book (with a hefty amount of suspended disbelief), but there is something holding me back from awarding it a higher star rating. I felt at a slight remove throughout the book, and couldn't really immerse myself in it as much as I would have liked. I suspect that this is down to the writing style, which I found a little erratic at times. I would be interested to see how the author develops in subsequent books though.

Thanks go to the publishers HarperCollins UK and net galley for the arc in return for an honest review.

Neve inherits a cottage in the woods after randomly meeting a stranger at the side of the Thames just before she commits suicide. Neve's life isn't going very well at the moment so she decides to go to the cottage to see what it's like, perhaps she can sell it and make some money. Neve realises that Isabelle, the lady who gifted her the cottage was a troubled lady, but why. I thought the book was going to be a little slow to begin with but it gripped me quickly and had a twist that I really wasn't expecting. A great read.

Loved the cover of this book. New I had to find out more. The description sounded great. Started the book and i have to say i was hooked from the word go. It was a fab book. Neve is not lucky in her life, but when she comes across a young woman commiting suicide in front of her her luck begins to change. The young woman leaves her home to neve. Finally having something of her own she moves to the middle of nowhere. But nothing is as it seems.

The end was slightly disappointing. But not enough to lose a star. It was a great read and I enjoyed it so much.

Perhaps a bit of a harsh score? I struggled to get in to the book to begin with and didn't like the main character at all.
The book was on its way to 2/3 stars until the awful "twist" - she was being pursued by her neighbour's who wanted to buy the land her house sat on?! Wow, massive drama. Not. It was just a bit silly and laughable, thankfully I was only a few pages before the end before this book was over.
Don't get me wrong the other twist was somewhat interesting but I was at the point where I really didn't care. Sorry!

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

London, December 21st, 2016. Neve Cary has woken up in an hotel after having a one-night stand with ‘whatsisname’. She tries to sneak out without him knowing, but he wakes up, then checks his wallet to make sure she is not stealing from him. Neve, feeling angry that he could actually believe that she would do that, leaves the room and walks out of the hotel into the cold December air. As she gets to Waterloo bridge, she spots a woman standing all alone on the bridge. The woman has no coat on and appears to be rather distressed. Neve, though very reluctantly, takes pity on the woman, asks her if she is ok and explains where the stop is for the night bus. Neve asks the woman if she can phone her friend or someone. The woman thanks her for being so kind and asks Neve her name and says that her name is Isabelle. Isabelle passes Neve a small brown envelope, then jumps into the Thames river. Neve is shocked and phones the emergency services, who search for Isabelle, but cannot find her. After answering the police’s questions and giving them her details, Neve continues walking home.

Neve’s life is currently in turmoil. She is broke, she’s split with her boyfriend Daniel and is currently staying with her sister Lou and Steve, her brother in law. Steve is reluctantly tolerating her staying with them and keeps asking her if she has found somewhere to live.

A couple of months pass, then Laura Meade contacts Neve to say that Isabelle Aster Shawcross, has left Neve her cottage in Cornwall. Laura explains about the ‘donatio mortis causa’ clause in Isabelle’s will. After some deliberation, Neve quits her job, collects her belongings from Lou’s house, then catches the bus to Cornwall. She’s going to the cottage to try and sort her life out.

By the time the bus arrives at Truro is it late evening and gets a taxi to take her to the cottage in the village of Cador. She cannot really afford to spend £30 on a taxi, but has no alternative. The cottage turns out to be in the middle of nowhere. She her phone light to unlock the 4 locks on the door in the given sequence, and eventually manages to open the door. Once inside Neve switches on the light only to find that the cottage is filthy and sees that there is a dead magpie in the kitchen sink ugh. She cleans the sink, disposes of the putrid contents of the bin, whilst mumbling to herself that this was probably a bad idea coming here.

The cottage is freezing cold. Neve notices an A4 file containing ‘ESSENTIAL INSTRUCTIONS’. In it, Neve finds the instructions on how to light the ancient boiler. The radiators are now slowly warming up. Neve realises that she is hungry and goes in search of food. All she can find is a tin of tomatoes, some pasta, some peanut butter and manages to make herself a cup of very sweet black coffee. She eats the meagre meal and being so tired falls asleep in the chair.

Suddenly she awakes, finds the cottage is in darkness and realises that there is someone else in the room. Standing up to investigate, Neve grabs her empty coffee cup for protection, when something brushes past her leg – she realises it’s a cat!

Wishing that she had read all the instructions in the file, using her phone’s light she quickly flicks through them and finds that the electric is via a pay as you go meter. Neve manages to find matches and t.lights in the kitchen. After lighting some, she snuggles back into the chair and falls asleep.

The following morning, Neve begins to look around. She notices that there are metal bars at all the windows making the place look like a fortress, very strange indeed. Deciding that she needs to find a shop, Neve puts on her coat and boots and goes outside, making sure to lock all the locks. As she walks up the path, she glances back towards the cottage and notices that it is a very ugly 1950s building, not her idea of what an idyllic cottage in the country looks like at all.

Neve walks up to the main road and decides to walk in the opposite direction to the way she travelled last night in the taxi. She walks for miles, but still hasn’t found a shop and it’s now raining. She curses Isabelle Shawcross for leaving her the horrible ugly cottage in the middle of nowhere. Neve hears a car approaching and tucks herself into the side of the road for safety. The car stops and a woman pops her head out of the window to say hello. She introduces herself as Sally Gardner. They talk a while and then Sally offers to take Neve to the supermarket, and invites her to dinner that evening. Neve now feels more optimistic about the cottage.

Back from the supermarket, Neve makes herself something to eat. She then decides to have a look around outside. but finds that her coat is still soaked. Neve decides to wear Isabelle’s waxed jacket that was hanging by the door, goes outside and senses that someone is watching her. Shivering she puts her hands into the pockets and finds a piece of paper. On it is written:

Ring plumber
HMP LL 14/07/16
PBH date TBC

Suddenly sensing someone there, she sees a car parked in the lane. Neve rushes to the gate to find a man in his 60s. He mutters something out loud. Neve asks him what he wants, but instead of answering he rushes to his car and drives off.

Noticing the time, Neve gets herself ready for dinner. Sally said she would pick Neve up, but instead Sally’s husband Will, comes instead. He asks if he can use the bathroom before they leave. It turns out that The Spinney, Sally and Will’s home is only a couple of minutes away, and slightly further on is Richard Shawcross’s home, the brother of Isabelle. During dinner Neve meets Matty, Sally and Will’s son. She finds him rather strange. He asks her if they have met before and Neve says no. After a lovely dinner and hearing more details about Isabelle, Will walks Neve back to her cottage. She starts to unlock all the 4 locks, but finds that only one is locked – strange, she could have sworn that she locked all 4. Once inside the cottage, she decides that tonight she will sleep in the bed. She gets clean bedding from out of the wardrobe. As she is stripping the bed, a knife falls onto the floor and wonders what Isabelle was so afraid of. Neve gets into bed, then hears a tap tap tap, but the noise soon stops and she falls asleep.

Strange mysterious events keep happening. Neve has no alternative but to spend money that she can ill afford and her funds deplete. She gradually gathers information together bit by bit, by searching and talking to people. Isabelle’s life is starting to sound rather sinister. Neve wonders if she will be safe if she continues to stay in the cottage, after all Isabelle did not think she was. Can she solve the puzzle and stay safe?

This is a great novel by Cass Green and I really enjoyed reading it. Green describes all the characters very well. Neve, is rather a selfish woman who tends to have a me me me attitude, never grateful for what she has in life and expects others to be at her beck and call. As the story progresses, Neve starts to evolve into a much nicer person. I will read more of Cass Green.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Harper Collins and Cass Green for the advanced digital copy in return for the above review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers, Harper Fiction for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Neve’s life is not good at the moment – she’s split up from her boyfriend, she has nowhere to live and is sleeping in her sister’s spare room, she has no money and she hates her job! She wakes up one night in a dingy hotel room next to the sleazy bloke she picked up earlier in the night. After creeping out of the room in the early hours, she makes her way home. On the way, as she’s crossing Waterloo Bridge, she sees a woman, Isabelle, standing looking into the water. Neve, despite just wanting to get home, asks the woman if she’s okay. Isabelle pushes an envelope into Neve’s hands and then jumps to her death.

Some weeks later, Neve gets a call from a solicitor. Isabelle has left Neve her cottage in Cornwall, and as the solicitor explains was left by a special type of bequest known as ‘donatio mortis causa’ – a deathbed gift. Neve decides she has nothing to lose by going to Cornwall and seeing this cottage with a view to selling it. When she arrives there, in the middle of the night, she finds a creepy little cottage with bars on the windows, no electric and a dead magpie in the kitchen. She finds strange things happening such as doors unlocking, the radio being left on and the feeling of being watched and finds out that this was also happening to Isabelle. Neve decides to stay and try and work out what had happened to Isabelle and why?

This was a great book! I have read the author’s previous book, but found this one so much better! The story began straight into the action with Neve coming across Isabelle on the bridge, and then carried on building up the suspense right through the book. I didn’t initially find Neve a very nice person, not taking any responsibility for her own life and ruining other peoples around her while she was at it. Half way through the book you could feel that Neve was changing. She was beginning to lose the attitude that she had and she began to become a person who could truly believe in herself. I’ll give the woman guts, because I know I wouldn’t have stayed one night in that cottage!!

The book was full of suspense and was genuinely creepy, almost to the point that you had to put it down for a few minutes just to compose yourself – the whole doors unlocking and radios being turned on was seriously nerve-wracking! I finished this book in less than a day, and I was literally on the edge of my seat for the whole time! The story was strong all the way through, and the twist at the edge was unexpected – I honestly didn’t see that coming!

If you love your psychological thrillers, then you will love this book! A great read! Five stars!

I really enjoyed Cass Green's first book The Woman Next Door and this second book In a Cottage, in a Wood doesn't fail to disappoint. Neve inherits a remote cottage in Cornwall from Isabelle who she has only ever met once. Neve has no idea why Isabelle has chosen her and sets out to find out why,
There are creepy goings on at the cottage once Neve moves in, someone wants her out and so there are several suspicious characters which keep you guessing as to whom and why. I definitely didn't see the twists coming! A gripping psychological thriller.

This is a cleverly written and engaging psychological thriller which at times I found unable to put down. The author Cass Green pulls off a very effective narrative trick with the first part of the book. She skilfully takes the time to set the scene for our protagonist, Neve Carey, to find herself willingly installed all on her own in a creepy cottage in Cornwall, which she has inherited from its owner in a bizarre turn of events. This pays off because not only is the story still interesting at that stage, without the build up you’d have to wonder why anyone would stay for five minutes in such a place as the cottage in the woods. That said, the book suffers a little from what I have come to think of as Unlikable Character Syndrome. We get to know Neve a little and we get to understand her motivations and behaviours but it doesn’t make her less whiney or sympathetic. At times it was quite hard to care too much about what happened to her as she flounders from one bad decision to the next.

I have also say despite what is a largely riveting read, I did find the ending to be quite rushed and it felt like things were wound up way too neatly. All the reveals seemed to come in one big clump and it fell a bit flat for me at the conclusion. But, on the whole a very entertaining effort and I recommend it.

One of my favourite books I have read recently. I enjoyed the mystery of the story including the snippets from Izzy. I did guess that they were sisters but that didnt detract from the enjoyment. My only slight niggle was that I didn't think Izzy would have committed suicide in front of her sister but I don't think it is a significant issue.