Having opened a hotel in a small village in Wales with her mother, Kirsty anticipates some challenges. Living and working under the same roof as her mother at the same time as raising her two daughters and trying desperately not to put any stress onto her husband, who has suffered from severe depression in the past, certainly isn’t easy. What she doesn’t anticipate, however, is the return of ghosts from the past and their guest-house becoming the scene of a murder.

Do Not Disturb is incredibly suspenseful. The twists and secrets are revealed very slowly throughout the story which, although frustrating because I spent much of the book unable to work out what was going on, definitely kept me interested. Claire Douglas’ writing is always skilful; she definitely knows how to write a psychological thriller.

The characters were a little problematic for me. Kirsty, Adrian, Kirsty’s mother and Selena were all pretty difficult to get along with. It made it hard to really support any characters, but at the same time it meant nobody was quite clearly innocent.

I especially enjoyed the reveal in this book. It was unexpected and entirely plausible. I was gripped throughout.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The focus of this very cloak and dagger book, Kirsty and husband Adrian have moved to the Welsh mountains to make real their dream of running a guest house with the support of Kirsty's mum Carol. Adrian has clearly had some mental health issues back in London with his stressful job as a lawyer finally taking its toll. The full extent of his problems are divulged gradually to the reader as the story unfolds.

There is a heavily claustrophobic feel to this novel, the location of the guesthouse nestled in among the mountains feels quite oppressive. Then as various members of the family turn up having been invited by Carol and not necessarily approved by Kirsty, things start becoming more and more sinister. Rumours of 'bad energy' and reports of an unpleasant history of the property only add to the atmosphere, then daughter Evie discovers a spooky china doll beneath the floorboards in her new bedroom.

The arrival of Kirsty's estranged cousin Selena and her daughter Ruby seems to trigger even more unsettling events which culminate in a tragic accident in the early hours of one morning. Everyone is under suspicion both by local police and between the various members of the household. Trust is not something readily on offer throughout the whole of the book.

This is one big onion of a psychological thriller with layer upon layer of secrets and lies just waiting to be peeled away in order to expose the truth. This book is a chilling exploration of how far people will go to protect themselves and one another, whether they are family or not.

This is a great read for a dark wintry evening, especially if you can dedicate the time to read it in good, hefty chunks as it really pulls you in to want to know who is responsible for the goings on behind the doors of the Old Rectory.

This review will be posted on my blog in December 2018 at www.sandiesbookshelves.blogspot.co.uk

I love listening to thrillers at work. A truly great one that hooks me can make the working day much easier. DO NOT DISTURB started off great, I wanted to know more. What happened between Kirsty and Selene? What is happening in the house? Is it haunted or is just someone playing pranks? Or is there something sinister going on?

I will say that the first part of the book is the best when so much is unknown. Gradually did I feel that that the story was easy to predict. Still, I found it enjoyable much thanks to the mysterious things that happened in the house, sleepwalking, things moved around, the dead flowers found in the morning etc. However, everything is pretty much predictable, especially one thing concerning Selene *spoilers, can't discuss it* that took Kirsty and the rest AGES to figure out. The ending. I felt that the author tried to chock the readers and yes I did not expect that, but was I shocked? No. Was it a good ending? Yes.

Audiobook verdict: Hannah Daniel worked fine with me. I would definitely listen to more books narrated by her.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, but I recommend if you have the option to read LOCAL GIRL MISSING by the author instead.

Kirsty and her family move back to Wales for a new start after life in London sours. They update a rundown building and open a guest house with her mother also moving in to assist. Open day finds several unexpected family members plus some rather odd guests too. No one tells the truth in this book and everyone is hiding something. It has to be said that Kirsty and her husband Adrian were annoying nearly the whole time and Ruby’s problems were entirely predictable. The story flows along at a nice pace, with suspense building and there were some lovely descriptions of Wales. All in all a pleasant read for people who enjoy a touch of mystery in their reading matter.

A superb thriller. Brilliantly written and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Would never of guessed the ending! A bit page turner.

Kristy has fulfilled her dreams to set up a guest house in an idyllic mountainside location. At first, I was envious. I mean, I have never thought about it but once I saw Kristy do it, even I wanted to have my own Guest House at the same location. However, I soon realized that this isn’t such a beautiful dream after all. Kristy and her family will be staying at the attic at the guest house. Is Kristy really going to let strangers stay at the same house with her little girls just nearby? What if one them turns out to be a psycho?

Turns out that there is more to be afraid of than just the strangers renting the guest house. First of all, an estranged cousin shows up. Secondly, the Welsh neighbors aren’t very welcoming to the new Londoners. And then, there is something about the house. The building has been standing empty for decades and there is a reason why.

The story has nice flow to it. I found myself getting lost in the Welsh mountains and the lives of Kristy and her family. With each new guest, I kept wondering what would go wrong. Of course, things do go wrong in thrillers so it was just a matter of time. When a major twist occurred, everything went haywire and I started suspecting everyone.

This was an entertaining read. There were sections that were a little slow especially in the middle. However, for the most part, I enjoyed reading this book.

Kirsty and Adrian have had some bad luck of late and decide on a fresh start away from London. They uproot their family to a small Welsh village near the Brecon Beacons, and along with Kirsty's mother start a new business venture to renovate and run a guest house. The village itself is pretty isolated and surrounded by mountains and valleys and some of the locals are far from friendly.
When they finally open for business, there are a few surprise (and unpaying) guests; including Kirsty's estranged cousin, Selena, who is escaping an abusive husband and her young daughter Ruby along with Kirsty's brother and wife. One of the first guests claims the house has a "bad energy", which isn't helping to settle Kirsty's young daughters. Then something terrible happens and we aren't sure if it was an accident or caused by someone, or if the house is haunted. At some stage the finger of blame seems to point towards each family member or guest, leaving you guessing right up until the end.

There is a kind of "Welsh noir" atmosphere in the writing, with a feeling of almost claustrophobic proportions.
Mist and cloudy grey skies full with rain, surrounded by looming mountains. The setting reminded me of a tv programme called Requiem, which was on tv last year and also set in an isolated Welsh village with supernatural elements.

The story is solid and does move along quite quickly, although I have to admit to guessing the twist. It's a fast paced book - particularly the latter half - and a good old "who done it". It's not my favourite book by Claire Douglas although it is still a good old page turner.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read this ARC, in return for an honest and unbiased review.

I really did enjoy this - A family drama with an element of mystery in there too. Its a good read for escapism that is fairly quick to read. A gentle type of book. I would have like some of the characters developing a little further though and it did feel like there were an awful lot of secrets that people were carrying around for years. (Do other people really have that many secrets??) A particular pet hate of mine that prevented it being a 5* was the children appearing so much younger than their ages are. 2 sisters would be killing each other frequently in sharing a room, no matter how nice they are. The 11 year old would be glued to her phone, not moping about leaving her friends and no self respecting 7yo would be watching Sofia the First.

OK, I’m a wimp! I’ve only got to circa 20% and I’ll have to stop reading until my daughter comes for her summer visit.... beautifully written, the fear and tension gathering in my heart and mind to too creepy when I live alone! Not a criticism (if anything a compliment) and I really want to know the rest of the story. I usually read in bed at night but when the postman knocked and i rose the height of myself, I thought ‘Enough!’ I was reading late morning in the sun. It’s an excellent book but I am a senior with a vivid imagination! I will finish it - just. not until I have someone staying with me! Top marks to the author!

Finally got to finish this book when I was not alone! Creeped me out! Held me in a state of agitation and eventually took me by surprise..... But I won’t tell you why!

This was a very easy read, with plenty of family secrets and red herrings to keep you interested. However, it was a bit predictable and I found the ending quite unsatisfying.

Do Not Disturb is a great thriller, fast paced, very dark at times, disturbing as hell, unsettling and full of twist and turns. This book has all the key ingredients of a great thriller. I loved the setting, a remote part of Wales. I love the idea of running a B&B somewhere like that. I was totally invested in the characters and their situation. Do Not Disturb lulled me into a false sense of security when Kirsty is reunited with the niece she hasn’t seen for years due to terrible secrets and decides to be adult and let bygones be bygones. But then other people start to turn up connected to her niece and things go a little mental. Do Not Disturb explores a range of topics including mental illness, murder and domestic violence. The last quarter of the book is when things really go mad. What a great book!

I enjoyed this book. I felt that it had a similar feel to an Agatha Christie story, a group of people brought together in a large house with a sinister overtone. The house in the Brecon Beacons has been bought by a young family with a view to setting up a guest house. The first "guests" are mostly family members with various issues and then of course disaster strikes.
I did feel that the book was a little bit formulaic, it almost felt that the author had been on a creative writing course and was using the points that had been set out to create an interesting story. However I did gallop through reading it and enjoyed it.
The lovely feeling of the house in the Welsh countryside was delightful and the village sounded lovely, full of character.
A good read, especially for Autumn cosy nights.

Parents Kirsty and Adrian make a life changing decision to move to Wales with their young daughters to run a guest house in a bid to escape their previous draining London lives.

However, Kirsty’s distanced cousin Selena turns up before they open to the public with her young daughter who has some serious health conditions looking for somewhere to stay after she leaves her husband.

What follows is a dark tale of murder, secrets and lies which threatens to ruin Kirsty and Adrian’s fresh start.

There were plenty of twists in this plot and which kept me reading right through. I did enjoy the finale and would love to read further books from Claire Douglas.

Kirsty, her husband and children move to Wales to start a fresh from the busyness of London. They open a guesthouse in a house previously abandoned. It starts with a death and then builds up to the events before and after. Who has died, is the house haunted, how do the different characters fit in. Brilliant from start to finish lots of sub plots all beautifully woven in. Even the ending leaves you thinking how would you respond.

Do not Disturb is a crime/psychological novel that takes a path through reasonably well-trodden territory, but manages to retain the reader's interest sufficiently to want to know the answer to the classic 'whodunnit' question. At times Ms Douglas seems to be happy to resort to an Agatha Christie style plot, throwing in potential suspects with seemingly reckless profligacy at some points in the book. Elsewhere she takes perhaps rather too many liberties with the reader's credulity, whilst relying too heavily sometimes on rather tired cliches Overall, however, it was a reasonably solid effort that I wanted to finish - always a good test!

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for an honest review. I have read other books by Claire Douglas and have always enjoyed them.

This book tells the story of Kirsty and her family who move to the Brecon beacons to start a bed and breakfast, they are from London although Kirsty and her mother are originally from Cardiff. In the days leading up the opening of the b & b Kirsty's cousin turns up out of the blue, the cousins lost touch when they where teenagers and haven't spoken since. The reader is not told straight away what happened but slowly told through the story. When a murder happened within the house the must find out who it is and many other secrets are revealed. There are lots of little story's going on within this book, mental health is touched on.

This book is well written and an enjoyable read, I found myself wanting to know more and more about the characters.
Great for fans of psychological thrillers.

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 seventeen 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 . . .

This had me gripped! I lost some sleep trying to get some answers, which is a really good sign! I didn't guess the outcome – which is also quite rare for recent suspense thrillers.
The idea of a home being responsible for horrible things happening to inhabitants over the years has been done before, but I always enjoy it. The fact that Kirsty has dreamed of running this guest house for years, just adds to the drama when things don't exactly go to plan. A major theme is what you are prepared to do for your family – a normally law abiding person can be driven to behave in unexpected ways when they are protecting their loved ones. This theme really added to the mood and the suspense. I will definitely read Claire Douglas again and I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good page-turner.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kirsty and Adrian move from London to the Brecon Beacons to open a guest house. But things go badly wrong as the first guests arrive. First it is the dead flowers, then a noose attached to the rafters and finally a death. The house has a history. The family have secrets. A deep psychological thriller reflected in the landscape.

I have to say how much I enjoyed this book, with its clever twists and turns, not knowing who to trust, with so many hidden depths and secrets hidden in one home!
Claire Douglas has managed to cleverly weave together an intricate web of secrets and deception, some of which have remained buried nearly 20 years.
The problem resurfaces when Kirsty and her family relocate to Wales to run a bed and breakfast, needing a fresh start after her husband’s illness. Upon moving in, her mum announces her cousin is coming to stay, even though they’ve not spoken since their teenage years. Obviously Kirsty is not pleased about this, although we aren’t aware for some time of the reason for their falling out.
There are also complications from the locals, who aren’t too pleased with an “outsider” moving into the house.

All said, without giving away any spoilers, this is a cleverly written tale which will keep you reading long into the night!

Massive thanks to NetGalley for this book.
My third book by Claire Douglas and with each of them the author writing gets better.
The whole story develops gradually around Kristy family: her husband Adrian, the daughters Amelia and Evie and Kristy’s mother. When their life in London goes the wrong way, they decide to relocate to her home village in Wales and run the guest house. Seems to be a simple and easy solution. Beautiful village in the picturesque Brecon Beacons, the good perspective of many incoming tourists. Seems like a perfect start to a new life. Until the moment the first guests arrive, including her long time ago best friend Selena with her daughter Ruby. Strange things happen in the house including the death of one of the guests. The question is: was it an accident or a murder?
How much should we reveal about our past? Was everything that happened in our past true? Do we really know our family and friends? Whom should we trust before we let them into our lives?
All that is slowly peeled out in the story. Sometimes I didn’t know who is less and more likeable character in the book. It was never obvious, changing from one chapter to another. Until the climax and unexpected end. First I didn’t like how the author ended the book. But on the other hand why not? Are we so sure of everything that happens in our life? Is there only one good reply to our doubts?
I know my review does not show much about each of Kristy’s family (I don’t want to go into spoilers) but I think the whole story was to show us that our life is like “onion”: full of secrets we keep, sometimes lies and manipulations and it is up to us how much we want to reveal. How much we want to live close to the truth.