Thanks to Net Galley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
I thought this was going to be a psychological thriller - I am not at all sure that it fits in that category.
A family of 3 and their dog are staying in a very isolated lodge, which is fenced off and has electronic gates to enter or leave the grounds. They are being hounded by two men, dressed in white crime scene white overalls, who are constantly referred to as the small man and the big man which I found really irritating. The chase and dramatic events of one night went on and on and on and round and round in circles, I found it all totally unbelievable.
At the start of the book we learn that the couple had lost their teenage son in a car accident, which had torn them and their daughter apart, I kept reading as I wanted to know what caused the accident and the death of their son and his girlfriend.
The book jumped between the present and the accident, but bizarrely the accident story was told from the accident and worked back to how the young people happened to be in the car in the first place - so it was hard to follow.
I didn’t enjoy this book, but if you enjoy an action packed tale the this one may be for you.
2.5 stars

This book is a masterpiece of tension. One of those books with constant cliffhangers and the ever-present and growing sense of lurking danger. I devoured it. If I'm honest, the twists and turns slightly detracted from the characterisation - the pleasure of a getting to know a character is diminished by constant 'reveals' - but that's a weakness of most thrillers. And that's what this is. And as thriller go, I cared far more about the personages than I normally would. A thoroughly enjoyable, page turning story, well written and engaging.

Wow just wow. This book is full of action.
A fast paced book that moves at the speed of a train.

Toms family have been through a lot so when his boss offers him a chance to get away for a week to his remote Scottish lodge the family just at the chance. Set on the coast of the Scottish highlands is the most beautiful lodge the family have seen with spa and cinema they can’t wait to settle in and relax. But in the first night there is a break in and all is not what it seems.

I'm almost too emotionally exhausted to write this review! I feel like I have lived through every tumultuous, torturous second along with the family at the centre of this story! It was almost in real time as the action takes place over one long , tormented, terrifying night and I, in turn, had to stay awake to read until the finish ,in the exhausted dawn! The family at the heart of the drama have lost their sixteen year old son in what was written off as a joy riding incident. However his mum cannot accept this version of events and sets out to prove his innocence. This investigation sets in train a horrific series of events culminating in the night of terror as they stay at a remote Scottish lodge lent to them by Tom's boss and family friend, Lionel. However, nothing is as it seems. It's hard to say much more without spoiling the story . Suffice to say you will be gripped to the very last word and will need a good rest afterwards ( if you can manage to sleep without listening for the sound of glass breaking!)

Unfortunately this book was not for me. It moved so slowly I found it didn't hold my attention for very long. I also found it very hard to want to pick it back up when I left it down. I expected from the blurb a thrill read of a home invasion. However, the first part of the book put me off as it was like the lead character's rambling thoughts and reminiscences in a diary or journal, there was no story set up even at that point.

Thank you for the opportunity in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unlike some books that slowly edge you into the story, this book starts right in the action (not in the intrusion). Right where you want it to start. In fact, there is no 'slow' part to this book. The amount of times I changed my favourite character throughout is ridiculous because the plot never once stuck on a straight path. There were always little secrets and little puzzle pieces being thrown at you constantly.

I would say that the blurb does throw you off slightly as to the main story. Yes, a window does break and there are intruders in the house, but they are staying in a luxurious lodge in the middle of the Scottish wilderness rather than their actual house so it's clear from the start that the intrusion isn't random and this also makes it harder for them to escape and find help. Tom and Rachel's son had died in a car accident, their daughter was badly hit during a mugging, Rachel is keeping secrets from Tom that are slowly uncovered through the book. So, in a way, I think the blurb doesn't do the book justice. I would have actually been more drawn to the book if the blurb was more on point.

One major thing I have to applaud this author for is his showing of body language throughout. I struggle on the best of days to find ten different ways to show the same emotion throughout one book, yet this author has had to find A LOT of different ways to portay fear. And they have done it amazingly well.

I never like saying I don't like a book and if I was reviewing a book I'd paid for i'd probably not leave a review, but that's not how netgalley works, so I have to be honest and say I didn't enjoy it, the plot premise is ok but it just dragged on, I know most of it is on a real time frame ideal but instead of being suspenceful I just found it painful, in fact at one point I jumped one big chunk of it and the plot had barely moved, and the only character I was even remotely worried about was the pet dog. Says alot.

A slow start to this book, and it was a little jarring to begin with, but when it picked up pace boy did it get going with a bang! I ended up unable to put the book back down and finished it in the early hours.
Suspenseful and tense, my heart was in my throat a few times.
Don't let the slow start put you off. I'm glad I didn't

I was so excited to read this book after reading the Burb it seemed just the type of action packed thriller I would enjoy.

Tom Sullivan and Rachel his wife are grieving after their teenage son died in a car accident. They both react to the accident differently, Micheal cannot get past the fact Micheal was driving his car without permission and the resulting deaths of both himself and his girlfriend make him question all he thought he knew about his son. Rachel believes there is more to the story than meets the eye and can’t understand Michaels reaction. With tensions mounting between the pair, they decide to escape to their friends remote Scottish lodge with their daughter Holly in an attempt to reconnect.

On their first night terror erupts with the sound of breaking glass and intruders who seem intent on harming them all. Their flight from the intruders is terrifying and the consequences that follow are frightening.

I initially found the storyline difficult to connect with. The chase involving the intruders to my mind seemed a bit laboured but half way through the book I was hooked and was page turning to find out the surprising answers which unfolded.

This book was action packed and fantastically written. I urge readers to keep going as if I had initially given up on the story I would have missed a great read. The ending for me was suburb. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this rollercoaster book.

I found this book confusing as it did not separate the now with the past in the chapters also I found it unbelievable which is a shame as I was look forward to reading this book. The characters did not gel with me so I felt I was rushing through the book.

Loved the blurb and premise and loved the book even more!!! Absolute cracker of a read that had me guessing and turning pages throughout, a seriously good read from the author. Had me up half the night, was pretty scary in places and I left the big light on haha

Don't be fooled by the slow start to this great thriller. It was really unpredictable and hard to work out what was going to happen - exactly the sort of read I love! Short summary is that a family who are grieving the loss of their son. They are staying in a remote lodge, when they are attacked. Fast paced and action packed. I read it in one sitting.

A fast paced thriller focusing on a family who go on holiday to a remote lodge after their daughter has an accident . But someone is out to get them and so begins a game of cat and mouse . A bit far fetched at time’s but still had me gripped wanting to know who was behind the terror . 3.5 stars rounded to 4

I received an ARC copy of this book via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Tom and Rachel are mourning the loss of their son, Michael, in an accident when their daughter is attacked in what appears to be a senseless attack. Tom's boss suggests a break away from it all and the family travel to a remote Scottish lodge. There is however many more layers to this tale which twists and tuns over events on that first night away. These are interspersed with flashbacks to Michael's accident.

The narrative is pacy and always holds an element of tension. I struggled at first with the flashbacks which are not separated by chapters or fully delineated in the storyline but this does work in the overall telling of the narrative. It wasn't difficult to guess at least part of the solution but it had many more layers than i thought.

I felt the whole really made the characters work and suggest it would make a good TV drama

Wow! What can I say? This was a real page turner... exciting, scary, violent, with a good ending. Had trouble putting it down to go to sleep! The story of a family broken by the death of their son/brother and an experience that brings them together but nearly kills them. Wasn’t sure how realistic the plot was and it was a bit confusing at the beginning with the story of Michael coming in pieces through the story but all became clear in the end. Loved it.

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I read the blurb for this book but it wasn't what I thought. When you take your family to a remote lodge away from everything to repair your family after a loss, you don't expect to wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of a window breaking.
When you see men in white suits with plenty of equipment to clean up after themselves you know this wont and well.
The book is fast paced with a good twist and ending, as we live through a very long night of escape, terror, fear and injury with one family desperately trying to escape and wondering why they're being targeted.

Don't start reading this when going to bed, it will keep you up for two reasons - the suspense and the desperation to keep on reading!

This was the first part of the book for me, consumed in one sitting because it I couldn't put it down. Ooh, Tom and his family on holiday are suddenly under siege it appears, and are in real danger for no apparent reason! Great stuff.

The second half of the book is a different affair almost, with a chase that is hard to follow, or even believe at times. I had to revisit certain bits to refresh myself who was who as the more characters became apparent. The ending felt like the author had run out of steam, which is a shame. The novel could have been trimmed down, losing weight in the middle and would have been a much easier read. Still worth a read though and will make a great movie one day!

Most of this book takes place over one long, tense, terrifying night. Tom, Rachel, and their daughter Holly, are staying at a picturesque private lodge in the middle of nowhere, recovering from a mugging. They are also still coming to terms with their son's death in a car accident. The secluded getaway should be just what they needed, but instead they find themselves being chased, hiding and fighting for their lives. The terrifying events are interspersed with flashbacks to what happened to the son. As the story progresses, the layers of secrets and lies are slowly peeled away.

This book is a page turner. I needed to keep reading to find out what was happening, and each time I thought I could predict the ending, something new was revealed. It's an exciting read, with lots of twists and turns. The isolation is really well put across, the atmospheric writing adding to the fear and panic. Not a book I would want to read whilst alone in the house, I have to admit!

As someone who loves fast paced psychological thrillers it soon became clear this wasn’t the sort of book I’d normally go for at all. It’s pace is slow with lots of time spend building atmosphere and suspense and the majority of the book recounts one night - the night of a break-in to the remote Scottish holiday home that is current being habited by Tom, Rachel and daughter Holly.

Despite it being an unusual choice for me there was something about it that kept making me turn the pages initially. My enthusiasm waned as the game of ‘cat and mouse’ around the property continued and while I appreciated the book was well written it just wasn’t for me. Fans of conspiratory theories and action may well enjoy this read however.

My thanks to Netgalley, publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fast-paced, thrill-a-minute read for the most part, the story completely unravels in the last few chapters, leaving you somewhat disappointed. Tom and Rachel, along with their daughter Holly, have arrived at a secluded, secure lodge in Scotland, apparently to heal from the death of their son, Michael, and from a nasty mugging that has left Holly scarred mentally and physically. But late in the night, Rachel hears a window break. Is there someone in the house? How did they get in?

Most of the story is set in one single night of horrors, with a cat-and-mouse game between the terrified trio and a couple of dangerous, armed men intent on killing. But who are they, and what do they want? There are some heart-in-mouth cliffhangers and some breathless passages, and you can ignore most of the unlikely, over-the-top stunts, but the resolution takes it all down a notch. Having said that, it was mostly a decent read.

(Review copy from NetGalley.)