Ever since I first heard about this book; I have had it on my wish list to read it. Well I finally got the chance to read this book and it did not disappoint. Author, Eliza Maxwell draws me into this book with the seamless, smooth, rich storyline as well as the well balanced character development.

Even without really knowing much about sisters, Tessa and Margot, I was already engaged with them. As I got to know them better and their story; I was fully committed to this book. I was rooting for these sisters to reconnect.

At the same time, this story was ingrained with a mystery surrounding Fallbrook. What happened so long ago and how does it affect Tessa and Margot? I was fed little tidbits of the truth. The more I became familiar with the whole truth; the more I could not get enough. Author, Eliza Maxwell will have readers spellbound with a rich storyline and engaging characters with The Caretakers!

Tessa is an award winning film maker. Her films are on very hard hitting events and people and the latest was a huge scoop. She firmly believed in a man's innocence and felt he was framed by a corrupt police administration. The man was subsequently freed in a huge blaze of publicity. She is naturally not the local police precincts favourite. The accolades and offers keep pouring in until the bubble bursts when her former accused abducts the chief police constable's daughter and then sends dire messages which are cryptic indicating that he has murdered the young woman.

Tessa needs a bolthole and despite estranged from her twin sister, her mother insists that it is now high time a reconciliation is done. Everything arranged to coincide with her mother's birthday, the sudden very shocking death of her mother unleashes a will which takes both sisters by total surprise. Her mother was adopted, the grandparents they loved and cherished are not their biological grand parents and there is a whole family, plus an inheritance of a substantial property and more relatives which are coming their way.

Family secrets like this make for intriguing stories and this was much more intriguing than most. A decrepit house, two elderly sisters, a really chequered family background all lead Tessa to not only a bolt hole which is very necessary right now to escape from the clamouring paparazzi but also a way of coming to terms with her sister as well.

The two stories - one of a personal nature and the other a professional one intertwine at the end. Each story was engaging and held enough interest for two separate stories. The only irritation was that the bickering between the two sisters was a bit too intense for me.

I was looking forward to reading The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell since I saw the cover and read the synopsis - and I was not let down! This is a page turner of a story. I was hooked from the first mention of Tessa’s documentary and it’s goal of freeing a supposedly innocent man.

I enjoyed the storyline that Tessa‘s character provided for a several reasons - first, there’s almost a meta-feeling in reading a book about the investigative work that Tessa did in the book. Then, I enjoyed the physical reactions I got when reading Maxwell’s descriptions of what Tessa was experiencing. I could literally feel my stomach drop during many parts of this story and I loved every instance. It was thrilling to read and masterfully written - I was completely engrossed.

The storyline involving the caretakers at the family home was equally gripping because of the spooky descriptions of the happenings at the home. This book definitely has a gothic feeling to it. There was not one instance in which I was bored or felt like a character was not being utilized. Al the characters were fleshed our and complex - providing the forefront to a rich story. The Caretakers got and kept my attention from beginning to end. Once I thought I could guess what would happen next, there was a twist I didn’t see coming right at me.

Readers of heavier mysteries (non cozy-ness here) and thrillers will definitely be enjoying The Caretakers!

Intriguing, this book did not really go anywhere like where I thought it would based on the blurb, however I really enjoyed it. Lots of good writing, descriptions and a decent story. I'll be looking out for more by the author. Recommended.

Thank you so much to Lake Union Press, LSBBT, Netgalley, and the author for providing me with an advanced ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

“OUR CHOICES…THEY CAN CHANGE US, CAN’T THEY?”

At its heart, The Caretakers is a novel about choices. Whether it’s the seemingly mundane decisions made throughout our daily lives or the selections that lead to major milestones, our choices matter. And as you’ll see in Maxwell’s twisted tale, each and every choice we make comes with a consequence.

“SOMETHING IS RISING. IF ONLY SHE COULD REMEMBER WHAT IT IS.”

Toggling between dual timelines and narrators, The Caretakers centers on two pairs of sisters and the secrets that haunt their flawed families.

Tessa, a renowned filmmaker, is not only hiding from her past and her estranged sister, Margot, but also from the frenzied media that flock to her after the man her documentary helped free from prison releases a video confession of a new murder.

Kitty, an octogenarian with a sunny disposition, is living out her days in the remains of her childhood home. Her elder sister, Deirdre, shares the burden of maintaining the grounds — and the memories — as caretakers of Fallbrook, a once prominent home lost to the world after the horrific murders that took place within its walls.

But WHY has Oliver, a wrongly accused and recently freed man, implicated himself in the death of Valerie Winters? Is he capable of murder? Was Tessa wrong about him? And if so, does that mean Valerie’s blood is on her hands?

And WHO was responsible for the murders all those years ago at Fallbrook manor? Why would someone take out an entire family save an infant crying alone upstairs? And HOW does that surviving infant link Tessa and Kitty?

Once their paths are merged, bringing their reluctant siblings along for the ride, we get our answers. Secrets are revealed, lives are lost, and each new twist escalates until that final mind-blowing conclusion.

“IT’S NOT A PRETTY TALE…BUT ONE DRENCHED IN HEARTACHE AND BLOOD.”

Like the desolate woods that surrounds the decaying Fallbrook, it’s easy to get lost in this dark mystery. Told in short, highly digestible chapters, The Caretakers hooked me from the prologue. Exposed to Maxwell’s expressive writing style full of crisp descriptions and lingering details, it didn’t take long before I was compulsively turning the pages in my obsession for answers.

With two primary mysteries to solve, a full-cast of supporting characters, and a duo of timelines, The Caretakers was an ambitious project for Maxwell. With so many threads and conflicting character motivations this easily could have become a giant, tangled mess. Instead we’re gifted with a story woven into a transportive tapestry that slowly, but surely reveals its intricate and completed image.

That impressive attention to detail is what truly blew me away. Every last detail is clean, polished, and presented with a purpose. Nothing is trivial and nothing is as it seems. And your appreciation for Maxwell’s tricks and deception only grows the longer you’ve been exposed to the truths within the text. In fact, as I was writing this review and going over my notes, I was blown away by the sheer number of passages filled with double meanings; hints that Maxwell sprinkled throughout the story chapters before I sensed a clue. Even the cover art is in on the game! And all you have to do to play along is pick up this addictive read yourself.

Like every great thriller, The Caretakers was a nonstop, action-packed experience. Even as we get our closure, we’re served some last-minute reveals that leave us stunned with no more pages left to turn. So start writing your next mind-boggling thriller, Maxwell, because I — like others — am hungry for more.

All quotes were taken from an advanced copy of this collection and may not match final release.

This year is churning out some of my best reading experiences! WOW! THIS BOOK! This. book. Upon reading the last sentence of this twisted gem, my brain was left spinning, and my pulse was still pounding. My mind questioned what I had just read, while my heart screamed what are you going to read now? There is so much to unpack within a narrative that at first seems so disparate, yet the masterful storytelling packages everything up into a breathtakingly remarkable literary gift.

While the synopsis definitely sets the stage, there really is no way to prepare yourself for the thrilling ride ahead of you. The unveiling of a tragic family saga created not just an unsettling and suspenseful read, but fashioned together a powerful character study on family dysfunction and the lasting pain of secrecy as well as an exhaustive exploration into the ramifications of choice. Oliver may have literally been locked up, but everyone is trapped inside a prison of their own making. Misunderstandings, assumptions, and a general lack of communication has a sinister way of compounding the negativity they feel about their decisions, especially when they can't be honest with themselves or others. The truth has a way of coming out no matter how much they try to deny it, and ultimately, each character is backed into a confrontational corner that finally gives complete access into their true motivations. It's an exercise of relief for both them and readers alike, creating moments that will certainly leave a lasting impact.

"Right and wrong. It's a nice idea, but a costly one."

Multiple perspectives, interrelated plot points, and alternating timelines are interwoven seamlessly to craft a hauntingly beautiful and multilayered tale of Gothic genius. Fallbrook stands as a decaying sentinal to unspeakable tragedy, damsels in distress demand action, a burdened protagonist seeks to find redemption, and horrific monsters in the guise of inhumanity, corruption, manipulation, and obsession haunt the lives and souls of everyone they touch. Fairy and folk tale elements sprinkle the narrative as cautionary reminders in the moral quest of good against evil.

"The weight of the truth, once given, is shockingly difficult to bear."

If you love stories that make you feel as though you are watching a movie, this will be a cinematographic treat. As a documentary filmmaker, Tessa finds herself constantly laying out the framing of scenes, which in effect, captures those visual moments for description onto the page that makes this a very meta experience. I especially enjoyed when Tessa is deliberating how to move forward after everything is said and done, hinting that she may try her hand at fiction with its "clear-cut version of good guys and bad...where you know who to root for, and you're never wrong." What an amazing way to cast doubt on the whole encounter: Fact is fiction, fiction is fact, and though the "truth" has been revealed, readers may still feel lied to. Perhaps some things really are best left buried, but I'm just not so sure that I have been convinced.

Many thanks to Lone Star Book Blog Tours and the author for providing me with a free copy of the book. This is my honest and thoughtful opinion.

“Peace does not last.”

Eliza Maxwell, the author of The Caretakers, has blown me away again with another story. This time she took me on a haunting, psychological story from the first few lines to the last words.

Maxwell crafted two storylines of sisters young and sisters old. In the mix is the story of decades-old murders and a modern-day murder. This story takes so many twists that I simply did not want to stop the narrations. That’s the gift of Eliza’s writing!

This is the first book of Eliza’s I’ve heard via Audio. The narration performed by Janet Metzger and Erin Mallon is spot-on between all the character shifts and chapter changes. There are plenty of characters from young girls, too old women, to young and old men. Janet and Erin pulled all the characters splendidly with inflictions where I did not get lost with the characterization.

The Caretakers is an impeccable escape for readers needing to get away from their own realities. It keeps you psychologically guessing with every chapter as to where is this story going. There is no guessing with this story. It is haunting because it may leave you with the lasting memory of the older sisters that you simply cannot forget, as it did me.

This is a psychological thriller with enough twists and turns to make you leave a light on at night. Tessa Shepard is a film maker and her latest documentary gets a man released from prison. Now a year later he has another murder under his belt and plans to kill everyone connected to his original murder trial including Tessa who has "abandoned" him once the film was successful. She's hiding out at an old abandoned mansion her mother left to her and her sister, Margo. A family was murdered in this mansion and the two elderly caretakers don't want Tessa making a new documentary. A little sinister for my personal taste but a good story. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

How do you forgive the unforgivable, especially when the person who wronged you is your only family? The Caretakers seeks to answer this question and more, in this fantastically gothic novel by Eliza Maxwell.

The Caretakers opens with the end of a trial. A wrongly-accused man is finally finding justice for the crime he didn’t commit, thanks to filmmaker Tessa Shepard. It reads like the perfect ending to a suspenseful legal drama, with everyone free to live as happily as they may. Until the man Tessa saved murders again. Until her mother unexpectedly passes away, leaving Tessa and her estranged twin to pick up the pieces of an unfinished life. As she returns home in the midst of professional tragedy to face real personal tragedy, Tessa barely keeps it together. Her twin, Margot, used to be her rock, now they can barely look each other in the eye. In the end, Tessa retreats from everything, the media circus and what’s left of her family, to investigate the story behind the manor her mother left her. Along the way, she meets the caretakers, elderly sisters who hold the key to Tessa and Margot’s dark inheritance.

This is the first book I’ve read from Eliza Maxwell, now I’m officially a fan for life. Maxwell weaves atmosphere, character, and suspense seamlessly, so the reader truly experiences the many twists and turns of her narrative. Two compelling characters trade perspectives throughout this novel, Tessa, our heroine desperate to escape her present, and the caretaker, Kitty, unable to escape her past. I loved Kitty, to the point I was in tears by the end. Yet I wasn’t expecting to relate so much to Tessa Shepard. There are many times when Tessa is an unsympathetic heroine. She’s a little selfish, a little obsessive, and a lot self-recriminating. I often tread the fine line between love and hate when it came to Tessa’s journey because I understood her. I must confess that this book wrecked me to the point I had to put it away, and reflect on all the emotions The Caretakers brought to the surface. Yet through Maxwell’s writing, I came to understand a little more of myself and my journey outside the pages.

A study in parallels between past and future, hatred and forgiveness, truth and lies, The Caretakers delves deeper than your average suspense novel. It’s not always an easy read, but this book will truly make you think, and if you allow it, make you feel. Some books are like that, a catharsis for the characters as much as it is the reader.

**I was provided with a copy of The Caretakers by the publisher and this is my voluntary and honest review.**

Eliza Maxwell is one of my favorite authors to read, but this book was not a favorite.

There are two unconnected story lines in this book, told in past and present. A bit of a gothic, ghost story. Little suspense or twists. I felt like there was so much going on in this book and it kind of ruined it for me.

The writing is fantastic, characters are good as well, in true Eliza style. I just wasn't a fan of these stories.

*4.5 stars

Tessa Shephard is a documentary filmmaker, who finds herself in the spotlight when she helps release a murderer. She believed he was innocent until something happens to dispute that. So after the unaccepted death of her mother, she finds that her mom was keeping some secrets from her daughters. Trying to find somewhere to hide, she goes to a house that was kept secret from her family. However, she only finds more mystery and secrets. This had two timelines: Tessa's current situation and the mystery that happened in this house years ago. I will say that I would rather have had more of the story focus on the caretakers and the house. That interested me more than Tessa and her story. Sometimes I felt that situation really didn't belong in this book and that the two stories didn't really belong in the same book. The caretakers and the mystery of the house is why I'm giving the extra half star. Otherwise, this was a good book but one story was a lot better than the other.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The heart is a formidable thing, and time a slow but powerful healer.”

The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell is an incredible journey into the healing process of families broken by pain, heartache, loss, and secrets. Two stories intertwined make up the overall plot of The Caretakers, with all the details parceled out expertly and beautifully. Tessa Shepherd and her twin sister, Margot, have been estranged for years following an accident that set Margot on a long road of recovery. Feeling responsible and heavy with guilt, Tessa flees to New York to pursue academics and a career in producing documentaries. Oliver Barlow is her latest project about a man she eventually proves has been wrongfully imprisoned for fourteen years. His eventual release sets in motion a series of events that will change everyone’s lives, especially Tessa’s.

Following a death in the family, Tessa and Margot are reluctantly reunited and navigate their new relationship, and together, they discover a shocking truth about their family. Secrets are revealed, but more secrets have been buried deep at their ancestral home, Fallbrook. What the sisters find when they visit the crumbling mansion is a long-ago tragedy deeply rooted in falsehoods, mystery, and immeasurable heartache. The two parts of Tessa’s life—Oliver and the aging caretakers at Fallbrook—collide and tangle in spectacular fashion. What happened to the family at Fallbrook all those years ago? Who is responsible for such unspeakable tragedy and why? The journey to discovery, reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace is riddled with danger and sadness, as many family sagas are.

Eliza Maxwell has a true gift of storytelling because piecing these plots together—past and present—takes immense skill, keeping the reader interested, engaged, and eager to puzzle out the truth. Maxwell builds such a complicated and moving story with ease, never once allowing the reader to become bogged down and confused by the details and the mystery. Every chapter—every sentence, actually—is well written and carefully added to the overall story until the finale when all is finally revealed, and difficult decisions are made.

The Caretakers shows us the importance of family, but not everything within a family is as it seems from the outside. Fathers can be cruel, mothers can keep secrets, and children can break and choose a path of destruction and agony. On the other hand, families can be filled with unfathomable loyalty, care, and love. The Caretakers encompasses the many facets of family and the importance of strengthening the ties rather than letting them irreversibly unravel.

This literary treasure will definitely entertain, but it will probably give you quite a bit to think about and ponder and perhaps cause some reflection on the folly of humans as well as the bittersweet joy of unconditional familial love.

I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.

Recommended for fans of gothic suspense novels. THE CARETAKERS has a lot going on. I almost felt like I had to concentrate a bit too hard to follow the various story threads. But overall the novel is well done and fans of dual timelines, especially in the gothic suspense genre, will find much to like. Just don't expect an "easy" read. As I mentioned, there are lots of storylines to keep up with, lots of characters bickering / on the verge of a panic attack / confused, lots of violence. The plot sags a bit in the middle, but the conclusions to both storylines feel well thought out and satisfactory, if slightly sad/depressing.

The dual timelines in this book are connected by one isolated house named Fallbrook. In the past it was the home of a wealthy family with a cottage on the house grounds for their nanny/servant and her children. One horrifying day the entire family is brutally and violently murdered in their home. The event is a bit of a murder mystery as it is not entirely clear who was responsible for these murders. There are several potential suspects. This story line is presented through flashbacks and the fragmented memories of two old women who live on the property and serve as its caretakers. They were children when the murders happened and may not be wholly reliable narrators of history.

The present day story centers on documentary film maker Tessa and the fall out after her film helps to free an innocent man from prison. He turns out to be possibly not so innocent and Tessa flees the media circus that ensues. She decides to hide out in an abandoned house left to her when a family member dies. That house is a very decrepit and long abandoned Fallbrook. It seems her family has some connection to it and the terrible tragedy that occurred there. How these two stories come together was incredibly well crafted. This was a complex and multi- layered family drama and like peeling and onion, there was always one more layer that completely changed the story. Just when I thought I had things figured out another layer or flashback would reveal a piece of information that altered everything. The final “truth” of both story lines was surprising and unpredictable. Both conclusions were very sad but I wasn’t left depressed by the story. It was hopeful in a dark way.

I found this book to be a real page turner as both story lines drew me in and kept me reading. There was a lot of action to keep me engaged and also a lot of emotional drama that tugged at my heart and made me feel things. The conclusions of both story lines had unexpected twists that I did not see coming and they were interlaced together masterfully. This is a book that weaves so many threads that it is hard to imagine them coming together but at the finish not a single loose end is left dangling. I’m really impressed by the skillful writing and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

This is one author that I know will have me on the edge of my seat wondering what new twist will send us to new depths.  This book did not disappoint!

Tessa is struggling with the fact that she helped free a possible killer and the backlash from filming her documentary about his case.  But is he a killer?  There are many signs that point to yes, but just as many that say no as well.  As the story unfolds we learn the truth and a few twists that maybe we should have expected but still surprised this reader.  On top of this struggle, her mother passes away and now there is the news of her mother's true family history or at least some glimpses into a past that she and her sister never knew about.  And let's not forget the long-standing misunderstanding between Tessa and her sister Margo.  When the truth is finally revealed it was a little bit of a letdown because you had to wonder why they let it fester this long without talking to each other.  Or maybe that is me and knowing how my family would handle a similar situation.

As Tessa embarks down the rabbit hole of discovering her true past, so many secrets are revealed that you almost need paper to write down to keep straight.  How did everything come about for her mother?  Who are these new family members?  What are their stories?  We learn more as the book progresses and each chapter is a new delight in knowledge and understanding for the characters and their situations in the past.  I tried to decipher the family on my own but never would have guessed several of the revelations.

I was engaged in this book and enjoyed the layout of the chapters that alternated between the past and the present.  It led to the mystery of the story and discovering the truth of Fallbrook and Tessa and Margo's heritage.  Kitty is a sweet octogenarian and has the kindest heart especially once she meets Tessa.  There are many facets to Kitty's actions and words that are slowly revealed throughout the book.  Her sister, Deidre, is more reserved and protective of Kitty and Fallbrook and for good reason but you could see the love she felt for both and why she felt the need to protect them from outsiders.

I enjoyed this book and was satisfied with the ending, but I didn't want the story to end and I wanted to discover what happened next for everyone.  I guess my imagination will have to create that additional story in my head!  We give this book 5 paws up.

Heard lots about this one and looked forward to reading it, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. Too many books too little time! Don't believe we would have a readership for this one.

THIS story will distract you from everything. Including dinner. And bedtime. And maybe sleep. I sat down to read this and stayed up until three in the morning because I couldn’t put it down. It was worth the sleep hangover the next day.

The Caretakers has two very separate storylines that eventually intersect, each with its own narrator.
Tessa’s tale is layered, kicking off with the betrayal and guilt she feels when the man she helped free from wrongful murder conviction kidnaps and possibly kills the daughter of the Sheriff who was responsible for his jailing. As this is unfolding, her mother’s death reveals one heck of a surprise (and mystery) and all of it complicates the estrangement with her sister.

Kitty’s tale jumps between past and present. The prologue reveals that something dark has happened, and this story unfolds very slowly through short glimpses into her childhood as the daughter of the cook for the big mansion. Interspersed with the flashbacks are scenes with the now elderly Kitty and her sister and brother, who still reside in the caretaker’s cottage, with more hints of secrets.

There is a certain mastery in how Maxwell’s stories unfold and then connect. While there is a lot going on in Tessa’s story, it moves in one direction, full steam ahead. Meanwhile, Kitty’s story jumps forward and backward, with bits of information doled out like breadcrumbs that the reader eagerly gobbles up.

While the latter is a longer trip to get to the final destination, the story does come together, but in the magic that belongs to this author, as the pieces begin to fall into place, so does one twist after another. And then, when you think you have your breath back, the story hands you another twist that you will not have seen coming.

The chapters are brief, however, so the plot moves swiftly, and it lives up to its genre of a psychological thriller – it’s packed with tension and, as I mentioned above, will have you GLUED to the edge of your seat. (I did mention there are twists!) The characters are well-drawn – imperfect and yet sympathetic. Tessa is a complicated but likable character; she is driven by curiosity as a filmmaker, and haunted by her past decisions. Kitty is a fascinating character, more so as the story unfolds. Maxwell also does a fantastic job with setting – it’s very visual, moody and creepy.

Themes of relationships between sisters, guilt, and forgiveness run through all of the storylines. How far would you go to protect a sibling?

The Caretakers is gripping and twisty to the very last page. I absolutely loved it and knew it was a book I wouldn’t be able to do justice in describing just how good it is.

Tessa Shepherd is a documentary film maker that gains notoriety when she helps free a man that she believes has been wrongly convicted of murder only to find out that a year after his release he has killed again. Now her world has come crashing down around her.

Meanwhile her mother has passed away. This brings her back together with her estranged sister, Margo. Upon the reading of the will it is discovered that their mother had been adopted and that the Fallbrook estate that her birth family once owned has been left to the girls. The girls are shocked because their mother had never said a word to them. While the news is shocking it does provide Tessa with the hideout she's looking for as reporters and police are chomping at the bit for her to answer some questions.

Fallbrook has not been left empty however. Elderly sisters Dierdre & Kitty, the caretakers, still live in the cottage on the property. They are there to make sure that the horrifying secrets of Fallbrook stay hidden away. That is until Tessa comes along.

This had a strong start but started to lose momentum around the halfway mark and the reason for that is because there were too many plot threads to follow. With so much going on it was hard to become engaged with all of the story lines. I really enjoyed the "past" sections. I found the history and mystery surrounding Fallbrook incredibly compelling and these were most definitely my favorite moments.

I grew very tired of the bickering between Tessa and Margo and the constant reminder that something happened between them but what oh what could it be. Tessa hems and haws constantly and is on the verge of a panic attack on nearly every page.

This book, I think, would have benefited by excluding the entire Margo story line. It was just more minutiae to wade through to get to the juicy bits. And the reason for their 20 year estrangement to begin with? One simple conversation between them could have solved this entirely and I also find it hard to believe that their parents didn't do more to reunite the girls.

On a positive note this author has an easy writing style that is engaging and also quite lovely. I would not hesitate to pick up another book by her. 3 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in echange for an honest review.

This is a very good mystery that'll grip you from the first page. I loved the dual perspective style and going back and forth was very exciting.
Highly entertaining, well written and addictive.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

EXCERPT: The screams have long since died away. The bloodstains, like the memories, have faded with time, obscured beneath a fine layer of dust. Mildew creeps along the peeling floral wallpaper. The window frames are soft with rot.

A skylight of colored glass softly illuminates the slow and steady decay. Once, laughter filled the spaces between the tired walls. Running feet and mother's hugs and whispers under cover at night. Hearts beat, as hearts do, then broke, then beat again. Until they didn't.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Filmmaker Tessa Shepherd helped free a man she believed was wrongly imprisoned for murder. When he kills again, Tessa’s life is upended.

She’s reeling with guilt, her reputation destroyed. Worse, Tessa’s mother has unexpectedly passed away, and her sister, Margot, turns on her after tensions from their past escalate. Hounded by a bullying press, Tessa needs an escape. That’s when she learns of a strange inheritance bequeathed by her mother: a derelict and isolated estate known as Fallbrook. It seems like the perfect refuge.

A crumbling monument to a gruesome history, the mansion has been abandoned by all but two elderly sisters retained as caretakers. They are also guardians of all its mysteries. As the house starts revealing its dark secrets, Tessa must face her fears and right the wrongs of her past to save herself and her relationship with Margot. But nothing and no one at Fallbrook are what they seem.

MY THOUGHTS: I loved this atmospheric read. It has all the ingredients . . . feuding sisters, family retainers, a crumbling old house, tragedy, secrets, lies and betrayals. Beautiful! And exquisitely written.

The characterisation is superb. Tessa is a successful documentary filmmaker, a righter of wrongs. That's her public persona. Behind that facade, she suffers from an overwhelming guilt and anxiety, enough to have had her hospitalised and on medication. She and twin sister Margot haven't spoken in almost twenty years. Margot's husband, Ben, used to be Tessa's boyfriend, and there was a time when the three of them were inseparable. So it is to Ben Tessa turns when Margot doesn't respond to Tessa's cry for help.

At Fallbrook, monstrously large, once proud and haughty, we have more sisters, Kitty, falling prey to the grasping tentacles of dementia, and Deirdre, the practical no nonsense one, caretakers not only of Fallbrook, but of all the secrets contained within those crumbling walls. And strangely, they are there not to preserve Fallbrook, but to make sure that it is not taken care of, that it is left to rot away.

These two worlds collide following the death of Tessa and Margot's mother, and their inheritance of a legacy that comes with its own tragic history, and a mystery that demands to be unravelled.

Add in a kidnapping, dementia, an evil stepmother, familial abuse and a manhunt . . . and it all sounds rather overwhelming, and it is, slightly. Which is why there are 4.5 stars rather than the full five. But it is only slightly overwhelming, rather than hugely. All these diverse threads do all tie in together beautifully in the end. There is nothing predictable in this book. It is an absorbing and rewarding read.

I do caution you you to take particular notice of the various family relationships, who is who and which family they belong to. It does become important later in the book. I didn't, and found myself flicking furiously back to the earlier chapters.

On another track entirely, it is strange what we retain from other reads. I recently read a book in which one of the characters was a wallpaper restorer. At one point when Tessa is at Fallbrook she uses a marker pen to scribble notes all over the ancient wallpaper in one of the rooms. As I was reading I am mentally screaming at her, 'Don't do that! You are desecrating something old and beautiful!' Of course, she took no notice of me whatsoever.

I will be reading more from this author. In her acknowledgments, the author likened writing a book to making a pot of soup and sharing it. 'If you're very lucky, a few who will finish the bowl (will) ask for seconds.' I am one of those. 'More please, Ms. Maxwell.'

🏚👭💫💔 .5

#TheCaretakers #NetGalley

'The dead are at peace....it's the living who struggle.'

The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell is due for publication April 14, 2020.

THE AUTHOR: Eliza Maxwell lives in Texas with a patient man, two impatient children and a bird named Sarah. When she's not working on her next novel, she stays busy trying to keep her children from some future therapist's chair.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage sandysbookaday.wordpress.com