Cover Image: The Caretakers

The Caretakers

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Member Reviews

I received this book from Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wow. What a thrilling read. We start with Tessa Shepherd. She is a documentary film maker feeling from the news a convicted killer she has labored to release may well be a kidnapper and killer. As her life unravels, she must face the trauma of her past and her family legacy. This is a taut family drama, with lots of mystery, haunted lives and emotional roller coaster ride. I couldn't put it down.

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This book will grip you from the first page. The dual story line confused me at first but the story is so well written and well told you don't want to stop reading and I didn't. Pick up this awesome book and prepare to be entertained. Happy reading!

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A Story As Old As Time. At its crux - and without giving anything away - this is essentially a retelling of one of the oldest stories known to man. So old that a people that originated in the Middle Eastern deserts recorded it as one of their earliest stories. Now, as with all retellings some particulars are changed, but at its heart it still has the same signature. In this particular variant, we have a current timeline and a timeline from nearly a century prior. In both, mistakes are made - many, many more mistakes than are obvious and are only revealed in the closing few chapters of the book. Very well done, and with an ending that will haunt. Very much recommended.

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I didn't know what to expect when I started this book, I've never read anything by Eliza Maxwell...but I am SO happy I took a chance and read it. I absolutely loved it!! The Caretakers is a fast, suspenseful story told via multiple narrators and times. Tessa is a documentary film maker. She produced a film that freed a man from prison but is having doubts after another woman disappears. While she is struggling with this she learns that her mother wasn't who she and her sister Margot thought she was. They learn that they have inherited an old uestate. When Tessa runs from the pressure of the press she runs towards her past. There she finds an old house that is surrounded in mystery and falling apart with two elderly caretakers, sisters...Deirdra and Kitty Donnelly.
A fast paced, intricate, compelling gothic tale this story grabbed me and wouldn't let go until the end...an ending that had me shocked more than once. The characters are believable, complex and sympathetic. Don't miss this book!!
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Maybe I’ll call this one “Cellphone Gothic”: contemporary, but with a turn to the past. I greatly enjoyed it, especially satisfying was the finale/wrap up. Kept me guessing and page-turning the whole way through. A fine mystery novel.

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Gothic fiction is one of my favorites. Combine that with crime & mystery and I'm most likely going to be hooked. This book was atmospheric, almost from the beginning. I loved the set up of Tessa being a documentary filmmaker. That is quite relevant today.

As Tessa retreats to a newly inherited and crumbling estate she is forced to face her strained relationship with her sister as well as the dark past of the house she is now living in. I found Tessa to be an easy character to connect with and the writing in each time period flowed nicely.

I typically enjoy multiple timelines/storylines but there were a lot of moving parts here. That's my one drawback - the book felt disjointed at times. But all in all, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely read more from this author. This one earns 4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

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Quick read with tons of action! 4 out of 5 stars.

Tessa, a documentary filmmaker, helped free a man she was convinced was wrongly imprisoned for murder. This man kills again and upends Tessa’s life and her reputation. At the same time, Tessa’s mother passes away and she learns of a strange background and inheritance from her mother – Tessa & her sister are now owners of a mysterious estate with a dark past.

A quick read with a ton of twists. I enjoyed the short chapters and the non-stop action against a solid plot line.

Thank you Eliza Maxwell, Lake Union Publishing, and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#TheCaretakers #NetGalley

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Tessa, a documentary filmmaker, works to get someone who has been wrongly convicted released from prison. Shortly thereafter he murders another woman. During this time of great stress her mother passes away which puts her in the position of having to converse with her estranged sister Margot. Their mother leaves them a creepy old house that they never knew existed and Tessa decided to go hideout there to avoid the press. Upon arrival they meet two sisters who have been the caretakers of the estate for many years. This is where the second timeline begins as they know the history of Fallbrook because they have lived there their entire life. This book is so full of characters and all the different.stories and twists in every direction it is difficult.to keep.up at times! The author does a great.job of tying this all together and making you care about the characters at the same time! I have read a couple of other book by Eliza Maxwell and they were incredibly good also. She just never misses. It is definitely five stars for me.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this incredible book.

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THE CARETAKERS is a really interesting read. It begins with two very disparate stories that eventually intersect. But at the heart of each story is murder, betrayal and sisterhood. As the stories unwind, they become more and more compelling, with surprising endings. Thoroughly enjoyable.

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This story mixes all the right ingredients into a tangy, satisfying concoction.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Tessa Shepherd is a successful documentary film-maker, whose programme about Oliver Barlow, a convicted murderer, has seen him released from prison, after fourteen years. Tessa is thrilled that Barlow has been released, but quickly moves on to the next project, ignoring the calls, from him, to her mobile. Eighteen months after the release of the Barlow documentary, she has completed a project on the child sex trade and is in talks with the previous First Lady, for a biopic.

With her professional life looking in good shape, a series of incidents sees everything fall around her ears. Firstly, her mother, Jane, decides that she is not coming for her usual visit and insists that Tessa should come to her. Something that Tessa is very uncomfortable with; especially as she is estranged from her twin sister, Margot. Then, she discovers that Oliver Barlow has abducted the daughter of the police chief, involved in her arrest. In quick succession, Margot arrives to inform Tessa that their mother is dead, and finds her husband, Ben, comforting her.

Things look bad and, rather than stand and face the problems, Tessa runs. She heads for a house, which she discovers she has inherited, where two elderly sisters, Deirdre and Kitty, live in a cottage, in the grounds. There was a murder in the house, of the family who lived there, and the situation with Oliver Barlow, and with her family, remain unresolved…

There is a lot going on in this novel, but it works well, because the author makes you care for the characters. Tessa, although she has her troubles and her faults, is someone that you, as the reader, come to worry about. I would certainly read more by Eliza Maxwell, and found this a really interesting read. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

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The Caretakers is a dual time narrative moving back and forth from present day to the early 1900s, centreing around a mansion named, ‘Fallbrook’. There is much to appreciate here ... an old run down house surrounded by mystery and intrigue with a startlingly history. Add into that mix sisters and forgiveness, secrets and revenge with an inheritance and this novel has much going for it.

‘Fallbrook. Whatever name it goes by, the house, what’s left of it, and its elderly caretakers, have made an impression on Tessa. She drives back to the bed-and-breakfast on autopilot, replaying the sights and sounds, the feel of the place, in her mind.’

At first the two timelines do not appear connected - Tessa in the present and her self doubt over a false imprisonment story, to that of two sisters, the ‘caretakers’ of Fallbrook - now in a much dilapidated state. How the two timelines (reflective flashbacks to when the two sisters were young) come together is quite clever and definitely dramatic. It takes a little while to get there, but when the two stories begin to make sense, it is engaging reading. It becomes suspenseful writing with a gripping story that has a few unexpected plot twists.

‘She can’t accept a world where right and wrong don’t matter. A good person wouldn’t have taken out his rage on an innocent woman, no matter how much injustice the world served up.’

The issue I had with the story is that there were a few too many characters and subplots that took away from the overall essence of the tale. Fewer elements, described in greater detail may have been beneficial. The writing was good with twists and turns and a somewhat dramatic climax - maybe a little overdone in places with lucky coincidences; and major characters well executed - excepting a few stereotypical additions.

Overall, despite there being a lot going on that can get a little bogged down and confusing at times, this is a suspenseful read that kept me going to the very end.

‘... somewhere along the way, amid the injustice and the broken promises and the devastating losses, a good man had turned bad. If that was true, then good and bad—right and wrong—they lost all meaning.’







This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

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This book had some creepy elements that had me much more nervous than I had anticipated! It was great writing, and I loved that!

I enjoyed the book overall and thought it was a strong story. I did struggle with the number of stories that were going on at one time. I was confused at the beginning and found it hard to follow. As I moved forward in the book, I settled into the plot and got comfortable with the different stories. The ending did a great job of connecting all the separate sections of the book together to form an exciting finale.

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

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I am a big fan of gothic mysteries and intricate storylines, and The Caretakers delivers in spades.

I wanted a book I could really get lost in, with plenty of suspense and realistic and compelling characters. I especially loved delving into Tessa's story. Her guilt and how she struggles to deal with it at the same time as she deals with the loss of her mother and the familial tension that ensues, is riveting.

The Caretakers is the sort of book that keeps you up at night - you want to know what will happen next, so you keep turning the pages without caring a jot about the time or where you have to be the next day,

One of the things that I loved with The Caretakers was the attention to detail. Maxwell does a fantastic job of describing the setting, of taking her time to pull the reader into the story so that it has an almost cinematic feel.
And, unlike many other books in this genre, the ending is perfectly paced and satisfying.

So far, The Caretakers is one of my favorite reads of 2020. Highly recommended!

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Neutral rating because I was unable to finish.
Unfortunately this book was not for me. I had ever intention of powering through this book so I could give it a far review. But when it took me about a week to get 30% into it and half the time I found my mind wondering... I knew I just needed to stop. I would first like to say the synopsis of this book and other review I read make this sound amazing. But the writing was very lack luster and I felt it was all telling and no showing. After 30% in I still had formed no connection to any of the characters or the dilemmas they faced. I have so many books I want to read and I don't want to hold a grudge over this book because many have loved it. So it's best for me to DNF and say it's not for me and move on.

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I loved this book so much. In fact, I feel like I want to go back to the start and read it again knowing what I know now!

The two main plots in The Caretakers had me gripped! There is just so much happening throughout and so many secrets waiting to be revealed. Each main plot has its own mini plots coarsing through the story and the reveals of each are well planned and timed brilliantly to surprise the reader with something you didn't see coming. The two interwoven plots are both well written and developed. Flitting between the different character accounts and the different time periods, the book is addictive and was so enjoyable to read. There was no red herrings or diversions to try and throw the reader off; just excellent plot development with timely reveals that add to the readers' enjoyment.

Short, punchy chapters had me reading late into the evenings ... The curse of the Kindle "time left in chapter" function! Really hard to put down but at the same time, I didn't want it to end as I was enjoying it so much.

I can't recommend The Caretakers highly enough. I know it won't be for everyone but it was a fantastic, five-star read for me! I'm really looking forward to reading more of Eliza Maxwell's work now!

Thank you to NetGalley, Eliza Maxwell and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Every individual chapter in The Caretakers was a ride in itself. Collectively, it was a book hangover inducing, mastery of tension and intrigue. EVERY chapter was amazing! They were like mini episodes - each with spikes, unraveling, and build up. They would leave you with such a punch or with so many new questions that there was no option but to keep reading. I loved that not only was there one big reveal, (actually more like two or three huge twists) there were little nuggets of suspense and bombs dropping that happened throughout as she built for the finale. I was never not enthralled.

Maxwell keeps getting better and better. Her latest book hit my top ten last year, but this is above and beyond. She consistently outdoes herself. The intertwining of story lines was done beautifully. The transition between chapters was so satisfying that it made me giddy. Some chapters would end with a line that would be picked up flawlessly by the complementing story line and it created a fantastic rhythm. Her writing style seems to flow so naturally that it creates an easy soundtrack to get lost in.

I would recommend this to everyone! I loved the dynamic between sisters. It held a lot of family drama and secrets but also showed that blood is thicker than water when it comes down to it. Also, I've been obsessing over all these true crime documentaries recently from Ted Bundy to Don't F with Cats to some Tiger King and that aspect of this story had me gushing. I felt like I was a murderino and working my dream job following the process the main character went through filming her own true crime doc. The Caretakers had something for everyone and that ending really deserves a standing ovation. I was completely satisfied with the twist that happened a few chapters from the end thinking it was all downhill from there, but when they kept coming my heart stopped and I've just been marinating in that last scene for days now.

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Tessa is a filmmaker who went out of her way to get an Innocent man freed. But now it looks like he's killed again. Tessa and her sister Margot inherited Fallwood, a crumbling and creepy house. Derdrie and Kitty are the caretakers of the house. They are two elderly sisters who have kept the secret of the house. Tessa and Margot has an unpleasant past. It takes the death of their mother to get them back together.

Thisnstorynis a mixture of historical fiction, mystery and thriller. It tells how the wrong decision can affect a life. Thenstory moves back and forth in time. Two different storiesthst come together by the end. I loved the authors writing style and there was some unexpected twists. The story is dark I places. I loved the last chapter. I do recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author E,iza Maxwell for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa Shepherd, documentary filmmaker seems to be handling success fairly well even if her family life is a mess. Her recent true-crime documentary helped an innocent man finally find justice and it has spurred other fantastic projects. But within six months a new nightmare begins and reports begin to surface that possibly Tessa has actually unleashed a monster back into society.

At the same time, Tessa's mother dies and she must return to her family home where her estranged sister waits. Overwhelmed in every direction, Tessa seeks refuge at a newly discovered estate which is part of the sister's inheritance. While there, Tessa and Margot meet two elderly sisters that have been taking care of the home and may be able to shed information on a long-ago series of murders that have a connection to their family.

A spellbinding gothic atmosphere that kept me turning the pages with plenty of drama and family strife. This was my first Eliza Maxwell story but it certainly won't be my last. The Caretakers offered just enough suspense to keep me on my toys and I really liked the characters. Also so glad that an author didn't throw in a romance on top of everything else for Tessa! Yay!







Goodreads review published 07/04/20
Expected publication 14/04/20

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I don't need much more than to know a book is about the inheritance of a decrepit old house to be intrigued, and this had all the things that are typically catnip for me as a reader- a sister story, tons of secrets, an unexpected inheritance. It was interesting and held some unexpected twists, but I think there were a few too many elements of the story that got short shrift and could have been better detailed for greater effect.

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