Too many plots and subplots, which read individually are good, but together feel too jumbled. A chilling last scene on the porch with Deirdre is great though.

I wasn't sure whether to give it two or three stars. A number of threads, but nothing really stood out for me. Others evidently found it more memorable..

The book description does not do this book justice at all.
This novel is an epic multi layered masterpiece with two stories sweeping and threading across each other, each strand so absorbing and brilliantly written.

It's one you can't stop reading.

Though I've been a gothic fiction junkie for years, The Caretakers is the first Eliza Maxwell novel I've read. This suspenseful, intricately plotted novel weaves together multiple interrelated storylines more seamlessly than I would have expected, considering the number of characters and events involved.

The present-day chapters focus on documentary filmmaker Tessa Shepherd's attempt to escape the media circus surrounding the meltdown of her most famous subject: the wrongly convicted Oliver Barlow. As the victim of police misconduct, Barlow spent years in prison for a crime he may well not have committed (think "Making of a Murderer"). When his conviction is overturned and he walks free, however, things don't proceed the way Oliver – or Tessa – envisioned ....and that leads to some dark developments. Not only is Tessa shocked, but she is also implicated as a suspect in a new murder. Instead of facing up to the consequences of her actions, Tessa flees to a dilapidated mansion she's recently inherited. But how long can she hide from the police and the man who blames her for everything that's gone wrong since his release?

The other chapters in The Caretakers focus on another killing, the slaughter of a family in a single day decades earlier. Like Barlow, the man convicted may not have been guilty. Told mostly from the point of view of the elderly Kitty Donnelly, these chapters give glimpses into the past but the truth is as clouded as Kitty's mind. Was it her brother who actually killed the Cooke family? Is his ghost real – or just another sign of Kitty's dementia? As is usually the case in gothic novels, the past and present are inextricably linked but the extent of this only becomes clear at the end of the book.

I've spent a good chunk of this review explaining the plot, but I've hardly touched on the novel's key points. This is also a story about sisters past and sisters present, about love triangles, betrayals, secret adoptions, madness and an evil stepmother to boot. Which brings me to my only caveat: at times there is almost too much going on in this book. I would also have liked a little less of the Barlow story and more details about the historical tale. That said, I enjoyed this story and will definitely be reading more of Maxwell's novels. One thing I especially liked was the relationships between both sets of sisters – Tessa and her twin Margot; and Kitty and her sister Deirdre. I don't know if Maxwell has a sister, but she captures the bonds, the rivalries and the rifts between siblings with great humor and skill. I also love the irony that the two elderly sisters Kitty and Deirdre aren't actually caretakers: they've spent their lives ensuring that the mansion – aka the “murder house” - falls further and further into disrepair.

Much thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book! Written with two different storylines coming together at the end, the writing style was great, and the imagery created when reading was amazing; such beautiful places and so well described.

There are some unexpected twists and turns and it held my attention well throughout.

The plot centres on Tessa, whose life has been turned upside down after her film helps a convicted murderer be released and then, when he kills again, Tessa is hunted. She escapes to find her family and that doesn’t quite work out as expected either. Leading through to a secondary storyline full of tragedy and secrecy, guilt ridden, and lost Tessa emerges the other side.

The two storylines intertwine together through the latter part of the book and are told through alternate points of view by some adorable characters that you can’t help but fall in love with.

A really great novel that you shouldn’t miss out on!

Let me start by saying that the book description given on Goodreads for The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell, just doesn’t do it justice! This story was absolutely phenomenal in my opinion. I’d have to say it’s one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time. It’s written with 2 different storylines that come together in the end. It’s a bit of a mystery type genre that has some suspense thrown in. There are parts to the story that are a little dark but that’s what held my attention. After reading this, I am now anxious to read all the other books by this author. I just may have to add her to my favorite authors list. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this book. All opinions stated are my own. This is a well deserved 5 star read and a book I will be highly recommending to all my reader friends.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was overall a pretty good book, there were characters I didn't really care for but I mean everything came together in the end in a very interesting way lol was more interested in the moms backstory/family story than olivers little hissyfit tho

The author has a flair for creating beautiful imagery. The words are honey-sweet and I couldn’t help but be drawn in like a thirsty bee. What can I say? I love a well told story that keeps me intrigued right till the end, and ‘The Caretakers’ definitely managed that.

The plot revolves around Tessa, a thirty something filmmaker whose life seems to have come to a halt almost overnight. A documentary she had made helped to set a man free, who was serving a prison sentence for a murder he did not seem to have committed. Now he strikes again. In the midst of the media frenzy storm that follows, Tessa suffers a personal lost which opens up doors to almost a secondary storyline, filled with tragedy and secrecy. Guilt ridden and lost, we watch as Tessa tries to figure out the truth, all while battling her own little demons.

The two storylines although start off separate, become neatly interweaved as the plots draws closer to the end. Told between alternate point of views, we are introduced to several characters, whom I must say I came to adore. They were all well developed and added so much to the plot, making it believable and borderline addicting. I wanted to know their past and how the different choices would affect their future. I say the author deserves kudos for creating a novel, one so easy to get lost in.

I've been on a gothic kick lately and this book really hit the spot. It was suspenseful and mysterious and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Definitely recommend!

The caretakers by Eliza Maxwell
This is a story about two sets of sisters, a surprising inheritance and old murders as well as a new one.
Twins Tessa and Margot have not spoken for all their adult life, both have demons to live with but the death of their mother brings them back together.
The inheritance that they are left with is confusing and unexpected. Their mother was adopted after a horrific murder of the family of the house that now belongs to them. Two elderly sisters live in the lodge by the house Tessa needs a place to escape to after a documentary she made freed a man who might still be a murderer. She spends time with the sisters and suddenly everything becomes linked and another violent act happens.
This is a fantastic read, with mystery at its heart. It is fast moving and distressing facts finally come to light. Tessa has a hard decision about what to reveal and what to let lie.

Great book my first by this author really enjoyed it and likeable characters the story keeps you guessing.

I really enjoyed reading this book . I didn’t know what to expect as it was the first book that I have read by this author. I thought the book was well written and I really enjoyed the twists and turns and found the characters interesting. The story kept me gripped from start to finish and I will definitely read more books by Eliza Maxwell in the further.

I wanted to love this as much as the author's previous books. I enjoyed it but it's not a favorite. I didn't care for the two story lines that went together. I felt like there could have been more information about Tessa and Margot and also Kitty and Deirdre. Like there was something missing. There was something off about the description of upstate Pennsylvania. I know it's rural, but the description made it seem like it took place in the middle of nowhere, where electricity was a luxury. The storyline about the Cookes takes place in the 1940s, but it seemed like it should be the 1920s with the way everything was described. There were twists and turns. I wasn't sure what to expect with Kitty and Deirdre. I wasn't a fan of the characters. Maybe because I felt like I never really got to know them. Tessa and Margot's relationship was non existent. I can't imagine how Margot felt when she showed up at Tessa's apartment with devastating news. I wanted to find out what accident caused such a rift between the sisters, although you don't find out until the end of the book. Tessa blamed herself for everything, honestly I'm not sure why. What happened shouldn't have caused the girls to go their separate ways. The Oliver Barlow story was the most interesting part of the book. I would rather have read more about him than Tessa.

I recommend the book if you are a fan of the author's previous books. I liked the book but didn't love it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author, Eliza Maxwell, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Caretakers in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was hooked from the start.
The storyline was well thought out and written. The characters are well drawn and intriguing, and there were certainly plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. 3.5 stars.
Well worth a read.

Absolutely brilliant!

There is a very specific mash of genres that combines psychological thrillers and family dramas, set in a haunting background, that I absolutely adore. They are very difficult to get right, especially when they incorporate killer twists and unreliable characters. When they do end up being done well, they produce amazing novels like The Thirteenth Tale and Verity. I'm very happy to say, Maxwell absolutely nailed it with The Caretakers.

I can not rave enough about this book, and I definitely think all readers should try it. Fast-paced and thoroughly engrossing, The Caretakers is a wonderful piece of writing.
A huge thanks to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC.

4.5/5

Although The Caretakers focuses on Tessa there are an abundance of other stories and mysteries woven throughout the narrative. There is the story of Oliver Barlow, ex-prisoner and murderer on the run, Tessa coping with the death of her mother, the mystery surrounding Tessa and Margot's years-long estrangement, questions about the crime that originally put Oliver in prison, the truth behind Fallbrook's disturbing history, and of course, the truth about the Caretakers.

The fact that this list of elements seems overwhelming just goes to show how masterfully Eliza Maxwell has crafted this novel. Maxwell elegantly intertwines the various narratives in an easy-to-follow, enjoyable reading experience. She seamlessly draws information from each character's past throughout the alternating chapters without overloading the reader on information or creating confusion.

A problem that often arises in psychologically-focused novels is a lack of physical action. This is not an issue in The Caretakers. Maxwell has managed to effortlessly use external psychological and emotional pressures to create strong tension throughout the novel, resulting in a true page-turner with real surprises and shocking revelations.

Overall, this is an excellent novel featuring impressive writing skills and story-crafting. I would recommend it for anybody interested in psychologically-driven novels and suspense. I will definitely be picking up another book by Eliza Maxwell in the very near future.

This book is soooo good. Tessa Shepherd wrote, produced and directed a documentary about a man in prison wrongly convicted. In righting this wrong, Oliver Barlow goes free. Time goes on and the news comes that Oliver has kidnapped the Chief of Police’s daughter. He has lost everything and wants justice claiming he was set up by the Chief for the murder of a young woman... This news is all over and Tess is getting bad things said about her. Tess gets more news. Her mom has passed and left an old family home to her and her sister. There is another mystery there.... This book was good and kept me reading. The ending was so good, a surprise I didn’t see coming... Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book...loved it

Thank you to Netgalley, Eliza Maxwell and Lake Union Publishing for my arc of The Caretakers in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Tess is a maker of docu-series' and her most recent one about a man wrongly accused of murder has made her an overnight success. But when he kills again, Tessa's life is turned upside down as she is considered partly to blame for his release. Between that, the fact Tessa's mother has just died and her sister hates her, Tessa has no choice but to run for the hills. So when she learns of a strange inheritance bequeathed by her mother, it seems like the perfect place to hide. A crumbling mansion, Fallbrook is cared for by two elderly sisters living in a cottage in the grounds, they also guard the mysteries of the house and the terrible Murders that happened there...


Review: This book gave me major 'Making a Murderer' vibes! The storyline of Tessa's side of things was so similar. I thought it was an interesting way of setting out a book though! I really liked the shift between the two seemingly unconnected parts of the stories and the way they came together. I was a lot more interested in the sisters' story I have to admit. It was very cleverly done, the writing was lovely and the plot nice and twisty! Overall I really rated this story and would read more from this author.

The Caretakers is a very well written suspense. Great plot with many twists and turns. I highly recommend this book. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Such a good story! It gets high marks from me for plot, atmosphere, character development… pretty much everything. A fast-paced, suspense-driven story filled with twists, turns and shocking reveals, there were times when I was on the edge of my seat, fearful of what would happen next and yet unable to put the book down. A crumbling, derelict mansion – especially when located in a remote area with no cell phone reception - is such a perfect location for a family secrets kind of story. Some readers may find the two alternating storylines and the multiple plots (Tessa’s estranged relationship with her sister, Fallbrook’s mysterious past and the police case/current crime angle) a lot to take in, but Eliza Maxwell expertly brings everything together, striking the right balance between suspenseful action and characterization. Fallbrook’s gruesome past, guarded by the two elderly caretakers, and the crumbling mansion lend a wonderfully Gothic atmosphere to the story. While parts of the story (some of the sections focused on Oliver) have some elements of predictability for me, the overall effect is a highly satisfying mystery suspense thriller. Eliza Maxwell has now been added to my favorite authors list! A solid 4.5/5 star read for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing an early copy in exchange for an honest review.