From the publisher: The Heights is a tall, slender apartment building among the warehouses of Tower Bridge, its roof terrace so discreet you wouldn’t know it existed if you weren't standing at the window of the flat directly opposite. But you are. And that’s when you see a man up there – a man you’d recognize anywhere. He’s older now and his appearance has subtly changed, but it’s definitely him. Which makes no sense at all since you know he has been dead for over two years. You know this for a fact. Because you’re the one who killed him.

My thoughts: An absorbing, pacy, well-written thriller, I loved it! Ellen Saint is mother to Lucas, her beautiful, Oxbridge-bound son but he has been buddied up by the school with Kieran, when he joins the sixth form. Kieran is trouble, with a capital T. As Lucas is taken down a path of late night parties, drinking and drugs, so Ellen's hated of Kieran builds and builds. This is an absorbing story which cracks on apace, revealing to us that all may not be as it first seems as we also gain the persepective of Vic Gordon, Lucas's father, now separated from Ellen but closely involved in their lives. The characters are excellent and I enjoyed the dialaogue. I would really recommend this, as I would Louise Candlish's other thrillers.

I am a huge fan of Louise Candlish's writing and absolutely loved Our House. I then devoured The Other Passenger which I really enjoyed as well. I think Louise is the master of twisty/turny domestic thrillers and so I had really high hopes for The Heights. While I enjoyed it, this book didn't quite come up to the very high standard or the other two for me. I found the main character, Ellen, a little annoying and felt she was so hard on Kieran in a really snobby way. However, on the whole I did like The Heights but it comes third in my pecking order of Louise Candlish books. I still raced through it and found it a real page turner and will definitely recommend to my thriller loving friends.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Heights but that has in no way influenced my review.

I'm ashamed to admit that The Heights is only the second book by this author I have read (most of her other crime/psychological thrillers ARE on my terrifying TBR waiting patiently for me). But one thing I know for sure, after having only read two of Candlish's books, is that you are in for one helluva treat when you pick up one of her novels. Expertly crafted, totally absorbing and utterly readable. The Heights was no exception.

Lighting consultant and high place phenomenon (HPP) sufferer, Ellen Saint, is doing her best to avoid looking out of the window, reminding herself to concentrate on her latest client's lighting needs, when something catches her eye. Looking out of the window, Ellen glances across to the penthouse suite of The Heights, an exclusive apartment building with a private roof terrace, and sees someone she never expected to see. Kieran Watts. The man who caused Ellen such extreme heartache and grief is standing on top of the building opposite. But that can't be true because Kieran Watts is dead. Ellen killed him...

The Heights is hugely compulsive and draws the reader in from the get-go. Ellen's grief and her thirst for revenge is a living and breathing entity and once you're in, you'll definitely want to stick around to see where the author takes you. Ellen is a fascinating character who is expertly written. I may not have liked her but I certainly sympathised with her. How can you ever get over the loss of a child?

Shortly after Ellen's teenaged son, Lucas, is introduced to school newcomer, Kieran, things start to go wrong for her happy little brood. Lucas, who was on track for a place at Oxbridge, suddenly starts to behave differently. He stays out all night drinking, smoking and taking drugs. Ellen believes Kieran is the catalyst for this change, particularly as he so obviously despises Ellen and takes great pleasure in making her feel uncomfortable at every opportunity. That and because he's been in care for a while now. His recent move to a new foster carer puts him firmly in their orbit. But then tragedy strikes and there's only one person to blame. Kieran Watts. Ellen's hatred of the boy is palpable. There's only one course of action she can take. Kieran Watts must pay for what he did...

Another corker of a read from this author - the queen of the killer twist! I found The Heights to be a very absorbing, very emotional tale. What would you do in Ellen's position? How far can grief push a person? If The Heights is anything to go by, I think the answer to the second question is 'to the extremes'.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would. The Heights will leave you dizzy but in the best way possible. The setting really added to the story (coupled with Ellen's uncontrollable need to throw herself off of tall buildings!). The characters were all well-written and I enjoyed spending time with them (even the unpleasant ones!). And the pace was perfectly managed from beginning to end. The ending was hugely satisfying and I would pick up another book by this author faster than you can say 'HPP'. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The Heights. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The act of revenge and the feeling of hate are a lethal combination but the person who suffers the most from them is the one they stem from.

Revenge and hate are two of the main themes of The Heights. Ellen Saint is seeking revenge for, what she sees as, the killing of her fifteen year old son, Lucas. Led by Ellen, she and Vic – her ex-partner and Lucas’s dad – construct a plan to make Kieran pay for his actions.

The writing had me intrigued from the start where we find Ellen in a creative writing class penning her book entitled “Saint or Sinner” where she describes the scene where she sees someone on the roof terrace of The Heights building – someone she claims to have killed over two years ago. It then goes on to explain more about the relationship between Kieran and Lucas with Kieran painted as the “bad boy” leading Lucas astray. There are also chapters written from Vic’s perspective – he’s trying his hardest to get the right balance between being a protective parent and letting Lucas make the most his teenage years whilst juggling Ellen’s attempts to keep him away from Kieran. Throughout the book there are extracts from a Sunday Times article – “Killing Time” covering the story which adds further intrigue and mystery to the story.

I love the style of writing with the different strands and sources all leading to an explosive ending.

This is certainly the “edge-of-your-seat thriller” it is billed to be – I think I actually held my breath for the last few chapters and felt exhausted by the end!

Highly recommend The Heights.

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster UK, Louise Candlish and NetGalley for the review copy.

Really enjoyed this psychological revenge thriller. I’m sure it will be turned into an ITV drama at some stage, which is no bad thing - I love a bit of 9pm weeknight terror.

I always look forward to Louise Candlish’s books being released and The Heights is absolutely incredible!

I thought it was clever how this book is the main character Ellen’s story ‘Saint or Sinner’ (so a book within a book) which she is writing as part of a library creative writing course to try and process her experiences and the devastation that one particular man caused to her family.

Ellen begins her story by describing how she found herself one day in a flat directly opposite The Heights, an apartment building nestled discreetly amongst the warehouses in Tower Bridge, London. She was there to give her lighting expertise to a client who had commissioned an architect to redesign the space for her. Standing at her client’s window looking across at The Heights she sees a man standing on the roof terrace. A man she would recognise anywhere. He may be older now and his appearance has subtly changed but Ellen knows it is him. But this makes no sense because he has been dead for over two years. And Ellen would know...because she was the one who killed him!

The first chapter ends with this jaw dropping revelation and I couldn’t wait to delve into the story to uncover just who this man is. A man who Ellen describes as the monster who destroyed her life! I really liked how this story was told primarily in the first person from Ellen’s perspective and found myself racing through the pages to learn about the events which led to the devastation of Ellen’s world several years ago and the path she ends up going down following her sighting of the man on the roof terrace.

The story is split into four parts and I loved how they would each end on a brilliant cliffhanger where I was desperate to know more! I particularly liked how part two allowed us an insight into Ellen’s ex-partner Vic’s experiences and how he coped with the events both then and also how he copes with the events in the present when Ellen tells him who she has seen at The Heights. This was probably one of my favourite sections of the whole book as it was when some of the secrets slowly started to be revealed. The book is full of so many brilliant surprises and they continue right up until the final page. I didn’t see any of them coming and love when an author can constantly surprise me with their reveals in this way!

I really liked the way the story was interspersed with extracts from an article for the Sunday Times magazine throughout too. This provided another clever and intriguing layer. I also found it interesting to learn about ‘High Place Phenomenon’ which Ellen has, whereby she has a sudden urge to jump when in a high place.

The Heights truly is an absolutely incredible book and I cannot recommend it highly enough

I’ve read Those People, Our House and The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish, Our House being my favourite, so I wanted to to try the latest book and see how it faired.

I ended up really invested in the family the story centres around. Louise writes characters really well! I found this a good page turner and a nightmare read for a mum of an older teenage son! An addictive story and very obsessive with some nice twists for good measure.

The Heights is yet another excellent psychological thriller from Louise Candlish - she is intensely authentic in her characters which makes every novel feel like you are reading about real people.

In the case of Ellen, going slowly off the rails after the death of her son, this is very true. The emotional resonance of it all is vividly imagined within the core of the mystery elements and it has a haunting vibe overall.

Told with the classic past/present narrrative the story unfolds in addictive, beautifully crafted style and the ending is cleverly melancholic. Overall a fantastic read. Highly Recommended.

Is Ellen a sinner or a saint? She has had a difficult life, fell in love young, and had a child (Lucas) with Vic, suffered from a condition that makes her feel compelled to jump off the edges of high places, and a fear of something happening to her child which leads to her being incredibly risk-averse and controlling.
She subsequently marries Justin and has another child Freya.
When Lucas is assigned to be the buddy or mentor of a new boy at school, one who has been in a young offenders institution, Ellen is concerned. Lucas starts to change from being a good scholar and son, to spending time truanting with Kieran Watts.
It goes from bad to worse.
A brilliant tale of concerned parenting full of intrigue, drama and jaw-dropping events which leave the reader desperate to know more detail, wondering what will happen next, and wondering how this family will ever recover from the trauma of having been linked to Kieran Watts.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for a copy of “The Heights “ for an honest review.

When I read the premise for this book it seemed very apt for me to read , as ,unfortunately ,there have been a couple of teenage fatalities involving car crashes in my locality recently. This book takes you through how these sorts of events occur, and how blame is proportioned, depending on the people involved.
I’ve really enjoyed Louise Candish’s previous books, and although I enjoyed the style of her writing in this book,I couldn’t warm to the main characters,and I must confess it didn’t hold my attention as much as her others.
I’ve still given it a decent score , but not the full marks as I have in the past.

I've enjoyed every one of Louise Candlish's books and The Heights is easily as good as any of them.

Ellen has suffered a traumatic event and is determined that the person who caused her suffering should pay for it. The first part of the book is devoted to her point of view interspersed with an interview she gives to the Sunday Times. Midway through the book we hear from her first husband Vic, who has also been affected by the same tragic event.

No character in the book is particularly likable but the story is riveting as Ellen seeks her revenge, letting nothing get in her way. However, there are twists and turns aplenty and I read The Heights in just two sittings! Louise's fans will not be disappointed and she deserves to win many new ones. Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this book.

We jump straight in with the main character Ellen Saint who has been traumatised by an event in the past and in an attempt to come to terms with it is writing a novel about it.
The story is told in the first person in a chatty friendly style. The author is talking directly to the reader with asides which I like. Occasionally we have a glimpse of Ellen via a third person perspective, the Sunday times magazine.
In the second half of the book we get a different perspective with Vic’s Story.

Ellen comes across as an obsessive suffocating mother, not a likeable character. I feel that her obsessive behaviour is imploding on the rest of the family.
In fact none of the characters come across as likeable, maybe Her husband Justin who must be a saint ( pun intended)

The pace is fast and the storyline riveting.

The story started off well but just keeps getting better and better with the plot twists. I can’t help but get irritated by Ellen’s obsessive personality traits and actions.

This book is brilliant. The ending is sublime. My emotions were in free fall at the end.

The Heights

I feel slightly sucker punched only seconds after finishing this fantastic new thriller from Louise Candlish - a name I only came across five years ago when it appeared as an ‘you might also like’ recommendation, but is now top of my list when it comes to twisty, delicious and impossible to put down thrillers. After the final twists in The Heights I think this might be her best yet. She has an incredibly incisive way of portraying middle class southern morés and the way they change and mutate under immense pressure. It’s like reading weaponised Jane Austen for the 21st Century; what if Willoughby had been a killer or Wickham had kidnapped then killed Lydia? These are the same type of people, centuries apart, but still playing out gender and class politics from a beautiful Victorian semi (with a large family room leading to bifold doors to the pizza oven).

Kieran Watts has been dead for over two years. Yet, there he is, on the roof terrace of an exclusive building in Shad Thames. Called the heights - all lower case - this is a tall, thin building that you might not notice at all, had you not been standing in the window of the flat opposite. There are subtle changes. The physique for a start has had some work. There may even be a touch of plastic surgery here and there, but you know it’s him. Even though he’s meant to be dead. You were sure he was dead, because you had him killed.

Ellen Saint lives with husband Justin, their daughter Freya and Ellen’s son Lucas from her previous marriage to Vic. They really are the perfect family unit, with a shared parenting ethos for Lucas and everyone getting along well. Lucas is a bright teenager, possibly on course to apply to Oxbridge, who loves gaming and spending with friends and girlfriend Jade. Then along comes Kieran Watts. Kieran moves nearby after being taking into care and placed into foster care with Prisca. This puts him into the catchment area for Lucas’s school and on Kieran’s first day, Lucas is asked to ‘buddy’ Kieran and help him settle in. The two boys really hit it off and from here starts a spiral that’s only travelling one way, towards tragedy. Firstly, Lucas goes out a lot with Kieran and some older kids, who have cars. Then his grades start to slip and he uses bad language at home. Ellen fears his late nights, mornings in bed and red- rimmed eyes are down to drugs. She tries to reduce his time with Kieran, but only succeeds in pushing them together. Lucas and his girlfriend Jade, find Kieran funny. Ellen doesn’t. She sees the way Kieran looks at her. It’s bad enough when he’s dead behind the eyes, but when focused on her, Ellen sees defiance, challenge and threat. Tragedy strikes one evening, as the boys are out in Kieran’s car and veer off road into a lake. Kieran escapes, but Lucas’s seatbelt is jammed. Ellen imagines her sons final moments of realisation, panic and terrible fear. Kieran will be made to pay for this.

Ellen is a very single-minded character and I was never sure whether I liked her or not. There are times I think she was a snob, only wanting her son to be with other middle class kids. She also seems to be obsessed with Lucas at the expense of her daughter. Obviously she loves her children, but how much of her interest in Lucas is fuelled by his good looks, his academic prowess and future promise as a potential Oxbridge student. There is an element of Ellen’s concern caught up in what others think. She’s still very close with Vic, Lucas’s father, but he has a very different way of parenting. He has no qualms about Kieran, and let’s them hang out at his place. Ellen likes to think that she and Vic are on the same page and is proud of their ability to co-parent alongside her new husband Justin, but is Vic really in tune with Ellen’s values? I kept wondering if this small act of undermining Ellen, was a sign of greater betrayals to come. Similarly, Ellen acts unilaterally as soon as she sees Kieran at the heights. I was surprised that she never talked with Justin and they don’t work together. After Kieran was sentenced for his part in Lucas’s accident, Ellen starts a media campaign about stronger sentencing for deaths caused by dangerous driving. However, Vic is her partner in this with Justin holding the fort at home. Don’t they agree? Or does Ellen simply disregard his feelings? Her love for her son and her deep sense of grief are driving her forwards and are stronger than her feelings for either husband.

As usual Louise Candlish has written a fantastic thriller here. It has all the ingredients that keep you reading till the early hours. Short, snappy chapters keep the pace and tension throughout. There are twists and turns galore! Her incredible ability to analyse and dissect human nature is forensic in its detail. She lampoons middle class concerns here perfectly, from Ellen’s home that Vic remarks is just the right location and style for his ex-wife, to her determination that Lucas is Oxbridge material and shouldn’t be dragged backwards by someone like Kieran. Her children, on the other hand, are more than happy to mix with friends from different backgrounds. Ellen would probably consider herself liberal, but her actions and attitude betray other, perhaps more conservative values. Her very public campaign for longer sentencing seemed to be a distraction, something to throw herself into that potentially delays her grief. It was fascinating to see how such a seismic loss, affects each family member differently. This combination of raw family emotion and tense thrilling reveals makes for an incredibly intelligent and enjoyable read that’s very hard to put down.

This is a great premise of a story but sadly for me I just didn’t engage with it, it’s really well written and I can see why Ellen, the main character, went into a total tailspin at the one in a million sight of the man she blames for the loss of her son and indeed a man she though was dead but the story told through her memories dragged me down with all the negativity. I’m not saying I don’t understand why it was negative it’s simply that she seemed to be looking for the bad and just didn’t seem quite balanced, when I came to her ex- husband Vic’s side of the story half way through I found it much easier to read as he was far more rational. This didn’t have the pace I expect from a thriller, no huge shocks either but as a story of a woman unravelling it works well.

4,5 Stars

Ellen lived every parent’s worst nightmare. Her nineteen year old son Lucas died in an accident. Two years later she visits a client of hers in her flat in Shad London. When she looks out of the window she sees someone familiar. One who should not be there because she knows he is dead. And she was involved in his murder. So why is he standing there alive?

This is a story about revenge and hate. The kind of hate you feel when a loved one was taken from you and you are absolutely sure that their dead were caused by somebody else. When Lucas came around with a new friend she immediately knew he was bad news. Kieran became her nemesis. Even before the accident she felt threatened by him. Ellen describes Kieran as a really despicable person who was a bad influence on poor and sweet Lucas and let him astray. As a mother I could feel for Ellen and understand her grieve. She can’t think of anything else than revenge and is willing to go to the extreme. The only person she can talk about that is Vic, her ex and Lucas’ father. Vic supports her wish to punish Kieran beyond the conviction he already got. But then the POV changes and we hear Vic’s side of the story. And things begin to shift slightly.

This book puts you as a reader in a moral dilemma. As much as I felt for Ellen I also got irritated by her hatred and her obsession with Kieran. But you never know how you would react to a situation like that unless you experienced it yourself. I don’t know what I would do if I were in Ellen’s shoes (I hopefully never will).

The story is told in a slow pace and takes it time to get to the accident and the aftermath. It is more of a character driven family drama than a psychological thriller. But I was hooked because it is so well crafted and it raises a lot of interesting questions about what I myself would be willing to do and on which side I would be. The only character who stayed a bit in the dark is Kieran. That is the only thing I would criticize. I did not get the appeal he had to his friends and I am not sure if all the threatening Ellen felt was real and if it was real what was his motive? But maybe the author did not want us to tell and leave us in the dark. But I would highly recommend this complex and dark drama.

Another fantastic book by the wonderful Louise Candlish. I absolutely love her books and this one is way up there amongst her best.
As always, her writing is flawless. I was kept hooked throughout and couldn’t wait to see what would happen. A story about motherhood, heartbreak and revenge, full of fantastic characters who you really care about and a few twists and turns that you’re not expecting.

I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a really well written psychological thriller about believable circumstances a family might find themselves in.

What an amazing book. It will definitely take all your attention so cancel all housework, work work or any plans you have. This book is so well written and will have you at the edge of your seat. There are excellent twists and turns and I loved this book

The Heights is a tall, slender apartment building among the warehouses of Tower Bridge, its roof terrace so discreet you wouldn’t know it existed if you weren't standing at the window of the flat directly opposite. But you are. And that’s when you see a man up there – a man you’d recognize anywhere. He’s older now and his appearance has subtly changed, but it’s definitely him. Which makes no sense at all since you know he has been dead for over two years.  You know this for a fact. Because you’re the one who killed him.  It’s time to confess what we did up there.

This is definitely a thrilling read. I loved the style of it; present day, past and chapters taken from a novel, all combine to make for one thrilling, mysterious read. Candlish has written this in a way that grips the reader and ensures they are involved with all of the drama of the read. Candlish has many twists during this read and I found myself hooked and just waiting for the next twist and I was not to be disappointed. I found this to be completely exhilarating and it felt really unique which is always a bonus.

The whole premise of this read is fantastic; the plot if thrilling, the characters intriguing and the concept of The Heights adds something else to the read. Candlish explores some really fascinating subjects during the course of the plot and I loved learning about them and seeing how they slot in with the drama and tension of the plot. The atmosphere that is created is electrifying and very intense, I also thought this had a strong sense of a traditional crime read which I adored.

'The Heights' is not only an incredibly gripping thriller but a fascinating exploration of human personalities and characteristics and what they might do under certain situations. I was addicted to this book and highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy.

I'm new to this author having only read one previous books of hers. Unlike #TheOtherPassenger this one was more of slow-burn domestic thriller - exploring grief, obsession and revenge vengeance - until the surprise ending which I gather is a trademark of Louise Candlish. She is also known for creating unlikable and deeply flawed characters, which she definitely did with main character Ellen, whose fantasist, obessive behaviour just did seem a bit extreme for the circumstances. I get the revenge aspect driven by grief but Ellen's 'crazy' existed way before her son's death back when she just didn't like the way her son's teenage friend looked at her. And, that was it with this - once again I loved the writing and everyone else has loved it but I just didn't take to this particular storyline for some reason, perhaps because it is Ellen's story (literally and metaphorically as she's writing a book). It’s interspersed with an article on her and also later Vic’s point of view as her ex partner and son's father, but understanding more about Kieran and his point of view would have given more context.

Wow what amazing thriller book that had me gripped from the 1st page , I loved this book and would recommend everyone to read it , I won’t put any spoilers on here
This book tells the story of Ellen who wants revenge for the death of her son Lucas and believes that Lucas friend Kieran is responsible for Lucas death , what follows is amazing thriller book that has so many different twists and turns that are amazing you feel like your on a rollercoaster
With thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for the arc of this book