Ten years ago, the Harper family, a family of three, disappeared from their Ivy Cottage in the sleepy village of Nighbrook. The oven was ready for the cookies the mom was baking, the television was playing Disney for little Grace, and the suitcase was half unpacked from the dad returning from his business trip. For crime journalist Naomi, solving the disappearance case has turned into an obsession. So when she bought the cottage where the family disappeared, she thought she could finally find all the answers.

The Good: this book had a lot of surprising twists. When one twist was revealed there was another shockingly, unpredictable twist that I didn't see coming.

The Bad: all the characters. But especially Naomi. She doesn't consider herself a gold digger, yet she uses her husband's money to buy a cottage, knowingly he would never live there if he knew the history. I had no respect for her. Also, the story with all the twists and turns was so far-fetched and unbelievable.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Caroline Mitchell for a copy of "The Village" in exchange of an honest review.

The Village by Caroline Mitchell is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Naomi, a true crime journalist, moves from London to Ivy Cottage, in the sleepy little village of Nighbrook.  The last year has changed her life...a new husband, a 16 year-old step-daughter, and now a rural cottage.  She's not sure any of this is a good idea.

But life in Nighbrook has not always been perfect .  Ten years ago Martin Harper, his wife Susan, and their wheel-chair bound 8-year old daughter Grace,  disappeared from their home, Ivy Cottage.

This is the same Ivy Cottage that Naomi has purchased...without telling her husband of it's rather dark history.  Ed would not approve although he is bound to find out.  But as a crime journalist Naomi has never been able to let this story go.  She is obsessed, and determined to find the truth, even if it means buying and living in that eerie little cottage.

The villagers are just as determined to keep their secrets.  They all seem to know what happened 10 years ago, but no one plans on opening up to Naomi.  She may regret moving her new family to this town, because some secrets can be deadly.


My Opinions:   
I really enjoy the Amy Winters series by this author, and have enjoyed her other stand-alone novels, so I really looked forward to this.

Unfortunately, my first thoughts were not good, as it involved a bratty teen-aged stepdaughter.  You sort of knew where that was headed.  So the first quarter of the book, I admit to being a little annoyed with myself for choosing to read this book.  Once I got over the wicked step-daughter thing, I started to really enjoy the book.

The story is told in two time-lines (current and ten years ago).  There was no confusion.  The characters were really interesting, and the suspense built throughout.  Then, when you thought you knew what was going on, the author threw you another curve.  Yes, the plot took some definitely unexpected turns, and a couple of them a little "out-there", but I loved turning the pages to see where we were going next.

It was a really fast read, and the many twists kept me turning the pages to see what awaited around the next corner.  The book gives new meaning to the saying "it takes a village to raise a child".

Anyway, I enjoyed it!



For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

This is a stand alone novel.

I know from reading several of Caroline Mitchell's earlier novels that the characters will be carefully crafted and that there will be plenty of twists and turns in the storyline.

The novel is told over two time frames separated by a decade.
The story is set in a remote fictional village setting in the New Forest.

The10 years ago part of the story revolves around a couple and their daughter who all diappear from their cottage.
The now part of the story concerns a newly wed couple and their daughter who move into the same cottage from which the missing family disappeared.

I won't go into detail about the plot for fear of spoiling the story. Suffice to say that there are enough twists and turns and a few red herrings along the way before the truth becomes clear about the events which occurred in this village where virtually everyone has some sort of secret to hide.

I enjoyed the book and I give my thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for a copy in exchange for this review.

A really engrossing story that proves that curiosity may kill. Naomi made changes in her life to pursue her obsession - to discover what happened to the Harpers, the family that lived at Ivy Cottage. The Nighbrook villagers kept their lips tight to keep a secret, although most of them were not totally apprised to the truth. But emerging from the difficulties that Naomi and her stepdaughter Morgan faced, they formed a strong bond that will allow them to live as a family. Will all the truth be disclosed? What will happen to Morgan's relationship with her mother? How will the Nighbrook village cope with the truth being disclosed?
A great plot, written with mastery that keeps the reader entertained till the end!

This was a good book with twists and turns, I felt it took a while to get where it was going and maybe a little bit more information at the end, but overall enjoyable

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing Thomas & Mercer for gifting me a digital copy of the latest thriller by Caroline Mitchell - one of my favorites. She is an ex-police detective so she definitely writes what she knows! 5 stars because I just couldn't put it down!

Ten years ago, the Harper family disappeared from their small village - it looked like they just disappeared from their home. Former crime journalist, Naomi, has been obsessed with the crime and when their house became available, she convinced her new husband to buy it, without telling him or her stepdaughter of its history. That isn't the only secret; the villagers seem to know more about the Harper's disappearance than they've ever shared and are none to happy to welcome a new family into the house.

This is a quick read - mainly because I was racing to see how it would all work out. It's full of interesting characters, great plot twists, and lots of suspense. Don't miss this one - and be sure to read her DI Amy Winters series as well!!

The Harper family disappeared from their home in the little village of Nighbrook 10 years ago. The mystery of what happened to them has never been solved. Naomi is a crime journalist and has been investigating their disappearance for as long as she can remember. When the opportunity to buy the Harper’s house arises, Naomi, her husband and step-daughter move to Nighbrook, but they find the villagers unwelcoming and obviously hiding something.

The premise of this book immediately drew me in! I love a good mystery and this sounded thrilling enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. The book was great and once started I couldn’t put it down. It was certainly creepy-creepy, weirdy-weirdy and the whole storyline left me with shivers down my spine. Naomi was a strange character though and I initially didn’t take to her as much. She was very obsessed with the mystery of what happened to the Harpers, to the point where she put her marriage and even their lives at risk. As the book moved on, I did begin to warm to her and I liked how she handled some situations and that she was really quite a strong character.

The villagers of Nighbrook were seriously weird though, with some of them darker, mysterious and dangerous than the others. They all seemed to be hiding something about what really happened and it was difficult to work out who to trust. I couldn’t work out where the storyline was heading, it seemed that there were many different paths it could take, and this kept me on my toes and thinking about what might happen as I read. The pace built up steadily, and I have to admit by the time I reached the climax of the story I was absolutely hooked. The plot twisted and turned and I didn’t guess at all where it was going!

This was a seriously good thriller and the author did a great job of steering you away from what was actually happening until it happened!! I have read books by this author before, but this was my favourite so far. Full of lies, secrets and danger, I really enjoyed this book! It’s chilling, thrilling and it will certainly keep you checking over your shoulder as you read…just in case! Would definitely recommend!

Ten years ago, the Harper family disappeared. Their deserted cottage was left with the water running, the television playing cartoons, the oven ready for baking. The doors were locked from the inside.
Overnight, the sleepy village of Nighbrook became notorious as the scene of the unsolved mystery of the decade, an epicentre for ghoulish media speculation.
For crime journalist Naomi, solving the case has turned into an obsession. So now, with Ivy Cottage finally listed for sale, it’s her chance to mount an investigation like no other. And her husband and stepdaughter don’t really need to know what happened in their new home… do they?
But Nighbrook isn’t quite the village she expected. No one wants to talk to her. No one will answer her questions. And as she becomes increasingly uneasy, it’s clear that the villagers are hiding something—that there is something very dark at the heart of this rural idyll. And the deeper she digs, the more it seems her investigation could be more dangerous than she ever imagined… In raking up the secrets of the past, has she made her own family the next target?

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.

That’s one hell of an intriguing prologue! I knew I was in for a treat after reading that opener! I had to know what happened to the Harpers???!

But that will have to wait as I move into Ivy Cottage with the Wards, one dysfunctional family! Naomi is trying her hardest with stepdaughter Morgan but this angst-filled teen is having none of it. But soon it becomes a situation of them against us as the villagers of Nighbrook are hell bent on making them feel unwelcome … BUT WHY???!

I loved the way Mitchell kept me on my toes by switching perspectives so quickly. I got both sides of the present story with brief insights to lead up to the Harpers’ disappearance and boy were those snippets mind-boggling!

The Village is one hell of a dark and unnerving read. Mitchell has wrapped it up with her signature sinisterness that had me looking over my shoulder to make sure I wasn’t the one being followed or watched. My heart was racing as the story hit its shocking climax. You need to read this if you love your psych-thrillers twisted and dark!

I was hoping to get to read this book before publication day, but unfortunately life has got it the way. I will review asap and leave my review on the relevant sites

This book is two stories in one and is genuinely creepy. The author did a fine job of making the reader feel the atmosphere of menace and danger in the woods and the suspicion and antipathy of the residents.

Ten years ago, a family of three - father, mother, and daughter - disappeared from their home in the small village of Nighbrook and never returned. In the present time, a new family of three - father, stepmother, and daughter - have moved into the house to the consternation of the other people in the village. To say that they don't like strangers is an understatement.

The new family is comprised of Ed, Naomi, and Morgan, Ed's daughter, who is 16. Ed and Naomi have not been married long. Ed is a filmmaker and travels a lot so he is absent for most of the book. Naomi presents herself to their new town as a baker of delicious pastries but while she is a fine baker, she is also a fairly well-known crime journalist. It didn't take the residents long to find that out, and she was met with hostility on her second trip to town. Not only hostility, but the owner of the restaurant she had given pastries to claimed that they contained maggots.

Naomi bought the house without sharing its history with her new family. I was expecting trouble in her marriage from that, but her husband Ed only mentions the history of the house and then moves on. Morgan makes friends with the daughter of the local pastor, Dawn, which makes her a lot happier about the move. Naomi, however, is increasingly troubled and uneasy as she feels isolated, wary of the other residents, and alone with Ed away so much. Dawn is the daughter of the local sheriff.

While I literally did not want to put this book down, I also felt a little let down at the end, maybe because there was not anything actually supernatural about it. Thanks to author Caroline Mitchell, Thomas & Mercer Publishing, and Netgalley for the review copy of this book. It was a pleasure to read and review.

Crime journalist Naomi moves her family to the cottage of a mysterious disappearance that happened 10 years ago. She is obsessed with solving the case, and immersing herself in the community that appears to be hiding what really happened to the Harper family.

This book is really creepy, in the best possible way. This book really conveys all the ways that the towns people go to (scary) ends to cover up what they feel is something important for the rest of the world not to know. The characters are believable in their obsession, and their actions.

Overall, this was a great story that sucked me in quickly. I enjoyed reading, and the plot moved well. Recommended for those who enjoy stories that will creep you out and make you look at people just a little bit differently.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis of this book had me really intrigued; a family disappearing from a house with the doors still locked from the inside. Overall it was a good read with twists galore that kept me turning the pages, I guessed one but the last was a jaw dropping moment. It was quite creepy in parts too. You really wouldn’t want to live in this village! Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for letting me read and review this book.

An abandoned house, a disappeared family - the Harper family vanished from their home. The TV was left on, someone was baking cookies, & the dog was still outside in the yard, but there was no trace of the parents or their young daughter, then or now. Ten years later, crime journalist Naomi buys the home for her new family comprising her new husband & teenage step-daughter, Morgan. She's hoping there may be some small clue inside Ivy Cottage that she can use to solve the cold case. Her husband is quickly called away, & Naomi is left with her step-daughter who seems to hate her, the villagers are strangely unfriendly, & she feels as if they aren't welcome.

I have mixed feelings on this one. On the one hand, it's a gripping read, I read it in under 4 hours as it keeps the reader thinking 'Just one more chapter', but the plot is kind of out there at times. I wasn't sure about Naomi at first, but I did grow to like her more as things developed, but the insta-relationship between two of the characters just didn't ring true. As if someone who had kept a deadly secret for ten years suddenly decides they have to spill it to someone they've spoken to a handful of times. Also there was a character that appeared near the start, then didn't appear again until near the end. Now if the character had played a bigger part then yes, maybe it would have been a good twist but as it was I really didn't see the point of that character at all. Overall, it was a thrilling read but a bit odd in parts.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Thomas & Mercer, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

The village by Caroline Mitchell.
Ten years ago, the Harper family disappeared. Their deserted cottage was left with the water running, the television playing cartoons, the oven ready for baking. The doors were locked from the inside. Overnight, the sleepy village of Nighbrook became notorious as the scene of the unsolved mystery of the decade, an epicentre for ghoulish media speculation.
For crime journalist Naomi, solving the case has turned into an obsession. So now, with Ivy Cottage finally listed for sale, it’s her chance to mount an investigation like no other. And her husband and stepdaughter don’t really need to know what happened in their new home… do they? But Nighbrook isn’t quite the village she expected. No one wants to talk to her. No one will answer her questions. And as she becomes increasingly uneasy, it’s clear that the villagers are hiding something—that there is something very dark at the heart of this rural idyll. And the deeper she digs, the more it seems her investigation could be more dangerous than she ever imagined… In raking up the secrets of the past, has she made her own family the next target?
I really really enjoyed this book. I do love this author. Great story and characters. I liked the cover too. 4*.

The Village by Caroline Mitchell was another superb read, then again all of Caroline's books I have read, have been excellent and I am always hooked from the very first few pages. Hence why she has become one of my favourite authors.
I love the way she writes, and her fantastic communication about her new books etc we receive from her.

This new book was a great psychological thriller which is set in the village of Nighbrook in UK. However, Nighbrook has many dark secrets which is all around the disappearance of The Harper family, who mysteriously disappeared ten years ago. No one has moved into their house and it has been left untouched from the day they all disappeared. So when this house went on the market Naomi who is a crime journalist jumped at the chance to purchase it with her husband and her step daughter Morgan, and is hoping to solve the ten year mystery on what happened to them.
However, the villagers of Nighbrook have gone to great lengths to keep these secrets hidden and these newcomers are not welcome to their village,

Will Naomi and her family unlock these secrets of the disappearance of the Harper family?

Are they safe to live in the Harper house they have just purchased?

How did The Harpers disappear? Where are they?

WoW!!! What another brilliant book this was! it is a fast paced and full of great twists and turns throughout that will have you hooked and is great for a holiday read.


I highly recommend this book and all of Caroline's books . They do not disappoint! Just Brilliant Another excellent read.


5/5 star

Big Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve just finished reading a book that is completely entrancing and well worth the time. The Village by Caroline Mitchell is a psychological thriller which is set in the village of Nighbrook in the UK. It concerns Ivy Cottage, which is almost a character in this book. Ten years ago, the Harpers, who were living in the cottage, disappeared, never to be seen again. The house was found empty, with cookies ready for the oven and other normal signs of a family getting on with their day. All were gone except for the family dog. Fast forward to the present and Naomi, a journalist who has always been fascinated with the Harpers’ story, purchases Ivy Cottage when it comes on the market and moves in with her husband and step-daughter. And that is when it becomes clear that the people of Nighbrook have many secrets. The Village is completely suspenseful and it feels like it has several endings. Just when you think you have figured it out, the plot veers into another direction. The author, Caroline Mitchell, is a former police detective and the narrative shines with her experiences. This is my first Mitchell book but I will make a point of reading many more. This book stands apart from the usual in this genre. Highly recommended. Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise is intriguing, but this story about small town/village secrets is a progression of cliched plot threads that clunk into utterly foreseeable twists, which then degenerate into the absurd. Sorry, but this was not for me.

I'm a huge fan of Caroline Mitchell and always enjoy her standalones as well as the Amy Winter series that first hooked me. The Village sucked me in from the very beginning and I was just as obsessed as Naomi with getting to the bottom of the Harper family disappearance. I definitely got Hot Fuzz and their greater good vibes from Nighbrook. There are some parts where you have to suspend disbelief, like when an extremely rich couple move into a damp house with no furniture. I'm aIso not normally a fan of that particular disability trope but it works well in this book.

There is a range of great characters from lovable to hated and everything in between. Even though there are a quite a few names I didn't struggle to keep track of them because they were all written so well. I loved seeing Naomi and Morgan's relationship grow and change. I think Morgan was my favourite character and a lot of her storyline was a rollercoaster of emotions. i just wanted to give her a hug. I kept changing my mind about what I thought had happened and then the ending was just twist after twist. I couldn't put this book down and read it in a day. Definitely recommend.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I was so excited to read this book and it certainly did not disappoint. Incredibly tense, gripping and atmospheric. I was pulled in from the start and could not put it down. Utterly brilliant and a must read for any thriller fans.