This would have been my first book by this author but sadly I just couldnt really get into it like I wanted to.

I’d like to thank Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Long Weekend’ written by Gilly MacMillan in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Three women, Jayne, Emily and Ruth, arrive at Dark Fell Barn for a weekend break, their husbands due to join them for the following day. When a letter written by Edie, the fourth member of the female group, has been left on a table in the barn saying that she’s going to kill one of their husbands that night, the women try to make contact with them but the barn is isolated, they’re out of range for using their mobile phones and there’s no internet.

‘The Long Weekend’ is a story of three women who have their own problems and add to that a wind and rain-battered isolated barn where they’re unable to phone to check on their own husbands and we’re given the backdrop for a thrilling plot. Edie’s husband Rob died five months earlier, drowned whilst filming wildlife, so why should she want to murder one of their husbands who she’s known for years? The plot is chilling and the characters, although not particularly likeable, are interesting and make for a tense and dramatic story. I would have preferred to have chapters and the narrative moves from character to character making it hard to work out who’s saying what at that time. Not my favourite book by this author but worth reading.

What is meant to be a quiet retreat to an isolated cabin takes a dark turn when the guests arrive to a note informing them one of their husbands has been murdered.

Although the premise of this is not exactly novel, I was intrigued and hoping for an interesting mystery. Unfortunately, that is not entirely what I got. While it started off well and had me curious it gradually devolved and seemed too overt in its attempts to mislead and misdirect.
Typically I enjoy a rotating POV, but here it just switched far too often and needlessly which just ended up slowing the narrative down, and to be honest caused unnecessary confusion (and I dont think the intentional kind) where the POV would switch without warning and often just for a few sentences. These POVs were also heavy on the flashbacks and reminiscing to each characters' tragic past or troubled personal life, often at the most inopportune of moments, further slowing the plot.
And while I find thrillers with unlikeable and unreliable characters interesting, it seemed slightly implausible for every single one of them to be so very unstable and for that to be the factor the entire book hinges on.

All in all I just felt like it was trying to do too much and couldn't quite bring it all together. It could have benefited from a few fewer POVs and side plots, in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and RandomHouse UK for my e-arc of this title, received in exchange for an honest review.

Three women go on a long weekend with their husbands expected to join them the next day. The husbands all went to school together along with Eddie and Rob. Rob has since died so Edie doesn’t want to go with them. The three women are in a cottage in the middle of nowhere up from a farm and no wi-if or phone signal.

I always think I would never go anywhere so isolated for the exact reason of reading about situations like this! On arrival, they receive a letter threatening one of their husbands.

I got a bit confused towards the end but found the characters interesting and complex!

There were two things that immediately drew me to The Long Weekend. The first being I simply love Gilly MacMillans previous books so I was eager to read this one. The second was that this book is set in one of my most favourite places in the world, Northumbria. It is mine and my husband's ideal holiday destination, an isolated barn conversion with no mobile signal. but after reading this we would think twice. This book is full of tension, suspense, twists and turns and it kept me guessing right to the end.
I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Three couples decide to spend a weekend away together. Unfortunately the husbands are not able to go until the Saturday.
When Jayne, Ruth and Emily arrive there is a present and letter waiting for them. One of their husbands is dead but which one?
And has their friend Edie who lost her husband really written it?
This is written from the pov of the many characters including Edie's daughter Imogen.
Well this had me guessing who the perpetrator was for quite some time until I went with my gut instinct which proved to be correct.
The descriptions of the barn and the weather made it feel quite eerie especially when Rmily decided she wanted to get to the farmhouse so she could phone her husband.
There was plenty of revelations between the women who had their own problems.
I know this was an ARC but there were chapters. Also no breaks between paragraphs which can get confusing when switching characters.
I thought the ending was a little weak. I was expecting a final twist.
Overall an enjoyable read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC in return for an honest review.

By the time you read this, I’ll have killed one of your husbands.

Three women arrive for a weekend getaway to an isolated barn deep in the Northumbria moors. Their husbands will be joining them the next day, or so they believe

However, when they arrive at Dark Fell Barn the women find a gift with a note that holds devastating news. With no phone service or internet and a storm coming in, they are stranded.

The evening spirals out of control, with each wife reacting very differently and no knowledge of which husband might have befallen a hideous crime.

Now is the time for reckoning.


Having never read anything by Macmillan before I was completely drawn to requesting this story due to the engaging synopsis. Had I known this would be the best part of the book I would read, I definitely would have given it a miss.

I absolutely love a good crime thriller, however, the burden of this can be that I have read some great crime thrillers, and this one didn’t even come close. Not only was the storyline lacking, but the overall reading experience was also affected by the decision to not use chapters which considering this story is told from multiple viewpoints was a huge oversight. Not only were there no chapters but this book was hindered even further by the fact there was no clear definition to those different points of view, so I often found myself wondering which character I had moved onto.

The writing was haphazard and frantic which I’m unsure whether this was done to try and create a frenzied feeling for the reader or was just the authors chosen style. Either way, it didn’t work for me. I just felt like I wanted to get off!

I’m sure once this book hits the shelves I will be in the minority with my opinions, but I have high standards for this genre and unfortunately this didn’t tick any of the boxes for me.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Dark Fell Barn is a "perfectly isolated" retreat. or so it says on the website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need. The women arrive for a girls night ahead of their husbands. There's ex-army Jayne, hardened and serious but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young Emily, just wed and insecure, the newest addition to the tight-knit band. Missing this year is Edie, who was the glue holding them together until her husband died suddenly. But what they hoped would be a relaxing break soon turns to horror.

This story is told from multiple points of view. The atmosphere is tense, the characters were flawed, unlikable, they all have secrets but they're well developed. You have to give your full attention whilst reading as you don't always know who's speaking. and there is no chapters. I enjoyed the mystery and intriguing plotline. The pace is steady in this well written book. I didn't see the last twist coming.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #Cornerstone for my ARC of #TheLongWeekend in exchange for an honest review.

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

The Long Weekend is a book that I just could not resist! With that striking cover and that very intriguing blurb, I had to read this one. Plus I've been keen to read a Gilly Macmillan novel for a while now - this being my first - so all the stars aligned and I got stuck into this one straight away. And what a ride!

Three couples book a weekend away in Northumbria. They've chosen a converted barn, far from civilisation, out of mobile range, on a farm. It's the perfect place to get away from it all and spend some quality time together. But the men unexpectedly get held up, so the three women - Jayne, Ruth and Emily - head north, with the men joining them the following day. On arrival, they discover a devastating note which sends their weekend into free fall. The note claims that one of their husbands has been killed. Completely isolated, unable to contact their husbands and with a ferocious storm approaching, tempers begin to fray. Uncertainty and fear drive the women to turn on each other. Which husband has been targeted, and why? And will the women ever escape Dark Fell Barn to find out...

The Long Weekend is a gripping psychological suspense novel and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the atmospheric feel the author gives to the Northumbrian setting. I could feel the chill of the wind and the rain, the pressing darkness as tensions mount. It was wonderful. I also really liked the sub-plot featuring Maggie and John, the owners of the farm. John's health is deteriorating but Maggie can't stop her strong-willed husband from doing what he's always done. He knows the landscape like the back of his hand. Or he did, at least... As their story reached its climax, I became quite emotional.

The three main characters - Jayne, Ruth and Emily - have very little in common yet are forced to be friendly because of their husbands friendship and shared history. Jayne is ex-military intelligence - straight down the line, has been a part of traumatic decisions but lacks self-confidence and sees herself as unattractive and plain. Ruth is a GP and a new mum, struggling to cope with the work/life balance, and not helped by Toby, her husband, becoming distant since the baby's arrival. Emily is young and attractive, a new addition to the group. The trophy wife - or so the others think - but her love for husband Paul is clear. As the situation worsens, as the truth becomes clear, the relationship between the women crumbles further.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I really enjoyed The Long Weekend. I found it to be a twisty, compelling read from start to finish, and I was keen to find out how things would end for the characters. There are quite a few surprises along the way which kept me on my toes and kept me guessing. An intriguing, well-written story by an author I'm keen to read more from. Recommended.

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

Dark Secrets Will Out…
Deliciously dark, twisting suspense with an underlying sense of creeping menace from the start which continues through this complex and unnerving tale until the very last page. Characters are well crafted and credible, although mostly and quite rightly, largely unlikeable and the atmospheric plot is well done and not, perhaps, as predictable as you may at first imagine. Dark secrets will out.

Loved this book - the opening really hooks you in and you are kept guessing until the very end.

I settled into the writing style quickly and - in the main - enjoyed the move away from chapters and rules about POV, but reading on a Kindle meant flipping back to a chapter to just recap wasn't easy/possible - it didn't ruin the experience though and good to see authors turning things on their head.

Highly recommend.

A good unsettlimg thriller,fast paced and full of sub plots,not a particularly nice set of characters though and I found myself not that bothered what happened to any of them by the end but a good read none the less

Three women head out to the isolated, Dark Fell Barn, for a long weekend. There is Jayne, who is ex-army, and married to Mark. Ruth, married to Toby, with a young baby. Then, the new member of the group is Emily, newlywed to the much older, Paul. Another couple were once part of this group, Edie and Robert, but Rob died and Edie can't face going on a trip with her old friends. Oddly, Edie, Mark, Toby and Rob all met at boarding school, where they were the children of teachers, while Paul himself taught there. As such, you would feel that Jayne, Ruth and Emily, our wives heading into the wildnerness, would have less invested in the group and, indeed, it soon transpires that Emily did not really want to go, while Ruth is struggling with marital issues and a drinking problem and there is a certain amount of jealousy and resentment towards Edie, the only original female member of the group of friends.

No sooner do the three arrive than they find a letter, stating one of their husbands has been killed, leading to much traipsing around the moor (one, of course, in unsuitable footwear) trying to get a phone signal, before the story itself really sets off on a roller coaster ride with endless twists and turns.

Having read this, I am slightly conflicted. There seem to be quite a few psychological thrillers around at the moment with similar storylines - people in isolated settings with all, or some of them, in danger. In this book, those under threat are male, rather than female, which is an original take. However, as all of the characters are unsympathetic and, by the end, I found the storyline pretty unrealistic and did not feel that invested in the characters or what happened to them. In my opinion, this is not the best of these type of novels, but the author certainly keeps the action going all the way through.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review. Rated 3.5

An atmospheric, roller-coaster of a read!
The lack of any chapters takes some getting used to, and the story flits between characters and situations at such a swift pace at times you really need to concentrate! The characters are interesting but a highly unlikeable bunch! Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing!
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advanced ebook.

Paul, Mark, Toby, Rob and Edie had been friends for many years. They’d gone to school together and had stayed close over the years with Rob and Edie becoming a couple and getting married. As the other men of the group got married as well they kept up a yearly holiday where the whole gang would get away together.

This year is different, after Edie lost Rob she’s in no mood to join them for the getaway. With last minute work issues for Mark, Paul and Toby, the first people to arrive are the wives, Jayne, Emily and Ruth. They will be spending the night in a place in the middle of nowhere. No Wi-Fi or phone signal a complete detox of all technology and hopefully a great weekend catching up and relaxing with friends.

Only, on arrival the ladies find a letter that will put the three of them on edge for the rest of the evening. Stuck with no way to contact their husbands the letter plays on their minds and turns the getaway into something they weren’t expecting, something that is much more worrying and sinister.

This book was a bit of a slow burner and it took me a while to get who was who at the start but as the story progressed things sped up with several shocking twists. There were some interesting characters each dealing with their own issues as well as what is happening at the time. A great book.

The Long Weekend is a fast paced thriller based around a group of friends and their weekend away.

It begins with 3 women all heading to a remote location with the plan being that their husbands follow the next day. On arriving at their location they are met with a cryptic note threatening the death of one of their husbands: trouble is they don’t know whose husband is being threatened.

From here on in we begin to understand all the different dynamics between the couples and their past. It’s full of twists and while it can be a bit too pacey at times, I managed to keep up and couldn’t put it down.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from Netgalley in return for a review.

This is a very creepy thriller, starting with three women going on a remote weekend away to find their husbands haven’t followed them as planned. They get there to find a message to say one of their husbands has been killed. As the storms set in and their holiday home owner struggles with his own dementia their weekend collapses.

It’s quite a complicated story with each character having their own serious issues. The book jumps from one character’s perspective to another which makes it very difficult to keep up. Once a character’s teenage daughter also becomes embroiled in the story the creepiness becomes almost unbearable.

For me the story became too unsettling and difficult to read. It ended with many of the loose ends tied up but I’m not sure I can say I found it enjoyable. It’s certainly a page turner.

There were parts of the story I really enjoyed. The tension was palpable and I could feel the panic and that claustrophobic feeling of being stuck somewhere without an escape. The descriptions of the location were really vivid and really added to the atmosphere. 

However, I feel like I liked the idea behind the book more than the actual execution of it. It was fast-paced - almost too fast. There were a few "wait...what?" moments where I had to reread what I had just read.

The main annoyance for me was the complete lack of chapters. The perspective and timeframes shift from section to section without anything to differentiate them. This made it quite confusing as I tried to figure out from whose viewpoint I was reading from. It constantly switches between the characters who are, in all honesty, a pretty unlikeable bunch.

I did find it slightly implausible and I predicted the main twist. I found it hard to relate to the characters and I found myself losing interest as the story progressed. 

It just missed the mark for me and didn't live up to expectations.

Where to start...

OK, so the idea of a long weekend away, to what could only be best described as a remote and desolate location, with a group of friends may sound nice (if your that way inclined), or could just as easily be your worst nightmare come true.


This follows in the main part three women, who make their way to a remote barn, their three relevant others find themselves otherwise engaged and promise to be there the following day.


A present, and warning left for when they arrive sparks the events off quite nicely.


An impending storm, shapes the plot. Mostly covering the evening alone, and the time spent covering the murders. You find yourself, being transported from one location to another without it washing around in your head. At times, you can get lost between characters as the pace is non-stop.


All in all, I found this to be a great read, and one that only took a couple of sittings to finish.


Status: Complete

Rating 4.7/5.0

This book features a group of friends who arrive at a retreat in rural Northumbria for a weekend getaway, with their husbands joining them later. When they arrive at the farmhouse they find a note saying that when you read this, I'll have killed one of your husbands.

The story is soooo twisty and turns and I basically doubted everyone at some point in this story. I really couldn't tell where it was going and I loved that. It's dark and delicious and I couldn't put it down. Safe to say I was gripped.

The author writers in a way that as I was reading it I pictured everything vividly in my head, and so I think it would make an amazing TV show.

Will definitely read more from Gilly Macmillan!!