The 3000 acre isolated Northumbrian farm belonging to the Eliott family is the location for the long weekend. The Elliotts own Dark Fell Barn, a holiday rental, to which Jayne (ex army intelligence), Ruth (a doctor and struggling new mum) and Emily (a much younger new bride) arrive a day in advance of their husbands. The husbands are the glue of the group as their friendship goes way back to school days and this soon becomes very apparent. The fuel added to the fire is a note and gift delivered earlier in the day by a courier from Edie, newly widowed and not part of the weekend fun. The note shockingly claims that one of their husbands will have been murdered by the time they read it. Sit back and let the games begin.

First of all, what is so effective, especially at the start of the book, is the author lulls you into a false sense of security then socks you between the eyes with something! These little bombs (or a big ones at times!) are interspersed with things that seem so normal. It therefore has a much greater shock value as it’s so unexpected. It leads you to make false assumptions several times over and speculations abound! It becomes apparent that secrets and lies lurk close to the surface, there is betrayal and malevolent delusion which beggars belief.

The characterisation is very good though it has to be said that few are likeable. Jayne is very interesting with her traumatic army background, Emily is tougher than she seems and Ruth is a mess. They turn on each other as their suspicions mount, the complex old and new brittle dynamics that fracture with remarkable ease are done very well in a multi layered plot. The pace cleverly rises to a crescendo and then falls as switches point of you leaving you in a state of suspense and desperate to know the outcomes. It definitely makes you eagerly read on. The ending is twisty, exciting and certainly dramatic.

The fantastic, wild, awe inspiring Northumbrian landscape that seems to dwarf you with its vast expanse, with its vagaries of weather, the foliage and animal life are used incredibly effectively to enhance tension, suspense fear and menace. At times it becomes very scary and so hair raising you can scarcely breathe.

My only negative is the initial jumping from character to character takes some getting used to and so it doesn’t flow well at the start. Then it seems to ‘bed in’ and it’s a cracking read from then on.

Overall, this is another winner from the talented Gilly MacMillan

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K. Cornerstone, Century for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Three couples plan a weekend retreat, the women travel up to an isolated barn a night early to begin the getaway. Only to discover a note informing them that one of their husbands has been murdered. Deserted in a storm the women are unable to make contact to check on their loved ones and as a whole host of secrets start to spill, who’s husband is the mystery note referring to and what will happen next?
I was absolutely gripped from the moment I started reading. The atmosphere, the setting and the characters are foreboding, tense and hide a whole lot of secrets.
The changing perspectives really makes this, swapping and changing, throwing you this way and that as a reader. So many times, I changed my mind about where this was going, and the different threads of stories all lead off in different directions to only come together and highlight the cause of all the conflict and horror right at the end.
The pace of this and the constant high energy action, make it impossible to put down. Just when you find an answer you’re presented with a list of new questions and NEED to find the answers.
A fantastic read, I absolutely devoured it, the only issue being that I had to find a book equally impressive to follow this up as I was defiantly left with a book hangover! I look forward to reading more by this author. Outstanding!

This is a dark, twisted read that is somewhat of a slow burner, but stick with it! It gradually pulls you in and then twists the knife! It's taut and unpredictable and I loved it!

I really enjoyed this book, it was fast paced and unpredictable. Just when you think you've got all the answers you realise that you are wrong and it's back to the drawing board.
Highly recommended.

Gilly Macmillan does it again! This is an excellent take on the locked room mystery. The story immediately grabbed my attention and I absolutely loved the ending!

This was a tense psychological thriller based around a weekend away for a group of friends and their husbands. Emily, Jayne and Ruth are heading to a secluded cottage in Northumbria, awaiting the arrival of their husbands the next day. When they arrive at the cottage however, they find a note saying that one of their husbands will be dead by the time they read it. This then begins a race against time as the women to try and get in touch with their husbands and work out who left the note.

The story is told from the perspectives of several different characters. This did get a little confusing at times, particularly as there didn’t appear to be any chapters separating out the storyline. This was an advance review proof copy, so the lack of chapters may have been because of this and not something which would be in the final version of the book. The three women were three completely different personalities, and it did make me wonder how they were friends in the first place! I didn’t particularly like any of them initially, but my opinion of them changed as the storyline moved on, taking different sides as their stories came out.

It’s a very dark book and the location certainly added to the mystery. It was really difficult to work out who was behind it all, and I was well over half way through the book when I had any inkling as to what was going on. All of the characters seemed to have something to hide and it was difficult to work out who you could trust. The suspense carried on as the storyline twisted and turned to its gripping conclusion. Whilst confusing initially, I did settle into the storyline and the pace picked up very quickly and continued throughout. It was filled with mistrust, secrecy, lies and deceit and it kept me turning the pages right to the end. Would recommend.

This was a great story, which had me hooked right from the first chapter.

It's a classic story of being drip-fed only the information that the author wants you to have and you quickly make assumptions which later turn out to be incorrect.

Full of twists and turns, there is a lot going on here. Some very complex characters, not all are who you initially think they are.

I was a little disappointed by the ending, which seemed to feel a bit rushed, but all in all, a cracking read.

I enjoy thrillers that are written from multiple character perspectives - I think when done properly they can be really engaging and interesting and can be used cleverly to mislead the reader throughout. When I first started The Long Weekend, I changed my mind about this technique as it started to be used with our 3 leading ladies: Jayne, Ruth and Emily. Macmillan starts the narrative jumping perspectives almost every paragraph which became very confusing. As the book went on, only a few jumps were made per chapter but moving between characters so quickly at the start really made it hard to separate the characters in my head and they lost their unique narrative voices. Even towards the middle I found myself getting Jayne and Ruth mixed up in particular, as they seemed very ‘samey’ in personality types. This could have been helped with formatting to clearly signpost which perspective you were in, or even just a paragraph break or dinkus (my word of the day!)

The addition of the outside perspectives was really clever though and I didn’t see a very important twist about one of them coming. I’d made a really big assumption about the characters which had proved to be very foolish indeed! In fact, throughout the book I had no idea where the story was going next – even at 90% I couldn’t guess the outcome which always impresses me in a book. The pace is also kept high throughout, although I did think it got a little repetitive after a while in places. The way that one character is written is very creepy and enjoyed those chapters as they interacted with Imogen. I didn’t like how Jayne’s dissociation due to PTSD was played out as a narrative device though – I think in 2022 this should have been avoided and the plot would have worked without using it. I liked how Ruth’s alcoholism was depicted though and thought that was really cleverly (and frustratingly) handled.

Overall, The Long Weekend is a little frustrating, with unclear narrative perspectives and characters that blended together, but it’s a puzzling thriller which will keep you guessing. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone & Century for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For more of my reviews check out www.kindig.co.uk

A weekend away from it all for a group of friends goes horribly wrong, not just for them but also their hosts and the friends they left behind. My first read by this author but will look out for her again. It’s a gripping read that draws you in from the beginning and keeps you guessing. Nothing is really as it appears to be.

A little disturbing for me, as a teacher, was that a teacher in a 2nd level school would form part of what was described as a tight knit group of friends but that is unlikely to bother most readers. The lack of chapters however was very confusing particularly at the start. Sudden scene changes even within the same paragraph. However that may have been a feature of the download to my device and may not appear in a hard copy. And as the story progressed the characters were well developed and quite distinct so it became less of an issue.

Highly recommended and thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for this review.

You will not be able to put this book down once you start , I sat and read it in one go, so many twists and turns. Keeps you guessing., you think you know who the culprit is then you realise they are not, I got there but I love that I was so wrong to start with. Dysfunctional friends, all with their own issues, some with relatable issues,, disillusioned killer.

Highly recommend and if you don’t like it then you don’t like thrillers.

3 couples who have 5 of them known each other have since college go away on a weekend in a remote cabin
This a yearly trip the friends have taken since their college days many years ago .
It used to be 4 couples but a tragedy last year cost one of their friends their life and the remaining partner decides they won't be joining them this year as it feels to raw and insensitive by the other.
There are murders , suicide and paternity claims throughout the book and the book has some great twists and turn and I love that in a book and right up till very near the end I had the "Who Dun nit" wrong and if I am honest I'm not sure if it was the authors writing skills or just me getting the characters mixed up .

This book is a good read and thank you to Netgalley & Random House UK for allowing me to read this book prior to its release date in return for an honest review

I really loved this book, it got you hooked from the first few pages which I love, such an intriguing story and so many twists and turns, it had you thinking one way and then another that you could not leave it down, at the end of each page you just had to read on and on. I love a book like this that had the characters life’s together and unfolding there life’s bit by bit. Would really highly recommend this book for a very interesting read.

Firstly I’ll say that this was a psychological thriller full of tense moments, extremely dark in places and with some great twists. As a group of friends, there wasn’t really a genuine person among them. Everyone had secrets and cover ups which lead to a real page turner of a book. I didn’t know who to believe as I was reading and I was shocked at some of the reveals. What a truly twisted group of friends!

Set in Northumbria in a remote barn, the three wives (Emily, Jayne and Ruth) arrive for a weekend away to find a gift on the table with a note saying that one of their husbands will be dead by the time they read it! The three husbands (Paul, Mark and Toby) are due to join them the very next day but clearly they won’t all be arriving.

The wives want to phone their husbands to check on them, but due to the remote location there is no phone signal. A storm and rough terrain hinders their chances of making it to the local farmhouse to ask for help.

My only negative was the lack of chapters which made it extremely difficult to follow when the point of view was changing constantly. I am hoping this is just due to this being an advanced copy in ebook form and that this will hopefully be corrected when it goes to print. If this isn’t the case then the reader will need to concentrate really hard to keep up with which character they are reading about. I found myself going back to a previous paragraph, working out who I had just been reading about when all of a sudden the point of view changed. Very confusing!

📢 This contained the subjects of dementia, PTSD, paranoia, suicide and alcoholism.

An absorbing read.
Three couples are having a weekend away in a remote barn in the Northumbria country side , the ladies arrive first because their partners are staying behind due to work commitments . Then the nightmare begins.
The writing is excellent , however it took me a while to get in to the story as it’s told from numerous points of view.
In parts the book is very dark and covers a wide range of emotions including jealousy .
Secrets , envy , paranoia , PTSD and alcoholism are just some of the threads in the story which make for a book full of twists and turns and left me guessing right until the end.
This is the first title I have read by the author and it won’t be the last.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK.

This is my first read from this author which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was full of suspense from the very beginning and I found it hard to put down.

Most of the characters were good, although there were a couple I did not take to but on the whole an excellent well written book which I can thoroughly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

"Here's something that surprises me: you'd think that fact that I can't control what happens up at Dark Fell Barn tonight would drive me crazy after all my painstaking planning, but it's exciting me, making me feel like I'm alive and reassuring me that I can feel something again. It's how I know I'm doing the right thing."

Present day North Northumberland and three friends have come to stay for a long weekend at remote Dark Fell Barn. Their husbands were supposed to be with them, but are all suddenly busy, arriving the following day. First the reader meets the elderly farmer and his wife who are renting out the barn, John (suffering with dementia) and Maggie (trying her best to care for him and keep their beloved farm going). Then the reader meets the three friends, capable ex-military Jayne but who has experienced traumas, struggling new mum and GP Ruth, and younger, naive and newly married, Emily. There's a devastating letter waiting them on their arrival seemingly from an absent friend, beautiful and charismatic Edie, informing them "by the time you read this, I'll have killed one of your husbands". Events spiral from there as bad weather isolates them further and they wonder if they can trust one another.

Wow, this book is gripping and has a number of twists and turns! It's definitely one of those books to stay up late reading, to find out what happens. There are narratives from a number of characters, including the unknown killer. Without giving away any spoilers, some of the narrators are definitely unreliable. I enjoyed the farm owners' perspectives, understanding their situation, as well as getting to know the three women, who were a tight-knit group, but already struggling in their own and different ways before their arrival at Dark Fell Barn. I can see how some readers may find the different narratives confusing, but feel this is deliberate, so, like the characters, the reader doesn't know who to trust. Pacy, tense and atmospheric, this is a must-read for claustrophobic thriller fans.

What a brilliant, twisted read this was! A long weekend away with friends sounds fun right? Think again! I was absolutely hooked on this book. I loved how it flicked between different peoples POV to keep you guessing what was going on and who was going it.

Thanks to publisher Random House UK and Netgalley for the advance read of this book publishing 3rd February 2022. This is a dark twisty thriller which I enjoyed. I particularly liked Emily's character but all the womens characters were well developed throughout the book.
The only negative I have is because of the lack of chapters, u really need to concentrate when reading as the story jumps about from one narrator to the next. Overall I'd recommend this book and I give it 4 stars.

Friends plan a long weekend away but only the women arrive at the converted barn, husbands delayed? A mysterious message awaits them and a storm closes in stopping them leaving or contacting the outside world.

Lives are threatened, lives are lost and everyone has something to worry about. Intense times ahead as the weekend unfolds. Will anyone get through it unscathed? Read to find out and enjoy.

At first I was a little confused with the different points of views. However, once you get the hang of it... Wow.
A gripping book with lots of twists. Who has things to hide. Who has secrets and who is dead. Will you figure it out? Every time I thought I'd got the plot there was another twist.
I will certainly look out for more books by Gilly Macmillian.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC.