Jane books a weekend retreat away for her friends Emily, Jayne and Ruth at Dark Fell Barn a "Perfectly Isolated Retreat." The women arrive for a girls night and their husbands are to arrive the following day.

When the women arrive at the barn they discover a beautiful package waiting for them. The ominous note claims one of their husbands will be murdered. There are no phones and no signal to check on their husbands and the weather conditions take a turn for the worst.

The fourth member of their group Edie could not attend as her husband has recently died. Did she send the note?

Friendships fracture as the situation spins wildly out of control. Betrayal can come in many forms.

This group of friends have kept their secrets for far too long!!

Another gripping read from the talented Gilly MacMillan.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book a few weeks ago, and it has not stuck with me at all. It took me a long time to muster the energy to finish the book. The ending was fast-paced and tense, but it was not memorable or something that I would recommend to friends.

Brilliant book. Great story, fab writing, lots of the unexpected. Gripping. Did not want it to end. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion

This book certainly keep you guessing and is a spiders web of a plot. Certainly kept me on the edge of my seat!

Atmospheric and brilliantly plotted with well-drawn characters.

Three couples are going away together for a long weekend in a remote rural area. Although the husbands have been friends since school, the wives don't know each other overly well, and are surprised and perturbed when the husbands all have last minute reasons not to join them on the first night.

This apprehension only increases when they arrive to find a menacing note, seemingly from one of their friends who had decided not to join them. To add to their jangling nerves, there's something not quite right about the owner of the farm where their holiday let is situated.

Presented in a stream of consciousness style by various narrators, it can be complicated to follow the changes in voice, but I felt this enhanced the unnerving feeling of jeopardy.

A new author to me and I look forward to reading more.

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

The premise of this book was so enticing, but when I read it I found myself getting a little lost with all the characters. It was an enjoyable read that built tension and suspense, but I failed to fully engage as I lost track of the protagonists and the relationships. This is definitely on me, as Gilly Macmillan is a fantastic author and I have loved previous books she’s written.

An enjoyable and page turning thriller. I liked the sinister atmosphere of the landscape and t by e disparate personalities of the friends.

I enjoyed this book. I got into it straight away, great characters love whether you like them or not.
Keeps you guessing, a good read.

This is the first novel I have read by Gilly MacMillan. It tells the story of three couples, who have been friends for many years. They all have their secrets from each other and other complications that will cause their weekend away to descend into mayhem. It's a strange sort of book. Its like a stream of consciousness, there are no chapters in the book and it's told from different perspectives. I liked the characters' they were very well crafted, and I thought the premise was good, however I found the style of the book a bit annoying as I tried to keep up and remember all that was going on.

Thank you to Netgalley for this book to read and review.

This book fell flat for me. I had heard great reviews about it but I just didn't enjoy it. I think it was more the way it was written as opposed to the actual storyline itself.

Dark Fell Barn is a “perfectly isolated” retreat, or so says its website when Jayne books a reservation for the three couples. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need.

It starts with the owners , John and Maggie,(John has dementia) of the barn receiving a beautifully wrapped parcel addressed to the guests for when they arrive and a note instructing them to leave it on the kitchen table in the barn where the guest can see it straight away. John is struggling with having strangers on his land but they need to have people stay to keep the farm afloat now John can’t do as much as he did on the farm.


The women arrive for a girls’ night ahead of their husbands as they have all made excuses as to why they couldn’t come up with them and will arrive the next day.

The women are:
Jayne, ex army, hardened and serious, but also damaged. Married to an army guy.
Ruth, the doctor and new mother who is struggling with Motherhood and is battling demons of her own. Husband is a teacher.
Emily, young, just wed to an older man and insecure, the newest addition of this tight-knit band. Her Husband is rich.
Missing this year is Edie and her Husband, she was the glue holding them together until her husband died suddenly.

They are looking forward to a relaxing break, some more than others, but things soon start to go wrong. Firstly the weather takes a turn for the worse and a storm starts. There is no phone reception due to the storm and the surrounding hills stopping service. Upon arrival at the Barn, the women find the note with the parcel and it claims that one of their husbands will be murdered.

With the bad weather, no phone reception, or a car to get to the main farmhouse, where there will be a phone and someone outside they can’t get to phone their husbands to check on them and see if they are ok or even who isn’t still alive.

Friendships fracture as the situation spins wildly out of control. Betrayal can come in many forms.

This is a great twisty turning book. Enjoyed it and would recommend.

This is an enthralling page-turner that combines suspense, drama, and mystery into a thrilling story that captivated me from beginning to end. Set in the idyllic English countryside, the novel tells the story of a group of friends who reunite for a weekend getaway, only to find themselves entangled in a web of secrets, lies, and deception.

The writing is masterful, effortlessly drawing readers into the story and making them feel like they are a part of it. The characters are well-developed and complex, with each one having their own secrets and motivations. The plot is cleverly crafted, with enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing until the very end.

Overall, "The Long Weekend" is an excellent thriller that is sure to satisfy any fan of the genre. With its gripping story, well-drawn characters, and expert pacing, it is a must-read for anyone looking for a thrilling and engaging book.

Due to a family passing at the time, I was unable to download this in time before it was archived, and having only returned after several years away due to it severely affecting me, I am now working my way through those reviews I was unable to get to to detail the issue. Thank you for the opportunity, and I look forward to working with you in the future.

This book was an enjoyable read with a good storyline. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

Unfortunately I cannot rate higher than a 3 as I struggled to connect with this book and therefore had to put as dnf.

Gilly Macmillan's 'The Long Weekend' is an intriguing mystery with a thrilling plot that keeps the reader on their toes from the start. The setting of an isolated retreat deep in the Northumbria moors is an eerie yet perfect atmosphere for a shocking revelation to unfold. As the wives try to piece together the events of the long weekend, a storm brewing outside reflects the inner turmoil and tension the group face in this psychological thriller. With the intensity of a police investigation, Gilly Macmillan twists and turns the narrative at every page to ensure no one will know the culprit until the final gasp. 'The Long Weekend' is a riveting read that shows no mercy until its gripping conclusion.

A long weekend and a long, long tale of woe as well. If only it was as good as it sounded as that was terrific. A group of life long friends (3 males and 1 female) are meant to be having a weekend break in some remote (of course!) spot but none of the husbands would be coming until the next day and naturally there’s a storm and things don’t go to plan. I hope the printed version is easier to read than on an e-reader because it’s unnecessarily muddled due to no discernible breaks when different points of view appear. Seems like every 2 or 3 paragraphs and then it’s someone else and I didn’t like that at all nor did I think the farmer’s part was of much interest as it didn’t make the most of the enigmatic setting. As for the characters - charmless, all of them! This book could’ve been so much more so feels like a letdown when you finally reach the end.

A clichéd but promising setup that quickly goes off the rails in very silly ways. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

This was a surprisingly good thriller! I was lulled into a false sense of security with the initial set up - three couples are supposed to go on a weekend away. The husbands, who all know each other, have other, sudden plans and tell their wives, who are at best acquaintances, to go ahead without them and they will meet them later. On arrival, the women find a note, telling them that one of their husbands will be killed. Then a storm hits, preventing them from being able to make contact with them.

However, from this movement on, any stereotypical plot lines that you might expect are nowhere to be seen and you are taken on a roller coaster ride. All three women deal (or don’t) with the situation very differently. Then you realise that everything you (and the women) have been lead to believe is untrue and the twist takes you on a different, equally turbulent journey.

A nail biting thriller, I strongly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.