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!!

Over the top storylines, unlikeable characters incl a possible paedophile, lifelong friends who don't seem to trust each other at all. Sounds awful... but I loved it!!
I would like to think that before publishing that chapters would be added and you would know from who's pov was talking as it jumped between characters sometimes as often as just a few paragraphs which made it hard to understand at times. Also, the reason given for 1 character to have a gun with them seemed quite ridiculous, even if this was plausible, why have it loaded?
Your thoughts will be lead in so many directions, quite a rush, until the true suspect is confirmed. One of the reasons I would've liked to have had named chapters is I like to go back to reread certain bits to get the "oh that's why......." moment.
It should note possible triggers of PTSD, addiction and suicide.
A very strong 4 out of 5, would've been 5 had there been named chapters.
#NetGalley
#TheLongWeekend

3 friends arrive at a retreat in rural Northumbria for a weekend getaway with their husband's joining them a day later. When they arrive at the remote farmhouse there is a note left for them saying by the time you read this, I'll have killed one of your husbands.
What follows is a pacey story of twists and turns each woman has a story to tell and is hiding secrets.
Could not put this down totally absorbing and needed to find out the ending.
Will definitely read another book by Gilly Macmillan.

The Long Weekend follows a group of friends as they head out on a weekend trip to a remote Northumbrian barn. When their husbands are delayed, the ladies set off for a night on their own; however, on arrival they are shocked to receive a note from a former member of the group (recently widowed Edie) claiming to have killed one of their husbands. Now trapped at the barn due to bad weather with no mobile signal, fear sets in and the women begin to unravel.

The setting of the first half of this novel is so atmospheric – the Scottish/English borders, the moorland, stormy weather and the sense of isolation make a perfect combination to build tension and a sense of paranoia among the group, as well as for the reader.

There are quite a few twists and reveals as the story progresses (some surprising and others less so) with each of the characters bringing their own complex mixture of jealousy, resentment, secrets and troubled life experiences into play.

The six main characters are not a great group and I didn’t find any of them to be particularly likeable, but the story elements told from the perspective of the barn owners was touching and John in particular was heartbreaking.

A really great mystery/thriller to keep you hooked; however, one negative I found was that there are no chapter breaks and the perspective switches from the third person (most of the characters) to the first person (the culprit), which makes it hard to follow at times.

It's been a while since I picked up a book by Gilly Macmillan but The Long Weekend was a good place to start again. Rich in tension, atmosphere and mystery, this book will have you thinking twice before accepting that weekend away with friends, no matter how close you are. Except … someone is missing from this planned weekend, someone who it appears is plotting a little fun of their own.

I'm not going to lie, the three central characters in this book, at least those we spend time with, Jayne, Ruth and Emily, aren't the easiest of people to like. Jayne is very direct, forthright, and has her own agenda for the weekend, one she hasn't shared with any of the others. New mum, Ruth, is struggling with the weight of her job, her family and a clear case of depression that is driving her to drink. As for Emily, the youngest and newest member of this select group of friends, her timidity and inability to manage without the safety net of husband, Paul, could get a little grating. Even thought Ruth and Jayne had a stronger bond, forged over a longer time of knowing each other and being part of a wider group of friends, there was a sense of conflict there, of them not being entirely compatible. Certainly none of the women were honest with each other, about their feelings or their circumstances. And yet all three women were authentic, believable, and I found myself invested in their stories and their fates, compelled to read on, even if only to find our which one of their lives was going to be torn apart.

This story is told across two intersecting timelines. One focuses on the remote holiday cottage in which the three women find themselves stranded as a vicious storm closes in around them. The setting itself, deep in the. Northumberland countryside, would be atmospheric enough without the inclement weather, the isolation adding to the tension and amplifying the sense of helplessness of the women, especially Emily. Add in some very strange happenings, and history of the story, a kind of local lore attached to the land, and the scene is set for an unsettling time. The speculation over who is in danger just adds to the growing conflict between the women, and circumstance conspire to make their night on the moors truly unforgettable.

The second element to this book, the one in which the plot against these friends becomes clear, is in its own way unsettling. A tale of obsession that proves to be deadly. Because these scenes, this slow and creepy reveal, are interspersed with the scene at the farmhouse, we are able to build a much clearer picture of what is happening, even if the person responsible remains just out of sight until nearly the end of the novel. The pool of suspects is finite, but there is still a level of uncertainty over it all. There are also scenes which are skin crawlingly creepy, ones that set the nerves on edge, but not for the reasons you may be thinking.

Did I have a suspicion as to who was behind it all? Maybe. Was I expecting the full extent of the revelations? Definitely not - the author keeps the twists and turns coming just enough to keep the full picture from forming until the perfect moment. Told through multiple points of view, you can really feel the intensity build and the slow descent into a kind of madness consume them all in turn. A perfect read for fans of the psychological thriller.

An intriguing and interesting read - the lack of chapters initially perturbed me as I couldn’t figure out when to stop reading! When three couples agree to meet in a remote farmhouse barn to get away for a weekend catch up, the wives arrive alone to be greeted by the news that one of their husbands has been murdered… A great premise, an isolated setting, and full of suspicious characters (I couldn’t figure out who I suspected more!) meant I struggled to put it down. Have to admit that the characters were, on the whole, unlikeable , but in a way this added to my enjoyment. Different POV’s kept me on my toes and I changed my mind about them all many times! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review

Gripping from the first page to the last, with completely unexpected twists and turns.
Six friends are due a weekend in the countryside and to stay in a remote converted barn on edge of a farm in the North of England. The first night turns into a nightmare, with the history of their relationships catching up with them. Family dysfunction and people trying desperately to come to terms with changes in their loved ones. Throw in a murder and the questions start racking up from every angle!
Really enjoyed this thriller. Great characters, great background to the players. Brilliant twists, had me gripped completly!
Thank you NetGalley for the early read.

Wow, this had me gripped from the start. The writing style had me confused at the beginning but I soon got into it (it flits between the characters stories even from on e sentence to the next at times). I bet many will read this in one sitting as the story has you wanting to know what has and what will happen from the off. I can really see this being made into a TV drama, I think it'd be great. Thanks to #netgalley , the author and publisher for my arc.

First book of this author's I have read and once I got used to the writing style (no chapters and switching frequently between characters) it was a good read. The setting for a good part of the story added to the intrigue and atmosphere and provided a fitting background for a good thriller. There were a few twists and turns in the story which took me by surprise. And I liked how these were seamlessly dropped into the narrative along the way, carefully revealing little nuggets of insight. Only downside for me was it seemed quite a long read and because of the writing style I often found myself having to go back a few paragraphs after a break in reading to remind myself which perspective the story was currently focused on. But otherwise a good read which I enjoyed.

Absolutely adored this book. I didn’t see the twists and turns coming. Gillian MacMillan is always a sure fire author for thought provoking fiction with a twist.
As always I cannot wait for more