A book of two chapters and 3 couples, all supposed to be going away for their annual long weekend, but the balance changes when none of the men can make it on the Friday and a parcel and letter meet the ladies upon their arrival.
This is a tense book, which had me guessing throughout. I frequently started a section, thinking it was about one character and suddenly realised it was another, because so much was interconnected, especially due to the close bond all of the men had at school.
A tense psychological thriller which I would highly recommend.

Three couples decide to go away for the weekend to Northumbria to a holiday let owned by the Elliott family. It does not go according to plan as the women go up alone on the Friday and their men have something urgent that must be done, or does it. Jayne is ex army in the intelligence branch. Ruth is a doctor in a gp practice who has a young son who is staying with her mother, Flora, so that she and her husband Toby can have a break. Then there is Emily. The men were altogether at boarding school and have stuck together over the years. Emily is new to the group having married Paul who is a good bit older than she is and she feels she does not fit into the group and that niggles at her most of the time but she is besotted with her husband so accepts the situation. They arrive at the farm and they are driven up to Dark Fell Barn by the owners as it is a winding road with pot holes and mud. The women are not as relaxed as they should be and then the drama starts. Edie who was also at boarding school is very close to the men due to history. When the women go into the cottage Emily finds a note and a gift which had been delivered that morning and the Elliotts were told exactly where to place this. Emily opens the note and is shocked with the contents. It states that Edie is going to murder one of the men. Edie is widowed, her husband Rob having died in a freak accident and Emily and Ruth believe this is capable of this but Jayne is adamant that it is a hoax as Edie has always been a prankster. However, Emily and Ruth are determined to get to the farm and telephone their spouses as there is no mobile signal at the Barn.
The story continues in a fab way. One minute you are worried about Emily, then the story diverts to Ruth and you are panicking for her. Then in the next breath you are thinking of the men who should have been with them. The twists and turns of the story have you hooked and the way the author captures the storm in words you feel as f you can hear and see the thunder and lightening. You can also feel what Emily and Ruth feel being out in the storm trying to get to the farm but not together. It does not help Jayne’s worry as Ruth has been drinking in excess and she feels she could be passed out somewhere in the storm. The story culminates in such a way that I did not expect or see coming and was shocked who the culprit was – fab story

Thank you #NetGalley for my e-arc copy of #TheLongWeekend in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, where this book sounded great and was within the genre of my go to reads I struggled and ended up not finishing. Which is very rare for me.

The premise of this storyline sounded promising: Three couples, the men all cancelling last minute and a letter upon arrival stating that once they’d finished reading the letter, one of their husbands would be dead. I couldn’t wait to continue…

However as I continued I was not impressed.

Finding it very difficult to keep up with what was going. Not helped by the copious amount of characters.

I also struggled with the lack of chapters in this novel. Especially as the author has decided to write it from each of these characters points of view. And without breaking it down into chapters I often found myself having to reread what I had read previously..

I understand the author may have been wanting to challenge the reader and giving them something different to the usual.

But, this didn’t work for me I just didn’t feel that I was able to engage in the story, ending in me not actually finishing the book.

I’m not saying that this was a bad novel, it was published after all. It just wasn’t for me. And because of this I don’t feel it fair to give it a star rating 🤷‍♀️

Thank you to #NetGalley for the advance copy of #TheLongWeekend by #GillyMacmillan
WOW JUST WOW.!!!!!!!
Do not start reading this if you have to go to work or sleep. I could not put it down.
Covering one weekend the story is narrated by all the characters, and the tension keeps rising.
Someone will die but who.
Don’t miss this.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Suspenseful, compelling book. I was on the edge of my seat, and couldn’t stop reading. The author did a great job of seamlessly changing between the characters as narrators. It was very difficult to guess the ‘baddie’, and I thought the characters were believable and well thought out. My only criticism was the ending. I thought it petered out a little. All in all a good read.

I love an unreliable narrator, and I double love a narrator who is unreliable not only because their view is skewed, but because the writer has played a little trick on me. The who in the whodunnit of The Long Weekend is just such a narrator, and I have to applaud Macmillan for keeping a reader so on their toes toes they're virtually en pointe for the whole book.

Three women, friends mostly through virtue of being married to three old school friends rather than actually liking each other, arrive at a remote converted barn to start what is supposed to be a weekend getaway for the couples. There are a couple of catches. The first is that none of their husbands have been able to go with them, and will notionally be joining later. The second is that they're left a threatening note from the fourth woman who's supposed to be there, saying she's going to kill one of the aforementioned husbands. From there the weekend unravels somewhat, as you can image.

Macmillian flits deftly between different POVs, not only of the three women in the barn, but also the farming couple whose land the barn is on, as well as the culprit who has, by the start of the weekend, already committed two murders. these changes come fast enough that you're constantly spun a little off balance, but not so often that you lose the plot, or lose track of where each person is. The gentle tragedy of each particular woman's loneliness, her sense of isolation, is gradually laid bare with a kind of relentless tenderness, so even though the events are a bit unreal = this would have to be the most unlucky friendship group and collection of marriages one has ever seen - it remains relatable. The ending and reveal is surprising, sinister and satisfying, though it feels a little rushed in comparison to the dreadful claustrophobia of the bar in the first couple of thirds. But even so, The Long Weekend is an original and creepy thriller that'll have you reading 'just one more chapter' until you realise it's 2am.

The book sounded promising but sadly for me did not live up to its expectations. Three women are in an isolated cottage and the fourth friend sends a letter claiming that one of the husbands will be murdered.
The writing chopped around from one character to another making it confusing. Added to that I missed the fact that there were no formal chapters.
Sadly this was not a book for me.

I found this book a slow read at the start and it was confusing to have no chapters, the lack of which stopped some of the natural flow as it took a short while to realise that the character had changed. However I did find it a compelling read and loved reading it. trying to guess what was going to happen next kept me on my toes.

The blurb of this book grabbed my attention straight away. As soon as I started reading in knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed. After only 30 pages and me raving about the plot to my husband he had also declared it would make a great film. (High praise from someone who isn’t really interested in anything I read) - I have since found out it is indeed inspired by a film.

The book moves at a fast pace. There isn’t a moment that drags and with each page you are pulled further in to the secrets of each of the characters.

The story is told through the eyes of each of the characters. There are no clunky subtitles to separate the sections and this helps the flow. It is obvious when the point of view changes but it flows seamlessly.

We start by meeting the Elliotts who own the farm land. John battling dementia is not happy about them letting out the converted barn. Maggie however, knows it’s their only lifeline if they are to stay on their land as John’s condition worsens. Told with heart and compassion it is an honest look at life for those dealing with such a cruel demon. Could the visions of shapeshifters and John’s mysterious outings have anything to do with what is happening to the visitors at the barn?

The main story centres around a group of friends (wives and husbands) who are staying in the middle of nowhere for a long weekend.
Ruth (married to Toby) has her own secrets and is battling demons that the others don’t know about.
Emily (married to Paul) is younger than the others and very much seems to be an outsider.
Jayne (married to Mark) seems to be in control of everything, however there is something she is hiding from the start.

All three wives start the weekend annoyed that their husbands have coincidentally been unable to join the trip for the first night away. Can that really be a coincidence or is something else going on?

The final character from the group is Edie(along with her daughter Imogen). Edie’s husband has recently died and she is not joining the group on the trip. Her presence is however very much felt when a very suspicious and cruel note threatening the lives of the husbands who are not there is left at the barn. Simply signed with an E - the ladies are sure it’s a horrible hoax but they can’t be sure and inch by inch they begin to unravel.

Secrets are revealed dripping through the text with each new paragraph. Twists in the plot keep you guessing and desperately clawing on to find the answers - even when you know you should have put it down and gone to sleep long ago.

Suspense is high and tension grows quickly throughout the story. I won’t give any spoilers but this really is a must read book.

From a slow start, this built into a twisting turning narrative that kept you guessing. Even when you knew what was happening there were further surprises to keep you engaged.

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.