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.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a good book which I couldn’t put down to the detriment of my sleep a few times! It was a real page-turner which had me completely gripped! I would definitely read more books by Gilly MacMillan based on this! Read this book. You’ll love it.

#TheLongWeekend #NetGalley

Three couples. Two bodies. One secret.

When Jayne, Ruth and Emily arrive at Dark Fell Barn for a girls night, they try and enjoy the night and their relaxing, isolated retreat before their husbands join them the next day.

But not all of them, because instead of a weekend of pampering and partying, they find a note from a recently bereaved friend telling them one of their husbands is about to be murdered and they have no idea how to stop it They're alone, in the dark, with no phone service and all the secrets they've kept buried for so long might just leave them buried at the end.

Gilly Macmillan is a master of suspense - this dark and twisty novel jumps around and leaves the reader nervously unsure who to trust even when it's under their noses.

Jumping through multiple POV's, it was a little confusing at first but once we get to slowly get into the minds of each characters they hold tight and don't let go.

A dark tale of jealousy, obsession and possession that any thriller fans will love.

Right from the start of this book you get the feeling that the women involved in the planned weekend away are not close friends; the husbands have been friends since their schooldays, together with Edie - who all of a sudden can't join them - however the wives have become acquainted purely via their partners over the years.
The message that Edie won't be joining them this weekend comes via a mysterious motorcycle courier along with a bottle of bubbly. Edie is known for playing dubious pranks on her friends and the women can't decide whether it is genuine or some kind of sick prank which they all agree would be a step too far.
The weekend is off-kilter before they even start as it's the first weekend away they've arranged since the loss of Edie's husband who sadly drowned in tragic circumstances. The usual fun vibe just isn't there from the start then each of the women's partners reports that they will be delayed and won't be able to join them until the following day. The barn they are staying at is in a very remote spot and with a nasty storm threatening to isolate them even further the weekend isn't looking too promising at all. It all seems very sinister that they should receive such a threatening note when none of the men are there and certainly has the desired effect of causing concern amongst an already unsettled group.
The style of writing in this book is quite challenging. The story is told from each of the women's perspectives along the way and also from the anonymous writer of the note's point of view. Unfortunately you're never quite sure whose voice you are reading in so the action can be quite difficult to follow at times. Whether this is intentional to give you an even more unsettled feel to the atmosphere I'm not sure but it worked. All of women at Dark Fell Barn have issues of one kind or another which makes none of them a reliable narrator either.
My favourite characters were the owners of the barn, Maggie and John Elliot and their son William, a local police officer. There are some moments which will tug on your heart strings as John is suffering with the onset of dementia which both he and his wife are struggling to cope with. Their fears for the future of their home and business are portrayed well, along with the thoughts of John as he tries to make sense of an ever more confusing world around him.
Gilly Macmillan has once again triumphed with keeping her plot tightly wrapped until late on in the book and ekes out the essential details as to who is responsible for the mysterious note and the reasons behind it. I hate to admit that this isn't my favourite of her written works, but it will take a lot to topple Burnt Paper Sky from the top of that particular podium.
My thanks to Isabelle Ralphs at Penguin Random House UK for the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication as part of the blog tour. All opinions are my own and an honest appraisal of the book.

The long weekend
Pub 3/2/22

3⭐️
I loved a previous book by this author so was really looking forward to reading this one.
The story of a group of friends who go away to a remote barn conversion for a break. The wives end up going alone for the first night, as the husbands one by one come up with an excuse as to why they can’t attend.
When they get to the barn they get the message that one of their husbands is already dead. It grabbed my attention early with a great plot premise.
It is told from several POV, included the un named perpetrator.

The characters are well developed. The wives are the fore runners of the story. All of the characters come across as unreliable in varying degrees. I didn’t engage with any of the main characters. I felt most empathy towards Maggie and John.

The plot devices seem overly contrived and It felt too forced for me. So unfortunately what started off with great promise didn’t live up to my expectations on this occasion.

A brilliant psychological thriller. The lack of chapters didnt allow a natural pause to come back and jumping back and forth was difficult to follow at times. Apart from that I would definitely recommend this book, it had its share of twists and turns and really built up the suspense.
Thank you Random House and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this great book.

A v.ery good psychological thriller. This was definitely a page turner and I read it in one day as I couldn't put it down. However, I did find the lack of chapters and jumping back and fro rather annoying at times.. Apart from that I would definitely recommend this book.
Thank you Random House and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to give my unbiased opinion

This is a fast moving thriller which will have you thinking you know the answer only to have another twist thrown at you each time.
I am not going to give the story away but if you only read one book this month make it this one.
Fantastic!!

This book grips you from the first page - it is fast paced and full of twists and turns. It is suspenseful and keeps you guessing until the very last page. I would definitely recommend this.

Gilly MacMillan never disappoints, but this novel ties with To Tell You the Truth as my favorite of all her books! Expertly plotted and engaging from the first page, this one had me staying up until 3am because I couldn’t put it down! The character development was excellent and helped keep me invested in the characters, even those I found unlikeable. A must read!!!

Three women arrive at a remote barn in the wilds of Northumbria for a weekend away. A storm makes the road impassible. There’s no mobile reception. And a note awaits them from Edie, their beautiful, widowed friend who wasn’t invited:
‘Hi ladies,
I hope you have a great time!
By the time you read this, I’ll have killed one of your husbands.’

The women try to dismiss the note as a cruel prank, but their anxieties multiply as they try - and fail - to escape from the appropriately named Dark Fell Barn to contact their husbands. As the hostile weather rages outside, the note begins to stir up all the women’s fears and jealousies about their husbands’ relationship with the glamorous Edie and her beautiful daughter.

One fear in particular nags at all the women: why have all their husbands made feeble excuses for not joining them on the first night of the weekend break?

Ruth is a new mother who is struggling to cope with her job as a GP, and drinks too much because she fears that her husband doesn’t love their baby. Jayne used to work in Army intelligence and feels she should be in control of the situation, but past traumas threaten to overwhelm her. Emily, a much younger woman, feels that Ruth and Jayne see her as a gold digger because she has married their wealthy friend. Gilly Macmillan really gets into these women’s minds and explores their thoughts and fears as the weekend goes from bad to worse.

If you like a psychological thriller with great female characters and plenty of twists and turns, this is for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Cornerstone for an ARC in return for an unbiased review.

Thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for my free e-copy.

The story begins with 3 female friends on their way away for the weekend. Its supposed to be a couples weekend but the husbands have been held up and are due to meet them there the next day. Perfect setting for this suspenseful story - a remote farmhouse in a rural location.

This book is full of secrets, lies, twists and turns

This was definitely a page turner rather than getting to know or like any of the characters on a deep basis.

This was everything I was looking or in this book, pacey, suspenseful and thrilling, a real page turner

Pacy racy page turner. Clever idea and characters are interesting. Love the breathlessness and broody dark feeling this book gives. Definitely enjoyed and would recommend.