The Empty Room - Brian McGilloway

My first time reading this author who trusted book friends rate as one of the best Crime writers so I high expectations.

Dora's teenage daughter disappears, this is the story of Dora's search, her determination to find her daughter and the truth. It is generally rather bleak and dark.

It's an anxious slow burner, which builds in time, into a compelling plot.

I didn't love it, but it kept me reading. Dora's character, and the lengths she'll go to were my favourite aspects by far.


Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK

The Empty Room is an absorbing and gripping book and is probably the best one that Brian McGilloway has ever written which is an exceedingly high bar.

Don’t miss out on this one

This is such a good read, I didnt expect it to be as emotive as it was, I was gripped all the way through. It was well written with good characters and a good storyline. It was suspenseful and unopredictable and I couldnt see any of the twists coming which I loved. A really enjoyable book that left me feeling so clautrophobic I was breathless.

Quite a slow burn but one that really does get under your skin and just tears at your heart. There are so many twists and turns and you absolutely never see the unfolding as they do. The characters are beautifully written and it's impossible not to feel for Dora and the situations she finds herself in and has to deal with. Its not often I come across a thriller that really breaks my heart but this one definitely did. It really does ever mothers worts nightmare to life and perfectly shows the lengths any mother would go to to find their child. Highly recommended

Read this in one sitting, I found it impossible to put down mainly due to the main character voice - Dora draws you in and you live every minute of this emotionally charged narrative right along with her.

I found the focus of this novel to be hugely compelling- the point of view of a mother with a missing daughter is addictive and the author really digs deep. It is darkly realistic and the mystery element is secondary in many ways.

Can you really ever get closure in a situation like this? That is the deeply explored theme here and you'll think about it long after turning the final page.

Recommended.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this ARC
What a brilliant mystery page turner. Think you solved the mystery and then there is a twist

The Empty Room has everything: Murder, revenge, secrets and some great twists along the way. It’s a slow burner that builds the tension with each chapter and almost impossible to put down. Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group and the author for the chance to review.

The Empty Room has all the elements of great drama - murder, revenge, sacrifice. This is definitely one of those special books that I will keep on my shelves to go back to and reread. It says a lot that I am still thinking about this book a few days after finishing it - I will definitely be recommending this one! A gripping read and easy five stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was no ordinary crime thriller, this was an amazing book, it has stayed with me since I read it a couple of days ago, really beautifully written and very atmospheric. I just didn’t know what direction it was going to go in, and I loved it from beginning to end.

#TheEmptyRoom #NetGalley
Awesome read.
The day Ellie disappears, Dora is alone as her husband Eamon has already left for the day in his job as a long-distance lorry driver. So Dora does the usual things: rings around Ellie's friends... but no one knows where she is. Her panic growing, Dora tries the local hospitals and art college where Ellie is a student - but then the police arrive on her doorstep with the news her daughter's handbag has been discovered dumped in a layby. So begins Dora's ordeal of waiting and not knowing what has become of her girl. Eamon's lack of empathy and concern, Dora realises, is indicative of the state of their marriage, and left on her own, Dora begins to reassess everything she thought she knew about her family and her life. Increasingly isolated and disillusioned with the police investigation, Dora feels her grip on reality slipping as she takes it upon herself to find her daughter - even if it means tearing apart everything and everybody she had ever loved, and taking justice into her own hands.
Thanks to NetGalley and Constable for giving me an advance copy.

It's morning. Seventeen year old Ellie's bed hasn't been slept in. She didn't come home last night. It's never happened before.

Her mum thought she was at Amy's. She wasn't.

Where did she go when she left the house?

Beautifully written, with a very credible cast of characters. This is not an easy read. But it is a fantastic one.