A group of women planning a hen party on a remote Scottish Island, all of them have secrets. As they find themselves trapped on the island, they are forced to confront those secrets and to test the strength of their friendships.
I wasn't sure at first about this story, the set up was a bit slow, but then it all kicked off and what a thrilling read it proved to be. The characters weren't particularly likeable but their predicaments were interesting. The story was full of exciting twists that just kept on coming. In the end, I couldn't put the book down. A great read.

This was a fascinating thriller which throws together a really mix of characters on a hen weekend on a remote island. All have done things they regret in the past but never revealed them but they’re forced to face up to their secrets when one is taken and held hostage but they’re not in a hurry to reveal them. I didn’t especially like any of the characters but they were all fascinating and I found myself increasingly engrossed in this and very reluctant to leave it to go to bed! There were plenty twists and some great secrets as well as complex and interesting relationships. 9/10

Dizzy, my head is spinning 🎶- from all the twists!
The Cliff House is a stand-alone contemporary suspense novel, which mashes up “And Then There Were None” with Desperate Housewives, to produce a fantastically gripping thriller.
Chris Brookmyre is one of my favourite authors, so when I got the approval for this from NetGalley, I dropped everything else, and raced through it within 24 hours. I was not disappointed - it is a departure from his previous style and lacks the black humour of his earlier books, but I loved the interplay between the characters and the clever plot.

It’s Jen Dunne’s hen weekend, and the newly wealthy businesswoman has assembled her friends and family for a few days of luxury in a fabulously Instaworthy converted mansion on a tiny Scottish island. The cocktails are flowing, and old tensions starting to flare, when a dead body and a missing guest force them all to contemplate the sins of their past, which someone is determined to expose.

The trope of a group of wealthy people with secrets stranded on a remote island has become very popular recently. Rather than bumping guests off one at a time, however, this focuses on the friendships, old and new, between the women - not all of whom know each other. There are past grievances and new suspicions, with each guilt-ridden hen desperate to keep her own secret - but at what cost? Brookmyre skilfully turns the spotlight onto each one, and I defy anyone to unravel the mystery before the final reveal.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown UK for the ARC. I am posting this honest review voluntarily.
My approval email requested I not post this review until 14 days before publication, at which point I will put it on GoodReads, Amazon & Instagram (fabulous cover image BTW!)

Chris Brookmyre's latest psychological thriller is set on Clachan Geal, a small remote Scottish island on the edge of the Atlantic, a beautiful, windswept place on which is located an exclusive, luxurious and expensive mansion for hire, with attractions such as an infinity pool and golf course. Jen is a successful business woman who has recently sold Muffin Finer, although she remains the head of the company, leaving her an extremely wealthy woman. She is engaged to be married for the second time to her fiance, Zaki Hussain, although she has a few niggles about him. She has booked the island mansion from the owner, property developer, single mother Lauren, for the celebration of her hen night with a group of female friends, each of whom it is trailed from the beginning, are women with closely guarded secrets.

The party of women consists of Samira, whom Jen has never met before, Zaki's lawyer sister, whom he asked to be included because as a mother of two young children that are a handful, she desperately needs a break from the chaos and mayhem of daily life. To Jen's surprise and delight, her longstanding friend from childhood, 42 year old celebrity singer Michelle, famous as Mica, is able to attend. Helena is another childhood friend, a music teacher, her children have left the nest and her husband, Neil, has left for another woman. She used to be part of the group, Cassidy, until Michelle dropped her to pursue a more financially lucrative career as a solo artist, something she has never forgiven her for, a hurt exacerbated by the fact the two used to be the best friends. Beattie is Jen's suspicious and embittered former sister-in-law, still grieving the loss of her brother, Jason, who disappeared in incriminating circumstances. Nicolette is a fashion expert, and Kennedy is a injured tennis coach, Jen has known for 7 months and feels close to.

After getting drunk on cocktails, a murder is discovered and one of the women is taken, threatened with death by The Reaper, who claims one of the women is not who she appears to be, and unless she tells her secret, the hostage will die. All the women are left distraught and terrified, reluctant to spill their particular secrets, but pressured by the need to save a life. This is a terrifically entertaining thriller, although the beginning is slow as we get to know the different women. Amidst the background of a playlist that is frighteningly pertinent, there are twists galore leading to a chillingly tense finale when it becomes clear who is behind the nightmare predicament the women find themselves in. This may not be my favourite Brookmyre thriller, but I loved the focus on friendships and slowly began to appreciate each of the flawed women as I got to know them better. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.