A fresh start? Or the beginning of the end?
After she finds her husband drowned in a swimming pool, Georgia moves to a cottage nestled behind the ruins of Coventry Cathedral so she can be close to her daughter. This should be a new beginning. New job, new friends, a brighter future. But strange things start to happen. Feeling watched and under threat, Georgia begins to realise that she can’t run from the past. And somebody knows what she did…. Good thriller! This book for some reason took me a bit to get through?! I kept coming back to it! In the end it was a good read! It had suspense, murder, mystery, and a few jaw dropping moments! The storyline was interesting! Thank you NetGalley and Avon books UK for sharing this book with me!

Very interesting thriller, great twist at the end or was it. Thank you netgalley for the advance copy

I absolutely love this author's books—they're so addictive! Georgia is starting a new chapter in her life after her husband passes away and her daughter heads off to university. Then, the anonymous letters begin. She decides to leave her big, cold house and move closer to her daughter. She rents an old cottage, gets a job at a pub, and then strange things start happening. Georgia feels like she's being watched. It's so good, with plenty of twists and turns, and very creepy—I highly recommend it!

First time reading Anne Wyn Clark book and definitely wont be the last. Really enjoyed this book and it kept me guessing.

Anne Wyn Clark is an auto-buy author.
Her books are rich in Gothic atmosphere and mystery, and The Cottage in the Ruins is no exception.

The setting alone is so rich in character. The ruins of a cathedral is the perfect place setting for this story, which follows Georgia and her daughter, Minnie. Georgia is grieving the death of her husband. Or at least some form of grief is at place considering he was controlling and prone to shady business practices. But at least she has his money to help with the sadness. All that money, though, can't help Georgia with the empty nest syndrome she's experiencing since her daughter left for college. The loss of her daughter's companionship is even more unbearable than the loss of her husband. When Georgia decides to move closer to her daughter, tensions between the two rise and secrets from the past are revealed.

Georgia is definitely a bit unhinged, and it made me questions a lot of her actions and motives. I was expecting the story to go in a completely different direction and was pleasantly surprised by all the reveals.

This story (as with all her stories) has a nice Gothic Bronte vibe with a slow burn mystery at its center. If that sounds appealing to you, give this book a read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Georgia moves into a cottage to be nearer to her daughter after her husbands death.

She feels as though she is being watched but is she paranoid or are old sins and secrets about to be uncovered.

Georgia is an unlikeable character but I think this was intentional on the authors telling of the story and it's one I really enjoyed.

It is a little OTT but as the story progressed I found myself more absorbed. I couldn;t wait to see how it all came together.

This book didnt disappoint me and I enjoyed my reading time

Wow!
I absolutely loved The Cottage in the Ruins. It's incredibly gripping and atmospheric and has a killer twist. I cannot recommend it enough.

this was a strong psychological thriller novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from this type of book. The characters were everything that I wanted in this and had thought this was so suspenseful and had me from start to finish. Anne Wyn Clark wrote this well and was glad I got to read this.

After she finds her husband drowned in a swimming pool, Georgia moves to a cottage nestled behind the ruins of Coventry Cathedral so she can be close to her daughter. Is this a fresh start? Or will Georgia's secrets catch up with her? This should be a new beginning. New job, new friends, a brighter future. But strange things start to happen. Feeling watched and under threat, Georgia begins to realise that she can’t run from the past. And somebody knows what she did…. This was a really good thriller. It was told mostly from the point of view of Georgia and her daughter, Minnie. There were many claustrophobic and compelling moments in this books as the story unravelled over a few short weeks. My mind was spinning as Georgia heard creepy noises and saw shadows at the window of her cottage. An icy chill descended on me as I read this, wondering what was going to happen. The story of Minnie was also intriguing as she battled to overcome adventures and misdemeanors.

The cottage setting was perfect for this story. An old cottage, hundreds of years old creeping and groaning with the weight of time and history.

I read this book in a day, which is always a good sign that a book has gripped you. It was a good read! It had suspense, murder, mystery, and a few jaw dropping moments! The storyline was interesting! Thank you NetGalley and Avon books UK for sharing this book with me!

Cottage in Ruins by Ann Wyn Clarke

…is a really good read. For the first few chapters I struggled a little to get into the groove of it- a lot of information is given in a short space of time with very little dialogue to break it up. I did laugh to myself imagining how my son would have reacted to me moving to his uni town and trying to hang out with him!! Once it gets going it’s truly absorbing. I got very into the creepy cottage setting & trying to decipher the clues to unravel who was after Georgia & who was just a bit weird. It seemed she had a lot of enemies to pick from by the end! There are lot of twists- some of which I guessed but others I didn’t see coming at all (especially the final one ). This is a hard book to review without giving away spoilers but it was totally unpredictable and utterly unbelievable - as all good thrillers should be!

Many thanks Net Galley for the ARC

Georgia's a new widow and her daughter Minnie has left for university so why not pull up stakes and rent a little cottage in the shadow of the Cathedral? It all seems nice, what with a new job at a pub, but then someone start to gas light her and stalk her. And she's got a secret or two. It's a nicely crafted one with a fine twist. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers from me!

What a fun and fast paced mystery.
The storyline was great, the characters were interesting, and the twists and turns kept me turning the pages from start to finish.
The characters were well developed and portrayed.
Overall, The Cottage in the Ruins is a solid suspenseful story that keeps you guessing.

Omg where to start with this one? There was so many twist and turns, I had no idea what was happening. I was in suspense the whole time!
Told from Georgia’s POV and her daughter Minnie’s POV, it explores Georgia dealing with an empty nest before deciding to move to the same town her daughter has moved to. We feel she’s a bit unhinged and far too overprotective at times. Soon she starts being traumatised by her past, she becomes extremely anxious and frightened.
What exactly is going on? Who can she trust?
I was completely engrossed and had a slight inkling about who may be terrorising her but I was completely way off for the reason why. The epilogue raises more questions and I need to know what happened!

This story is told in multiple voices - Georgia and Minnie. The book is told over different time periods. The main characters are Georgia Parnell and her 18 year old daughter, Minnie. Minnie has left home to be a full time History student in Coventry and Georgia is feeling lost without her child. Georgia makes a decision to move to Coventry to be nearer Minnie. She wants a fresh start so she rents a cottage near to the ruins of Coventry Cathedral and finds a job nearby. However, strange things start to occur that Georgia is not feeling secure in her fresh start as she fears someone or something from her past is around. It was atmospheric, creepy, full of twists and turns, gripping and terrifying in places. All the sub plots came together to a satisfying conclusion that I never saw coming.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this eCopy to review

I just finished The Cottage in the Ruins, and I’m still feeling the chill of its atmosphere clinging to me like fog. This gothic psychological thriller is steeped in unease, secrets, and the slow unravelling of a woman’s carefully constructed life.

The novel follows Georgia, a woman reeling from the sudden death of her husband, who was found drowned in their swimming pool. Seeking solace and a fresh start, she moves into a quaint cottage tucked behind the haunting ruins of Coventry Cathedral. It’s meant to be a new beginning, closer to her daughter, a new job at a local pub, and maybe even new friendships. But the cottage doesn’t offer peace. Instead, it becomes a crucible for paranoia and dread. Georgia begins receiving anonymous letters, and strange occurrences make her feel watched, hunted even. The deeper she sinks into her new life, the more she realises that the past isn’t done with her and someone knows exactly what she’s trying to forget.

Anne Wyn Clark crafts a slow-burning suspense that’s more psychological than action-packed. Georgia’s descent into fear is believable and the setting (the cathedral ruins looming in the background) adds a layer of gothic melancholy that’s beautifully done. I found myself questioning every character’s motives, and the twist (no spoilers!) genuinely caught me off guard.

If you enjoy thrillers with a strong female lead, a haunting setting, and secrets that refuse to stay buried, this one’s worth your time. It’s not just about what Georgia did, it’s about what she’s willing to face to reclaim her life.