A woman leaves a highly stressful job in London to do Nothing in a house by the sea in Devon. With her, are her husband and daughter. But, the new house is anything but peaceful when she begins to get phone calls from a lady threatening to kill her if she doesn't leave.

So, the intrigue begins. Who is this woman? She claims to know Justine, although she refuses to reveal her identity. Then, there's Ellen's story. Justine's daughter writes a horrific story of people with names that belong in the eighteenth century and murders that occurred in the house in which they are now living.

I love the suspense. The whole way through the novel, I was waiting for the big bang I felt certain would come at some point. Anne Donbavond is wonderfully unhinged, but was she really the person to fear? I thought her son, George, was creepy. I half-expected him to pull some big, scary stunt. Anne's husband, also. And, what about the headmistress, Lesley Griffiths? She had a big, bad secret, and she could easily have been the dangerous person. My brain was working overtime, trying to figure out who I could trust and who would hurt Justine and her family.

In the end, I was disappointed. The big bang was more of a damp fizzle. It's a shame because I love Sophie Hannah, and I really enjoyed the story. I loved how the story of Lisette and Allisande ran alongside the story of Justine and Anne. There were so many possibilities that could have been used at the end. But, actually, I didn't feel like any real explanations were given. I felt a bit cheated, really. And I hate to say that about Sophie Hannah.

People who love psychological thrillers. It's tense and suspense-filled, and it's a real page-turner.

The story. I have to give a shout-out to Figgy the dog. He is adorable.

The end. It's flat and unsatisfactory.

Sophie Hannah is one of my favourite writers. I love her style, and I love her ability to create psychological suspense. She keeps me hooked really well.

It's a fast, easy read. It's gripping.

Don't expect any big revelation at the end. You won't get it.

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Created Mar 31, 2019 at 7:13am • Submit your own review...