I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

*The Visitors* by Catherine Burns didn’t completely live up to my expectations, but it offered a chilling look at dark and complex human behavior. The story revolves around Marion, an isolated, timid woman living with her overbearing and sinister brother, John. While I kept hoping for the storyline to take a more dynamic turn, the narrative focused heavily on Marion's psychological confinement, immersing readers in her quiet terror and self-imposed isolation. Burns’s writing style is vivid and unsettling, effectively making me feel a mixture of pity and horror for the characters.

Though disturbing and often uncomfortable to read, I found myself drawn in by Marion's complex psyche. Burns makes it difficult to feel sympathy for her, yet she’s not entirely beyond redemption. The ending leaves some lingering questions, adding a haunting layer to the story. This is a slow-burn psychological thriller, perfect for readers who appreciate character-driven narratives with a dark edge, though it might not satisfy those looking for a fast-paced plot.

*thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

2 stars.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. I thought the cover looked great. Its appealing and has a creepy look to it which I really liked. But, the story. I got bored. There seemed to be zero plot. It was as others have also agreed on, slow. I ended up semi-skim reading parts of the last 1/3rd. I was expecting something huge to happen in the end to make up for the rest of the story, but it just didnt happen. Yes the ending was slightly better, but not enough. I wouldn't recommend it but if you want to give it a go then do. See if you enjoyed it more and I hope you do. But this just wasnt for me.

Book blurb...
You can lock them in, but secrets find a way out . . . A deeply unsettling and compulsively readable debut novel.
A chilling debut inspired by high-profile cases of abduction and imprisonment that explores the complex truths we are able to keep hidden from ourselves and the gruesome realities that can lurk beneath the most serene of surfaces.
Marion Zetland lives with her domineering older brother, John, in a decaying Georgian townhouse on the edge of a bleak English seaside resort. A timid spinster in her fifties who still sleeps with teddy bears, Marion does her best to shut out the secret that John keeps locked away in the cellar.
But when questions are asked, and secrets unravel, we realise that John might not be the only one with a dark side . . .
My thoughts…
I was totally drawn into this chilling novel. The story does not allow me to say too much as it might give away the plot and therefore the ending, which was terrific.
I can say that we would not want too many people in this world to have the type of dark side depicted in this story. The Visitors is an excellent debut novel that delves into our human psyche and is a good one for the to be read list.

CLIENT REPORT - CONFIDENTIAL

Client Name: Marion Zetland

Age: 54, but looks 60

Personal Appearance: Frizzy brown hair that looks like she stuck her finger in a powerpoint, in desperate need of surgery to implant a sense of fashion

Relevant Family History: Rich in money (business: Zetland's Fine Fabrics) but not affection. Emotionally unavailable mother. Weirdo father. Psycho brother

Education: Attended three schools yet appears to have learned little at any of them

Lives: In her own little world

Home Life: Resides with her older brother, John, and various 'visitors' in her childhood six-bedroom home. Sleeps in her childhood attic bedroom

Home's hoarder level: Expert

Cleanliness of home: Sorry, but I can't see under the dust to assess this

Social Life: Does being friends with stuffed animals count?

Culinary Prowess: Toast, reheating tinned or packet food

Maladaptive Coping Mechanisms: Denial, binge-eating, denial, daydreaming, denial, living through TV shows, denial

Special Abilities: Invisibility, ability to transfigure into a doormat

Mantra: If I don't pay attention to it then it's not really happening

Favourite Books: Include The Secret Garden and the Harry Potter series (OK, so she has some redeeming qualities after all)

Relationship and Employment History: Did you just hear a pin drop?

Overall Assessment: This woman, whose emotional and social development halted somewhere in early childhood, needs a big dose of 'wake up to yourself!' A victim of her upbringing but complicit in her failure to get a life, her only expertise appears to be in not having any accountability for how her life has turned out or the choices she's made or refused to make (honey, refusing to do anything is also a choice).


And the winners of the 'You Should've Been Sterilised at Birth' category ... 🥁... Marion and John's parents!

Is it possible to want to keep reading a book when you despise the two main characters and wish them slow, excruciating deaths? Apparently.

Is it also possible to wander aimlessly between empathy and wanting to knock some sense into one of the main characters for almost the entire book? You betcha.

The Visitors is a difficult book to review. There's so much I want to say but don't want to give anything away. It was well written and a scarily accurate fly on the wall look into the lives of one seriously dysfunctional family. I've heard some seriously dysfunctional people saying some of the things that come out of these characters' mouths almost word for word.

I imagine this will be a polarising book as it delves into some disturbing themes and although evil is most certainly committed by multiple characters, you can also see enough of the gears working inside their heads that you get an understanding of why they may choose to behave that way. I'm definitely not giving them a free pass here. Their actions are reprehensible and yet, there was a part of me that still wanted to empathise with them, just a little bit. I guess my fascination with why people do the evil they do had a morbidly enjoyable feast during this book.

My main annoyance with this book came at the ending. I was hoping it would turn out differently (that's being nice - I actually wanted to punch someone) but perhaps I can borrow a smidgen Marion's fantasy world ability and imagine my own end to the story. Love it or hate it, this is going to be a talked about book. I can see it working well as a book club read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback. I'd also like to say a special thanks to Erin at Hachette Australia for her excellent customer service.