Tessa, a documentary filmmaker, works to get someone who has been wrongly convicted released from prison. Shortly thereafter he murders another woman. During this time of great stress her mother passes away which puts her in the position of having to converse with her estranged sister Margot. Their mother leaves them a creepy old house that they never knew existed and Tessa decided to go hideout there to avoid the press. Upon arrival they meet two sisters who have been the caretakers of the estate for many years. This is where the second timeline begins as they know the history of Fallbrook because they have lived there their entire life. This book is so full of characters and all the different.stories and twists in every direction it is difficult.to keep.up at times! The author does a great.job of tying this all together and making you care about the characters at the same time! I have read a couple of other book by Eliza Maxwell and they were incredibly good also. She just never misses. It is definitely five stars for me.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to read this incredible book.

THE CARETAKERS is a really interesting read. It begins with two very disparate stories that eventually intersect. But at the heart of each story is murder, betrayal and sisterhood. As the stories unwind, they become more and more compelling, with surprising endings. Thoroughly enjoyable.

This story mixes all the right ingredients into a tangy, satisfying concoction.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tessa Shepherd is a successful documentary film-maker, whose programme about Oliver Barlow, a convicted murderer, has seen him released from prison, after fourteen years. Tessa is thrilled that Barlow has been released, but quickly moves on to the next project, ignoring the calls, from him, to her mobile. Eighteen months after the release of the Barlow documentary, she has completed a project on the child sex trade and is in talks with the previous First Lady, for a biopic.

With her professional life looking in good shape, a series of incidents sees everything fall around her ears. Firstly, her mother, Jane, decides that she is not coming for her usual visit and insists that Tessa should come to her. Something that Tessa is very uncomfortable with; especially as she is estranged from her twin sister, Margot. Then, she discovers that Oliver Barlow has abducted the daughter of the police chief, involved in her arrest. In quick succession, Margot arrives to inform Tessa that their mother is dead, and finds her husband, Ben, comforting her.

Things look bad and, rather than stand and face the problems, Tessa runs. She heads for a house, which she discovers she has inherited, where two elderly sisters, Deirdre and Kitty, live in a cottage, in the grounds. There was a murder in the house, of the family who lived there, and the situation with Oliver Barlow, and with her family, remain unresolved…

There is a lot going on in this novel, but it works well, because the author makes you care for the characters. Tessa, although she has her troubles and her faults, is someone that you, as the reader, come to worry about. I would certainly read more by Eliza Maxwell, and found this a really interesting read. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

The Caretakers is a dual time narrative moving back and forth from present day to the early 1900s, centreing around a mansion named, ‘Fallbrook’. There is much to appreciate here ... an old run down house surrounded by mystery and intrigue with a startlingly history. Add into that mix sisters and forgiveness, secrets and revenge with an inheritance and this novel has much going for it.

‘Fallbrook. Whatever name it goes by, the house, what’s left of it, and its elderly caretakers, have made an impression on Tessa. She drives back to the bed-and-breakfast on autopilot, replaying the sights and sounds, the feel of the place, in her mind.’

At first the two timelines do not appear connected - Tessa in the present and her self doubt over a false imprisonment story, to that of two sisters, the ‘caretakers’ of Fallbrook - now in a much dilapidated state. How the two timelines (reflective flashbacks to when the two sisters were young) come together is quite clever and definitely dramatic. It takes a little while to get there, but when the two stories begin to make sense, it is engaging reading. It becomes suspenseful writing with a gripping story that has a few unexpected plot twists.

‘She can’t accept a world where right and wrong don’t matter. A good person wouldn’t have taken out his rage on an innocent woman, no matter how much injustice the world served up.’

The issue I had with the story is that there were a few too many characters and subplots that took away from the overall essence of the tale. Fewer elements, described in greater detail may have been beneficial. The writing was good with twists and turns and a somewhat dramatic climax - maybe a little overdone in places with lucky coincidences; and major characters well executed - excepting a few stereotypical additions.

Overall, despite there being a lot going on that can get a little bogged down and confusing at times, this is a suspenseful read that kept me going to the very end.

‘... somewhere along the way, amid the injustice and the broken promises and the devastating losses, a good man had turned bad. If that was true, then good and bad—right and wrong—they lost all meaning.’







This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

This book had some creepy elements that had me much more nervous than I had anticipated! It was great writing, and I loved that!

I enjoyed the book overall and thought it was a strong story. I did struggle with the number of stories that were going on at one time. I was confused at the beginning and found it hard to follow. As I moved forward in the book, I settled into the plot and got comfortable with the different stories. The ending did a great job of connecting all the separate sections of the book together to form an exciting finale.

I was provided an advanced reader's copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Neutral rating because I was unable to finish.
Unfortunately this book was not for me. I had ever intention of powering through this book so I could give it a far review. But when it took me about a week to get 30% into it and half the time I found my mind wondering... I knew I just needed to stop. I would first like to say the synopsis of this book and other review I read make this sound amazing. But the writing was very lack luster and I felt it was all telling and no showing. After 30% in I still had formed no connection to any of the characters or the dilemmas they faced. I have so many books I want to read and I don't want to hold a grudge over this book because many have loved it. So it's best for me to DNF and say it's not for me and move on.

I loved this book so much. In fact, I feel like I want to go back to the start and read it again knowing what I know now!

The two main plots in The Caretakers had me gripped! There is just so much happening throughout and so many secrets waiting to be revealed. Each main plot has its own mini plots coarsing through the story and the reveals of each are well planned and timed brilliantly to surprise the reader with something you didn't see coming. The two interwoven plots are both well written and developed. Flitting between the different character accounts and the different time periods, the book is addictive and was so enjoyable to read. There was no red herrings or diversions to try and throw the reader off; just excellent plot development with timely reveals that add to the readers' enjoyment.

Short, punchy chapters had me reading late into the evenings ... The curse of the Kindle "time left in chapter" function! Really hard to put down but at the same time, I didn't want it to end as I was enjoying it so much.

I can't recommend The Caretakers highly enough. I know it won't be for everyone but it was a fantastic, five-star read for me! I'm really looking forward to reading more of Eliza Maxwell's work now!

Thank you to NetGalley, Eliza Maxwell and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa is a filmmaker who went out of her way to get an Innocent man freed. But now it looks like he's killed again. Tessa and her sister Margot inherited Fallwood, a crumbling and creepy house. Derdrie and Kitty are the caretakers of the house. They are two elderly sisters who have kept the secret of the house. Tessa and Margot has an unpleasant past. It takes the death of their mother to get them back together.

Thisnstorynis a mixture of historical fiction, mystery and thriller. It tells how the wrong decision can affect a life. Thenstory moves back and forth in time. Two different storiesthst come together by the end. I loved the authors writing style and there was some unexpected twists. The story is dark I places. I loved the last chapter. I do recommend this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author E,iza Maxwell for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Tessa Shepherd, documentary filmmaker seems to be handling success fairly well even if her family life is a mess. Her recent true-crime documentary helped an innocent man finally find justice and it has spurred other fantastic projects. But within six months a new nightmare begins and reports begin to surface that possibly Tessa has actually unleashed a monster back into society.

At the same time, Tessa's mother dies and she must return to her family home where her estranged sister waits. Overwhelmed in every direction, Tessa seeks refuge at a newly discovered estate which is part of the sister's inheritance. While there, Tessa and Margot meet two elderly sisters that have been taking care of the home and may be able to shed information on a long-ago series of murders that have a connection to their family.

A spellbinding gothic atmosphere that kept me turning the pages with plenty of drama and family strife. This was my first Eliza Maxwell story but it certainly won't be my last. The Caretakers offered just enough suspense to keep me on my toys and I really liked the characters. Also so glad that an author didn't throw in a romance on top of everything else for Tessa! Yay!







Goodreads review published 07/04/20
Expected publication 14/04/20

I don't need much more than to know a book is about the inheritance of a decrepit old house to be intrigued, and this had all the things that are typically catnip for me as a reader- a sister story, tons of secrets, an unexpected inheritance. It was interesting and held some unexpected twists, but I think there were a few too many elements of the story that got short shrift and could have been better detailed for greater effect.

Tessa and Margot. Diedre and Kitty. Two sets of sisters separated by age but united at Fallwood, the crumbling, creepy home Tessa and Margot inherited from their mother, who it turns out was full of secrets. Tessa is trying to hide out and she's been more or less estranged from Margot for years. Dierdre and Kutty are the caretakers of the title- two elderly sisters who have kept the secrets. This one combines a family drama with a bit of suspense. It does move back and forth in time to give you a fuller understanding of things but that works. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A quick and entertaining read. Maxwell is a good storyteller.

Holy cow!! The end of this book literally made my jaw drop! I really enjoyed this book - it was like a Grimm's fairy tale combined with a more modern day suspense/thriller. The end result made for a very interesting and very fun read! I thought the author did a great job with the characters - especially the elderly sisters who have been watching over Fallbrook. I loved how the story slowly unveiled the history of Fallbrook, keeping the reader wanting more and hooking them until the very end. This was not the only hook that the author used - main character Tessa has an unpleasant past with her sister Margot, some event caused a riff between them and it takes her mother's death to force them back into the same space. And of course there is the hook of the wrongly imprisoned man, Oliver, and the events that unfold throughout the book as his life continues to go off-course.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

True page-turner! Absolutely fantastic read. Perfect mix of mystery, history and suspenseful twists. Loved it. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

The Caretakers is a novel about how the wrong decision can affect one's life. The story is an amalgamation of history, thriller, and mystery. Reading the synopsis, you would think the book is about Tessa and her hard life, but truly it's about sisters, their secrets, and the extent they would go to protect each other. The hardship of living with guilt, remorse, and hurt is well written by the author. Surprisingly the story was not heavy on the emotional side. Many plot twists and suspense was very good. Worth the read. A true page-turner.
Thank you NetGalley, Eliza Maxwell and Lake Union Publishing for reader's copy of this novel. This review is my own and is not influenced in any way.

Part thriller, part historical fiction, part mystery, The Caretakers is the story of Tessa Shepherd, a filmmaker struggling after the man she helped free - has now killed the sheriffs daughter. But that's only part of the story.

The Caretakers is a story about sisters, and about how far one sister will go for the other. Both sets of sisters, Tessa & Margot and Deirdre & Kitty, struggle with secrets about the past and about hurt.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Definitely worth reading! There were more twists and unexpected surprises than I anticipated.
Thank you to NetGalley to allow me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely wonderful !! Suspense at it's finest , so many plot twist and turns you never see it coming. This is a mind boggling murder mystery , with characters that will pull you in immediately.

In The Caretakers, by Eliza Maxwell, we see two mysteries blur past in one of the fastest paced novels I’ve ever read. In the present, Tessa Shepherd is dealing with the aftermath of helping an innocent man get out of jail. In the past, an entire family unwittingly approaches their own demise. Tessa is the link between the two cases, but things happen so quickly in this book that, if you blink, you might miss it.

Tessa begins the novel with the smug knowledge that she did the right thing. She helped expose a frame job that sent a man to prison for fourteen years. The only problems she has at finding out how to dodge her mother’s attempts to reconcile Tessa with her estranged sister. But then, almost immediately, the freed man releases a video in which he claims to have kidnapped and killed a woman. And Tessa’s mother passes away. That’s when the shit really hits the fan…which makes it the perfect time for Tessa to learn about a secret inheritance.

The Caretakers is all plot. It never really pauses for character development or, sometimes, logical motives. But, after the heavy books I’ve been reading lately, I was glad to read something that didn’t carry so much emotional weight. The mysteries were interesting to watch unravel and the ending is pretty spectacular. Sure, it’s not the best mystery I’ve ever read but it’s a pretty fun ride.

4.5 stars

WOW, I did not see that twist coming! I honestly don’t know what else to say without giving the story away. There were so many components to this story—twists and turns that just kept building and truths kept hidden until now—that I was completely caught by surprise at the end. The only parts I didn’t like as much were those of the current situation with Oliver Barlow. I preferred diving into the past and unfolding what happened decades ago at Fallwood House.

Still, I highly recommend this book!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3233952491