Everything I have come to expect from this author - gripping, shocking, well written and unputdownable. Absolutely brilliant.

An amazing mystery about a missing child in a house party were new evidence comes out that lets the mother now perhaps what happened was a little closer to home. I’m going to give this book 5 stars I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading it.

I don’t know how I feel about this one.

On the one hand it is very sad. Incredibly, heartbreakingly, oh my god I’m tearing up sad. It’s a striking portrayal of grief and guilt.

But…it was supposed to be a pulse pounding suspense thriller and…it just wasn’t.

The suspense portions of things were just clunky, the reason behind everything falls flat, and the very end just…thuds to a dull stop.

I wanted to like this more than I did.

Honestly not certain if I’d try the author again.

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

Everyone is going to the housewarming party.
All the same people who lived on the street the day Abi vanished…

This was a good book! My first time reading a S.E. Lynes book and it did not disappoint.
The setting really grabbed me. It seemed very interesting.
The characters I enjoyed. But the story was a little predictable.
The ending was great.

But where it was a little predictable it just tool the fun right out of it.

Overall great book.

Like a watched kettle, this book took a little while to come to the boil for me. But, once it did, my attention to domestic duties dwindled to nothing as I devoured every page. Feeling hungry, folks? Dinner might be a while…
The gut-churning horror of a young child vanishing virtually without a trace doesn't make for comfortable reading. The author deftly paints the desperation and guilt felt by mum, Ava, and her adoring husband Matt's attempts to draw her back to normality. But how can anything be normal again?
Tragedy is like an infectious disease. People avoid you. They don't want to catch it.
There is a line fairly early on that had my antenna twitching. Ahah, I thought. Now I know where this is going. But — due to the extremely skilled storytelling, teasing information and throwing in blinders — I was only partially correct.
There are beautiful metaphors, lines of such sublime quality, and even the odd word I'd never heard of (something I've encountered in the author's previous work). 'Philtrum', the vertical groove on the surface of the upper lip, for example. And the description of Ava's growing doubts about events of that shocking day.
I feel it bodily, as I feel music; hear the wrong note in the fiendishly difficult, un-spannable chord. When struck with a fork, a glass with even a hairline crack does not chime.
There's also humour amid all the darkness. Lines that made me giggle, despite the bleak subject matter.
Chorizo sausages nestle optimistically in a cardboard tray, bursting burnt orange in their tight skins. In happier, funnier times, Matt used to call them fox bollocks.
New friendships are forged, old ones tested, and secrets and lies snake their way to the surface. The titular housewarming party serves as a catalyst, albeit a slow-burning one. Akin to the kettle, its simmering bubbles gaining momentum until the 'click' that signifies the end.
It is simply that the party has pulled the plug on the weird, stagnant pond of our lives, has drained the water from details half submerged, which lie now in the shallows, exposed.
I've missed a few of the author's earlier books, an oversight I intend to correct. For once, I'll accept the word 'unputdownable'…
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC. All views expressed are my own.

S.E. Lynes is a an author I have been wanting to read for a long time and I am very happy for this opportunity from NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To set the picture: Ava, a mother in present times, can't live her life since an year ago her daughter Abi, 2 years old, had vanished. No one has seen her, and Ava and her husband can't move, in any way, past that.

Why? Because there isn't a body and no one has seen the little one that morning. What the hell happened?

This thriller was simply amazing with all you can imagine - enough suspects, enough thoughts from all the characters, guilt that goes round and round and carefully crafted characters that seem that they don't know anything even though you as a reader are sure they are aware of some information. You believe the author completely and the words guide you in this gem of thriller.

The psychological aspect of all the characters is incredibly well progressing throughout the story and it seems that the author thought about every sentence for a very long time before writing it. Every paragraph seems perfectly 'articulated' for a book and the twists!

For me as a reader every twist felt not so much as an incredible twist, but an unbelievable revelation. In the best possible way.
Every chapter forms a picture for the readers that is even managing to change in the course of the same chapter and the wording just does that seemingly easily.

A family drama with a great deal of mystery and thriller and the psychological aspect gets you running through the story since you are thinking that maybe it was an accident, maybe someone took Abi, maybe she ran away and you are gasping at those last chapters when everything is revealing. And even then you are not sure what you have read and you now don't believe the author but you must because you can't handle any more twists.

And the last idea that the author introduced to us, idea for which she gave us some glances through the story, was so hard to swallow and yet I questioned myself and my emotions and my goal and sense here on this Earth.

Oh my goodness! What a book! This was quite the page turner for me. I loved it! I needed a quick and easy read to suck me in this weekend.

First off I’d like to say a huge thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC of Susies latest book, I’ve loved every single book of hers I’ve read. This one however was a slow starter, but around half way through it picked up and I just couldn’t put it down. I felt that Susie really captured the hurt and guilt of each individual character perfectly, making me come to tears reading it at some points. A story of love, loss and guilt, all in one.

The Housewarming by S. E. Lynes is a dark and disturbing story of a missing child. I was wary about reading another novel about a missing child as there has been a lot of them published recently. This novel went deeper into the ramifications, thoughts, and disturbances for the parents.

This isn't a crime or thriller novel per se. The main focus is on how Ava and Matt are living or existing after their daughter, Abi's disappearance. I appreciated the exploration into the characters' psyches. Some may be waiting from the onset for twists and turns. I think if you approach the novel knowing that it isn't like this, you won't be disappointed.

The revelations start coming nearer the end. The housewarming party turns things around. Initially, I wondered about the relevance of the title. All became clear, far beyond the literal. This is where this suspense novel really ramps it up and the horror of what happened is revealed.

I really enjoy S. E. Lynes' writing. It immerses into characters, the plot, and description. The Housewarming is no exception.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this early copy. Publication on 23rd October.

Ava is devastated when her two year old daughter goes missing.
One year later her neighbours have a housewarming party and after a few drinks things are said that makes Ava think someone knows what happend to her daughter.
Now Ava will keep asking questions until she finds out the truth about the disappearance.
I found the story a little slow and repetitive in parts but the pace picked up half way through the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of S.E. Lynes books as I love her ability to keep me thinking about her stories long after I've finished the book.

This was a heart breaking story of a little girl called Abi who seems to vanish without a trace from her parent's home.

A year after her disappearance, Matt convinces Ava to attend their new neighbours housewarming party which becomes a catalyst of new thoughts for Ava and is on a mission to understand exactly what happened to her daughter

This is also a story of grief, motherhood, friends, lies, secrets and so much more.

Ultimately for me though it was about kindness and how we look after each other, whether they are our neighbours, friends or vulnerable members of society

"And if we don't look after each other, we're just hiding in castles, shooting arrows at our neighbours"

*Thank You to Netgalley, S.E. Lynes and Bookouture for allowing me to read this Arc in exchange for an honest review*

I am new to the Author S.E. Lynes and I was not disappointed. This is a true Psychological Thriller and not for the faint hearted. A warning that some parts are very hard to get through but the ending is satisfying.

The Housewarming is as story about the disappearance of 2yo Abi and the effects it has on each person involved. The book takes place one year after her unsolved absence as her grieving mother aches for her child and tries to find answers in every face she looks at and every word she hears. Her need for answers radiates into all her relationships including her friendships and her crumbling marriage. The reader goes through every detail with her again and again as she tries to figure out what went wrong and what secrets are being kept from her. We go on this roller coaster with her until the epic conclusion which has the reader completely shocked.

This mystery is well written and keeps the reader on their toes through the entire book, having you suspect each person you are introduced to. S.E. Lynes has created a masterpiece of psychological drama with emotion and suspense.

This was such an entertaining read.
The setting was great - a small town, a group of neighbors, all living in one street, and a little girl who went missing. Ava's point of view of the night where her daughter went missing was so vivid, and it felt so real, that I could really feel myself connect with her even right at the start of the book. Her growing panic and hysteria were pictured so well and the atmosphere was just incredibly well done.
I really enjoyed all the dynamics and characters, the switch of point of view was really easy to read, and the writing style was enjoyable. I was invested in the mystery from the very start, and I couldn't put the book down because I just had to know how it would turn out. I had really high expectations for the ending because the rest of the book was so well pieced together, and it felt like the plot was so carefully constructed. I loved all the little pieces Ava noticed which fell together and formed a larger picture and seeing her suspicion slowly rise.
I have to admit I did predict a large bit of the ending because the clues for that turn of events were quite obvious to me even in the beginning of the book. I still really enjoyed reading it though, and there was still one twist I didn't see coming.
Overall I really enjoyed this book, and I would definitely pick up more books by this author.

Wow! This book had literally given me all the feels. My curiosity has been at its peak, the scene has been built and I've been left shocked at every twist and turn.
This is a work of genius, definitely pulls you in as a reader and keeps you guessing. I have definitely found myself thinking about this book even when not reading it.
Lynes has really built up the tension, I've been kept on the edge of my seat. I absolutely couldn't predict where this was going. Although, I didn't quite get the ending I had hoped for. Unfortunately the ending has a real accuracy.
This is completely unique to anything I've read previously. I'm ashamed to admit that this is my first read by this author but I am definitely going to be reading more.
A definite five star read.

Just brilliant! I love a good suburban noir, is that even a term? But suburban noir is the best way I can describe this one. The author captures the absolute terror that ensues when a mother discovers her child has gone missing, the total blind panic that thankfully usually dissipates within a few minutes when the child is found innocently wandering in the next shop or street. This scenario was so well portrayed that I felt I was living every minute with the mother Ava.
Without regurgitating the plot, all I will say is that friendships and relationships are examined and dissected here and found to be wanting! The author writes sublimely, all her books are just wonderful. Her message is that society should be as one in looking out for each other, but sometimes, selfish motivations can cloud the judgement of the individual. If you are new to this author, I would urge you to give her books a go.

I was really looking forward to reading this as I am a huge fan of the author's previous novels. My favourite thing about the author is that she comes up with concepts that I've never read about before and explores themes that I'd never really considered until reading her books. This is why I liked this one but did not love it. The writing was absolutely fantastic, as always, but it was just a missing child book in a market that is saturated with books with similar plots. It was a very good one, and better than quite a few similar books I have read, but the fact remains that it didn't really break any new ground.

Yet another new author to me and one I intend to read much more of. When I first started this book I wasn't quite sure whether I was going to like it but the more I read the more I enjoyed it.
Everyone is invited to the housewarming party for a cosy get together but it was only twelve months ago that that the lives of all the people invited was hit by tragedy. None more than Ava who left her daughter for five minutes strapped in her pushchair downstairs. Ava was convinced she had locked the front door but when she came down the stairs the door was open and Abi was gone. Neighbours the Lovegoods are throwing a housewarming party to show their friends the results of the renovation. Ava is reluctant to go, her life has changed so much since that day and she doesn't want to spend time with people who don’t share her grief. Husband Matt persuades her to go and as her friends and neighbours chat, and the drink and gossip flows, Ava learns something new about the day she has re-lived a thousand times. A throwaway comment which could change everything that Ava had thought.
I am so glad I carried on through the start of the book because it got so much better. This heart breaking story is a great read that twists and turns to the very end. Highly recommended.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A heartbreaking tale! What a tangled web of lies! Not a thrill ride, but a slow, aching burn. What really happened to Ava and Matt’s darling daughter? Who is at fault? A series of missteps that lead to tradegedy.

This is a stunning read; a stand out Psychological thriller in a genre that is already heavily saturated. Superb writing, excellent characterisation and plot lines just adds to this sublime piece of writing.

One day I am going to run out of words as I try to convey to others just how utterly beautiful SE Lynes’ writing is. I have no words that could ever do her justice but once again I will try my best.
I open up a book by SE Lynes knowing that I am going to be lost inside the world she has created, a long time after I turn the last page and The Housewarming was no different. I can’t get Ava and Matt and their story out of my head or out of my heart.
The blurb tells you all you need to know about the story so let’s talk about all the feels and feels is something this book will give you in shed loads!
Right from the outset a rawness dripped from the page as I was immediately immersed inside the character of Ava; it wasn’t the easiest space to occupy as I found myself in the bitter truth of what “just one more minute” can mean, the devastating consequences it can have. The guilt suffocated me as I crawled around inside of her head, replaying with her, each moment of the day her daughter went missing. The panic turned to terror, to guilt, to a strange kind of “no man’s land” state of grieving as her little girl disappears never to be seen again.
It explored everything associated with the loss of a child; a process of grieving where nobody knows what to say, where your daily grief is cruelly laced with hope and guilt at the same time. I can’t for the life of me explain the gut wrenching feelings I had reading this. I felt everything that both Matt and Ava were feeling.
We meet neighbours and friends of Matt and Ava and watching friendships develop, destruct and wither as the impact of a child’s disappearance hits hard. The housewarming party, held by the Lovegoods was a masterpiece in tension and release as one throwaway comment served as the tipping point of what was about to be uncovered. There are beautiful scenes with the Lovegood’s daughter Jasmine that really touched my heart. When you read the book and the acknowledgments you will understand why this is.
I still find myself thinking about Matt and Ava, I wonder where they are now and I hope they are happy. I think they will stay with me for a very long time.
The Housewarming explores so many themes, grief, loss, isolation, responsibility and community. It scratches away at the surface and provides not just food for thought, but a whole damn feast! By the end of this you will be thinking, what if…if only…what would I do?
The writing is sharp, it’s edgy and at the same time it is beautiful and poignant. She creates a frenetic energy by placing the reader in the head of the characters but at the same time can bring you down to slow motion giving you time to explore the thoughts and the themes that emerge as you read.
But while The Housewarming is emotional, and if you are anything like me you will be ugly crying when reading this, there is a very real message of hope. In amongst the isolation of grief, the fear that you will infect others with your emotions; the guilt and the mistrust; there is also a very strong message of hope, kindness and community.
I don’t even know if I’ve reviewed this book properly, I’ve told you nothing of the story line and talked about all the emotions. I can’t help myself, I’m sorry but SE Lynes is one of the most exquisite writers I have ever read, she draws out all the feels every time and at the same time uses her writing to deliver messages that are oh so relevant. I swear her books speak to me. Anyone who knows how much I love SE Lynes books and the admiration I have for her, knows how I’ll finish this review off. Susie Lynes, you’re a genius hen!

My review will be part of the blog tour