A very interesting and thrilling book based on the real life creepy nature of Overtoun House and Bridge. I found this book really interesting because it was from the perspective of three women and their connection to the house and bridge. The concept of this book was very unique because it combined the concept of Celtic thin places with Munchhausen by proxy syndrome. Overall, this book was riveting and exciting to read. I'm giving it 4 stars because the descriptions of pregnancy and main character's relationships were kind of confusing and could have been explained better.

This is an unputdownable dark thriller of a book! That it's based on a real place makes it even crazier. Told through three timelines, This is a very atmospheric and eerie novel in which Overtoun House is as much as a character as some of the people. I don't know if I'd describe it as a gothic thriller, a ghost story or what but The Thin Place is super twisty and kept me guessing until the very end.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for a copy to review.

A slow start. which picked up pace steadily and ended up being a highly satisfying, atmospheric read. Loved the tri fold time line that wove each strand of the story together so cleverly. Highly recommend.

I really, really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and follow the plot line. I loved the characters and their personalities. It was gripping from the start. Would definitely recommend.

I do enjoy books with a strong sense of setting. The Thin Place definitely has this when Ava, a TV reporter, is drawn to Overtoun House and, in particular, a bridge there, where dogs have been known to jump to their deaths. Ava starts to develop an obsession with the place and keeps returning there, causing difficulties in her relationships with her husband and family, who want her to focus on the fact she’s pregnant and should be looking after herself and the baby.

The book is split into multiple perspectives, and as well as Ava’s story, we also get to find out about two other characters, Marion and Constance, and as you might expect, there is a link between all three characters.

This is a well-paced, intriguing book, and there are some spooky elements. It played out to a satisfying conclusion and was an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC!

A thin place is a spot where the eternal life meshes with the present life. Here strange things and feelings will occur, and the Overtoun Bridge is no exception. This bridge is known for the odd dog suicides that occur here. Dogs just go nuts and run to the top of the bridge and jump. There is also rumors about a woman who committed suicide on the bridge that lives in the adjoining estate. Ava, a news journalist, hears about this story for work and they shoot a segment on it. Instantly Ava is attached to this house. She feels things there and she gets obsessed with trying to figure out what happened there. As she digs deeper and deeper she finds out about the mistress of the house and all the horribly sad things that happened in those walls. Ava is also pregnant with her own child and the further she digs the more she puts herself and her baby's life in peril, repeating history yet again.

This was a very quick read for me, I felt that it flowed effortlessly and I could easily read it quickly. All of the plot points moved fluidly and none of the characters became confusing even while following three story lines. I really liked the concept of the bridge and the sick child, it isn't something that is written about often. I didn't really appreciate the part with the dogs seeing as I'm an avid dog lover, but I was able to overcome it. I think people will enjoy this novel if they are looking for a quick mystery/thriller with a surprise ending. I will say I was a little confused at the timeline of the mother, but saying anything more will give it away-I just didn't think the years added up correctly, but it's a minor detail.



Rate: 4/5

Fiction

Author: C.D. Major

Pages: 319

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.
Before I start, there's a few serious trigger warnings for this one... suicide, miscarriage, child abuse, animal abuse/death (some was really just gratuitous and unnecessary).

I love a good mystery, and all the better if it has a supernatural theme. The author captured the creepy foreboding atmosphere of Overtoun House perfectly , and smoothly wove together three storylines into one but I just didn't really feel like I connected with any of the characters, and ultimately the plot felt a little predictable. I figured out all of the twists, most of them pretty early on. The idea of "Thin Places", or places where the boundaries between this world and the next are just a little more fuzzy, was new to me and absolutely fascinating. I'll definitely be reading more about them, but unfortunately this book just didn't quite do it for me.

I'm grateful to Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Thin Place in return for my honest opinions.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Delightfully atmospheric and creepy!

<b>PROS</b>
-- Well written and very readable.
-- Well paced and kept me turning the pages.
-- Intriguing plot with good twists, turns, and red herrings.
-- Triple time lines meshed well.
-- Creepy, atmospheric setting that I loved.
-- Loved the supernatural elements.
-- Well developed cast of characters.
-- Satisfying (if maybe a tiny bit rushed) ending.

<b>CONS</b>
-- None, really. I enjoyed this one thoroughly!

*Arc Via NetGalley**

This was my first book by Major, and it was definitely an intriguing read.
The dual timeline was interesting, and kept me engaged to see how the stories would eventually connect together.
I wouldn't categorise this novel as a thriller, more of a family drama.
It flowed pretty well, and I liked the characters, but I'm not sure I will go out of my way to read her works, unless the blurb reallly grabs me.

The Thin Place is an atmospheric, slightly spooky book set in Scotland. In Celtic history, a thin place is described as being a location where the distance between earth and heaven is incredibly thin.

When reporter, Ava Brent discovers a local bridge where dogs jump to their deaths she is eager to run a story on the place. but soon becomes obsessed with it.

Told over three different view points and timelines it is based on an actual location. I enjoyed the stories of Constance and Marion but I found myself skipping through the chapters of Ava because it was just a bit over the top.

Overall I liked the book but didn't love it. If you are expecting lots of supernatural happenings that chill you to the bone then this book isn't for you.

This was an interesting story. I liked Ava's storyline - newly pregnant reporter, she is drawn to this bridge Overtoun, where hundreds of dogs have thrown themselves off of it and no one knows why. But there are two other storylines and I didn't enjoy them as much. I felt like it took forever to really find the purpose to these other POV. I liked juggling Ava's family and life drama as she struggled to really balance her work life and her new and upcoming family life. I liked the twists but would have loved this had it only been a POV or 2.

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

This book was so good! Ava Brent as the main character truly kept me page turning this book well past my bedtime! C.D Major is a great author.

This is a creepy atmospheric book that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. What’s better than a creepy house, a creepy story and an unsettling feeling in your gut. This is a story that moves slow enough for you to quietly picture every step Ava makes. It draws you in and holds you tight until the very end. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

My initial draw to this book was simple: My maiden name is C. Major and my brother is D Major. Not exactly my usual method for book selection, but it was a rewarding choice, without a doubt, one of my favorite random choices this year. Even more unbelievably it turned out that the setting of the story was in Scotland. My mother was born in Scotland....32 minutes east of the the infamous historical bridge in the book! I was then shaken yet again as one of the characters carried out a pregnancy experience startlingly similar to my own, which Major pens with beautiful, cathartic care. Every reading session felt like holding one's breath and diving head first into this multi-generational novel rich with the classic eerie horror ambiance of the greats like Shirley Jackson and thriller's Ruth Ware. A stomach clenching, nerve wracking, nail biting push to discover every last mystery involved. Major employs just the right amount of historical insight to build such a believable, traumatizing, empowering narrative from the stark angles of multiple complex women during their own eras.

I am so grateful for the privilege for the opportunity to read and review The Thin Place. I was provided with this e-book by NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

I saw this in the ‘Read Now’ section on Netgalley and it sounded right up my street. The Thin Place is told from 3 different perspectives and 3 different places in time. The blurb had me so intrigued but it was such a slow burner to the point of dragging and it felt like there was nothing really happening until the last few chapters. I was invested in 2 of the main characters but the 3rd I could take or leave. I would have loved some more background information to be able to better understand some of the characters. Found the plot predictable and lacked major elements - tension, suspense, shock factor. I had hoped for more eeriness and the creep factor but it didn’t quite get there. Its not that I didn’t enjoy it just more I didn’t love it.

3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟/🌟

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the opportunity to read and review this ARC that was published on the 15th of March.

The thin place is a Celtic term for places where the gap between heaven and earth is closer. Overton House and the Bridge are rumoured to be one of those places. Ava, a TV reporter, finds herself irresistibly drawn to the location and its history. Her story connects with those of Constance in 1949 and Marion in 1929.

This is a compelling read, suffused with mystery, fear, madness and cruelty. There is an atmosphere of the supernatural and the chilling. The characterisation is excellent and the writing is taut and enthralling. The gradual reveal of the connections between the characters is clever and skillful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the synopsis for The Thin Place by CD Major I was intrigued and after receiving #Netgalley approval this novel certainly didn't disappoint me. If you like creepy Gothic novels The Thin Place fits the bill perfectly.

Ava is a journalist, pregnant with her first child and can't understand why her mother won't help her by giving her information on her family and their health background. Ava vaguely remembers a place called Dumbarton and uses her job as cover to visit Overtoun Estate which looms over the town. There is a bridge on the estate that dogs jump from for no reason and Ava and her crew go there to try and get the story.
A thin place is a Celtic term for a place where the curtain between the present and the afterlife is weak and sometimes the other side can be reached.
Ava becomes more and more obsessed with the story which is entwined with her own life. At times the sense of menace is so strong and I wanted to shake Ava for the risks she was taking with her life and her babies future. However, in a way I understood the compulsion to find the truth and have no doubt that pregnancy hormones were intended to have a role in this novel.
I also really liked how the author CD Major wrote the different stories of the women involved. Each story cleverly told and the truth slowly revealed. Ava, Marion and Constance all related eventhough they were decades apart.
This story had everything including dogs, suspense, Gothic castles and the ability to invoke frustration and fear in the reader..I couldn't put this book down and would recommend it wholeheartedly

I really should start reading synopses more often because a lot of the books I've been picking up lately are nothing like I thought they would be - and this was no exception!

Drawn in by the beautiful cover, I thought this was going to be a twisty domestic thriller. However, The Thin Place is actually part mystery and part historical fiction.

We read from three perspectives, Ava in modern day, Marion in the 1930s and Constance in the 1940s. We get the sense that the three stories are connected, although it isn't immediately clear how, other than the link to the mysterious Overtoun House each of the stories have.

As the novel progresses, the mystery unravels and our questions are answered. Why is Ava so drawn to Overtoun? Why have dogs supposedly been committing suicide from the bridge outside the house for half a century? And why is Ava's mum so secretive about her past?

As a concept, this sounded incredible, but my overall view of C D Major's book is that it is just fine. The book is well researched (it's based on real Celtic myths) but it ends up being highly repetitive. Ava goes to Overtoun. Ava prioritises her work. Ava argues with her mum. Ava forgets she's pregnant. Ava neglects her relationship with her partner. Ava goes back to Overtoun.

I didn't have a bad time with The Thin Place, but I'm not itching to recommend it either.

3.5 stars

~ Thanks to NetGalley and Independent Amazon Publishing UK / Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review ~

4.5 / 5

TW: pregnancy trauma; miscarriage

This was a book that I needed to sit and contemplate for a few days upon finishing it. I had A LOT of thoughts and wanted to make sure that I had processed them properly before writing a review.

"The Thin Place" by C.D. Major is a supernatural thriller that explores the lives of three women whose stories twist together across decades. In 1929, Marion is sweet and naive, enjoying as much of the revelries of the Roaring Twenties as her mother will allow. Then she meets Hamish, who charms his way into her life, never knowing that the joy he brings her now will become warped with time. 1949 introduces us to Constance, a child whose feeble health leaves her confined to her room for most of her days. She only has her mother for company, and as time goes by, Constance begins to wonder whether her mother really wants her to get better at all. And in the present day, Tv journalist Ava struggles to balance her personal life (including her developing pregnancy) with her newfound obsession with Overtoun House and its bridge from which, since the 1950s, anywhere from 50 to 500 dogs have jumped to their deaths. The place consumes her every waking moment, but the locals resent Ava asking questions, and unraveling Overtoun's secrets will have far more consequences than she ever could have predicted.

Before analysing anything in detail, I just want to state outright that I really enjoyed this novel. It might have been a little predictable in some places, but I've found that some predictability can actually reinforce a story's strength. Besides, there were enough mysteries and curveballs to stop this from being a bore. I would have torn through this book quickly if it weren't for the fact that the ebook NetGalley provided me with could not be switched to night mode; I do most of my reading in the dark while my partner sleeps, so I often had to choose between letting my eyeballs burn or skipping my nightly reading. The text also couldn't be modified, which could present issues for those with reading disabilities. Neither of these factors alters my opinion of the book, I just thought I'd mention it in case the same applies to the Kindle edition.

The characters were well written, and I loved that we got to watch the relationships unfold and grow as they learned to communicate with one another. The tension was palpable the more the book went on, and at times I found myself positively dizzy from it, especially as Ava's blood pressure fluctuated. I also found that Major handled the discussion and contrasting of Marion and Ava's pregnancy complications as a story device efficiently, although I was surprised by the intensity of these scenes and think that other readers should be prepared going in. The writing itself was vivid and gripping, and I didn't even mind repetition in parts because that added to the disorienting effect that the plot was having on me. Lastly, I loved how subtly Major used the supernatural, like it was almost as an invisible player in the background moving things along.

The main thing that stopped this from being a 5 for me, even just based on enjoyment, was Ava's stupidity at the climax of the story. Ava was not silly - she might have made some questionable choices throughout the book, but I never found myself challenging the credibility of her actions or thought-process. But she overlooked such obvious things at this one point in the story, specifically regarding Garry, that I found it really frustrating. I really dislike when authors make characters act in ways that goes against how they've behaved previously in order to move the story along, hence why I rounded down to 4 stars on Goodreads instead of giving it the full 5 as I otherwise would have.

This one complaint aside, I honestly loved this book. I've already found myself recommending it to my friends, and will probably purchase a copy down the road to read it again. My experience with "The Thin Place" has been encouraging enough that I will be checking out her debut novel, and I look forward to seeing what she releases in the future.

I'm sure there will be an audience for this, but unfortunately, I'm not it. I could never relate to or understand Ava's obsession with Overtoun, for one thing, and for another, there was too much dog death in it for me. One is too much, really, so I didn't appreciate tacking on an extra.