This a brilliantly haunting story that I couldn't put down. It's a creepy read that just keeps you riveted. I loved the pace of this book and how well the story ties together. A book that will stay with me long after having finished it.

This historical fiction story is largely a family drama about a woman who finds herself inexplicably drawn to an old Gothic house in Scotland and the neighbouring bridge that has a very sinister history.  The story is told over three timelines that all come together in the present day.

I found this book to be a little lightweight and predictable but it is very well written and quite unsettling at times with Gothic undertones.  It is a decent read, though not the full blown thriller I was expecting, and it will probably be very much enjoyed by fans of stories about complicated families and relationships.

Loved it! This book was atmospheric and kept me gripped throughout. I couldn't put it down.I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

I loved this book about Overtoun House, following Ava, a journalist who finds herself increasingly drawn to the house. Mixing the stories of Ava and previous inhabitants this is a brilliantly told story, full of twists and turns as despite the time and the gaps the stories intermingle.

Rating: Good

Genre: Mystery Thriller

This is one of those mystery thrillers that follows three stories in different time frames. One which is in present and two of them in the past and as usual they all intertwined at the end to give the reader a clear picture. The present is about a reporter Ava who becomes obsessed with one of those thin places (A thin line where one can walk between two different worlds) The Overtoun House and the bridge on which many dogs have leaped to their death.

The two stories from the past take place in 1929 and 1949 and they follow the lives of Marion, a young woman who marries the rich Hamish but is unlucky with her pregnancies. And then a young girl called Constance who is very ill and her mother makes her live in isolation of the outer world.

Overall, this was an entertaining mystery thriller. A bit slow at times and sometimes predictable but still it was a fun read. The characters from the past stories were more interesting to me than the present one and my mind always prefers imagining the past especially when it comes to a spooky atmosphere. Keep in mind that the story has some supernatural elements so if you don’t like your mystery thrillers to have a touch of fantasy then this might not be for you. I’d say a good story for a debut novel.

Expected release date: April 15th, 2021

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing the ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily after being sent the book.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Amazon Publishing/Thomas & Mercer for gifting me a digital copy of this gothic mystery by CD Major - 4 stars for a chilling mystery.

The thin place is a Celtic expression for places where the gap between heaven and earth is closer. In the present day, journalist Ava is investigating a rumored thin place - an old castle with a nearby bridge where dogs apparently leap to their deaths for no reason. Ava soon becomes obsessed with the story and the house. In alternating chapters, we hear from Marian in 1929 and Constance in 1949, who both lived in the house. There are plenty of twists and turns to see how all three timelines are related.

This is a fast-paced read and each story line is chilling in its own way, but especially Constance's. I enjoyed the creepy, gothic feel of this story. Be sure to read the author's note because the house and bridge are real places!

I have mixed feeling about this book. I usually like psychological thrillers, but I wasn't really keen on the supernatural kind of vibe that this book emanates.
The story is narrated from 3 different points of view, two of which in the past and one in the present. I loved Marion and Costance's stories, I couldn't get enough of them. On the other hand I couldn't warm up to Ava's character (why can't she speak throughout the book? she barely mumbles, a lot of "I..", "Mum...", "Hmmm", "Mum... I... The baby.." aaaargh, very annoying!!), nor to her chapters which I skim-read to get to the other's characters ones, which were very captivating instead.
One thing about Munchausen by proxy: even before reading the historical note at the end of the book I was reading Costance's lines in my mind with Gipsy Rose Blanchard's little voice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love stories that alternate between different time periods. I love that you can immerse yourself into the stories happening in the then and now. The Thin Place is told through three perspectives - Ava in the present day, Marion in the 1920s and Constance in the 1940s. Each point of view character has their own personality and their individuality shone through, making it easy to distinguish between the three. 

I clicked with Ava almost immediately. After she finds out she’s pregnant, she’s so excited to become a parent for the first time. As her own mother is adopted, she seeks information about her relatives in order to help her understand her family history. This leads her to take an interest in a local story about dogs allegedly jumping from a bridge to their deaths. It is there Ava becomes obsessed with Overtoun house and its history. 

We also follow Marion in 1929 as she marries the love of her life, Hamish. After, they decide to have a baby but alas it isn’t meant to be and they suffer loss after loss. Thirdly, Constance in 1949 - a young girl locked in her room by her mother, told she’s suffering from an illness she needs to be isolated for. I loved how the different POV’s all weave into one and everything just clicked into place for me. 

Overall, a fast-paced, brilliantly unique plot. The concept of thin places was so interesting, and I loved reading about them. The book had an eerie feel to it, not quite supernatural but along those lines. I was creeped out more than once and gripped from start to finish.

I've never been much of a fan of gothic stories but the last few months I've read some really good ones and my opinion is starting to change. The thin place is a great example of a modern mystery with gothic vibes.

A thin place is the celtic term for places where the gap between heaven and earth is closer. Overtoun House and Bridge are supposed to be in one of these places. It is said that more than 500 dogs have leaped to their deaths from the bridge. After doing a story there, reporter Ava Brent feels weirdly drawn to the place and becomes pretty obsessed trying to find the truth behind the house's tragic past.

The story spans three different time frames, 1929, 1949 and the present, so there's three different POVs. Although it was not stated till the end it was not difficult to see how all the three lines would tie together, so I was not surprised by the twists.

My favorite timeline was Constance's. Although her voice sounded a little older than her years, her situation gave me chills and I'll remember that image of her looking from the window for a long time to come.

I found Ava pretty annoying and her sudden obsession with Overtoun, to the point of neglecting her own health and her family, was a bit hard to understand at first.

The atmosphere was fantastic. It was so eerie, and the menacing presence of the house was really well done. Every time Ava visited the house I got an unsettling feeling in my stomach.

I was surprised to find out on the author's note that Overtoun House and Bridge are real places, so once I finished it I immediately had to go and googled them.

Compelling gothic mystery that it's at the same time a story of mothers and daughters.

Thanks to CD Major, NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I think of The Thin Place the words captivating, spellbinding and page-turning come to mind! I loved the use of multiple narrators to tell the story of a manor home that holds mystery and tales. I could not put it down!

This compelling novel examines the lives of women across recent history through the lens of a haunted estate. Atmospheric and haunting, as the plot burns on, you'll find yourself examining the complications of motherhood and how secrets infect their bearers.

Definitely a story for fans of haunted house stories, this book fulfilled its goal of being a mystery brought to life. I thought the concept was really interesting and the flow of the story was good and there was nothing wrong with the writing.

I didn't love some of the characterizations - there seemed to be a disproportionate response by family members to the main protagonist doing her journalism job. They mentioned how "obsessive" Ava was, but I feel like we needed some more backstory to justify how frequently they brushed aside her journalistic curiosity. Additionally, Ava seemed like a pretty lackluster journalist and I wondered how much information could have been discovered by her going beyond a simple Google search. I would have loved if the other two perspectives were told through found objects instead of as independent storylines. There wasn't enough to differentiate the tones of the three voices and the inclusion of these two secondary voices gave away some of the twists way before our main protagonist got there.

Not the best mystery I've ever read, but not bad at all.

Part gothic tale, part ghost story and part suspense, this is a book that is slow to entrance. But once you do, the story becomes a page turner, as you want to rush ahead and determine what really happened at Overtoun Estate. This is a book to savor, so don't miss it!

Engrossing. Disturbing. Spooky. Gothic.
Basically, everything I love in a story!
(There were some difficult subjects addressed in this story, so check out the triggers listed by others if you are a more sensitive reader.)
Three narratives begin to play out surrounding a real bridge on a Scotland estate where dogs were jumping to their deaths. (Horrifying, I know) The three different generations of women each have a strong pull and emotion toward the estate and bridge. We, page by page, discover why and how the women, one a child, intertwine.
I really liked this story. One of my favorite things is to be made to feel spooked, while trying to make rational sense of a situation, while reading of course. This story does this well for me. There were a few things I picked up fairly early, and I believe it is meant to be so. The end was a bit jarring, which I also like, even if the end isn't my preference. I appreciate when an author chooses a path less taken, even if it isn't tidy.
It is hard to share what I loved without giving more away, so forgive the vagueness.
Exploring how people can do horrible things and how others respond to all of this is a difficult job that Ms. Major did very well in the context of a fictional Gothic tale. My emotions were all over the place as I read!
I definitely recommend this book. I am reminded after reading it that everyone has a story, and while that may not excuse behavior, it can often help explain it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this free ebook. I am delighted to give my honest review without compulsion

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for a copy of The thin Place by C. D Major. When I requested this, I thought this was going to a thriller but it’s actually more a mystery.
It is told in three points of view. The leading one is telling us about Ava Brent who is a reporter for the local newspaper when she become across a story about the Ovetoun estate in Glasgow where there is a bridge that dogs have leaped from to their deaths. She gets obsessed and wants to delve into further into the story to find out what happened to them. By doing this she is annihilating her friends and family and the father of her soon to be child.
We also discover the story of Marion who comes and lives on the estate by marrying Hamish in the 1940’s. But her marriage is different to what she thinks it will be and there is Constance a sickly child in the 1920’s. Her mother has locked her in a room away from other people her own age.
This is a chilling atmospheric mystery in three points of view, and I found that I enjoyed the story more of Constance then the actual leading one of Ava. I did not like her very much; she was annoying and for me felt that this book was a bit confusing. At first, I did not see the relevance on the three women’s stories until the very end of the book. Which then it only came clear and also by the acknowledgement by the author at the end.

This book was a nice break from my typical romance thriller / mystery.

The story is told from three perspectives; Ava in present day and Marion and Constance from the past. When Ava gets pregnant and can’t answer all of the questions on her family history- it brings up questions of her mother’s past. Her job as a news reporter takes her to a site that is eerily familiar from when her mom attended a funeral there. She gets caught up in this work and it causes strife between her baby’s father and her family. Marion’s story is one of a maiden taken to live in a magnificent castle with a wealthy man. It doesn’t take long for the fairytale to fade away as her husband becomes cold after the loss of her first baby, Constance’s story is told as a child living in this castle but being made to lie about her health to the doctor, Her story is one of sadness, lies, and loneliness. But how do these stories connect and relate?

The author did a nice job of tying it together. I didn’t mind the predictability of the connection between the characters, I wish I would’ve heard more or understood more of Marion’s actions. I also would’ve liked closure with Garry and the main character, what had his experience been the night he was left alone? I know that they talked- but I would’ve liked to hear the exact conversation between Keven and Frances, that would have been interesting! Overall- great read, I wasn’t expecting to be so tied in, but it was very intriguing. Then to find it was written about a real place- spent another few hours googling that!

Loved this one! So easy to read and lots of twists and turns along the way. Definitely a quick read and one I recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story for me is was a little predictable in parts but nonetheless I still enjoyed it. The story follows Ava, a journalist as she takes on a story about an usual Scottish home, Overtoun Estate. This house has a bridge that people say causes Dogs to jump to their death. It's known as a 'thin place' where the line between worlds is at its thinnest. Ava is drawn into the world, and it consumes her life, she misses out on her life and pregnancy. The story follows Ava in the present and 2 timelines in the past, Marion in the 1920s, and Constance in the 1940s. I loved the way the story moved between the different eras and I felt this worked well, I did predict how the timelines all overlapped but this didn't ruin it, I still enjoyed finding out more about the why it all happened. Overall I would recommend the book it was a fascinating read!

I received a free copy from Netgalley to review, below is the blurb:

"When journalist Ava Brent decides to investigate the dark mystery of Overtoun Estate—a ‘thin place’, steeped in myth—she has no idea how dangerous this story will be for her.

Overtoun looms over the town, watching, waiting: the locals fearful of the strange building and the secrets it keeps. When Ava starts to ask questions, the warm welcome she first receives turns to a cold shoulder. And before she knows it, Ava is caught in the house’s grasp too.

After she discovers the history of a sick young girl who lived there, she starts to understand the sadness that shrouds it. But when she finds an ominous old message etched into a windowsill, she is forced to wonder—what horrors is the house protecting? And what will it cost her to find out?

With her own first child on the way, Ava knows she should stay away. But even as her life starts to unravel, and she receives chilling threats, the house and the bridge keep pulling her back…"

Can't tell you why but I wasn't expecting much from this book before I started but I was surprised to find I enjoyed reading it. The story switches between 3 female characters in different historical contexts with the main focus being on Ava a reporter in the current day. You can see that the tie for all of these characters is the house but we are unsure as to what brings their stories together. I won't spoil it! I found the book kept me gripped and i sort of guessed the connections but this didn't alter my enjoyment of the book.

This was a spooky story which was told in the points of view of three women from different timeframes. I found it easy to read, it had some good characters and the tension built up for me as I was reading.
It was a good storyline, although I found it to be predictable as I’d worked out who was who long before it was revealed properly, but this didn’t stop me from enjoying the book at all.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.