A Gingerbread House is an atmospheric mystery with a promising premise, but it doesn't quite hit the mark in all areas. The story is set in a small Scottish town, and McPherson excels at creating a moody, claustrophobic setting that pulls you into the world of the characters.

The plot centres around three women, each drawn into a strange, almost surreal situation involving a mysterious house and a sinister figure. The slow-burn start was off-putting, but the pace picks up as the story progresses, and the mystery deepens. McPherson's writing style is engaging, and she has a knack for creating an eerie, unsettling tone that suits the story well. Adding layers of suspense as the characters are drawn into increasingly strange and unsettling situations helps combat the dull start. The early lack of momentum may deter some readers from fully engaging with the story.

In the end, A Gingerbread House partially rewards patience with a good second half that pulls everything together. It’s a decent read for fans of atmospheric mysteries, though it requires some persistence to get through the initial slow build. If you enjoy a story that gradually ramps up in intensity, this one might be worth your time.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Sweetly Scented Security…
Unpredictable psychological suspense where nothing is as it seems. The Gingerbread House lures with a false sense of sweetly scented security, that sense that all is well. With women disappearing and listed as missing how many more will it take before it is realised that something, somewhere is badly awry? Twists and turns aplenty and a credible cast add to this chilling tale.

If you want to imagine a truly dire and creepy scenario, it would be to be held captive by two deranged middle-aged women in a dank and damp cellar. That is what three women find themselves facing in this stand-alone thriller by Catriona McPherson.

Three women who are lonely, with a scanty support system, who have little in the way of friends or family. This type of women are the perfect victims for any number of crimes. They are not likely to be missed any time soon… In fact I’d say that this novel could act like a fable, to get just this type of woman to foster more daily contacts and create a support system for themselves.

“When you live a small life, turned in, you can get a long way down a road without ever knowing.”

My favourite parts of the book were when Tash was working as a driver. When she was ferrying cancer patients and disabled children about. She was just so darned good at it. I also liked how the three very different woman became fast friends during their ordeal.

The plot was a tad confusing at first, then when the characters all asserted themselves it moved faster and became clearer.

I have long been a fan of this author. Though I’ve never read any of her series fiction, I have read most of her stand-alone novels. This is not my favorite of hers, but it is memorable. Recommended for those who have acquired a taste for ‘tartan noir’.

A thriller of psychological suspense set in rural contemporary Scotland, A Gingerbread House is disarmingly titled yet implies all the foreboding it conjures as a slanted, dark fairytale. It's a story of familial connections, longing, disappearances, and a hero's journey. Come into the forest, and be enthralled by Catriona McPherson's latest novel--you'll be rooting for Tash and the missing women.

What a great novel to read on Halloween weekend. I enjoyed the setting of the novel and the characters.

Catriona McPherson once again tells a story full of fear and menace that is truly compelling. It is filled with danger, dark intrigue and madness.
Set in a small, fictional Scottish town - Hephaw - a grey place where nothing ever happens it delivers atmosphere in spades. The characters are fractured and tormented, sometimes by their own psyche. The author pulls own down the dark corridors of human nature at its worst but it is also about survival and finding love in the strangest places.

I love nothing more than a good serial killer or criminal minds sort of vibe. And I have to say that Kate gave me these vibes, she is a force to be reckoned with and the witch who built a Gingerbread House.

The book is a gritty mind game where the pieces aren’t as obvious as they seem. I was trapped with the guests of the Gingerbread House, screaming with them for someone to find them and set them free. It was hard to put the book down even when I had to. I think I resorted to cooking whilst reading most nights.

The book was a psychological thrill, a story about three missing women lured to a house, a house they entered the doors of the house by choice. I enjoyed elements of the story, though at times the writing became a little too descriptive and took away from the creepy atmospheric vibe. I liked how well written the characters were, the villain especially. She was well built and her personality only added to the creepy vibe of the book. She was the perfect witch for this twisted fairytale. The perfect modern day retelling that even the Behavioural Analysis Unit will be hunting.

I really want to give this 3 1/2 stars, it is not quite a 4. Three lonely women, Ivy, Martine and Laura, are drawn into the machinations of a very disturbed woman, who promises them the thing they want, a close relationship with someone. Meanwhile, Tash Dodd is worried her father is deeply involved in trafficking women out of eastern Europe, using his transport company. She collects evidence and confronts him with it, only to have him turn on her and threaten to kill her. Tash goes on the run and ends up living in a tiny apartment above a nail salon. She observes a tiny woman taking bags down into the cellar of her fairytale cottage, except there is a very bad smell coming from the drains. Parts of the book were a little too expository, but as the action came crashing down towards the end, it was hard to put down. Another good psychological thriller from Catriona McPherson

I love the cover of this novel and the inside. "A Gingerbread House" is an exciting novel by Catriona McPherson. A page turner for sure.

Modern folk tale meets psychological thriller in this story about three women who are lured to a truly horrible place, and a fourth who's determined to get them out. Catriona McPherson's writing has tension, lush prose, and terror galore, and she effortlessly coaxes readers into the dark and unnerving world she has created. This is a story unlike any other, despite its fairytale undertones. A captivating and chilling read.

A Gingerbread House is a dark and chilling fairy-tale retelling from multi award-winning author Catriona McPherson.

Ivy is a shy and lonely woman desperate to find somewhere she belongs. Forever feeling like she’s on the outside looking in, Ivy longs to one day find somewhere where she doesn’t feel like a total outsider. When she meets a woman claiming to be her long-lost sister, Ivy refuses to listen to reason and decides to take this woman at face value. Could Ivy at long last have found the family she has always wanted? As she throws all caution to the wind, Ivy decides to put her entire trust in Kate even though this might very well end up being the biggest mistake of her life. Just what is Ivy going to get herself tangled up in?

Kate might offer Ivy the possibility of love and family, but when she invites her to her fairy-tale cottage deep in the heart of the Scottish countryside, little does Ivy realise that this seemingly enchanting house will be the place where her worst nightmares will come to life leaving her frightened, desolate, trapped and with no way out. Ivy might be the first woman to go missing, but she certainly will not be the last. The trap is set and more victims are going to fall foul of the spell of the gingerbread house.

How many more women have to go missing before somebody realises that all is not well deep in the heart of the Scottish countryside? Can anyone save these women? Or is it already far too late?

Catriona McPherson’s A Gingerbread House is a spooky chiller that is creepy, unsettling and full of shocks and surprises that will have readers jumping out of their skin. Catriona McPherson certainly knows how to keep her readers on a knife’s edge desperate to find out what will happen next and this tense and terrifying thriller is sure to keep them engrossed and floored by the jaw-dropping and highly satisfying twist at the end of the book.

A perfect Halloween read, Catriona McPherson’s A Gingerbread House is a delicious slow-burn of a novel sure to keep readers guessing.

A slow paced, intricate storyline which in some places was a little confusing and difficult to follow. However, the ending was worth persevering for. Following the lives of four women, all of whom disappear suddenly, without any suspicious circumstances. I did enjoy the ending of the book, which was creepy and delved into the depths of how disturbed the human mind can become. However, I was left feeling like I wanted more regarding the secret cottage in Scotland and Kate's background story which lead her to where she was now, which unfortunately I didn't get. Overall, worth a read but I felt it I had to struggle through some parts in order to reap the benefits.

A woman who lives in a fairytale house, three missing women and an investigation in to their disappearance.

Ivy is a vulnerable, incredibly lonely woman who longs for nothing more than to be part of a family and have people love her. Her prayers seem to have been answered when Kate walks into her life claiming to be her long-lost sister, and not only does she arrive with this welcome news – she also invited Ivy to come and live in her cottage with her so they can get to know one another properly. However Ivy enters the house and never comes out.

But Ivy is certainly not the last person to disappear under such mysterious circumstances. When two other women go missing following similar events, an investigation begins to locate their whereabouts and uncover who – or what – is behind their sudden disappearance.

The moment you read the description for this book you are swept away into a world of mystery and intrigue. The cottage is so aptly names The Gingerbread House – something that instantly lulls you in to a false sense of security, reminding you of comfort and calmness, however the reality of the house is far from perfect, infact some would say it resembles things of nightmares.

The characters are detailed and realistic, allowing you to feel a connection with them from the start. My heart really went out to Ivy, a woman who longed for nothing more than a family and a connection to save her from her loneliness, and it was this that lead to her vanishing without a trace.

The story is well paced and full of suspense and tension as the story pushes forward. I found myself fully invested in the story and the mystery that is laced throughout the complex plot. This was certainly a thrilling tale that had me reading well in to the night.

'The Gingerbread House' by Catriona McPherson is a tense and twisty psychological thriller of the type where the tension slowly builds as the story unfolds. Do not be mistaken that just because you have to wait that it isn't worth trying. Do you remember the saying 'good things come to those who wait'? well let's just say this, the reader reaps the rewards!
We meet Ivy, a lonely and quite vulnerable woman who aches to be a part of a family and be loved. In what seems to be a miracle to Ivy, she meets Kate, who claims to be her long lost sister. Ivy is overjoyed when Kate invites her to come and live in her cottage with her so they can catch up on lost time and get to know each other properly. The biggest issue is that Ivy never leaves the cottage she entered. It becomes clear that it is not just Ivy who has disappeared under odd circumstances when two other women go missing under similar circumstances. An investigation is started to attempt to find out who is behind these disappearances and to find the women.
With a cottage named The Gingerbread House you really would expect a cosy and cute house, when in actual fact it is anything but! The synopsis is one that already has your mind whirling with the possiblities of the mystery and even intrigue that it promises.
Catriona McPherson's detailed and vivid characters really help to get the reader enthralled in this story. Ivy is such a relatable woman. She only wants what the majority of people want - to be loved and belong. This wish is what leads to her going missing. I really felt for Ivy and my heart went out to her. Although it is a slow burner the pacing is perfect for the story. As the tension and suspense builds with mystery as the story unfolds it had me feeling like I was with the characters as part of the investigation. A definite thrilling and chilling tale with a plot that is original layered with complexities throughout.
Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources
netgalley and Severn House for the copy of the book.

What a rollercoaster this book takes you on.

It had a brilliant mix of being fast paced and also spells of being a slow read but I think overall it meant you could really just enjoy the read.

I've never read any Catriona's books before but I will be looking out for more in the future. Her characters within this book were really well developed and that just speaks volumes for the author.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have read some other strange books in the last few months, but this one was one of the strangest. Such a complicated plot and such odd characters.....
I really found it hard to connect to it all and the ending was pretty gross.
Not one of my favourites I have to say, far too complex.

I'm not fully sure what to write about this book 🤷 I felt it was really slow to start and I really struggled to see how the two sides of the story would connect.

But the descriptions are intense, sometimes too much 😂

If thrillers are your thing, definitely give this a go but push past the beginning!

A slow burn thriller about Tash as she learns and tries to correct what her family has done. It is a little confusing at first. It’s told in alternating perspectives that through much of the novel seem unrelated, but eventually they converge.

It’s a little bit of a Fairytale retelling as we have women searching for what is missing in their life and this idyllic home. Even before I knew what was driving the story I kept screaming, in my head of course, what are you doing. I don’t want to tell too much as I think the less you know as you read the better off you’ll be.

The book is creepy at times. While not for the faint at heart, it is a unique story I haven’t seen done before. If you like slow burn thrillers, I’d give this one a try.

Ivy wants to experience and enjoy the love of a family so when Kate claims to be her long-lost sister, it’s too good an opportunity to miss. Ivy is shy, painfully shy in many ways and Kate’s arrival into her life is sudden but appreciated – after all, don’t we all want someone to love and care for? But in all good thrillers, Ivy probably shouldn’t have forged ahead so quickly and definitively. She visits Kate’s cottage in the heart of Scotland… and doesn’t leave. Worse still, others will follow. This is the first of Catriona’s books I’ve read with a contemporary setting – I’ve read a few of her Dandy Gilver mysteries and thoroughly enjoyed them. I’d be interested in reading more of her modern thrillers, as she’s such a twisty way with words that has you second guessing.