The Lighthouse is a story about six friends who go to an isolated island for a mini-break holiday weekend, and as strange things begin occurring, tensions flare. This was partly a study on the dynamics of long-held friendships, and how they evolve over time as we get older, and also about how we change over time. But it's also a really atmospheric and creepy tale. I think I was expecting more of a thriller, and got more of a modern gothic tale, with like a house mystery/island mystery. There was a lot of tension to the story, partly the build up of the mystery, but partly because as things get creepy, tempers flare and the friends bicker a lot. It's told from three different points of view, and what's interesting is how different each one is. One of them is the sensible member of the group, the one they all look to to keep it together, not let her imagination carry her away, stay strong for everybody else, kind of person. One has a fascination with ghost stories, which definitely colours her narrative. The other one feels the burden of responsibility for the safety of the group. So you get three very different voices between them.

The pacing was good, and it was definitely a page-turner. It's just, I got to the end, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it the book. I think if you like modern gothic tales with a bit of mystery, you might like this book.

A thriller about a group of friends who go away to relax to an lighthouse island but end up developing cabin fever syndrome. Is it just simmering tensions or is there really someone out to get them? Or something?

I cannot say no to horror/thriller about people being stuck together on desert islands! It's hard to go wrong with this formula because I think being away from civilisation and being stuck with anyone for prolonged periods of time brings out the worst in humans. And things are no different in this book.

The characters annoy each other, bicker and all know that something is wrong with the very place they're staying at. I liked how all the characters and their dynamics were written. It's not easy to write 6 people who you both like and dislike at the same time. Kudos!

I also liked the suspense, action and how I didn't know whom to believe till the end.

But the writing does get repetitive sometimes and for most of the book, nothing really happens.

So, a solid 3/5 from me.

The Lighthouse got me so tense that my shoulders are still tight, and my pupils dilated like I have seen a ghost. The story follows 6 friends from college that come together for a reunion. They haven’t all hung out in ages. Now older but still longing for their younger selves, that feeling of freedom and friendship.

They get to stay at this newly renovated lighthouse that emulates everything you would imagine when you think small Scottish island. Draped in green hills, edgy cliffs, and a drift of fog and clouds the mood is rich in history and old charm. Being the very first guests they are excited to have some fun like in the old days but from the moment they arrive on the remote Island, they feel something isn’t quite right.

From their arrival on the island, things start to take a strange turn as things go missing but then reappear as if it was always there. James one of the friends in the group also disappears only to reappear hours later. Accusations are thrown around and tension builds as the group keeps on experiencing events that tear them apart.

Fran Dorricott writes a story full of perfect details and grand images of the lighthouse, the island, and the tense mood surrounding it. She writes from the perspective of three of the characters creating a story that is well-rounded and developed so the reader gets to be fully immersed in the tense yet fragile story. Filling it with the right number of questions to keep readers engaged and entertained right through the book.

The characters while not developed in detail come together very well as a group to make the story feel full and immersive. The conflict between the characters and the inner turmoil each character faces while navigating the strange and disturbing events builds the suspense to a deliciously agonising point.

The book oozes mystery and thrilling moments and leaves the reader craving more with an ending that they won’t see coming and questions that are left unanswered. While I found the ending entertaining I was a bit disappointed. The questions left for the reader to mull over are too big to leave up to the imagination.

A great thrilling read that left me wishing there were a few more pages.

Thank you Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I also posted my review on my Blog and Instagram https://www.benicewithabook.com/book-reviews/the-light-house

The Lighthouse has been one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 from about the moment I knew about it. Fran Dorricott’s books have been consistently among my favourites and it’s got to the point that, no matter what she writes, I will be there reading it.

In a bit of a departure from her previous thrillers, the book doesn’t start with a crime. Or, at least, not that we know of. Instead, it starts with the arrival of a group of friends on the island, to stay at the lighthouse-slash-cottage-next-door for the weekend. Everything seems idyllic, in terms of location at least. But tensions simmer and friendships are perhaps a little more fractured than they were at the start, and none of this is helped by the disappearance of one of their party on the first night.

The atmosphere throughout the book, the tension and the fear, is almost palpable. It’s a thriller of the best sort in that it’s genuinely thrilling. Once I’d got into the book, I didn’t want to put it down. It had me on the edge of my seat throughout, because I had no idea where the plot would go next.

You also have, on top of this, a group of characters who, on the surface, seem like the kind of people who have what they want in life, who are right where they ought to be. But then they’re put under the kind of stress as in this book and it all comes spiralling out. It’s compelling and makes for a very fun read (in one sense). They all have secrets and you can’t help but want to know them.

The only thing I would say, that stopped me giving this 5 stars perhaps, was that it felt like the opening to something. As in, the events of the book felt like a catalyst, you might have expected them to be as such in any other book. This is the secret they must now keep, which precipitates the fracturing of their friendship. I’m not saying this was a bad thing, but more possibly it’s not what I expected. I’m sure, if I reread this book with that knowledge in mind, my thoughts on that part would change.

Overall though, The Lighthouse more than lived up to my expectations, and definitely cements Fran Dorricott as one of my favourite authors.

This was an exciting read and kept you in suspense right till the end.The characters were very believable and interesting and you could relate to them to them easily.The spooky atmosphere was delightful and it certainly kept me in suspense.I would most definitely recommend this book.

A haunted lighthouse in Scotland? A ghostly story linked to a real life disappearance and enduring mystery? A very creepy atmosphere and thrilling read? Then if you like all of these things, this book is for you.

Enjoyed this one! I won't sleep for a while but totally worth it!

I spent the first 45% of this book really immersed in the storyline and the atmosphere that the Author created. I felt the remote feeling of the isolated Scottish Island, the tension between the group of friends having a reunion and the secrets that were clearly being kept between them. But this book is marketed as a Thriller and so the atmosphere alone wasn't enough to hook me.


I struggled to feel a connection between the main characters and the underlying mystery. At times I found myself wanting more to happen, the creepy descriptions and the characters reactions to drama were over the top compared to the incidents happening. I wanted to know more about the main characters history and I wanted there to be more to the Islands secrets. A connection perhaps, between the Island and the visitors. Instead there was nothing.


The blurb for the book doesn't fit with the contents. 'No one expected them to go there...' Well, they all expected to go there for the break, plus the owners expected them to be there... I don't understand the tension that this tagline creates. The narration being told through a the view of a few of the main characters also felt strange. Why couldn't we hear perspectives from all of them?


There's no denying that the tension is there within this book, the Author is absolutely brilliant at creating an atmosphere. But content and storyline were very lacking considering the build up surrounding the characters.

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I started reading this book, a getaway for old friends reuniting, on a deserted island with an old lighthouse, what could go wrong!?

I read this at night and it certainly gave me the chills in parts, I think it’s supposed to have a theme of eeriness and spook to it and it certainly did the job 🤣!

Really liked how it was told through different characters, giving different insights to how things were unfolding.

Overall I liked the story, it was very clever although sometimes far fetched .. but that’s the good thing about imagination! Would recommend to someone who’s wanting an easy read with a bit of ‘spookiness’ to it.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon books for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Big Thank You to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review :)

This Book took me on a trip and definitely had it's ups and downs for me. I find it really hard to rate this book considering how much my enjoyment varied but I simply can't give it more than 3 stars if I am honest with myself. But let's take a closer look.
0-25% 4.5 Stars
25-50% 4 Stars
50-75% 3 Stars
75-100% 2 Stars
That is pretty much how I felt towards this book and as you can tell it completely lost me towards the end. We follow a group of characters who had me intrigued from the getgo but ended up being pretty lackluster to me. James and Genevieve were my favourites, followed by Moira but to be completely honest I don't think the characters were used to their full potential.

One thing that this book definitely delivered on was Atmosphere! I did truly feel the setting and the tension within the group - but sadly that wasn't enough for me to love the book. We played a bit of a "Is is paranormal or not"-Game, which was fine (personally to me the answer: not, is always what I am hoping for) but it was rather obvious that none of the characters we were following had anything to do with the mystery and the plot of the story - which was it's downfall for me.
I only care about the characters that you introduce me to and in here I knew that none of them were actually involved at all and we are just here for vibes and the vibes were well done but again that is not what I personally look for in a book. I wanted any of the 6 to be behind SOMETHING - it could've been a minor thing but alas... it was sadly exactly what I thought it was and I cared 0% about the ending.

All of this sounds pretty negative but If you take a look at my rating journey at the start of this review you'll see that I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book - because I still thought that there was a realistic chance one of the main characters was involved. But as soon as that glimpse died I didn't care. Which is a personal preference in storytelling and not inherently a fault of the book itself.
The writing, the atmosphere and the built up was really well done and I want to acknowledge that with this rating and say that if you enjoy spooky vibes and tension and don't need the main characters to be fully involved in the behind the scenes action that is moving the plot forward this book could totally work for you - sadly it didn't for me.

Slow Creeping Menace…
Six friends, a reunion, a remote Scottish island and a lighthouse. The lighthouse dominates the island, a glorious edifice which was once notorious for deaths at sea, and when the group arrive on the island they revel in its glory and the sheer beauty of the place. Things are soon to take a bizarre turn, however, with unexplained events and inexplicable occurrences. Tensions soon escalate. A wonderfully atmospheric, slow creeping menace of a read with a credible cast and a chilling edge. Perfect for this time of year.

The Lighthouse by Fran Dorricott

First time read by this author and going by this book, it won't be the last.
I got a creeping build up to what was part suspense , part horror and a feeling that something else bad was about to happen.
Kira and her friends go off to an isolated island that has a lighthouse she wants to photograph and a place being advertised as a boutique place to stay.
One member of the party goes temporarily missing and comes back different. The weather and storms blast the island keeping them on the island and emotions run high.
Lots of twists to this story and it keeps you guessing until the end.
.

This is an average thriller. The plot was interesting but the different narrators made it a little confusing at times. I struggled to keep up at points but I persevered and wasn’t disappointed.

Not to sure about this one?! I kind of felt lost at times?! This book had suspense, intrigue, and a very twisted tale! But I didn't really know what was going on at times lol maybe it was just me?! I did like the story but it wasn't my all time favorite! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Avon Books UK......
Thank you so much for this eARC!

I loved Fran's book The Final Child if you haven't read it you should! Awesome story!

I want to read Wild and Wicked Things next by Francesca May & Fran Dorricott.... That book sounds amazing!
(PS... If you dish out any eARCs for WAWT book I would appreciate it 😉)

The Lighthouse by Fran Dorricott
A twisty, creepy, and impossible book to put down.
The plot is tightly woven and pulls you into this mystery like a magnet. There are so many secrets and lies that it was impossible to guess who the perpetrator was. Just as I thought I had it sussed another curve ball appeared to blow that theory out of the water.
So well written. And the story is very good. The description of the story was great.
The characters are all so interesting and very intriguing! Your head will spin by the time you're done reading this phenomenal book!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you again for the opportunity to read this eARC!
I will post to my platforms closer to pub date!

This was so creepy it kept me awake!

When Kira arranges a trip away for her old uni friends, they end up staying in a refurbished lighthouse and cottage. Then James goes missing and when he reappears things start to take a turn for the mysterious.

This was part ghost story, part psychological thriller, and a lot of issues between friends! Great location, the lighthouse felt like another character in itself. And the way the tension built throughout really kept me turning the pages.

Brilliant.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for the opportunity to read and review.

This is a very good suspense and thriller novel. The premise of the book is what really interested me. The author expertly wrote this novel drawing the reader in to the many characters and overall plot and story of the book. Looks of what if’s, twists and turns, and nail biting suspense made this a very satisfying read. Highly recommend!

Kira, a travel photographer, brings five university friends with her on a weekend assignment to an isolated island. There will be a long awaited reunion while Kira photographs the lighthouse and nearby cottage, scheduled to open soon as a boutique getaway. On the first alcohol fueled night, James wanders off to find matches and returns the next morning, visibly upset. The weekend progresses, marked by storms and mysterious disappearances as long buried personality conflicts bubble to the surface. And then comes the question they have all been thinking:

“What if we’re not alone here?”

The Lighthouse, a creepy thriller, pulls you in from the first site of the tall, strikingly white structure rising from the mist and doesn’t let you go until the unexpected conclusion. You’ll wonder what is true and what has really happened. Its part ghost story, part horror, part psychological thriller and a 5 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Fran Dorricott for this ARC.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This is the second lighthouse novel I have read in the last month or so, while not the same, they have some similarities. This story follows a group of friends from university having a weekend away without the distractions of everyday life, but when one friend goes missing and other off, strange things start happening, the group wonders if they are on the island alone like they were told. Told from different viewpoints, this story was both interesting in setting and characters. Overall an interesting read.