*4 Stars!!

This book follows a group of friends who decide to have their yearly reunion on a deserted island north of the Scottish Highlands in a recently renovated lighthouse. However no sooner have they arrived and settled in other members of the group start to notice that things are disappearing and being moved around there cottage and then there's the feeling of being watched, but there's no time to worry about that as a member of their group disappears only to reappear hours later confused and terrified but unwilling to talk about what happened during those missing hours. The group try to put things behind them and carry on with their weekend as planned but when one of the group starts talking about ghost stories related to the island things on the island become even more bizarre and a threatening message follows. Is one of the group responsible for the terror that follows or has the ghost story got them imagining things.

I really liked the authors description of when they were approaching the island it really made me get a feeling for the island and the lighthouse and the beauty surrounding it. I was slightly disappointed by the ending I think a confirmation that they were right about their theory and a family reunion would have been interesting. I did like that some of the things which had been happening were kind of left for the reader to decide if it was a person or a ghost.

Overall I really enjoyed this book but that being said the pace felt really slow to me and didn't really start to get interesting until the 75% mark and then after that I couldn't put it down. The first 75% was mostly them just snapping at each other for the littlest things and taking things others said the wrong way. I did consider DNF-ing it but glad I didn't. Overall I really liked the book but the last 15% really made the story.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review.*

Will a group of friends weather the storm of a haunting weekend away? In a tried and trusted formula five old friends from uni, plus the newest girlfriend of one of them, meet up for a reunion weekend on a remote Scottish island that houses just a lighthouse, a cottage, an old ruined shack, and a host of stories and legends about past tragedies and ghostly goings-on. The discovery behind a locked door of a child's bedroom, preserved in 80s' style, the suggestion of watchful, unseen eyes and a spelled-out clear warning to the friends to leave the island causes fear and panic in the group. But does the threat come from outside their circle, or is one of them gaslighitng the others? Their relationship certainly soon fractures as past wrongs are cast up and trust in each other dissolves.
I liked the premise of this story - there's nothing better than an old lighthouse to capture an air of spooky mystery, and the narrative does this from the start. I felt the actual action took too long to get going - there was an awful lot of internal dialogue from the multiple narrators, and too many false starts before things got really sinister. But as the story progresses , the tension ratcheted up nicely and the mystery was satisfactorily resolved.
I think the characters let this story down a little. None were particularly empathetic, and I'd have liked to have seen them grow and develop a bit more through the challenges they faced in the lighthouse, But the survivors left the island as they came on to it without resolving their own issues, which I felt was a missed opportunity.

Five friends from uni days, plus the new girlfriend of one of the chaps, have a reunion at a deserted lighthouse on an island in Scotland. The holiday is a freebie as one the group, Kira, is a photographer and her company want her to take photos and do a review as a new holiday venue.

From the off there is tension and bickering between the group, no one really seems to like anyone else and even the couples have issues. A few of the group feel the lighthouse has a strange atmosphere, so when things start to happen, they imagine the worst in that there must be a presence in the building. Events escalate and there are discoveries, weird events, moody temperaments, secrets and lies.

As a premise this was good, but actual delivery not achieved. It needed to be scarier!

This plot runs the same as a lot of recent offerings, friends with issues and secrets stranded in a deserted place, unable to contact civilisation. Unfortunately, this is not one of the best. With constant bickering, fallings out, and poor personalities, the characters are a sad, boring lot. Far too much repetition of arguments and moody stares.

When events started to unfold it was a disappointment and very imaginative, but not in a good way. There did not seem to be any cohesion between the characters and the outcome, the ending very wild and woolly. The story was too long, if there had been a tidier plot, with less filler it would have improved the book.

Thank you NetGalley.

I feel like for this book to work for you you have to just inherently think that lighthouses are spooky. I went into this wanting a great, creepy, atmospheric read and it really missed the mark for me. I don't feel like the author really set up the setting, I was just told things were scary, or people were worried about this or that, or this or that was happening, but I never saw it. I never felt it. It was just a lighthouse which in and of itself is not scary...but the book treated it like it was.

This is the story of a bunch of friends who go on a long weekend trip together to a remote lighthouse on an island. Now at the beginning we are told that one of the friends was telling ghost stories on the boat ride over and scaring some of the others, but it took forever before we the reader actually got one of these ghost stories. Just telling me there were ghosts stories? Not scary. Doesn't set up a good creepy atmosphere. Having ghost stories told about the island you are going to on the way to the island? Creepy. But only if they are spooky themselves and like I said we are told them! When we did finally get one of these ghost stories? It was...not really a ghost story. Or not a good one. There was not a great setup, no anticipation, nothing that would make you scared like when you sit around a campfire and try and scare each other on a camping trip. I was expecting more of that kind of story, but instead we just got a few lines of facts and...it didn't work for me.

The story was told from various points of view, but they all felt the same. It took a while to remember who everyone was and who was with whom and so on. Really no one really seemed like they liked anyone else, but I was expecting some of the strange behavior to have a reason behind it. If it did we are never told it (and no, I don't just mean that the one lady is an ex-girlfriend of the one guy and so there is some tension there). It was...an odd group of supposed friends.

The ending was really off as well. It didn't make any sense. What happened was completely unnecessary because there was no point. But then again these characters often made decisions throughout the book that made no sense so why would the ending be any different? Overall this story did not work on any level for me. But maybe if you think lighthouses are inherently spooky it would be a better read for you?

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an advanced copy of this book

I read this book in one sitting!

I liked the way it switched between characters narration so you read it from their experiences. Some characters I liked better than others but that's always the way.

The plot was good, if I haven't guessed the plot by halfway through (which I hadn't) then it's a win!

Synopsis:
It should have been a relaxing reunion at a pittoresque lighthouse for the group of old friends, but soon it becomes clear that there are some unresolved tensions between them. And when things are being moved and the bathroom mirror is broken, everyone suspects everyone else. But then, one of them discovers some old ghost stories taking place on the island. Can it really be ghosts?

My thoughts?
A locked-room mystery combined with a ghost story? Yes, please! I enjoyed the dynamics between the friends, and the atmospheric details of the island as well as the tension building up as strange things start to happen. The characters were distinctive and relatable, and not as stereotypical as they are in some similar mysteries. The ending, on the other side, left too many questions unanswered (in my opinion) and the friends' final decision left me a little unsatisfied.

Parts of this book reminded me of:
- The Birthday Girl by Sue Fortin
- Odd Numbers by JJ Marsh

This was my first book by Fran Dorricott, and it definitely won't be my last!

The location was the star of this story - so atmospheric & creepy! Once the group arrive on the island & settle in for their holiday, we start to see frictions between them, even within the couples. For me, I found the almost constant bickering made everyone pretty unlikable, and I was never really invested in any one character. I liked the slow building creepiness - the weather, the isolation, the items going missing - it just made me want to keep turning the page to see what was going to happen next. However, I felt that this build up was let down by the conclusion.

A remote Scottish Island, a lighthouse and lots of myths and ghost stories so to be honest I was always going to love this book and I did. I loved the perfect creepy atmosphere and the sense of drama created by the Island. I have read a few stories recently where a group of friends have been stranded together in a remote location but this story is quite different to the others but I will say no more! The characters are all really well written and relatable. This story is highly addictive and you won’t be able to put it down.

3.25⭐️
A new author to me. The book blurb sounded very appealing with it being described as a chilling and spooky suspense novel.

Six friends travel to an isolated Scottish lighthouse for a school reunion weekend. They are the first guests to stay in the renovated lighthouse.

Characters Kira (who once dated ) Lucas with his girlfriend Genevieve,James, Moira and her wife Jess. The story is told from each of their POV.
Jess is neurotically anxious. There is perpetual bickering between the group which maintained a level of friction and mistrust
Non of the group come across as likeable so I didn’t manage to engage with any of them, I felt the character with the most redeeming qualities was Genevieve.

Jame’s big secret was a bit of a let down for me.
I find it hard to believe that non of them had googled the lighthouse before going in this day and age, especially as Genevieve is fascinated by them and the folklore. She seemed to enjoy winding everyone up with tales about ghosts.

It is descriptive setting the spooky atmosphere which gives a continued feeling of an uncomfortable edginess rather than full on tension.
At 400 pages, for me it felt too long, I think it would benefit with a pruning to give a more concise story. I would describe the pace as slow except for the ending, which I don’t know how I felt about.
I enjoyed it, but didn’t love it.

I hate giving up on a book so I kept going with this one but it was such a slog I feel as though I wasted days instead of hours finishing it! The blurb made this sound right up my street but it was just soooooo sloooooowwwwww! Nothing happened about from lots and lots of talking that didn’t lead anywhere!! I struggled to get the characters as they weren’t particularly well exposed to the reader and so I just could gel with or care about any of them.
Not for me sorry!

I had such high hopes for this book. It kinda reminds me of a previous book I had read. This book actually put me to sleep. There is too much thinking, talking and all of them trying to recapture something they use to have.
I’m sure there are many who will really like this book but it just wasn’t for me.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Oh my gosh this book was AMAZING. I was gripped right from the start and it compelled me the whole way through. It was creppy, chilling and atmopsheric and gave me goosebumps all over and left the haors standing up on the back of my neck several times while reading it. It was unpredictable and I didnt know what to expect. I really enjoyed it .

Fancy a spooky story set in an old lighthouse? Oh yes, please! I love spooky, and I love lighthouses, so as soon as I read the description of this book I had to have it. Don't be fooled by the innocuous title because this story will soon raise goosebumps. I made the mistake of reading it at night whilst on a camping trip near an actual lighthouse and was terrified to venture out after dark.

Here we have a fantastic atmospheric setting on a small Scottish island dominated by an old majestic lighthouse and keeper's cottage that have been turned into an exclusive holiday resort. Without phone or internet reception, it makes for a perfect escape from the modern world. Kira, a travel writer, has been offered a free stay and thinks it would make a great location for an annual reunion with four of her closest friends from university. Packed with lots of food and alcohol, the group set out on the boat trip to this spectacular location.

The author knows how to set the scene and the island initially sounds like heaven. Remote, windswept and buffeted by the waves, the landscape appears serene and beautiful to the friends as they settle in for a weekend of fun and relaxation. Soon, however, the atmosphere changes. Things disappear and everyone denies having taken them. Shadows appear in corners when there is noone there. And what lies behind the only locked door in the lighthouse? Suddenly the isolation becomes claustrophobic as the friends realise they are stranded here without a way off the island, with something that doesn't want them here.

How perfect is this premise? Despite my growing unease, I read it in almost one sitting because I had to get answers. As the weather closed in and darkness fell, I knew I was in for a spooky treat. I loved the hinting at a supernatural element that made me wonder if there was something ghostly going on or if there would be a rational explanation, which made the story even creepier for me without ever feeling unbelievable.
My only quibble was that the ending appeared a bit rushed and could have exploited the eerie background a bit longer. I was at the 95% mark when I thought that there wasn’t enough time to wrap up all the threads and ultimately felt that a few very good elements were left hanging. Seeing how the beginning of the book was slow, character driven and atmospheric, I felt that the rush to the conclusion let the book down a bit.
All in all, THE LIGHTHOUSE is the type of atmospheric, claustrophobic story that makes for a perfect escape. With a hint of a supernatural element, it managed to spook me enough to keep the lights on and read late into the night to get all the answers. Despite the rushed ending, I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to read more from this author in future.

The Lighthouse by @franwritesstuff is a 4.5 Star 🌟 📚


Six friends travel to a remote island to stay in a Lighthouse for the weekend, what was meant to be a fun time away quickly turns into a chilly creepy nightmare..

They are not wanted on the island but now they are will they make it off the island alive..

First of all this book wasn't what I expected and thats a good thing, I loved the setting of the Lighthouse you can really get the cold chilly vibe of the setting as I was reading I could picture the heavy waves hitting the rocks I could feel the cold air, I really enjoyed the story I found it uniquely different from other books in a refreshing way, I loved how your thrown in the deep end straight away how things start going wrong the moment they step foot on the island, I liked the different personalities of the characters you really get to feel who they are as people and the setting was brilliant it added that extra chill to the story. I was literally walking down the street reading this it's one of those books that you don't want to stop reading that you have to know what happens next, the ending was good and kind of sets up a sequel as what happens next and what could bring them back to the island if the author chose to do so it's something I would read.

This book has everything from drama chills, secrets and thrills very C.L Taylor and Nuala Ellwood

I would highly recommend this book its one that you will find difficult to put down I loved it from start to finish it's left chills in my bones

My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this gripping, atmospheric mystery and adventure story. Its chilling location is on a lonely, windswept island off the coast of Scotland. The unpredictable weather, the mist, the cold, and the lighthouse perched on a cliff overlooking the churning sea are vividly described. I received an advance copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Six people are having a weekend getaway while leaving their responsibilities in the city far behind. Most attended the same university ten years earlier. In attendance were four women and two men. They carry with them resentments, betrayals, jealousy, and worries that they aim to resolve while enjoying their time together.

I found the beginning slow-paced, mainly because it took me a long time to sort out the characters and get to distinguish their personalities. When I felt I had come to know them, I failed to like most of them and was barely invested in their fate.

Once the group arrives on the island they begin to sense a malevolent vibe in their surroundings. An eerie feeling disturbs them as they begin to feel they are not alone as promised. One of the men becomes increasingly unstable, and a woman is constantly voicing her dislike for everything in the holiday setting and is worried about being absent from home.

They try to distract themselves from their unease by playing games but begin to argue and insult one another. Objects begin to mysteriously disappear, a mirror is shattered and a warning is written on a nearby wall, and a previously tightly locked door has been opened. They begin to blame other group members, suspecting one of them is playing a trick to add to their growing fear. Group cohesion is shattered. They lack the means to communicate with the mainland. They imagine another presence on the island.

Is some unknown person trying to frighten them? Are there ghosts present? Is their imagination running wild? They have become aware of premature deaths and tragedies on the island's history that unsettles them, adding to the tension. One of the men thinks he encountered a strange woman while wandering in a drunken stupor. He hasn't mentioned it as he feels the others will ridicule him and he is uncertain it really happened. One of the women thought she had a glimpse of an unknown person outside the window.

The action picks up with alarming intensity near the end. there is danger, injuries, and a possible death. When the boat finally arrives to take them homeward, they have agreed that there are island secrets that they can never reveal in order to resume their normal lives.

I have recently read at least one other book with a lighthouse setting which makes an excellent, remote location. I liked the way that group dynamics shifted and were revealed. The added possible supernatural element added to this intriguing plot, and I believe the book will be popular with many enthusiastic readers.

When this intense, atmospheric thriller opens we find the six main characters, Moira and her wife Jess, James, Lucas and his girlfriend Genevieve aboard a boat sailing towards Ora Island where the final member of the group Kira has arranged for them to spend a weekend in a cottage near a renovated lighthouse. Kira had hoped that the time away would give the group a chance to celebrate their tenth anniversary, reconnect, get drunk, catch up on each others lives and reminisce about their shared memories. But things started going wrong almost from the moment that the group arrived on the island.It was quite obvious from quite early in the story there was toxic undercurrents churning away below the surface of the relationships between the members of the group. Problems in their personal lives, hidden secrets, resentments and animosities that caused the atmosphere between them to be so thick at times, you could cut it with a knife. As time passed and strange things kept happening, mistrust spread throughout the group and accusations started flying around the cottage's cold rooms.They were supposed to be the only people on the island, surely they could trust each other.... or could they? Where they really on their own or was there a unknown enemy hiding amongst the many hiding places that covered the island?

Each member of the group was a vivid, relatable individual with their own unique personality and character traits. My feelings for each of them ebbed and flowed like the waves that crashed onto the rocks of the island.I felt a lot of sympathy for Genevieve due to the way that she was treated by the other members of the group especially Kira. I loved Genevieve's fascination with the history of islands that are watching over by lighthouses,the tragic stories,mysterious deaths and how people can find themselves overcome by the loneliness and isolation. Genevieve appeared to be a very likeable individual but was she really or had the author cleverly manipulated me into believing that the newest member of the group could be trusted when she was actually hiding her true nature behind a mask?

Wow....just wow, I loved this fast paced, intense, atmospheric thrill ride that hooks the reader in from the first page, keeps you captivated and hardly gives you a opportunity to draw in a breath as the story rockets along towards its mind blowing, thought provoking,unexpected conclusion. I love books that are based in isolated locations especially where the characters are cut off from civilisation and have no way of summoning help. I loved the author's descriptions of the island with its numerous hiding places, deadly cliffs, the waves crashing on the rocks and the lighthouse that stood tall and proud on its grassy outcrop. I would love to watch a film or tv adaptation of this, addictive suspense packed story, worth far more than five stars, very very highly recommended and definitely going to be one of my favourite reads of this year.

A brilliant atmospheric book. I lobed and really liked every character and thought they were written really well. Brilliant story. Id read more from this author xx

I’m going to agree with a lot of the reviews I’ve seen from this book. The atmosphere was great. From the start you certainly feel like you’re actually there on the island and the tension between the characters is pretty obvious. I loved the descriptions of the island and the lighthouse.

But… as far as the thriller aspect goes I’m disappointed. I typically don’t read thrillers but I found this one to be a little boring and not as suspenseful as I’d hoped. This made it feel like the characters were overreacting to what was happening and the creepy feelings weren’t really there.

The characters didn’t either have any connection to the mystery itself which I’m a little confused about. The plot itself wasn’t anything too unique and it was similar to other lighthouse stories I’ve read or seen.

I did like the characters in the beginning but quite soon realized that the only thing that they ever did was bicker and argue which got tiring and boring quite quickly. I’d hoped for some fun friendships and maybe some romance too but instead all they did was complain. I felt like the didn’t develop much throughout the book either.

The ending was somewhat predictable but in my opinion just a little strange. Again, it didn’t have anything to do with the characters and the ending was very similar to a movie I’ve seen. But I will say, I’m happy the characters made the choice they did in the end.

Overall I wouldn’t say it’s a bad book by any means but it just wasn’t for me. As previously mentioned I don’t typically read thrillers and I’m not too into anything paranormal but I still loved the atmosphere and the writing style but the plot and characters weren’t my favorite.

Review on my bookstagram @kitsbookcorner

I don't like giving up on a book. I've read to just over half way (56%) and although things livened up a little around this point, I feel we're now back to going over the same ground from each characters perspective in their own respective chapters.

The pace of the plot has just been far too slow to motivate me to read it. The characters aren't very nice and do a lot of complaining to each other about nothing really. I don't even know why they all got together on the Island. They might have once been friends at Uni but seem to have nothing in common with each other any longer. I just feel like I'm wasting time reading any further. Sorry, but I gave it my best and it's really not for me.

Six friends, or 5 friends and a girlfriend, go on a weekend holiday to catch up and relax. One of the friends is a photographer who works for a magazine that sends her to a newly remodeled lighthouse to take pictures and review it as a getaway destination. The others are thrilled to tag along.

When they arrive at the lighthouse, after they look around at the scenery and are impressed by the loveliness, the "girlfriend" tells everyone some spooky stories and sad tales about things that have happened at lighthouses like people falling on rocks below the lighthouse and dying. Sometimes people may live in a lighthouse with their children, which is a hazard in so many ways. Sometimes lighthouse keepers become so lonely, they go crazy.

Her stories ring in the rest of the group's ears for the time they are there. Right away, strange things happen that are hard to explain. At first, they are upset about being told the stories, thinking the power of suggestion is making them afraid. Eventually, they start to think the island and lighthouse are haunted.

The story is of a kind that makes it hard to sleep, the friends are starting to get on each other's nerves, to say the least. They argue and can't agree on small things. To make it worse, they cannot get cell signals and the radio left for them to communicate if there is a problem does not seem to have a signal either. They are stuck on the island until a boat comes for them after the weekend. They hope to make it through the weekend still remaining friends. Some of them just hope to make it through the weekend.