An interesting read and it kept me engaged. It was slow paced, as I like. I just wish the ended could have played out better.
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I tried hard to like this book but it just wasn’t for me. I almost quit reading it but forced myself to finish it.

⭐ -- Great cover on this one!

DNF @50%

Usually if I get 50% into a book I just finish it, but this one was just not holding my interest. It was super slow. All the characters were unlikable. I just didn't care...and life is too short to keep reading books that are not working for you. 🤷🏻‍♀️

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. First of all I apologise that it has taken me so long to read and review this title.

I unfortunately didn't love this book it felt way too predictable for me. I liked the concept and I found the opening to be gripping but it went downhill from there for me. The writing I did find good! I felt that it was written succinctly, however I think more suspense could have been created in certain areas of the novel. I also appreciated that the chapters were short and it was generally an easy read. If you love thrillers you may enjoy this more than me, but I generally thought a lot of plot points were predictable chapters before reveals happened.

I would not necessarily recommend this to others.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Ava has been invited to be a part of a acting team which could give her the chance of a lifetime. The catch? She must leave her home, her family, and her boyfriend to live with six strangers to make this dream come true. The demand of the role and the play - it makes total sense. But can she trust these six strangers? It all starts with a horrible car accident just when she is being picked up. And the pages keep turning in anticipation from there. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ava, struggling to find her place in the acting world alongside her ultra-successful boyfriend, decides to take a job with a close-knit theater company, Chimera, which is made up of mostly friends from college and live together in a cottage, performing in schools and community halls. But when Ava moves in, she quickly realizes that the group isn't as cozy as it appears. There's complicated emotions amongst the members and to top it off, someone's been playing a series of "pranks" on the group, and they seem to escalate now that Ava has joined the group. As Ava grows more uneasy she wonders how much danger she is could be in if the pranks take a more serious turn.

I really enjoyed this thriller. It takes a group of people and throws them together in a remote cottage and creates a spooky atmosphere with pranks and a bunch of backstabbing. It's really fascinating as you try to unravel who is behind it all, because pretty much everyone has a motive and the opportunity to do any of the pranks. It's pretty interesting and makes for a good mystery.

And the reveal is also pretty good. There's a lot going on and as each thing is revealed, it just gets better and better. And the ultimate ending *chefs kiss* So creepy and just on point for this book. I really think the author nailed that. I might've liked a little more of that fleshed out, but maybe the abruptness is what made it creepy, you know?

Either way, I really enjoyed this one. If you're looking for a unique, creepy thriller, pick this one up. It'll scratch your theatre geek itch and scare you as well.

This thriller was interesting and i liked it for the most part but there were a few moments that i felt could've been done a bit better. I liked Ava as a character but there were points i didn't think she was written well as she felt a little one dimensional. The conclusion was a little messy and was a little convoluted but the outcome was nothing too bad that it ruined the book for me.

I enjoyed this book, the first I've read by this author.

When we meet her Ava's enroute to join an independent theatre troupe, replacing one of the tight-knit group's members who's pregnant. It means leaving her boyfriend who's got a starring role in a soap opera and Ava's hoping this will be HER big chance.

It's not long however before she discovers that a series of incidents have been plaguing the group. Incidents that - when combined - seem suspicious.

Most of the group have known each other since University and there's a camaraderie amongst them. Ava's seemingly accepted but wonders if some of the threats the group are receiving are coming from inside rather than someone outside with a grudge.

Curran also references - several times - Ava's own family, her father and stepmother and implies there's some sinister backstory to the death of her own mother decades earlier. I found the foreshadowing a bit clunky at times - the hints were there but I kept wondering if I'd missed something.

Ultimately there's a death and things fall apart for the troupe. Weirdly that felt a little anticlimactic given the build-up to their performances and the shows. I was more disappointed at the cancellation of their shows than the death.

Curran does a good job however (at one point) of lulling us into a false sense that all is resolved, before adding in another twist.

I enjoyed this book, particularly the character of Ava but wasn't necessarily that engaged in the 'who' and 'why' of it all. I mostly wondered if Ava would get back together with her boyfriend and what happened in her career.

When The Lights Go Out - Chris Curran

The first book I've read by this author, I saw an interview and liked the way she talked about this book and her writing so was interested to give it a go.

Ava is a actress who lands a job with a travelling theatre group. They live together in a cottage in a remote country village.

As time goes by Ava learns of a series of incidents seemingly aimed the group's property. Are these pranks or something more malicious? Who would wish harm on a group of chilled theatre types?

Sorry to say it wasn't one for me, I found it fairly slow, it took a while to get to know the other characters and the 'pranks' or crimes generally lacked threat.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK

This one wasn’t a hit for me. Although there is some intrigue, I didn’t find it enrapturing. It was a slow read; I kept waiting for it to get better. I persevered to the end but for me, it didn’t really improve.
Thank You HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This was a very chilling mystery by a new author for me. I found the story to be unique, an actors troupe, living together in a community situation, preparing for multiple performances in the small villages. A young struggling actress, Ava joins the troupe, not knowing any of the others. She immediately becomes aware of some frightening occurrences, with graffiti, and pranks that are meant to frighten.
Ava see an opportunity to showcase her talent, and is determined not to let these unsettling episodes tempt her to return to London and her famous boyfriend, without some success of her own.
The pranks increase and Ava begins to feel she ma y be in danger, as she begins to suspect other cast members. They all seem to have secrets and she isn’t sure who to trust. Chris Curran is a very good story teller and her characters were all well developed and interesting. The story flows nicely and brings the reader to an unexpected conclusion. I just didn’t see the end coming.
My thanks to the author, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

There was a great cast of characters in this novel but I found the pacing to be too slow and the ending to be rushed and too convenient. It was enjoyable.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

For struggling actress Ava, landing a role with the Chimera Theatre Group could lead to her big break. And relocating to a remote country village means stepping out from the shadow of her boyfriend - despite his determination not to let her go. Everyone in the group seems so welcoming, they're one big happy family. But like all families. they each have secrets. And someone in the group doesn't want certain secrets getting out....

Ava wants to make it as an actress, her boyfriend Brad is already in a tv show. Ava gets the opportunity to join the chimera Theatre Group. But the theatre group all have secrets. The setting for this book, the house, is eerie and stifling. The characters were well developed and likeable. The tension mounts throughout. I found myself suspicious of everyone. The pace is on the slow side and the ending felt a bit rushed. Overall, an enjoyable read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter and the author #ChrisCurran for my ARC of #WhenTheLightsGoOut in exchange for an honest review.

What was that ending? I’m confused but also think I know what that was about?
Looking past that, however, this was good. I did see everything coming, but that does not mean I didn’t enjoy every single chapter.
Not much of a mystery-thriller type of gall but we do love a good written one. This was so interesting and so well built, with its different characters and creepy descriptions. Wonderfully creepy.

When The Lights Go Out is a dark thundercloud looming on the horizon. It slowly builds its complex dynamics up into an explosive conclusion.

This book really lives up to its fascinating premise and I adore how little the synopsis really gives away. The theatricality and pretence of actors really defines this book, alongside the intense dynamic of the enclosed setting. You question to what extent how people are acting is genuine. There is almost always an underlying motivation that you have to try and untangle. I really enjoyed the slow burning sense of paranoia and mistrust that seeps its way into the book. It’s a book that really plays with suspense and tension, building up a catalogue of creepy and unnerving events that tie into something much larger. The set up and character types are fairly familiar, but those entangled dynamics and connections between them were highly entertaining to unpick. It all builds to a climatic, adrenaline rush of a finale sequence and a surprising reveal right near the end.

Speaking of characters, I really enjoyed hearing Ava’s voice. She is firmly the centerpoint of the story, with some intriguingly vague flashbacks to her childhood slowly starting to piece together into the main plot. The dysfunctional family imploding atmosphere that colours both her and the entire central group simmers constantly. There is a pretence of happiness and harmony, but the cracks become evident all too soon. Her relationships and the way she interacts with each character reveals a lot about her characteristics and goals, but also spotlights their motivations. Especially when you revisit those conversations with more knowledge, there is a minefield of carefully fraught ground being trodden.

When The Lights Go Out was a layered and compulsively entertaining read that kept me racing through the pages.

Grab yourself a copy of this book! I absolutely loved this! I read this book within a day, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters and the way I had to keep asking myself if I was right in how I thought the plot was turning out. A really enjoyable thriller, that kept me guessing until the end!

Quite a few reviewers have described this book as a "slow burn," but really, it was just kind of slow. And boring. The characters are mostly unlikable and behave strangely for no reason. I guessed the twist early on, but it still didn't make any sense. This is one of those books where most of the plot points could have been easily solved by people just talking directly to each other instead of keeping vague secrets. Also, the title really doesn't work with the story - it's a stretch.

I thought the premise of this story was interesting & I was eager to dive in, but I found the execution to be lacking. Right from the start, it felt like I had been dropped into the story a few chapters in & that feeling never left me. I found the characters to be unlikeable & did not connect with any of them. I thought that Ava’s parents bombarded her with urgent but vague information , which had me as confused as Ava, and the theatre group was vague & disingenuous. Instead of piquing my interest, this just annoyed me.

I throughly enjoyed this novel. In fact, it’s one of the few lately that has held my attention throughout the entire story. While I could see a few things coming, I never felt like rushing though it. I would definitely recommend it to friends.

I feel so disappointed that I didn't connect with this book. I liked the sound of it, but it was much too slow for me, and I quickly lost interest. So sorry but I didn't enjoy it.