would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

black valley farm where people died

a cult lead by a woman where she dictated their lives

i thought i would enjoy this book but alas i struggled with it, its a slow burner

Ten years ago, nine people were found dead at Black Valley Farm. Clare has been in hiding since then, but now a podcast about the farm may expose her. This was okay. At first there were a lot of seemingly unrelated stories to keep track of, and then everything tied in a bit more. 2.5 rounded to 3 stars.

When nuala fox publishes a highly acclaimed true crime podcast on the horrific murders at black valley farm she opens a can of worms that can never be shut. The only suspect in the crime disappeared without trace years ago however, the podcast has renewed people’s interest and not for the right reasons.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story is weaved from different character’s perspectives and flits between the past and present. Whilst the story became a bit disjointed in some parts it didn’t stop me reading and wanting to know the outcome of it all.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Camelot for the opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is available June 22,2023!!

I did not vibe with this book. Very formulaic and extremely predictable. I was bored.

A cult? A podcast about the death of 9 people in that cult? The presumed suspect escaped and went into hiding??

This sounds like it would be all my favorite things, but unfortunately it didn't quite hit the right notes for me.

Rounded down to 3 due to some plot holes, a slow beginning and the ending feeling a little weirdly wrapped up. I didn't really feel for Clare OR Nuala and their decisions either. Overall I didn't hate it, it just didn't have that wow factor for me. I'd still give another book by this author a chance though because the premise was exactly my cup of tea!

Bugler is a writer this reader admires, and following her career has been a pleasure, and this book took a while to start but once it did get its wheels on track the pacing of the narrative was cranked up and handled with such robustness and thrills that it was hard to put down afterwards.

The impending threat of being found out or discovering a hurtful truth is encompassing and the claustrophobic atmosphere Bugler creates of the cult itself along with the judgmental world we find ourselves in today, where we feel we have to please everybody but ourselves is key to the tension.

Heart-pounding by the books conclusion, Bugler has again written an engrossing tale of thrilling suspense that you will find hard to put down and find hard to forget.

I have to admit to almost giving up on this book a few times. Until abouy half way through, it meandered on too slowly for me and did not really keep my attention. The context was quite good, but everyone seemed to be chasing others and there was cruelty and nastiness . Particularly in the past at the farm , the reasoning did not really make sense.
In the second half, though, the book started to make more sense and I started to enjoy it more. Certainly not the best thriller and I preferred other books by Sheila more.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Inly mediocre in my opinion, sorry.

I do love and good thriller and this one was absolutely gripping, and I genuinely didn’t figure out the conclusion until just before the final reveal. Even that felt like my understanding had been managed and there was no way to know what had happened any sooner.
Even though it was clear that Clare was not wholly innocent, it was impossible not to empathise with her and hope for a happier conclusion to her story. When we first meet Clare, she is living with Kath, one of the volunteers from the homeless shelter. Kath had seen something trustworthy in Clare, despite the fact that she was closed off from society. We get snapshots of her background, tiny morsels of how she had come to live at Black Valley Farm, and how she had left a trail of dead bodies behind her.
Trusting nobody is how Clare had remained safe since leaving the farm, and she was super protective of her privacy. The very idea of someone looking at her things or entering her space without permission haunted her thoughts on a daily basis. When we are first introduced, she lives in the Northeast and works as a cleaner. Petrified that her identity has been uncovered, she flees to London where she finds temporary lodgings at a pub.
We then meet, Nuala, a journalist whose podcast has explored the events at Black Valley Farm. She has been receiving messages from someone who she believes was at the farm when the lives of the remaining residents were taken. Now working for a far-right politician, she’s determined to eventually uncover the truth. However, the messages accuse her of lying.
Once again, I was completely enthralled by Sheila’s writing and could honestly feel my pulse racing as little elements were revealed. It’s impossible to place Sheila Bugler in a particular style and that’s part of the fun of reading her thrillers. She can craft serious atmospheric stories and then switch to her Eastbourne series that concentrates on detective work or produce an Agatha Christie style whodunnit with apparent ease. I’m sure it’s not easy, but that’s part of her skill set.
I can highly recommend this book and I’m already looking forward to what may come next.

This is my first read by author Sheila Bugler and once I got into the story I did enjoy it.

I found it quite disjointed to begin with as the story is told from quite a few different view points and I did not seem to marry them well until around 3/4 way through the novel. I am glad I did stick with the novel as it is a good read.

We meet main character Clare, that is her disguise name, she is living in Sheffield as a guest in a very nice lady's home. She moves around due to her past and is anxious of being recognised. You see Clare was a survivor from Black Valley Farm, where many people died and she has a recognisable mark on her face. We also meet Nuala Fox, who made a podcast on the murders but is currently doing a documentary with someone in politics - this is what I found quite difficult with the novel as I found that this part of the story line was unnecessary.

All in all, a good book but you need to stick with it and once it gets going it is a very good read.

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review..

Thank you Canelo and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. This premise is fabulous and intriguing but unfortunately the execution was uninspired and flat. Not for me but fans of Freida and similar authors may enjoy.

The murders at Black Valley Farm are the topic for a recent true-crime podcast, and the secrets buried for years are about to come to the surface...
I really enjoyed this twisty and thrilling mystery - the numerous POVs kept me engaged and the slow reveals kept me guessing until the end.
Perfect for fans of unreliable, and often unlikable, narrators - every character in Black Valley Farm is morally grey and this makes them all the more engaging as their secrets come to light.
I especially enjoyed the political plotline and the exploration of how easily cult-like indoctrination techniques can be applied to modern fringe politics - it felt incredibly belivable that a character like Andrea could succeed in this world.

This took a while for me to get into as the story jumps around to the different characters. I did feel a bit lost. Once it settled down, I started to enjoy the storyline. Which in turn became quite the page turner. I enjoyed delving into the world of podcasts, cults, and scandals.

Black Valley Farm by Sheila Bugler is an amazing read. Such a complex story with no one being who they say they are. Some of the characters I liked and others I didn’t, but they all contributed to make this such a fabulous book. It’s an exciting and gripping crime thriller, a standalone. Rosemary Fry bought a farmhouse in Lincolnshire to use as a refuge for women and children. When all this ends, the residents are dead. And then Nuala Fox makes a podcast. This kept me so engrossed although I needed my wits about me. 5 stars without a doubt. Thank you to Canelo Crime, Sheila and Netgalley.

At first the story was very confusing. The book jumped around to different characters. Once it all started to fit into place I couldn’t put it down. The book was very well written and I would highly recommend it.

Secrets May Out..
What really happened at Black Valley Farm? Ten years ago the bodies were discovered- nine bodies - and a suspect that had vanished. Clare has spent those ten years living a lie in all manner of ways but when a podcast begins the past and present are about to come crashing spectacularly together and secrets may out. With a credible and well crafted cast, a swiftly moving and immersive plot and a compelling premise which delivers this is a dark and edgy suspense with twists aplenty.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I am interested in books about cults. When I read the description of this book, that is what I thought it would be about. What happened at Black Valley Farm? That would have been a great concept. However, there was so much about the podcaster Naula (a far leaning liberal) and her work for a right-wing politician. I don’t want to read about the podcaster, I want to read about Clare and what happened at the farm. The author is pushing a far liberal agenda. If you are going to write about a cult and what happened at the farm, leave the political agenda out of it and give us a good story.

I have been obsessed with reading lately...

I mean, I always was but this time it's completely different.

I find myself waking up early, staying up late, canceling plans and dismissing my chores just to read. I can't help it. The approvals I have been granted lately have me with the "can't wait" feeling.

I have yet to read a book in the past two weeks that I did not connect with. Every single book I have had in my hands has been incredible.

Black Valley Farm

Now, this book that literally blew my mind.

As I said I have been reading non stop but this book made me stop dead in my tracks. Whoa! Where did Sheila Bugler come from and where has she been my whole life? This author is a mastermind when it comes to delivering a 5 star hit.

Black Valley Farm is juicy, deceitful and oh so twisted! I gobbled this book on up in one sitting !

After concluding Black Valley Farm, I feverishly stalked Bugler’s backlog and purchased her entire collection. Yes, you could classify me as being obsessed.

Here is a little teaser :

The truth could ruin everything.
A decade ago, the bodies of nine people were discovered at Black Valley Farm. The only suspect vanished without a trace.

Clare has spent ten years living a lie, but a new podcast on the murders threatens to bring her carefully built life crashing down.

Because someone else has listened to the podcast.

Someone who knows Clare is lying, and who will stop at nothing to ensure the truth never comes to light.

10 years ago Nine people were killed at Black Valley Farm, nobody has been brought to justice and when journalist Nuala makes a podcast about the story it brings it back to the forefront of peoples minds.

Clare saves a small boys life but doesnt want recognition, what is she hiding?

A new political party is launched with the leader very familiar to Clare.

I raced through this book desperate to find out the truth. Lots of twists and turns along the way which will keep you guessing.

My first book by Shiela Bugler but definitely not my last.

4 stars

Shelia Bugler is a new author to me and after reading Black Valley farm, which I enjoyed immensely I will be looking out for her other books she has written.
Ten years ago, nine bodies were found at Black Valley farm. But the killer has never been found. Two people that were at the farm are still missing.
Clare Brown is one of them that escaped the farm and has been hiding ever since. But when she saves a child being run over by a bus, her life changes. The guilt from escaping what happened at the farm haunts her every day.
When a True crime pod cast of the tragic events at Black Valley farm come to life it makes the Journalist podcaster Nuala famous even winning an award. But she stars receiving messages that some of the things in the podcast are a lie. Clare hears this podcast and worries that someone will come after her.
Who is Truth finder who is sending this message and what do they want?
Thank you, Canelo, for a copy of Black Valley farm. This had me intrigued from the very first page and I hooked that I read it virtually in one sitting. It has an original plot and keeps me guessing and like someone else said it had a ‘handmaids’ tale’ sort of vibe to it. The is an entertaining read. 5 stars from me.

I'm new to this author, but I do believe I'll be sticking around. That's due to this book, an intriguing mystery with a lot of twisty-turny surprises. You'll think you've got it all figured out, but do you?