Nicole and Tom Booth find themselves overnight millionaires after winning the lottery. They build their dream home with a gorgeous view next to a centuries old Manor House, owned (rented?) by Sasha Dempsey and Olly Palmer. Life is perfect, until Tom is found by Nicole dead in their pool.

With an extensive cast of characters, one would think that this would be an excellent thriller with plenty of twists and finger pointing. Which, there was slightly, but I felt like I knew who it was immediately and couldn't be swayed. I felt that this book was longer than necessary and could have had at least a quarter of the book removed and no one would be the wiser.

I felt that most of the ends were tied at the end, but I'm pretty sure I pulled an eye muscle from rolling my eyes at the cliche "miracle baby" at the end.

I've read MacMillan in the past and have liked her other works, but this one wasn't a winner for me this time around.


A huge thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a (very late) review.

Childhood sweethearts Nicole and Tom are a normal, loving couple—until a massive lottery win changes their lives overnight.
Soon they’ve moved into a custom-built state-of-the-art Glass Barn on the stunning grounds of Lancaut Manor in Gloucestershire. They have fancy cars, expensive hobbies, and an exclusive lifestyle they never could have imagined.
But this dream world quickly turns into a nightmare when Tom is found dead in the swimming pool. Nicole is devastated. Tom is her rock. And their beautiful barn —with all its smart features that never seem to work for her—is beginning to feel very lonely. But she’s not entirely by herself out there in the country. There’s a nice young couple who live in the Manor itself along with their middle-aged housekeeper who has the Coach House. And an old friend of Tom’s from school has turned up to help her get through her grief.
But big money can bring big problems and big threats. Was Tom’s death a tragic accident or was it something worse? And is her life in danger as well? Nicole’s beginning to feel like a little fish in a big glass fishbowl.Surrounded by piranhas.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for giving me an advance copy.

This was a slow paced thriller but then there ended up being quite a lot going on at the end. It was largely unbelievable and I wasn’t a huge fan of the story.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had trouble getting through this one. There were a lot of characters to wade through in the beginning. I didn’t really enjoy the journal excerpts because they didn’t really read like a journal entry. Most of the characters and storylines were predictable and not thrilling in the least. The story drug on, but then the ending just wrapped up too neatly. This one just wasn’t quite my cup of tea.


Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for my copy in exchange for my review.

At the beginning, I felt like there was a confusing amount of characters in the storyline. But as I continued to read it began to come together for me. The story was full of twists and turns that I totally appreciated. As the story progressed, I found it hard to put the book down.

Thank NetGalley and Gilly Macmillan for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

Reading the decription of this book is what piqued my interest in it. The idea of two ordinary people winning the lottery and using it to build their dream house, only for Tom to end up dead. The characters got on my nerves and I struggled to finish reading the book.

Thank you to the author , HarperCollins Publication and Netgalley for the ARC.

Absolutely engaging domestic thriller. Right off the bat it starts with a murder that when ends up being investigated digs out a whole lot of shocking revelations. The plot twists hit you out if nowhere and I was pleasantly shocked.
Short chapters narrated from the central characters in the story and chapters with a countdown of events from the murder victim’s day of his death, creates a dreadful feeling of the impending doom and increases the reader’s curiosity if it’s a whodunnit or natural cause ?
With an unexpected revengeful twist towards the end too , it’s a perfect example for the saying Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned !

Overall I definitely recommend this thriller.
It’s a 4 / 5 ⭐️ read for me.

The suspense !!! This book was so good. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Oh, make sure to leave your lights on.

The Manor House follows recent lottery winners Tom and Nicole as they purchase and move into their new home, effectively changing their lives overnight. This dream however is quickly interrupted when Tom is found dead in his swimming pool by his wife. We follow multiple POVs as the investigation into Tom's death unfolds. Tied into the mess are neighbors Oliver and Sasha, along with their housemaid Kitty. Are any of these people who they say they are? Detectives Jen and Hal work the case to put the all the puzzle pieces together.

Overall, Macmillan's novel was readable but quite complicated with the 9 perspectives we're presented with. This can get confusing at times. Also, the amount of "perfect" murders that were committed was absurd. The ending tied things up too neatly to feel authentic. Recommend if you can suspend belief and enjoy the outlandish tale for what it is.

This book didn't work for me. I felt it was slow and nothing exciting happened. The characters were dull. I was hoping the pace would pick up but it didn't.

I went back and forth with this book, and ultimately I ended up enjoying it, I just didn't love it. The characters were a bit over the top, and I don't know that the gullible character was believable.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

this was an okay one- a little slow moving for me, which i don't love in my mystery/thrillers. i had a hard time finding interest in the story itself.

Plenty going on. Was it a natural drowning, or something more synester? Who are the neighbors, they don't seem to know each other very well. Characters seem to switch rolls and no one is whom they pretend to be.. Book staarted well, but lost a little momentum towards the end. Plenty of twists and turns.

The Manor House was not as creepy as the cover made it look. The story unfolded a little too slowly for my taste in mystery/thriller and the characters were not intriguing enough to keep me interested.

Another book I couldn’t get into. I tried the audiobook version as well. I was bored and uninterested the majority of the time

The Manor House was a suspenseful mystery that explores the darker side of wealth and privilege, with a focus on themes of greed, power, and the blurred lines between reality and illusion. I was instantly pulled into this murder mystery from the beginning when Nicole comes home to find Tom floating face down in the pool. It was fast paced and kept you guessing throughout.

Thanks to Net Galley, Gilly Macmillan and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.instagram.com/_bookonthebrightside_/

I really loved The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan, so I was super excited to read The Manor House. I was not disappointed. Macmillan is the master at multiple POV's and twists you don't see coming. I was instantly pulled into this murder mystery and had to know who did it. Highly recommend for all the mystery/thriller enthusiasts out there. Revenge is so sweet.

I really enjoyed this mystery! I loved the setting and the various POVs the story alternated through. It was fascinating from the start.

Reading Between the Wines book review #145/115(met goal in Sept!) for 2023:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: The Manor House
Author: Gilly Macmillan
Available Now!!

Sipping thoughts: If Gaslighting was a book it would be The Manor House. This book had 2 of the most unlikable characters I have read in a while. I enjoyed it enough but could not wait for karma and justice to be enacted! I really liked the ending.

Cheers and thank you to @WilliamMorrow and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @TheManorHouse.

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3.5 ⭐️’s
Be careful what you wish for… when Tom and Nicole win the lottery, they build a state of the art glass barn on the property of an old Manor. After an outing to a county fair, Nicole comes home to find Tom floating face down in the pool. Nicole is sure it was an accident, the police are not so sure. Olly, a novelist and Sasha, a yoga instructor are living in the manor. They have a housekeeper, Kitty, who lives in the coach house. While they seem like a nice couple, all is not kosher at the manor and secrets abound. Even the walls have ears! When an old friend, one that Nicole isn’t too keen on at the moment, shows up to offer his condolences and to help Nicole out, the plot thickens. Did someone have a reason to kill Tom? Is Nicole safe from harm? What secrets is the manor hiding? Filled with some good twists and turns, this was a fun read! Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.