They thought winning the lottery would be a dream come true, but the reality of it is more nightmarish than either Nicole or Tom could’ve imagined. The boredom, the pressure, the disconnect—not to mention the jealousy. But never would Nicole imagine that someone’s envy would lead to Tom’s murder, nor that the investigation into his death would lead detectives to start ripping the threads from the tapestry Nicole was trying to weave their new lives into.

Who would want to kill Tom? Could it be because of the lottery? Because Tom was in the wrong place at the wrong time? Or could something more sinister have happened?
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I thought this was a pretty good read. I love domestic murder investigations featuring lotto winners, and was really excited to start this. The plot was good, things made sense, and the resolution was incredibly fitting in the most malicious way. But unfortunately, it felt like the book was so drawn out that it lost its allure for me.

The plot was stretched so thin that it became predictable around halfway through. Because of how slow it moved for me, the book began feeling less and less suspenseful and more like a dark cop drama. If you like slower-paced Brit suspense then this is probably right up your alley.

I always love a good mystery/thriller. Nicole and Tom are just trying to get by….and then lucky strikes in the form of a lottery win! They decide to build a beautiful home on the Lancaut Manor ground, enjoying the finer things in life and getting acclimated to their new financial situation. But things seem too good to be true, and Tome is found dead in their swimming book leaving Nicole heartbroken and lost.

Nicole leans on her “friendly” neighbors - but we all have to ask ourselves - do we really know who lives next door? This story is a crazy wild ride, manipulative, jealous, deceit, murders and MORE! Told from multiple POVs and easy to follow - a great read if you like suspense!

I thought this was another decent book by Gilly Macmillan. Nicole and Tom go from poor to multi-millionaires after winnning the lottery. They build their dream house and it isn't too soon after, the readers and Nicole find Tom dead in the swimming pool. Were people out to get their money? Did Nicole or Tom have secrets? This book had a decent amount of good twists and turns and it was not predictable which is a very important factor when I read any suspense/thriller book.

Definitely recommended.

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

Already available

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reading copy of this book.

Nicole and Tom won the lottery and built their dream home on the secluded Sanctuary. Their neighbors Olly and Sascha live in The Manor House down the lane.

When Tom is found dead in the pool, the ensiung investigation brings out all sorts of secrets.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Several twists and turns. 4 out of 5 ⭐️

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and had a story that made sense. I liked the characters. Lots of twists. Love how the author ties everything together.

The Manor House is the definition of an atmospheric thriller. I really enjoyed the setting while reading this story of these monstrous creepy houses and the people that live in them. I was really enjoying the story in the middle and I truly had no idea what happened to Tom, but by the end it almost felt like too many twists and turns. If a few things had been cut out, I think the reveal would have been better.

All in all, a good quick thriller that kept me on my toes.

Lots of plot twists and turns in this one. It took me two different times to pick this book up and get into it, but once I did, it was a very fast read. I liked how Tom's flashbacks fit into the story. Also wish I had a house with secret passages

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review, but all opinions are my own.

The story started off very intriguing — a couple winning the lottery, now living in a wealthy estate with a house of opulent design — then the husband was found dead by the wife not long after. It went on investigating each of the characters’ motive and brings the reader to suspect almost everyone. I enjoyed reading it overall, however, the pacing was a bit on the slower side for me and some details were unnecessary, making it hard to sustain my attention each time I pick up the book.

The Manor House by Gilly MacMillan
Pub date: November 7, 2023

I’m a huge fan of Gilly MacMillan and her skill in creating a chilling tense atmosphere. The Manor House starts off when Nicole loses her childhood sweetheart husband to an accident. This, after their lottery win and finally affording the home of their dreams.

There’s mayhem afoot, though, and the secondary characters aren’t all what they seem, or are they? This is the beauty of the telling. I love how Gilly kept me guessing chapter after chapter. Whose motives were pure and who’s weren’t?

A thrilling plot, a chilling atmosphere, and entertaining characters make this a winner in my book!

Gilly Macmillan is an author whose new books I always want to try out, given my enjoyment of a couple of her previous works. I liked the “Manor House”, as it was a thriller with a dead body from the start that had a lot of intrigue and took some unusual twists for this genre. I found this to largely be a fun read. There were interesting characters and a story that kept my interest, but I found the story’s ending to be a little bit unsatisfying. That is what marked this story down half a star for me. 3.5 stars ⭐️ for the one, rounded up to 4 ⭐️.. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The premise of the story is a young couple win the lottery and build the house and life of their dreams until the husband ends up dead.

The story was full of twists and turns, some predictable, but others really surprised me. The story is told from multiple viewpoints which is something I usually enjoy, but I felt at times there were too many, that didn’t necessarily add to the narrative. Overall this was a solid thriller with an interesting story and great setting. 3.5 stars rounded down.

Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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When Nicole and Tom win the lottery they buy their aream house - a glass barn neighboring The Manor. It’s when Tom is found dead that Nicoles path really intersects with her neighbors.
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The Manor House is a very gripping psychological thriller that will have you flipping through page after page. It’s told in multiple POVs where you really get to see into the minds of these well developed characters. The changing of POV is super easy to follow too. The Manor House is also multiple timelines, the past being through diary entires. The way that MacMillan weaved these two stories together was well thought out.
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Right from the start I had my suspicions of how some things were going to go down, which with I was correct on a few but on others I was not. The twists were perfectly timed giving you that jaw dropping feeling we all yearn for in our thrillers.
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Overall a solid read - definitely one that I recommend to all my thriller lovers. The Manor House was just released on November 7th. Huge thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Gilly MacMillan for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a complex, twisty, and thoroughly engrossing read. I did not want to put it down. With the exception of the police detectives, most of the characters were very well developed. Although some of the plot points were almost unbelievable, the short chapters from varying points of view kept things moving at a quick pace. Every time I thought I had it figured out there was another twist.

This book started off great. I loved the mystery. I felt it was dragged out for far too long and also very predictable. It got just flat out ridiculous and unbelievable by the end. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters and could not believe how completely ridiculously incompetent the police were.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for access to this ARC.

I need to be better about reading summaries. I knew I wanted to read this because I already like the author, and the summary is totally accurate. However, when I started this book, I was prepared for a Gothic mystery and it’s not. It’s a fairly straightforward thriller.

There were enough surprises to keep things interesting throughout but I was kind of glad while also being disappointed it wasn’t more twisty. It works, though, because it’s plausible and doesn’t get lost trying to surprise you. Very sold read - it took me a while to finish but mostly because life has been chaos. I enjoyed it from start to finish. It would also make a great film.

One thing I especially liked is that the crime elements were all neatly tied up for us (the readers) but not the detectives. I found that a lot more realistic than thrillers where everything perfectly falls into place. Enough was solved for the case to be closed but some of the loose threads were left unresolved. We, however, were given everything so we could fill in the gaps ourselves.

My only sort of criticisms (and they’re truly minor) are 1) the writing is fine but doesn’t stand out; and 2) every character except poor dead Tom is kind of a horrible human being. Maybe not the cops so much but man, the women are fun and twisted but AWFUL people. Don’t get me wrong - I enjoyed them. But at the end, I was slightly disgusted by everyone. And Tom deserved better. He’s the only character who really did just get the shit end of the stick.

Anyway, I enjoyed this a lot. I’ll keep reading from Gilly Macmillan for sure.

Thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was so excited to dig into The Manor House. I had high hopes for this book, and I was a little let down. It had a little bit of every kind of revenge of which you can think. Which makes for an excellent foundation. I just could not get into the writing. The characters were a little one dimensional and they did not hook me into their lives. The descriptions of the house were fantastic. I love when old houses have tunnels, priest holes, and places to hide between the walls. It gives me the creeps just thinking about who is there, watching, waiting, listening to your every word.

Nicole and Tom have won the lottery. They do not want the money to change them, but they have built their dream house. An old manor barn that they turned into a glass masterpiece. It overlooks the river from every glass room. It is state of the art in every sense of the word. When Tom ends up face down in their pool, Nicoles life is turned upside down. How can the love of her life be gone? Was it an accident or was it more sinister? As the days pass and more suspects are questioned. Insight into all the characters comes out and they all have a crazy backstory. Will the police be able to muddle their way through this chaos of a case? Thank you to Gilly Macmillian and William Morrow for my gifted copy of this book.

Good suspenseful read about a couple, Tom and Nicole, who have just won the lottery and moved into their dream house. Another couple also live on the property with their hired help, Kitty. However, before long, Tom winds up at the bottom of his pool with a wound to his head, and there is a cast of characters who may have had reason to kill him. The local police try to figure out the mystery, and the story moves along quickly, with lots of twists and turns and characters who are not what they seem. Another good suspense book by Gilly Macmillan. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I didn't enjoy this book. I tried. However, I found that though the chapters were quite short, the book seemed to drag on forever. Though it's supposed to be like a thriller or mystery, there is very little in the way of thrills or mystery. Everything about this novel really just falls flat. I truly had to push through to finish the book at all and once I did, I felt as though I'd wasted my hours trudging through the inner monologues of all the characters. This was a big miss for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC..
I was kept up late at night reading this book, with its many twists and turns. Gilly Macmillan has landed herself on my list of favorite authors.
There are several points of view. The lottery winners, the police, and the neighbors, as well as the neighbors’ maid. One of the points of view is that of the murder victim.
The plot was very well crafted.

I loved The Manor House, the twists and reveals and never knowing what might be on the next page. Gilly Macmillan uses a multiple-narrator style to give a glimpse of what's going on with each character behind the scenes, and she does it perfectly. There's just the right amount of characters to keep it interesting, but not so many so that I was constantly flipping back to figure out who was who. The plot is unique, and, although some characters are worse than others, no one is totally innocent. Gilly Macmillan once again proves why she's one of my must-read authors!