In the best tradition of And then there were none, Jen is taking a group of friends on her bachelorette weekend party to a private island. She knows them all, but they don’t all know each other and the few who have a history together had a falling out. What could possibly go wrong? Turns out, quite a lot. One goes missing and a mysterious entity calling itself the Reaper wants to play a game: one of the women is not who they believe her to be, so she must confess. Turns out that, oops, they are all hiding a secret so it could be anyone and, of course, no one wants to be the first to fess up in front of the others. I loved the descriptions of the island and its many features. The plot is solid and I truly had no idea who was behind it all. I also liked how the characters are all resourceful, smart and easy to root for. The rhythm kept up throughout the novel, making it a fast read. The ending is really good. This is a very enjoyable read for mystery lovers.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Penzler Publishers, Scarlet!

Jen is at her weekend hen party at the luxury island resort of Clachan Geal. With her are her tennis friend Nicolette, tennis coach Kennedy, former sister in law Beattie, future sister in law Samira and former school mates Michelle and Helena who were once in a mildly successful band that Michelle jettisoned to become a solo pop sensation. Also on the island are Lauren, the resort’s owner and their chef.

The party has just started when tragedy strikes. It appears that someone else is on the island and intends to do the group harm unless one of the party makes a confession. But everyone seems to have a dark secret.

Nothing like a good locked room mystery and I quite enjoyed this one, though, wow, some serious sociopathy in this little group! Enjoyable.

You know those times where you want to watch TV, but you don't want to put any brain power into thinking about and paying close attention to the show, so you put on a sitcom you've seen a bunch of times and kind of just dissociate while also watching? This book is kind of like that. It is a good way to be entertained but isn't something that is interesting or unique enough to stand out among the many other books with this kind of setup.

To the author's credit, this book featured seven POVs, but I was always able to keep everyone straight because the characters distinct enough to differentiate from each other. I appreciate when a novel can pull off having a high number of POVs, because it definitely is not something that is always executed well.

The main issue with this was the pacing and climax of the story. The middle dragged (though it was still relatively entertaining), and then you are whiplashed into an ending that keeps hitting you in the face with increasingly ridiculous twists that make you say "mmm...I dunno about that".

To be clear, this wasn't a bad book. If you're looking for a popcorn thriller you can read quickly while being entertained, but not necessarily be blown away by, this is a good option!

Before I get into the review, a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at Penzler for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Cliff House is a Mystery novel set on a remote island in the U.K. where seven friends are meeting up for a bachelorette party. But others have different plans for them that involve divulging their secrets or allowing one of their own who was kidnapped to die. Throughout the novel secrets are revealed and the friends all have to ask the question, "how well do you ever truly know someone?" The Cliff House comes out on November 6th and is available for preorder now.

I want to start this review out by saying that I did enjoy reading this one and I had fun while digging into all of the gossip. I know that a rating under 4 stars can sometimes be seen as being a bad read but that's really not how my ratings tend to feel in my head. I found this one to mostly be middle of the road (hence the 3 part of my rating) but also found that some moments really were fun and the tea was piping hot (hence the additional 0.25). I loved seeing people go head to head with the ones they have previous drama with. Give me all the tea. I also loved the setting. Or at least as much of it as was properly described. I would say the author described sections of the setting well. Parts felt underdeveloped while others I could picture perfectly. A luxurious, isolated mansion is the perfect setting for this story.

I found that a lot of the twists in this one were over the top. It felt almost TeleNovella at certain parts of the novel. I don't mind the fact that we're following seven different people's perspective. I don't mind the fact that they all have crazy secrets that they're keeping. I DO mind when we try to throw in things like (Spoiler Warning) people coming back from the dead, secret children, and identity fraud. I think it was more that there were so many of this overly dramatic turns than what they actually were. I saw one of them coming from a mile away and actually didn't mind that as part of the narrative. But once you added in everything else is just felt like too much. There was also this thing the author was inserting every few pages that completely pulled me out of the story every time. The author loved to have characters say "wee" in conversation. "I'm going to take a wee break from..." or something like that. I don't know if he was trying to reinforce the fact that they were in the U.K. or what but it was always so jarring for me.

Overall, it wasn't a bad way to take some time to myself during this hectic time in my life IRL. I had fun and loved the rich people drama. I think it will do better for someone who wants nonstop turns in their Mystery/Thriller novels.

3.5 Stars

I received an advanced copy of this book from W. W. Norton & Company via NetGalley.

At Jen's extravagant hen party held on a remote private island, the stage is set for a weekend of indulgence and celebration. With no immediate means of escape, the attendees find themselves in isolation, believing they are the only ones on the island. But they couldn't be more wrong.

Among the partygoers are Jen herself, a pop diva, a former bandmate with a strained relationship, a tennis professional, a fashion icon, an embittered former sister-in-law, and a candid future sister-in-law. The mix of personalities is explosive, and the tension quickly escalates. Amidst the drunken revelry, one of them mysteriously vanishes without a trace.

Suddenly, a chilling message arrives, revealing that unless someone confesses a deeply buried secret to the group, their missing friend's life hangs in the balance. The dilemma is that each person harbors their own closely guarded secret, and none are willing to divulge. As the pressure mounts, alliances shift, and trust among friends turns to suspicion.

The question becomes, who among them is willing to reveal their terrible secret to save their friend, and who is willing to go to great lengths to protect their own hidden truths?

The setting of an isolated island is a brilliant choice in this story. It adds an extra layer of intrigue and suspense to the plot. The idea of being cut off from the rest of the world without cell service creates a sense of vulnerability and isolation, making it the perfect backdrop for a thrilling mystery.

However, the decision to split up into pairs does raise some questions. Given the circumstances of a potential murder, logic would typically dictate that staying together as a group would be the safest course of action. The idea that one of them couldn't have been the killer is a valid point, and it does seem like a flaw in their logic. But sometimes, in stories like these, characters' decisions are driven by fear, panic, or mistrust, which can cloud their judgment and lead to unexpected consequences.

I personally resent the comment Beattie makes regarding Kennedy’s life choices. Just because she chose not to have kids in her twenties does not mean she isn’t a grown-up. I do not understand why the older generation looks down on women so much if they want to choose not to have kids at all.

In any case, the setting and the characters' decisions contribute to the tension and suspense of the story, keeping readers engaged and eager to unravel the mystery of what went wrong on that secluded island.

On a side note: I love Karen Millen clothing, I saw them in London for the first time and bought three dresses!

I found this a nice entertainment (this would make a really good book to read while traveling as it holds the attention but doesn't require a lot of focus to enjoy it), but I wasn't sold on it as an example of the genre it's described to be on the back. As an isolated close circle mystery or thriller, I found the characters & their motivations flat and the pacing odd.
Still, if you go into this expecting an action heavy thriller set in a remote location, I think this is pretty fun

This book was pretty good, though with a storyline quite similar to a lot of other recent books. The story centers on Jen, who is getting married and invites a bunch of her girlfriends to a mansion on a secluded island for her bachelorette party. It becomes clear that someone has murderous intentions, but who and why?

I feel like the twist in the book was good and there were believable red herrings leading up to that point. I could have done without so much of the inner monologues and the dynamics between characters, as they took me out of the action sometimes. I found Jen to be a mostly likable character, and felt like I understood the intentions of all of the characters, which seemed realistic even if not likable. The end of the book tied up everything a bit too neatly in my opinion but I didn’t hate it.

All in all, while this is a common setting and storyline, the book still manages to be somewhat unique. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Unfortunately, I don't have very good things to say about this book. I had to push myself to finish it. The climax was also extremely convoluted. I did love the relationship between Helena and Michelle, however. That was the bright spot in this story.

At times this was more complicated than felt necessary but it was GOOD. I loved watching it unfold (though this bachelorette plot is becoming more and more common lately and I don't know how to feel about it).


Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Cliff House
Thank you to #PenzlerPublishers and #NetGalley for providing me the ARC of #ChrisBrookmyre #TheCliffHouse. Reminiscent of an old Agatha Christie novel (in a good way), The Cliff House set me on edge from the very first page. Jennifer has planned the end-all, be-all three-day bachelorette party on an exclusive island where they will party by night and be pampered by day – unfortunately a member of the party goes missing on the very first night and . . . well, no spoilers here, but trust me, there is an AND. The planned weekend goes quite awry, and the women find themselves stranded on the island and -- instead of margaritas and manicures, survival is the only plan for the rest of the weekend. A great read.

A bachelorette party on a private island sounds glamourous but quickly turns deadly in this locked room style mystery.

I loved the description and cover of this book. I loved that it pretty much jumped right in and the characters meeting up and the airport lent itself to an easy introduction to each of the characters as part of the story, without making it feel like you need to take notes and make a cheat sheet to remember which character is which. This book also pretty quickly jumped into the action and was pretty twisty throughout. Toward the end I did feel like there was a pretty ridiculous amount of super dark secrets coming out-- one person with a big serious secret sounds believable, a group of women each with smaller secrets seems reasonable, but all the women having crazy dark sides was a little much. Still, the writing was good, and I enjoyed it. I would definitely read more from this author.

The only thing I didn't love about this book is that the setting is so perfect for a really creepy, isolating vibe, and I didn't feel like I got a ton of the setting shining through. The island could have been its own character and was largely ignored save for a couple environmental details at the end.

The Cliff House slowly draws you in as you meet the cast of characters that are off for a hen party on a remote island in Scotland.

The mansion is luxurious and the setting is beautiful.

Jen is about to be married for the second time and joining her on the island is her future sister in law Samira, Michelle a childhood friend who is now a famous singer, Helena another friend from childhood, Beattie former sister in law, Nicolette fashion expert and last but not least Kennedy a tennis pro.

The personalities and their histories clash but they have to pull together when a murder occurs and there is no way off the island.

The big question is where is the murderer.

Turns out he is still on the island and someone must confess to what they did or someone else will die.

I love closed door mysteries and The Cliff House is no exception.

The secrets as they are revealed are big ones and the pages turn quickly.

Chris Brookmyre writes so descriptively you feel you are on the island with the girls.

Settle in for a tense but good read of The Cliff House.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers, Scarlet for a page turning read.

I dnf this book. I did not like the story and it didn’t pull me in like I thought it would. I was bored the entire time and the characters annoyed me.

I really struggled with this book.

It’s about 7 women, and each chapter is told from a different point of view and discusses the characters backstory. It was blatantly obvious that the author was male and attempting to write women. I hate this. I am not trying to say one can only write their own gender, rather if you are going to write about something unfamiliar to you, that you research it and apply that research to your writing. Also, none of the characters are remotely likable. At least give the reader something to like, anything really.

Seven perspectives are too many. While each character was different, the story is too distorted and bogged down with this many points of view. Not ideal and makes for a very hard to follow book.

This book was very similar to another book I’ve read. It is set in a similar location, it’s a similar reason for meeting, and people die. Too close to the same for me. Had I not already read that book, my thoughts might be different, but seeing as it is written by one of my favorite authors, I have.

While I thank the publisher for this ARC it is not one I can recommend to others. I will not be reviewing outside of netgalley.

If you liked Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None', Ruth Ware's 'One by One', and Lucy Foley's 'The Guest List', you will love 'The Cliff House' by Chris Brookmyre.
Jen books a weekend hen party at an upscale resort on a remote island off the coast of Scotland with her friends. There's sure to be some tension or awkwardness after all this time, but she's hoping the relaxing atmosphere will smooth over the rough spots from the past and help them all reconnect.
Alas, that's not to be. Within a few hours someone is dead and the murderer is intent on getting some dark secret out of at least one of the party. As it turns out, everyone has something to hide. And someone on the island is a killer.
The weekend turns into a test of survival as they do their best to work together to hunt the killer and stay alive.
The Cliff House had the comfortable predictability of this genre, with all the suspense and red herrings that mystery fans crave.
Thanks to Penzler Publishers and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for a fair and honest review!

I liked the blurb for this book, so thought I would give it a shot. In the end, it just wasn’t the kind of book I thought it would be.

This was my first book by this author and I liked it. It has all of the elements that make a good book, in my opinion:

A secluded UK island, blackmail and 7 women who aren’t what they seem. I’m personally a fan of keeping track of characters, it’s part of the fun of super sleuthing. For those who aren’t huge fans of 7 backstories, I promise it’s easy to track. The author is clearly a man, as some of the conversations between characters definitely seems like nothing that would ever happen in real life! the ending was good, I had an inkling of how it would end about halfway through - but that didnt make the twists Andy less entertaining!

This was an okay read but was a bit ridiculous. The plot is not groundbreaking and either are the characters.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60058726

The Cliff House is a modern take on ‘And Then There Were None’ and doesn’t fail to draw the reader in from the start. Jen, a forty two year old successful entrepreneur is celebrating her upcoming second marriage by having a Hen weekend with five of her friends on a remote luxury Scottish island. What is supposed to be a celebration quickly turns to a nightmare when someone is murdered. Everyone has secrets, some deadlier than others. They quickly realize they are cut off from the world and are being hunted by an unknown killer, which may in fact be one of them.

What I liked about this book:
-the remote, luxurious mansion on a Scottish island
-the locked room trope
-the pacing of book
-the homage to And Then There Were None
-the red herrings
-the character development and back stories that reveal dark secrets and lies
-the multiple POVs
-the atmospheric tension of the remote setting and the growing paranoia of the women, suspicious of everyone
-the twists and turns followed by a satisfying ending

What I didn’t like about the book:
-nothing…I enjoyed it all!

My rating: 5 out of 5

My final takeaway:Chris Brookmyre has written a masterful locked room mystery for the modern reader. It is a highly entertaining and tension filled novel that draws the reader in from the start. It will keep you guessing until the satisfying end. Highly recommend it!

Trigger warning: gaslighting, rape, domestic violence

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers Scarlet for this eARC that will be published November 7 2023.