A locked-room mystery that is a lot of fun. I have a weak spot for these “And then there were none” type of plots, so I was invested in the story, despite not liking most of the characters. This author never fails to keep me entertained, even if the action takes a bit to get started. A group of mostly horrible people, liars and narcissists are summoned to an abandoned mansion that was once the scene of a multiple crime right from a slasher film. The original “final girl” is invited, along with the cop who made a mistake investigating the murders and other people tangentially related and whose connection seems a little forced. Once the mystery is explained, the guest list makes sense, though. Other than the final girl, the cop and a psychic, I actively hated the rest of the cast. The solution was also implausible, even if it worked. This is why I’m giving this read five stars, because despite it not being perfect, it was perfect for me. I really enjoyed it and had a good time with it.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter.

I enjoyed this book. I’m not sure if this was based on the TV show with the same name and premise. I don’t think it matters, but something I wondered.

I wouldn’t say it was the most intellectually stimulating or deeply written book I’ve ever read, but I don’t base my ratings on that (unless it’s just a really bad book…which this wasn’t at all).

I know a lot of people base ratings on how deep the plot went, how complex characters were, etc. etc. I wouldn’t say this book was deep or complex…but it kept me entertained and turning the pages.

I never had a moment that I dreaded picking it up or ever was tempted to not finish it. I was invested from the moment I started reading.

It kind of gave me a YA style of writing as I was reading it even though I don’t think it’s YA.

There are quite a few characters to keep up with, but I didn’t find it especially hard to keep them apart. The author did a pretty good job at making their voices unique to them so they didn’t all run together for the most part.

I felt like it was all straight to the point. There wasn’t a lot of fluff in between and it was a very quick read. I enjoyed it, but if you’re looking for a very deep plot with complex characters, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for a fun and quick read, this book covers that I think.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC of this book.
Sorry this book did absolutely not meet my expectations. All the characters were bland and lacked any effort to entice the reader. The storyline was also weak. I have liked other books by this author but this one certainly isn’t one I will be adding to me list.

Thank you to One More Chapter and C A Lynch for approving my NetGalley request to read this book in return for an honest review.

This was my first C A Lynch book, but it definitely won't be my last. What an introduction this was!

The synopsis of this book had me by the throat, and the cover, wow, that manor house is so creepy and sets the tone well. What is not to love about a locked room mystery set in a castle with a murderous past?

We follow six people to Beechwood Castle that have all been sent mysterious invitations to spend 24 hours in the house and win a portion of 1 million dollars. But of course, not everything is as it seems, one of them is a traitor! Years earlier the manor house was the site of a horrific and gruesome murder, terrifying the locals, and had been shut down ever since. But was the murderer ever caught?

I raced through this story as it was so addictive and I clearly couldn't put it down. Even with it being told by each character for a new chapter it was still easy enough to follow and remember who is who and there were so many amazing twists that I just couldn't pin down who the traitor was, nor the killer! I genuinely felt like I was one of the characters, the storytelling was *that* good. I love a good story that keeps me guessing the whole way through and surprises me right up until the very last page and The Traitors was definitely one of those stories. The gore, the language, the terror I could feel emanating through the pages was impressive, and right up my alley.

I feel like this book was such fun and would recommend anyone who likes thrillers and locked room mysteries to read this as soon as you can, but with the lights on, haha! I really hope this is going to be a popular book, and I'll be reading more by C A Lynch as soon as I can!

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I have to admit that the main reason I requested this book was its title - I reasoned that if it was even half as entertaining as the BBC reality TV show, ‘The Traitors’ by C. A. Lynch would be worth a read!

The story begins with six individuals receiving invitations to spend a night at Beechwood Castle, a crumbling, imposing, dark Manor House that has sat vacant for almost three decades following a horrific mass murder event. We soon learn that each of them has something to hide, and as they sit down to dinner, they are all denounced as traitors by their mysterious anonymous host and one of them is decried as an impostor.

I loved the distinctive voices, stories and motivations of the six guests. The author captured the tension perfectly and let the dark, dilapidated setting and ominous surroundings take centre stage. This was a very fast paced tale and I didn’t see the twists coming!

My rating for this one is a solid four stars, and I’d recommend it to any thriller lovers looking for an atmospheric locked room mystery. The only reason it wasn’t a five star read for me is the fact that it was over so quickly and not all the characters had enough time to make a lasting impression.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest feedback. Thanks NetGalley and Harper Collins One More Chapter!

Lynch does it again with another heart-pounding unputdownable masterpiece.

Lynch is incredible at these locked room whodunnit murder mysteries. They are very reminiscent of Agatha Christie, with lots of misdirection and red herrings. You'll think you have it figured out, but you're wrong. And when you finally DO figure it out...it's obvious, but in a subtle way.

The Traitors is no exception. The story of a past massacre at a creepy house, and the people connected to it. A survivor, a cop, a writer who had researched the case. There are also people who are not connected...a psychic, a YouTuber, and a contractor. The common thread is that they are all traitors in some way...all have something dark in their past. When they start dieing, any one of them had a reason to be the killer.

This book is great. Full of adrenaline and intrigue. I loved every second of it.

The Traitors by C A Lynch is a really fun read.
A group of strangers are brought together in an old abandoned "castle" where they have been offered a bunch of money if they can make it through the night. As we get to know each of the character we begin to see the pattern of why each of them has been invited, based on their involvement in a decades old masacre.
Reminiscent of old school mystery/thriller/whodunits this book kept me on the edge of my seat as I tried to figure out what's going on.
For a more indepth review please check out my spoiler free youtube review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuWNM2yuh6k

"The Traitors" was an absolutely thrilling read! From start to finish I was immersed in this storyline. The author's atmospheric storytelling kept me on the edge of seat, flipping pages and collecting clues to solve the mystery.

I personally love when Thrillers are told through multiple POVs, so I knew from very early on that I was going to really enjoy that aspect of this book. The characters were introduced in a way that I never felt was rushed or too confusing, the pacing was really well done.

I will definitely be recommending this book. If you love an eerie whodunit locked-room mystery you should check it out too.

Thank you Carissa Ann Lynch , Net Galley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Six people walk into the house, all they have to do is survive the night and get a good portion of cash for doing so.
A good old fashioned mystery/whodunnit/locked room story.
A cozy crime that’s not gruesome with some twists.
If this is your vibe you will really enjoy it unfortunately not for me hence the
3 stars.
Thank you for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Loved this book. At first I didn’t like having the perspective of all six people but the author made it easy to navigate and follow.
The end was a surprise to me and I did not figure out who the culprit was.
I enjoyed the entire book. The extra stories that were included and the connections the guests had to each other and didn’t know about.
Really great job by the author.

Sorry to say but I'm just not sure about this one. Stereotypes, cliches, nothing new to offer and so many different points of view introduced very quickly,

I thought the language chosen at times was deliberately provoking which irritated me as it felt unnecessary.

270 pages

4 stars

A haunted house novel? Something else? Six people invited to an abandoned “castle” to spend one night for a share of a million dollars? Sign me up!!

A former cop, a YouTuber, an aging true crime writer, a self important architect, a failed psychic and the only living witness to the mass murders committed years earlier in this very house are the invitees.

This is all very mysterious. But, of course, those who received the “invitations” all badly needed the money for various reasons. They arrived at the decaying castle and were greeted by a woman. They all realize that they know each other, or at least know about each other. They all received upsetting separate notes that said different things.

Things began to go wrong.

The party began to bicker among themselves. They didn’t like one another before, but now tempers really flared. Dastardly deeds were done. The story’s end came as a complete, but somewhat predictable surprise.

This book had me guessing throughout just who was who and who set this scene up? I kept changing suspects as I followed the story along. The characterizations were very well done. In brief sentences, Ms. Lynch told the reader about the individuals so that we knew their backgrounds. Their motivations. Their intentions. I will certainly look into more of Ms. Lynch’s work.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter-One More Chapter for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

This was such a fun book – eerie gothic mansion, invitations from an unknown host, and murder! Literally the only issue I had was that it wasn’t a longer story so I could enjoy it more! Six people receive invitations to Beechwood Castle to spend one night. If they do so, they will win their portion of one million dollars. Sounds easy, right? So what if this abandoned home was the site of gruesome murders a few decades ago? And several times before that, as well. But that’s all in the past, right?

There’s little else to say without giving away spoilers, except something vague like “Beware, people are not always as they seem.” It is true in this story but it doesn’t help explain anything! I’d compare this book to the movie adaptation of “Clue” with Tim Curry – pure camp and dark comedy throughout. You can’t take it too seriously, just have fun and go along for the ride. This would make a great screenplay because I would love to see these characters come to life. Combined with the atmosphere of the abandoned ‘castle’ it would be awesome on screen.

Like I said at the start, I only wish the story were a bit longer. But on the other hand, how many times do people take note of repetition and unnecessary filler? Maybe it’s the perfect length, after all. I just need another one like this to read, ASAP

I really enjoyed books by Ruth Ware and Freida McFadden so I was excited to read this book wnd it did not disappoint. It had me hooked instantly.

"The Traitors" by C. A. Lynch was a great, quick read. Thrilling to no end, I'm glad I read this one for sure. Great!

I was VERY excited for this as I loved the premise, but I really did not enjoy my time reading this at all. The writing felt very basic and juvenile, there were several times I questioned if I was reading a YA book. I also really did not enjoy the characters. This is different than disliking them, because you can dislike a character and still like reading about them, but I just didn’t enjoy my time with any of the characters in this. There are definitely better versions of this same story out there.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

Wow what a debut! The Traitors is an eerie gothic thriller with the best atmospheric setting. The story begins with six individuals who are invited to spend one night at Beechwood Castle, the site of where a gruesome murder took place years prior. In exchange for spending the night they will get the chance of winning a million dollars split between them. Except one of the six is an imposter. And one of them may even be the killer.

We hear from each of the six characters throughout the story. I usually find this hard to track, but they were all so different and well developed that it was easy for me to keep everyone straight. The story is full of suspense and secrets with a side of horror. I was immediately captivated and read this in one sitting. The initial reveal may seem implausible at first, but it becomes more believable as the story progresses. An incredible debut and I will be keeping my eye out for more from this author!

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, One More Chapter for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was a fantastic read!! Very faced paced and cliff hanger chapters kept me reading all night!! I finished this one in just 2 sittings. Highly recommend

If you're looking for a fast paced, fun read , where you feel you can't trust anyone or anything.
This is for you.
Throw in a creepy old house where someone axed some kids to death a few years back, and it's perfect setting.
I honestly flew through this, and enjoyed it a lot.

Fun times.

Pssttt…

Over here

I have a secret to share with you.

I found a book that will break the internet right here.

The Traitors

And it’s straight up horrifying. Think of your worst nightmare and then times that by 100.

Oh yeah, one of those

It’s been awhile since I read a horror-ish novel but gosh dang it, I’m about to start back up on a horror kick ! The Traitors, was everything I never knew I needed packed up between 270 pages.

Another shocker…. This is a debut! C.A Lynch, has entered the circuit and she has come out swinging! The Traitors, will be well loved by both horror and thriller book lovers🖤

Teaser:

You are cordially invited to the Beechwood Castle for a night you’ll never forget…

Six people find a thick cream envelope on their doorstep. Inside is an invitation to spend 24 hours in a crumbling manor house and be in with the chance to win a portion of one million dollars. The catch: Beechwood Castle was the site of one of the most horrific murders in modern history.

The smell of blood, decay and death still hangs heavy in the air.

Six people walk into the house. One of them is an imposter, all of them are traitors, which of them will survive the night?