While this sounded like a book I'd enjoy, sadly, that wasn't the case. There are numerous characters and backstory before we even encounter any real action. I never felt a connection with any of them, therefore, I didn't really care about what happened to them. I was expecting more of a mystery with a haunted castle, but that wasn't the case. Dialogue felt stilted. The pace was way too slow. The only character I sort of liked was Penelope. The overall story felt more like a young adult novel, which wasn't something I expected based on the description.

It’s simple really, stay 24 hours in Beechwood Castle and earn your share of a million dollars. Six traitors jump at this opportunity to go inside the infamous manor which has a dark and murderous past. Who will make it out alive and who will just be another part of the castle’s gloomy history?

I was so excited when I put together that C. A. Lynch stood for Carissa Ann Lynch. All of her books are quick, entertaining reads and this was no exception. The title drew me in as I love the reality show The Traitors. This book was just as fun as the show and threw me for a bit of a loop at the end. If you are looking for a fast paced, enjoyable mystery this is your book and author!

This was such a fun read, I didn’t know who to be thinking was the killer, the different characters were intriguing and all had fantastic secrets.

I enjoyed the pacing and how these secrets were revealed and I never saw the ending coming!

Add this to your TBR

I absolutely loved The Traitors, the description alone gave me the chills and I could not wait to dive in. I was completely hooked from start to finish and there was so much tension and suspense with all the twists and turns that I just could not put it down. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

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?

I enjoyed the atmosphere in this book. A crumbling manor home with a dark history! It had me right there. I enjoyed the trapped feeling of the book being alone in a creepy house and wondering why each of you was invited.

The characters are well-developed and complex, each with their own unique backstory and set of motivations. From the enigmatic ex-con to the ambitious writer, each individual brings a distinct perspective to the narrative, adding depth and intrigue to the plot. Lynch deftly explores the themes of betrayal, guilt, and redemption, as the characters confront their past mistakes and grapple with the consequences of their actions.

The story is intriguing for sure, there’s a certain level of tension and suspense, and while I feel I should have figured out who the killer was, I didn’t.

At 270 pages, it’s a quick and entertaining read, a solid 4 stars from me

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK fir and advance copy in return for a fair an honest review

Six strangers are invited to a house where decades earlier a horrible massacre occurred. They are each lured there by the promise of splitting a million dollars if they stay through the night. However, it turns out someone nefarious has invited them there and they must try to get out alive before they are killed.

I found this one fast-paced and overall enjoyable. I think the motive behind the killer was a little weak, but not so crazy that I disliked the book. It was a quick read, and not too spooky or gory, just a little suspenseful!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

On a dark horrific night 5 teenagers are brutally murdered with an axe with one surviving our classic final girl. We have a young cop who is sure of the killers identity and unfortunetly acts too fast causing the families of those that passed not to get any kind of closer. His career is ruined that night, he becomes a pariah in his home town never able to recover.
Lolly is our final girl, forever tormented by that night, filled with guilt and shame over being the lone survivor. Whispers over the years cause people to wonder if maybe she is the one who killed all of her friends that night.
The BeechWood Castle is where these evens took place and it has sat empty for many years.Someone has now bought that property and sent invites out to only select people to come and spend a night in the castle, if they can survive the night and follow the rules exactly they will end the following day with a large sum of money.
Staci is desperate to get an invite to help boost ratings for her true crime youtube channel. She is thrilled when she receives a coveted invite and although her partner Jan is supposed to come as well due to some conflict between them Staci chooses to keep the invite to herself.
Cornelius Jones is ostrasized in his town thanks to being caught as a peeping tom. He hopes to get an invite as well seems as he is trained as an architect. Not only that but he very much wants to get away from his wife. He too is so happy to receive an invite to BeechWood.
Penelope also receives a coveted invite which she hopes will revive her failing true crime novelist career.
Bonnie is a medium who has had a bit of a sordid past but has finally gotten her life in somewhat of a place that she wants it. Her family has ties to BeechWood Castle. She finds herself leery of receiving an invite but needs the money.
All of these people end up at BeechWood but things are not at all what they seem. This mysterious benefactor seems to know far more about them then should be known. They find themselves locked in and the safety that was promised seems no where to be found. Things are coming to light and the killer has never been found. Now all of these people who seem to have a link to what happened all those years ago are together under one roof. With the killer still loose who knows how long it will be before bodies begin to fall?

I want to thank #Netgalley for the chance to read an eArc of #TheTraitors by #CALynch in return for a fair and honest review.

The Traitors has some similarities to the popular TV show of the same name, but there are a few differences. The story is atmospheric and creepy. It takes place in an old deteriorating mansion on the edge of the woods. It has been vacant for decades. Teenagers would enter the gloomy, old house to hang out or on a dare. This ended in 1996 when three young people were hacked to death by an unknown person wielding an axe. One teenage girl managed to hide and survived the gruesome murders. The mansion and its grounds have been locked since the crime, and people have been barred from entry.

The abandoned property has been sold, and six people have been invited to spend the night. If they manage to do so, they will win a substantial amount of money; if they choose to leave, their money will be forfeited. The new owner and person who sent the invitations had not been divulged. Invitations have been sent to a diverse group of people. There is the 'final girl' from the 1996 slaughter. A young woman with a true crime show on YouTube was caught posting fake information. An older woman was famous for writing true crime thrillers, but her years of success were behind her. Another woman went to prison for fraudulent psychic readings, and her child was taken from her. Also invited was an architect whose reputation was ruined due to sleazy sexual behaviour. A former policeman accidentally shot and killed a young suspect for the axe murders. Some attending are fearful, others are excited, but all intend to endure the night for the lure of the monetary prize. There is also a paid female moderator to explain the house rules.

Any of these overnight guests could be designated traitors, but who is the suggested impostor? The book's first part explores why each person may have been invited, their state of mind, and their interactions with the others. The action and fear pick up when two are found murdered by an axe. One of the guests has a gun. Scenes proceed at a frantic pace. As the characters remained mainly unlikeable, engaging with them or being concerned about their outcomes was difficult. As a result, suspense and tension were diminished, and scenes were overly dramatic.
You might be disappointed if you attempted to study the clues to guess who was causing the chaos. There was a big twist that revealed the identity of the person who committed the past and present killings and their motivation. The reveal seemed more like a cheat than a twist, but it made sense.
I liked that in this locked-room scenario, the weaknesses and flaws of the characters were known early in the story and not until after the crimes had occurred. This was a quick and easy read, and the flawed characters made it entertaining. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. The book is due on February 1st.

The traitors.
#murdermystery

Things happened In the past.. Folks have been invited back to where the murders happened in 1996
It was a massacre with 🪓 murderer.
One girl was lucky enough to survive. Or was she Lucky.. Was luck really on her side..


Now there's invitations for 6 guests. What will happen what awaits them. If they make it through the night. will receive cash, What if they don't make it Through the night well there's always an ax .

Very intriguing this one was, I found it to be different from the other books. I have read of this authors but I still enjoyed it. Her books for me are really good and Intriguing and they keep my attention.. I highly suggest her books haven't read one that I have not enjoyed immensely.

This is the 10th book I have read of this authors.

A suspenseful locked room thriller.
Nearly 30 years ago Beachwood Castle was the scene of a horrific massacre of which the killer was never discovered. In the present day, six people from different backgrounds have been invited to spend the night in the desiccating castle. If they survive the night, they will win a million dollars.
This book is a gothic thriller, not quite a horror but has a creepy undertone for sure.
Very well-written, a number of personalities who are well established and have depth of character given the story from their point of view, overall the plot is interesting.

Six people are invited to spend the night locked in a crumbling old castle where there has been several brutal murders, for a chance to win their share of $1 million by the unknown new owners. All are somehow connected to this mysterious manor tho it's not obvious at first how. This was a quick read that took me by surprise! Great characters, great plot. At one point or another, each one was guilty to me. Classic whodunit mystery!

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book, I was concerned that it would be similar to the tv show The Traitors but it wasn’t.

6 people are invited to an abandoned house where a murder took place almost 30 years ago. Can they solve the cold case?

I loved the multiple pov’s. Normally I find it very difficult keeping track of who’s who but each character had a distinctive trait. It also subtly reminded you throughout the book too which made it easy to remember.

There was so many twists and turns I couldn’t predict what was going to happen next. You couldn’t trust anyone but you also wanted to be on their side.

This was an intense locked room thriller and gave me Daisy Darker/The Christmas Murder Game/The Three Dahlias vibes.

The only reason it wasn’t a 5⭐️ was that I felt it ended too quick. The pace was fast, which I loved! It made reading it so easy, it’s just that after the key piece of the story, things tied up very quickly. I wanted more.

Six people, one million dollars- not all of them will live to share it. Each of the participants in this challenge tell their story and why they need the cash. But not all of them are honest about who they are because one of them is an imposter. And what does it mean to be a traitor. This will appeal to those who like locked room mysteries and it's nicely atmospheric.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and CA Lynch for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Traitors coming out February 1, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I’m obsessed with books about people being invited to a dark manor by mysterious person. It can be a story that’s overdone, but I thought the author had a unique twist on that genre. I love that the characters were given their own backgrounds before they went to the manor I thought that they were really fleshed out characters. They were definitely flawed characters, but I think most of them showed growth. I love the writing, and the plot. I felt like the story was fast paced and kept my interest. I loved it. I would definitely check out other books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys invitation to dark manor books!

* Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review *

In C.A. Lynch's captivating debut novel, "The Traitors," six individuals with a dark past find themselves drawn to the haunting Beechwood Castle, a once-grand estate now shrouded in mystery and decay. The invitation, delivered in a thick cream envelope, promises a thrilling 24-hour stay and a chance to share a $1 million prize. However, as they step through the castle gates, a sense of unease settles upon them, for Beechwood is not merely a relic of the past; it's a place steeped in secrets and haunted by a chilling history.

Lynch masterfully weaves a web of suspense, gradually revealing the characters' hidden motives and the dark secrets that bind them together. The isolated setting of Beechwood Castle amplifies the sense of paranoia and isolation, as the six strangers grapple with their own fears and suspicions. The atmosphere is both eerie and captivating, with Lynch's evocative prose transporting readers into the heart of the story.

The characters are well-developed and complex, each with their own unique backstory and set of motivations. From the enigmatic ex-con to the ambitious lawyer, each individual brings a distinct perspective to the narrative, adding depth and intrigue to the plot. Lynch deftly explores the themes of betrayal, guilt, and redemption, as the characters confront their past mistakes and grapple with the consequences of their actions.

As the night progresses, the tension mounts, and the line between reality and illusion blurs. Strange occurrences and unsettling discoveries keep the reader guessing, while Lynch skillfully drops hints and red herrings along the way. The mystery is intricate and well-crafted, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the end.

However, while the plot and characters are largely compelling, the pacing of the story could have been tightened in certain sections, particularly in the middle chapters. The introduction of certain side characters and plot developments felt a bit rushed, and could have benefited from a more gradual incorporation into the narrative. Additionally, while the atmosphere of Beechwood Castle is effectively established, the exploration of its history and connection to the mystery could have been more deeply developed to further enhance the overall experience.

Despite these minor flaws, "The Traitors" remains an engrossing and suspenseful read that will leave readers satisfied and eager for more from this promising new author. Lynch's knack for crafting intriguing characters and weaving a captivating mystery makes this a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers and locked-room mysteries.

C.A. Lynch's The Traitors is an absolutely mind-blowing, spine-chilling, and relentlessly gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Once I dived into its pages, I was immediately captivated, knowing that I would be engrossed in this masterpiece until the very last word. An irresistible and unputdownable thriller!

With each character introduction, Lynch adeptly paints vivid portraits, ensuring readers gain a clear understanding of their distinct personalities, devoid of any miss-too-goody-shoes. The twist unfolds as: among the six participants, five of them are traitors while the sixth is an imposter.

As the body count begins to climb, the suspense intensifies, leaving readers in eager anticipation of who will emerge unscathed by the night's end. This relentless curiosity about the survivors adds an extra layer of intensity, truly keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout the narrative.

The conclusion unfolds with a delightfully evil and sinister essence, culminating in a finale that's both shocking and entirely unexpected. Without a doubt, the ending imparts an additional layer of satisfaction to the intricate and unpredictable journey of the narrative.

The brilliantly twisted resolution in the final chapters left this thriller lover thoroughly satisfied. The suspense, skillfully built from the beginning of the story, resonated intensely even after the finale.

If you are looking for a gripping and mind-numbing thriller, I highly recommend The Traitors by C.A. Lynch.

My rating: 4.5/5

Wow! This was a really good read. I was invested from the start. Really clever story. The ending was gripping.

This is a book along the lines of an Agatha Christie, but with more blood. Classic style mystery with interesting, flawed characters, one of whom I desperately wanted to survive. I think the survival of the character would have given more heart to the book, instead of the slasher movie vibe I was getting near the end. Very much enjoyed the last chapters catching up with the survivors, I don’t think this is done enough in mystery and thriller fiction.

“We entered the house on a Friday Evening.” Here are reasons to read the Horror book:

An Invitation - A cream envelope holding an invitation to a sleepover at a crumbling mansion
6 people - is delivered to 6 people
Past Horror - and though it’s not totally clear why some of them are invited, you can bet that some of them will not make it out alive

So if you saw when I posted after finishing the book, I compared it to the TV show The Traitors - which just started its second season and is pretty addicting. There is a mansion, sealed letters are involved and people die. However that is kind of where the similarities end. While I loved the creep factor and the story, these chapters are told from the 6 people’s point of view and to me they all sounded like the same voice. I would really have liked to see more uniqueness because it was all muddled together. The twist was pretty interesting actually and I was surprised. But I think this book just really needed a little more editing.

Twisty and a little scary. This made me shiver a great story but. I didn't like the characters at all.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.