Thank you so much @netgalley for the chance to review The Cliff House by Chris Brookmyre!! I’ve been struggling to find something that kept my attention … but this was it! Jen’s “hen weekend” is set on a gorgeous, secluded island. Except, someone is found dead. This “closed room” murder story was so good and so twisty. Every woman has a secret… but whose is the worst? Excellent narration. Now I need to read more books by this author!

Eh....It was okay, The writing was fine, but i just felt like too much was going on. TOo many characters. Too many storylines. It just wasn't for me. I feel like if youre a fan of Lucy Foley, then you'll like this book.

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

I was drawn to the cover and book blurb so decided to give it a try. And I am so glad I did! This was a 5 star book for me!

The storyline started quickly and never let up. I had the audiobook and listened to it over 2 days. I was so into it that while lying in bed the first night, I was thinking about who was behind it all and what their motive could be. And that’s not something that I often do.

Fairly early on, I figured out a part of the twist, but I still wanted to keep listening because I was so intrigued about learning more about the characters’ backstories and seeing where to story went. This was a pleasant surprise, because oftentimes I find books drag and I just want to get to the end, especially when I think I’ve figured out the twist. But this was never the case here.

And while I did figure out part of the plot, there were plenty of twists I didn’t see coming. But they were foreshadowed enough that it feels like the listener had a chance to figure it out if they connected the right breadcrumbs.

The book was told from the perspective of a different character each chapter. That wasn’t an issue except at the beginning. I didn’t realize at first it would keep flipping and was a bit confused at first (I listen while doing other things - gym/driving/etc so am always a little distracted) but I restarted the book after chapter 4 - with added focus on remembering each person’s name and relation to the main character, and had no issues after that.

I enjoyed the narrator - thought they used a heavier accent for some characters. I wanted to point it out since some people find listening to an English accent or Scottish brogue distracting.

This was my first book by this author but I am definitely keen to read more by him!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advance audiobook of The Cliff House which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really like the way Sarah Barron handles the narration of this book! She kept it flowing seamlessly and even though almost all the main characters are women, I could always tell who was talking. The story is about seven women who go on a hen weekend only to find themselves stranded on a small island with a killer. It actually had a lot more twists than I was expecting and plenty of drama, as we all know female friendships are very complex. I really enjoyed that I couldn’t predict what was coming and the there were numerous twists. I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers revolving around women!

Thrills, chills, and plot twists that pay the bills. A fun thriller that kept the twists coming until the very end!

I’m not going to be as hard on this review as I should be. The reason I decided to take it a little easy is because I should have known better. This is not the typical book that I like but I just keep trying anyway. There is something about this style of book that I am drawn to but it’s rare that I love it.

The Cliff House follows a group of girls on a hen party, or a bachelorette party for Jennifer's second marriage. They are going to a luxury Scottish island for three days. None of this seemed all that original and there were a lot of characters thrown at you quickly making this difficult to follow.

The plot and the characters did not suck me in so I was hoping the setting would but unfortunately there was not enough description of the Scottish island. The story instead gave us a lot of details and reasons to not like a lot of the characters. This reminded me a lot of The Guest List by Lucy Foley, for some that may be a good thing but for me it was not.

If you like mysteries with a lot of characters then this may be one for you. Unfortunately, this is another failed attempt to get me to like books like this.

I stopped reading this book at the 23% mark. The writer's choice to include conspiracy theories about the COVID vaccine and when the character that put the conspiracy character in her place, the character was made to be the mean/rude one. I do not appreciate this, especially when scientific facts have proven vaccine conspiracies to be wrong and research has shown better outcomes for those who are vaccinated against COVID.

At first this seemed like it would just be an ordinary locked room type mystery, but boy was I wrong. There was nothing ordinary about the characters or the plot. It took a while to get to know all of the woman who were essentially stranded on an isolated island in Scotland. And it took even longer for each to slowly reveal what horrible thing they might have done, and which might have made them the target of the killer who is holding them hostage. The surprises just keep coming and even though each woman has done something horrible you can’t help but like the fact that in the end forgiveness and friendship triumphed. Listening to the audio version was perfect. Each character had a distinct voice and not being able to skim ahead made the suspense even better.

The story starts by introducing all 8 characters and some of their background as they come to Cliff House for Jen’s hen weekend— there is definitely a lot of tension between characters and you can feel that a few things are definitely off between the women — I felt intrigue to know more about the characters who seemed more secretive — everyone has secrets and I wanted to know what they are . We are off with a murder — and I thought it was going to get interesting — but it went into everyones internal thoughts on their lives and secrets — which I found a little bit boring— I wanted it to move a bit faster and have more clues and expected a locked room feel — I enjoyed the present day situation more . The domestic violence aspect of the book may be difficult for some readers. The writing overall was good — and the narrator did a good job — I could distinguish characters easily.- the best parts where when the action was happening in the present day situation for me . The twist at the end was good !

Jen has misgivings about her upcoming marriage. She’s doing her best to put them behind her since she’s on her way to a bachelorette party at a luxury getaway on a private island. She and six other women will be alone on the island (except for the chef and caretaker) for a whole weekend of booze and fun; except for the fact that not everyone going on this trip likes each other. All it takes is one night and some cocktails for people’s personal issues and conflicts to start surfacing, but when they stumble across a body and discover another member of their group is missing, they realize there’s something much larger and more dangerous going on. Will anyone make it off the island alive?

This story is told from the POV of several characters (seven I believe), all of whom are on the island together. Despite this, the characters were relatively well characterized as it wasn’t too difficult to keep track of who was who after being situated in the story.

What I appreciated about this work was that the women acted realistically, like they were adults who were used to taking care of themselves. Their reactions to things were relatable and made perfect sense, which made me like the characters even more. The author wrote them as if they had some survival instincts and brains, which was refreshing. The author also did an excellent job making it apparent that the stakes were relatively high and having that come across in the writing.

The tension that was present during the first portion of the work quickly falls off during the middle. As people are working together and talking with each other, the author essentially uses info-dumping to provide everyone’s personal background, what they think they know about the other women, and some possible connections with each other. While this is all vital information, it was often included in the middle of a scene that should have been tense due to the danger of the situation. This made it feel a little clunky and lose that intenseness I was hoping for, which made this read more as a drama and less as a thriller.

However, the secrets and drama that were included were quite enjoyable. Many of them were more in-depth than I was expecting and not surface level secrets, feeling truly personal and cutting deep. This added to the strength and depth of the characters. I also quite liked how things were connected in ways that didn’t feel forced or like it was for the sake of drama, which added to the realness of this read.

This work wasn’t anything unique or special, but it was entertaining. If you enjoy slower-paced mysteries with plenty of drama and secrets in isolated settings, then you’ll enjoy this read. My thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for allowing me to read this work, which will be published November 7, 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This was a quick listen for me, I really enjoyed the story line. I will say, there was quite a lot of useless information and back stories for each person. I think those parts drug on a little bit. I think it’s important to see why things were and why everyone had their secrets, but it was overkill.

I always love a claustrophobic, atmospheric, thriller. The bachelorette trip trope is one of my favorites. It isn’t something that’s crazily overdone so they all seem so unique to me. This story was no different!

At the end, most characters have their faults and their secrets but they weren’t horrible people.

I would recommend this book!

I am so thankful to Penzler Publishers, HighBridge Audio, Chris Brookmyre, and Netgalley for granting me advanced audio access to this twisty international thriller that ill keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

The Cliff House by Chris Brookmyre begins very Christie-esque. A group of people arriving on a secluded island. While they are there for a hen party, most barely know each other. One goes missing. In all honesty, it really felt like a modern retelling of “And Then There Were None” until it didn’t.
I’m a Christie fan, so enjoying a well-done, engaging, modern retelling is not a bad thing. Brookmyre didn’t do that. Instead, he created a Christie-esque setting, sucks the reader in, then turns in an entirely different direction, expertly executed and immensely enjoyable.

While not a cozy read or a fast one, it is a good one. The layers of details provide red herrings, sending the characters and reader off on tangents – all of which contribute to the feel of the story.

Best book I’ve read in some time.

4.5/5 ⭐️
Seven women go to a remote island for a hen do (bachelorette party). Soon after getting there though, the private chef is murdered and one of them is taken hostage. They get a mysterious message that one of them must reveal their secret or the kidnapped friend dies.

I enjoyed this one a lot! It was so suspenseful with all the secrets, and I think the narrator did a great job making things feel like cliffhangers. There were literal times I thought "oh snap!" at the end of a chapter. The reason it isn't five stars for me is that I think some of the twists were a bit predictable. There was also a point with about 15% left to listen to where I thought oh no, please don't let this be the big reveal. However, there were lots of twists and turns more after that! I think the author also did a great job of creating situations that led to suspense and tension. I'd definitely recommend to thriller lovers!

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

3.5 stars

Set in an atmospheric Scottish island, this thriller takes hold as a group of women set out for a hen (bachelorette) party when the excitement suddenly turns into a game of survival. Everyone seems to have secrets of their won’t hey want to protect as tensions rise, can the women hold it together to survive the weekend? As the situation grows more dire as their numbers dwindle, who’s willing to confess?

This was my first Chris Brookmyre novel, I really enjoyed the character development although some parts of the book became rather dry, it was an easy read, the characters are well developed, and it kept me entertained although not entirely ground-breaking, I did enjoy and would recommend.


Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the ARC in exchange for review.

Each chapter with its own twist or cliffhanger…sign me up! The character development and intertwined lives was expertly done. A good solid book.

Not Brookmyre’s best, this is the story of old friends gathering at a luxury resort on remote island to celebrate a birthday. Of course, the guests end up, trapped on the island, and someone in the group is out for revenge. The kind of revenge that will leave a slew of bodies. There was nothing wrong with this book, it’s just too similar to everything else being published right now, and I expect more from this very talented author

The Cliff House
One party.
Seven Secrets.
One worth killing for.
Chris Brookmyre
Jen recently sold her successful business, Muffin Finer. She is still the head of the company and a very wealthy woman. She is engaged to Zaki Hussain; she is starting to have some misgivings concerning him. She has rented a private island, Clachan Geal, off the coast of Scotland along the coast of the Atlantic, for six of her friends. The island is owned by Lauren, a single mother. The island is beautiful and the mansion is magnificent and lavish. It is the perfect place for a Hen Party/Bachelorette Pary. I’m not sure you can call all of the women friends, perhaps acquaintances is a better term. Each woman has a secret. They are all stuck together on the island with no escape for 72 hours.
Jen’s soon to be new sister-in-law, Samira is a lawyer with two young children. Zaki requested she be included although Jen has never met her. Michelle and Jen have been friends since childhood. Michelle is 42 years old and an accomplished singer. Helena is another friend from childhood; she is a music teacher. Her children are grown, and her husband has left her for another woman. She was part of the group called Cassidy, but Michelle dropped the band for a solo career. Helena has never forgiven Michelle. Beattie is Jen’s former sister-in-law; she still grieves for her brother and blames Jen for his loss. Nicolette is a fashion icon and makes sure everyone knows it. Jen has only known Kennedy for a few months but feels close to the injured tennis coach.
Alcohol loosens their tongues and chaos ensues. The hunky chef’s body is found with his throat cut. One of the ladies is taken hostage. The Reaper demands the hostage will die unless the woman who is not who she claims to be tells her secret. The women are alarmed and agitated. Each of them has a secret but no one wants to confess. A message is delivered telling them unless someone confesses her secret the missing woman will die. Who is the message referring to?
WOW! OMG! This is a thrilling psychological thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy for review. My reviews are my own unbiased Opinions.

3.5 Stars

A group of friends get together in celebration of Jens upcoming wedding. The group boards a private plane to meet their host on a luxurious and isolated island. After flying over miles of ocean they set their eyes on the house set atop a Scottish Cliffside. Quickly after arriving the girls start their party. Enjoying their time the group is oblivious to the fact that their lives will forever be changed. After one of them vanishes and a body lay dead in the kitchen they must act quickly to solve the mystery. But when they all harbor deep dark secrets any of them could be hiding the secret to their survival.

Initially I was drawn to the story. I loved the narrator’s Scottish accents and the slang/vocabulary that was used. I pictured the beautiful Scottish scenery and was enthralled by the moody vibes. However if it weren’t for my interest in those thing I may not have been hooked. The middle two fourths of the book were a bit boring. I feel like the flashbacks should have been streamlined to keep the pacing. I also had a very difficult time following each character because there were so many. Multiple POVs don’t always help. Despite that I loved the premise. It reminded me of one of my favorite tv shows Harpers Island (2009.) the book was filled with twists and reviles in the last 70% that sped the pacing up. The. The last 10% we had almost to many reviles that I couldn’t keep up. It was still a solid read and I enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.

TW/CW

Rape
Domestic abuse
Mental health
Murder