Wow! Sue Watson does it again. This gripping psychological thriller had me canceling plans and staying up late into the night (or should I say morning) because I could not put this book down.
This fast paced thriller has well developed characters, a good setting, and so many twists and turns that will leave you with your heart racing, breathless, that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I love a book that ends with a question to the reader as this powerful drama of a read does….
To get there we meet this highly dysfunctional family (and others attached to the family ) as they all get together for a powder keg of a weekend to celebrate Angela’s ( the matriarch ) 75th at a sumptuous lodge on the edge of Cornwall
Now to say there are bad feelings,secrets and harbourings of injustice and jealousy between various characters is to understate…and almost immediately any resolve to keep these feelings at bay disappears…..the anticipation of what could happen is brilliantly given to us in the authors usual style and we are there,with them,waiting for it to happen s little by little the tension raises
As always a great thriller from this writer who creates characters you can relate to and get to know quick,I found it interesting my views changed between the 2 main characters everytime it was their highlighted chapter…
Great read with red herrings,twists and massive dilemma's

This book was just ok, in my opinion. It took me a moment to get into it because the beginning chapters had a lot of writing describing the location and scenery, which I didn't care for. It got better once we were introduced to all the characters and got to see their personalities. The plot was unique but the ending fell flat for me. 3 - 3.5 stars.

The Lodge, by Sue Watson, was such an intense, exciting read! While I typically don't love "who is the killer among the group?" novels, I loved this one! The relationships were complex & messy, the plot had multiple twists, and the ending was brilliant. Like all Sue Watson books, this one had me at the edge of my seat!

This was a gripping, plot-driven psychological thriller. The plot was clever, laced with with twists, lies, and gradually-revealed secrets. Character development was good, and the build-up to to the family weekend in Cornwall was suitably ghastly and uncomfortable. For me, though, flaws in writing can ruin what is otherwise a good book, and poor proofreading didn't seem to pick up sloppy grammar (eg 'stood' instead of 'standing'), punctuation, spelling, and occasional vocabulary errors (eg 'descent' instead of 'dissent') Hence the 4 stars which could have been 5.

Preorder The Lodge by Sue Watson! You will love this book as much as I did. Angela Wilson invites her son and his wife and baby, her son’s ex-wife and their two teenage children, and a young girl as a chef who seems to know everyone, to a lodge on a snowy weekend to celebrate her birthday. What could possibly go wrong?! Scott’s ex, Fiona, does not want to be there but agrees because of her longtime relationship with Angela. She is still attached to Scott. Danni, the new younger wife is immature and also thinks everyone is out to get her. The chef is a troublemaker and instigates constant fighting between everyone. One unknown person has already been found murdered and the police are at the doorstep. Watson keeps increasing the tension and suspense with this already volatile group. Everyone has secrets and no one is a reliable narrator. Being inside is certainly just as unsafe as being outside in the snow. The characters are well thought out and well developed, the story is layered and oh those twists! With many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC. My opinions are my own. susanh_bookreviews

Angela Wilson wants to spend her birthday with her son, his new wife, ex wife and all her grandchildren which from the beginning is a recipe for disaster. Before you factor in the weather and Jenna the chef who has also been invited to cook for the family.

The story is fast paced and full of suspense, with great characters and a fantastic setting. I just didn’t know who to trust and the ending just blew me away.

Another brilliant book from Sue Watson.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Sue Watson for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased and honest opinion.

I was hooked from the beginning of this book as Sue Watson has a way of doing this.
The story is told through the eyes of both Fiona, who used to be married to Scott, and Danni, who is currently married to Scott. It is really interesting to see their different perspectives.
Angela, Scott's mother, has invited them all to a lodge for the weekend to celebrate her 75th birthday and also invited (to cook for them all) is Jenna, an ex colleague of Scott and Danni.
Lots of little sub plots going on but I was drawn in with each page.
With a hit and run, a murder and being snowed in all in one weekend, the family become more and more at odds with one another and not sure who they can trust.
Kept me guessing all the way through 4⭐️

#TheLodge #NetGalley
Awesome
Fiona has been invited by her ex- mother in law Angela to spend a few days for what could be “ her last birthday” (she won’t say why) in a lodge in Cornwall in the depths of winter. The other guests are Fiona's two teenage children , Sam and Georgia, her ex husband Scott, his new wife Danni and their young baby. There is also Jenna, a young woman invited by Angela to be their chef for the weekend. Fiona is wary of Danni as she stole her husband in broad daylight at the school they both work at. She has also just come out of a short but rather chilling relationship with someone who won’t leave her alone. Danni has her own bones about Fiona and Jenna who also used to work at the school but had to leave through serious accusations made by Danni. To add to things the snow is closing in and the police arrive to say there has been a hit and run- someone has been hit and dragged through the snow by a vehicle that could only have been on the road to this particular lodge. What on earth is going on?
Leave the ending and you are going to love it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my approval to read and review this book.

It all begins as a 75th birthday celebratory weekend in Cornwall for Angela at The Lodge, in the middle of a snowstorm. Her son, Scott is there with his current wife, Danni, his new baby, Olivia, his ex-wife, Fiona, their two teenage children Sam and Georgia and a chef, Jenna. Straightaway, you know this will be no ordinary weekend with rising tensions and their attitude towards each other. Fiona is running from an ex boyfriend, who delights in tormenting her. Danni is not happy with Jenna's behaviour towards Scott.

This book is certainly full of twists and turns, enough to make you feel dizzy!! I will not say anymore but secrets and lies come to light with a surprise ending that I didn't see coming!

A read where the tension is palpable right the way through. Imagine your worst scenario and add in the people who have made your life difficult to say the least. Nightmare: Fiona has been invited by her ex- mother in law Angela to spend a few days for what could be “ her last birthday” (she won’t say why) in a lodge in Cornwall in the depths of winter. The other guests are Fiona's two teenage children , Sam and Georgia, her ex husband Scott, his new wife Danni and their young baby. There is also Jenna, a young woman invited by Angela to be their chef for the weekend. Fiona is wary of Danni as she stole her husband in broad daylight at the school they both work at. She has also just come out of a short but rather chilling relationship with someone who won’t leave her alone. Danni has her own bones about Fiona and Jenna who also used to work at the school but had to leave through serious accusations made by Danni. To add to things the snow is closing in and the police arrive to say there has been a hit and run- someone has been hit and dragged through the snow by a vehicle that could only have been on the road to this particular lodge. What on earth is going on?

OMG! I’m not sure how Sue comes up with this premise but wow, oh wow! Just as one person sorts out another's anguish a spark is ignited elsewhere. I couldn't get through this fast enough, every time I thought there was a suitable stop, a lull, bang! There's that spark again. All of the main characters have multiple facets and chapters are told mainly from Fiona and Danni’s point of view to give their perspective on the situation and each other. Half way through I felt as if I was on a fairground waltzer and it wouldn’t stop spinning until I turned more pages. It's stunningly clever, it’s the stuff of nightmares for sure- who can you trust even though they are family? Hmm. I think perhaps there are parts of people we’ve all seen in some of these characters and that's what makes it so brilliant. A book that most certainly could be an all nighter. I so enjoyed this, there aren't enough positive adjectives to say quite how much. Stunning.

For more reviews please follow me on Twitter or Threads @nickisbookblog #blogtour
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Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for the copy of The Lodge by Sue Watson. This is the first book I have read by this author and I don’t think it was for me. The story was good, but the execution fell flat for me. There were two first person POVs and it was sometimes hard to tell whose POV it was. There was also only one timeline, so in the end both POVs recounted prior events but it would have been a better read if we could have ‘seen’ the flashbacks happen. If you like a surprising ending, you will love this book. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars because the book was a decent read, just not a great one.

This book had me immediately gripped! It had plenty of twists, turns and had me questioning who was guilty with the red herrings

Another outstanding page-turner by Author Sue Watson that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Angela is elderly and wants to celebrate her birthday with her family so she rents a secluded lodge out in the middle of nowhere. Besides Angela, guests include her son Scott, his current wife Danni and their infant daughter, Olivia; Scott's former wife Fiona and their two college-aged children, Sam and Georgia. Rounding out the group is a supposed Cordon bleu chef, Jenna. As the guests start to arrive, the weather turns into a massive snowstorm. The police arrive to question the guests about a hit and run accident nearby. As the weather worsens and the police keep showing up trying to solve the accident, the guests start to get on each other's nerves and then one of them disappears. This book is full of twists and turns that it kept me guessing the whole time I was reading itl.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this super thriller that I did not want to put down.

Wow is all that I can say. This book had more twists and turns than my favorite roller coaster. Such a good story. this is a great book to curl up on a rainy fall day and read. I couldn't put it down!

Talk about twists and turns, secrets, and red herrings…this book is amazing at co fusing the reader as to the guilty party. Imagine. I could not put this page turner down. This gifted author has written a story of family dynamics and murder. The simple title gives nothing away. The characters are realistic and keep the story moving quickly. I almost had to go back and ask myself if I really did read what I thought I did. Do not miss this mystery. Thanks Netgalley.

Organizing a family get together is not easy. It's not because you are part of the same family you always see eye to eye. What if you have to spend a whole weekend in the company of your ex-husband and his new wife and baby? Of course you are looking forward to that... not! But because he is the father of your kids and you have always had a good connection with your mother in law, you oblige albeit reluctantly.

That's the situation Fiona finds herself in. Is doing her mother in law a favor the only thing she wants or is she hiding something? She is very observant and there are a lot of things that catch her attention. She feels sometimes like she is in the company of a lot of strangers because she does not recognize their behavior. She cannot wait for Monday to come, but life interferes and that's when the ball starts rolling..

I love this kind of settings for a book. The lock down situation where you don't know who you can trust and who you have to fear, where you don't know whether you are safer inside or outside. And I adore stories with epilogues because that's where the party always is. That's where all the masks fall off and your mouth falls open, wider and wider with each revelation. 

At the end there is a question you that makes you think. I wonder which answer you gave... :) 

A fantastic book I am convinced lots of people will enjoy as much as I did. 5 stars

Thank you

I have read all Sue Watson's work and I have to say this fell a bit flat for me. Her writing style seems to have changed, she tells more than she shows and hits us over the head with tons of exposition. This was not her style in earlier novels.

Also, the events unfolding really require the reader to suspend disbelief.

As a positive, the author has a unique way to fill the story with tension and fear, making it impossible to put the book down. My only regret is that the mysterious contents of the cupboard remain unexplored, leaving readers to wonder what secrets it might hold...

I would recommend it for a weekend read, and I give it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. #TheLodge #SueWatson #Bookouture

Omg another great thriller by Sue Watson when I see a book written by her I know I am going to be in for a fantastic read. The lodge did not disappoint it was such a gripping read.

Fiona is invited to spend the weekend celebrating her former mother-in-law's birthday with her children, her ex, his new wife and their baby daughter, she is very reluctan to go until Angela convinces her by saying that this birthday could be her last. Not long after they have all arrived the police pay a visit there has been a hit and run. The police advise due to snowstorm and the incident that everyone stays in the lodge until they find out what has happened. Trapped tensions begin to build and secrets are spilled.

This was definitely one of my favourites this year. It is told from the ex wife and new wife’s perspectives which definitely builds the tension. Highly recommended to everyone must read. Thanks to netgallery and the publisher for my advanced copy.

Great thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.