Really enjoyable read. Imagine being stuck in a house with your ex husband, his new wife, his mother and your kids, unable to leave. Gripping read, with twists and turns. Would recommend

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Simply unputdownable. Every character has something to hide and none of them are likeable, which really helps with the claustrophobic atmosphere.

The Lodge by Sue Watson and Narrated by Alison Campbell, Tamsin Kennard was excellent and was an addictive psychological thriller which was filled with great twists and turns that had you gripped on the edge of your seat.

This was an audiobook that just kept on giving, Sue has away of bringing her audience into the story and every book I have read or listened to, has never disappointed, this book was no different. I just love the way Sue writes.......

‘Please – someone – help us. We’re at The Lodge, the snow is everywhere. We’re trapped. There was an argument last night… things got out of hand. Someone went missing in the middle of the night. We think they might be dead…’

WoW, I need to turn my phone off, put the kettle on, make a cup of coffee and hide so no one can find me and listen to this audiobook!!!..........this audiobook was excellent and the ending was WoW excellent!!!

I highly recommend this book and the Narrator's Alison Campbell, Tamsin Kennard were excellent.

Another 5 Star audiobook/book.

Big thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Many twists and turns in this story. The ending is unexpected but a good mystery if you like a who done it!

This is the book that made me want to cancel everything in my life so I could keep reading - utterly addictive psychological fiction!!

As we enter the colder months of this year, the atmosphere of this book is delightfully fitting. The plot starts with a somewhat awkward family gathering - Fiona anxiously approaches the remote Cornish Lodge greeted by her former mother in. law, Angela, who has requested the gathering to celebrate her 75th birthday, which she has intriguingly suggested may be her last birthday. Fiona finds herself sharing the Lodge with her ex-husband, Scott, and his new wife, Danni, the woman he left Fiona for. The grown-up children of Fiona and Scott, and Scott and Danni's baby daughter complete the group.

The weekend does not start well when the police make it known that a man has not only been run over close to the Lodge, but that this was an intentional act of murder. The family find themselves under suspicion. As the weekend continues the family are trapped by the weather, setting the stage for all kinds of paranoia, secrets... and quite possibly more criminal activity - yikes!

This is a book that ends every bit as spectacularly as it begins - I really cant fault this book at all! If any potential readers are on the fence about this one, I would highly recommend it!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

Sue's books are always on my 'Must Read' list and this one was so deliciously chilling, perfect for this time of year!

The story begins with Fiona arriving at a remote snowy lodge to reluctantly spend a long weekend with her ex-mother-in-law Angela, ex husband Scott and his new wife Danni, and Fiona's two older children. Fiona has plenty of reservations about the trip, but little did she realise just how isolated the lodge would be. Or that there would be a killer in their midst waiting to strike....

I loved this book. Anything with a group of people isolated anywhere with grudges and resentments between them always has me hooked. The snowy atmosphere and the remote lodge was perfectly captured, as was the distinct "voices" of the different characters throughout the story.

This was like a simmering pot just waiting to bubble over. The underlying tension and unease cleverly builds and I honestly didn't know who to believe or trust. I read this so quickly and couldn't put it down.

This book comes highly recommended from me, as do all Sue's other books.

Thanks to author Sue Watson, publishers Bookouture and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Lodge was a snowy trapped mystery thriller that kept me guessing till the very end and defiantly has you turning the pages. This book was well written, it was tense and it was addictive. Angela called her family together to celebrate her 75th birthday at a luxury cabin. Angela has invited not only her son Scott but his new wife Danni and their baby but also ex-wife Fiona and her two children. The book had some deep dark secret's and non stop family drama as well. I would highly recommend this book to others to read. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this book in exchange of my honest review.

2.5 stars

The Lodge by Sue Watson is a psychological thriller about a rather dysfunctional family trapped in a snowstorm.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 
My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Fiona can't believe she agreed to attend her ex-mother-in-laws' 75th birthday.  The fact that The Lodge is a beautiful yet somehow imposing building set on the edge of a cliff, and there is a major storm coming in, is the least of Fiona's concern.  The fact that her ex-husband Scott, his new wife Danni, and their new baby will also be there...well that's a little too much.  But Scott's mother is very persuasive, and Fiona agrees for the sake of her two children.  Both Georgia and Sam love their grandmother.

Fiona senses the unease  in the family immediately....and she has a hard time concealing her jealousy over Scott's new family.

Danni doesn't seem to trust anyone, including her new husband.

Scott seems to be torn in his loyalties.

Jenna was hired by Angela as a chef for the weekend, but it seems like she already has a history with with everyone but Fiona...and she seems to be there just to cause problems.

Angela says she wants everyone together so they can all heal, but she is interfering in everything, and peace doesn't seem possible.

When the police arrive to discuss a motor vehicle collision, everyone is told they must stay put.  It may not have been an accident.  As a long weekend turns into a long week, the holiday goes very wrong....and everyone is keeping secrets.

 

My Opinions:
It seems I have read a number of books recently about people being stuck in snow-storms.  I'm from Canada....it happens.  I have also read a lot of family dramas....and I'm getting a little sick of them.  I think I'll have to stick more to mysteries and horror for a while.

The book was about lies and deceit and paranoia, about jealousy and manipulation, and it's about family dynamics.

First, I know this is fiction, but if I had been Fiona, there is no way in hell that I would have agreed to attend this family event - for ANY reason.  An hour or two yes, a long weekend -- no way.   So the idea of the plot was a little unrealistic.  However, the atmosphere it created for a dysfunctional family reunion was epic.

The characters were unlikable.  Both Fiona and Danni were insecure women who often over-reacted.  There was a lot of pettiness.  Scott was just an idiot.  Angela was a manipulative old woman.  The two kids were both selfish, and took whatever opinion they thought would cause the least problems (okay, that could be typical).  Jenna, of course, was a wild card who had her own agenda.  And everyone lied and kept secrets.  Even when everything was revealed, the characters remained unlikable (to me).

As well, it was quite predictable.  Mistaken identity, the identity of the car driver and the killer, as well as the relationships and events.  However, what was not predictable was the twist as to the actual perpetrator.  That was a surprise!

Overall, the book moved quite slowly, but ended up being filled with tension because of the on-going arguments and confrontations.  I really enjoy Watson's books, but this one just didn't do it for me.  It was okay, but it seemed to drag, and was often repetitive.

For a more complete review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

This had potential but it was executed really clumsily. I didn't feel any foreboding or any tension and a lot of the situations were frankly unbelievable. The police made a phone call to let everyone know they were investigating a murder and they should stay inside rather than coming to see them, amongst other things. It was all a bit disjointed.

I love Sue Watson and this really is one of her best books so far.
The plot drew me in quickly and I kept me enthralled through all the twists and turns.
The ending is fabulous!
I’d recommend to anyone; it more than deserves 5 stars.

What could be more perfect for this cold weather than a winter mystery thriller like this? I liked all the twists and turns and all the drama of the dysfunctional family surrounded by the chilling atmospheric environment. The writing style of the author suited me well and I will read her future work too.
Thank you Bookouture and Netgalley for the Digital ARC.

Another great Sue Watson read with twists and secrets galore, many of which I didn't see coming. Sue Watson at her very best
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

Watson's books are always a winner for me and definitely worthy of five stars.

The Lodge was such a multilayered, mixed bag wasn't it? It starts off as a seemingly normal family holiday that soon descends into absolute chaos and carnage.

I always love a snowy setting because you know they're going to be isolated, unreachable and it makes for such a chilling atmosphere (see what I did there?).

When a family is involved you know that there are going to be secrets and lies waiting to come to the surface, and nothing is as it seems. The twists and turns didn't stop coming and just when you think you've got it all sussed Watson throws another seamlessly into the epilogue.

Fast paced, engaging, suspenseful and everything that a good thriller is made of. I thoroughly enjoyed The Lodge and I'm already looking forward to Watson's next masterpiece.

I finished this in 2 days! I enjoyed reading this #psychologicalthriller!
#SueWatson’s words flowed quickly & made for an easy read! 3 with a cast of characters with secrets, I didn’t see the twist coming at the end!

#Alison Campbell & Tamsin Kennard are excellent narrators!

Thank you, Sue Watson, Bookouture, #bookoutureaudio & netgalley for my ecopy & #audiobook! All opinions are my own.

Wow! My head is still spinning from all the twists. Just when I thought I had everything figured out there would be another unexpected twist. The Lodge is a classic locked door thriller kicked up several notches. It was very atmospheric and suspenseful, and the plot was excellent. Doubt was cast on several of the characters so it was hard to believe who was telling the truth and everyone seemed to have a secret.

The Lodge was hard to put down and is a must read for thriller fans.

I don't know what it is but I just love a whole 'snowed in, in close proximity' premise with the added "whodunnit" thrown in for good measure!

I'm a huge fan of Sue Watson, she is a master of writing a tale that while on the whole is rather unbelievable, it grabs hold of you and doesn't let go.

Fiona and her two teenage children are invited to celebrate her ex mother in law Angela's 75th birthday in a lodge. Sounds idyllic until you factor in her ex Scott and his new wife Danni are also invited to join them with their baby Olivia. What could go wrong?

Told from two POVs, Fiona & Danni, we get to see both sides of the story from this dysfunctional family.

This is definitely a slow starter but doesn't take long for the ball to catch speed and keep on rolling. There is an awful lot of bitchiness at the start but that soon gives way to family drama, jealousy, hidden secrets, murder and tension galore.

This is a must read for any 'closed room mystery' fans.

Hige thanks to netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC

I know I’ve said it before but I love
a snowy, locked room mystery and this one delivered. The secrets were plentiful and mostly believable which sometimes don’t go hand in hand with thrillers. With that said, I thought the reactions to some of the confessions seemed stilted and unbelievable, like they weren’t shocked enough or something, not sure but it felt a little off the mark there for me. I took a star off because it seemed longer than it needed to be but other than those two things, I loved it!

We’re experiencing scorching hot temperatures right now in Johannesburg, so reading this one made me long for a snowy winter getaway in a gorgeous setting. But after reading this one, I think I might settle for staying at home – these guests weren’t people I’d like to be snowed in with! Once again, Sue Watson has created a thriller that keeps you guessing and second-guessing right up until the end!
When the family matriarch calls everyone together for a weekend away to celebrate her 75th birthday, hinting that it might be her last, nobody feels that they can say no – well, especially not when she’s covering all the costs!

They gather on the edge of Cornwall in a gorgeous, but remote lodge, each one arriving as the weather gradually worsens. And eventually, all the players are assembled: Angela, her son (and only child), Scott, his first wife, Fiona, their teenage children, Sam and Georgia, and Scott’s second (current) wife Danni with their baby Olivia. There’s also Jenna, a surprise element invited by Angela as the chef for the weekend!

Almost as soon as everyone starts to settle in for their stay, tension already looming and nerves already starting to fray, they learn that there’s been a fatal, seemingly deliberate hit-and-run incident on the road leading to their lodge. The police are of the opinion that only one of them could have been driving the car that caused it. Unsurprisingly, every one of them claims complete ignorance of any such incident, which only increases their already heightened unease with each other.

The story unfolds in chapters that alternate between the voices of Fiona and Danni – the two ‘wives’. I loved the alternating points of view, as I started to wonder who was being more paranoid and hysterical. Nobody is who they appear to be at face value. Everyone is hiding something, and they all have hidden agendas. I kept wondering who was going to snap first, and then kept changing my mind! The volatile situation made everyone’s moods swing all over the place too. Ultimately though, I found the focal point to be the push-pull between Fiona and Danni. I thought that it would be Scott who was constantly causing friction between them, but strangely, I found it to be more Angela who worked as the catalyst here. It was almost like she wanted to be the Queen Bee in her son’s life, despite both his wife and ex-wife being there.

Watson has created a group of characters who aren’t exactly the most likeable. They might each have one or two redeeming features, but as a collective group, they’re a pretty grim lot, and as a family, their level of dysfunction is somewhere in the gutter!

As the hours march on, and they learn that the dire weather conditions will keep them confined to their quarters for longer than they’d anticipated, tempers start to flare … and then the unthinkable happens! It’s all twisty, dark and atmospheric – everything that a great locked-room thriller needs to be. I could literally feel the unease creeping up my back, and needed to get up and have a walk around at some points! It’s so, so good!

What a unique story with a wild dynamic. This one kept me guessing which is something I treasure.
A matriarch who seems just a bit … off
An ex wife, a new wife. Children. And an extra guest who is known to them all…. Maybe not in the ways we originally think. And they are trapped, snowed in at a little cabin. But someone has been murdered and then someone goes missing…. And everyone is suspicious of everyone else.
The plot twists were wild.
The tension the author invoked was so real you could feel it.
But the jaw dropping ending… you will not believe it.
Everyone seems to be hiding something in this book.
A great read!

I loved the premise and I loved the location but I don't feel that either was used to it's fullest.

This was interesting and surprising in part but did have a few pacing issues.

I would reccommend this to anyone who fancies a book to escape with over the festive period.