Caroline Mitchell’s The Survivors is a dark and intricately woven psychological thriller that grips readers with its chilling twists and unsettling revelations. From start to finish, the novel keeps you on edge, delivering a story filled with secrets, unreliable characters, and moments that compel you to reread, just to ensure you grasp every shocking detail.

At the heart of the story is Mora, a deeply tragic and complex character whose struggles with mental health form a central thread of the narrative. Mitchell paints a haunting portrait of a woman caught in a spiral of trauma, manipulation, and neglect. Mora’s experiences are both harrowing and thought-provoking, shining a light on the devastating consequences of untreated mental illness. Her journey elicits deep empathy, as readers come to realize how many of the novel’s dark events could have been prevented with proper care and support.

The plot unfolds with masterful pacing, revealing secrets at just the right moments to maintain a high level of suspense. Mitchell excels in creating an atmosphere of unease, where every character seems to harbor hidden motives and nothing is as it appears. The twists are well-executed, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, another revelation throws everything into question.

Beyond the psychological tension, The Survivors explores themes of isolation, guilt, and the lengths people will go to protect their secrets. Mitchell’s writing is sharp and evocative, drawing readers into a world that feels both claustrophobic and compelling. The emotional depth of the characters, combined with the story’s relentless tension, makes for a thoroughly absorbing read.

Verdict:

The Survivors is a standout psychological thriller that will keep readers guessing until the very end. Caroline Mitchell delivers a gripping and deeply unsettling tale that not only entertains but also highlights the critical importance of mental health care. With its intricate plot, complex characters, and shocking twists, this novel is a must-read for fans of dark, thought-provoking thrillers.

This was full of so many twists and turns, I just loved it. I really enjoyed it, I was gripped and I felt so many different emotions.
My first read from this author, but it won't be the last.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

lMany thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Amazon Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Carole Mitchell. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Two cars collide on a winding cliff edge on the Irish coast. In one car is Finn with her baby daughter; in the other, Kathryn with her own daughter. Finn, whose mother just died, was on the way to meet her aunt, Maura, who lives in a remote cottage at the top of the cliff, appropriately named Misery Hill. Both women struggle with the aftermath of the accident, and only Maura knows the whole truth.

Go into this one as blind as possible to fully enjoy the twists and turns. We hear from all three women's points of view, including from Maura in the past. There are secrets galore and plenty of family dysfunction to go around. Both Finn and Maura are unreliable narrators because they were injured in the accident and aren't sure themselves of the truth. The setting was so atmospheric and added to the mystery of this book. I've been a huge fan of Mitchell's police procedurals; this book is different but I loved it as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book.
Two women both with baby daughters crash one night on a hillside. Both women survive but only one child. Whose the mother?
And there starts an intriguing tale with many twists and turns.
A very compelling, dark read.

I’m a big fan of Mitchell’s previous titles and this book was no different!
The Survivors by Caroline Mitchell was another excellent book.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself gripped, turning the pages, not knowing what was to come next.
It was suspenseful, mysterious and unpredictable.

Don’t get me wrong—there were parts of this book I genuinely enjoyed. However, for the most part, I found myself either skimming through or rolling my eyes, as the story felt extremely farfetched. I really disliked the ending, aswell as most of the characters.

2.5 STARS ROUNDED UP

The Survivors is a slow-burn psychological mystery set on the Irish coast, offering an atmospheric and engaging domestic thriller with three women at its core. Maura, the central character, is a 50-something recluse who leads a lonely life. She becomes a witness to a car accident involving her niece, Finn, and Kathryn, the daughter of a powerful Dublin mobster. Both women had their babies with them—but only one child survives.

Initially, I felt a bit disappointed as the twist seemed glaringly obvious right from the start. However, the author cleverly plays with this expectation throughout the novel. Rather than delivering a traditional twist, the book constantly sows seeds of doubt, which kept me intrigued. I found myself increasingly engaged, particularly when reading Maura’s past perspective and Finn’s present-day experiences.

While The Survivors isn’t groundbreaking, and some elements toward the end felt unnecessary and didn’t add much to the story, it remains an entertaining, quick read—perfect for cozying up with during colder weather.

Caroline Mitchell writes an excellent psychological thriller and this one didn’t disappoint. It was very sinister and she created a great atmosphere. I really liked the main characters of Finn and Kathryn with Maura keeping you wondering what she is up to. This was a great book that kept me guessing right til the end.

What a thriller! This is my first book by Mitchell and won’t be my last, for sure. This was a ‘can’t put this down’ read!
The story takes place in a small village in Ireland. Maura Claffey lives on Misery Hill in a small , old , isolated cottage- what does that tell you? Maura has witnessed many accidents on her hill, watching cars go over the cliff into to sea. She is waiting for the arrival of her niece Finn and Finn’s newborn baby for a visit. They have never met and both are very nervous and unsettled about this visit.
Finn and the driver of another car, Kathryn, have a devastating crash as Finn is headed to Maura’s These two young mothers are thrust head on into a world of mystery, secrets and deceit throughout this psychological thriller. Every character in this story has their own secrets that adds another layer to the mystery. The writing, the characters, the details, all works perfectly! It’s hard to write this without giving too much away, but this was one of those books that I thought I figured out- many times over! The twists and turns keep you thinking straight to the end!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I initially had a few questions about this book. Some reservations and niggles I found as I was reading it. Some things that I had to just accept and move on in order to carry on reading. Sadly, none of these can be really mentioned here because of spoilers, but suffice to say, evident by the 4 stars, these did turn out to be relatively minor when all was said and done, so, basically, what I am saying is: if you feel similar along the way, if you can, try and read through it, as it did come good for me at at the end.
We start with Maura, a strange character but I'll leave you to meet her yourself, warts and all. She is awaiting the arrival of her niece Finn who, along with her baby daughter, is coming to stay with Maura after the death of her mother (Maura's sister). But, on the way, Finn collides with Kathryn, who is also travelling with her own baby daughter. Only three of the four survive.
We then follow the characters as they come to terms with what happened as well as, in Finn and Maura's case, getting to know each other. We also learn more about Maura's past, living in the shadow of her sister, her unrequited love, and the other things that shaped the person she so very sadly became. I say sadly, one of my niggles was that I felt the author did cross the line into farce and the character being a caricature. Only just, but it did elicit a few eye rolls along the way.
But, when all was said and done, it was a bit like car-crash reading - I had to know what was happening and how the author would wrap it all up in the end. And boy did it all escalate! All the way to the shocking and mostly satisfying ending.
I have read a lot of books by this author and, although not her strongest, it is a worthy addition to an impressive back catalogue. I have to say though, I do prefer her series books...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of The Survivors.

Finn is driving with her baby girl to meet her aunt Maura for the first time. Kathryn is driving with her baby girl trying to escape her overbearing family. The cars collide and only one baby survives. Finn awakes to her aunt taking care of her little girl and Kathryn wakes up to the news her baby died. But she feels that her baby is alive and she sets out to find out the truth.

This book was odd and it jumped all over the place and it was hard to follow. Maura was also a very unreliable narrator so it was hard to believe her parts. I just feel like they were yelling way too many different stories it was hard to keep it straight.

Caroline Mitchell's books always have me invested immediately, especially with the survivors stories making you unsure of who to trust, as very compelling and intense read overall.

I love a book by Caroline Mitchell and although the very first chapter was a little slow for me it then took off and did not stop coming with the surprises, there were so many unexpected twists to this book. Maura although you could feel sorry for her was an evil controlling woman who went to extremes to get her own way, even if this meant killing people. A very sad and disturbed individual. Wow great read!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, Caroline Mitchell and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Maura Claffey lives a lonely life in a cottage on Misery Hill on the coast of County Clare, she has one friend, Geraldine who runs the village shop in Doolin, but the other locals tend to avoid her, so she's looking forward to her niece Finn coming to visit with her new baby Saoirse. The clifftop roads are treacherous and on her journey Finn collides with another car, driven by Kathryn who also has a baby girl, Kiera. Both women escape the accident battered and bruised but one of the children sadly doesn't survive and both women are struggling with the events of that day. Finn is desperate to learn about her past and why her mother Daisy left Ireland so abruptly, Kathryn is certain there's more to the accident and is desperate for answers, but the one person that can tell them is determined to keep quiet about it.

The Survivors is the latest thriller by Mitchell, told from the perspectives of Maura, Finn and Kathryn, with some chapters going back to the past for Maura. This is an intense, atmospheric and, at times, heartwrenching story for these three women who all seem to have suffered wrongdoings during their lives. I was torn over my feelings for Maura, I felt sorry for the life she'd had growing up, always competing with her twin sister Daisy for their parent's affection, but I felt little sympathy for the woman that she had become, with both Finn and Kathryn pawns in her somewhat evil plans. This story has a well thought out premise with lots of twists and turns that kept me gripped throughout and one of the reasons why Mitchell is one of my go to authors. I highly recommend this to anyone that loves an edge of your seat read.

I'd like to thank the author, Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for inviting me to read this book, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Wow this book is full of secrets and lies with some great but shocking twists this really was an unputdownable book as I couldn't wait to find out what happened next

Maura, Finn, and Kathryn tell this twisty tale of the aftermath of an accident. Only Maura knows what happened when her niece Finn, who was bringing her baby to meet Maura, collided with the car driven by Kathryn, who also had her baby with her. And Maura isn't the kind person they first meet. No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a twisty one,

The Survivors by Caroline Mitchell is a darkly disturbing thriller enveloped by thick tension, family secrets, grief, jealousy and guilt Set in evocative Ireland, the atmosphere seeps into every nook and cranny and likewise wormed its way under my skin. It gripped me...and gripped hard. I was anxious to race to the end to see what happened yet wanted to hang on to the turbulent story and revel in its twistiness.

Aptly-named Misery Hill is home to Maura, a belligerent, troubled and ruthless woman who regularly witnessed car accidents on the dangerous stretch of road nearby. One night a serious accident occurred between two cars, two women and their babies. Three survived but one baby did not. Finn is taken in by her Aunt Maura as she recuperates. Maura is family, after all, and Finn is reeling after the recent death of her mother. But as the days slip by, Finn is privy to weird goings on. Physical and emotional wounds fester and run deep. Kathryn, the other driver, has deep wounds of her own. Her family also has secrets and plenty of drama. The baby girl and what she represented unknowingly becomes the focus of these women as well as other people. She is a reminder of a slew of past emotions. But her safety is at stake in this cat and mouse game. Despicable characters abound which caused my heart to flop.

Parts of the story are unbelievable but my mind was so hooked it actually didn't matter. I had goosebumps at times and felt the gamut of emotions whilst reading. The writing is descriptive and bleak, adding to the claustrophobia. Do be aware there is self harm.

My sincere thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this riveting novel.

I've read a lot of this author's books and this one seemed very different. It actually took me a few chapters to really get into it and I'm glad I don't have a relative like Maura. My twins are nothing alike, but not to the degree of Maura and Daisy! There were twists I didn't see coming, including Aiden's family and wife. That's all I will say so I don't ruin the book for anyone else.

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It begins with an accident. Two young mothers, each with their child in the car, collide, and the notorious accident site claims yet another victim.

Mitchell's fast-paced and suspenseful psychological thriller is filled with lies, secrets, and tension. It will stir up 𝗔𝗟𝗟 your emotions, and you won't want to put it down.

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Mitchells's style of writing is immersive and atmospheric, capturing the eeriness of the Irish coast and the accurately named Misery Hill. Each chapter is left on a cliffhanger, propelling you to keep turning the pages.

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Maura, the main female character, is quite an unlikable protagonist and definitely reminded me of Kathy Bates in Misery with her possessive, secretive, and controlling mannerisms. This only added to the overall menacing feel to the story.

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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘀 is about how past trauma can affect your present. It's about the lengths one will go to for family and also grief and guilt.

I would certainly recommend this to anyone who enjoys twisted domestic thrillers.
My thanks to Netgally and the author for my copy. The review was voluntary.

An absolutely brilliant thriller from the ever consistent Caroline Mitchell! It would be difficult to describe this book without giving away elements of the plot--suffice it to say that this novel grips from the start and never lets up. Superb!