Thank you for the advanced copy.

I loved the sound of this book- a retreat with questionable methods? - always my thing.
However I found the pacing of this incredibly slow and really not a lot actually happened. It left a lot to be desired in terms of plot and also finished without any real answers or explanation of what was involved in their therapies, relationships, illnesses etc.
so a 1.5 star rounded to two star rating for this one

Dark, disturbing, unrelentless twists.

We start with Betsy, essentially unravelling at her wedding. An opportunity to stay at Carn, where they promise to cure her sleeping woes seems the solution. Carn is billed as a wellness retreat, albeit with many rules. Betsy agrees and is swept into something altogether more ….

A Sharp Scratch, is a fantastic second novel for Heather Darwent, a highly recommended, keep you up reading all night kind of book.

Thanks to Penguin UK for inboxing me an ARC!

3.5 🌟

This started a little flat for me but definitely picked up pace the further into it I read!

Creepy, mysterious and dark, A sharp scratch left me feeling extremely eerie. Heather did a great job of building the suspense because, I'll be honest, I had no clue what was going to happen!

If you're squeamish there may be some parts that make your tummy turn slightly, particularly towards the end. (And I don't think I'll be rushing to eat any Hors d'oeuvres offered to me at parties anytime soon after this that's all I'll say 😅.)

The ending was kinda dissapointing being left "open" and the huge 5 year jump didn't give any real indication of what had been happening in Betsys life, but all in all, this was a good read.

What on earth did I just read?

This book starts off light and superficial but grows progressively darker. In the final third, I kept thinking, "This can’t get worse," and yet it did—punch after punch. I absolutely loved how unexpected this book was; I didn’t see any of the twists coming. Dark, captivating, and the kind of book that keeps you up all night because you can’t stop reading.

The story begins with Betsy, whose life is unraveling, though she’s reluctant to face it, leaving you unsure of what’s truly happening. She receives an invitation to a free retreat, promising to cure or at least improve her sleeping issues. With nothing to lose, she decides to go. At the retreat, her condition improves faster than she expected—but she starts noticing things that feel off.

I loved the originality of the story and the flawed, complex characters. Darwent is extraordinary at portraying the nuanced dynamics between women. It felt real and honest, which I always appreciate.

There was very little I didn’t enjoy, but the final chapter fell short for me. The ending wraps up the storyline but leaves Betsy’s ultimate choice open-ended. I would have preferred if that last encounter hadn’t been included. That said, after such an incredible book, it’s easy to forgive.

It’s hard to give trigger warnings without spoilers, so I’ll leave a broad one here: if you’re squeamish about anything body-related or murder, this book might not be for you.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thrillers and loves being kept in the dark until a brilliant reveal at the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin UK for the ARC in exchange of my honest review. A Sharp Scratch will be out on May 29th 2025.

Dark and delicious (although maybe delicious is not a good descriptor!).
Betsy and three other women afflicted by mysterious ailments are invited to stay at Carn, free of charge.
Betsy's awful marriage (why she ever married Harry is beyond me) and the nature of her affliction are drawn out by the expert therapist. Betsy becomes suspicious about the staff at Carn and makes some shocking discoveries.
Tension builds and we head towards the final devastating twists.
Edge of the seat stuff!

a HUGE thank you to the team at penguin for sliding this into my inbox !!!! feeling very lucky and grateful to sink my teeth into this one (all puns intended).

this book was spectacularly grotesque and wildly thrilling. i was gripped from the get go and could not put this down. i went into this completely blind, only knowing i absolutely loved the authors debut so had high hopes. and they were definitely achieved! i read this in under 3 hours and didn’t stop for anything - it really was THAT good

the narrator was incredibly unreliable and had me questioning every morsel of information we were given. it was so interesting being inside of her head whilst trying to figure out what was actually going on. it was also hilarious because i fear carn would work on me and i wouldn’t be snooping around at all. food on command and all i have to do is sit around all day … lovely.

the end (+the epilogue) spun me out a bit and i cannot wait to read the discourse surrounding it when this book is published! i really loved reading this one and at no point had any idea what was going on.

heather darwent’s amazing debut novel was a standout and i recommended it to just about everyone and this one did not disappoint. i look forward to reading just about anything she puts out at this point!

Deliciously dark, deeply unsettling, and much more addictive than the most hardcore drug! Prepare to put your life on hold til you’ve turned the final page, and even then it will stay with you, long after you finnish it. If i could give it more than 5 stars i would.