Thrilling murder mystery. I could not put this book down. A super story based on what is commonly known as a 'dysfunctional family' (normal family!). A new lifestyle following 'burn-out' twists into a murder mystery and one really is unable to work out 'whodunnit' until the end. Absolutely gripping and beautifully written.

I hold my head in shame writing this because I have to admit this is the first book that I have read by the author, and it sure as hell won’t be my last!

The author takes us on a creepy but also very eerie journey with this story when we meet Kirsty and her family who move from London to have a fresh start running a guesthouse what Kirsty doesn't expect is for her first guest is someone that she hasn't seen for 17 years….and that's just the start.

I found myself tangled in a web of lies and secrets where I found myself knowing who to trust.

With an OMG opening I was well and truly hooked, This is one very intriguing story that will certainly keep you guessing until the end. Just when I thought I had it all worked out the author throws you off the path by throwing a twist that I didn't see coming.

Although I found the story slower paced in parts compared to THAT opening, it never ruined my enjoyment of the story.

For some strange reason I thought this was going to be a domestic noir…..How wrong was I! This is without a doubt a suspense mystery, dropping clues out throughout. While the reader is trying to piece together the puzzle. This is a proper Who-Dunn-It book.

I am looking forward to reading more books by the author, with this being a very addictive atmospheric read. Which I highly recommend.

The synopsis does a good job of laying the bones for this story and it has a nice amount of mysterious and enticing intrigue to it. I don’t know about anyone else, it worked for me.

The author has set this story at a good pace with a family moving to their new home. They have purchased a rundown property in a Welsh village, a chance to make it into a home and also be run as a guest house. Oh, by the way, I am not mentioning what it resides next to…

Even though it has a good pace, there are also quieter moments to the story. These tend to have a sinister feeling and aspects of a creepy sense start to be felt. I would expect this with an old property, but there is more than that. Adding to this feeling is the way the author has used the surrounding hills with their domineering presence to add an extra chill factor.

Old houses have histories and when they are in village communities they also have secrets, whispers and to some extent mistrust, depending on who you listen to …

As this is also a guest house, there are obviously guests, some are welcomed and some are not. It was interesting to see how things had been manipulated among the residents and how… actually I’m not saying anymore because I don’t want to spoil it… But I will say that there were several truths and revelations that raised my eyebrows.

While this is a psychological thriller, it is not a hardcore bloodfest sort. Yes, there is a body but there is something more sinister, dangerous and also a vulnerability at play. It also deals with a tough condition that I thought had been done in a very well balanced way.

As for working out the culprit, well here the author outfoxed me, I could have listed several characters, in fact, this is what I believe the author has intended, so well played.

I have been very vague for this review, it is one of those books you need to experience for yourself. A story of family hoping for a new start. Secrets and rumours play a part. Mistrust add to the sense of suspense. A book that I really enjoyed from start to finish and it is one I would definitely recommend.

I have loved every one of Claire’s books. I find them well told, spooky, gripping and addictive to the end.
This one does not let you down!! So twisted and I had a clue to where the story was going and then ‘boom’ it twists again! Fabulous gripping and atmospheric reading, you feel like your in the story!!
Recommend!

This book had me going ALL the way - up half the night to finish it because I just HAD to find out what the hell was going on! Believable characters and kids that were normal and not annoying - a thriller to the last page.

This was a bit slow to start with and took a while to get into but it didn’t get me excited I’m so sorry ...Classic whodunnit and to be honest the way that Selena acted in past and present I thought that it could be anybody wanting to bump her off but the author leaves a clever ending that’s for sure.

This is the first book that I have read by Clare Douglas and I can't wait to read more.
The reader follows Kirsty and Adrian as they renovate an old property in Wales and begin their new life running a guest house with Kirsty's mother. Visitors arrive in the form of relatives (Kirsty's cousin, her brother and his wife) and three lots of paying guests. When her cousin is murdered drama ensues. Kirsty is desperate to know who the killer was as she knows it was someone in the house.........when she finds out it shocks her to get core. It makes the reader consider what they would do in the same circumstances and whether or not it is right. Fast paced and a great read.

My first time reading this author. I couldn't put it down. It had so many twists and turns. I was on tenterhooks until the last page.

For Kirsty this is meant to be a new start. Her family has had a rough time and moving to the Brecon Beacons and opening a B&B was meant to be a fresh start...a distraction...it was meant to be. Instead the arrival of Selena, Kirsty's cousin, opens up old wounds and threatens everything that she holds dear.


I could just write a few words that would be sufficient to get across how good this is which would be "well it's Claire Douglas isn't it?" Because this is what she is really good at, and she rarely disappoints. Dark twisty tales of secrets and betrayal, where no one can be trusted. In my opinion, she's going from strength to strength. I devoured this in one sitting, but then what did I expect. Because well it's Claire Douglas isn't it! An easy 5 stars.

This chilling first-person narrative had me hooked right from the start. The novel starts with the discovery of a body then the book is split into ‘Part One: Before’ and ‘Part Two: After’. This cleverly structured plot keeps you guessing as to who has been murdered right until the end of part one, which is about half way through the story.

The story is told from the perspective of Kirsty (the protagonist), and this point of view is consistent throughout, where lives of the other characters come to life through what Kirsty knows about them. This meant when the twists and shocks came to Kirsty, they were a shock to me as a reader too. The language is colloquial and made the story real. It was an easy read but don’t mix that with a simple story. It was easy to read because the language was so compelling and the focussed first-person narrative sucked me into Kirsty’s world. I managed to read the first few chapters on a chapter by chapter basis, but it wasn’t long before everything went on hold and I just had to finish the book.

The narrative has an abundance of twists and turns that are so believable they make you think it could happen to anybody living anywhere. Just one small wrong turn here and another there. The story’s setting, and what happened in the guest house previously, adds to the creepy atmosphere. I started off thinking how lovely it would be to live in such an idyllic place, but it wasn’t long before I was willing Kirsty to pack her bags and whisk her family right out of the spooky place. But Kirsty is made of much sterner stuff than I am!

I was starting to get a bit fed up with psychological thrillers and how they were becoming more and more obscure. I like books that have an element of realism: ordinary everyday characters who make ordinary everyday mistakes, but those ordinary mistakes become twisted into something much more sinister. Claire Douglas has managed to execute this to perfection, and this resulted in a very enjoyable read.

I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more from this author. As well as this, as a new writer myself, the writing inspired me, and reading this book taught me a valuable lesson in taking my writing to a new level. In this case, it was the story’s clear focus on the protagonist herself, as well as how twists and turns can still have a dramatic impact without being ridiculous.

I've really enjoyed books by Claire Douglas in the past and happily this one is a solid read too.


The storyline is fairly straightforward. Kirsty and Adrian along with their two children up sticks and move to Wales to run a guesthouse. Adrian has had a breakdown and a new start in a quiet and peaceful environment is just what is called for. Kirsty's mum also makes the move with them and initially all goes well.


Kirsty's old friend from the past is one of her first guests and that's when things start to go awry. What follows is an old fashioned chiller that will keep you guessing until the end. Full of twists and turns the story is absorbing and kept me reading late into the night.

When I started this I thought it was going to be a run of the mill murder. who dunnit. I loved the fact it was set in North Wales, one of my favourite places in the world, and the idea of running a guest house allowed everyone to be in the same house at the same time. A perfect set up for guessing who did it. Except I didn't and that for me gives this book an extra star. Nothing spectacular but a decent read.

I didn't want to put this book down, the story was gripping and from page one I was hooked.
Kirstie, Adrian and their 2 daughters move from London to the Brecon Beacons in Wales to run a B&B with Kirsties northern
They hoped the move would signal a fresh start for them after Adrian had a breakdown and left his high-flying city job.
Things take a sinsiter turn with the arrival of Selena and Ruby.
I highly recommend this book and hope the rest of the books I read this year are as good as this one.

Wow this was one of my favourite reads of 2018 i could not put it down i found it nail bitingly good

A Highly Readable Mystery:
"Do Not Disturb" is a relatively straightforward story with a simple plot. And sometimes the simpler the better.
The storyline involves a family moving from London to rural Wales, having sold their house to buy a Detached Victorian House, which they convert into a Guest House. A very different lifestyle lies in wait for the family including Adrian and Kirsty's two young girls. Narrated by Kirsty, the mother, in a matter of fact tone throughout, the family are to face difficulties at every turn as they try to get the business off the ground. Family tensions mount as Carol, Kirsty's mum, has also invested in the business and uses this leverage to invite family as non-paying residents. This causes mounting tension.
The novel starts with a simple incident: Selena, Kirsty's cousin, falls down a flight of stairs, leaving the rest of the family to look after her very sick daughter, Ruby. The police are called and it becomes evident that Selena might not have fallen but rather was pushed. And then an accident becomes a potential murder enquiry.
A potential murder of a guest only days after opening will not be good for business. How will the family cope looking after Ruby? Who did it and why? Reminiscent of Agatha Christie this is a thriller with the author giving the reader only a limited number of persons to pick as the culprit. Will you guess correctly? I didn't. A comfortable read for those who don't like complicated mysteries.

This is my first read by Clare Douglas and I found it addictive with a steady tense pace which included many twists.

Kirsty and her family up sticks from their busy London life to run a guest house in the Welsh mountains. Her long lost cousin Selena and young daughter are one of their first guests. Kirsty hasn’t spoken to Selena since they were inseparable as teenagers. They decide to put their differences behind them and as they are joined by other family members and Selena’s first love the plot thickens.


Terrible things start to happen and as the plot thickens some characters start to unravel. The story had me guessing the plot and being surprised at each new twist which I didn’t expect .

This was an enjoyable read and was very well written. It explored many issues including parenting, marital problems, infidelity, mental health, violence and murder. The ending was a little disappointing for me but nevertheless did not detract from the overall story.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this great book in exchange for an honest review.

The idea of a family having a fresh start is always an intriguing premise to me and this book didn’t disappoint. Do Not Disturb was a great story of a family with secrets all threatening to tumble down. I liked the dynamic between all the characters, which were well written and believable. All the usual family niggles were in this novel, the husband and wife trying to get along, the children at new schools throwing tanturms. The slightly strained relationship between Kirsty and her Mother who she is reliant on for the business adds to the tension of a family already on the edge. Kirsty is clearly hanging on by a thread trying to keep her family together and not let her daughters know what is going on. Selina on the other hand plays the victim and comes across as the struggling single mother trying to care for her daughter and make amends to how she treated Kirsty in the past.
There were lots of twists and red herrings, and every character has their own skeletons in the closet which just added to the tension.
This was a thoroughly enjoyable story that kept me guessing all the way along and I certainly didn’t see the end coming.

This has all the required elements of a decent psychological thriller: something mysterious has happened in the distant past, some trauma in the recent past that must be escaped, an untimely death, unwelcoming locals and a fractious family. The resulting story is perfectly readable and engaging but doesn't perhaps bring much new to the genre. I found Kirsty a bit wet and the family's cack-handed preparation for opening a B&B (no locks on their doors!) frustrating. There is one reveal part way through that I had worked out but there were more to come and the twist at the end was a shocking surprise! I've previously enjoyed Claire Douglas's Local Girl Missing and The Text and have heard great things about Last Seen Alive so I will look out for her next book. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for the ARC of Do Not Disturb.

A great page-turner!

‘Do Not Disturb’ is certainly a great page turner which engages the reader from the start. I do enjoy the style of Claire Douglas’ writing, with her exciting assortment of characters and fast-paced plot.

We learn why Kirsty and Adrian have made an enormous decision to uproot their family, (two daughters) from the London area to the much quieter area of the Brecon Beacons in Wales. Due to Adrian’s mental health issues, they have decided on a complete change and open a guest house, thinking that their lives would be far more uncomplicated. As you can imagine the author doesn’t let that happen...

As the plot unravels, we are introduced to each quirky guest, who seems to bring their own share of troubles into the guest house. We learn of Kirsty’s estranged cousin Selina, who brings her disabled daughter. There are other family members, plus Selina’s slightly rough old boyfriend who turns up, as well as other guests.

From the outset, Claire Douglas has the knack of building up the feeling of menace which I particularly enjoyed. There are so many lies, red herrings, emotions and intrigue, even murder, so I just had to keep engrossed until the finale. I’m sure that ‘Do Not Disturb’ will appeal to a wide audience!

Galadriel.

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.

Chiller thriller was how one reviewer described this book and I'd say that's a pretty accurate description! Good read, would recommend!