⚘ Book Review ⚘

⚘ The Thin Place by C.D Major.

⚘ Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!

⚘ TW: Miscarriage, Suicide, Child and Dog Abuse.

⚘ The Thin Place tells the story of 3 girls, Ava, Marion and Constance at different points of history in the Overton House and Bridge.

Ava is the main character, she becomes obsessed with the house and Bridge to the detriment of her personal and professional life. Ava makes a lot of bad decisions in her quest to know the houses history but as the reader I'm sure I would have made these same decisions, I became so engrossed in this book I wanted the answers as badly as she did!

Marion is a young woman who is swept off her feet by a young man who promises her the world, only to be left alone. Isolation and her inability to carry a child to full term leaves her mind to wander to dark places.

Constance is a young girl who is believed to be sickly and tells of her childhood struggles as a sick child.

All 3 women are connected and it took me longer than I like to admit to realise how!

CD Major ends the story with a historical note about the house and the bridge. She based the story on a real home and some of the real happenings of the bridge. I'll be goggling for more information!

Highly recommend this thriller, I could not put the book down, it was a real page turner. I cannot wait to get more of her books.

I whizzed through this enjoyable, spooky, dark and atmospheric tale of mothers and daughters, and long-hidden family secrets. I worked out fairly early what some of the secrets were, but there were a few surprising twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. I was surprised to know that the old house, estate and bridge are real, so I’ll definitely go to see them for myself some day. I look forward to reading more of Cesca’s books.

The Thin Place is a gripping thriller from CD Major which weaves together the stories of three people. In the 1930s we have Marion West who comes to live in Overtoun, a large stately home in Scotland. In the present day, Ava is the protagonist. She is a journalist who is intrigued by the stories surrounding a bridge where numerous dogs are said to have jumped to their deaths. In between the two women, we have the words of a young, very ill child.

I was hooked by this story right from the first page. I loved the sense of mystery and foreboding which permeated the book. I was particularly intrigued that the story of the dogs jumping off the bridge does actually seem to be true. There is one extremely tragic event associated with it in recent times. If you look up the bridge online, you will see the beautiful building which is Overtoun House just beside it. I can quite see why people might think that the odd ghost or two might roam its rooms. The house itself plays such an important role in the book and is a dark and brooding presence throughout.

The three main characters were all fascinating in their own ways. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Marion initially when her idealistic dreams of marriage did not work out the way she thought and she felt so trapped and lonely in the big house, so far from her own family. Equally, I felt for young Constance who seemed to have so many illnesses and such a difficult life. I wasn't surprised that Ava was so drawn to the story of Overtoun although she took it really to the point of obsession. The mystery in her own family was also very intriguing with her own mother reluctant to talk about her early years with an adoptive family, even when Ava became pregnant and longed to know about her family history. Then there are some mysterious and threatening messages too which all added to the tension.

This was a real page-turner with plenty to keep me glued to its pages. It's a compelling book, rather creepy and so atmospheric. Right to the end, I found myself on the edge of my seat with the twists and turns the author cleverly drops into the storyline.

The Thin Place sucked me in and left me wondering from the very beginning. The Thin Place is a classic mystery story with a family twist. Major did a fantastic job of grounding the story through the lens of her main character, Ava. She then built upon this story with the perspectives of two secondary women. The thing I liked most about this book was the way in which Major made you feel like you were just as curious as Ava in discovering the truth. It is not often that I find an author who knows how to play to the psychological aspects of a book so well.

Very good read. I love this author. She writes about real historical places.
What is it about Overtoun house and bridge that Ava is so drawn to it? How is Ava's mother connected to the place? Will Ava's unborn baby be safe? Who is sending the creepy letters?
Hard to put down novel with so many unanswered questions. Highly recommend.

A gripping read which when I thought I'd worked out what was what had me staying up far too late to read to the end. I was right, but only partly as a new twist awaited.

The story revolves around three very well drawn female characters, (Ava, Marion and Constance) and their interaction provides the basis of the plot. The descriptions are atmospheric and as a whole the book has a delicious unsettling feel to it.

A great read and I shall definitely look out for this author in the future.

With vividly drawn characters and an unusual and interesting plot, The Thin Place is a page turning read

This spooky thriller was interesting. I like how everything tied together. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This book began promisingly but ended with me wanting more. Major does a great job creating the tense, foreboding atmosphere that underlies a majority of this novel, but lacks in creating a fully-fledged three-dimensional character in Ava. I loved traveling through this story through multiple POVs, and I was very interested in each character. Although I could guess the "plot twists" very early on, I was still interested in how exactly the whole plot would play out. The "creepy" scenes were a bit over-the-top, and i found myself cringing more at the character's exaggerated reactions to these scenes instead. I feel like one of the struggles in the creation of this book was finding a good reason why Ava was so drawn this house in the first place. In the end it didn't seem believable and was a bit of a reach, but I kind of let it go because I found the whole plot in its entirety to be interesting. A lot of see-sawing between stars because of all these pros and cons, but in the end it's a solid 3 stars for me.

A well written book with interesting characters. I enjoyed the twists, although I did guess them all. Will read more by this author in the future.

Went into this book expecting a thriller that would keep me on the edge of my seat, but it did not live up to my expectations. From the get-go I could not really connect with the characters or what they were experiencing. I also decided not to finish this one. The Thin Place was just not the book for me.

I really enjoyed this. The story of the bridge felt very "internet rabbit hole". Told from multiple viewpoints I felt myself more drawn in by Marion and Constance's story, and wishing there was more to them. Ava I didn't get pulled into until towards the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

My second CD Major book (first was The Other Girl) and not disappointed. Started at 5pm, finished by 9pm. Certainly an easy read, but at 3am I was still awake thinking about the characters of this harrowing, haunting and heartbreaking story. The story follows the lives of Ava, Constance and Marion. Spoiler Alert: You can’t help but feel quite a bit of empathy for the latter two (at least for a substantial portion of the novel). I was angered by what Constance was being subjected to, and then when we learn Marion is the perpetrator, it is soul destroying to ponder how she could confuse love with abuse. How a character I felt strongly about could do something so heinous left me feeling quite dejected. I don’t turn to CD Major for rich literature but you do feel very much part of the story. And for a quick read that will stick with you, she has not failed.

3.75/5 stars

First of all: Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Second of all TW: suicide, child abuse, miscarriage, animal abuse and death.

Overtoun Bridge: Set in Dumbarton, Scotland. This bridge is also known as the "dog suicide bridge". Dog suicides have happened since the 1950s. It is not yet exactly known why this happens, but there is a wide array of theories surrounding it.

Thin places: Places where the corporeal world and the eternal world’s veils are thin.

These two themes are well talked throughout the whole book (as well as others!) and this in turn, made me want to read it. I had read somewhere about Overtoun Bridge but never actually delved deeper. I had never though, read or heard about "thin places" but alas, knowing me? You know I would be fascinated by that. This book managed to get my attention in the best way possible, it was also my first e-ARC, and I'm definitely not disappointed (finally a good start to the month!)

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Now: Ava is a journalist and a mom to be. However, she develops a concern because of her ongoing pregnancy and a lack of medical history since her mother is adopted and refuses to speak about it. Consequently, Ava tries to dig into it, leading her to Overtoun. She develops an unhealthy obsession for the place and starts in turn, to receive threats in order for her to leave the place the hell alone.

But, did she listen? Nuh-uh. She finds ways to make it her job: she tries to cover it for the news, she goes there as a tourist, she creates a bond with the current owner of the house. And well, she definitely doesn't expect what she finds...

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This is a thriller of sorts, but as I found myself reading it I would definitely say this has also tiny bits of supernatural/terror thrown here and there (and i'm living for it!).

This book started off a bit slow but wow. Wow, wow. I'm dumbfounded really. I can't even put my ideas into proper words. This book is absorbing, interesting, and a bit gruesome. (if you do plan to read this check the trigger warnings at the start of my review)

However!: The protagonists read off almost the same (I think that is the main reason it didn't go up to 4.5/5 stars like I envisioned it at first). I had to constantly check who was narrating. As a funny note: I found the form of narrative interesting and curious. We have 2 first person narrations and a third person narration. It's... a compelling decision to say the least. I liked it. Props to that.

The ending? Well. It's one of the best ending lines I've ever read. I'm not kidding. I wish I was, but I screamed, and then I stared... with my mouth open... I´m astounded.

The pace? I have a few complaints here and there but honestly, now that I think about it... nothing to serious. I stopped my chores of the day to finish this. Seriously. I couldn't put it down, that’s why I have no complaints on that department. *chimes*

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In conclusion what I liked: supernatural themes and historical themes surrounding the book, the pace was *almost*perfect, it started off strong, the ending (not getting tired of saying that), the setting, the plot.

What I didn't like: Protagonists reading off almost the same (up to almost the ending), the multiple people getting pregnant at the same time (sorry not a fan of it) and would say that’s about it. (because it's a thriller and I can't say much without spoiling)

SO!, Do I recommend it? Yes, yes I do.

The Thin Place surprised me in a good way. What I really appreciate is that the setting was in the real place, so it’s based on the real story which makes it more believable.
What I really enjoyed was the telling of three characters, who were slowly unfolding the storyline. We do not really know how these three women are connected, although quite easy to guess. Unfortunately I was more interested in the story of Marion and Costance, which was really interesting. I found Ava who was telling most of the story in present quite an unlikable character, not concerned about her own baby and partner. Also her family and relationships there were not so nice, often people not talking to each other, mother whose history (past) no one knows from the family.

And I really pitied Fraser, Ava’s partner, he was so considerate and Ava so obsessed. I get it that she was a journalist and that the house was somehow triggering her, but still it was too much from my point of view.

The story is getting much better more in the second half of the book, all pieces coming together. Falling into lap of Ava, so it’s not much discovering the mystery by her. Overall I really liked how all the stories fall together so for me it is 3.5* more to 4*.

The Thin Place is a story told by three perspectives. Ava is a journalist with an obsessive personality. Although pregnant with her first child she becomes wrapped up in investigating the haunting tales of a local bridge and nearby estate in Glasgow. Ava digs deeper and deeper into the hauntings of the grounds and just what horrible events happened there previously. At the height of her obsession I found myself no longer able to like or even relate to her character.
The chapters with Marion and Constance were the most intriguing. I was hooked on their perspectives and eager to learn just what had happened in their lives. Although an interesting read, I had guessed a main part of the plot/ending by the midpoint. This is disappointing in a mystery/thriller novel.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm an absolute sucker for a foggy, suspenseful house horror, and C. D, Major's "The Thin Place" delivered exactly that.

The story is told from the viewpoint of three different women in three fairly sequential time periods, but the main protagonist is Ava, an expectant mother and local news reporter who gets hopelessly hooked on what she assumed would be a quick story about mysterious dog suicides by the hand of Overtoun Bridge, located in a neighboring town. Despite her growing unease of Overtoun Bridge and the accompanying house on the adjacent property, Ava finds herself so drawn to the locale and its muddled history that she barely notices the jagged rifts forming between her and her partner, family, and colleagues. Major's secondary and tertiary narrators provide bits and pieces of the property's history, though they are just as much of a puzzle as the whole mess is to Ava.

While "The Thing Place" is not an entirely new concept for a spooky tale, it's quite enjoyable. There were a few bits I found on the predictable side, but I think it's rather unusual for that to not happen if you're a fan of the genre. Also, for what it's worth, I definitely did not predict every twist and turn. The ones I was expecting were still just as unsettling once confirmed. There is a also a layer of moral dilemma of whether or not your demons are, in fact, your own that adds a complexity to the characters and relationships in the novel. Does keeping them to yourself harm your loved ones more than you? Can you share them without knowing? Is there any way to keep them out? To get out yourself?

Major's exploration of Overtoun as a "thin place," described as a place where the barrier between this world and the next is noticeably weaker, kept me hooked and kept me awake. I believe it will always lead me to hold onto the leash just a little tighter.

I really enjoyed this book! I had never heard the term ‘thin place’ before so was intrigued to learn what that meant. The story was riveting, the characters were well formed and overall, I’m excited to have discovered a new author! The topic covered in this book can be hard to deal with at times but it wasn’t so involved that I couldn’t read it. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book to friends...

Ava is a news reader who discovers a story relating to Overtoun House and Bridge where stories say hundreds of dogs leapt to their deaths due to the thin place (a celtic belief that heaven and earth are only separated by a thread). Ava visits the house on many an occasion and becomes obsessed with the house, much to the consternation of her partner and family.
There are also chapters written by Marion and Constance who in different decades lived in Overtoun house.
At the end of the book the author references tragedies than have happened at Overtown.
A really interesting book which grabbed my attention from the start.
Received this book from Netgalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review

This is the first time I have read a book by this author.
At first I got confused who Marian and Constance was but it did not take me to long to work out who they where and how they where connected.
The thin place had lots of different themes running through the book, child abuse, loss, belonging and animal abuse.
This book concentrate on three people telling there stories from different points of view.
This book has mystery and suspense running through it. I did enjoy reading this book but wanted to get to the end to see what happens. I did not see the ending coming and I didn’t realise Overtown house is a real place it has made me what to do some research on it. I give this book 4 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Amazon publishing for providing me with digital copy.