i received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

It was ok. It wasn’t great. It wasn’t atrocious. It was just meh. Found myself more interested in getting to the end than the characters or the narrative

I wanted to love this, but I couldn't get into it. Any thriller that mixed old mysterious pasts and the paranormal is right up my alley, but this just took too long to build. I expected a thriller to have at least some suspenseful elements in the beginning to carry into the end where all the good stuff happens. This just doesn't do it.

The Thin Place was a spooky and absorbing read that I found utterly captivating. I was sold straight away by the simplistic yet evocative cover and the intriguing blurb but I didn’t quite expect just how much the story would consume me. At times quite intense and emotional, I was transfixed by the premise of Overtoun and eager to follow Ava on her investigation of something so fascinating. I was gripped and wanted to spend every moment I had reading the book. Even after I finished, I had more questions about the eerie and enthralling mystery within.

The book is told from the perspective of three characters over different timeframes. In present day, we meet Ava, a journalist who is investigating the Overtoun estate and the haunting bridge which has seen many dogs jump to their deaths. In 1929, we hear Marion’s story. A young woman who is neglected by her new husband and struggling through the heartbreak of miscarriage after miscarriage. In 1949, we meet Constance, a young girl who is locked away by her mother, forced to see several doctors after being told she is very sick, always afraid that one day she might not appear as ill as her mother tells her she is.

Each thread to this story was mesmerising and often quite disturbing. I was so absorbed in learning about all three characters and seeing how their storylines intertwined.

Constance’s story was particularly unsettling, and I could feel her dread and overwhelming loneliness seeping off the pages. Her relationship with her mother seemed deeply unnerving and I was intrigued to see how the story would play out.

Marion’s perspective was quite sad to read – seeing how she progressed from the hope of a new relationship to the despair and then reluctant acceptance of losing so many babies, and also how numbly she accepted the abandonment of her husband.

Ava’s part in the book helped bring each strand together and the things she discovered about Overtoun sent chills down my spine. Ava and her partner Fraser are expecting their first baby and whilst Ava’s family struggle with how much her job seems to be taking over for her and how distracted she is from her own life whilst she focuses on uncovering more about Overtoun, for me as the reader it was easy to see how she did this as I felt the exact same fascination with the place.

I found The Thin Place to be a really atmospheric read, quite claustrophobic in its storytelling in a way that grabbed my attention just as strongly as Overtoun pulled Ava into its mystery. The sense of a story that needed telling, Ava is obsessed with the estate and the bridge, and in turn as the reader this left me dying to learn more about a place that was shrouded in darkness, hidden away to the extent that anybody who knew about it would rather not speak of it.

A sign of a good historical read for me is one that has me researching long after I’ve turned the final page and since finishing the book and reading the interesting author’s note that followed, I have spent many hours searching for real-life stories about the supposed dog suicide bridge as C D Major’s phenomenally well-researched novel has had me compelled to learn even more.

The Thin Place was a truly creepy and beguiling gothic thriller with a satisfyingly chilling ending.

Such an unusual novel, a wonderful read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

I love when a book is based on a true story. I enjoyed that it was told from three points of views all interwoven in each other. I wasn't the biggest fan of supernatural kind of stories but I found this one to be just alright.

The thin place follows the stories of three women Constance, Ava and Marion. Although on the surface these three women have absolutely nothing in common what they do have in common is Overton House. Ava finds herself on a story about dogs leaping to their deaths on a bridge next to the house. Was there on the story she finds herself drawn to the house and doesn’t know why. We also get to follow Marion a young lady from London who finds herself married to a wealthy man an moves to Scotland her main goal is to try and become pregnant and finally there’s l Constance who is a very sickly child, confined to her room in the house. The question is how are all these stories related? is it just the house or do you all these women have more in common.

I really enjoyed this book I find myself drawn to it from the first page. The way the author has written this story is done so well we go from different decades with the three main characters of this story out of all three I must say I really enjoyed Constance story the most. From the start I found myself really drawn to the character maybe because she is younger it was really intriguing to her how her illness was affecting her life.
What the author does so cleverly is throughout the book what the connexions could be which makes it even more fun to read because you're just trying to get to the end of the book to get the answers but know that you have to stick with the story to find the answers.

Ava is a lead protagonist and she is pregnant with her first child. Ava is also a journalist and this is how she becomes intertwined in the story. For some reason the pull that she feels towards this house is unbearable and she can’t help but keep going back even at the cost of her personal relationships.

Marion is a very sheltered woman from London at 24 when she finds herself a husband he promises her the world and she takes him on his word moving to Scotland and that house Her story is based in the early 1930sa different era and different standards.her struggles with pregnancies are not for the light hearted but this is the central the focus of her story. When I first started reading her chapters I felt they sounded like diary entries and I really enjoy diary entry style prose. Marion story is a tragic tale that so many women at the time would have been accustomed to. Find a husband, have a baby and run a household. Her story is one that so many people well find sympathetic and I was no different.

As I stated previously Constance story is align to illnesses. However it does appear that there is more to her sickness than meets the eye. It was just a beautiful part of the story and again it highlights and illustrates other mental health medical conditions that maybe aren’t talked about so much. I think as well really brings all three of these characters together is the expectations are set on them by others and how they view their selves in the wider world.

The prose is written fantastic from start to finish I just wanted to know more. I am a sucker for multiple narrators. The author managed to msg it clear and obvious differences their dialogue tone and storytelling. I find it very easy to tell which chapter belong to which narrator, I often find in books where we have a different ages that the author manages to know one age correctly on ignore the other however this was not the case in the thin place we could clearly towel that Constance was a child from reading her chapters but without dumbing down the dialogue to an extent where it felt patronising. This is a really difficult thing I have noticed whilst reading other books which jumped from a young person to an older person or from a generation to a different generation therefore the offer should be applauded for this.

When I got to the end of the bird I was absolutely amazed to find out that this story of the dogs jumping is actually based on a historical facts regarding this bridge that apparently to this day still stresses that dog owners should keep their dogs on the lead, that doesn’t seem to be an explanation or rather a clear explanation for why this is the case. the author also pause on other true which for now I won’t say because it shall spoil the book. But when she get to reading it you will understand where the influences come from and the author then clearly states this at the end of the book. What talent it is to be able to pull on very true historical events and make a amazing fictional mystery.

I would totally recommend this book to absolutely anyone who enjoys a good mystery or thriller. Although I did manage to connect all the dots quite early on in the birth and come up with A twist I still absolutely enjoyed reading this story. I loved the use of three different women, who want just a little bit dinner front but completely and that in itself is an absolute talent. What I will say is if you are like me and you pretty much think that you’ve got it right you probably have but I must say it’s still worth reading even once you have stuff out the mystery and I am so happy that I did. There were a few moments where to be honest with you I had no idea what was going on but I just rolled with it. Therefore rate this book full stars.

Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publishers for this free digital advance review copy of the thin plafe in exchange for my fair and honest opinions.

The Thin Place is told in three points of views with their stories told in different time periods and they become interwoven with its supernatural elements
Marion, a woman newly married, moved to her husband’s estate to only be neglected by him, used and dealt with repeated miscarriages.
Constance, a young sad, sickly girl who was basically kept locked away by her mother. Her need to please her mother became wrought in aguish and bitter. There was an interesting, yet disturbing theme about the mother daughter relationship that helps drive the plot.
Ava, a female journalist, pregnant, lives in a small town, encounters Overtoun Estate and decides to investigates its tragic history. In doing so, she becomes obsessed with the place and its mystery, puts her life in jeopardy.
The Thin Place is described as a place where two worlds meet or joined. To some, it can be a place of an abyss of sorts or heaven- if you will. Confusing, yes? It is widely known that many people feel these places when they come close to them. Especially, in England and Ireland. Though I can imagine these experiences happen everywhere and people just don’t understand them. Apparently, the more you experience these places, the more your sense of them are intensified. This theme is interwoven in the story and I’m still undecided if it worked or not. I have to admit, I felt as if I was told about this place rather than shown. I felt disconnected to Ava, Marion and Constance’s experience with the area, and their plight with Overtoun House.
Ava is the leading character and I have to admit I disliked her. Which is a problem for me because I’m usually cheering for the protagonist. I found her to be self-absorbed and often absent of feelings, neglectful and unkind to family and friends. Was it because she had become obsessed with the Overtoun House? So much so, that it consumed her to the point that she wasn’t even thinking about others and the baby’s well-being growing inside her? I’m not convinced despite the final conclusion of the story.
The only person I felt sympathy for was Constance and even then, I felt her story needed to be fleshed out a bit more and for The Thin Place to be more convincing. Needless to say, I wasn’t feeling the supernatural and creep vibe as I thought I would be entering into the story.
That said, the premise is a good one and I enjoyed parts of the author’s descriptions of things, the premise, setting and the history of Overtoun House. Overall, I’m happy I chose to read this story.

Wow, just amazing. Spooky and chilling and very suspenseful. This hooked me right at the beginning and was impossible to put down as I just needed to finish it, the author done a really great job at making the hairs all over my body stand on end and pull me in to the house which harbours all the secrets

I love creepy thriller's, and this one started promising.. but unfortunately it losted very quickly. In the end i honestly enjoyed this book once I actually got into it.

📚Book 34 of 2021: The Thin Place by C.D. Major

🙏🏻Big thank you to @netgalley for the ARC

❗️❗️Trigger Warning: infant loss, suicide, discussions of Münchausen syndrome.

💬Reader’s Digest Version: When Eva, a journalist pregnant with her first child, finds herself drawn to a spooky old manor known as Overtoun Estate, she has no idea just how much the secrets behind its walls will completely turn her life upside down. Overtoun Estate is steeped in local folklore and is known for being a “thin place,” a place where the separation between this world and the afterlife is paper thin. Eva seeks to better understand its mysteries, and uncovers truths she was not expecting to find along the way.

🏃🏻‍♀️My Take: The premise of this book is fascinating, and it is based partially on real life events and folklore. Hand me a thriller that mixes the paranormal with a gripping mystery and I’m sold. I really really wanted to like this, but I just could not get into it. The reason: a complete cast of utterly unlikeable, under developed characters. Why is it that the female lead in many thrillers is whiny, entitled, one note, and utterly boring? I can deal with unlikeable characters if they are interesting. The ones in this story were all one-note and blah. Overall, love the concept. Hated the characters. Despite annoying characters, it was still a fast, entertaining read.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5/5

When journalist Ava Brent decides to investigate the dark mystery of Overtoun Estate—a ‘thin place’, steeped in myth—she has no idea how dangerous this story will be for her. Overtoun looms over the town, watching, waiting: the locals fearful of the strange building and the secrets it keeps. When Ava starts to ask questions, the warm welcome she first receives turns to a cold shoulder. And before she knows it, Ava is caught in the house’s grasp too. After she discovers the history of a sick young girl who lived there, she starts to understand the sadness that shrouds it. But when she finds an ominous old message etched into a windowsill, she is forced to wonder—what horrors is the house protecting? And what will it cost her to find out? With her own first child on the way, Ava knows she should stay away. But even as her life starts to unravel, and she receives chilling threats, the house and the bridge keep pulling her back…

Historical + horror + mystery + thriller in one book is basically this book. I enjoy the plot until the ending and it makes me want to keep up with everything. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book once I actually got into it. At the beginning it was quite slow paced and confusing to know what was going on, but I couldn’t put it down when I got to about halfway through. It was well written and full of twists and turns. I also loved the amount of research C D Major put in.

Despite the mystical-sounding title and description, The Thin Place isn't really about thin places at all, but about the thin lines between mothers and daughters, women and their places in the world.

I enjoyed reading this book well enough - although I don't typically read thrillers or mysteries, I'm far more interested in horror and ghost stories - yet was hoping for more spooks, less family drama. While there are touches of the paranormal throughout the story, they aren't really explained, as the mystery is more or less an earthly one. I did like how Major wove the three strands of three women's stories - Marion, Constance, and Ava - together into one twisty conclusion.

While the tale does have a good Gothic atmosphere, I wished it had a stronger sense of place. Although set in Glasgow, any scenes not in Overtoun could have taken place in any metropolis, and there wasn't much of a sense of Scotland about the story at all. As someone who adores Scotland, I really wished to feel a stronger presence of it throughout the novel. However, the scenes at Overtoun were well-written and really impressed the oppressive sense of the manor upon me.

The biggest detractor in the book, unfortunately, was Ava. I couldn't stand her. It seemed like she was supposed to be ambitious and clever, but she came off as selfish and oblivious. She pushed away everyone around her with her obsessions, and despite feeling bad couldn't get her shit together enough to steer her life back on track. Major did a great job of showing rather than telling with Marion and Constance, so it's odd that she failed with Ava. We're told that she used to be popular in school ("too cool" for her sister's husband, when they were teenagers) and was super close with her mother, but when reading her chapters her relationship with Frances is awkward and fraught, and she stumbles uncomfortably through her life in a way that makes it hard to believe she was ever cool at all (or composed enough to be an on-air reporter, for that matter!). I couldn't connect with or relate to her and while I was compelled by the mystery, her chapters were a bit of a drag.

Still, this is an entertaining, quick-reading mystery-thriller with a soft air of the supernatural. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in Gothic tales and female-driven mysteries.

I am a voracious reader of thrillers, and this one was not as impressive as I thought it would be. It started as kind of mysterious, and spooky, but soon turned out to be template fiction plot with little character development. The premise was good, and the overall feel was of a easy-to-read, breezy thriller for beginners maybe. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

My first C D Major book (although I have read the author writing under various psuedonyms!) and I really loved it. Very creepy and uncanny and brilliant writing.

From the first few pages I thought I was going to really like this book. It was a little bit creepy and seemed like it would be a gothic suspense/horror book. However, as I delved deeper into the story I found that I wasn't really interested in the characters. I figured out what the story would be pretty quickly and felt I was just turning the pages to finish the book, not really interested in it.

This book, like the reviews state, does stay with you long after it ends. Spooky storyline with a lot of depth. I liked the main character which helps as sometimes in these types of books, I don’t find the characters overly likeable. Enjoyable read, recommend.

This is one of those books that will stay with me for quite some time. It was definitely a blend between horror, mystery, and a smidge of the paranormal. The main character is a newscaster and is drawn to a story of a place where dogs are being drawn to their death. As she explores the story, it begins to take hold of her and take over her life. Her relationships with others become strained and her pregnancy is put to the side. This book is told between multiple narrators each in a different time period where it connects back into the present day. I felt that this method was extremely effective and really helped build the suspense when the truth is discovered. I definitely will read more from this author and respected the originality of the story and how big of a part scenery played into the overall feel of the book. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

This book is a great option if you're looking for an easy-to-read thriller.

Based on real-life (and well researched) Celtic folklore, the story spans 3 timelines that ultimately intersect.
The author captured the creepy atmosphere of Overtoun which certainly kept me on edge reading Ava's sections, however, I guessed the 'twist' from the first few chapters which sadly took away from the level of suspense I was hoping for.

In a nutshell, it was an enjoyable read but not one I'm rushing to tell everyone about.

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for a copy of the ARC in return for my honest review.

Outside of Glasgow, there’s a old manor with its own old stone bridge, which the locals call a “thin place,” a place where the barrier between the spiritual and physical worlds are closer. As a grim marker of this legend, the bridge has seen as many as 500 dogs leap to their deaths from the bridge. This legend draws journalist Ava Brent to the bridge and the house, where she feels a strange energy - and soon an obsession begins. She can’t seem to get the strange house out of her mind. As we follow her pursuit of the story behind the manor, we hear the story of two residents of the house in the past, Marion, a naive newlywed, and Constance, a sickly young girl. How do these three stories all tie together? How do they reveal the secrets behind the house?

In a cool twist, this story is based on an actual place - Overtoun House and Bridge - in Scotland which is rumored to indeed be a thin place where between 50 and 500 dogs are said to have leapt from the bridge. (The dogs part is obviously heartbreaking, but the idea that this could be a “true story,” is creepy and adds a new layer to the story.)

The story is told from the prospective of each of the three women, in alternating chapters.

I really loved this book in that it was creepy, Gothic, and it slowly unraveled this great story that just really drew me in. It was really a great ghost story that just made me want to book a plane ticket to Glasgow. Each story had a growing sense of dread the more you read it and understood what was coming, the suspense building with each new chapter. It was really the perfect psychological thriller!

The only negative factor was that at some points, I found Ava annoying. I wanted to shake some sense into her and tell her to pay attention to her boyfriend, the baby growing inside her, anything else at all! But she kept obsessing and just pushing everything away.

But overall, this was an excellent psychological thriller that is a perfect mini-getaway for the summer to the beautiful Scottish countryside. Purchase your “ticket” today!