Really clever psychological thriller.

No spoilers because the best bit about this book is how it keeps you guessing, it’s so tense and you will not be able to stop turning the pages.

What a fabulous book! My first by Gillian McAllister but certainly not my last - all the rest are now on my TBR list!
The story starts with an action-packed bang (literally) - a car crash in Verona, which the story revolves around. What lengths would you go to, to protect someone you loved? And how fast can lives change?
This is a skilfully written story, winding together all the elements of a brilliant thriller. The strength of the bond of the family of three siblings: Cathy, Joe & Frannie and their closeness and reliance on each other adds intrigue, whilst the nuances that pass between them add suspicion. Uniquely they work together in a veterinary practice, live in three adjoined cottages and jointly own a villa in Verona. They know each other inside out, and at times have an almost unspoken communication between them.
All the settings are so clearly portrayed that I was there living the story alongside the characters, seeing the sights, feeling the heat and smelling the (sometimes unwelcome) smells.
The narration from the viewpoints of the main characters and the use of two timelines ‘then’ and ‘now’, cleverly brings the stories together.
There was never any lull in the action or the plot development with plenty to keep me turning the pages as fast as I could.

Gripping, tense and full of suspense!

Wow! What a fantastic book this was! The story starts with a bang, quite literally, when Frannie hits a guy with her car whilst driving on the wrong side of the road in Verona. Instead of calling the police, she panics and phones her siblings Cathy and Joe, who are at their holiday villa, and asks them to come quickly, as she needs their help…

Cathy and Joe arrive at quite a horrific scene. Do they call the police? No! They decide to help their little sister cover up the tragic accident. If they didn’t, who knows what would happen to Frannie, they can’t risk her being put away in a foreign prison!

We follow the three of them as they finish their holiday and return home to England and try to get on with their lives. They are not experts in covering up a crime though, and it isn’t long before things start to go terribly wrong. As secrets and lies are revealed we realise there is so much more to what happened that night!

Ok, so the question that has been running around in my head since finishing this book is, would I help a loved one to hide a body and any evidence to do with the crime? I’m not going to answer that here, just in case I get placed on a police watchlist or something, but would you? Could you live with the guilt or would how much you cared for the person you are helping override that?

This book is incredibly clever, very tightly plotted and really different to all the psych thrillers that I’ve read before. It’s hugely atmospheric, to the point I could feel the heat and smell the blood as if I were there at the scene of the accident.

My only slight niggle, and it is very slight, was that I found myself a bit easily distracted at times in the middle of the book, I’m not sure why and this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story in any way, I just felt much more gripped at the beginning and at the end, where it is much faster-paced.

The characters are likeable but completely unreliable, which is great as it makes you feel unsure about who to trust.

What I absolutely loved about this book was that I did not guess the twists at all. That is very unusual for me with the number of thrillers I read, so credit to the author when they manage to surprise me like that.

Unforgettable and enthralling! A killer summer read!

Thank you to Gillian McAllister, Penguin and NetGalley for my copy of this book.

Gillian McAllister is an author I was introduced to early in my NetGalley adventures and has fast become a staple along with authors such as Helen Fields and CL Taylor. As soon as I see a new book has been released by her I request it, knowing that it will be an assured, twisty and confident read written by very capable hands!

One of the things I enjoy about McAllister’s writing is that she has first-hand experience of being a lawyer and it really shows through in her writing. Her courtroom scenes always feel very realistic and That Night is no exception. The narrative alternates between flashbacks to the night in question, further forward to the aftermath and then to a lawyer preparing their client for court. This doesn’t become confusing though, although it allows for some good foreshadowing and misdirection as well.

Another thing I enjoy about McAllister’s books is the way that she really makes you think about how you’d respond in certain situations. The situations themselves are usually realistic, yet improbable and after reading That Night, I had a chat to my partner about whether he would bury a body for me (and how we’d get away with it)! I imagine after seeing the amount of crime fiction I read and murder podcasts I listen to he’s probably a little worried now!

Being an only child, I found it a little difficult to relate to the siblings as they are so close. I can’t imagine having grown up with your brother and sister and then also live next door to them and go to work with each other every day too. I enjoyed the character of Cathy but found Frannie intensely annoying. I knew that something bigger was going on in the plot but you have to wait until right near the end to find out and I hadn’t really guessed much as we went into the climax. I love the tension that built as you waited to see whether they’d get away with it but I do think they made some very silly decisions as the plot went on.

Overall That Night is a twisty read that really makes you think what choices you would make in a similar situation. Thank you to Penguin Book UK – Michael Joseph for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

That Night by Gillian McAllister is a story of a family who would do anything for each other. The two sisters and brother live in a row of cottages, they all work in the family veterinarian practice and they all own a villa in Italy.
That is why the first incident happens and the three of them cover it up. Then when they return home normal life becomes difficult and then the second incident occurs. That is just too much to cover up.
The the trial happens and one of them will be jailed for all of the crime.
An interesting storyline with the main characters all related and this affects what happens to them all..
Highly recommended

From reading the reviews of That Night it was apparent that the majority of those who have read it loved it. However for me I just couldn’t gel with it. I felt it lacked pace and just didn’t have the twists and turns to keep me entertained. I would rate this book 2.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Michael Joseph and the author for the chance to review.

So just how far would you go to protect your family members and those closest to you ?
Would you commit or cover up a murder to protect them ?
These are the questions you'll find you asking yourself as you read the latest publication from Ms McAllister.
What was a relaxing family holiday turns into a nightmare with an apprent accidental death.
This book grabbed me early on and kept me hooked until the end, with a couple of twists along the way.
Very worthwhile read.

Unfortunately I have to say I am not a fan of That Night. Having loved all the author's previous books, I was very excited for this, but it wasn't for me. On the positive side, there's loads to talk about with it, it's well structured and written, and I certainly engaged as I spent most of the book shouting at the characters to stop making such incredibly bad decisions.

Ultimately, though, there is only so far I can suspend my disbelief, and only so much insanity I can take. I understand the journey exploring the consequences of a bad choice, but this felt like an unbelievable journey.

I have read a few of this authors other books and enjoyed them but unfortunately I really struggled with this one. I found the storyline quite boring and it struggled to keep my attention. I also couldn’t relate to any of the main characters and found them annoying

Superb..
How far would you go to protect the ones you love, your closest family? When the lies begin, the trouble starts. Thoroughly engaging suspense raising pertinent and, perhaps, troubling questions but so credible. A well drawn cast of characters populate the compelling and addictive storyline with a slow burn of mounting, palpable tension. Superb.

Wow! I read this in one sitting.....it's a gripping tale of 3 close siblings who live next door to each other and who work together in the family veterinarian business. Then, on holiday at their family villa near Verona, a murder takes place and they all work together to cover it up.

The pages fly past as the tension builds throughout the book to a satisfying climax. It's so well written (as one expects from this excellent author) and it pulls you in and doesn't let go.
I felt dread and frustration as they all deal with the tragedy in their own way; whilst observing the complexities within their sibling relationships as they attempt to maintain some form of normality. The cracks immediately show and tension builds both inside the family and ripples to relationships beyond family.

It's a tight plot with a solid ending and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the opportunity to preview and congratulations to Gillian McAllister on this excellent read.

I absolutely loved the author’s last book so I was really excited to read this but I just didn’t like it. I kept expecting a big twist and there wasn’t one and I really disliked all of the main characters

I’m so sorry because I couldn’t write a book at all so I feel bad criticizing it but I was so disgusted by the characters’ actions i couldn’t get past that

I thought this started really slow and I couldn't see where it was going. So just before I got half way I decided that I would just sit down and read the rest in one sitting.
Good decision as it really ramped up.
This is told from the pov of the three siblings, Joe, Cathy,Frannie and Joe's wife Lydia. Told in the then and now.
One fateful night and a murder.
The siblings are on holiday in Verona at their villa when it all goes wrong.
I did see some of the twists coming but not all. Gillian is very clever at making the reader think it's going one way but then twisting it round so you are left reeling.
The characters are unlikeable although I did feel sorry for Cathy. I could see that Frannie wanted to protect her son and wouldn't we all do anything to to protect our own children? Quite the dilema.
Overall I did enjoy this, although it is a slow burner.
Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This is only the second book that I've read by Gillian McAllister, but I have to say that I'm enjoying what I'm reading very much. That Night is a tense, twisted look at the very close relationship between three siblings, bound together by two tragedies, one n their past and one very, very much in their present.

I'm not going to lie, I didn't much like the protagonists in this story. There is a real intensity to the relationship between older brother Joe and his sisters, Cathy and Frannie, one which is almost claustrophobic and hard to breach, even as a reader. We are drawn into their twisted world with a very tense and shocking opening, getting to know the essence of the story before we get to know them and almost being forced into making a snap decision about their character, much as Cathy and Joe are forced into making a snap decision about what occurs. What this leads to is a strange but fascinating mistrust between the characters and me as a reader. They make a choice which seems unpalatable, one which no matter how close I was with my siblings (and I'm not) I could never imagine making, and what follows is an exploration of why they made this choice - what drove this seemingly out of character behaviour - and the ongoing repercussions of that fateful night.

And yet, in spite of the fact I didn't much like the characters, I was completely drawn into the story of a family vacation turned sour.. Whether it was morbid curiosity to see how far their lies and deception could carry them, or to see if, ultimately, justice was done, I'm not sure, but I was fascinated. The styling of the book was very clever, told from differing points of view, largely Cathy and Joe, in third person, and a first person narration which really puts a different perspective on what comes to pass. The author plants many seeds of doubt, lots of misdirection, and maintains the tension from start to finish. Although we do know the what, we don't have the full picture of the why and how, and it takes time for that to slowly, but surely, emerge from the fog. There is a strange sense of entitlement amongst the siblings, and seeing this gradually erode, seeing their emotions take over, adds a melancholy to the tale too.

That Night is a really intriguing exploration of how far a family will go to protect each other and what they will sacrifice for those they love. It is also a great character study as to how a bad decision can slowly corrupt and break and already fragile personality, pushing people to the very edge of sanity, and seeing the impact of guilt upon their behaviour. If you are looking for a strong, character led, psychological thriller then this could be. the read for you.

Not my favourite from this author in fact l left the book a quarter in for some months before trying again this time l picked up on the story line better and enjoyed the complex characters but it wasn’t an easy read and l can’t understand why having enjoyed so many of the authors previous books

How far would you go to protect your siblings? That Night tells the story of an accidental killing and how far the siblings will go to protect their sister and cover up her crime.

When I was offered a copy of the new Gillian McAllister book I jumped at the chance to read it because I thoroughly enjoyed her previous books. Like all her books it is very well written, but it is quite a slow burner that never really set alight for me. I didn't particularly care for the characters and a few things didn't add up.

Overall I didn't love it but i didn't hate it either , it was ok.

Everything I love about a good psychological thriller is within the pages of That Night.

Gillian McAllister has come up with a superb story which includes the burning moral dilemma that she is so good at. In addition she plays on the reader's assumptions before turning tables, a difficult feat to pull off successfully but one that is handled with a deftness to be wondered at. Lastly unlike many who write in the genre her characters are likeable which isn't to say they are not flawed, oh my I would not want to be part of this family, even if I did sympathise with them all, in different ways. However, at first I wasn't totally sure about this one, it was a definite slow burn for the first little while, mainly because the opening section. had a different feel to the author's previous novels but it wasn't very long at all before I was grabbed and desperate to find out what happened to the Plant family.

Imagine living in a row of three houses, the other two housing your siblings. That was life for Joe, Cathy & Frannie. Not only that but they work together at the Vet's practice with their mother Maria. I could only sympathise with Lydia, Joe's wife, pushed to the edge by the adoration the three held for each other. But all that changes one night in Verona. A desperate request from one of the family will have consequences for them all.

Clear your diary before turning the first page of this book!

Gillian McAllister never ceases to amaze with her gripping stories that keep readers hooked till the final.page, and this book is no exception.
Frannie, Joe and Cathy are the closest siblings you'll ever meet! They live next door to each other, work together and holiday together. A perfect family until THAT night when their lives are turned upside down and changed forever by one decision - to dispose of the body of the man that Frannie has murdered. Terrified their actions will be discovered they return home trying to continue as normal but not being able to keep it to themselves sparks off another chain of events that ends in disaster and an unexpected revelation.

Gillian McAllister is one of my favourite authors and this book keeps her close to the top of the list. How far would you go for your siblings? Cathy, Joe and Frannie Plant work together, live next to each other and holiday together. One night in Verona Frannie phones her brother and sister because she has killed a man. What follows is a well written spiral of events with lots of twists and turns, including one or two that I didn't see coming! A definite page turner and stay up late for one more chapter of a book that I would thoroughly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an arc of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really well written the characters were interesting and the plot had me engaged very early on.

A man is dead and 3 siblings work together to cover it up. We follow the story as their lives unravel and the truth comes out.

I dont think this is Gillians best book but it was still good and a very quick and enjoyable read.