
Member Reviews

Fast paced thriller about a murder and a family torn apart. I highly enjoyed this book and identified with most of the characters. It was nice to take a break from a formula book and read some thing that was truly unique. I highly recommend this one.

I’ve read novels by Gillian McAllister before and That Night was just as good as the ones written before it. I loved the psychological interpretations of the family dynamics and the legal aspects which were clearly explained. My definition of a good book is one where I’m not able to accurately anticipate the ending: That Night fitted that description. Cleverly and intelligently written, with a hint of Italian holidays and veterinary skills thrown in for good measure, I would highly recommend That Night.

This is a story about family and what you would do for them. Its about secrets; what you dont know and how you hide what you do.
The Plants are a family of vets, sucessful and taking a break in Italy in the villa that they own. Two single sisters with their older brother and his wife enjoying their holilday when one night it all goes horrible wrong. bad choices are made and they keep spiralling.
I got pretty much every assumption I made about the plotline wrong - from who people were to how they would end up. For me that makes it a great book,

This absolutely blew me away. Properly unputdownable - one of those I absolutely had to keep reading deep into the night, but so well plotted that I want to read again now I know what’s going to happen so I can pick up on everything.
Absolutely brilliant.

I really enjoy Gillian McAllister books, well written, excellent characters and exciting plots.
A car crash in Italy, a man is dead and Frannie is asking her family Joe and Cathy to help her. Together they bury the body and try to cover up the murder. When they return to England the lies start to catch up with them and more trouble is about to start.
I wasn’t 100% sure about this book but in the end settled for a 4 star rating, great writing but something didn’t quite work for me. Still an enjoyable read but have read better books by this author.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Gillian McAllister’s previous book ‘How To Disappear’ I was very excited to be selected to read an advanced copy of her latest title, ‘That Night’.
‘That Night’ tells the story of three siblings, Cathy, Joe and Frannie, who are as close as siblings can be. So much so that they even live in a row of cottages next door to each other and all work at the same family owned veterinary practice. Every year they enjoy a break to Verona at their family owned villa. One summer at the villa, everything is a normal holiday for the three but the actions of one night soon change everything...
The story that unravels from a perspective from that night and the time following it alongside now and events that are happening. The writing style is perfect, keeps you guessing as to who is speaking, what has happened, what will be the outcome - it kept me guessing right up until the very end! A great thriller which keeps you wanting to know more, giving an emotional insight into all the characters and just how close bonds actually are.
I LOVED this book and am about to add more of Gillian’s previous books (how have they eluded me so long?!) to my TBR list as am a massive fan of her writing style. Would definitely recommend, place your pre-order for the June release now!
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House and of course Gillian McAllister for the advanced reader copy.

#ThatNight #NetGalley
Feels like a blockbuster movie.
How far one can go for their family? Too far? But how far is too far? Gillian McAllister will give you the answer in this masterpiece. I was really stunned when I read that other siblings helped one to bury a body. They're thinking that their secret would remain a secret but maybe they're wrong. It's ending was really dramatic. I loved all the characters. This is her best work yet.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK Michael Joseph for giving me an advanced copy of this psychological thriller.

I've loved Gillian McAllisters other books . I enjoyed this but for me it wasn't quite as fast paced as her usual style
The story is split into two timelines Cathy, Frannie and Joe are siblings with a very close bond they all work together , live next door to each other and holiday together . It is during this holiday that Cathy and Joe get a frantic call . Their sister needs help and of course they drop everything to help cover up her crime . This is when things start to unravel for them . The part of the story that is set in the future is told from Cathy's perspective where she is now estranged from her family . I enjoyed getting to the point in the book that revealed the reason for this . Very well written as usual but not my favourite by this author

I really enjoed Gillian McCallister's How to Disappear and as soon as I saw That Night I didn't hesitate in requesting it.
It centres around three siblings who cover up a murder on holiday, there is already friction between these siblings but the bonds they have run deep, set in their childhood when tragedy hits. Revelation after revelation keeps this reader totally engrossed in this.
This book was exactly what I needed to escape reality for a bit.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

A great psychological thriller, this starts on a high and never let’s up.There is an accident in the Italian countryside which cannot be reported to the Police for several reasons. Three siblings on holiday are involved in the cover up and as always one lie leads to another.
Back at home they wonder if they have got away with the crime, but things start to fall apart. The relationship between the siblings is strange and as things become clear so does the tension mount.Cliche or not, I couldn’t put it down. I recommend it.

This is a very unusual and well constructed story. ‘That Night’ when things went wrong for a family on holiday in Verona triggers dramatic changes in family relationships and tests loyalty. Frannie kills a man by accident....or was it an accident? Her sister Cathy and brother Joe help to cover it up. The three all live in adjacent houses back in this country and work in their mother’s veterinary practice. All that closeness is about to be tested to its limits. The book is well written and there are many revelations as it progresses which alter the foundations of the story. Then the climax is unexpected too. This will hold your attention and I recommend it.

I have loved all the previous Gillian McAllister books I have read, but this may just be my favourite (so far). It's a gripping and clever story, which I couldn't put down. I also couldn't predict any of the twists. The characters all seem very real. so I kept thinking "what would I do?" all the way through. A really enjoyable book, and definitely one I will be recommending. I can't wait for Gillian's next book!

I’ve loved Gillian McAllister’s previous books so was super excited to read this new offering.
It certainly didn’t disappoint and had me gripped from Page 1.
Some of the twists were a little predictable, however that didn’t distract from my enjoyment.
It’s a fabulous read and one that I’d strongly recommend!

Yet another triumph for this author. I have given five stars to all but one of her novels and this will be no exception. It is about three close siblings who work together in the family veterinary practice and who live in next-door houses. They also have a villa in Verona where they spend time every summer. One year Frannie, the youngest, has a terrible accident and calls on her brother and sister to help her. What follows is a devastating series of events which threaten all their futures. I will say no more except that I could not put it down.

WOW! WOW! WOW!
A blinding read. I've spent my weekend engrossed in this amazing book. GM is a very clever storyteller who knows how to shock and twist her storylines. The family of three siblings Frannie, Joe and Cathy all look out for each other as family should, yes they argue and fight but they will always be there for each other, the dynamics of this family is just like a real family {apart from the fact that murder is involved}. The plot behind the book just kept getting better and better and the twists and shocks blew me away. The book is a little bit sad and I had a huge lump in my throat at the end of the book, it was so emotional. This will be another bestseller because it's brilliant, clever, emotional and tugs at your heartstrings.
Well done Gillian McAllister you are an exceptional author. I would just like to add that I am so glad Gillian didn't include any lockdown misery in this book, like she said in her acknowledgements living in it is enough and we don't need to read about when you're engrossed in a gripping book.

Woah! This is exactly what I’ve come to expect from Gillian McAllister. Fast paced with a great story that kept me turning the pages.
I’ve not read a book by this author that hasn’t gripped me throughout. Sometimes there are authors who, when they release a book, that book takes precedence over your current read. And they never disappoint. Gillian is one of those authors and I’m already looking forward to her next book.

What a page turner this was . I couldn’t put it down and it held my attention all the way to the end. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen next I was wrong
How far would we go for our family? How would we deal with the lies we were made to speak after that fateful night. This is a really good read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to lose themselves in a good book.

Gillian McAllister’s latest novel ‘That Night’ is her best yet. Focusing almost entirely on three adult siblings, Joe, Cathy and Frannie, the reader is taken from their first crime – a car crash resulting in the killing and hidden burial of an Italian man during their annual holiday near Verona – through the following months as the severity of what they have done hits home back in England in many different ways.
On reading a resume of the plot one might be forgiven for initially judging it preposterous. How many ordinary people would be willing to cover their crime in this way? Can’t these intelligent adults see that it’s going to end in disaster? What a terrible thing to ask of a brother or a sister. However, the Plants’ bonds are extraordinarily tight, not least because of childhood tragedy, single parenthood and their domestic and working arrangements.
McAllister’s plotting adds hugely to the tensions and the surprises in this story. Sometimes we’re in the present when one of the sisters is talking to Jason in his Birmingham office – is he a counsellor, is he a lawyer? Sometimes we’re in the beautiful Italian countryside marred by the memory of blood and earth. Sometimes we’re in the siblings’ veterinary practice noticing how good they are at their work, how irritating they find their ‘outsider’ colleague, Evan. And sometimes they are gathered in Frannie’s kitchen surrounded by toddler Paul’s dinosaurs. These different settings let the reader gain a better understanding of this slowly unravelling tightknit family.
This, and McAllister’s use of revelations, ensures that the reader is fully immersed throughout the narrative. We begin to understand why her characters behave as they do and how their reactions, emotional states and backgrounds allow the story unfurls as it does. Gillian McAllister has written a number of best sellers; ‘That Night’ is sure to be no exception!
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

I read it in a day. I have come to understand that a clear schedule is the best situation to be in when starting a new Gillian McAllister book. After the publisher granted my wish for an advanced copy, I got up, put makeup on (if you can’t dress up for a new Gillian McAllister book when can you…?) and I started.
I was nervous. Gillian’s 2020 publication How To Disappear was absolutely incredible. The sort of book that you cannot imagine being bettered by another. So That Night already had a high bar set and my expectations had rocketed. I’ve been talking to other fans and I know that some of you feel the same as I did. All I can say is, be reassured. It’s fine. It’s more than fine. Gillian McAllister has done it again.
I was drawn to the family dynamics immediately. Frannie, Joe and Cathy. Linked together forever not just through blood but through tragedy. Their close relationship, at times, was annoying. But I got it. This book directly challenges you to think, ‘What would I do? If I got that call, in the middle of the night, what would my response be?’ It’s the impossible dilemma, something of which Gillian is quickly becoming the master of writing about.
The other aspect of this book (apart from basically everything) that I loved the most was the emotion it invoked in me. That sense of dread and guilt that came out of the pages and travelled through my own mind as I tried to unpick the story. That feeling in the pit of your stomach…it’s right there. And I’ve never killed anyone. So that’s a true Writer for you – bringing it right out of the pages and into the room!
Gillian has an incredible talent for characterisation and emotion. Her books are full of facts as well as feelings. The research, time and effort that goes into her characters in That Night is matched by the immense amount of knowledge she has and knowledge she obtains to ensure that she writes about subjects accurately. And to do all of that in the midst of a global pandemic…when you can’t travel to the heat of Verona, or closely capture the tension of Vets performing surgeries in their practices…is applaudable.
Many of us have had to continue our jobs during twelve months of the most unbelieveable, unfathomable, petrifying times of our lives. Gillian is one of those people, and yet her writing hasn’t slipped, her style hasn’t faltered, she has excelled herself and this book is a testament to her unflappable style and stunning prose.