Member Reviews
This is my first book by Gillian McAllister but it will not be my last!
That Night is a complete page turner with plenty of tension and twists and turns. I found the characters were all believable but not likeable but I enjoyed all of them. I would definitely recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.
I absolutely love this author she is the queen of moral dilemma drama! I’ve been lucky enough to read all her previous novels and this one is of the same high standard as the others.
Joe, Cathy and Frannie are siblings, close siblings, in fact, weirdly close siblings. They all work at the family vets practice and live in neighbouring houses. All are very different personality wise joe being hot headed and impulsive yet kind and gentle with his wife, Lydia. Cathy is more of a reflective character and still troubled by a family trauma when she was younger. Frannie is flighty, a single parent to toddler, Paul after a one night stand.
Their loyalty to each other is tested when a distraught frannie calls Cathy one night stating she has killed a man and begging for Cathy and joes help to cover up the murder. The pair oblige and the body is buried but the guilt and worry of discovery of what they have done eats away at them whilst suspicion of how much they can trust each other to keep this huge secret grows.
I would highly recommend this gripping tale of how far family loyalty can be stretched in order to protect a member.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Happy Publication Day to @gillianmauthor! 🎉
I was fortunate to receive a copy of this ARC from Penguin and NetGalley.
I found the concept of this book very interesting. How far would you go to protect a family member? I felt the book explored the idea of right and wrong and if one wrong decision makes someone a bad person. The writing definitely transported me to Italy, which was very welcome at this time! And I'm also pleased that despite being written in 2020, the pandemic is not referenced. It's bad enough living through it, I don't want to read about it in my escapism! The book is very well plotted and I found it a real page turner.
My favourite quote:
"Holidays are not for saving money on. Holidays are for not really knowing what fifty euros is, exactly, in pounds, and spending it anyway."
That Night is the latest standalone psychological thriller from Gillian McAllister about two siblings who go all in to cover up a body that had been seemingly murdered by their sister Frannie. One scorching hot Italian summer evening, the lives of close siblings Joe, Cathy and Frannie Plant changed forever. This was the fateful night Frannie committed a murder, but she apparently didn’t mean to do it. The siblings received a frantic phone call informing them what had happened but neither Joe nor Cathy could bear to see their sister be torturously put through the legal system and end up incarcerated so they resolve to keep it hush-hush and pretend that nothing ever happened. In fact, they had known exactly how they were going to handle the situation even before Frannie asked them directly, in a state of sheer panic and confusion, for their assistance.
They were always close, some might say too close, siblings who worked together and even lived next door to each other. And now they’ve buried a body together. But when they return to England, Frannie, Joe and Cathy become tangled in the endless lies they’ve been telling, to the police, to their friends, to each other…But if you can’t trust your family, who can you trust? This is a compelling, suspenseful and wickedly twisty thriller with some genuinely explosive and totally unexpected surprises throughout. It's addictive and the tension is ratcheted up superbly as the lives of the three siblings unravel before our eyes revealing secrets, lies and intense drama aplenty. McAllister writes a clever, often unbearably nail-biting tale where nothing is quite as it appears on the surface. But as the saying goes: the truth, and in this case, the corpse, never stays buried for long. Highly recommended.
Eminently readable as ever and keeps you guessing where it is going. Familial, sibling bonding at its extreme. They work together, live side by side and holiday together. Will the events of one evening tear them apart yet bind them further together through its intensity
Gillian McAllister is one of my favourite authors, I have loved everything she has written and this was no exception. A brilliant psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep me hooked throughout. A definite hit for 2021. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
I was really excited to read this book, but I have to admit that the beginning didn't grip me as much as I'd been hoping it would. Thankfully, as the book went on, it just got better and better and I ended up not being able to put it down.
That Night tells the story of 3 siblings, one of whom commits a serious crime. It sees the siblings support one another in covering up the crime, and follows the trail of destruction that follows. I found myself regularly trying to put myself in the mindset of the characters and thinking 'what WOULD I do in that situation'? I don't think I have ever known a book to have so many twists and turns. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, another bombshell was dropped and it turned out that I was wrong about it all.
Overall, this was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and spent many a late night reading 'just one more chapter'. I would recommend it as a twisty thriller.
My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for sending me an advance copy of this book.
Another great book from Gillian McAllister.
Cathy and Joe both receive a phone call from their sister telling them that she needs their help. She’s hit a man in her car and think she’s killed him.
They’re all in holiday in Verona at the time and Cathy and Joe race to get to their sister.
What they decide to do next has repercussions for all of them and when they return home, they each struggle to keep the secret.
Joe’s wife Lydia knows there’s something going on but but how can he tell her what actually happened when he’s still processing it himself?
There’s chapters from now and chapters from then, which gives the reader a sneak peek into how it turns out. However, be prepared for a few surprises…
This is a gripping thriller that definitely had me hooked.
Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Love in all its forms is a powerful, intoxicating drug. It can be wonderful, beautiful and all consuming but it can also blind you to the truth, forcing many an individual to act out of character. It’s these transgressions carried out in the name of sibling love and loyalty that place the Plant family slap bang in the middle of a moral dilemma in Gillian McAllister’s latest tense and emotionally explosive psychological thriller. Joseph, Catherine and Francesca Plant are three siblings who not only work side by side in the family veterinary practice but live side by side too which to some outsiders may seem a little too close for comfort but is a reality that suits them just fine. On THAT NIGHT in question this tight knit, almost impenetrable unit of three are holidaying in Verona when a fatal accident and a middle of the night phone call catapults them into a situation where one serious error of judgement leads to countless more and the dynamics of their relationships inevitably and irrevocably alter. As Gillian McAllister explores the impact of THAT NIGHT she poses an impossible to answer conundrum; what would you do in their shoes and how far would you go to protect and preserve the status quo???
Wow! What a page turner! I think this has to one of the best ‘moral dilemma’ novels I’ve had the pleasure and good fortune to read. Beautifully written, though provoking, superb characterisation and taut with tension from the word go, this is like witnessing the domino effect where the decision to turn left instead of right (metaphorically speaking) sets in motion a chain of events from which there is no comeback. A family tragedy (most definitely the elephant in the room) has strengthened the ties that bind them, yet has also constricted and stifled the siblings lives outside of the family unit to the extent that no one, not even Joe’s wife Lydia, can penetrate their inner circle. All three have slotted and settled, some happier than others, into their assigned roles, a hangover from loving childhoods turned sour. Joe as the eldest is hot headed and prone to volatile outbursts but has a particularly close relationship with baby of the family Frannie, whose own son Paul Joe idolises. Cathy the middle child is the woman to go to in a crisis, exuding calm, strait laced, in control of her emotions but slightly jealous of Frannie who’s more sociable,cheerful and chatty and a woman who loves to shop! Like any threesome Cathy is the odd one out, sometimes excluded from conversations between the other two but they all still manage to remain firmly connected until THAT NIGHT shakes the foundations upon which their lives are built. This type of scenario in which sibling relationships are microscopically scrutinised is one I relish. Gillian McAllister captures all the nuances that exist in the relationships between Joe, Cathy and Frannie, exposing their individual personality traits and flaws, pinpointing any rivalries or resentments together with their motivations, breathing life into these characters in a way that leads you to believe you could reach out and touch them.
From their villa in Verona, to the vets practice, to Frannie’s home where the siblings congregate and to the courtroom, Gillian McAllister propels you backwards and forwards in time to depict the mounting pressure felt by each sibling desperate to keep the family unit intact alongside the inner turmoil they face in light of decisions made THAT NIGHT. I read this with my head in my hands, a knot in my stomach and with an air of helplessness as lies beget lies and the cracks in the relationships between the siblings begin to deepen, possibly beyond repair. Witnessing the gradual erosion of sibling solidarity, each one encumbered by guilt, regret, panic, dread and indecision as further events compound an already disastrous situation makes you want to weep with sorrow and frustration. All the subterfuge, the individual sacrifices made, the loss of control over destinies and the mental anguish are a high price to pay indeed but then hindsight is a wonderful thing! You wonder who, if anyone, will be the first to break and call a halt to this madness. The illusion that what happened in Verona can stay in Verona is well and truly shattered when matters are forced to a head and others regain control over how this sorry state of affairs should conclude. Each twist is exceptionally good, seamlessly woven into a watertight plot that I cannot fault.
So, by the end (which is emotionally highly charged) could I answer the questions raised by this narrative? Absolutely not! Fortunately few of us would have the strength of our love and loyalty towards our siblings tested in the ways the Plant siblings face but it’s an interesting moral dilemma to contemplate and ruminate over. I would happily recommend THAT NIGHT as an outstanding thriller which is a well paced, intelligent read. Congratulations to Gillian McAllister for penning what will no doubt be another crowd pleaser. If you have read and liked B A Paris The Dilemma then I think this is a book you will definitely enjoy too.
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.
They say that “blood is thicker than water”, but what happens when the bond between siblings results in blood on all their hands which no amount of water will ever erase?
Joe, Cathy and Frannie are close – very close. They work together in the family vet practice, the live next to each other in adjoining cottages and they holiday together in their joint owned villa near Verona, Italy.
The story starts with Joe receiving a phone call in the dead of night from Frannie, her first words are “Help me, please help me” then Cathy receives the same call. The bond between them is so strong that neither question their sisters demand and rush to her side. What they discover will change all their lives, forever.
I was gripped by this book from the first page. The setting of Italy added an extra layer of fear and suspense as the trio desperately attempt to cover their tracks. The characters were interesting and as the story unfolds you learn more about them and how their lives were both before and after the incident.
The suspense throughout the book was intense, especially the chapters where one of the characters is meeting to discus the incident, which were written in such a way so as not to disclose which character it was or who they were speaking to.
The twists and turns kept me gripped throughout with a shocking ending.
I highly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys the thriller/suspense genre.
Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and NetGalley for the review copy.
I really enjoy Gillian McAllister’s books and this was no exception. A clever psychological book that keeps you guessing. I examines moral dilemmas and just how far you would go to help a sibling. I really didn’t see the twist coming in this one. Very clever.
4.5 stars.
I am a big fan of this author and, although this book didn't quite hit the heady heights of her previous offerings, it was a good solid read that held my attention throughout nonetheless. Spitting me out at the end exhausted and satisfied.
We start with a phone call - a cry for help - Frannie has killed a man with her car and needs her siblings help. Joe and Cathy duly run to her aid and are horrified at what they find. But they are close and both agree to help her. Problem is, as more is learned about what happened, the only way of helping is to cover it all up. To hide the body... This all happens at their holiday home in Italy but their problems don't stop when they return home. To their three adjacent houses, to the vets where they are all partners. One thing after another happens which makes the situation spiral out of control... It's not til the end of the book that all the secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour finally comes out... but... phew, what a ride it is getting there!
It's tightly plotted and that plot is extremely well executed, which isn't a surprise if you have read this author before. She has also managed to pull the wool over my eyes before in her books and this one was no different. Although I did have a couple of inklings, I had no idea where we were going half the time which meant that the journey was all the more exciting.
One of the things I really loved was the relationships between the three siblings. Both in pairs and all together. How when one was weak, the others rallied round and their, well bordering on completely unhealthy at times, bond. They would, and did, do literally anything for each other.
And the shocks just kept on coming, all the way through. Especially with the two-person chats we are privy to peppered throughout the narrative.
Pacing is good throughout and there is no waffle or padding to distract. Characters, although at times a bit larger than life, are well drawn and, on the whole, believable. I had a few niggles, hence the half star down, but I have rounded up as they are minor and few and far between.
All in all, a cracking addition to an already well impressive back catalogue. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
What would you do to protect your family?
ANYTHING.
This is the story of Joe, Cathy and Frannie Plant, siblings that will do anything to help one another, whatever the circumstances. They are a close knit family, they live next door to one another, they work together at the family veterinary practice, they even go on holiday together to their house in Verona, Italy and it's during this latest holiday that Frannie makes a desperate call to Cathy and Joe needing their help, but their subsequent actions will have a detrimental effect on all of them and will change their lives forever.
That Night is told over two timelines; Then in Verona, Italy and Now in Birmingham, UK and voiced by all the main characters. The story has a good concept with a few twists along the way that you won't see coming, it's a slow burner but begins to ramp up in the last third of the book. It explores how far someone would go to protect a member of their family and, I suppose, until you're faced with that situation, you just don't know what you would do. I didn't connect with any of the characters, although I did feel a modicum of sympathy for Joe's wife, Lydia who was kept out of the loop for most of the story, and this disconnection did have an effect on my enjoyment of the book, although I was intrigued to discover what really happened that night. I've really enjoyed all of this authors courtroom thrillers and was blown away by her last book, How to Disappear, which I awarded five stars, but there was just something missing in this one and for that reason I have given it three and a half stars, however this won't deter me from reading her books in the future.
I'd like to thank Penguin Michael Joseph UK and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.
Another brilliant and gripping psychological thriller from an author who never disappoints. It fairly crackles with tension and bristles with intensity.
Cathy, Joe and Frannie are very close siblings. They work together at the family vet practice and live in the same row of cottages. During a holiday in Verona an incident throws their lives into complete chaos. They are all faced with the same question; how far will I go to protect the people I love?
The characterisation in this novel is exceptional; you can really understand the dilemmas that face all of them and the struggles they have with their emotions. The plot is deftly developed and is clever. The pace and the reveals are perfect. The writing is excellent.
Gillian McAllister has written another chart topping novel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
That Night is a well-paced thriller with lots of great twists, which really draws you into the kind of situation that you never hope to share.
The book is set across two timelines, the past as the events of the night and the following days play out, and the present as someone sits in court to tell their version of the truth. But what is the truth? Who has come undone? And what has gone so wrong for the events to have led up to this moment?
I love how the timelines work alongside each other, slowly building up your anticipation as you begin to fill in the middle. The characters are believable which really makes you question, “What would I do?”. But I didn’t particularly warm to any of the siblings, as they each had selfish tendencies which meant that I couldn’t place my trust in any of them. For some, that will make the story all the more intense, but I wanted something to compel me to the story more.
This is my first book by Gillian McAllister and I definitely want to read more by her. For me, however, I’ve read quite a few books about a shared burden recently so I didn’t love this one, but there was still a lot that I enjoyed about it and plenty of surprises that kept me intrigued.
A twisty ride, set across two time lines. We have then when an awful accident leads a family to close ranks, the events catch up to now which is the second time line. There was some unevenness to the pacing, and for anyone who loves this author it was quite easy to unravel the twists. That doesn't take away from the fact that it is a great read and a definite recommendation.
Another fantastic book by Gillian McAllister! Three siblings, Frannie, Cathy and Joe, are very close… so close they would bury a body to cover up a murder. The story is gripping with well thought out twists and turns. This book will have you reading on the edge of your seat, ignoring notifications on your phone and not wanting to put the book down.
It was so tense and the suspense kept building right up to the end as I was trying work out what else could possibly go wrong for this family. Combined with me questioning my own moral compass with ‘what would I do?’ made a really intense, yet intriguing story!
I would have liked to read a little bit more about the characters and their backstory to have been able to connect with them more and maybe understand some of their decisions. Nevertheless, a great read and I would still recommend this book along with Gillian McAllister’s other books. She is one of my favourite authors and all her books I’ve read so far are so brilliantly written and put together!
A huge thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Michael Joseph and Gillian McAllister for this read!
I adore Gillian McAllister's books, she is a go to author for me.
She never fails to deliver a thrilling read and one I race through. I could have read it quicker had I not been working!
This one was an interesting premise, with the three siblings reminding me of myself and my 2 siblings. All I kept thinking was 'would they help me bury a body?!'
A book that combines a bit of my favourite genre, legal thriller, I thought this book just got better as it went on, and although I predicted some of the twists, I didn't mind at all.
Another belter from McAllister.
Wow! This book was incredible!!! It had me gripped right from the beginning. So many twists, turns and dark secrets. I couldn't put it down.
A fantastic storyline, thrilling and Gillian McAllister has an excellent style of writing. This is the first one of her books I have read and I am dying to read more!
I loved how each chapter was from the perspective of a different character and it switched between past and present. It really added to the suspense of the story.
Thank you to Gillian McAllister, NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for the opportunity to read and review this book.
A tense and gripping psychological thriller about family, loyalty and trust
How far would you go to protect your family?
Joe, Frannie and Cath Plant work together, and live next door to each other, they're as close as siblings can be. One night at their villa in Verona, two of the siblings get a call from the other asking for help. She's accidentally hit a man with her car and killed him! Now terrified she need their help, but when one lie leads to another, things start to snowball. Where will it all end? What happened that night?!
That Night was quite a stressful read, and at some points I was peeking through my fingers whilst reading, as things rapidly went from bad to worse! It was so well written in that the tension was palpable, the relationships intense, and the dread in the pit of my stomach felt sour! You know that it's going to all unravel and implode, but don't quite know how! I could feel the threat of the police closing in on the family! Plus there were a few great twists which caught me off-guard!
Gillian McAllister has written a fabulous moral dilemma here, and at the beginning I was scathing, but as I read on, I kept thinking, but what would I do? We're slowly drip fed snippets of information, shedding different light on events and characters, as the lies began to pile up, and the betrayal and thoughts of betrayal creep in.
The story flits from the past to the present, and also takes place across several locations; the villa in Verona, the vets practice which they all own, an office in Birmingham, court and in Frannie's kitchen where the siblings would gather to drink wine. We get POVs from the siblings, and also from Joe's wife Lydia, who feels locked out of their claustrophobic relationship. It was really well done, and flowed well for me.
The characters were on the whole an extremely unlikeable bunch! The siblings were flawed, and damaged from a childhood trauma, strangely inseparable and devoted to each other. Joe, the hot headed, over protective brother. Frannie, the fun, immature single mother. Cathy, the cool, calm, detached sister. But even though they were mostly unlikeable, I still felt for them as they tried to deal with the life changing decisions they made in the stifling heat of Verona. As they battled with their conscience, they realised that they would have to live with the consequences of their actions for the rest of their lives, if they got away with it...As time passed, it became increasingly obvious that what happened was affecting them all in different ways, whether it be mentally, emotionally or physically. Doubts crept in. Paranoia made them lash out.
Then there was their parents.. whose reaction to a tragedy damaged their children irreparably. Lydia I could relate to a little. It must have been awful to have felt left out of everything, to feel that your husband constantly put his siblings before you, especially after what she had been through.
I wouldn't say I enjoyed reading this, it was tense and stressful, but I equally couldn't stop turning the pages to see what would become of the Plants, to discover how their lies caught up with them, and to find out how far they would go for each other! If you're looking for an unsettling, character driven thriller, with twists, betrayals and secrets, then I would recommend this!