This was such a page turner from the very first page. There are many unexpected twists and turns. The writing style is excellent. The story is very much character led. It’s a slow burn.

Absolutely nothing is as it seems in the very thrilling read. A family secret that must never be told, but is always hanging just on the edge of their lips, twists and turns galore. Really a very entertaining read, recommended.

While I did enjoy this, it was not the 'gripping edge-of-your-seat novel' it was sold as - instead I would describe it more as a family drama with lots of hope and redemption. A slow burner but one that I did end up being happy with.

I brilliant read. I really enjoyed it. Great descriptions of a family torn apart over the years by lies and deceit. I especially loved the character of Jessica and Amber and everyone would love an Evie in their life.

I enjoyed this one . full of drama ,attempted murder .what more do you need .I think its Zoe Millers best one yet .

When actress Evie Lawrence is injured in a shocking hit-and-run accident, she wants nothing more than to retreat to her woodland home in Wicklow to recover. But when she's forced to admit that she needs help, she reluctantly opens up her solitary life to allow her grand-niece Amber, practically a stranger, to move into Heronbrook to take care of her.

Evie, who has been estranged from her sister's family for many years, vows to keep Amber at a distance so her secrets - and the truth of what happened at Heronbrook years ago - stay buried.

Amber is initially preoccupied with the recent implosion of both her career and her love life, the details of which she's keeping to herself, but soon becomes very curious about the rift in her family. And when unsettling incidents begin to make Evie's secluded home feel less peaceful and more dangerously isolated, Amber starts to suspect that what happened to Evie wasn't an accident at all - and the person responsible still has Evie in their sights. But can Amber persuade Evie to confront the past and get to the truth before it's too late?
the storyline was fascinating, deep, intense, thrilling, and shocking! Honestly, as much as I needed to know how it ended-I didn’t want it to! I needed more!!

I really enjoyed this book. I found it easy to read and addictive at times!
When actress Evie Lawrence is injured in a hit-and-run accident, she wants nothing more than to retreat to her woodland home to recover. When she realises recovery is going to be harder than she thought, she is forced to admit that she needs help. Amber, her grand-niece, has recently taken a break from working agrees to move in and Evie has to reluctantly opens up her solitary life to allow her grand-niece to move into Heronbrook to take care of her.

As Evie has been been estranged from her sister's family for many years, Amber is practically a stranger and so Evie vows to keep Amber at a distance so her secrets - and the truth of what happened at Heronbrook years ago when her and her sister when young - stay buried.

Amber is initially preoccupied with the recent implosion of both her career and her love life, the details of which she's keeping to herself, but soon becomes very curious about the rift in her family. As Amber and Evie become closer and closer, unsettling incidents begin to make Evie's secluded home feel less peaceful and more dangerously isolated. As Amber learns all that happened in Heronbrook all those years before, she starts to suspect that what happened to Evie wasn't an accident at all and the person responsible may come back to finish the job once and for all.

This was a very good read with strong characters and development. The story flicks from the past to the present as Evie tells her story, which keeps you wanting to read on and on until it is 3am!

This was a well written read that really kept me engaged throughout! Written in a fantastic, fast paced, and unique style, with excellent character development! It was tense, thrilling, chilling, and shocking! A twisty ride full of turns, which might just give you a bit of whiplash! Highly recommend!

For some reasons I keep selecting books that have secrets. I'm not a lover of secrets I feel they have the potential to be hurtful and harmful to all those concerned. But nothing like a good secret to make a compelling read. Right?

I've never read this author before and I admit she is definitely someone I will be aware of in the future. Her writing style is excellent and she keeps you turning the pages.

This is a character led story. It's about past mistakes, jealousy, unhappiness, heartbreak, regret and revenge. Don't expect a thriller. It's not. What it is is a story of a dysfunctional family. It is a slow burn. But if you like to not expect what comes next you should give it a go.

It is definitely a page turner. You get hooked quickly. A very enjoyable read.

The House in the Woods by Zoe Miller is a book that once you start reading it, it becomes increasingly difficult to put down. From the very first chapter you are sucked into the mystery at the centre of this brilliant story and the hold it takes over you does not relinquish its grip until the very last word. The sins of the past have a very long and strong reach right into the present and the author has done a fantastic job of creating a story that will leave you guessing until the last possible minute whilst taking you on a journey of many unexpected twists and turns. You think you have everything worked out but then the story veers in another direction so as to make you reassess everything and then your opinion changes. As a reader you are certainly kept guessing as to who could be behind the attempted killing of one the main characters Evie? Yes, I had my suspicions as to who it could be and also as to their motives but I was proven totally wrong and that’s the sign of an excellent book in this genre. Leave the reader in suspense until everything really needs to be revealed and also lead them up the garden paths so many times that they really can’t decide who the culprit is.

During the summer of 1964 at Heronbrook House something awful happened, the repercussions of which are still radiating through to the present day. Evie is 75 and an award winning actress who has retired to Heronbrook following a successful career. This place holds many memories for her ever since her family holidayed there when she and her sister Pippa were younger. Some memories are good, others not so much and the reasons for this are slowly drip fed to the reader in little titbits. I loved the dropping in of subtle clues and answers to questions at just the appropriate time. It was like we were being spoon fed information on a need to know basis which just made me want to read the book even faster in order to discover all the answers and how all the pieces slotted together.

Evie is now in hospital after someone had attempted to kill her, that’s after she had already been knocked down by a motorbike in the lane near to her home and had suffered a broken hip as a result. Who did this and why? What secrets has Evie being keeping for so long? Is someone determined her secrets will come out into the open? Are they out for revenge? So many more questions can be asked and we don’t get the answers in rapid succession. Rather a slow uncovering of a mystery unfolds and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Suspicion falls in many corners and the resentment felt towards Evie intensifies as people’s motives are revealed.

The book took on a haunting and unsettling feeling as so many hidden issues came to the fore. Some of the things occurring were quite unnatural and spooky in a way and I genuinely felt for the safety and well being of both Evie and Amber. The guilt weighs heavily on Evie and she is reluctant to shed any light as to why but a series of alarming and troubling events and coincidences really start to unnerve her. I thought it was pure genius to tie this in with how her character in a gangland drama series made their untimely end. We move back and forth between the past and the present. Right back to when Evie’s family first starting visiting Heronbrook during the summer holidays. A picture is built up of their life there and how Evie meets Lucien who proves to be the love of her life but will this love cause other events to unfold?

Jessica is Evie’s niece although they have never really met each other due to the family hostilities and chasm that has existed for as long as she can remember. She is married to Paul and they have two grown up children Amber and Adam. Jessica is keeping her own secrets and is fearful of having anyone finding out as she hopes she can solve them herself or just sweep everything under the carpet. A chance meeting with Evie at an event sees a small connection rekindled which is only built upon when Evie has her accident and needs someone to look after her whilst she recuperates. Amber steps into the breech. I think she was intrigued by Evie. This woman who had such a successful acting career yet she held in so much, keeping her cards close to her chest. Amber wants to know why is there this family feud and distinct lack of communication? On the other hand Amber views looking after Evie at Heronbrook as an escape for herself away from the trauma of what she has experienced at work. She feels hard done by and like she has been swindled. Something is not sitting right with her and she decides to dig a little deeper but as she slowly uncovers things and edges her way ever closer to the truth is she perhaps better leaving sleeping things lie or is she right in persisting until everything comes out in the open especially when lives are put in imminent danger?

Initially, I thought that there was a lot of characters to become accustomed to as there are quite a few that I haven’t mentioned. I was trying to see how they were connected to each other and to remember who was who and what their background was etc. I admit to being slightly confused but just for a short time and as I neared the end of the book I realised that every person mentioned had a vital role to play no matter how big or small. Don’t under estimate any characters actions or words because all are central to the plot no matter how insignificant you deem them to be whilst reading. Read between the lines and you will be richly rewarded as a complex family web of connections, secrets, lies and confidences emerges.

The books Zoe Miller now writes are vastly different from her early stories which were more geared specifically to the women’s fiction market. I love the direction her books have taken over the course of the last several years and you can tell she enjoys writing in this genre and keeping her readers entertained and guessing. The House in the Woods had a surprising twist towards the end that had me reeling in shock and it highlighted what a cleverly plotted and superbly executed book this was. Through such intense and scintillating writing Zoe Miller took the reader by the hand and on a journey that becomes unforgettable and I was happy to follow wherever she was leading her characters and this reader. The House in the Woods is a book I would definitely recommend and has only made me excited to write lots more from this talented author in the future.

This story had a lot of promise but it fell a little flat for me. I finished it, but it took me a while because I would find myself getting bored. I will give this author another read when I can but this one didn't do it for me.

The house in the woods by Zoe Miller.
When actress Evie Lawrence is injured in a shocking hit-and-run accident, she wants nothing more than to retreat to her woodland home in Wicklow to recover. But when she's forced to admit that she needs help, she reluctantly opens up her solitary life to allow her grand-niece Amber, practically a stranger, to move into Heronbrook to take care of her.
Evie, who has been estranged from her sister's family for many years, vows to keep Amber at a distance so her secrets - and the truth of what happened at Heronbrook years ago - stay buried.
Amber is initially preoccupied with the recent implosion of both her career and her love life, the details of which she's keeping to herself, but soon becomes very curious about the rift in her family. And when unsettling incidents begin to make Evie's secluded home feel less peaceful and more dangerously isolated, Amber starts to suspect that what happened to Evie wasn't an accident at all - and the person responsible still has Evie in their sights. But can Amber persuade Evie to confront the past and get to the truth before it's too late?
This was a very good read with good characters. Evie was my favourite. 4*.

Unsettling Events…
Retreating to her country home following a distressing accident Evie opens up her life and home to Amber, her grand-niece but also practically a stranger. Evie is determined to keep secrets of the past hidden whilst Amber has other ideas altogether. Soon, however, a series of bizarre and unsettling events begin to occur. Intriguing suspense, well written, atmospheric and often beautifully descriptive. A compelling read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
The main character in the book is Evie, and most of the book takes place in current time with flashbacks to past events that shaped the family dynamic. The behaviours and emotions of various members of the family are extreme, but realistic, with strong language used on some occasions.The descriptions of Heronbrook are lovely, invoking thoughts of how Lucien saw things with his artistic eye.
The storyline has been well thought out, the accidents / incidents could have been caused by almost any of the characters. It's a truly thrilling read with many twists, and I didn't guess the outcome!

This is a story of family secrets that seeped through the generations and tore a family apart. A story of unhappiness, heartbreak, missed opportunities, regret and revenge, lots of it.

Actress Evie Lawrence returns to her Heronbrook home in Wicklow to rest and recover after being involved in a hit and run accident. Her great-niece Amber offers to travel down from Laurel Lawns to help care for Evie, who reluctantly accepts, despite Amber being a virtual stranger. She vows to keep Amber at a distance in the hope that she won’t uncover a terrible family secret, a secret that tore their family apart years ago. When unsettling incidents take place at Heronbrook, Amber begins to suspect that what happened to Evie may not have been an accident at all, and those responsible may be out to finish the job.

The story is told through past and present timelines, switching from the summer of 1964 through December 1990, to the present day; my favourite method of story telling. I felt this book was a slow burner, although we learn from the offset that something devastating happened in the past but we were offered no hints as to what that was, so I was kept really intrigued. It then quickly built up the suspense until I couldn’t read and turn the pages fast enough to learn what happened in 1964 that had such devastating consequences.

I loved Zoe Miller’s descriptive writing; the way she describes Heronbrook we can imagine the beautiful settings and serenity of the idyllic home. I would love to be sat on the porch having a cuppa whilst reading my book with Evie! Whilst I thought this book would be suspenseful, eerie and chilling (which it very much was), it also made me feel heartbroken at parts which I wasn’t expecting. This is a testimony to Zoe as through her writing I connected so well with her characters.

I loved Evie and Amber; other characters were likeable, and some I very much disliked. Each piece of the puzzle comes together very cleverly, and although I suspected most characters throughout, I was completely wrong at the end. Masterfully written.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zoe Miller and Hachette UK for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me gripped right from the very start, I was captivated right from the start and i couldnt wait to find out how the a=story played out and what happened to the characters. A really enjoyable thriller.

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

Actress Evie goes to her home in Wicklow, with her estranged niece Amber, to recover from a hit and run. While there they become victims to some very unsettling occurrences. I liked how this book went back and forth from Evie's younger years to the present...that's my favourite format. I found this storyline so suspenseful and as I read along I came to believe...just like Amber...that what happened to Evie may not have been an accident after all. Creepy right!? It just goes to show that the past isn't really that far behind you after all. This had me sucked in right away because it started with a bang and didn't let up throughout, the perfect kind of thriller. And just a note...I love the cover, it goes perfect with the story inside.

Actress Evie Lawrence needs rest and recuperation when she’s involved in a hit and run accident and hopes that her Wicklow home will prove a place of solace. However, she can’t do everything alone so allows – reluctantly – her great-niece Amber, a young woman she barely knows (there’s family drama and then there’s this family drama) to move in and aid her day to day living. Evie welcomes the help but has no desire to become close to Amber, or give any indication of the events that tore the family apart. Not that it matters to Amber: she’s got a teensy weensy problem of having lost her job and her short-term boyfriend. But when incidents occur that feel targeted and deliberate, Amber and Evie have to work together to figure out who’s responsible and why. They say that feelings can go back generations and this novel is the perfect example of that. Switching from present day to a young Evie starting out in life, you jump between who you think is up to no good until the denouement.

#TheHouseInTheWoods #NetGalley
Best suspense novel.
Evie Lawrence is injured in a shocking hit-and-run accident, she wants nothing more than to retreat to her woodland home in Wicklow to recover. But when she's forced to admit that she needs help, she reluctantly opens up her solitary life to allow her grand-niece Amber, practically a stranger, to move into Heronbrook to take care of her. Evie, who has been estranged from her sister's family for many years, vows to keep Amber at a distance so her secrets - and the truth of what happened at Heronbrook years ago - stay buried.
Amber is initially preoccupied with the recent implosion of both her her career and love life, the details of which she's keeping to herself, but soon becomes very curious about the rift in her family. And when unsettling incidents begin to make Evie's secluded home feel less peaceful and more dangerously isolated, Amber starts to suspect that what happened to Evie wasn't an accident at all - and the person responsible still has Evie in their sights. But can Amber persuade Evie to confront the past and get to the truth before it's too late?
Zoe Miller is proving again and again how to write a masterful thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette UK for giving me an advance copy.