3.5 down

Welcome to The Club which the wealthy would kill to join. The Clubs are dotted around the world and are the brainchild of Ned Groom. The latest addition the the impressive portfolio is the Island Home (Boucher Island) in Essex where a three day long party will celebrate its grand opening. This is one opening the well heeled guests will never forget as what they think is a publicity stunt may well turn out to be the murder mystery of the decade. The story is told from four perspectives.

It starts very dramatically so my intrigue antenna is definitely up! I like the format as you get some points of view then a continuation of THAT night which helps to pick up some pace. Throughout the authors give us little evidence bombs and an escalation of animosity between characters so it becomes a good puzzle to figure out whodunnit. None of the characters are particularly likeable so you may well end up with your own hit list! With one character in particular it's very hard to figure out what they are up to and then it all starts to slot into place. What all this amounts to is that there are plenty of motives and people have killed for less.

Whilst the novel is undeniably well written with an excellent premise it is equally undeniable that it is very slow at the start. There is a lot of detail especially on the characters and it's way to much backstory for my liking although it does become relevant later on. There's a lot of gossipy 'Hello' type information on the celebrities which also slows the pace although it does make very valid points on the cult of the celebrity. There are a lot of characters to get your head around although it's worth wading through to get to the nuggets of suspicion and distrust.

The second half is much better than the first and some things you learn pull you up sharply and make you reevaluate what you think you know. There are some excellent, dramatic and almost surreal scenes towards the end and a couple of those are doozies! I like the end-justice served.

Overall, it has a very good second half. I'd class this as a good slow burner mystery but not so much a thriller.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan McMillan/Mantle for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I wasThe first 70% is very slow. I’m all for slow-paced books as long as the writing style can hold it up, but in the case of this book, it didn’t. It was just boring. Then suddenly towards the end, too many things with too many characters happen. And I just felt like 😑😑😑 If I felt like the slow pace in the first 70% contributed to building up to the climax, I’d be a happy reader, but unfortunately, I didn’t feel that. So I think this book has a big pacing problem.

Having said that, there is one thing I really liked about this book. That is Ellery Lloyd’s sharp observations on today’s tabloid celebrity culture.

The luxurious remote island murder setting was qlso great, and that’s what kept me away from DNFing. And I feel like this can be great as a movie or a mini TV series. So I would not be surprised if Reese Whitherspoon decides to turn this into one!

Picked as a Reese Witherspoon Book Club choice, if you like your books full of ambition, greed, revenge, and playing the long game, this is one for you. The Home Group is a collection of ultra exclusive members’ clubs dotted around the world. Basically whatever your heart desires, you can have. The two brothers who own the company are launching their most decadent idea yet – Island Home – where a lot of money has gone into creating an unforgettable experience. From celebrity photographers to plain old celebrities, and the people who spend their lives ensuring the rich and famous are well looked after. It’s the part of the century and people will do anything to be there… No one could anticipate that some people will do anything to leave. You’ll be surprised at some events – honestly, and I’ve read a lot of thrillers – and the characterisation is clever. You’re never quite sure who to trust, which is my favourite kind of read.

This story follows a well trodden plot line of obnoxious people gathered together in a secluded venue, cut off from the rest of civilisation.

From the start I found this book absorbing and finished it in one day, and although there were times when you could see what was coming next, it was still very enjoyable, and there were a few surprises.

Thank you NetGalley.

fun and wonderfully gratuitous multi-strand shoddy it set behind the velvet rope of very familiar sounding VIP members club.

A wonderful and incredibly rich novel . . . I wasn't able to put it down till I reached the end. I was absolutely captivated by the atmosphere, and the characters... My advice is not to start reading this unless you have time to go to the end! It is compulsive.

Thanks for this book netgalley.
The Club wax on an island in Essex the only way to,get to this island wax when the tide was out, then there was a path directly on to the island.
An island where anything is possible what ever you want as long as you have the money to pay for it
But no one knew what really was going on until a murder happened and then lots of things were found out, and everything was not that wonderful.
I enjoyed the book, it was also quite dark but you could imagine it happening.

I found this book an ok read based on the fact that there have been so many psychological thrillers recently with an amazing setting, usually cut off from civilisation, a variety of people (many of them unpleasant) given invites to attend a function or party, and then a few murders thrown in. I wanted this book to give me something different to this format, but unfortunately it didn’t: lots of characters that come under suspicion, unravelling of the clues, revenge, and all neatly tied up at the end- pure escapism and unbelievable. However, I did want to know what happened and I believe this will be a popular summer read, especially as it has been chosen as a Reese Witherspoon book club pick but just too similar to other books for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Pan Macmillan and the author for the opportunity to review this e- advance copy.

It's a beautifully written, well plotted murder mystery - to begin with, we don't even know who has died, let alone how - with a plethora of twists and turns, and a raft of interesting and well realized characters. I loved the insight into the world of wealth and celebrity, and I thought the twists were brilliantly done, with the author keeping me guessing all the way to the end.

It says a lot that I am still thinking about this book a few days after finishing it - I will definitely be recommending this one! A gripping read and easy five stars.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan, Ellery Lloyd and NetGalley for the ARC of The Club.

I have previously read and enjoyed People Like Her, so I was looking forward to what Ellery's next read had to offer.

Based on a remote island, Ned is the CEO and owner of Home - a series of exclusive members only clubs for only the most rich and famous celebrities. Promising complete escapism and privacy, the Island Home is the newest location in his portfolio, and the launch party is going to be epic.

The book starts with a bang as we witness two people in a Landrover trying to get off the island, racing across the causeway not knowing if they will make it to the other side before the tide comes in. What we don't know is who they are, or what they are trying to escape.

Told through different perspectives, we learn more about the key characters at the island home that night, including Ned's personal assistant, the housekeeper, the Membership Manager and Ned's brother., It very quickly becomes apparent that not all secrets remain hidden on The Island, and some people will do anything to make sure the truth comes out, regardless of the consequences.

I enjoyed The Club, it was fast-paced and had a number of twists throughout, however, I did feel the ending was a little disappointing (I would have loved to have seen another unexpected twist).

Overall, an enjoyable thriller, and some great escapism for those who love a glimpse into the celebrity world.

A good scenario of what some celebrity lives could be like. In this tale, there are several sub plots going on but it makes an enjoyable read. It holds the interest enough to keep turning the page. The story does jump around a bit and at times a bit annoying but you could follow the storyline. The idea of the Home clubs is good and you can imagine many celebrities wanting some privacy away from the public eye. But at what cost does this come. Everyone thinks the owner is a really nice guy, everyone’s friend. He opens a new Home club on an island which is cut off from the mainland for hours at a time. Things start happening, people are dying and you don’t know who will be next.

Compulsively compelling and definitely a one sit read.
I was hooked from the start, I enjoyed the way all the characters diverged and met in the middle of HOME.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read and savour the Arc copy..

The Club follows the members, staff and owners during the launch part of an exclusive members club on a secluded island just off of Essex called Island Home. It’s an expansion of the hugely popular ‘Home’ franchise which have ‘houses’ all over the world (the idea is quite clearly a reference to Soho House - and considering one of the authors worked there she is able to tell the story from an insiders perspective).

In homage to a typical Agatha Christie drama, somebody winds up dead and every person on the island is a suspect. The narrative flashes between the build up to death told from multiple perspectives and then a magazine article written in the present day recapping the events of that fateful weekend on the island.

If you love celebrities and old school gossipy magazines you’ll love reading about the ‘members’ and their secrets and how their lives contrast so starkly with the staff who are ran ragged trying to keep the island in shape.

By the end absolutely everybody has a motive and the twists keep coming right up until the end.

A brilliant page turner! I would have read this book in one sitting if I had not passed out at 2 in the morning face first in my iPad! A mix of glamour, greed and revenge with a really clever storytelling. Some plot lines are foreseeable but still manage to take unexpected turns and really make “the Club” one of the must read of 2022. If “Death on the Nile” was to be adapted to today’s society, this book would definitely be a close contender,

This really was just sheer escapism! Absolutely nothing relateable or terribly realistic and that is the beauty of the whole storyline. It transports you to this world of fame and wealth and glamour and where anyone could be the killer. Its a perfect holiday read and was just a complete delight to read. It is quite complicated and has a few different levels running through it but it never gets blurred or confusing and it never seems like things are being added in just for the sake of it. You won't be disappointed with this one

This is a fun mystery, set amongst the glamorous world of elite, celebrity hideaways. Ned Groom runs The Home Group, a collection of celebrity member clubs, with branches around the world. His newest venture is on a private island off the coast of England, accessible only by a causeway when the tide is out, and promising its rich, famous, and powerful clientele privacy. Indeed, guests have to hand their phones in, so even they are not tempted to snatch a quick photo of a famous neighbour.

Events revolve around the opening launch party, with invitations fought over. Ned Groom has a small, central team, including disgruntled brother, Ned, long-suffering PA, Nikki Hayes, Head of Membership, Annie Spark and new Head of Housekeeping, Jess Wilson. Add to this the elite group of members invited for the initial dinner, throw into the mix a collision of wealth, entitlement, resentment, secrets, revenge, and murder, and it will be a party to remember.

This book works on a number of layers, but it is, of course, the setting which makes it special – crimes in closed, isolated places, are always interesting. I am unsure though, of how successful an underwater restaurant off the coast of England would really be. As much as I love my country, even I could not imagine that an underwater restaurant would offer less than a murky grey sea for much of the year! That said, the authors have a good sense of fame and that never ending desire for more. Of those on the fringes longing to be insiders, of those hungry for success, for others weary with fame, of the fascination with the famous and how exhausting – and expensive – it can be to belong.

If you are looking for a fun, beach read, this year, then this could be an ideal choice. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

Wow! This was so juicy. Set in a celebrity world, Island Home is the most exclusive place in the world for those that can afford it. It seems to be too good to be true, with its luxury amenities and the chance to escape to a private world, and it turns out to be exactly that: too good to be true. Scandalous, mysterious and shocking, this will be one of the most essential mystery novels of the year!

After a proliferation of thrillers that place unlikely 'twists' above all else, sacrificing characterisation and plausibility for the sake of potentially surprising the reader, Ellery Lloyd's The Club was a welcome change. It's twisty enough, but does not withhold information unnaturally for the sake of a reveal, and ultimately the conclusion feels satisfactory rather than artificial. It's set in 'Island Home', the latest of a series of 'Home' clubs run by capricious businessman Ned Groom, and billed as the most exclusive yet. Only open to hand-picked celebrities, Island Home is a luxurious retreat that caters to its clients' every need. This novel is narrated through the perspectives of Groom's employees: his brother Adam, very much the junior partner in the business; power-behind-the-throne Annie; his PA, Nikki; and newly hired Head of Housekeeping, Jess. As things fall apart at Island Home on one memorable weekend, who will emerge from the rubble?

I love thrillers set in luxurious and glamorous settings, and unlike a lot of its ilk, The Club feels properly atmospheric, giving the reader enough descriptive detail to fully imagine the place. And while multiple points-of-view can be confusing, I didn't find that to be the case here at all; Adam, Annie, Nikki and Jess have clearly differentiated roles and motives, so I never struggled to remember who any of them were. I also appreciated that the narrating cast largely remained sympathetic rather than devolving into 'satirical' caricatures. Definitely a cut above most of what I've read in this genre recently, and I'm now keen to read Lloyd's debut, People Like Her.

Following a similar story format as People Like Her this is a character driven story with a number of characters and a lot of, sometimes repetitive story telling that can leave me thinking 'get to the point' or being confused about how and when the story lines will combine if at all

A few twists are peppered through although they too become a little repetitive and then ending was a little disappointing and felt I was left hanging. Everything seemed to not quite be fully explained, expanded on or completed.

It was a fair read but not something I particularly enjoyed

Loved People Like Her (if you haven’t read it you must) so was eagerly awaiting the new novel from Ellery Lloyd and it doesn’t disappoint, pack it in you beach bag this summer!