I struggled to engage with any of the characters in this book, felt the plot twists were too formulaic yet now I can’t remember exactly what happened!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this eARC!
Wow!! This book had me hooked from the tag line and I couldn’t wait to dive right in, and from the get go I was sucked in!
This book was full of twists and turns and I barely guessed any of them were coming! I even shouted a couple of times because I was so shocked at what was revealed.
You are constantly doubting EVERYONE and questioning what their true intentions are.
After each “chapter” / section was a cliffhanger and just made me want to read more and more!

I haven’t read a book this good in a while and my first 5 star rated book of the year!

I loved this! I am a Chris Brookmyre fan generally anyway, but even by his standards this was a real page-turner. You're left guessing all the way through - you suspect everyone, trust no one. A couple of the characters are less engaging than the others and their 'sins' rather less striking but it would be less believable if they all turned out to have really serious secrets hidden away.

Completely compelling - I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a thriller with a twist (or three!).

Jen and a group of friends have organised her hen weekend in an exclusive retreat on a remote Scottish island. This is second time around for forty-something Jen and her guests including her tennis partners, old school friends and her dead husband’s sister.
They are all settling in for some serious pampering, when one member of the party goes missing. Before long, they are informed that she is being held to ransom and the price for her release is the confession of and reparation for the past misdeeds of an unnamed party member.
As they set out to search for Samira, it becomes clear that there are many dark secrets within the group, but which one is the determining one?
Chris Brookmyre’s The Cliff House is an enormously entertaining read. The characters which could easily become cliched, especially with the number of island mystery scenarios around, are anything but. These well-heeled women, as they are paired off in search parties, renew old relationships, revisit and revise past differences and discover truths previously hidden.
But the real strength with this writer is, as always, the overwhelming flood of red herrings and while there are a limited number of possibilities for answers and the need for a degree of suspension of disbelief, the roller coaster ride is thrilling and the conclusion is deftly reached.
I would guess the Cliff House will be another roaring success.

Thanks to ~NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in return for a fair review.

As a longtime fan of Chris Brookmyre I was excited to read this novel. A bit of a departure, in that it is a standalone novel following group of women on their trip to an isolated and exclusive property on a Scottish island.

The characters are interesting, well described and with intriguing interior voices. Everyone has secrets to hide and although i thought I had worked out the 'twist' in this thriller I was wrong. It's great to read a thriller that keeps you guessing right to the end!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this title. Something different here from the prolific Chris Brookmyre - the Cliff House is a standalone novel set in a luxury house on a remote Scottish Island. Jen has booked the place for a hen weekend and invited along a bunch of friends, some who know each other and some who don’t. Then one of them goes missing and the remaining six women get a text message on their phones telling them that unless one of them confesses the missing housemate will die. But confess to what? They all have secrets but which is the one that is being referred to? The characters are well-rounded, from the pop star to the tennis pro - the question being who is not what they appear to be. As with all of Brookmyre's books The Cliff House is very well written and builds to a satisfying climax - recommended absolutely.

A hen party in a luxuriously appointed manor house on a remote Scottish island, where the only guests are the bride-to-be, some friends old and new, and the woman who is to become her sister-in-law. They'll be dropped off by private helicopter, and looked after by their own private chef. The owner is discretely on hand should the party need anything that hasn't already been thought of. They are successful women, and this is an opportunity to escape the demands of their busy lives. It's not all as idyllic as it looks however. Old tensions bubble under the surface, and suspicions about betrayal colour some of their conversations. Perhaps these would have remained undeclared, but a murder on the first night forces the women to confront their past sins, and in so doing, endangers them all. A compelling read where we are kept guessing about the true villain.

Seven women at a hen do on a remote Scottish Island. Some of them have a checkered history, one is a fairly recent friend and then there is the bride-to-be's future sister-in-law who no one of them has met before. They all have secrets but none of them wants to reveal their own. A roller coaster of a novel that kept me gripped until the last page.

Jen’s party weekend is on a remote private Scottish island in Clachan geal in a luxury house Jen is a successful business woman who has recently sold her business but she remains head of the company Jen is soon to be married to her fiancé Zaki Hussain this will be her second marriage jens arranged the weekend away with her friends ex sister in law and future sister in law they got a private chef and Lauren who works there and the seven of them but then someone is murdered and they are told that one of them isn’t who they think she is
Really enjoyed this book i couldn’t put it down

I'm a big fan of Chris Brookmyre but this didn't do it for me. The plot feels formulaic and the writing lacks his usual depth and energy. I didn't feel the characters had a life beyond the plot and their respective secrets. The blurb reads like an upmarket beach read but so did Fallen Angel's and that turned out to be about much more, so I gave it more than my usual cut-off of 10%, but DNF at 25%.

I enjoyed this book and the characters. The story interweaved nicely and kept me wanting to read on. A suspenseful read.

Big fan of Chris Brookmyre, even on an off day he’s still a cracking read. The Cliff House felt a wee bit derivative- hen party trapped on an island, secrets will come out, murders will happen… but Brookmyre’s typical verve and strong, characters make this a twisty joy to read.

I’d love another Angelique De Xavier follow up, I suspect the moment is gone though…

This is my first Chris Brookmyre for a long time- I’m not sure why, and I’ll remedy that absence after this cracking read. Very enjoyable, tense, twisty thriller set on a remote Scottish island; a setting that starts of as beautiful and peaceful but quickly becomes dark and claustrophobic. The plot sets a group of mostly middle-aged women on a hen do at the island’s luxurious retreat- they are ostensibly friends but each has a secret and a grudge, and the weekend quickly unravels with murder, kidnapping and a baring of souls. You could try and second guess the twists and turns but you’re better off just going along for the ride, and enjoying the journey.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I found this to be a bit of a slow burner... it started well and then slowed down a little towards the middle. But I am so glad that I persevered because the second half had me on the edge of my seat, trying to work out who was behind it all and constantly changing my mind. There were some great twists.

A great read! A nightmare of a hen party with lots of secrets amongst the cast. As the reader I was not sure who was trustworthy and who wasn't. Highly recommended

A book full of suspense, intrigue, childhood friendships, new friendships, jealousy and spousal relationships all underpinned with a complete lack of trust. Although I found the plot a little predictable, I did second guess myself at some points, which ensured that I kept going until I had reached the final conclusion.

A healthy array of characters and background stories mixed in with a remote island and lack of internet connection....what could possibly go wrong?

Definitely worth a read.

Jen's hen party is going to be out of control...
One party you won't want to miss!

My first time reading a Chris Brookmyre novel and he rocked my world!
The Cliff House is a phenomenal, intriguing, unique, cinematic and fast-paced. Unputdownable and thrilling page-turner. I highly recommended.

This was such a riveting story and I easily devoured it.
Secrets and lies is the heart of this story and add a missing friend you have my undivided attention.
The writing style was amazingly brilliant and the plot of the book was one that I didn't see coming.
I was impressed with the descriptions of the setting and characters.
Also I was genuinely enthralled by the characters. Wanted to know more.
Absolutely brilliant! Tense and gritty.

I needed a really good page-turning thriller in my life, and this so hit that spot!

Everybody has a secret. And nobody wants to tell.....

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Little Brown,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Simmering Suspense…
Simmering suspense set in a remote but utterly luxurious hotel on a beautiful private island. A hen weekend to remember? Of course, but perhaps it will be for all of the wrong reasons. This group of women are holding their secrets close but what exactly will make them crawl out from the woodwork? With a perfectly crafted cast of characters, an effective multi-person narrative and a pacy plot this is a compelling and engaging read which keeps momentum until the final denouement.

This was a bit of a slow burner at first with the bringing together of several different ladies for the hen night of Jen at a remote cliff top house. What starts out as a weekend of indulgence starts to unravel and secrets aplenty. Initially I found the beginning slow and it was hard trying to remember who all the characters were. This seemed like a bit of a different story from Brookmyre. When the story started to hot up it became a real page turner with plenty of twists and an altogether satisfying end.

A remote Scottish island retreat loved by the rich & famous, with no inhabitants & no mobile reception. A large, luxury house with all 'mod cons' including a spa & pool, a group of friends and acquaintances, a hired chef, and a multitude of secrects.......what could go wrong?
Jen is due to be married, so she & her friends head off for a hen weekend to celebrate. They arrive in style via helicopter, and take in the stunning island views as they come in to land. They are greated by Laura, their host and owner of the island, are shown around and meet their hunky chef who has prepared a selection of cocktails upon their arrival.
The drinks flow, but as the evening progresses the celebrations take a sinister turn. They soon realise that one of their party is missing, and there is a nasty surprise waiting for them in the kitchen.
One thing leads to another, and the friends find themselves doubting one another, and wondering who has the most terrible secrety of all.
I really loved this book, and read it in no time at all. Well written personalities, and a great plot. This would make a great movie!