The premise of this book was right up my street - a group of people visit a luxury island resort for the weekend, but a murder ruins their plans.

Things go from bad to worse when someone else is kidnapped and can only be saved if someone in the group owns up to a terrible secret from their past. Trouble is, they are each hiding something they can't afford to admit...

There were some great moments in the book and the ending was certainly rounded off at a frenetic pace. It did involve a bit of suspension of disbelief, and that was fine, but I felt a lack of pace in the middle of the book.

I still enjoyed the book and it's always nice to have a lovely Scottish setting!

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this eARC.

The Cliff House tells the tale of Jen's Hen on a secluded island in Scotland. The setting was well drawn, the characters varied and interesting, the pace of the novel spot on. The secrets, as they slowly revealed themselves, were entertaining and unlike what I have seen before. An added bonus for me was having family from the area where the women came from made it an enjoyable read as I recognised all the place names.

It took me a while to put together this review because I've had such mixed feelings about the book that I wasn't really sure how to rate it. I don't know if it's me or if it's the Cliff House, but apparently I mostly stopped being thrilled a long time ago. Only on occasion do I get the adrenaline rush when the plot is actually nail-bitingly good. The Cliff House has its merits but it isn't really what I look for in a thriller.

So, what's this book about?

A hen weekend on an isolated Scottish Island turns into a nightmare. The bride-to-be and six guests of honor, one of whom is taken hostage by someone called the Reaper, race against time to save their 'friend' as well as themselves.

There's the first half of the book which was my least favourite part. The backlog, a swamp of backstories of seven characters to wade through while the women hiked around the island's terrain to look for their missing friend or an escape route. Brookmyre seems to have had a specific island in mind. The location and timeframe of the book (the whole plot is concentrated over one day) is supposed to give us a fast paced, claustrophobic feel. But the anecdotes and backstories that the characters threw around dissipated that feel for me. The weirdest part of the plot is that only three of the seven women knew one another from before. They were largely strangers. The formation of these characters into a tight knot of friends was a bit unconvincing. Jen, the bride-to-be, is the only connection between the women, albeit loosely so. This is Jen's second marriage. She's a domestic abuse survivor and doesn't stop looking over her shoulders after escaping her first marriage by the skin of her teeth.

"You could disguise anything in a crowd. Jen knew that better than most. The true nature of a relationship is starker when it's just the two of you."

And then there's the second half, the story that moves forward where we get to see some action and explore some dynamics between the characters. This is the part I read faster. And I'm glad that I stuck around. Because usually I don't. I ruthlessly DNF books. I guess I'm just not so much into it as I hoped I'd be.

Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

A group of friends are brought together for Jen's hen party. It's supposed to be a luxury weekend staying in an isolated house on an island, away from everyone and a chance to kick back and enjoy themselves. However, that's not going to be how it plays out because, frankly, that would be a dull book to read. Instead, someone turns up dead, and someone is watching and wants one of the group to reveal their secret and admit what they've done. However, that's easier said than done as each member of the party is holding onto a secret and one that impacts others in the group.

This is a fast-paced read that gradually reveals the secrets that each guest has been holding onto, leading to a final conclusion. Unfortunately, I'd guessed the ending and felt a little disappointed that it played out how I'd expected. The characters are interesting enough, but I didn't develop a closeness to any of them in particular and at the start of the novel found it hard to keep up with who was who as we switched from character to character as a way of introduction.

I'm sure there will be people who will love this book, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me, although I loved the concept and the setting.

This is my first novel by author Chris Brookmyre and it certainly will not be my last. I love this novel so much.

The blurb reads

"One hen weekend, seven secrets... but only one worth killing for

Jen's hen party is going to be out of control...

She's rented a luxury getaway on its own private island. The helicopter won't be back for seventy-two hours. They are alone. They think.

As well as Jen, there's the pop diva and the estranged ex-bandmate, the tennis pro and the fashion guru, the embittered ex-sister-in-law and the mouthy future sister-in-law.

It's a combustible cocktail, one that takes little time to ignite, and in the midst of the drunken chaos, one of them disappears. Then a message tells them that unless someone confesses her terrible secret to the others, their missing friend will be killed.

Problem is, everybody has a secret. And nobody wants to tell."

Wow this book is just brilliant with so many thrills and things you literally do not see coming that it was fab.

I love Chris Brookmyre's writing style, being completely honest I did get a little confused with all the characters but soon learnt who was who.

One of these guests has a secret and its going to turn nasty. I loved the way that the author weaved this tale through these characters, I think he is a genius.

Thanks to Netgalled, the publisher and Chris Brookmyre for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Chris Brookmyre's psychological thriller, The Cliff House, his latest and my first, is set on Clachan Geal, a small remote Scottish island. A group of women, led by Jen have rented a mansion there for a hen party in late June. Jen is to be married to her fiancé, Zaki Hussain and it will be her second marriage.

With great unpredictability and some terrifically well-fleshed-out characters, I found this thriller, full of duplicity and manipulation, fascinating and atmospheric. I loved the tense finale.

A special thank you to Little, Brown, Chris Brookmyre, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read. This review is my unbiased opinion.

This book was a good thriller however at times a little long winded for my liking. Jen is getting married for a second time and hires a mansion for her hen do in Scotland. All the "friends" have secrets and when one of the party is kidnapped and held to ransom cracks start to show. There are some cleaver twist and a few far fetched but just want your want from a thriller

This is the first book by Chris that I have read and I have to say that it was an excellent read. The premise was a hen party set on an isolated Scottish island with no connection to wifi or phone and no means of escape until after the weekend. The hen party consists of a group of women with much negative history between them all. there was quite a lot of differing characters, including those in the hen party and it took a while for me to fully grasp the wider connections between them all. The luxury house was so easy to place into my mind and as the story progressed the house became almost gothic became very dark and lost lots of its beauty. It did take a while to come to grips with the story but once the chef is murdered then I could not put it down. The twists abounded and I kept on trying to work out what was going to happen next and who was the The Reaper. the women were all constantly trying to work out who was causing all the trouble and who had the biggest secret to tell.
A strange hen party as the action started before they even had their first meal the day that they arrived and so no-one really had a chance to get totally blotto.
A great ending and a book that I loved reading.

You don’t want to attend a ‘hen party’ like this.

Jen has a fall out with Zaki (Jem’s fiancé) over his furtive behaviour just before leaving for her hen do on a remote Scottish island. Both the house and the island are called Clachan Geal.

The guests for this ‘hen weekend’ are an odd mix with differing connections to Jen. Firstly there is Samira (Zaki’s younger sister and therefore Jem’s proposed sister in law).

Then there are two of her old school friends - Helena and Michelle - both had been in a mediocre pop group, but Michelle (professional name Mica) had gone solo, successfully, but in so doing had caused acrimony with the rest of the group.

Also in the hen party is Beattie, Jen’s former sister in law (Jen’s first husband, Jason, disappeared ten years previously and has since been declared dead); glamorous Nicolette, one of Jen’s regular tennis playing gang, and Kennedy, the tennis coach at their club and the youngest of the party.

Most of the party fly in to the island by helicopter, with Michelle arriving by boat and already in residence Lauren - their host as owner/manager of the luxurious house they are staying in. The only other occupant of the island is a chef, Joaquin, hired specially for the weekend.

The chef, Joaquin is murdered and Samira is abducted. The others receive an email from ‘The Reaper’ that one of their number should reveal their secret sin and make restitution.

The story is told in numerous sections (chapters?) from the perspective of the various women, each of whom, it is revealed, have one or more ‘sins’ in their past, so it is difficult to conclude which of them is The Reaper’s intended victim.

The events on the island which take place over only a few hours enable the reader to learn the various secrets whilst they search for their missing party member. Little is what it seems and the reader’s interest is gripped throughout. It is set in very recent time as it is right up to date with references to the pandemic.

I don’t often give five star reviews, but for this excellent book I have no choice!

I read this book from a pre-publication copy kindly supplied by the publisher, but this is an honest review with no concession to their generosity.

The Cliff House By Chris Brookmyre is a hen party like no other, set on a Scottish island, that has guests you wouldn't ordinariliy invite together and twists like a country lane. Read on to find out more in the blurb and then the rest of my review below. Thanks firstly to Little Brown Books UK for an e-book proof copy of the book.

Jen's hen party is full of people whom you may not instantly think would be on an invite. There are definitely some interesting choices, especially the embittered ex-sister-in-law at the same party as the future sister-in-law. Immediate thought is that there are going to be fireworks at Clachan Geal, a remote fictional island in Scotland. There is much to explore on this remote island, which is an interesting and compact area for an intriguing mystery to take place.

There is Jen, whose hen party it is. Beattie, Helena - a music teacher and one time member of Michelle's band, since ousted;  Michelle. What a life Michelle leads with her now starry status. There is also Kennedy and Nicolette from Jen's tennis playing days, Joaiquin - a chef. Lauren, the houseowner of the house on the remote island.
Although there are a number of characters, each are separated in the chapters, so it cycles through each of their points of views and their lives and their connections. It's a curious and intriguing group of people to spend time with in a book.

Chris Brookmyre expertly shows the frictions in the relationships of the guests, different lifestyles and forgiveness. There are interesting arguments about vaccines that flair up. There are lifestyles in contention... The book also shows how the characters are even more forced to come together when things go really wrong. Those arguments soon left, there is panic, leaving no one feeling safe. There is also the question of who can they trust?

Things take a sinister turn with messages from someone posing as a "Reaper". The more the story goes on, the more addictive a reading experience it becomes and unexpected secrets are revealed, that culminate into an unexpected, but brilliant end to a rivetting book.

One hen weekend, seven secrets... but only one worth killing for
Jen's hen party is going to be out of control...
She's rented a luxury getaway on its own private island. The helicopter won't be back for seventy-two hours. They are alone. They think.
As well as Jen, there's the pop diva and the estranged ex-bandmate, the tennis pro and the fashion guru, the embittered ex-sister-in-law and the mouthy future sister-in-law.
It's a combustible cocktail, one that takes little time to ignite, and in the midst of the drunken chaos, one of them disappears. Then a message tells them that unless someone confesses her terrible secret to the others, their missing friend will be killed.
Problem is, everybody has a secret. And nobody wants to tell.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

Jen's hen party is on a remote Scottish island. Everyone has a secret, not everyone is who they appear to be. Unless someone confesses, someone is going to die but nobody wants to confess. Stranded with no means of escape the tension is at breaking point. A twisty tale with all points of view visited. Who can you trust? It is easy to doubt everyone in this book.

An enjoyable read but not the black humour and style I expect from Chris Brookmyre. As i was reading I was thinking I wouldn't be going to any girls' weekend on a remote island, but as the story panned out it became more predictable and less shocking. Still, a lot of secrets were spilled when we didn't know whose was going to be the most shocking. Nicolette's was the most bizarre and coincidental, but then it was very "of its time". This was a shocking situation, and I did gasp once or twice, but too much seemed contrived or too convenient. #thecliffhouse #netgalley

The Cliff House is set on a remote Scottish island featuring a luxury house that’s designed for getting away from it all in style. When bride-to-be Jen and her party of friends set off for a hen party weekend, it’s apparent that there are already some tensions within the group, which includes both Jen’s former and future sisters-in-law, as well as friends who no longer speak to each other.

There are early hints that all may not be as it seems within the house, such as the playlist that emanates from speakers in every room, flooding the house with songs that seem chosen specifically to make the guests feel uncomfortable. The story unfolds from multiple perspectives and it soon becomes apparent that many of the women have secrets.

When the private chef is found murdered and a mysterious figure called The Reaper starts to send out commands to the women, it becomes clear that everyone is in danger and that at least one long-concealed secret will need to come out for the guests to make it to the end of the weekend.

The Cliff House is an enjoyable read; a thriller with a hint of the escapist holiday read about it too. I liked the idea of the tormenting playlist, with many of the songs being ones I know and love from years ago and there was definitely a dark sense of humour running through this element. The changes of perspective from one chapter to the next meant that there was plenty to try to work out in terms of the women’s secrets and which one would ultimately hold the key to their escape.

Six women on a secluded island for a hen party. No internet or phone signal. Nothing but a good looking chef to make meals and mix drinks. Until they find him with his throat cut and then start getting messages from The Reaper suggesting one of them has a secret the others don't know. Only it turns out they all have secrets - and they will need to work out which secret is the key.
A real page turner from Brookmyre, he reveals the layers of secrets in a way that ratchets up the tension and races through to the finale. Recommended.

Hen weekends. They're usually messy.

So is this one. But not for the usual reasons...

Jen's hen weekend is on a luxury, exclusive, remote Scottish island. The handful of guests are all harbouring secrets, secrets some have been keeping for a very long time.

But it's time to tell. Lives depend on it....

Brilliant

I got The Cliff House by Chris Brookmyre for free from netgalley for a fair and honest review.


The Cliff House tells the story of 7 women spending a hen party on a remote Scottish island all have secrets which would devastate them and someone is using this event and a kidnapping to bring this secret out in public.

This is one of those books when I read the synopsis of a novel and see it is a locked room mystery suspense thriller, with secrets and lies between friends. Set on a remote Island which means the novel is making use of the locked room trope.

Makes me want to read The Cliff House, as I really enjoy these tropes and go into the the with high hopes of an enjoyable read and sometimes I am left disappointed in this case the writer Chris Brookmyre did not let me down.


When reviewing these types of books there is a fine line between making it helpful and having spoilers. So I will be fairly light on the plot but go into detail on the style of writing.

We all know how thes types of novels work is that all the people in the story are not who they seem to be,

This was particularly true in The Cliff House as the writer moved suspicion from one character to the other, this was very muched enhanced with the use of the dishonest narrator.

Which Chris Brookmyre combined with the use of multi point of view, technique, which allowed you to get into the mind of each of the women as they all tried to hide secrets from each other.

The Cliff House definitely had a number of twist and turns throughout the book as the story moved on from one section to the other,

What I liked about the plot as a whole combined with the red herrings, were all possible without having to fit the facts to the solution.

In all Chris Brookmyre has written in The Cliff House has written an above average mystery suspense novel using the locked room trope as a basis for his story.

A hen do on a remote island with no means of escape until the helicopter returns in 72 hours, what could possibly go wrong? The Cliff House pulled me immediately. It has likeable and not so likeable characters and plenty of twists and turns that kept me on my toes. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for my ARC.

A hen weekend to a remote island with each guest holding on to big secrets. What could go wrong! This was the first book I've read my Chris and it really did not dissapoint. There was lots of twists and turns and it kept you on the edge of your seat throughout, I was trying to guess who the bad guy was throughout and changed my mind multiple times. I would definitely be looking out for more books my this author and would recommend this book if you enjoy a fast paced thriller with twists round every corner.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

Seven women gather to celebrate Jen's hen weekend, one that is going to be spent on a private island in luxury surroundings with a chef provided. Things get off to a rocky start as there are unspoken tensions within the group, the internet is down & the music is a playlist that seems handpicked to needle their insecurities, then the chef is found murdered & one of their group seems to have disappeared. They can't leave the island for 72 hours or contact anyone from the mainland - then they receive a text message informing them that the missing group member, Samira, is being held hostage, one of the group isn't who she claims to be, & they have a short time to own up otherwise Samira is dead. They are on their own & the idyllic getaway spot has become a trap.

For Jen, the bride-to-be, this will be her second marriage, the first was to an abusive husband called Jason who disappeared several years ago. Beattie is Jason's older sister & is there to find out what happened to her brother as she has a suspicion that Jen was involved. Michelle is an old friend of Jen's & is now a famous singer but hit the headlines for a different reason recently when someone hacked into her private accounts & a sex tape released online. Having ditched her original band, Cassidy, to go solo, she knows that it's something that Helena has never forgiven her for especially now Helena's children are grown & her husband has left her for another woman. Nicolette is someone who talks a big game but is putting up a front & is certain that her husband is having an affair. Kennedy is the youngest of the group & a tennis coach, who hasn't known the rest of them for very long, whilst Samira is the groom's sister & it's the first time Jen has met her, but she is beginning to think that Samira & her brother are plotting something behind her back. Even Island owner Lauren had sneakily decided to stay on the island in a private apartment to ensure the hen weekend doesn't get out of hand.

Those are all our players & the stage is set. All the characters have something to hide, alliances shift over the course of the story, & friendships are stressed to breaking point. There are chapters from almost everyone's viewpoint so the reader can see what is going on in their heads. It got off to quite a slow start & it took until I'd read about 20% of it for it to become genuinely gripping, but once the murder of the chef occurs, the pace picks up. I did work out some of the twists but there were a couple of things that were slightly different to how I had imagined & the ending was a little far-fetched. Overall though I enjoyed reading it & it kept my interest after the initial lull.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Little, Brown Book Group UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.