Thank you for letting me be part of the blog tour for this one! I really wanted to love it and i did love bits of it. It was a very character driven book and i felt i knew them well. However i think it fell flat for me because it dragged on a bit too much. Overall i did enjoy it.

This one was a little disappointing too slow and the ending was very disappointing but it won't put me off trying other books by her

I was looking forward to reading this latest read from Seddon but disappointingly I found this a bit dull. 'The Short Straw' is very much a slow burn but I did not find there was enough to keep my interest and I thought it was lacking in surprises and suspense. Plus the whole idea of the short straw being drawn does not seem to matter so became insignificant to me.
Seddon writes this between the present day which is set over one night and flashbacks to the past where hints are given to the dark secrets held within the manor. I liked this writing style and it did offer some intrigue but I found it all a bit too obvious.
The sisters are the saving grace of this book for me, all three of them are unique and I enjoyed getting to know them and learning about their relationship with their sisters. They felt very human and I enjoyed my time reading about them. I think they just needed some more exciting events to happen to really bring them out.
'The Short Straw' is very much a slow burn, there is a secret that is revealed towards the end but I did not find it surprising and it just meant the book finished on a low for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy.

I've read and enjoyed Holly Seddon's books before. This one didn't excited me as much but I enjoyed the dynamic of the three sister and the eerie intense atmosphere at points.

Unfortunately I could not get into this book. The whole haunted house thing was interesting, but just not interesting enough for me. Too much jumping around for me and no suspense. I didn't finish it.

An absolute masterclass in building tension - I raced through most of this, holding my breath the whole time. This is a really well crafted novel, with four compelling central characters (three sisters and their mother). Told in a dual timeline, Seddon masterfully builds tension as the clever plot gradually unfolds. And it's all brought together beautifully at the end. Highly recommended.

Another great read from Holly Seddon! I’m not sure which genre to put this one into as it’s quite spooky and definitely nerve wracking, whilst also being mysterious.

The sisters characters are very well scripted, making a ‘normal’ bickering trio, each carrying their own burdens from the loss of their mother Rosemary, whilst also keeping bits of their lives secret from each other.

Moirthwaite Manor is a brilliant and scary, deserted manor. The descriptions enabled me to visualise the interior in detail and experience the atmosphere alongside the sisters. The perfect setting for this unnerving tale.

The story is told from dual timelines: then (when Rosemary worked in the manor) and now (when the girls are seeking safety). Holly has written these timelines brilliantly, gradually revealing the hidden secrets, whilst giving the reader plenty of opportunities to anticipate the secrets the manor hides, for themselves.

I found the ending very satisfying as the threads all begin to tumble together.

During a storm, sisters Nina, Lizzie and Aisa run out of petrol close to the tiny village where they spent their early childhood. They decide to take shelter in the abandoned Moirthwaite Manor, a place that holds mixed emotions for the women. As they struggle to find help strange things begin to happen in the old house.

The Short Straw by Holly Seddon has got to be one of the creepiest books I've read in a long time, to the point where I really didn't want to read on late at night. The author signals early on that the story will have an ominous tone; the dead of night, a storm, an abandoned manor house miles from anywhere; many of the elements needed to give a sense of menace.

The sisters are well-fleshed out. The eldest is Nina, she's the responsible one, the one who looks after everyone else, the one who makes the decisions. Middle sister Lizzie doesn't like to assert herself, she worries a lot and is more than happy to let others make decisions for her. The youngest sister, Aisa, is a rebel, she knows no fear and refuses to put down roots. Unfortunately, the relationship between the sisters is strained. They have little contact with each other so have no idea of the different pressures and decisions each is facing in life.

Alongside the story of the sisters sheltering from the storm is the story of their mother who worked as a maid and then housekeeper at Moirthwaite Manor when it was occupied. It is this storyline that gives you possible clues to the strange things that are now happening in the abandoned house. The drip feeding of elements of the past, together with current events make for perfect pacing, slowly teasing out the eerie and menacing threat. As I read I desperately wanted to know more but the coward in me was apprehensive about turning the page. If you like your thrillers with a side order of fear then this is the book for you.

To my surprise, I have to admit I found "The Short Straw" extremely underwhelming. I normally tend to enjoy Holly Seddon's books but this latest offering just fell flat for me.

First of all, I suppose I was expecting more of a haunted house vibe. After all, Moirthwaite Manor is quite the isolated location and has been abandoned for years. But apart from the lack of electricity and events playing out at night, nothing about the sisters' circumstances ever really felt creepy. Or even tense, for that matter. Most of their feelings seem to be fuelled by a wee bit of paranoia and long-forgotten memories from their childhood that are coming back to the fore now that they find themselves back at this mansion.

I didn't think the mystery of the manor was that difficult to figure out, so that particular reveal left me rather cold. There was another one I didn't find at all necessary, either. I didn't feel it added anything to the story at all. On the other hand, there seemed to be so many other things the reader is just left to guess at. Questions that don't seem to be answered adequately, things that are being alluded to but never quite explained.

As for the characters, the sisters have a truly complicated relationship with one another. All three are very different from the next and none of them seem able to accept, or even see, the others for who they are. Here again, it feels like there could have been so much more to explore. That would probably have turned the book into more of a family drama, but that might have worked out better. And for me personally, I might have been able to connect to them, instead of not really caring about them all that much.

I find it hard to label 'The Short Straw' as a psychological thriller. For me, it definitely lacked the suspense, tension, and thrill element I look for in that genre. And as a whole, the plot just missed the mark for me and I ended up feeling quite disappointed.

This is a slow burner but a good read.
Three sisters, Nina, Lizzie and Aisa are travelling back from seeing their Dad when they get caught in a storm. Their car breaks down so they seek shelter in Moirthwaite Manor, an abandoned derelict building that they know from their childhood.
The Manor is dark and cold and they realise they need to get help so they draw straws to see who will go out and get help.
There is a dual narrative following the sisters in the present and their mum in the past and it all comes together in the end.
Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

“Can there be anything more frightening than realising that a bad dream was actually a memory, and then finding yourself back in it?”

Sisters Nina, Lizzie and Aisa Kelsey find themselves stranded during a storm and are forced to take shelter in Moirthwaite Manor, an isolated mansion where their mother once worked. The house is swathed in darkness and appears to have long since been abandoned, leaving them wondering what happened to its former residents. Unable to agree who should go for help, the sisters draw straws to decide, and one of them heads out into the cold, dark, terrifying night. But are those inside the house any safe?

Darkly atmospheric, eerie, and forbidding, The Short Straw is a cocktail of nerve-shredding chills and adrenaline that you won't be able to put down. There’s an unrelenting unease and a dark, oppressive feeling that permeates the pages from the start. I felt like I was watching the opening of a horror film as the sisters approached Moirthwaite Manor, which has an ominous and sinister presence. It’s the kind of place where you wouldn’t be surprised to see bloodstains on the surfaces or an empty chair creaking as it rocks back and forth. It feels claustrophobic, like you can feel the walls closing in on you. I wanted to scream at them not to go in and just run away from this terrifying place. But they couldn’t hear me. So I read on while frozen with fear, desperate to know what came next but also terrified of what might be waiting in that house.

“The first thing they notice is the cold. Somehow, it feels colder inside than out. A frozen silence, years in the making, is embedded in every crevice. This place is a stranger to sunlight.”

The story is told in dual timelines, moving between the night the three sisters are sheltering from the storm and flashbacks told by their late mother, Rosemary, that slowly reveal the dark, monstrous history of the house. The characters are all richly drawn and compelling, with Kelsey's being easy to root for while the background characters felt menacing and unreliable. This compounded the heart-pounding tension and made me feel an even greater rapport with the sisters. I also loved Seddon’s decision to have Rosemary narrate the flashbacks as it makes her feel real and allowed me to form a real connection to her. It also offered a different perspective on the sisters' memories that was fascinating.

A story about three sisters trapped together in a storm is a dynamic ripe for conflict and there is tension, acrimony and drama between them from the start. But the sisters aren’t only dealing with family conflict. Each of them is trying to come to terms with their grief after Rosemary’s recent death and the author explores the different ways grief can affect us while also exploring topics such as the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and abandonment. She seamlessly weaves these more emotional themes with the haunted house trope and sense of creeping fear to create a thriller that doesn’t just send shivers down your spine but also tugs on your heartstrings.

Clever, chilling and surprising, The Short Straw is an outstanding thriller. And I loved every second of it. Just make sure you read it with ALL the lights on.

Three sisters, Nina, Lizzie and Aisa, find themselves stranded in a storm and seek shelter in Moirthwaite Manor, an abandoned derelict mansion that their mother had previously been a housekeeper of. Once grand and imposing, the sisters are shocked to find it so dilapidated and empty. Except it isn't. As the night continues, past and present collide as the sisters remember long forgotten events from their childhood and the secrets of the Manor are discovered.

I really enjoyed this book. The dual narrative following the sisters in the present and their mum in the past was interesting and I felt that the sisters' relationships, a mix of rivalry and loyalty, was very realistic. The events at the house are genuinely intriguing and I wanted to race through the chapters to find out what was happening and why. The ending became a little confusing as the secrets were finally revealed but overall a really enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Orion Publishing Group and author Holly Seddon for the opportunity to read and review this book as an ARC

This book is a slow burner but worth sticking with. Told from the perspective of 3 sisters whose car breaks down when travelling back from visiting their father, they find shelter in an old abandoned house while waiting for help to arrive. The house is one from their past and the story of how it links in is told from their perspective of their mother.
Enjoyed this one, liked the characters of the sisters and their different personalities.
Thanks to netgalley and Orion for the advanced copy.

My first read by this author and one I really enjoyed. A gothic style family drama written in two timelines, present and past and told from the POV’s of three sisters Nina, Lizzie and Aisa in the present and their mother Rosemary in the past. A well written and dark storyline with the constant drama of some sort of threat to the sisters running throughout the present day thread.

Briefly, after running out of petrol in a storm the three sister find themselves near Moirthwaite Manor, the Manor House where Kathleen worked and the sisters visited as children, Lizzie to play with the owners daughter Jane. But the house has a terrible legacy from the days when Jane’s grandfather was alive. The girls decide that one of them should go for help so they draw straws.

Quite a slow burner the tension was palpable in both timelines, but more so in the present when I felt there was some sort of revenge/retaliation for something that happened in the past but I just couldn’t get my head around how or who. It turns out that I was quite a way off the mark apart for one reveal I’d guessed. A very character driven tale with plenty of dark secrets that are gradually revealed leaving the main protagonists with a difficult decision to make. Very enjoyable read

When three sisters run out of petrol on their way home after their dad's birthday they seek refuge at Morthwaite Manor, the mansion where their mother used to work and a place that played a big part in their childhood, so they are surprised to see how rundown and abandoned it is and, without anyone there to help them, they fall back on their childhood way of deciding something; they draw straws and the one who has drawn the short straw heads back out into the dark to seek help. Being back in this place after so long stirs up a lot of memories for the sisters, not all of them good and throughout the time they are there secrets begin to emerge about their past.

The Short Straw is told from various perspectives and multiple timelines, I'd consider this to be more family drama than thriller, with a lot of the story revolving around the siblings and their relationships during their childhood and through their adult lives. Having read and enjoyed other work by this author I was looking forward to reading this latest one but, compared to Seddon's other books, I found this to be a very slow read which at times I didn't know where the plot was heading and, even though there were twists through the book, it didn't excite me as much as her previous work, hence the reason for the three stars I have awarded it.

I'd like to thank Orion and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Chilling, intense, unputdownable book.

Three sisters are leaving from their dads birthday celebration when the car runs out of petrol. They are stuck on a country road that they are familiar with and decide to head towards a big house there Mum used to work at, to try to get help. The house is empty, but it’s eerie.

Great plot and location, really enjoyed reading it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Yet another well crafted story from Holly Seddon.
Ostensibly a creepy tale of a car breaking down/running out of petrol in a remote area with a large abandoned house their only shelter, Nina, Elizabeth and Aisa draw straws to decide who should go for help and who should stay.,
But this story is so much more than this - sibling rivalry, relationships between them and their parents and a history with this abandoned house. Told over two time lines the story eventually comes together and a mystery is solved.
Three and a half stars rounded up to 4 stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley/Holly Seddon/Orion Publishing Group for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

The short straw is a story of three sisters who find themselves in an abandoned mansion, only to realize that this mansion has its soul.
Morthwaite Manor is daunting and intimidating and evokes sinister feelings. The author has done a brilliant job of creating a tense atmosphere. The night with the backdrop of the mansion with three sisters having unresolved issues was a perfect mix for the book. The characters of the three sisters are well developed and the readers get to know them.

However, the plot isn't a thriller or mystery, it is just family drama, with a string of monologues from one of the leading characters. And the ending did not do justice to all the tension that was created initially.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy of the book.

A good read. Interesting characters, and the intriguing tale switches between a spooky house present day, to a stately home in the 1980/90s before a slightly strung out but satisfying reveal(s). Less an out and out thriller and more a family saga with spooky elements! Overall a decent rounded up 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I don’t do synopses, only my thoughts 💭

I have been a fan Holly Seddon since I read Try Not To Breath so I was excited to get an early copy of her new book The Short Straw. It was a slow burning mystery, told in the now and then that had me turning pages to find out what happened next. The writing was so atmospheric and I felt that I was caught in the storm and the creepy old house with the sisters.

Sisters Nina, Lizzie and Aisa run out of petrol on their way home from a lunch with their father. They find themselves in a thunderstorm, with no phone service and take shelter in Moirthwaite a manor, the house that their mother worked in many years before. They are surprised to see that is is now abandoned… or is it? Strange noises in the night have them all on edge. They draw straws to decide who will walk into the nearest town to try to get help, while the others try to stay warm and safe.

This book kept me on edge, never quite knowing what was going to happen. Was there someone else in the house? Or were they imagining it. The house has a dark past so it was only a matter of time until they found something sinister.

Thanks to Orion Publishing and NetGalley for this copy to read. Published on September 14th.