Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I saw that Gilly Macmillan had a new book out, I knew that I needed to read it right away! The Fall by Gilly Macmillan is a twist-filled domestic thriller that you won't be able to put down! The story revolves around a couple, Tom and Nicole, who won the lottery and moved to a swanky new place far away from the city. One day, Nicole discovers Tom dead. But who could have killed him? There are only a few people within walking distance: Sasha and Olly, a couple, and their housekeeper Kitty. Who killed Tom, and is Nicole next?

Here is a chilling excerpt from Chapter 1, which is from Nicole's point of view:

"Nicole smiles as her eyes drink it in. She never tires of it; it reminds her of her childhood trips here with her dad and makes her heart feel full. I'm so lucky, she thinks to herself for the second time that day. But she doesn't want to linger outside. The heat is intense, there's no shade out here at this time of day, and the tenors are still singing at top volume.
She's about to step inside and resume her search for Tom when she sees him. He's directly below her, in the swimming pool, floating, face down and motionless."

Overall, The Fall is a domestic thriller that will appeal to fans of Ruth Ware or the movie Parasite. The story is told from multiple 3rd-person POV's: Nicole, Sasha and Olly, Hal Steen (the detective), Anna's diary entries from the past, and Kitty. There might be more that I forgot. One highlight of this book was what a fast read it was. I'm usually not a fan of multiple alternating POV's, but I didn't mind this one. Another highlight of this book was the many twists and turns and hidden secrets that the characters were hiding. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in May!

The Fall did as it’s title suggested, fell and fell flat.

Filled with naive characters that can’t be liked. Antagonists that you have to dislike, and incompetent characters that fail to grow on you. The only character I liked died to serve as the key thread that binds all the other characters.

Some of the plots twists were pretty clever, but they felt forced and could have been delivered better. The setting though was brilliant. I loved the houses, the peninsula, the river, and everything else Lancaut.

I only recently read my 1st Gilly MacMillan book and was so impressed that I was itching to read this new novel. Unfortunately though, it is just wasn’t for me.

An enjoyable read - lots of twists and turns and a well depicted case of coercive control. Could be a five stars if it was edited a little and shortened by 15% approx.

Tom and Nicole have a big win on the lottery, enabling them to buy the beautiful Glass House on the Lancaut Peninsula. The place was special to Nicola as a child. One day, she arrives home to find Tom dead in the swimming pool. It looks like a tragic accident as the balcony of their bedroom is just above it. After ringing 999, Nicole rushes along to her neighbours in the Manor House, Olly and Sasha and their housekeeper, Kitty.

The police arrive and this alleged accident becomes a murder investigation.

A really great read that had me hooked. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Tom and Nicole win the lottery and all their dreams start to come true, or at least Nicole’s do! They live in a futuristic house in a beautiful area, and it’s seems life is perfect, but fate deems otherwise.

This book started off really well, fast and intriguing. However, after the first few chapters it did slow down and took some getting into. Many points of view and a bit rambling, the plot lost its way at times. Unfortunate that an extra character was added to help explain the day of the death, a bit of a let down. The ending was good, if a little twee. Revenge is very sweet!

The coercive control plot was well considered, just enough to make it plausible. A difficult subject emphatically handled.

Some good ideas, but bogged down by implausible situations.

There could be arguments for tighter editing, and the book was overlong for the storyline, but still an easy, light read, ok for holidays.

Thank you NetGalley.

Is the love of money the root of all evil? Perhap's it is the love of someone else's money? Most definitely the latter in the case of Gilly Macmillan's The Fall. A couple have a win on the lottery. As we find out, it's not a lucky win in many respects but it allows them to make a new life for themselves in a place that was dear to Nicole when she was a child, Lancaut Nature Reserve. Her father called it a lost, special place. Most perfect for his bird watching hobby. Now it is her's and her husband Tom's home, a spectacular glass construction built upon former ruins on the Lancaut Peninsular. For those who follow the real life adventures of lottery winners, real happiness is seldom achieved. So it is for Nicole when she finds her husband dead in their swimming pool. What appears to be an accident soon turns in to a murder investigation. For readers who like a limited number of characters, this novel is for them and very good it is too. The twists and turns that envelop every individual is a work of great creativity and most weirdly it works. The novel is hugely entertaining, lengthy too but never once dull. When I read the last sentence I must confess to a deep chuckle. For sure, revenge is a dish best served cold.

I found there were almost too many points of view from the characters in the book. Nicole and Tom , Olly , Sasha and Kitty all had their own issues, and we seemed to go back and forth so many times.
It wasnt a pleasant book to read, although it was well written. I could not find much redeeming in any of the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review the book

The premise for this book was really unique and interesting with lots of different POV's and diary entries to keep you engaged. I did enjoy this and found the mystery interesting wit lots of twists on turns; the only downside for me was that it started of very slow and took a while to hook me but when it did I enjoyed it.

Thanks to Random House, Gilly Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC of The Fall.

I really loved the sound of this book. A couple who have won the lottery are living in their dream home, when one day the husband is found dead face down in the outdoor pool. We quickly learn that their neighbours Olly and Sasha have been coercing the owner of the Manor House, befriending her to take advantage of her money.

There were some great twists in this book, some I certainly did not see coming, however I found the middle of this book to be an extremely slowburn and felt the twists in comparison felt a little rushed. There were also some elements of the storyline (particuarly in relation to the housekeeper Kitty) that felt like they didn't really go anywhere or add any depth. I also found myself thinking the chaaracters were older than they were, so a bit of a mixed bag for me.

I enjoyed it overall. but felt there were some pacing issues that could've made this book more gripping.

3.5 rounds down

Nicole Booth drives home to her fabulous house, The Glass Barn on the Lancaut peninsula only to find her husband Tom dead in the pool. She dials 999 and then rushes next door to the Manor House for help from Olly and Sasha along with their housekeeper Kitty. Detectives Hal Sheen and Jen Welsh are sent to investigate whether Tom’s death is suspicious or accidental. The story is told from several points of view interspersed with extracts from a journal.

Although the novel is a bit slow to start with the first two thirds are strong. The setting is really good, let’s hope Lancaut nature reserve doesn’t get a mass influx! Both the Glass Barn and the Manor House are used effectively throughout the storyline. There are some very strange dynamics between Kitty and Olly/Sasha and you certainly pick up bad vibes. It soon becomes clear that a number of characters present facades but what exactly lies behind??? Only time will tell. There are some creepy, tense atmospheric moments and a dreamy, nightmarish quality which I really like. There are some good twists and a couple I don’t see coming. Much of the novel concerns coercive control and this is done effectively.

However, the strong start is not maintained in my opinion. I find some of the characters gullible which I can’t entirely buy into and the ending partly fizzles out and part is far fetched. The journal extracts ( which don’t feel like a journal) halt the pace although does fill in knowledge gaps.

Overall, I do enjoy much of the novel but it’s a pity the atmosphere is not maintained for the entirety.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K., Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I read this book in one sitting while trying to make my mind up over who was responsible. The characters were well written and the way some manipulated others was told well and was believable. There were also plenty of'twists to keep you guessing

Tom and Nicole get a win on the lottery and design a beautiful but high tech glass barn in a location that means something to Nicole.
Not long after moving in one of them is found dead in their pool and their neighbor's are absolutely not what they seem.

I was intrigued by this novel, it had some really new and exciting ideas but they weren't written well, leaving this book as a bit of a disappointment. The writer had a hit on their hands which was wiped out by slow pace and not properly thought out twists.

I recieved this book as an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

A good storyline about lottery winners and how things can take a sinsiter twist. The book didn't grip me as much as the usual thrillers I go for but it was still a decent read.
Thank you to Gilly Macmillan and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A slow burner with more lows than highs unfortunately. The very interesting tale of lottery winners and their seemingly glamorous neighbours. A view of wealth and greed through a looking glass mixed with a suspicious death make an interesting read but the story drags and you end up skimming through some pages which are filled with what feels like filler paragraphs. A missed opportunity of a really good book but still a decent one.

Tom and Nicole seemingly have everything they want thanks to a ten million pound win on the lottery.
However shortly after moving into their fabulous new home Tom is found dead face down in their swimming pool. Accident? Or murder? Everyone is a suspect from Nicole herself to their neighbours in the Manor House next door who have secrets of their own to hide.
The book is wonderfully fast paced with numerous twists and turns - I loved it and couldn’t put it down

I didn't enjoy this as much as other books by this author that I have read though it did keep me guessing at times I felt it was a little drawn out at times and a bit frustrating. I think 3.5 stars would be a fairer rating. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A really dark and twisting thriller. It opens with the mysterious death of lottery winner Tom, when his wife Nicole finds him in their swimming pool. With nobody else around apart from the young couple at the huge neighbouring house who live with their housekeeper, there are not many suspects initially. This is an engrossing and original read, where not much is at it seems.

Wow! What an absolutely brilliant psychological thriller of a book! This had me totally hooked from page one. Gripping with twists and turns that had me guessing right until the end. Tom and Nicole win ten million on the lottery and build the Glass House. Their next door neighbours are Sasha and Olly who also have a housekeeper called Kitty. They appear to have it all but then Tom is found dead in the pool. The story then becomes quite sinister and just as I thought I knew which way it was going something else happened that made me rethink it all. I found this fast paced and totally unputdownable as well as being unpredictable. Also an interesting look at human behaviour. Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book. Tom and Nicole have had a big win on the lottery and have moved to a beautiful property in the Wye valley. However, Nicole returns home one day to find Tom floating face down in the swimming pool. She dashes to the neighbouring manor house where Sasha, a yoga teacher, lives with her partner Ollie, who is a writer. They have a housekeeper, Kitty, who lives in a coach house in their grounds. This is a real page turner that will keep you guessing to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Another Gilly Macmillan novel full of twists and turns.

The lives of Nicole and Tom are completely changed when they win ten million pounds on the lottery. They move into a luxury home in Gloucestershire, a state-of-the-art Glass Barn conversion in the stunning grounds of Lancaut Manor.

With ten million pounds what could possibly go wrong, but their dream life is over when Tom is found dead in the swimming pool, with a wound on his head. His death seems to be very suspicious and fingers are pointing close to home. Living so remotely there are very few suspects other than the young couple who live in the Manor, and their housekeeper in the Coach House next door.

This is a typical Gilly MacMillan novel, well written, exciting plot and colourful characters, resulting in a very enjoyable read.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.