Exhausting, I really couldn't get into this for ages and thought it was going to be a DNF, however managed to force myself but not sure it was worth the effort.
I found the whole thing to be tedious, slow and repetitive, too many characters and none of the characters were likeable, even Anna was just so sappy & weak.
Some plot points, (like the stalker or changing Olly's book) just seemed half done.
As for the ridiculous "ending", so everyone just went oh well never mind it's all a mystery, really?!
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.

This is the first book I have read by Hilly MacMillan and I will certainly read more.

A gripping book with lots of twists and turns

I'm normally a fan of multiple view points - however there are so many in this one it took a long time to get into, and to be honest there felt a few too many people.
The story had a lot of potential - but then took a few twists too many - to the point that the ending became way too far fetched.

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Fall
By Gilly McMillan

I was really excited to read this book and thank you to @netgalley @GillyMacmillan and @CenturyBooksUK for allowing me the privilege 🙏

Nicole and Tom are lucky lottery winners and find themselves living a rich life. Sasha and Olly live in the manor next door with their housekeeper, Kitty. 🙄

Nicole finds Tom’s lifeless body in the pool and so we follow Jen and Hal, the police characters, in their attempt to uncover the truth.

I did get a little confused midway of who was who (probably the extreme Scottish heat though!)

This plot had way more twists than I expected and just as I thought there could be no more another popped up! 😬

Loved it ❤️ What a great read and I will be reading a lot more of Gilly’s books!

#bookstagram #review #gifted #lovetoread #scotland #thefall #gillymcmilllan #netgalley #thriller #goodread #busymum #mumslife #catmum #summer #sunnydays #beachread

The Fall is full of twists and surprises threaded in amongst the tension. From the very beginning, the novel plunges us into the shocking revelation of Nicole’s husband, Tom, found dead in their swimming pool, and it looks like it was murder. Their enigmatic neighbours, Sasha and Olly, who live in a grand house nearby called ‘The Manor’, seem to lend their support, but their actions and their housekeeper Kitty appear to hold hidden secrets. Could Nicole and Tom’s newfound wealth as lottery winners and their extravagant custom-built house, known as ‘The Glass Barn,’ be somehow connected to the sinister events?

We flick between the perspectives of all these characters, and as we do, we learn more about each character’s relationships to the deceased and also to each other. The characters are convincing, though not all of them are likeable, and I enjoyed moving between the characters’ thoughts. We also have a secondary narrative which slowly unravels how Sasha and Olly came to live at The Manor, which I found intriguing and added some extra surprises into the mix! No one is quite as they seem…

The Fall is told in short chapters which kept my attention well. It didn’t go where I expected it to and I enjoyed seeing the net closing in on certain people… A real sense of atmosphere is created throughout the book, and the two houses – ‘The Glass Barn’ and ‘The Manor’ – seem to have their own distinct personality which adds to the atmosphere!

Gilly Macmillan’s skilful writing ensures that The Fall is a gripping, entertaining psychological thriller.

Nicole and Tom have built their dream home after a lottery win. Life is going great until Tom is found dead in the pool with a head wound. Was it an accident or murder? Who are the couple living in the manor house next door? What is their housekeepers story?
This was a great read with many twists and turns. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from Gilly MacMillan.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for granting me an advance copy.

Nicole and Tom's lives are changed overnight by a ten-million-pound lottery win.
Before they know it they've moved into a state-of-the-art Glass Barn conversion in the stunning grounds of Lancaut Manor in Gloucestershire.
But their dream quickly turns into a nightmare when Tom is found dead in the swimming pool, with a wound on his head.
Someone close to home must be responsible. But other than the young couple who live in the Manor, and their housekeeper in the Coach House next door, there's no one around for miles
So we have the basics for a great thriller and great it is. Not my usual read this so believe me it had to be good to keep me entertained.
The storyline moved at quite a pace with each chapter written from the different characters perspective. This kept the story fresh and kept me as a reader hooked.
I did enjoy this book but some of the threads lacked plausibility for me. Difficult to go into detail here without spoiling the story but let’s just say if you go along with it then enjoy it you will despite the convenient plot lines.
I genuinely believe this book will be a hit and would recommend you give it a read.
I received an advance review copy from NetGalley in return for an honest and unbiased review

Very nearly a five star review but my little gripe is that there was perhaps one twist too many. I can’t say which one or I would plot spoil it and because it’s such a good tale I don’t want to do that.
The police officers obviously are going to appear in follow on books and I hope they play a bigger part than in this one. They definitely have a lot more to offer.
The plot is easy to follow and quite sad overall but lots of strands keep revealing themselves and a good conclusion too so what’s not to like?

What a great read I was hooked from the start , I think Gilly Macmillan is a brilliant author. The characters were good and I love these coercive control stories. I find them terrifying

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

Once you're on top...it's a long way down...

Having won ten million pounds on the lottery, Tom and Nicole Booth's lives are changed overnight. They build their dream home on the Lancaut peninsula from the old barn ruins once belonging to the Manor House from which they purchased the land and remains. After months of planning and waiting, the Glass Barn - a smart home glass monstrosity - is born. For Nicole, it's their dream. For Tom, it's the beginning of the end.

They thought the win would be a good thing but it turns out that they no longer fit in with their old friends but as they didn't earn their money they didn't fit in with the rich either. So where did they fit? Childhood friend Patrick has tried hitting them up for cash in the beginning and as a gesture of goodwill they decided to gift him a fair amount to get himself a flat and land himself on his feet. Unfortunately, Patrick doesn't see it that way and instead looks on his friends as his new bank. Tom and Nicole decide to cut off all contact with him.

Once settled in their new home, the couple have tried making friends with their neighbours in the Manor House, Olly and Sasha, but Tom can't warm to them. Nicole just wants to fit in. Still, if it makes Nicole happy then he's happy.

But what makes Nicole happy is Tom and as she arrives home from the County Fair to the booming sounds of opera blasting from every single hidden speaker inside the house, she goes in search of her husband. But the music is so loud it is deafening. She tries to silence it with voice commands to which is fails to respond. Curse this smart home and Tom for wanting every high-spec tech gadget on offer. She can't even open the blinds in her window! Trying to tune out the blaring music, Nicole searches the house for any sign of Tom. Upon reaching their bedroom suite and seeing no sign of him she's about to turn when she sees his lifeless form in the pool below. And she screams.

In a panic, Nicole runs through the woodland to the Manor House to seek help from Olly and Sasha and their housekeeper Kitty. Tom is dead. What is she to do?

The police are duly called and Detectives Hal Steen and Jen Welsh are tasked with the investigation into Tom's death. Is it an accident? Or something m ore suspicious? And what of the strange dynamics at Manor House? What is truly going on between these two houses and how much of it has any bearing on the truth?

THE FALL begins with a slow build, its setting a character all of its own. Although this is not really a mystery as such it is a good psychological thriller that does keep you guessing where it will lead. It may seem predictable in parts but there are a few surprises that I didn't see coming and thought they made an excellent flourish to the tale. There are certainly some tense and creepy moments with the gothic Manor House creating such an atmosphere that was almost chilling.

The characters are somewhat questionable. Gulliable even. But it all rounded off nicely with a nice little twist at the end to complete the tale.

An enjoyable read, on the whole, THE FALL takes gaslighting and coercive control to the extreme.

I would like to thank #GillyMacmillan, #Netgalley and #CenturyBooks for an ARC of #TheFall in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

3.5 upped to 4
I was hooked and turning pages for most of this twisty and well written thriller. I was disappointed by the solution
It's Told by different POV, featuring some very hateful characters and some which you hope are going to survive.
I think it will be loved by many people and I enjoyed it for most of the plot
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Nicole and Tom appear to be living the dream. A ten-million-pound lottery win allows them to build a state-of-the-art home in an idyllic location. A stunning home, in Gloucestershire, full of every modern smart convenience, with a pool, sauna, and gym, set in the most beautiful grounds of the old Lancaut Manor. They are still deeply in love after many years of marriage and are happy in their new lives.

Until Nicole comes home one afternoon and finds Tom dead in the swimming pool. At first, deemed an accident, it soon seems to turn sinister. Is it really an accident? Or is there more to Tom’s death than seems? The young couple next door, Sasha and Olly, have been supportive to Nicole, but is there more to them than meets the eye? Their housekeeper Kitty implies as much to the police investigating Tom’s death. What she reveals is shocking. Can it be true? Does it change what happened to Tom?

This story started out interesting for me. I was captured by the plot, the direction it was going, and the potential twists. As new characters were getting introduced the story was evolving. But as it progressed I found my eyebrows raising, and not in a good way. The point of view was switching between the characters, which I tend to enjoy. But the flashes to Tom’s story became less and less likely. The smart house is just silly in its ‘malfunctions’. Kitties story - really? I finished the book to see where it went but was not impressed. Maybe because I would never put up with what she did in a million years, but I find it incredibly implausible. A fine read to pass time, but not for me.

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

Full of drama with so many twists along the way that I did not see coming. For the most part I was hooked, reading every opportunity I got, however I was slightly disappointed in the grand finale. Don’t get me wrong it was different and grasping to the end I just felt it changed the personality of a couple of the characters too much and was much less realistic or believable.

When Nicole and Tom win the lottery they decide to build the “Glass Barn” as their dream home in Lancaut. They are living their dream life, so happy right up until Nicole returns from a country show to find her beloved Tom face down in the pool turning her dream life in to a nightmare where nothing is as it seems.

I really liked the way each chapter was written from a specific characters POV and how we flashed back to Toms last day at different hours to see how he spent that day, it really helped to build the intrigue and drama.

Overall I have given the book 4 stars, had the ending been a little more believable then it would have gained the 5th star but as it is I was left feeling a little flat and deflated by it.

his novel is set fairly locally to me, which was intriguing. I'm familiar with the area described, and don't take this the wrong way (I'm not a criminal by any stretch of the imagination, but) it would be the perfect setting for such a crime ...

Following a life changing lottery win, Nicole and Tom have built their dream home in a beautiful secluded spot in the Wye Valley. The house is a modern architect's dream with state of the art technology inside and out. The only drawback is that (like all the best tech) it sometimes it doesn't work as it should.

Nicole is coming back from a local show when she finds Tom face down in their swimming pool. At first she believes it was nothing but a tragic accident. But as the Police begin to show their suspicions, Nicole can't help but wonder if someone was jealous of their fortune.

The houses security system offers little in the way of answers, as typically it was malfunctioning at the time..

But who could possibly want Tom dead, and why?

It isn't long before the police have a healthy list of suspects, including Nicole herself, though she isn't under suspicion for long...

Their neighbours at the Manor House are quick to offer support to Nicole, and the Police investigation, and they have their own beautiful house and surroundings, so don't immediately fall under suspicion. Until the Police interview their seemingly nervous, slightly odd house keeper, and then everything changes.

This is a book full of unsavoury characters, all with something to hide. But will any of them be bought to justice? Well, you'll have to read to find out.

The ending might not be for everyone. But if you're anything like me, then I don't think you'll be disappointed.

For quite some time I lost my love for thrillers, but The Fall has reminded me of just why I enjoyed them. A wild and clever plot that made me impatient to get back to reading when life got in the way.

Nicole and Tom are lottery winners with their dream home. But the dream becomes a nightmare when Nicole discovers Tom's lifeless body floating facedown in their pool.

Was this a tragic accident or something more sinister?

The only close neighbours are Sasha and Olly, and their housekeeper Kitty. Who heard and saw nothing. Allegedly.

There are so many twists that were deliciously unpredictable and I really enjoyed every second of this brilliant book.

Nicole and Tim have built themselves their dream house after a life changing lottery win. The Glass Barn is a stunning property in a remote area in the Wye valley.
However, dreams become nightmares when Nicole finds Tim dead in the pool when she returns home after a day out. The police don’t think it was an accident but the only people anywhere near are a young couple and their housekeeper in the nearby Manor House.
It quickly becomes apparently that no one is as they seem and everyone is hiding something. Can the police find the murderer before someone else dies?
The Fall is a breathless, fast paced thriller. It’s great fun if not desperately realistic, best not to analyse the plot at times. Gilly McMillan writes with verve and her characterisation is very clever, she skewers a character with a few sharp sentences. The Glass Barn and The Manor House are characters in their own right, the former with its bonkers state of the art security system and the later with its mysterious hidey holes and ruined chapels.
This is very much a read in one sitting, page turner thriller and one of the best of the genre I have read for a while.

I was hooked from the start of this book. A husband found dead in swimming pool , The investigation into did he fall or was he pushed. . It was far more than a whodunnit as revelation after revelation uncovers some very surprising goings on.. There are some great unlikeable characters which adds to this intriguing plot. A great read.

This premise grabbed me instantly, and it didn't disappoint! After a steady start this book suddenly gets interesting and I was hooked. Lots of drama and suspense, and a great ending.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in return for an honest review.

.I found The Fall to be a page turner of a book with plenty of twists and turns and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC

This was a nice interesting thriller with quite a lot of twists and turns I didn’t see coming. Unsure of the motivation of the killer though