The Fall is the second Gilly Macmillan’s book I’ve read and it left me disappointed again. After an intriguing premise, the story became tedious and far-fetched. I found it neither thrilling nor suspenseful, and the ending was borderline silly.

I really enjoyed this book, lots of twists and turns, keeping you guessing and wanting to keep reading on.

What an intense read! Devoured in a couple of sittings. The plot is a simple one (not in a patronising way!) but executed perfectly, full of twists and turns. I loved it!

"There are truth-tellers, there are liars, and then there are fruitcake. He's not one hundred percent sure which she is." Whilst this was thought about one of the witnesses, it could be said of pretty much all of the characters (witnesses, suspects and victims) alike. Nobody is who they seem and there were some really good twists many of which I didn't see coming. I also loved all the red herrings, things that were made to seem sinister at the time of discovery but later explained as to have an every day cause. The reason for this not being a 5-star read, in my opinion, was due to all the characters being pretty unlikeable and therefore finding myself not really rooting for it invested in any of them. Also a clever, unexpected ending but I do like justice to be served which without giving anything away it wasn't.

Winning a lot of money changes your life as they found out but getting murdered was not expected but who did it? I didn't get it and got a bit muddled reading it on a Kindle as couldn't just flick back. Good read though.

I found this book to be cleverly put together and is definitely a gripping, unputdownable read! The characters are a great mix and I would describe this book as a very tense psychological thriller read. I will definitely be reading more by this author in the future.

This was my first book by Gilly MacMillan and I will read more.
The Fall begins with Nicole, a recent lottery winner, who returns home to the Glass Barn one day to find her husband, Tom, dead in the swimming pool of their new home.
A small cast of great characters, including Kitty the housekeeper and Steen the detective. Great setting and descriptions of the two houses – the Glass Barn conversion and the Manor next door. Lots of twists and red herrings. The journal entries, although they didn't read like diary entries, were intriguing. A good mixture of police procedural and psychological thriller.

Gilly MacMillan had done it again. The Fall is another gem which will instantly pull you in and keep you hostage until you have devoured the entire book from cover to cover. There is so much packed between the pages of this one.

Nicole arrives home to find her husband, love of her life and partner in crime dead in the pool. This is where the plot starts to unravel.

The characters are a perfect mix in this one. We have multiple perspectives and can really pick up on vibes and tensions in this one.

Sasha and Olly are a pair I have found hard to trust from the very beginning of this one. It’s an interesting vibe between them and kitty.

As this unravels, I’ve found myself caught up and completely unwilling to put this down. This is a book with so much laced between the pages that you cannot predict where it is going.

I have been caught in the events and doubted every character as I’ve read this one. I was so unsure who to trust and how things would unfold.

I’ve read a few books by this author and this is definitely a favourite. I loved everything about this book.

A definite for the TBR. Out Now!!

This was a fantastic read. Great plot, interesting characters and lots of pace. Impossible to put down. I would definitely read more by this writer.

EXCERPT: What's the expression? "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' She thinks it might be true. It (they) are going to get what's coming to them, then this is a start, but there's more to do. Now that the police are here, she feels bolder. She won't do anything rash, though. Her situation, and what she knows, is complicated. the best revenge is planned slowly and lands at once.
If she gets it right, they won't see her coming.

ABOUT 'THE FALL': Be careful what you wish for...

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.

Who among them is capable of murder?

MY THOUGHTS: A better than good mystery and psychological drama full of clever and surprising twists.

If you've ever thought that you might like to win the lottery, The Fall may make you think again. Just such a win has completely changed Tom and Nicole's lives. While Nicole has embraced her dreams and smoothly transitioned into her new life, Tom is struggling. He has lost his friends, his sense of purpose, and now his life.

Two very different houses play significant roles in this story. The Manor is exactly what it sounds like: a majestic older home, redolent with history, and complete with secret passages and priest holes. It is home to Olly, a novelist, and Sasha, a yoga instructor. The Manor comes complete with a Coach House, home to their housekeeper, Kitty. The Glass Barn is an ultra-modern construction rising out of the ruins of old farmyard buildings, the dream home of lottery winners Tom and Nicole.

Macmillan's characters are well depicted. Olly Palmer, Tom's oldest friend, who arrives almost indecently soon after his death is a prime example. Mercurial and manipulative he probably couldn't lie straight in bed. Hal Steen, lead detective in charge of investigating Tom's death, always prides himself on being ahead in an investigation, of approaching things in a smart way, of coming through when he needs to and having the energy and the mental and physical agility to give it his all. But with this case, he is struggling. The investigation becomes more tangled and complex by the day, with multiple new possibilities presenting at a time when he should be able to concentrate on following up leads.

The Fall is an easy and gripping read, with short chapters told from one of many different points of view. But it all comes together beautifully. Despite having to suspend a little belief in a few places, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I particularly loved the ending. Justice prevails!

The only reason this isn't a five-star rating is because of the journal entries. They did serve a purpose and were important to the storyline, but they just didn't ring true.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#TheFall #Netgalley

I: @gillymacmillan @randomhouse

T: @GillyMacmillan @randomhouseuk

#contemporaryfiction #crime #domesticdrama #mystery #psychologicaldrama

THE AUTHOR: Gilly Macmillan grew up in Swindon, Wiltshire and also lived in Northern California. She studied History of Art at Bristol University and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

Gilly lives in Bristol, UK with her family and writes full time.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Fall by Gilly Macmillan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

When Nicole and Tom win the lottery they decide to build their own home. Using the remains of a barn they build a contemporary home known as the Glass Barn. Full of up-to-date tech and state-of-the-art features. It sounds idyllic with wonderful views and a dream home. That was the dream until Nicole returns home one day to find her husband dead in their pool.

Their immediate neighbours are Olly and Sasha who live in The Manor and they have a housekeeper who lives in the nearby Coach House. They are the nearest neighbours and are the first people Nicole goes to when she discovers the body.

The story that then unravels is one of intrigue, huge amounts of twists and many red herrings!

This is a fabulous story that does involve a small cast of characters, they are a mixed bunch and from different backgrounds which are revealed as the story unfolds. With a police presence investigating the author flits between the main characters and the investigation. She also flits back and forth in time as this story has its roots further back before Nicole and Tom had moved in. This makes it sound like a confusing story, but it really isn't, well as least not as the author has written it.

Describing the area and the houses makes you realise that this is almost like a locked room mystery, the setting is isolated with only the two houses and the cast is small. This means that there is only a limited number of suspects, so, therefore, everyone is a suspect!

I really enjoyed the descriptions of the houses as they are so very different, but they also add to the story as they become their own characters as such. The older maze-like Manor has secrets and the Glass Barn technology doesn't always work as it should, this gives them a sort of quirky personality of their own.

The police investigation is one that is important and it does feature prominently, rather than just a side story. There are things that are discussed and discovered that add to the plot as it thickens and becomes more confusing. It seems as if the police get a few leads then almost are left to surmise. It makes for intriguing reading indeed.

This is a mix of mystery, thriller, crime and police procedural. It is twisted and devious and a fabulous story doesn't stop throwing surprises throughout. Great story that I would happily recommend.

Nicole & Tom’s lives change overnight with a ten million pound lottery win.
They move into a state of the art barn conversion in the Forest of Dean.
In contrast their neighbours, Olly & Sasha live in a dilapidated Tudor Manor House.
The dream quickly turns into a nightmare when Tom is found dead in the swimming pool with a wound to the head.
Who among them is capable of murder - Nicole, Olly, Sasha and their housekeeper, Kitty all become suspects.
They’re all hiding secrets, that they don’t want to be revealed.
Told from multiple points of view so you really get to know the characters and a dual timeline with a diary from a former resident, Anna, from five years ago.
A twisty domestic thriller, expect the unexpected, keeps you guessing right till the very last page..
Also showed negative ethical dilemmas especially of suddenly acquiring life changing amounts of money and of having a complex AI system where everything is controlled by voice command.
Thanks @gillymacmillan @randomhouseuk & @netgalley for the eARC

My thanks to Random House U.K. Cornerstone Century for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Fall’ by Gilly Macmillan.

This is the fourth novel I have read by Gilly Macmillan and have come to regard her as an author that I can count on to provide me with a gripping psychological thriller filled with characters bursting with untold secrets who are about to be presented with life-altering challenges.

I do always feel that this kind of thriller is best approached ‘cold’; so I will just give a few plot details as a taster.

Two years ago Nicole and Tom Booth's lives were changed overnight by a ten-million-pound lottery win. They subsequently bought a piece of land in the stunning grounds of Lancaut Manor in Gloucestershire and built the Glass Barn, a state-of-the-art ‘smart house’. They moved in six months ago though are still adjusting to this new life. 

Then tragedy strikes when Nicole returns home from attending a county fair and discovers Tom’s body in the swimming pool. However, as the police investigate they discover a suspicious wound on his head.

The Lancaut peninsula, a real place, is an outcrop of land formed by a dramatic bend in the River Wye, on the border between England and Wales. There’s no one living within miles apart from the Booths in the Glass Barn, Sasha Dempsey and Olly Palmer, a young couple living in the Manor, and Kitty, their housekeeper who lives in the Coach House next door.

The novel contains short chapters that move between the points of view of its various characters including flashbacks to Tom on the day of his death that cleverly reveals the events bit by bit. It also presents occasional chapters by two police detectives investigating the case: Hal Steen and his partner, Jen Walsh. Macmillan also provides a map of the Lancaut peninsula that shows the locations of the various properties.

I do enjoy a dark, twisty psychological thriller and ‘The Fall’ definitely delivers on this, keeping me glued to my seat. I ended up completing it in a single day as I just had to know how it all worked out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book but it wasn't the best mystery thriller I have read. I'm hoping the author's next book is better.

#TheFall #NetGalley This was an interesting read with lots of twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing. However, I found the pace a bit slow and in some parts repetitive. I couldn't really warm to any of the characters which meant I couldn't invest in the story as much as I would like to. Some dark issues, for example coercive control, were covered well.

Whoops I got a bit mixed up with publication dates so I'm a little late 🙈

Nicole and Tom are childhood sweethearts living a modest life...then they win £10million on the lottery. They move to a custom build "glass barn" at a nature reserve and life is good. Until one morning Nicole goes to a farm show and returns to find Tom floating face down in their swimming pool... it's a tragic accident... right?

The story is told as a series of chapters featuring each of the main characters - Nicole, Sasha and Olly the neighbours, Kitty their housekeeper, Anna (who lived next door)'s diary from 5 years ago and Hal and Jen the detectives. There are also a few chapters near the end that feature Tom on his last day.

It's fast paced, exciting, lots of twists and turns and things to figure out. I'm accusing everyone and no one at some points!

This is my second or third Gilly Macmillan I've read and it's my favourite so far, definitely give it a read 👍🏻

Review also posted to Goodreads but can't link account

Childhood sweethearts Nicola and Tom have won the lottery. Life is perfect, living in the dream home Nicola always wanted. That is, until she returns home one day to find Tom dead in the pool!

Suspicion then falls on friends and neighbours and a who dunnit begins.

This started off a strong read. The storyline kept me hooked but then it just felt a bit dragged out in parts, a bit far fetched and just didn’t hold my attention. A decent read but not one I’d recommend to others sadly.

Nicole Booth had spent the morning at the county fair before she returned home. There was no sign of her husband but opera was playing on the state-of-the-art music system installed in The Glass Barn. They'd not been in the architect-designed house on Lancaut Peninsula for long and were still getting used to all the high-tech systems Tom had insisted upon. Some of them fought with each other and didn't work as reliably as they should. It had all come about through a ten-million-pound lottery win and they were still getting used to having that sort of money, too. Eventually, Nicole found Tom dead in the swimming pool with a wound to his head.

Nicole is convinced that it must be a dreadful accident and she's supported in this by Sasha Dempsey and Olly Palmer who live in the Manor House next door. Their housekeeper, Kitty, lives in the coach house and no other homes are on the peninsula. If this wasn't an accident, then who could have been responsible? There might be some hints in what went on five years ago when Anna Creed lived in the Manor House. Her husband, Nick, had recently died of cancer and she kept a journal. As the story of what's happening now progresses, we read excerpts from the journal.

You empathise with Tom and Nicole straight away. Before their big win, they'd lived simple, careful lives in Swindon and - in some ways, they're doing the same thing now, only with a lot more money. Nicole used to be the administrative manager at a firm of solicitors that specialised in conveyancing: now she concentrates on keeping the house as it ought to be. Tom was a mechanic: now he drives a Maserati. The money has upset old friends, particularly Patrick. They gave him a substantial sum of money so that he could buy a flat: within a few weeks, he was back, demanding more and became threatening when it was refused. To be honest, life at Lancaut was a bit lonely, particularly for Tom.

It's almost a locked-room mystery: there are remarkably few people who could have killed Tom but Gilly Macmillan keeps the tension ramped up high to the very last pages and I really couldn't stop turning them. I meant to read the book over a week but finished it in less than twenty-four hours. The characters are superbly observed and even the best of them have their flaws. It's a real cracker and I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy.

Nicole & Tom's dreams were supposed to have come true when they won the lottery. They quit their jobs & bought a plot of land in what were the grounds of Lancaut Manor in Gloucestershire, & built themselves a state-of-the-art barn conversion. Things crash to a halt though when upon returning from a day out at the local country fair, Nicole finds Tom dead in the swimming pool. She runs to the neighbours, Sasha & Olly, who live at the Manor & the police are called. Evidence of someone else being at the house that day comes to light, a card for a masseur is found in Tom's pocket, & lipstick is found on one of the cups in his den. Everything points to Tom possibly being unfaithful & the police wonder if Nicole found out. Meanwhile next door at the Manor, things may not be exactly what they seem.

The story is told from multiple points of view including those of a character from five years ago called Anne. The reader has entries from her diary interspersed with the present day goings-on. It was okay, it was all just a bit too slow. I also didn't really like any of the characters, even the police detectives were kind of obnoxious so I didn't really become invested in any of their stories. Verdict: slow-going & found it hard to care about any of the characters. 3.5 stars (rounded down)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Random House UK/Cornerstone/Century, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

A couple win £10 million on the lottery and are living their dream life. Having bought land from a neighbouring property, they have built their dream house with all modern technology controlling the house. The added luxury is a swimming pool. Tom and Nicole's perfect life?

Nicole finds her husband dead in the swimming pool. Not knowing what to do she chases round to their nearest neighbours - a couple living at the Manor and their housekeeper. The nightmare continues. Nothing is at it seems.

I loved this book and kept me keen to find out the reason why her husband died. All seems to have been resolved, but no,
there is more to be uncovered.

Gilly always writes brilliant books and will be waiting for her next one! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy for my unbiased review.