Well paced, super interesting, following two different timelines intensifying the suspense even more. Really enjoyed this one!
Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this ARC.

Tremendous..
Blackthorn Ashes - an exclusive enclave, safe and secure, a perfect location, paradise found for the first six families moving in. Or is it? As, several weeks later, six people are very dead and Blackthorn Ashes is abandoned. One of the surviving residents is determined to discover the truth. A claustrophobic, atmospheric and compelling multi layered suspense effectively relayed in a dual timeline, with a deftly penned cast of characters and a tension fuelled narrative. The underlying vein of menace is ever present. Tremendous.

Blackthorn Ashes is a new luxury housing development in Cornwall. Eighteen houses facing a cliff. The development is everybody’s dream house. But when Agnes returns to the family that live there. She senses that something is not right. Something is seeping into the walls and there is cracks in the ground. Six weeks later some of the residences are found dead.
Thank you, Pan Macmillan, for a copy of Sarah Hilary’s latest book for an honest review. Although I found the first prelude of this story interesting. I then struggled with this, and I couldn’t connect to it. I found for me personally that there was too much back story and not enough of the actual plot. 3 stars from me.

I was immediately hooked woth this one. The premise is unique and the story is original. The tension starts being built from the very start and the eerie atmosphere stays with the story throughout.

The pace is good and the alternate timelines keep everything feeling like its always moving forward. The characters were well written and realistic and there's some really good twists and turns thrown in.

A fresh take ona thriller that is actually more than just a simple thriller. A complexly written must read

Loved this as was very different in concept and filled with impending angst and doom
Cd feel the tension and fears
Four stars as was well told and had an added dimension of a good backdrop to tell a story ,horrifying and mixed with a lot of empathy ,fierce determination loyalty and desperation
Ty for this ARC netgalley and publishers

I found this book quite hard to get into, none of the characters really intrigued me and the story didn't grip me as quick as I would've liked.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for ARC.

I look forward to any new work by Sarah Hilary. This was a claustrophobic, atmospheric read from beginning to end, with some very dark themes.
The Gale family are reunited for a fresh start in a new home - brand new. Dad has been selling the dream of Blackthorn Ashes, a new community of homes perches on a remote Cornish clifftop. Son has been helping his dad's mate with the snagging of the build as new families move into phase 1. Mum has been helping keep the finances afloat by picking up other jobs, to help them save for phase 2, and daughter Agnes is - well, she doesn't know what she's doing, back home to heal after a bad break up, hoping that things will be different this time.

The narrative covers two timelines - before and after a tragic day in the barely-formed community - and the sense of dread is palpable throughout. Even after the worst seems to have happened, there is a sense that there is more grief and sadness to come. Never less than elegantly written, menacing with very little graphic gore, and emotionally true to its core, this is a psychological thriller that will keep you up into the night, and a compelling and plausible family saga that is heartbreaking.

4+.

A delivery driver thinks his current location in Cornwall seems like the end of the world. It’s Blackthorn Ashes, eighteen houses (when complete) perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. There’s Hawthorne, Redthorn, then Maythorn where a street party and bbq is in progress followed by an unneighbourly quarrel. Six families live here, the first to move into this exclusive development. Happy days ahead. Hold that thought .... six weeks later six people are dead, the development abandoned and unfinished. Agnes Gale, a former resident, now living on a caravan park, wants to find out exactly how and why this paradise turns sour.

This is another very good book for this talented author as it goes into top gear immediately with a sinister tone and a tension fuelled atmosphere. There’s a sort of ‘fairytale’, gothic vibe to some of the storytelling with the ghost houses providing a spooky backdrop to the drama. In addition, the author creates an unsettled, off kilter feel via the weather, the location and the characters. The writing has intensity, there are elements of fear and a claustrophobic sensation as danger lurks despite the lovely calming influence of a wonderful character in Errol. What evolves is a mystery within a mystery and almost a declaration of psychological warfare with suspenseful scenes and multiple plot twists so your mind chops and changes with theories. The characterisation is outstanding especially the portrayal of autistic Agnes and I applaud the author for a character on the spectrum being centre stage - and indeed why ever not?? All the characters have depth especially Christie, Agnes’ brother, Errol and Trevor who exudes a sense of threat.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoy this very good, atmospheric novel that is beautifully written.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan McMillan for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

A really refreshing thriller. It was unique and kept me hooked throughout. The characters were complex and different yet compelling.

The storyline is so clever with plenty twists and turns along the way.

I really liked how it kept going backwards and forwards to tell the story, it kept the pace.

Overall a different but really enjoyable read.

The novel follows the story of Agnes,. who following a mental breakdown, returns to her family after many away. They are living at Blackthorn, a supposedly dream development of homes on a Cornish clifftop. But the ground is unstable and contaminated, and tragedy soon follows. The novel details the story before and after the abandonment of the houses.and shows the disintegrating relationship between Agnes and her family caused by misunderstanding and distrust, compounded by Agnes' autism, which other family members are unable to understand.

A complex story touching upon greed, lust, cruelty. and frailty.

A touching and realistic portrayal of human relationships.

This book will grab you and not let go.

Nothing is wrong in this book, the atmosphere, the descriptions, the characterisation and the plot are all perfect. It’s hard to say what this book is because there is everything, tragedy, mystery, thriller and some real suspense. I felt it all. I would want everyone who appreciates literature to read this. You genuinely can’t go wrong here.

I've never read a book that had me doubting the characters as much as this one did. It's a very cleverly woven story that had me turning the characters over in my mind at every turn. Beautifully and skillfully written, I'd highly recommend it.

There's a sense of dread running through the whole of this book, that had me slightly on edge.
Told from the point of view of before and after a tragedy, the after is no less nerve wracking... which makes no sense.
The bad deed is done.
A real page turner, and a good selection of characters , who seem to have the perfect life at the opening.... but we all know that's rarely the truth.
Very much enjoyed it.

An ultimately tragic family story which has a sense of dread seeping throughout it. This really stayed with me and is another fantastic read by Sarah Hilary.

Sarah Hilary can do no wrong. There, I said it! I adore her DI Marnie Rome series so I couldn't wait to get into this standalone novel, Black Thorn. I was not disappointed.

A luxury estate, a dream home... and sudden deaths. Agnes' return to her family after more than a decade is difficult - her relationship with her mother, the anger of her brother, and her father's dream estate that makes Agnes feel very ill at ease. When the deaths happen and the half-finished luxurious haven abandoned, Agnes starts to unpick the truth of what has really been going on.

Hilary's characters are, as always, so full of depth. It's something I really appreciate about Hilary's writing, and the care she takes in crafting each one. The story is told before and after the abandonment, building the tension and suspense. I think I must've doubted every character at one point!

A fascinating, if tragic, exploration of families and their relationships. This is more than a crime novel, or thriller, and I guarantee you'll think about these characters for days after closing that back cover. .

Black Thorn by Sarah Hilary
Publication date 13 July 2023

I really enjoyed Sarah's previous novel Fragile, so I had high expectations for her new offering. I was not disappointed.

Set on the Cornish coast we follow Agnes and her family as they move into and subsequently leave Blackthorn Ashes, an exclusive, luxury estate overlooking the Cornish Sea. It's meant to be paradise, although it turns out to be anything but.

Told before and after abandonment, there's a sinister dread underlying throughout the story, Sarah really builds the tension, right to the shocking climax.

There's twists and turns, and like all the best thrillers, I was doubting every character. Is no one who they seem? What secrets are they keeping?

Beautifully written and superbly creepy, I really felt like I was there in Black Thorn Ashes, pushing through the bushes with Angnes and her brother Christie and visiting the abandoned development.

A throughly recommended read, this is a gripping crime thriller with a difference.

Thank you to Pan Macmillian for an ARC in exchange for a honest review

Sarah Hilary's latest is a clever, haunting and beautifully written story, not at all the usual crime novel.

There is tragedy at the heart of it, but this one is a character study, a novel of consequence and an addictive, emotional tale that holds you engrossed from first page to last.

The characters are thought provoking and multi layered and it is one of those books that leave an impact on your heart and mind.

Very good indeed.