“Past and present collided, and if we’d listened carefully we might have heard the distant rumblings of a storm coming in from the sea. It scuttled under doors, and slid through windows, bringing with it something so awful, that none of us would ever be the same again.”

Isn’t that writing superb? The whole book is like this - amazing!

Are you interested in an all-expenses paid long weekend at a luxury lodge in Kynance Cove, remote Cornwall?

❓even if it’s hosted by an ex-mother-in-law
❓even if it means that your ex-husband and his mistress-turned-wife are there
❓even if various offspring of various ages are all under the same roof for a long weekend
❓even if it’s a fractured family harbouring secrets and set on revenge

What could possibly go wrong?! The Wilsons are about to find out.

Fiona “plan[s] to slay” - literally or figuratively? You’ll have to read to find out.

Things I loved:
✔️dual POV (ex-wife, mistress-made-wife)
✔️tension, suspense, secrets, unreliable narrator
✔️amazing character development and setting
✔️build-up of the mystery to the inevitable ending
✔️author’s attention to fine details and vivid descriptions
✔️epilogue

Author Sue Watson executed the setting perfectly; atmospheric, vivid, and eerie. I normally get restless with a slow-burn introduction, but Watson’s writing kept me concentrating on her characters and motives.

Kudos to Fiona Wilson for attempting to bridge the gap. I was rooting for her the whole time, even when she appeared to be selfishly putting her feelings above those of her children and ex-mother-in-law. Even when she felt like she might become unhinged. Even then, she kept it together. I don’t know what I’d do if I were in her shoes. I would, however, remove the rose-coloured glasses, that’s for sure.

“I’ve been wearing the shade of wronged-wife-bitterness for too long, I was ready for something more positive.”

I loved to hate the ‘new wife’ and wanted to backhand the ex-husband! I enjoyed the author’s examination of insecurity, vulnerability, imitation, and doing the right thing. Highlighting the three generations gives readers more insight into the family dynamics and the addition of the non-family member increased the mystery.

This is Watson at the top of her game!

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is my first Sue Watson book. With that, I had high expectations. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.

Angela Watson is about to have her 75th birthday party. She has decided to invite her son and the rest of his family, his current wife, ex wife and her grandchildren out to the lodge. When everyone shows up, an officer shows up telling them there has been a murdered body discovered on the road. It can only be one of them who committed this terrible crime. Who is the culprit?

Soon, the snowstorm has locked everyone in, causing intense tension between the wives. The cattiness was a bit silly in parts. Sad thing is, I bet there are tons of real women out there just like this. Most of this plays out as a drama and it dragged quite a bit to be honest. Reading about a family that just constantly bickers was getting on my nerves. I am really relieved to be done with this. Sorry guys, this just wasn’t for me.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and Sue Watson for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own. Expected publication date October 24th, 2023

Angela, the matriarch, has requested her family to vacation together. Her family used to stay at a resort when her son was younger. This son who has an ex-wife, two children, a current wife and a baby.
Also invited - a chef, to provide the meals. But the family knows her - except the ex-wife.

Some very good twists. Enjoyable. Great read! Solid plot.

I really enjoy author Sue Watson’s psychological thrillers so was really looking forward to this one. Although I did enjoy it I didn’t get as pulled in as I normally do. I suppose that’s the problem when you set such an high bar. That said this was still a very good read.

The Wilson family are getting together at the lodge but not everyone has the same enthusiasm to meet up. There is an excellent mix of personalities and ages, each having issues, hang ups and suspicions.

The characters are the strong part of this novel, Danni the new wife struggling with feelings of inadequacy, Fiona the ex-wife dealing with jealousy, Angela the well-meaning yet meddlesome mother-in-law, and Scot the husband trying to balance his responsibilities to both families while hiding a dark secret.

There are confrontations and arguments throughout the story as the suspense builds. Each character has there own agenda and the reader is left wondering what their true intentions and motivations are. As the suspense builds secrets are drip fed all building up to the grand finale. ‘The Lodge’ is well written with a clever plot and full of well crafted characters and plenty of family conflicts making this a very good read.

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

This was a psychological thriller with wintry themes, and it was pretty good. I was interested in the characters, even though some of them didn't seem particularly likeable and disliked each other. It seemed they were all guilty of something or had something to hide. It was a page turner, and if you're looking for a winter-themed thriller to curl up with on a cold day, this would be a good one to pick up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

An intriguing premise that would be my nightmare. Stuck in a cabin with my ex-husband, his mother, his new wife, and various kids, to play happy families for a weekend.

This started off kind of slow, and I struggled to get into any of the characters so it wasn't easiest read at first.

I liked the overall story, but I never quite warmed up to any of the characters. I do enjoy a good snowed in thriller, and this definitely checked that box.

**CONTAINS SPOILERS**
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC! This book was very interesting and the characters were well-created. However I wasn’t a fan of the unreliable narrator. But the epilogue definitely shocked me!

I had a front row seat with my popcorn as I feverishly read this deep drama!
I knew conflicts would abound when an ex wife, the new wife, the husband and new baby, plus the two teenagers kids and the aging grandmother spent a weekend together at a snowed in lodge.
Except there were so many more complications than even I had anticipated.
Everyone has a guilty secret, everyone, except the baby.
It’s a suspense filled drama which I devoured.

I was so excited to see Sue Watson had another book out as I typically enjoy her thrillers. The book was a bit slow to start but things did pick up towards the end. The subplot felt like it was tacked on to make a certain character somewhat sympathetic, which did work, but I don't know that it added anything to the overall story. I didn't find any of the characters particularly likeable, but seeing they were all confined to a lodge for an extended period of time, it's completely understandable they'd be a little testy. :) I wish the author would have done a little more showing and a little less telling. The twists at the end were pretty good, and I was invested enough to see how things turned out, so I will give it 3.5 stars. It's a decent read for a weekend, and if you are a fan of Sue's, you will probably enjoy it.

The Lodge was a fun, twisted story about a family with a ton of drama! I enjoyed the book and found the story and also the characters to be very interesting. I liked the dual POV’s and the surprise ending. Sue Watson is always an author who I will recommend- her writing is terrific. Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

Just finished this book and wow!! Loved it!
Firstly thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me early access to this book.
This book is easily a 5 star read for me. Great if you love mysteries and suspenseful thrillers! So many twists and turns! And so many secrets 😳
The different POV really helped to get to know the characters and see the situations from multiple POVs, this really helped to sympathise with the characters and made me feel quite judgey at times 😂😂 I highly recommend this book when it comes out, will keep you on the edge of your seat for sure!!

Thanks for the ARC from Netgalley. Such a good book! Read it in a day! Keeps you guessing until the end. Looking forward to more of Sue Watson's books.

The story follows a family brought together under one roof at a vacation Lodge, at the request of Angela (mother, grandmother and mother in law) for her 75th birthday, warning that it may be her last. The issue? The family includes Fiona, a wife turned ex-wife and Danni, a mistress turned wife of whom the dual povs center. The man in the middle? Angela’s son. This blended family come together for the sake of Angela, though soon they’ll realize that’s there’s more than lies, secrets and betrayal between them, but possibly murder as well as one amongst them goes missing.

Overall, a gripping read resulting in a 3.75⭐️ rating!

Pros:
- Amazing character development. The author wrote her characters so well that even the characters I disliked, I felt like you knew personally.
- Interesting story line. There were so many aspects to this story and so many mysteries to uncover that it kept my interest.
- Author poses a question. I love when an author poses a question to the reader that has us considering our moral compass. It really allows you to sit with the reading material even after you’ve finished the books.

Cons:
- Slow burn. Much of the book provides context on the relationship between these characters and their inner dialogue. The mystery aspect picks up later on in the book.
- There were some unbelievable aspects for the story to make sense and be tied up in the end.

Thank you to Net Galley, Bookouture and Sue Watson for an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Lodge offers an interesting setup with a family gathering in a remote lodge, promising a blend of tension, secrets, and revenge in a picturesque but treacherous setting. The book explores the intricate dynamics of the Wilson family through four central characters, each with their own flaws and hidden motives.

The premise itself is engaging, and the author's depiction of the characters and their inner conflicts adds depth to the story. Although I found myself dragging through the first half of the book. The chapters felt a little repetitive and it took a hot minute to get to the action. But, I enjoyed the ending which left me in awe of all the morally grey characters.


In conclusion, The Lodge may not be a flawless thriller, but it offers an entertaining plot. It's a solid choice for readers who enjoy stories filled with family secrets, moral ambiguity, and a dose of twisted intrigue. While it didn't entirely live up to its potential, it certainly has its moments, making it worthy of a three-star rating.

Three years ago Fiona's headteacher husband Scott broke his wife's heart and tore their family apart when she discovered he'd been having an affair with much younger teacher Danni, now Scott and Danni are married with a baby of their own, so imagine Fiona's reaction when her ex mother in law Angela insists the whole family spend a long wintry weekend tucked away in a coastal lodge in Cornwall for her 75th birthday, claiming it could be her last one. Not wanting to upset Angela, they all travel down to Cornwall; Angela, Danni, Scott, Fiona and their teenage children Sam and Georgia, what could possibly go wrong? When the weather takes a nasty turn and they find themselves locked down by the police investigating an accident, tempers begin to fray, then one of the family disappears and secrets begin to emerge...

The Lodge is the latest domestic thriller by Watson, set in beautiful Kynance Cove in Cornwall. The story is told from the perspectives of the two wives; Fiona and Danni and right from the start you know it's a disaster waiting to happen, what was Angela thinking? As the story unfolds everyone appears to be harbouring a secret, it's just a matter of which one will be revealed first! As with all of this authors thrillers this one hits the ground running, it's fast paced and full of twists and, just when you think you've figured out the who and the why, along comes Watson with one of her famous curveballs and sends you off in another direction completely. Another tension filled thriller from this fabulous author, with a jaw dropping ending that turned this book from a four star to a solid five star for me and one you definitely don't want to miss.

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

I love a good thriller and sometimes if the pacing is a little bit off, it throws off the whole book. There’s a lot of buildup, and there wasn’t really that much of a reveal at the end. But I did find it extremely enjoyable, and I loved the characters throughout. Dysfunctional families always make for great entertainment in a thriller novel..

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve read a few of this authors books and loved them but this one didn’t live up to my expectations. I felt it dragged quite a lot and I really didn’t like any of the characters and struggled to relate to them. It was still a decent enough read I just expected more

What a creepy story, I loved it. It took me a bit to get into because of all of the family drama, but it is necessary to understand what was going on in the family to get it. The author did an amazing job drawing you into everything. I was so intrigued I wanted to see how the whole book would play out. I went through so many emotions throughout the book. Once the book started revealing things wow, so much information. You will definitely be surprised by the ending. I highly recommend you read this book if you like family drama and suspense. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Thank you to the author and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The Wilson's strange blended family take a trip to Cornwall to stay in a remote lodge, upon request of the grandmother. Husband, wife, ex wife, grandmother, siblings, half-siblings and a personal chef in tow, what could go wrong?

In the beginning I immediately felt for Fiona, but I knew the vibes were off, things weren't right as soon as she arrived and the holiday started. It was super immersive to then get the POV of the new wife, Danni, where you also feel bad for her and her side of the story. I also loved the introduction to the drama of the grandmother seemingly playing these women against each other. Deeper into this book I really tried to stay alert and collect all the little clues, but you never know who to trust. As soon as you think somebody is trustworthy, their chapter seemingly ends on a cliffhanger and keeps you guessing until they come back around.

Now I absolutely LOVE an unreliable narrator, but I almost completely trusted one character and her twists and turns SHOCKED me to the core. Each character in the story is SO important, there was a few that I thought in the beginning were pretty static, but as the book goes on, everybody is tied up in the story.

My mind is still spinning trying to collect all the pieces of this amazing ending. Just when I thought I knew what had happened, thought I'd predicted the ending as it was wrapping up, the EPILOGUE flies into action and OMG. This made me want to go back through the entire book and find the exact location of all of the clues that led up to this point.

I would recommend this to any thriller lover, or even a cosy mystery lover looking to get into more thriller-like reads. Perfect for the autumn-winter time and has that cosy-mystery setting and vibe.

This was so weird. Okay so this woman gets talked into attending a holiday with her ex mother in law, cheating ex husband (but they might still be banging) and his newer much younger wife. plus all their respective children.
Because the husband is gross the women do not like one another. They are both insecure, and honestly, hateable.
MIL is going through some stuff too, dementia probably. And the MIL has hired a woman from a cafe to come with them to the lodge in order to be the cook.
The young cook is dressed exactly like 2nd wife ands even has her hair done the same way. Everyone is pretty stupid just to make it more fun.
Some people die and there is drama and it was a wild and fun ride with a predictable ending, if you read a lot of these, but it was a fun ending. I hated the husband very much.