The Intruders Louise Jensen

What in holy hell did I just read! If you think you know where this book is going, then think again.
Fantastic plot, well written characters and I just had no idea where it was going to end up.
Louise has an incredible mind when it comes to writing psychological thrillers, and I have loved every single book of hers that I have read, and this book reminded me why.

Cass and James have just been given the perfect opportunity of being caretakers in an old Manor house, meaning after six months of dating and having to travel miles to see each other they'll finally manage to live together. But the house is not quite as perfect as it seems. 30 years ago, a murder took place, killing the family that lived there . Before long, strange things begin to happen, belongings being moved, the clock stopping at a certain time, and it feels like there's someone watching them. But surely history isn't going to repeat itself, is it?

Wow! I devoured this story. I absolutely loved this. This had me gripped from the first page. I could not put it down, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. This had so many twists and turns and shocking moments. If you only read one thriller this year, pick this one you won't regret it. Highly recommend.

The Intruders was a fantastic read. Louise Jensen knows exactly how to set a scene and get you on the edge of your seat wanting more. The Intruders had it all, intriguing characters, great storyline and fantastic twists and turns galore. I cannot rate it highly enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my ARC.

Cass & James have not been together long, but after six months they are convinced that this is the 'real thing'. It is hard to get the money so they can more in together so when they spot an ad asking for caretakers for an old manor house where they can live rent free giving them a chance to save it sounds too good to be true. Newington House has been empty for years since the family were killed there. Intruders have made the owners decide to put in caretakers. From the start strange things happen. The clock always stops at the same time, a window keeps being opened although they are sure the latched it securely & things get moved. As Cass is there the most she feels very spooked by it. The story is told in two timeframes, now & thirty years ago. This works well as does the description- I could feel the spooky atmosphere & wanted to keep looking over my shoulder. The story kept me guessing & although it did get a bit overly coincidental in places it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Wow, Louise Jensen does it again. A very unnerving, creepy thriller which I couldn't put down until the last page. Just when I thought I'd worked out what was going on, another twist came and tilted the story. Cass, James and Rose's stories will stay with me for a long time.

I read The Intruders within a few days as I was literally hooked on this novel.

We meet main characters Cass and James. They have not been with each other for very long but are madly in love and want to with each other. When James suggests to Cass that they house sit, rent free in a beautiful, large and isolated house they decide to go for it.

They move into Newington House, knowing that the previous occupants were murdered many years ago but both ok with that knowledge. Things start to happen whilst they are staying there, the old clocks stops at 830pm, Cass seems to think she hears and see things that are not there and we get to learn more about both characters and their connection.

There is so much that goes off in The Intruders, things that are spooky and scary and it reads really well. We learn also about the past occupants and how their death came about. I did find some parts quite confusing but I really enjoyed this novel.

This novel has it all, so many twists and turns all along with family drama, bit of romance, spookiness and scary moments and I loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and author for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was blown away by this book! When Cass meets James and they fall in love, James persuades her to join him house sitting in a large, deserted house where a family were all murdered, except for one child. Because this all took place before social media, they are unable to find out very much about what took place and why. But Cass feels unnerved by swinging chairs, stopped clocks and the feeling of a presence around her. With so many twists and revelations that I had to start making note, this is an excellent book and a must read for anyone who enjoys a spooky thriller.

I love Louise Jensen's novels so I was delighted to have her new one on my Kindle. This novel follows Case and James who are offered the chance to house sit rent free for a creepy old house. It's been abandoned for thirty years since a brutal murder was committed there and everything has just been left. The novel then goes back and forth in time as we find out what happened thirty years ago and we see what is happening in the present day. I enjoyed some parts of this story more than others, there were bits that didn't quite work for me - and the truth about what happened, while so utterly shocking just felt too much and I didn't really see why it went there. Having said that this is a fast-paced gripping read and I enjoyed it for the most part.

Wow, what a read! How Louise managed to plan this multi-layered, twisty plot is beyond me!

The stories of Cass and James and their young love is endearing. It becomes clear that both have some things in their background that they share, both having lost their mothers. It is also clear from early on that both have events that they haven’t yet shared.

The characterisation in this book is all very clear, with individuals leaping off the page into my mind. There were times when I wanted to stop them doing something, surely a sign of my belief in them.

As for the main setting, so well depicted that I can still walk through the house in my mind, seeing the darkness, the landing window, the rocking chair!!!

Intriguing is an understatement, as is dark, very dark in places! But, as always with Louise Jensen thrillers, you are guaranteed a tense, absorbing read.

I’m not going to say much more as the less you know about the plot, the better, however I will add there were moments that I paused and took time to assimilate all the twists and turns and embed all the facts in my mind.

Great read!!!!

3.75 Stars rounded up.

This was my first time reading a Louise Jensen book but it definitely won't be my last, overall I really enjoyed this story and the writing style

I really struggled with this book. I found the mix of characters and different story lines hard to keep separate. It is quite a complicated story centred around a Manor House with a traumatic past. Cass and James are employed as house sitters but odd things keep happening - the clock always stops at the same time, a window always comes open, objects disappear and turn up again in odd places.

Cass and James also have their secrets - about their past lives which seem to also be related to the house.

Flashbacks allow the reader to learn about the family tragedy and the events leading up to the murders.

The book was a slow burner but came together near the end - I just felt it was over complicated.

Cass and James find themselves caretakers to a house with a dark past but surely there's nothing to fear now. Moving in they start to learn nothing is ever that simple and maybe there's more they should know about it.

Wow what a twist filled ride this was. I wasn't expecting some of the many twists in this. I did figure out James quite quickly but the rest was cleverly done, taking me by surprise. This is quite a fast paced read with a very dramatic ending. You just don't know what anyone is capable of and who is hiding what? The story jumps from the past to the present often in alternating chapters which are often quite short. The ending was so good and i loved how it all tied together, A brilliant twisted thriller.

Casa and James are an average couple saving to buy their first home . When the opportunity to work as caretakers opens up at an old creepy Manor House they jump at the chance to….They plead ignorant to “ those rumours “

This house comes with history the Madley family were murdered there and it was brutal !

Great thriller actually quite scary in parts sold 4 stars thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this . You made me jump - brilliant 🤩

Old houses with troubled histories, priest holes, mysteries, missing people and murder. Great for readers, not so much for home makers.

This is the setting for The Intruders. A couple temporarily move in as caretakers aware that the last occupants were nearly all murdered by intruders who were not interested in robbery. Then weird things start to happen such as the clock always stopping at a certain time, objects moving somewhere else and a window continually being found open. It doesn't help that the woman caretaker has mental health issues and anxiety.

The story of the house is told from a few perspectives in the third and first person, and across two time periods: the present and the build up to the murders that occurred thirty years ago. The book starts with the murders and then slows down for the modern day romance, having indicated the horror to come it is not quite heightening the anticipation. There is plenty of foreboding before anything serious happens and at times it is a little clunky and overdone. The technique of three repeated words isn't always very effective. But once the action increases and a few of the secrets are revealed, it becomes a tense and fast read.

In the second part of the book the focus is on the theme of nature versus nurture, the phrase often repeated as events unfold. There are unexpected links to the present and people who are not what they seem. At one point I had to stop reading to assess what I had gleaned, in a good way. Unpredictable, clever and an engrossing read.

There were lots of twists and turns in this book which is told in a duel timeline between now and thirty years ago. I thought I had it figured out but I was completely wrong and I really enjoyed the misdirection.

Thirty years ago intruders broke into Newington House killing all but one of the Madley family. Now, Cass and James move into the mansion to look after it before its renovations are started. Strange things start to happen and we are left to wonder if it may all be in Cass’ head or if there is something more sinister and her, James and their unborn baby are in actual danger.

I love the mix between the two timelines and just when you reach a critical point in one we switch to the other to keep the tension and suspense high.

Cleverly written and a great ending.

The cover and title of this book caught my eye and I was delighted to receive a copy from HQ HarperCollins UK and NetGalley. I have read a couple of books by this author before and enjoyed them.

Cass and James have had a whirlwind romance and after just six months together, James suggests they take on a caretaker job at Newington House. Thirty years earlier, three members of the Madley family were murdered there by masked intruders, and no one has lived in the house since.
As soon as Cass and James arrive in the house it feels somehow familiar and Cass thinks that the house is trying to tell her something. It’s definitely creepy, with swings and rocking chairs moving of their own accord, and the clock stopping at the same time every day.

“I thought you said you were alone?” “I am.” “Then who’s that behind you?”

The plot is dual timeline which I liked as it gave you glimpses into the past and what happened in the lead up to the murders. The book is definitely a slow burner and it’s not until halfway through that it picks up and starts coming together. The characters were alright but I didn’t warm to Cass at all, she really irritated me for some reason. I thought I had sussed out who the surviving child was but I had it wrong, there are definitely plenty twists to keep you guessing. At times I did get a bit confused towards the end and it was a little tricky to follow how the characters were connected, and what had gone on.

The author does mention coincidences and fate, but I did find it a bit of a stretch that the characters met each other again after so many years, and then went to the Manor House, it felt a bit implausible to me.

This book is a slow burner but it’s an interesting mix of supernatural and dark psychological thriller and is guaranteed to keep you guessing!

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

I really don't know how to review this book!! There were many twists, turns, and wtf moments that I'm still not sure what I just read!

I can say that I was genuinely terrified and had to turn the big light on, and I jumped at every little noise. I finished reading just before midnight and had to read a chapter or a rom-com before I could go to bed.

I loved this book so, so much! It's just just scary. It's emotional and dramatic, too. I cried a few times, which I didn't expect. It's also very character driven. Cass and James were both so complex and interesting.

This is my new favourite Louise Jensen book!

With very clever use and descriptions of sounds and visions the author has created an excellent backdrop to a chilling story.

A young couple who are starting out are offered the chance to be caretakers at an old Manor House. This has been abandoned for some time and was once the scene of a grisly murder. Cass is newly pregnant and fascinated by the house which she feels oddly at home in. James is called away for work and has to hope Cass is coping in their new home. The clock stops at 8.30, a swing in the garden moves on its own and the words run, run, run appear in Cass’s mind.

It is difficult to tell if a book will get a reader sucked into a plot but this is almost from the off. So many twists and turns and many times I thought that I had cracked it but was always a step behind the author. Great atmosphere created and the end plot twists when they came and the unpicking of what happened in the past was so well thought out.

Great thriller and one that I will be recommending.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review 📚

This started off strong and stayed that way right up until it finished. I must admit I wasn’t a fan of the character Cass she was really annoying and whiny and I definitely felt conflicted about some of the other characters but all the way through I was willing them to make the right decisions.
It took turns I was not expecting and I stayed up till the early hours so I could find out what happened.
Overall another great book by Louise Jensen she’s should definitely be on your radar if you love a thriller read!

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this book!

An intricate and puzzling plot, I enjoyed this thriller immensely. At first I was a bit disappointed because I had guessed one element of the plot development, but the manner in which Jensen then twists this knowledge made for a gripping and immersive page-turner.

Moving into a tragedy house, Cass is convinced that there is some sort of supernatural at work because things are being moved, windows mysteriously left opened and, most sinister of all, a grandfather clock that always stops at the same time every evening. I loved the atmosphere that Jensen creates and felt that I would not be someone who could occupy this strange house with awful memories. The creepy messages and music that are repeated throughout the novel sent shivers down my spine and I found this added to the intensity of the setting.

Through the use of clever flashbacks, readers begin to find out about what happened at Newington House, why it is a house famous for tragedy. This element really had me on tenterhooks and there were many points when I thought I was one step ahead of the author. This was certainly not the case! There were so many ambiguities about this part of the plot and I was pleasantly puzzled. However, the more I read, the more addicted I became to this mystery and how James and Cass are part of Newington House’s history.

As the story develops, the chapters become shorter and I felt breathless with reading it. You do experience chapters from a range of character perspectives however, Jensen does not introduced these all at once. By the time the newer voices are included in the narrative, this isn’t an issue in the slightest. In fact, I was desperate to have this extra information because I knew it would help fill in the gaps of the tragic night that Newington House is haunted by.

Another great read from Jensen that was highly enjoyable throughout. Jensen is fast becoming one of my favourite go-to authors for the thriller genre, as I know she always delivers a great story.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.