A pacey thriller with interesting twists and well-written characters. It has plenty of intriguing ideas running throughout it and the mystery of the house and its secrets will keep you guessing until the end.
The exploration of family dynamics and repressive relationships add another dimension to the text and the interactions between the various characters have a good level of authenticity.
The clever manipulation of withheld information is perfectly plotted, changing the reader's perception of the key characters as further details come to light when the plot develops. The house itself is a suitably creepy setting for this dark tale of deception and submission and almost feels like it develops a narrative voice of its own.
The book is definitely worth a read and is perfect for an evening's entertainment if you like twisting narrative with a bit of bite and brutality.

I loved how tense and straight up scary this book was. I was actually getting too nervous to carry on reading!
Sadly i didn't really enjoy the main characters, they were okay but they didn't really feel too fleshed out.

I did mostly guess what the ending was but there was still a few surprises.
The ending did get a little confusing though, trying to work out who people actually were haha.

I loved the dual timelines and multiples POV's. It really is my favourite thing in a book. It was done really well in this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.

The story unfolds through a dual timeline, offering intriguing glimpses into the past leading up to the murders.

While the narrative takes its time to build momentum, it truly captivates midway through.

Although the characters are decently crafted, Cass failed to resonate with me, her actions proving rather irksome.

Despite my attempt to unravel the mystery, the revelation of the surviving child caught me off guard, showcasing the author's adeptness at weaving twists.

Towards the conclusion, the complexity of character connections occasionally left me bewildered.

While the author delves into themes of coincidence and fate, some occurrences felt a tad far-fetched, especially the characters' reunion and subsequent visit to the Manor House.

Nevertheless, this novel, with its blend of supernatural elements and dark psychological intrigue, promises an engrossing read that will keep readers guessing until the end.

Cass and James take on a new adventure when they housesit an old manor house, Newington House, with a murderous past. Thirty years ago the Madley family were killed by an invader, but
the youngest child hid and escaped the onslaught. However, Cass is spooked when things start moving place and hearing noises. Cass and James are expecting their first baby and encourages them to look into their own family history and unearth some painful truths.
The book also features points of view from two mothers and their families from thirty years ago which implodes the whole plot. A gritty, dark psychological thriller that will keep you fixated on wanting to know the true events of that fateful night.
Louise Jensen always provided a first class read and The Intruders will blow your socks off!! 5 stars!! The book is fast paced, well written, has detailed characters that you really warm to. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

I enjoyed this twisty book but, not as much as her others as I guessed what was going on early on in the book. I found the main character quite slow and although it was a twisty read and clever it didn't live up to expectations. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

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.