What an interesting storyline. It was full of characters that were not as they seemed. It jumped between present day and seven years ago which worked really well. The ending really caught me out. What a twist that I never saw coming.

An enjoyable, easy read about a dysfunctional family with many secrets. The story unfolds slowly as the past is revealed and impacts on the present. Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

There wasn’t any character in this book that had any redeeming qualities but that doesn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the story, there are plenty of twists along the way before ending in the most unexpected way. It was my first time reading anything by this author and this and the prologue of the other book makes me want to read more by her.

This is the first book I have read from this author.

The book was ok, nothing special and I found that t was not really holding my attention throughout my mind wandering, my attention not being held. It was fairly easy to work out where this was going so there were no surprises or twists to keep me engaged.

The characters lacked depth. and I found I did not really care what was happening with any of them. The plot was not strong enough to and I did go back and read sections again as I wondered if there were things I had missed.

I do not like leaving negative reviews but in this case, I have to be honest and find I cannot recommend this book to any of my book buddy’s.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

I wouldn't say this was a psychological thriller, more a family drama with some mystery. It didn't hold my attention unfortunately, and I guessed the ending which spoiled it for me. Love the cover though. Thank you for the ARC.

I really wanted to love this book. It just didn't keep reading....it was ok 3.5*
Once I finally got into it, it ended. I'll try other books by this author in the future, I can tell it's a talented writer, this book just wasn't for me.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read this ARC for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

This book was a good palette cleanser. It held my interest and had some twists. The characters were pretty unlikable, but I think they were meant to be. A gripping family drama that was a fun twisty read.

I didn’t love this book- sorry gang. It felt more like a family drama with minimal entertainment. It just kind of dragged on and on and I ended up DNFing this one after looking on Goodreads and seeing most others felt the same. Good idea, poor execution.

This was a very good book! I liked the twists and the turns, but I did guess the ending so unfortunately that took away from the book for me a little. It was still entertaining and kept me hooked!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

An absolute cracker of a story from L.H Stacey. I was hooked from the start. The plot weaves expertly from past to present with just the right amount of suspense.
Highly recommended.

The ‘Murder House’ as the locals have named it after the man was brutally stabbed to death is next door to where Sophie lives with baby Noah and it always gives her a bad feeling. Is she right to have the feeling or is it the thought of the incident that happened there all those years ago giving her the chills? Alone now with 9month old Noah Sophie really wishes she had gone back home to Dublin more so now her relationship with Finn has broken down, him blaming post partum depression as the cause but Soph just sees this as an excuse for him not to stay.
Hattie has been called home now her mother is in a hospice but the thought of returning to that house where she lost her Father ( the communities vicar) isn’t a thought she likes nonetheless Hattie has to return to her childhood home where her brother Luke now lives.
The murderer of Hatties father was never found the case never closed how does this intertwine with the neighbours and the community?
Excellent read. Good description and characters had depth and were interesting to get to know. Definitely will read more from this author thanks for the arc and chance to review.

A good family drama where secrets of the past that have been buried for a long time are unearthed,with consequences

Hattie returns to her family home,the village vicarage,where years previous she horrifically found her Father dying and her Mum unable to speak about what happened,she couldn’t cope living there after this trauma and so moved away,never forgetting but never really settling……as her Mum’s health rapidly declines she finds herself having no choice but to return,facing the past that includes her 2 brothers,1 amiable to seeing her the other not quite so keen……her ex 1st love however seems more than happy to see her,his wife not so much…..the story then continues into the why’s and wherefores of what really happened that night,with some shocks along the way

I have to be honest and say found I most of the characters unlikeable but I think that was intentional and it didn’t detract from a powerful story dealing with what happens when the past cannot be ignored anymore…..

L. H. Stacey was able to create a great psychological thriller novel and enjoyed the overall concept being told. The characters had that element that I was expecting from this genre. It had a great writing style and was hooked from the first page. The characters had that element that I wanted and was on the journey with them.

This was a pretty decent thriller - I'm usually not a fan of domestic thrillers but I did enjoy the writing, dialogue, and twists throughout this novel! Some parts felt a bit slow/confusing to me, but overall was a fast and enjoyable read!

Hattie finds herself returning home 9 years after the tragic night that took her father and left her mother close to death. Now close to death Imogen wants to speak with all three of her children. She claims to have secrets to tell but dies before exposing her truths. The siblings embark on a search to learn the truth. What they find changes everything they thought they knew about family and uncovers deadly secrets.

I enjoyed the twists and turns in this story. I did not anticipate how the story ended. All of the characters seemed to lack values. They all seemed to be motivated to help themselves without thinking about the consequences of others.

I tried several times to get into this debut. I really could not get into the characters and story line. Sounded promising. I hope others like it.

I adore reading family drama novels especially ones with dark, suspense filled plots.

The Family Home tells of Hattie, estranged from her family but now returning home for the death of her mother.

Her siblings have issues, especial Imogen and Hattie finds it difficult to face her past and the future.

This is a brillaint creepy psychological read. It is well plotted and surperbly written..

I really enjoy the 'forced to return to childhood home' trope, usually offers for some great tension, twists and the discovery of long held secrets. This was fine, but I've read similar that I enjoyed a lot more recently, so it fell a little flat.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Family Home by L.H. Stacey due to be published November 27, 2024.
Hattie is going back home to face her brothers, Adam and Luke, and hear what words her dying mother must tell her. Imogen hasn’t spoken a word since she was almost beaten to death and her husband was murdered. It’s time to reveal the truth. Does Hattie really want to hear it?
This one was a dark, riveting thriller that had many twists and secrets I certainly did not expect – it is a must read! The suspense was great throughout the book, and I never guessed the ending!
#NetGalley #LHStacey #BoldwoodBooks #TheFamilyHome

2.5 stars rounded down to 2. Ugh. I just hate giving low reviews. However, I promised an honest review. The Family Home is more of a drama with a few twists thrown in. Nothing chilling here. Hattie has not been home in many years. She avoids her home town and the home she grew up in like the plague. Then she receives a call that her mother is dying and doesn't have long and wants to speak in person to Hattie and her 2 brothers, Luke and Adam. So home she goes.

This is a long read without much satisfaction at the end. The characters were very underdeveloped and unlikable. I felt like I was getting breadcrumbs about the story here and there, and then the subject would change before I could feel the book. There were loose ends, which I don't like. And I had to keep going back and re-reading to see if I missed something because the topic would just change and I felt like the author expected you to know what happened, when I really didn't have a clue. This was one I literally plodded through, just waiting to get to the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it. I am sorry, but I do not recommend this book.