What did I like about this book?

Plot: This was a story that kept me interested, despite having figured most of it out by the end. It was nice that the author threw in a couple surprises at the end so I didn't feel completely unsatisfied, but most of it was predictable. I know a lot of authors are using the split time-frame in storytelling these days, and to be completely honest, I don't love it. Just as I get into the plot, it switches to "9-years ago," which is simply annoying to me. But overall, I enjoyed the plot.

Characters: I hated them all. Maybe hate is a harsh word, but most of them didn't have many redeeming qualities. While I was interested in what Hattie had experienced as a young woman, I didn't care about her. In fact, I didn't really like her or understand why she would abandon her family the way she did. The dynamics between all the characters was shallow, and left me irritated by them all.

If I hated the characters, why the 4 stars? Because it kept me reading. Sometimes when a book is predictable you know from the first chapter how it's going to end. This wasn't predictable in that way. The author gave out clues throughout the book...they were just easy to see. I certainly wouldn't classify it as a thriller. Mystery, yes. Thriller, no. Even though I hated the characters, I can't help but think that's what the author was going for.

Thanks Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you NetGalley, Boldwood Books and L. h. Stacey for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I appreciated the core of The Family Home—the main storyline and the twists, even if predictable, kept me engaged, and the plot itself had a solid framework.

However, a few aspects just didn’t work for me. The characters lacked depth, making it hard to connect with or root for any of them.

Then, there was the narration; it was overly descriptive, which slowed down the pacing in a way I don't typically enjoy in thrillers. I much prefer a fast-paced, dialogue-driven style that keeps the momentum high.

The ending, unfortunately, felt rushed, with everything wrapped up in a single chapter, only to leave readers with a cliffhanger that missed the mark on suspense and felt more frustrating than intriguing.

Overall, while I’m grateful for the ARC and glad to have discovered L. H. Stacey, this book didn’t fully capture me.

The Family Home by L.H. Stacey, published by Boldwood Books is a mystery rather than a thriller imo.
It took me more than a minute to get in the twisted story, got the turns the story took, an ok read, 3 stars.

A dark, twisty suspense full of secrets! While the premise held me, the details were a bit unbelievable. I could not relate to the thought process of the characters or their story lines, but there were enough turns to keep me reading through the end,

Estranged Hattie returns home when her dying mother is living her final days. Not everyone is happy to see her, including her brother, a neighbor, and many of the townspeople who know her family. After the brutal murder of her father and attempted murder of her mother. Hattie also has mixed feelings about returning to her family home after so long, but her mother has some final words for Hattie and her siblings. Will her mother finally share what happened that horrible night or are their other secrets to be told?

What. On. Earth. Did NOT expect that ending. Not my usual read but still couldn’t put it down.

If you’re into a psychological thriller that will leave you wondering WTF?! This is the book for you!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-Arc.

I will revisit this book, but right now I am not in a mood to read this. The prologue is not sitting well with me already

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!