Spine tingling thriller that leaves you wanting more. From the first page of this book I was hooked. The plot was excellent and I couldn’t wait to find out what happened.

Actress Evie Lawrence needs rest and recuperation when she’s involved in a hit and run accident and hopes that her Wicklow home will prove a place of solace. However, she can’t do everything alone so allows – reluctantly – her great-niece Amber, a young woman she barely knows (there’s family drama and then there’s this family drama) to move in and aid her day to day living. Evie welcomes the help but has no desire to become close to Amber, or give any indication of the events that tore the family apart. Not that it matters to Amber: she’s got a teensy weensy problem of having lost her job and her short-term boyfriend. But when incidents occur that feel targeted and deliberate, Amber and Evie have to work together to figure out who’s responsible and why. They say that feelings can go back generations and this novel is the perfect example of that. Switching from present day to a young Evie starting out in life, you jump between who you think is up to no good until the denouement.

#TheHouseInTheWoods #NetGalley
Best suspense novel.
Evie Lawrence is injured in a shocking hit-and-run accident, she wants nothing more than to retreat to her woodland home in Wicklow to recover. But when she's forced to admit that she needs help, she reluctantly opens up her solitary life to allow her grand-niece Amber, practically a stranger, to move into Heronbrook to take care of her. Evie, who has been estranged from her sister's family for many years, vows to keep Amber at a distance so her secrets - and the truth of what happened at Heronbrook years ago - stay buried.
Amber is initially preoccupied with the recent implosion of both her her career and love life, the details of which she's keeping to herself, but soon becomes very curious about the rift in her family. And when unsettling incidents begin to make Evie's secluded home feel less peaceful and more dangerously isolated, Amber starts to suspect that what happened to Evie wasn't an accident at all - and the person responsible still has Evie in their sights. But can Amber persuade Evie to confront the past and get to the truth before it's too late?
Zoe Miller is proving again and again how to write a masterful thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette UK for giving me an advance copy.

Actress Evie goes to her home in Wicklow, with her estranged niece Amber, to recover from a hit and run. While there they become victims to some very unsettling occurrences. I liked how this book went back and forth from Evie's younger years to the present...that's my favourite format. I found this storyline so suspenseful and as I read along I came to believe...just like Amber...that what happened to Evie may not have been an accident after all. Creepy right!? It just goes to show that the past isn't really that far behind you after all. This had me sucked in right away because it started with a bang and didn't let up throughout, the perfect kind of thriller. And just a note...I love the cover, it goes perfect with the story inside.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
The main character in the book is Evie, and most of the book takes place in current time with flashbacks to past events that shaped the family dynamic. The behaviours and emotions of various members of the family are extreme, but realistic, with strong language used on some occasions.The descriptions of Heronbrook are lovely, invoking thoughts of how Lucien saw things with his artistic eye.
The storyline has been well thought out, the accidents / incidents could have been caused by almost any of the characters. It's a truly thrilling read with many twists, and I didn't guess the outcome!

This is a story of family secrets that seeped through the generations and tore a family apart. A story of unhappiness, heartbreak, missed opportunities, regret and revenge, lots of it.

Actress Evie Lawrence returns to her Heronbrook home in Wicklow to rest and recover after being involved in a hit and run accident. Her great-niece Amber offers to travel down from Laurel Lawns to help care for Evie, who reluctantly accepts, despite Amber being a virtual stranger. She vows to keep Amber at a distance in the hope that she won’t uncover a terrible family secret, a secret that tore their family apart years ago. When unsettling incidents take place at Heronbrook, Amber begins to suspect that what happened to Evie may not have been an accident at all, and those responsible may be out to finish the job.

The story is told through past and present timelines, switching from the summer of 1964 through December 1990, to the present day; my favourite method of story telling. I felt this book was a slow burner, although we learn from the offset that something devastating happened in the past but we were offered no hints as to what that was, so I was kept really intrigued. It then quickly built up the suspense until I couldn’t read and turn the pages fast enough to learn what happened in 1964 that had such devastating consequences.

I loved Zoe Miller’s descriptive writing; the way she describes Heronbrook we can imagine the beautiful settings and serenity of the idyllic home. I would love to be sat on the porch having a cuppa whilst reading my book with Evie! Whilst I thought this book would be suspenseful, eerie and chilling (which it very much was), it also made me feel heartbroken at parts which I wasn’t expecting. This is a testimony to Zoe as through her writing I connected so well with her characters.

I loved Evie and Amber; other characters were likeable, and some I very much disliked. Each piece of the puzzle comes together very cleverly, and although I suspected most characters throughout, I was completely wrong at the end. Masterfully written.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zoe Miller and Hachette UK for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me gripped right from the very start, I was captivated right from the start and i couldnt wait to find out how the a=story played out and what happened to the characters. A really enjoyable thriller.

Unsettling Events…
Retreating to her country home following a distressing accident Evie opens up her life and home to Amber, her grand-niece but also practically a stranger. Evie is determined to keep secrets of the past hidden whilst Amber has other ideas altogether. Soon, however, a series of bizarre and unsettling events begin to occur. Intriguing suspense, well written, atmospheric and often beautifully descriptive. A compelling read.

For some reasons I keep selecting books that have secrets. I'm not a lover of secrets I feel they have the potential to be hurtful and harmful to all those concerned. But nothing like a good secret to make a compelling read. Right?

I've never read this author before and I admit she is definitely someone I will be aware of in the future. Her writing style is excellent and she keeps you turning the pages.

This is a character led story. It's about past mistakes, jealousy, unhappiness, heartbreak, regret and revenge. Don't expect a thriller. It's not. What it is is a story of a dysfunctional family. It is a slow burn. But if you like to not expect what comes next you should give it a go.

It is definitely a page turner. You get hooked quickly. A very enjoyable read.