11/7/23; 336 pages
William Morrow
The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan is a very highly recommended psychological thriller.
Loving couple Nicole and Tom won the lottery and have moved into
the Glass Barn, a custom made house on the grounds of Lancaut Manor in Gloucestershire.
They are living a life that neither one could have imagined
until tragedy strikes. Nicole returns home and finds Tom's body
in the swimming pool. She runs to the neighbors in the Manor
House, Sasha and Olly, for help. Olly runs to check and see if
Tom is okay while Sasha gets Kitty, their housekeeper, to sit
with Nicole before she rushes to Olly's side. The police arrive
and start an investigation into Tom's death. And a best friend
form Nicole and Tom's childhood shows up to support Nicole.
Chapters in the narrative alternate
between the point-of-view of different characters and there are
also journal entries included from Anna. Questions arise about
what is really going on until the first major twist in the plot
is revealed. Then readers are still going to scramble to try and
parse together clues and facts to figure out what is really
happening. It is very entertaining to ponder the facts and
examine them to determine who is guilty of murder, as well as
other maleficence.
This is a well-written, clever, discerning psychological thriller full of tension amid an ominous atmosphere as the questions mount during the investigation. The start feels slow, but once little tidbits of information begin to be released and clues can be put together, the pace, suspense, and suspects rise. This is a case of extreme gaslighting where the twists abound and people are playing a long-con.
The characters are fully realized and
feel like real individuals. Most of the characters are not
likeable and their motives are suspect. It is difficult to know
who you can trust, if anyone, in this thriller, but that is part
of the enjoyment.
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