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The Cottage in the Ruins
A gothic psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist is perfect for fans of C. J. Tudor and Riley Sagar
A fresh start? Or the beginning of the end?After she finds her husband drowned in a swimming pool, Georgia moves to a cottage nestled behind the ruins of Coventry Cathedral so she can be close to her daughter.
This should be a new beginning. New job, new friends, a brighter future.
But strange things start to happen. Feeling watched and under threat, Georgia begins to realise that she can’t run from the past.
And somebody knows what she did…
This gothic psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist is perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Cass Green and C. J. Tudor
A fresh start? Or the beginning of the end?After she finds her husband drowned in a swimming pool, Georgia moves to a cottage nestled behind the ruins of Coventry Cathedral so she can be close to her daughter.
This should be a new beginning. New job, new friends, a brighter future.
But strange things start to happen. Feeling watched and under threat, Georgia begins to realise that she can’t run from the past.
And somebody knows what she did…
This gothic psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist is perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Cass Green and C. J. Tudor
Kindle Edition
Published September 11, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 11, 2025
Georgia is looking for a fresh start after her husband's tragic death. She moves to a cottage home close to where her daughter lives. Her fresh new start is plagued by strange things happening, the feeling of being watched, and feeling unease.
Welp! This had so many of the things that I enjoy in books. A character who has a past she appears to be running from, a new beginning after loss, family issues, and an interesting setting. But this book was slow to start for me. I struggle with slow books. Once this book got going, I found that I didn't really connect with the characters or their plight. So, Georgia has a past but what is it???? As other reviewers have mentioned, there are subplots that just didn't work, and some aren't resolved. I found this to be frustrating. What did work for me was the setting. It does have a Gothic vibe. I thought the author did a good job of that.
Overall, this one didn't quite work for me. I have read another book by this author and enjoyed it, so I am open to reading more books by this author in the future.
2.5 stars rounded up
Thank you to Avon Books UK | Avon and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
Welp! This had so many of the things that I enjoy in books. A character who has a past she appears to be running from, a new beginning after loss, family issues, and an interesting setting. But this book was slow to start for me. I struggle with slow books. Once this book got going, I found that I didn't really connect with the characters or their plight. So, Georgia has a past but what is it???? As other reviewers have mentioned, there are subplots that just didn't work, and some aren't resolved. I found this to be frustrating. What did work for me was the setting. It does have a Gothic vibe. I thought the author did a good job of that.
Overall, this one didn't quite work for me. I have read another book by this author and enjoyed it, so I am open to reading more books by this author in the future.
2.5 stars rounded up
Thank you to Avon Books UK | Avon and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
September 11, 2025
I was drawn into this book by its ghostly cover but it really didn’t deliver for me. I became bored and frustrated by the plot, making it feel like a story that wasn’t going to end any time soon.
I seem to be on a bit of a “hit and miss” with this author: my first read was great, but the following two… not so much. I found that the Prologue was too disconnected to the main events of the story – it took too long for it to become relevant and I don’t think it helped that the cover and title didn’t feel like a great match. This only added to my frustrations.
A gothic, spooky story, I was intrigued by Georgia’s past. She is firmly attached to her daughter, to the point that she happily rents out her lovely house to move to the same city as her daughter. Despite Minnie moving out for university, Georgia follows her and hopes she can keep on seeing Minnie – even if she has to study. Yet, Minnie seems to be a bit determined to cut the apron strings, although this does lead to her living with Angela, a strange, mature student who locks herself in her room all the time.
In contrast, Georgia is starting over in Coventry and finds some bar work. Yet, mysterious events at night have her questioning whether this was the right move, especially when it becomes evident that Georgia has a past she is determined to stay hidden. Someone is leaving clues to Georgia that they know exactly who she is, meaning Georgia feels she can never relax and starts to worry about Minnie’s safety as well.
The writer implies throughout that Georgia has a past and I felt this took too long to really be revealed. The threatening messages and distrust of strangers felt like an overused technique for this mystery and I didn’t find the night scenes to be particularly tense. In addition, I thought the plot became busy with too many ideas: from the potential haunting by a monk’s ghost, Georgia starting to date, her apparently cheating landlord and everything happen with Minnie’s unusual flat mate. It felt too much.
I wanted the story to get going and I had hoped for more flashbacks to connect the main plot to the ambiguous Prologue. Instead, the story switched between Minnie and Georgia and there were some parts that felt like padding in the narrative. I could not feel invested in either Minnie or Georgia’s relationships and found the male characters here to be bland and deliberately ones that readers could not trust.
Ultimately, I was quite relieved to reach the end of this story – such a shame! I found the Epilogue to be the most interesting and contained revelations that I had not expected. However, this meant that characters had further dimensions that could have been explored earlier on in the story.
With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I seem to be on a bit of a “hit and miss” with this author: my first read was great, but the following two… not so much. I found that the Prologue was too disconnected to the main events of the story – it took too long for it to become relevant and I don’t think it helped that the cover and title didn’t feel like a great match. This only added to my frustrations.
A gothic, spooky story, I was intrigued by Georgia’s past. She is firmly attached to her daughter, to the point that she happily rents out her lovely house to move to the same city as her daughter. Despite Minnie moving out for university, Georgia follows her and hopes she can keep on seeing Minnie – even if she has to study. Yet, Minnie seems to be a bit determined to cut the apron strings, although this does lead to her living with Angela, a strange, mature student who locks herself in her room all the time.
In contrast, Georgia is starting over in Coventry and finds some bar work. Yet, mysterious events at night have her questioning whether this was the right move, especially when it becomes evident that Georgia has a past she is determined to stay hidden. Someone is leaving clues to Georgia that they know exactly who she is, meaning Georgia feels she can never relax and starts to worry about Minnie’s safety as well.
The writer implies throughout that Georgia has a past and I felt this took too long to really be revealed. The threatening messages and distrust of strangers felt like an overused technique for this mystery and I didn’t find the night scenes to be particularly tense. In addition, I thought the plot became busy with too many ideas: from the potential haunting by a monk’s ghost, Georgia starting to date, her apparently cheating landlord and everything happen with Minnie’s unusual flat mate. It felt too much.
I wanted the story to get going and I had hoped for more flashbacks to connect the main plot to the ambiguous Prologue. Instead, the story switched between Minnie and Georgia and there were some parts that felt like padding in the narrative. I could not feel invested in either Minnie or Georgia’s relationships and found the male characters here to be bland and deliberately ones that readers could not trust.
Ultimately, I was quite relieved to reach the end of this story – such a shame! I found the Epilogue to be the most interesting and contained revelations that I had not expected. However, this meant that characters had further dimensions that could have been explored earlier on in the story.
With thanks to Avon books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2025
Cottage in Ruins by Ann Wyn Clarke
…is a really good read. For the first few chapters I struggled a little to get into the groove of it- a lot of information is given in a short space of time with very little dialogue to break it up. I did laugh to myself imagining how my son would have reacted to me moving to his uni town and trying to hang out with him!! Once it gets going it’s truly absorbing. I got very into the creepy cottage setting & trying to decipher the clues to unravel who was after Georgia & who was just a bit weird. It seemed she had a lot of enemies to pick from by the end! There are lot of twists- some of which I guessed but others I didn’t see coming at all (especially the final one ). This is a hard book to review without giving away spoilers but it was totally unpredictable and utterly unbelievable - as all good thrillers should be!
Many thanks to Net Galley for the ARC
…is a really good read. For the first few chapters I struggled a little to get into the groove of it- a lot of information is given in a short space of time with very little dialogue to break it up. I did laugh to myself imagining how my son would have reacted to me moving to his uni town and trying to hang out with him!! Once it gets going it’s truly absorbing. I got very into the creepy cottage setting & trying to decipher the clues to unravel who was after Georgia & who was just a bit weird. It seemed she had a lot of enemies to pick from by the end! There are lot of twists- some of which I guessed but others I didn’t see coming at all (especially the final one ). This is a hard book to review without giving away spoilers but it was totally unpredictable and utterly unbelievable - as all good thrillers should be!
Many thanks to Net Galley for the ARC
September 11, 2025
This was a fast paced story with characters who you just don’t know who to trust!!
There is a lot going on in this story but unfortunately some threads and characters just aren’t that relevant to the main story. I can see they are there to confuse you, cast doubt around, but this story doesn’t give up many of its secrets until the end, so I must admit I got a bit frustrated in places, hoping we would learn more about certain characters and have loose ends tied up, but that just doesn’t happen.
The main character isn’t really that likeable, having moved house after her husband dies, she wants to be closer to her daughter, who has just started university. Yet she is very over the top and won’t leave her alone. Despite starting out in a new job and seeming to move forward, we keep getting hints that her past is catching up with her, yet we never truly get all the answers. The epilogue will leave you more confused than anything else!
I wanted to love this one, I was really drawn in at the start and think there are some very good ideas, lots of suspense and drama, but I needed a bit more clarity on past events and how everything ties together. It is mostly well written, but there are some confusing parts, like where she goes anonymously to the police station to hand in evidence, yet later in the book she talks of still having the evidence and will give it to the police when she moves on. Also the cover really doesn’t match the story.
2.5 stars
December 22, 2025
This authors books are always so atmospheric and have an eerie setting. This was a slow starter, with lots of information and backstories, but I was soon caught up in the mystery, tension and twists. I felt the epilogue left more questions unanswered than answered and wondered if there could be a prequel at some point.
August 21, 2025
~thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read and review this book.~
Started off slow and stayed that way, at least for me. I didn’t really find much interest in it like I thought I would.
Started off slow and stayed that way, at least for me. I didn’t really find much interest in it like I thought I would.
September 24, 2025
Omg where to start with this one? There was so many twist and turns, I had no idea what was happening. I was in suspense the whole time!
Told from Georgia’s POV and her daughter Minnie’s POV, it explores Georgia dealing with an empty nest before deciding to move to the same town her daughter has moved to. We feel she’s a bit unhinged and far too overprotective at times. Soon she starts being traumatised by her past, she becomes extremely anxious and frightened.
What exactly is going on? Who can she trust?
I was completely engrossed and had a slight inkling about who may be terrorising her but I was completely way off for the reason why. The epilogue raises more questions and I need to know what happened!
Told from Georgia’s POV and her daughter Minnie’s POV, it explores Georgia dealing with an empty nest before deciding to move to the same town her daughter has moved to. We feel she’s a bit unhinged and far too overprotective at times. Soon she starts being traumatised by her past, she becomes extremely anxious and frightened.
What exactly is going on? Who can she trust?
I was completely engrossed and had a slight inkling about who may be terrorising her but I was completely way off for the reason why. The epilogue raises more questions and I need to know what happened!
July 15, 2025
I absolutely love this author's books—they're so addictive! Georgia is starting a new chapter in her life after her husband passes away and her daughter heads off to university. Then, the anonymous letters begin. She decides to leave her big, cold house and move closer to her daughter. She rents an old cottage, gets a job at a pub, and then strange things start happening. Georgia feels like she's being watched. It's so good, with plenty of twists and turns, and very creepy—I highly recommend it!
July 25, 2025
First of all (and this is not related to the book itself), but the cover is not my favorite. Mainly the fact that the title of the book is blurry. If I were to see this book in a store, I would likely skip over it based on that fact alone. In fact, had I seen a full-sized version of it, I wouldn't have requested it to review. Because yes, I do judge a book by its cover.
That being said, this is the third time that I have read something by this author and I realize now that they are just not for me. The blurbs are always excellently written, making you want to pick up the story and jump right in, but the stories themselves always seem to suffer from the same basic problems:
1. Over the top characters who either add nothing to the plot or are completely unlikeable (sometimes both).
2. Weird sub-plots that make no sense and are never explained/explored or are just forgotten about entirely.
3. Elements that are supposed to be supernatural and/or foreboding, but fall flat.
That being said, let's jump right into to this one shall we?
First we have the unlikable, Georgia, who is a paranoid piece of work (the irony of the fact her home was called Cuckoo Cottage was not lost on me), who cannot seem to grasp the fact that her daughter growing up and wants some freedom. YES, Georgia has a secret to hide, but that does not excuse all of the weird things she does. For example, she doesn't sell the home she once shared with her husband and daughter, but instead just rents a cottage far away... which happens to be very close to where her daughter Minnie is living. She not only calls Minnie almost every day, but she also just randomly shows up at the house her daughter shares with her roommates. Despite Minnie making it more than obvious that she doesn't want her there.
Then we have the 'adds nothing to the plot characters'; which I'm sad to say is the rest of the cast. I never really got the sense that we knew any of them in a way that makes them stand out (not even Minnie which is odd considering she was the second POV this story was narrated from). Although, to be honest, I am still trying to figure out what role Jethro Jackson was supposed to play considering he only seemed to show up now and then and when he did, it didn't make sense. I get it, he was supposed to be a villain and a slumlord, but when push comes to shove, he was a nobody meant to up the word count.
That brings me to the weird sub-plots as Jethro was definitely the main one. You see, we're told that he's a jerk. We're told he "roughs up" people who can't pay their rent. Heck, we even have a front row seat to Georgia finding something incriminating against the man. (in the brick wall of her bookcase, and yes this is important). We are told how she decides to turn the evidence in because she is dismayed that the police don't have a letterbox she can post her envelop through (which I thought was weird in itself), but anyway. She leaves said envelop on the first desk she finds and leaves. It is mentioned later on that Jethro has "left town" for a bit, but that he has someone in the police department who will "take care of it".
Yet later on, when Georgia decides to move out of the cottage, the evidence is suddenly back in her house in the hidey hole? And she contemplates turning it in after she leaves? Even weirder is that at the very end of the story, Minnie finds other evidence, not hidden within the brick wall (see I said it was important), but under a loose floorboard in the bedroom when the floorboards have never been loose?
And don't even get me started on the weird "sightings" Georgia supposedly had. I still don't know if those were the real deal, or a product of her ever-growing paranoia.
One final thing that I noticed in this book were some weird formatting bits, one major inconsistency in the plot itself and a couple of sentences that made no sense. Now keep in mind, I did read an Advanced Copy of this book, HOWEVER, I pride myself on my integrity to my followers, and since I have no way of knowing if these things were corrected or not I feel it is my duty to mention them.
The first of the formatting issues may just be because I'm old and have never used whatsapp, but the text in the story reads as follows
[display text message] Have to check my calendar [/text message].
There are a couple of instances later on where in the middle of two paragraphs there is not only a line break, but the following also appears
[line break]
It made me curious as to whether or not these were notes added by an editor or copywriter that just weren't corrected? What to me was more concerning is the fact that not only was a major plot-point seemingly forgotten about (as already mentioned), but also towards the end, the following passages made it into the book:
"Detective Sergeant are considering the Navpreet Gill, possibility that the speaking on behalf of Warwickshire CID is urging anyone with information...."
and
"It has murder of Ms.Trelawney may be linked to those deaths...."
It seems to me that the editor may want to take another quick pass through this one before it goes live.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
That being said, this is the third time that I have read something by this author and I realize now that they are just not for me. The blurbs are always excellently written, making you want to pick up the story and jump right in, but the stories themselves always seem to suffer from the same basic problems:
1. Over the top characters who either add nothing to the plot or are completely unlikeable (sometimes both).
2. Weird sub-plots that make no sense and are never explained/explored or are just forgotten about entirely.
3. Elements that are supposed to be supernatural and/or foreboding, but fall flat.
That being said, let's jump right into to this one shall we?
First we have the unlikable, Georgia, who is a paranoid piece of work (the irony of the fact her home was called Cuckoo Cottage was not lost on me), who cannot seem to grasp the fact that her daughter growing up and wants some freedom. YES, Georgia has a secret to hide, but that does not excuse all of the weird things she does. For example, she doesn't sell the home she once shared with her husband and daughter, but instead just rents a cottage far away... which happens to be very close to where her daughter Minnie is living. She not only calls Minnie almost every day, but she also just randomly shows up at the house her daughter shares with her roommates. Despite Minnie making it more than obvious that she doesn't want her there.
Then we have the 'adds nothing to the plot characters'; which I'm sad to say is the rest of the cast. I never really got the sense that we knew any of them in a way that makes them stand out (not even Minnie which is odd considering she was the second POV this story was narrated from). Although, to be honest, I am still trying to figure out what role Jethro Jackson was supposed to play considering he only seemed to show up now and then and when he did, it didn't make sense. I get it, he was supposed to be a villain and a slumlord, but when push comes to shove, he was a nobody meant to up the word count.
That brings me to the weird sub-plots as Jethro was definitely the main one. You see, we're told that he's a jerk. We're told he "roughs up" people who can't pay their rent. Heck, we even have a front row seat to Georgia finding something incriminating against the man. (in the brick wall of her bookcase, and yes this is important). We are told how she decides to turn the evidence in because she is dismayed that the police don't have a letterbox she can post her envelop through (which I thought was weird in itself), but anyway. She leaves said envelop on the first desk she finds and leaves. It is mentioned later on that Jethro has "left town" for a bit, but that he has someone in the police department who will "take care of it".
Yet later on, when Georgia decides to move out of the cottage, the evidence is suddenly back in her house in the hidey hole? And she contemplates turning it in after she leaves? Even weirder is that at the very end of the story, Minnie finds other evidence, not hidden within the brick wall (see I said it was important), but under a loose floorboard in the bedroom when the floorboards have never been loose?
And don't even get me started on the weird "sightings" Georgia supposedly had. I still don't know if those were the real deal, or a product of her ever-growing paranoia.
One final thing that I noticed in this book were some weird formatting bits, one major inconsistency in the plot itself and a couple of sentences that made no sense. Now keep in mind, I did read an Advanced Copy of this book, HOWEVER, I pride myself on my integrity to my followers, and since I have no way of knowing if these things were corrected or not I feel it is my duty to mention them.
The first of the formatting issues may just be because I'm old and have never used whatsapp, but the text in the story reads as follows
[display text message] Have to check my calendar [/text message].
There are a couple of instances later on where in the middle of two paragraphs there is not only a line break, but the following also appears
[line break]
It made me curious as to whether or not these were notes added by an editor or copywriter that just weren't corrected? What to me was more concerning is the fact that not only was a major plot-point seemingly forgotten about (as already mentioned), but also towards the end, the following passages made it into the book:
"Detective Sergeant are considering the Navpreet Gill, possibility that the speaking on behalf of Warwickshire CID is urging anyone with information...."
and
"It has murder of Ms.Trelawney may be linked to those deaths...."
It seems to me that the editor may want to take another quick pass through this one before it goes live.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
July 28, 2025
Anne Wyn Clark is an auto-buy author.
Her books are rich in Gothic atmosphere and mystery, and The Cottage in the Ruins is no exception.
The setting alone is so rich in character. The ruins of a cathedral is the perfect place setting for this story, which follows Georgia and her daughter, Minnie. Georgia is grieving the death of her husband. Or at least some form of grief is at place considering he was controlling and prone to shady business practices. But at least she has his money to help with the sadness. All that money, though, can't help Georgia with the empty nest syndrome she's experiencing since her daughter left for college. The loss of her daughter's companionship is even more unbearable than the loss of her husband. When Georgia decides to move closer to her daughter, tensions between the two rise and secrets from the past are revealed.
Georgia is definitely a bit unhinged, and it made me questions a lot of her actions and motives. I was expecting the story to go in a completely different direction and was pleasantly surprised by all the reveals.
This story (as with all her stories) has a nice Gothic Bronte vibe with a slow burn mystery at its center. If that sounds appealing to you, give this book a read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Her books are rich in Gothic atmosphere and mystery, and The Cottage in the Ruins is no exception.
The setting alone is so rich in character. The ruins of a cathedral is the perfect place setting for this story, which follows Georgia and her daughter, Minnie. Georgia is grieving the death of her husband. Or at least some form of grief is at place considering he was controlling and prone to shady business practices. But at least she has his money to help with the sadness. All that money, though, can't help Georgia with the empty nest syndrome she's experiencing since her daughter left for college. The loss of her daughter's companionship is even more unbearable than the loss of her husband. When Georgia decides to move closer to her daughter, tensions between the two rise and secrets from the past are revealed.
Georgia is definitely a bit unhinged, and it made me questions a lot of her actions and motives. I was expecting the story to go in a completely different direction and was pleasantly surprised by all the reveals.
This story (as with all her stories) has a nice Gothic Bronte vibe with a slow burn mystery at its center. If that sounds appealing to you, give this book a read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 25, 2025
After her husband tragically dies in their swimming pool. Georgia decides to move to Coventry near the Cathedral to start a new chapter in her life and it is near where her daughter is living whilst attending university. She finds a job at a nearby pub and new friends. A fresh chapter in a life. But she suddenly feels like she is being watched, and she starts getting weird emails. Her old life trying to catch up with her. Time will tell.
Thank you, Avon, for a copy of The Cottage in the ruins by Ann Wynn Clark. I enjoyed the authors previous novel, so I was looking forward to reading this one. But unfortunately, I have mixed feelings about this book. Firstly, I was a bit confused as I didn’t think that the prologue matched with the rest of the story it was like two different ones. I didn’t care much for either character and I really don’t know where this was going to go, and it was really slow. So much I couldn’t finish it. I DNF at 60% 2.5 stars from me.
Thank you, Avon, for a copy of The Cottage in the ruins by Ann Wynn Clark. I enjoyed the authors previous novel, so I was looking forward to reading this one. But unfortunately, I have mixed feelings about this book. Firstly, I was a bit confused as I didn’t think that the prologue matched with the rest of the story it was like two different ones. I didn’t care much for either character and I really don’t know where this was going to go, and it was really slow. So much I couldn’t finish it. I DNF at 60% 2.5 stars from me.
September 22, 2025
Atmospheric and claustrophobic, this gently paced contemporary, gothic tale is an immersive read. The prologue is disturbing and haunting. It simmers at the back of your mind as Georgia and her daughter, Minnie's, lives unfold after a tragic death. Georgia has many secrets, and it seems some of them are catching her up. She decides to move to the city where her daughter is attending university, which upsets Minnie, who wants to live independently, and this leads to tension and secrets between the previously close mother and daughter. Georgia's new home has a dark history, and as events unfold, she becomes increasingly disturbed, and the reader isn't sure if what she is seeing is real or part of her internal fear. It has good characterisation and an increasingly menacing ethos, as the dark secrets reveal themselves, and there are unexpected twists that resonate.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
December 1, 2025
I really looked forward to this and was so excited to find it on sale through Google. I read Whisper Cottage by this author and loved it. This one, there really wasn't a single character I cared about at all. The main character, Georgia, behaved like a middle schooler, instead of explaining her past to her daughter Minnie, she ran from everything like that would make it go away. The daughter, Minnie, was self centered and spoiled and only cared about spending time with her boyfriend...knowing that her mom was lonely and her dad had passed away only 18 months before. Sheesh Mins, give your mom a call or something, you claimed to care about her. Anyway, there are some twists and things I didn't expect but not worth the time invested. oh and if the phrase "5 minutes" was used one more time..."She'd only known him 5 minutes"..."She'd only lived there 5 minutes"... it went on with that several times. No thanks.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2025
This story is told in multiple voices - Georgia and Minnie. The book is told over different time periods. The main characters are Georgia Parnell and her 18 year old daughter, Minnie. Minnie has left home to be a full time History student in Coventry and Georgia is feeling lost without her child. Georgia makes a decision to move to Coventry to be nearer Minnie. She wants a fresh start so she rents a cottage near to the ruins of Coventry Cathedral and finds a job nearby. However, strange things start to occur that Georgia is not feeling secure in her fresh start as she fears someone or something from her past is around. It was atmospheric, creepy, full of twists and turns, gripping and terrifying in places. All the sub plots came together to a satisfying conclusion that I never saw coming.
October 26, 2025
Let me tell you about this perfectly seasonal mystery thriller. I was rapt from the start, really enjoyed the writing style. It was eerie and creepy but in a way that keeps you hooked, just casting that little bit of uncomfortable feeling over everything. I was constantly second guessing characters! And there were some dubious characters to find here.
I loved the slow build of suspense and complexity of the story. There was plenty about the main characters’ backgrounds and their histories. I love understanding their motivation. I just couldn’t wait to find out how everything ties together. And that twist? Does not disappoint!
if you want a tense, ominous mystery thriller with plenty of intrigue then this is perfect for you! I will have to go and get some more Anne Wyn Clark books now.
Highly recommend!
4.5 stars
I loved the slow build of suspense and complexity of the story. There was plenty about the main characters’ backgrounds and their histories. I love understanding their motivation. I just couldn’t wait to find out how everything ties together. And that twist? Does not disappoint!
if you want a tense, ominous mystery thriller with plenty of intrigue then this is perfect for you! I will have to go and get some more Anne Wyn Clark books now.
Highly recommend!
4.5 stars
July 26, 2025
After the tragic death of her husband and feeling empty nest syndrome, Georgia moves to an old cottage to be nearer daughter Minnie. She feels as though she's being watched and that her past is creeping up behind her.
I have loved this authors previous books, the mystery and intruige, but sadly this one didn't grab my attention as much. I didn't particularly like Georgia's character, I get she's upset that Minnie has left home but she was overbearing and over protective. We kept hearing about Georgia's past but it wasn't until the last quarter that all the pieces fell into place. Before that I was wondering what each characters purpose was. However, despite not being my favourite book it won't stop me reading further novels by her
I have loved this authors previous books, the mystery and intruige, but sadly this one didn't grab my attention as much. I didn't particularly like Georgia's character, I get she's upset that Minnie has left home but she was overbearing and over protective. We kept hearing about Georgia's past but it wasn't until the last quarter that all the pieces fell into place. Before that I was wondering what each characters purpose was. However, despite not being my favourite book it won't stop me reading further novels by her
November 4, 2025
The synopsis of the book really drew me in and they said it would be perfect for fans of Riley Sager, who is one of my favorite authors. I really wanted to DNF at about 50% because the characters weren't likeable, and the storyline was going nowhere, but i pushed through to make a honest review. The first big twist, if you can call it that, didn't happen until the 75% mark. The ending was very confusing with all the names one character has had in the past coming to life. I had to force myself to pick the book up because I sadly just wasn't interested. I did not get thriller vibes at all.
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books UK, and Anne Wyn Clark for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. Sorry the review is a little late.
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books UK, and Anne Wyn Clark for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. Sorry the review is a little late.
September 30, 2025
Although full of some interesting twists and turns right at the end, for the bulk of it, I struggled to have any momentum with this book. The mother daughter relationship was an interesting one, but the dependency element was never fully explored, neither were the full details about Georgia's past which I felt was a little frustrating. Although intriguing and spooky in parts, this book struggled to keep me hooked despite a pacy and exciting ending.
I enjoyed the characters in this book, and found the setting quite atmospheric, but the pacing and plot felt a little off for me.
Nonetheless, many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review ✨
I enjoyed the characters in this book, and found the setting quite atmospheric, but the pacing and plot felt a little off for me.
Nonetheless, many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review ✨
August 16, 2025
3.5. This took me a while to get going with for some reason, but around half way it roped me in and I flew through the rest of it. Georgia was a strange character, I couldn’t quite compute the Georgia with today from her early years. Everyone was a suspect! I enjoyed the spookiness and eeriness with the monk, and the ‘red herrings’ were well done.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
September 13, 2025
Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for this arc
Georgia moves to a cottage to be near her daughter after she finds her husband dead. This should be a new beginning but strange things start to happen! Georgia can’t run from her past, someone knows what she did, how far will they go?
A twisty psychological thriller, I struggled a little with the slow start to the book but overall the storyline was great, full of twists and turns throughout
Georgia moves to a cottage to be near her daughter after she finds her husband dead. This should be a new beginning but strange things start to happen! Georgia can’t run from her past, someone knows what she did, how far will they go?
A twisty psychological thriller, I struggled a little with the slow start to the book but overall the storyline was great, full of twists and turns throughout
September 3, 2025
This would be a perfect read for the upcoming spooky season. It's a bit eerie with an ominous storyline and frighteningly good characters.
After she finds her husband drowned in a swimming pool, Georgia moves to a cottage nestled behind the ruins of Coventry Cathedral so she can be close to her daughter. Is this a fresh start? Or will Georgia's secrets catch up with her? This should be a new beginning. New job, new friends, a brighter future. But strange things start to happen. Feeling watched and under threat, Georgia begins to realise that she can’t run from the past. And somebody knows what she did…. This was a really good thriller. It was told mostly from the point of view of Georgia and her daughter, Minnie. There were many claustrophobic and compelling moments in this books as the story unravelled over a few short weeks. My mind was spinning as Georgia heard creepy noises and saw shadows at the window of her cottage. An icy chill descended on me as I read this, wondering what was going to happen. The story of Minnie was also intriguing as she battled to overcome adventures and misdemeanors.
As the book progressed so did the wonderful development of the characters.
The cottage setting was perfect for this story. An old cottage, hundreds of years old creeping and groaning with the weight of time and history.
I read this book in a day, which is always a good sign that a book has gripped you. It was a good read! It had suspense, murder, mystery, and jaw dropping moments! The storyline was intriguing! Thank you NetGalley and Avon books UK for sharing this book with me!
After she finds her husband drowned in a swimming pool, Georgia moves to a cottage nestled behind the ruins of Coventry Cathedral so she can be close to her daughter. Is this a fresh start? Or will Georgia's secrets catch up with her? This should be a new beginning. New job, new friends, a brighter future. But strange things start to happen. Feeling watched and under threat, Georgia begins to realise that she can’t run from the past. And somebody knows what she did…. This was a really good thriller. It was told mostly from the point of view of Georgia and her daughter, Minnie. There were many claustrophobic and compelling moments in this books as the story unravelled over a few short weeks. My mind was spinning as Georgia heard creepy noises and saw shadows at the window of her cottage. An icy chill descended on me as I read this, wondering what was going to happen. The story of Minnie was also intriguing as she battled to overcome adventures and misdemeanors.
As the book progressed so did the wonderful development of the characters.
The cottage setting was perfect for this story. An old cottage, hundreds of years old creeping and groaning with the weight of time and history.
I read this book in a day, which is always a good sign that a book has gripped you. It was a good read! It had suspense, murder, mystery, and jaw dropping moments! The storyline was intriguing! Thank you NetGalley and Avon books UK for sharing this book with me!
October 12, 2025
DNF just found it really boring
October 31, 2025
Gave up on this after 100 pages. Was very boring and drawn out. Very disappointed
August 5, 2025
This book was just…fine? I rate a lot of the books I read 3 ⭐️ for what’s it worth. This is weird but I don’t feel like the cover was the best choice, it just doesn’t flow with everything? There are so many other choices. It was definitely a quick read, but I didn’t find myself devouring it as I’d hoped to.
January 14, 2026
Thank you to @avonbooksuk for sending me a copy of this creepy gothic thriller by Anne Wyn Clark. Which I really enjoyed, and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
Told from dual POV's of Georgia and her daughter Minnie. Georgia's husband has recently died, drowned in a swimming pool, and her daughter Minnie is moving away for uni, leaving Georgia feeling lost and lonely. It isn't long after this when Georgia receives a strange note in the post and she decides to escape from her past and rents a little cottage behind the ruins of Coventry Cathedral and near to her daughter's university.
This should be a new start, new job and new home, but strange and sinister things start to happen. Georgia realises she can't keep running from her past as someone knows what she's done.
The setting is very eerie and atmospheric. Georgia starts hearing creepy noises, seeing ghostly monks and strange people watching her.
It was full of twists and turns. I did guess one twist, but it didn't spoil the story for me. There were plenty more twists and turns and I didn't see that ending coming.
I will definitely read more from this author in the future.
Told from dual POV's of Georgia and her daughter Minnie. Georgia's husband has recently died, drowned in a swimming pool, and her daughter Minnie is moving away for uni, leaving Georgia feeling lost and lonely. It isn't long after this when Georgia receives a strange note in the post and she decides to escape from her past and rents a little cottage behind the ruins of Coventry Cathedral and near to her daughter's university.
This should be a new start, new job and new home, but strange and sinister things start to happen. Georgia realises she can't keep running from her past as someone knows what she's done.
The setting is very eerie and atmospheric. Georgia starts hearing creepy noises, seeing ghostly monks and strange people watching her.
It was full of twists and turns. I did guess one twist, but it didn't spoil the story for me. There were plenty more twists and turns and I didn't see that ending coming.
I will definitely read more from this author in the future.
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