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The Dead Room
In this atmospheric thriller from Catriona McPherson, a young widow seeking refuge from her grief wades into the mists at the far end of memory lane—where something even darker awaits.
Reeling from the death of her husband, thirty-something audiobook narrator Lindsay Hale retreats to her Scottish hometown and the comforts of old times. The bungalow where she grew up is just as she left it, next to the scrapyard her family still owns. But something is wrong…something beyond grief.
Something she can only glimpse from the corner of her eye.
Lindsay’s brother and best friend are there to welcome her back. An elderly widow helps Lindsay make sense of her new normal, and a kind man hints at unexpected possibilities. But when her widow friend vanishes, only Lindsay seems to notice. And while she starts “recognizing” strangers, she begins forgetting familiar faces.
Every night, as Lindsay’s dream house fills with nightmares, she wonders whether she’s truly unraveling—or if something more sinister’s at play. Buried secrets surface and reality bends, forcing Lindsay to face the terrifying truth that her new haven isn’t so safe after all.
Reeling from the death of her husband, thirty-something audiobook narrator Lindsay Hale retreats to her Scottish hometown and the comforts of old times. The bungalow where she grew up is just as she left it, next to the scrapyard her family still owns. But something is wrong…something beyond grief.
Something she can only glimpse from the corner of her eye.
Lindsay’s brother and best friend are there to welcome her back. An elderly widow helps Lindsay make sense of her new normal, and a kind man hints at unexpected possibilities. But when her widow friend vanishes, only Lindsay seems to notice. And while she starts “recognizing” strangers, she begins forgetting familiar faces.
Every night, as Lindsay’s dream house fills with nightmares, she wonders whether she’s truly unraveling—or if something more sinister’s at play. Buried secrets surface and reality bends, forcing Lindsay to face the terrifying truth that her new haven isn’t so safe after all.
335 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2026
About the author
Catriona McPherson
73 books587 followersCatriona McPherson (she/her) was born in Scotland and immigrated to the US in 2010. She writes: preposterous 1930s private-detective stories about a toff; realistic 1940s amateur-sleuth stories about an oik; and contemporary psychothriller standalones. These are all set in Scotland with a lot of Scottish weather. She also writes modern comedies about a Scot-out-of-water in a “fictional” college town in Northern California.
She has won multiple Anthonys, Agathas, Leftys and Macavitys for her work and been shortlisted for an Edgar, three Mary Higgins Clark awards and a UK dagger
Catriona is a proud lifetime member and former national president of Sisters in Crime.
She has won multiple Anthonys, Agathas, Leftys and Macavitys for her work and been shortlisted for an Edgar, three Mary Higgins Clark awards and a UK dagger
Catriona is a proud lifetime member and former national president of Sisters in Crime.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
April 3, 2026
I felt like I was having a stroke the whole time reading this. Not a fan
May 22, 2026
I picked this up after reading a short review in WSJ; the reviewer was far too generous.
If this were a first novel, I would say it was a good effort and the author had a lot to learn. It isn't, unfortunately. The story itself has potential, although a good bit too convoluted. The opening portion dances on the edge of incoherence. The author inserts several notices for fixer-uppers for sale between some of the chapters, totally disconnected from the narrative. The author may think they are cute; I think they are annoying distraction. Then there are the incoherent dream sequences between other chapters (easy to spot, all in italics). Again they seem to exist largely in isolation from the story and are an annoying distraction. The heroine is likeable enough, although she often comes across as TSTL. I almost DNFed this several times. I am not sure why I finished it.
I had never heard of the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, before. I find they are just an Amazon front. I will avoid their effluvia in the future.
If this were a first novel, I would say it was a good effort and the author had a lot to learn. It isn't, unfortunately. The story itself has potential, although a good bit too convoluted. The opening portion dances on the edge of incoherence. The author inserts several notices for fixer-uppers for sale between some of the chapters, totally disconnected from the narrative. The author may think they are cute; I think they are annoying distraction. Then there are the incoherent dream sequences between other chapters (easy to spot, all in italics). Again they seem to exist largely in isolation from the story and are an annoying distraction. The heroine is likeable enough, although she often comes across as TSTL. I almost DNFed this several times. I am not sure why I finished it.
I had never heard of the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, before. I find they are just an Amazon front. I will avoid their effluvia in the future.
June 22, 2026
A few years ago I read and really enjoyed Strangers at the Gate, so when I saw Catriona McPherson had another book available for review on NetGalley, I was all over it. This one hit quite a bit differently, though I know I’ve grown as a reader since then too.
Lindsay Hale, née Lord, is an audiobook narrator who has returned home to the Edinburgh area after her husband dies young from brain cancer. Shortly after arriving, she meets and befriends a kindly elderly woman, only for the woman to disappear overnight, with Lindsay seemingly the only person concerned. As she tries to figure out what happened, things around her become increasingly strange. She recognizes people she’s never met and forgets those she has, mishears conversations, suffers vivid nightmares, and begins recalling difficult memories from childhood.
This was a fever dream of a novel. I didn’t fully grasp what was happening until Lindsay did, though the clues are there, and I could sense some of the shape of it before the final reveal. I found myself knowing I should go to bed at midnight, then staying up to finish because I couldn’t quite see how all the puzzle pieces were going to connect.
Lindsay herself was about 75% compelling and 25% unbelievably naive for me. Her grief absolutely shows through. She’s lived through the sadness, the anger, the long stretch of preparing, the acceptance, and the way all of it keeps cycling back around. At the same time, she’s hearing and seeing things that make her suspicious of those around her and, instead of trusting herself at all, keeps choosing to believe what they tell her. There were multiple points where my only thought was: Gaslight City.
The story is told mostly in the first person through Lindsay, which keeps the reader close to her thought process and makes her easier to connect with, even when she can be frustrating. There are also shorter first-person chapters from another narrator who is clearly in a difficult situation, along with scattered property listing adverts. The latter added some flavor, but they didn’t contribute much to the story for me.
McPherson’s writing is immersive, grief-soaked, and quietly sinister, blending sharp psychological insight with a slow-building, foggy unease that kept both Lindsay and me off balance. The prose is accessible while still feeling deliberate and evocative. The psychological aspect is especially slippery, blurring memory, trauma, and paranoia so the reader is never fully sure what to trust. And while grief is one of the book’s central components, McPherson threads in a dry edge of wit here and there, which keeps the story from feeling relentlessly heavy even as the tension mounts.
I definitely enjoyed reading The Dead Room, even if there were moments where I could practically feel my brows knitting together while I muttered, “Whaaaaat?” I’d most liken this one to Ruth Ware, particularly The Death of Mrs. Westaway. This is a book that asks for patience. It does all come together, but readers need to stick with it long enough to see the full picture.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓— a foggy, grief-soaked fever dream
I read a digital copy made available by Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.
Let’s Discuss 💬
How long would you trust other people’s explanations over your own instincts if you started noticing things that didn’t add up?
📚 More book reviews and bookish content:
Lindsay Hale, née Lord, is an audiobook narrator who has returned home to the Edinburgh area after her husband dies young from brain cancer. Shortly after arriving, she meets and befriends a kindly elderly woman, only for the woman to disappear overnight, with Lindsay seemingly the only person concerned. As she tries to figure out what happened, things around her become increasingly strange. She recognizes people she’s never met and forgets those she has, mishears conversations, suffers vivid nightmares, and begins recalling difficult memories from childhood.
This was a fever dream of a novel. I didn’t fully grasp what was happening until Lindsay did, though the clues are there, and I could sense some of the shape of it before the final reveal. I found myself knowing I should go to bed at midnight, then staying up to finish because I couldn’t quite see how all the puzzle pieces were going to connect.
Lindsay herself was about 75% compelling and 25% unbelievably naive for me. Her grief absolutely shows through. She’s lived through the sadness, the anger, the long stretch of preparing, the acceptance, and the way all of it keeps cycling back around. At the same time, she’s hearing and seeing things that make her suspicious of those around her and, instead of trusting herself at all, keeps choosing to believe what they tell her. There were multiple points where my only thought was: Gaslight City.
The story is told mostly in the first person through Lindsay, which keeps the reader close to her thought process and makes her easier to connect with, even when she can be frustrating. There are also shorter first-person chapters from another narrator who is clearly in a difficult situation, along with scattered property listing adverts. The latter added some flavor, but they didn’t contribute much to the story for me.
McPherson’s writing is immersive, grief-soaked, and quietly sinister, blending sharp psychological insight with a slow-building, foggy unease that kept both Lindsay and me off balance. The prose is accessible while still feeling deliberate and evocative. The psychological aspect is especially slippery, blurring memory, trauma, and paranoia so the reader is never fully sure what to trust. And while grief is one of the book’s central components, McPherson threads in a dry edge of wit here and there, which keeps the story from feeling relentlessly heavy even as the tension mounts.
I definitely enjoyed reading The Dead Room, even if there were moments where I could practically feel my brows knitting together while I muttered, “Whaaaaat?” I’d most liken this one to Ruth Ware, particularly The Death of Mrs. Westaway. This is a book that asks for patience. It does all come together, but readers need to stick with it long enough to see the full picture.
Nerd Rating: 🤓🤓🤓— a foggy, grief-soaked fever dream
I read a digital copy made available by Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.
Let’s Discuss 💬
How long would you trust other people’s explanations over your own instincts if you started noticing things that didn’t add up?
📚 More book reviews and bookish content:
https://www.ispeakbooknerd.com
Did Not Finish
June 16, 2026I DNF’d this at 25%. I just couldn’t anymore. The writing style was confusing, and I just was so bored…
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
this was so all over the place that half the time I didn’t even know what the hell was happening. at first I thought maybe that was the point!!! like confusing the reader would really help them understand what the character is going through once the twist was revealed, NOPE!!!!! not even close, 283 pages that were not worth it for the “twist” at the end😣 1/5
Did Not Finish
April 6, 2026This was a DNF for me.
It went from slow burn to no burn and I just couldn't maintain. Not much was happening and I decided to move on to something a bit more entertaining.
It went from slow burn to no burn and I just couldn't maintain. Not much was happening and I decided to move on to something a bit more entertaining.
April 6, 2026
Thank God this was free on Amazon. I have no idea what I just read. Or if I can get any of my precious hours back.
April 9, 2026
Potential unfulfilled
This novel had great potential to be intriguing and scary but it sadly didn’t live up to it. One of the most frustrating things is how Lindsey’s childhood trauma is teased out throughout the entire story yet never fully fleshed out. I kept waiting to get the full details but it never happens. Her childhood trauma supposedly defines her ptsd and how she reacted to the unsettling events that occur but I never understood fully how or why or what exactly her dad did to her and her brother. Speaking of her brother…why the heck didn’t she confront him right at the beginning for his oddly unwelcoming behavior? After it was he who had encouraged her to move back “home”. She is so wishy-washy with her interactions with him that you are left completely dissatisfied. Another thing left wholly unexplained is why her alleged best friend ends up hating her so much in the end. Where did that come from? So much time is spent on the supposed odd things she thinks she sees but she never tries to get any answers on the real things she’s confronted with. As far as the supporting characters go, Peggy and Bunny were fantastic but we don’t get nearly enough time with them.
This novel had great potential to be intriguing and scary but it sadly didn’t live up to it. One of the most frustrating things is how Lindsey’s childhood trauma is teased out throughout the entire story yet never fully fleshed out. I kept waiting to get the full details but it never happens. Her childhood trauma supposedly defines her ptsd and how she reacted to the unsettling events that occur but I never understood fully how or why or what exactly her dad did to her and her brother. Speaking of her brother…why the heck didn’t she confront him right at the beginning for his oddly unwelcoming behavior? After it was he who had encouraged her to move back “home”. She is so wishy-washy with her interactions with him that you are left completely dissatisfied. Another thing left wholly unexplained is why her alleged best friend ends up hating her so much in the end. Where did that come from? So much time is spent on the supposed odd things she thinks she sees but she never tries to get any answers on the real things she’s confronted with. As far as the supporting characters go, Peggy and Bunny were fantastic but we don’t get nearly enough time with them.
Did Not Finish
April 13, 2026I’m giving up on this one pretty early so no review. I’m just not really enjoying the writing style. It’s kind of clunky and confusing. Interesting start but it’s lost me! DNF at 20%.
April 26, 2026
A Slog & a Gem
The first 200 pages drove me mad. Lots of atmosphere, lots of repetition, vague hints of secrets & lies. Honestly tired of unreliable narrators & women who constantly cry & aren't sure what is real or if they are going mad. These themes & writers tricks are everywhere since Covid & all the madness that preceeded and followed those days when everything you thought was true turned out to be a lie, and everything you thought was a lie, a conspiracy, a tale told by an idiot turned out to be true. One star off because of the frustration of the first 200 pages.
Then suddenly in the last hundred pages it all comes together like the blinding light of revelation. Lindsay our whining confused unreliable narrator shakes off the grief and confusion and faces the reality of her past and present. Stay with it dear readers, the last 100 pages make this twisty novel 5 stars.
I still think the author could have made the first 200 pages less of a slog. Less repetition and maybe a little less opaque concerning the characters childhood family.
The first 200 pages drove me mad. Lots of atmosphere, lots of repetition, vague hints of secrets & lies. Honestly tired of unreliable narrators & women who constantly cry & aren't sure what is real or if they are going mad. These themes & writers tricks are everywhere since Covid & all the madness that preceeded and followed those days when everything you thought was true turned out to be a lie, and everything you thought was a lie, a conspiracy, a tale told by an idiot turned out to be true. One star off because of the frustration of the first 200 pages.
Then suddenly in the last hundred pages it all comes together like the blinding light of revelation. Lindsay our whining confused unreliable narrator shakes off the grief and confusion and faces the reality of her past and present. Stay with it dear readers, the last 100 pages make this twisty novel 5 stars.
I still think the author could have made the first 200 pages less of a slog. Less repetition and maybe a little less opaque concerning the characters childhood family.
Read
April 13, 2026DNF.
Review of advance copy
So like...words mean things. If you call a book a "thriller", it should be...oh, I don't know...thrilling??
This was not.
Lord, this was boring. For the first half, it didn't even feel like it was meant to be a thriller at all, more like a very tedious women's fiction novel with a tiny bit of weird behavior going on. Even once it finally remembered what genre it was ostensibly part of, the plot was so convoluted and thin that I was both lost and bored. I couldn't even figure out why Lindsay moved home in the first place. I can understand that after a tragic loss of a spouse at a young age, maybe the memories in your home might be overwhelming...but leaving the place you lived for a decade and going back to a place you don't seem to have any affection for, to family members who barely give a shit about you, was just nonsensical. And like I said, at first all that was going on was that they were acting a bit weird and she was having creepy dreams. Honestly by around the 40% or so mark, I was halfway checked out. The writing felt very forced and like we were being spoonfed. And I'm getting a bit tired of thriller authors thinking that all they have to do to create an eerie atmosphere is to write some half-baked gaslighting into the plot. There are these hints at childhood trauma that never really got fully explained or fleshed out, and like, why bring that kind of heavy topic into it if you're just gonna be like, lol never mind.
I don't know...this story is already fading from my brain and I just finished this like an hour or so ago. Just glad I didn't pay for this, except in annoyance.
This was not.
Lord, this was boring. For the first half, it didn't even feel like it was meant to be a thriller at all, more like a very tedious women's fiction novel with a tiny bit of weird behavior going on. Even once it finally remembered what genre it was ostensibly part of, the plot was so convoluted and thin that I was both lost and bored. I couldn't even figure out why Lindsay moved home in the first place. I can understand that after a tragic loss of a spouse at a young age, maybe the memories in your home might be overwhelming...but leaving the place you lived for a decade and going back to a place you don't seem to have any affection for, to family members who barely give a shit about you, was just nonsensical. And like I said, at first all that was going on was that they were acting a bit weird and she was having creepy dreams. Honestly by around the 40% or so mark, I was halfway checked out. The writing felt very forced and like we were being spoonfed. And I'm getting a bit tired of thriller authors thinking that all they have to do to create an eerie atmosphere is to write some half-baked gaslighting into the plot. There are these hints at childhood trauma that never really got fully explained or fleshed out, and like, why bring that kind of heavy topic into it if you're just gonna be like, lol never mind.
I don't know...this story is already fading from my brain and I just finished this like an hour or so ago. Just glad I didn't pay for this, except in annoyance.
April 8, 2026
Started out slow
But it ended up being a very good story. I knew from the beginning though what was going on. Maybe not all the players but enough to figure out where it was headed. Very creepy and disturbing. But every time she drank tea or coffee or anything I knew it was drugged. I wanted to yell at her through the book and say wise up. I loved Peggy March. And the epilogue was priceless! Totally made me laugh and cry. Very appropriate.
But it ended up being a very good story. I knew from the beginning though what was going on. Maybe not all the players but enough to figure out where it was headed. Very creepy and disturbing. But every time she drank tea or coffee or anything I knew it was drugged. I wanted to yell at her through the book and say wise up. I loved Peggy March. And the epilogue was priceless! Totally made me laugh and cry. Very appropriate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2026
Honestly, I couldn’t even tell you what happened in the first 60% of the book. It was disjointed at times and I genuinely had no idea what was going on and not in the “haha this is a fun psychological trip” kind of way. When it picked up around the 60-70% mark, it definitely got better but idk, I just don’t think I should have to suffer through more than half of a book to get to the good stuff. Also the ending was… meh. After all of that, I wanted to see a little more retribution. I also wish the motivations of the antagonists had gotten explained more. From my reading perspective, it was all so surface level explained. Everything felt very one-dimensional cartoon villainy.
April 5, 2026
Lindsey moves back to England after her husband dies. On her first day back home, she meets a kindly elderly woman named Peggy who invites her home to rest. As Lindsey settles back into life, she finds herself deep in a twisted mystery that will consume her.
A very slow burn that didn’t really pick up until about 50% in once it got going, it was really good!
A very slow burn that didn’t really pick up until about 50% in once it got going, it was really good!
May 6, 2026
This book felt slow at first, but it still drew me in. What I appreciated most was that it was a true psychological thriller instead of a crime whodunit type of book. McPherson focuses on the mental and emotional unraveling rather than solving a mystery, which made for a different kind of reading experience.
Throughout the book, you're never quite sure whether what's happening is supernatural, psychological, or something else, and that uncertainty is what kept me interested and wondering what was really going on nearly to the end.
If you like atmospheric psychological suspense that builds slowly and plays with your perceptions, this one's worth your time. Just know it takes a bit to get going, but once it does, it keeps you guessing.
Throughout the book, you're never quite sure whether what's happening is supernatural, psychological, or something else, and that uncertainty is what kept me interested and wondering what was really going on nearly to the end.
If you like atmospheric psychological suspense that builds slowly and plays with your perceptions, this one's worth your time. Just know it takes a bit to get going, but once it does, it keeps you guessing.
May 24, 2026
So undeniably weird, but I enjoyed this one. Pretty atmospheric and messed up in parts, also slightly confusing in others. But I believe I get why. 3.75 ⭐️
Read
April 18, 2026I read this as part of the Amazon first reads.
This one had a lot going for it, especially the setting. The Scottish atmosphere and language were such a fun touch and easily my favorite part.
Unfortunately, the writing style didn’t quite click for me. I found it hard to follow at times and it kept pulling me out of the story. The twists also didn’t fully land the way I hoped they would.
I’m really glad I read this as a buddy read because the group made the experience way more fun.
Overall, it just wasn’t for me.
This one had a lot going for it, especially the setting. The Scottish atmosphere and language were such a fun touch and easily my favorite part.
Unfortunately, the writing style didn’t quite click for me. I found it hard to follow at times and it kept pulling me out of the story. The twists also didn’t fully land the way I hoped they would.
I’m really glad I read this as a buddy read because the group made the experience way more fun.
Overall, it just wasn’t for me.
Review of advance copy
I gave up on this after 12% as it just wasn’t my style. I found the writing style all over the place and clunky, and just not enjoyable sadly. DNF. Free advance copy via amazing first reads
May 24, 2026
Please just don’t! The only way I can describe this is “a smear would be more enjoyable”.
July 12, 2026
I really enjoyed The Dead Room. It was full of suspense, mystery, drama, secrets, lies, and betrayal.
I was drawn in quickly, I couldn't put it down.
I loved Lindsay. She was charismatic, smart, strong, determined, and relatable.
I enjoyed reading the two different perspectives of Lindsay and the person who was kidnapped. I wasn't sure if it was a perspective from Lindsay's past or future, or if it was another person entirely.
I loved the twists and turns in this novel. I honestly didn't see them coming at all.
This is the first book I've read from Catriona McPherson, but it definitely won't be the last. I'm very keen to read more from this talented author.
I highly recommend.
4.5 stars from me.
For fans of John Marrs, Alice Feeney, and Christian White.
Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Catriona McPherson.
I was drawn in quickly, I couldn't put it down.
I loved Lindsay. She was charismatic, smart, strong, determined, and relatable.
I enjoyed reading the two different perspectives of Lindsay and the person who was kidnapped. I wasn't sure if it was a perspective from Lindsay's past or future, or if it was another person entirely.
I loved the twists and turns in this novel. I honestly didn't see them coming at all.
This is the first book I've read from Catriona McPherson, but it definitely won't be the last. I'm very keen to read more from this talented author.
I highly recommend.
4.5 stars from me.
For fans of John Marrs, Alice Feeney, and Christian White.
Thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Catriona McPherson.
May 6, 2026
**3.5 stars**
This was a decent mystery, I liked the main 2 characters even though Lindsay was a little too naive to be believed, but then I’ve probably spent too much time reading mystery books and watching true crime shows.
The audiobook narrators were excellent but the Scottish accent is my favorite and even though I got the ebook ARC from NetGalley I bought the audiobook just so I could listen to the Scottish narrators.
This was a great way to pass the time on my long work commute.
Thanks to the author and Thomas & Mercer publishers for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I did buy the audiobook from Audible.
This was a decent mystery, I liked the main 2 characters even though Lindsay was a little too naive to be believed, but then I’ve probably spent too much time reading mystery books and watching true crime shows.
The audiobook narrators were excellent but the Scottish accent is my favorite and even though I got the ebook ARC from NetGalley I bought the audiobook just so I could listen to the Scottish narrators.
This was a great way to pass the time on my long work commute.
Thanks to the author and Thomas & Mercer publishers for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I did buy the audiobook from Audible.
April 26, 2026
Intriguing, mesmerizing. Wonderful ending.
May 3, 2026
This had me guessing the whole time!
But what a surprising ending!
But what a surprising ending!
May 28, 2026
This book was ok, oddly helped me regarding grief but at the same time the plot was rushed it seemed at end.
October 9, 2026
DNF at 25%. This was ALL OVER the fucking place which made me lose interest ultimately leading to the DNF.
April 20, 2026
Slow start
I found it was hard to get into the story until about 50% into the book. Being in Scotland some of the words were slightly confusing since im in Canada but that adds to the characters.
I found it was hard to get into the story until about 50% into the book. Being in Scotland some of the words were slightly confusing since im in Canada but that adds to the characters.
June 14, 2026
This book was terrible. Writing sucked.
May 6, 2026
Sorry. DNF.
It's boring. It dragged on forever with nothing happening. I kept waiting to figure out what the story is, what it's about, what is happening, and it just never gelled. I thought I should be near the end and I wasn't even half way through it. The Dead Room is about a woman who loses her husband to cancer. She decides to move back home to Scotland from Hawaii. Weird things happen. But they happen so slowly and disjointedly that no cohesive story emerges. I couldn't enjoy it. I quit.
It's boring. It dragged on forever with nothing happening. I kept waiting to figure out what the story is, what it's about, what is happening, and it just never gelled. I thought I should be near the end and I wasn't even half way through it. The Dead Room is about a woman who loses her husband to cancer. She decides to move back home to Scotland from Hawaii. Weird things happen. But they happen so slowly and disjointedly that no cohesive story emerges. I couldn't enjoy it. I quit.
August 15, 2026
I was really bored by this book and only kept reading because I don't DNF books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews