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One of the Family
The “so clever and fresh” (Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author) author of The Wasp Trap returns with a novel best described as Succession set in the Scottish Highlands where a plot to murder the patriarch’s younger fiancée entangles an innocent outsider in a nest of deadly secrets.
A week in paradise—with the family from hell.
When Patrick is invited by his girlfriend to join her and her family on a luxury holiday in a remote and beautiful part of Scotland, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a nightmare of a family, sinister behavior…and a plot to murder the patriarch’s younger fiancée.
Arriving at the house, Patrick meets Holly’s dad, self-made-millionaire Charles, along with her brother Lewis and older sister Miranda. Also on the trip is the widowed Charles’s bride-to-be, Jasmine, who—in her thirties—is around the same age as the three siblings. Lewis and Miranda are horrified by their dad’s impending marriage to this younger woman. Surely, she is just after his money—and is going to steal their inheritance from them. To make things worse, Jasmine is an almost exact doppelganger of their mother before she got sick and died.
Patrick finds himself in the middle of this viper’s nest, trying to keep out of the family crosshairs. He starts to suspect that Lewis has dark plans for Jasmine—putting himself in peril as a potential witness who could mess up his scheme. Perhaps more than one person won’t escape this family of snakes…
A week in paradise—with the family from hell.
When Patrick is invited by his girlfriend to join her and her family on a luxury holiday in a remote and beautiful part of Scotland, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a nightmare of a family, sinister behavior…and a plot to murder the patriarch’s younger fiancée.
Arriving at the house, Patrick meets Holly’s dad, self-made-millionaire Charles, along with her brother Lewis and older sister Miranda. Also on the trip is the widowed Charles’s bride-to-be, Jasmine, who—in her thirties—is around the same age as the three siblings. Lewis and Miranda are horrified by their dad’s impending marriage to this younger woman. Surely, she is just after his money—and is going to steal their inheritance from them. To make things worse, Jasmine is an almost exact doppelganger of their mother before she got sick and died.
Patrick finds himself in the middle of this viper’s nest, trying to keep out of the family crosshairs. He starts to suspect that Lewis has dark plans for Jasmine—putting himself in peril as a potential witness who could mess up his scheme. Perhaps more than one person won’t escape this family of snakes…
323 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2026
About the author
Mark Edwards
37 books6,401 followersMark Edwards writes psychological thrillers in which scary things happen to ordinary people.
He loves hearing from readers and always responds. Mark can be contacted in the following ways:
Email: mark@markedwardsauthor.com
Twitter @mredwards
Facebook/Instagram: @markedwardsauthor
You can download a free box set of 'Short Sharp Shockers' by visiting www.markedwardsauthor.com/free
Mark has sold over 5 million books since his first solo novel, The Magpies, was published in 2013 and has topped the bestseller lists numerous times. His other novels include Follow You Home, Here To Stay and The Psychopath Next Door. He has also published six books co-authored with Louise Voss. His next novel, The Wasp Trap, will be published in the UK/Australia in July 2025 and the US/Canada in September 2025.
Mark lives in the West Midlands, England, with his wife, their three children, two cats and a golden retriever.
He loves hearing from readers and always responds. Mark can be contacted in the following ways:
Email: mark@markedwardsauthor.com
Twitter @mredwards
Facebook/Instagram: @markedwardsauthor
You can download a free box set of 'Short Sharp Shockers' by visiting www.markedwardsauthor.com/free
Mark has sold over 5 million books since his first solo novel, The Magpies, was published in 2013 and has topped the bestseller lists numerous times. His other novels include Follow You Home, Here To Stay and The Psychopath Next Door. He has also published six books co-authored with Louise Voss. His next novel, The Wasp Trap, will be published in the UK/Australia in July 2025 and the US/Canada in September 2025.
Mark lives in the West Midlands, England, with his wife, their three children, two cats and a golden retriever.
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August 4, 2026
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⭐⭐⭐1/2
One of the Family
Mark Edwards
Publication Date: August 4th, 2026
Atria Books
336 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers
This book wasn't bad at all. It's a psychological thriller set in the Scottish Highlands about Patrick, just a normal guy with a wealthy girlfriend named Holly. Patrick heads to Holly's family estate for the holiday season to meet her family, but things quickly go sideways.
Holly's dad, Charles, is a widower who arrives at the home with his new fiancée, Jasmine. Charles' family isn't impressed—Jasmine is much younger than Charles and closer in age to his kids than to him. Another thing the kids aren't too happy about? Just how much Jasmine looks like their late mother. Worried that Jasmine is simply after their dad's money, the children get hostile, ready to do anything to keep their family secrets safe. And every single member of this family has something to hide.
What I liked about this story was the fast pacing and claustrophobic setting. The constant tension and madness among the family members kept me turning pages. What should have been a normal, if nervous, visit to a girlfriend's family home quickly turns into a nightmare for one unsuspecting boyfriend. The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking: poor Patrick, stuck with this toxic family for New Years.
It was a quick, fun read for the most part, filled with characters you love to hate. However, as much as I loved the atmosphere and tension, the family is so unlikable that I was hoping at least one of them would have some redeeming qualities. The only person I was rooting for was Patrick. I was able to spot most of the twists before they happened, though that's probably just because I've been reading this genre forever.
If you don't take your thrillers too seriously, this is a fun choice. I enjoyed the dysfunctional family dynamic and stayed entertained throughout. Edwards did a great job keeping me engaged with a constant sense that something was about to go wrong, and the large cast of characters keeps you guessing everyone's motives. I always enjoy a thriller with a bit of darkness and a crazy family.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The Book Review Crew Blog
⭐⭐⭐1/2
One of the Family
Mark Edwards
Publication Date: August 4th, 2026
Atria Books
336 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers
This book wasn't bad at all. It's a psychological thriller set in the Scottish Highlands about Patrick, just a normal guy with a wealthy girlfriend named Holly. Patrick heads to Holly's family estate for the holiday season to meet her family, but things quickly go sideways.
Holly's dad, Charles, is a widower who arrives at the home with his new fiancée, Jasmine. Charles' family isn't impressed—Jasmine is much younger than Charles and closer in age to his kids than to him. Another thing the kids aren't too happy about? Just how much Jasmine looks like their late mother. Worried that Jasmine is simply after their dad's money, the children get hostile, ready to do anything to keep their family secrets safe. And every single member of this family has something to hide.
What I liked about this story was the fast pacing and claustrophobic setting. The constant tension and madness among the family members kept me turning pages. What should have been a normal, if nervous, visit to a girlfriend's family home quickly turns into a nightmare for one unsuspecting boyfriend. The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking: poor Patrick, stuck with this toxic family for New Years.
It was a quick, fun read for the most part, filled with characters you love to hate. However, as much as I loved the atmosphere and tension, the family is so unlikable that I was hoping at least one of them would have some redeeming qualities. The only person I was rooting for was Patrick. I was able to spot most of the twists before they happened, though that's probably just because I've been reading this genre forever.
If you don't take your thrillers too seriously, this is a fun choice. I enjoyed the dysfunctional family dynamic and stayed entertained throughout. Edwards did a great job keeping me engaged with a constant sense that something was about to go wrong, and the large cast of characters keeps you guessing everyone's motives. I always enjoy a thriller with a bit of darkness and a crazy family.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
September 17, 2026
I’ve yet to find myself a real winner with Mark Edwards, but stubborn me is going to keep trying until I do. One of the Family sounded like another good shot at it, especially since I’m always down for a remote Scottish Highlands setting.
We’ve got rich people and their rich people problems here, with greed, resentment and questionable motivations all thrown into the mix. The setup itself follows some pretty familiar beats for this type of thriller: bring a wealthy family together for New Year’s, stick them somewhere remote and wait for the cracks to start showing. It’s a formula I’ve seen plenty of times before, and with this many old grudges between them, putting the Grant family under one roof was bound to bring out the worst in everyone.
Charles, the patriarch of the family, doesn’t exactly help matters when he arrives with a new woman by his side. His kids aren’t particularly thrilled about it, and the whole situation definitely throws a spanner in the works. Add in rumours of a body found nearby the previous year and a family that clearly has plenty to hide, and I had more than enough reason to start side-eyeing pretty much everyone.
Patrick, the boyfriend of Charles’s youngest daughter, Holly, is our way into the Grants and essentially becomes the reader among them. As the newcomer, he knows very little about their past, so we start questioning and uncovering things alongside him. His documentary filmmaking background worked really well for this, giving him that naturally curious streak and a believable reason to keep digging when things didn’t quite add up. Being the potential new “in-law” also puts him in an interesting position, because he’s close enough to see what’s going on while still very much an outsider looking in.
The Scottish Highlands has to be one of my favourite settings in a book and is somewhere I’d love to visit, so I never have any trouble immersing myself in stories set there. Applecross felt beautiful and inviting, but the cold, snow and isolation gave it a more unforgiving side too. As the weather took a turn, that remoteness really started to work in the story’s favour, giving everything a moodier edge.
I also found the tension between the Grants and some of the local villagers interesting. As wealthy English outsiders with a holiday home in the area, the Grants already stand apart from the locals, and at first I wondered how much of the animosity towards them came down to class. Once bits of their past started coming to light, though, it became clear there was more to it than that, and perhaps good reason for some of the locals to feel the way they did.
By this point, it was starting to feel like a battle over who in this family had the most chequered past. There were also a few creepy details surrounding Charles’s new partner that had me suspicious of what was going on there, and I enjoyed seeing how some of those little details eventually tied into the bigger picture.
Some of the twists were fairly easy to spot, particularly if you’ve read your fair share of dysfunctional-family thrillers, so they didn’t necessarily have the shock factor they might have otherwise. The ending did catch me with a few surprises, though, and thankfully still had a couple of things up its sleeve that I hadn’t seen coming.
One of the Family has definitely put me in the mood for more Scottish Highlands, snow and bothies, although I think I’ve had my fill of rich families and their inheritance problems for a little while. There was a lot here that felt familiar, but it still kept me entertained, and my search for my Mark Edwards winner continues.
3.5⭐
We’ve got rich people and their rich people problems here, with greed, resentment and questionable motivations all thrown into the mix. The setup itself follows some pretty familiar beats for this type of thriller: bring a wealthy family together for New Year’s, stick them somewhere remote and wait for the cracks to start showing. It’s a formula I’ve seen plenty of times before, and with this many old grudges between them, putting the Grant family under one roof was bound to bring out the worst in everyone.
Charles, the patriarch of the family, doesn’t exactly help matters when he arrives with a new woman by his side. His kids aren’t particularly thrilled about it, and the whole situation definitely throws a spanner in the works. Add in rumours of a body found nearby the previous year and a family that clearly has plenty to hide, and I had more than enough reason to start side-eyeing pretty much everyone.
Patrick, the boyfriend of Charles’s youngest daughter, Holly, is our way into the Grants and essentially becomes the reader among them. As the newcomer, he knows very little about their past, so we start questioning and uncovering things alongside him. His documentary filmmaking background worked really well for this, giving him that naturally curious streak and a believable reason to keep digging when things didn’t quite add up. Being the potential new “in-law” also puts him in an interesting position, because he’s close enough to see what’s going on while still very much an outsider looking in.
The Scottish Highlands has to be one of my favourite settings in a book and is somewhere I’d love to visit, so I never have any trouble immersing myself in stories set there. Applecross felt beautiful and inviting, but the cold, snow and isolation gave it a more unforgiving side too. As the weather took a turn, that remoteness really started to work in the story’s favour, giving everything a moodier edge.
I also found the tension between the Grants and some of the local villagers interesting. As wealthy English outsiders with a holiday home in the area, the Grants already stand apart from the locals, and at first I wondered how much of the animosity towards them came down to class. Once bits of their past started coming to light, though, it became clear there was more to it than that, and perhaps good reason for some of the locals to feel the way they did.
By this point, it was starting to feel like a battle over who in this family had the most chequered past. There were also a few creepy details surrounding Charles’s new partner that had me suspicious of what was going on there, and I enjoyed seeing how some of those little details eventually tied into the bigger picture.
Some of the twists were fairly easy to spot, particularly if you’ve read your fair share of dysfunctional-family thrillers, so they didn’t necessarily have the shock factor they might have otherwise. The ending did catch me with a few surprises, though, and thankfully still had a couple of things up its sleeve that I hadn’t seen coming.
One of the Family has definitely put me in the mood for more Scottish Highlands, snow and bothies, although I think I’ve had my fill of rich families and their inheritance problems for a little while. There was a lot here that felt familiar, but it still kept me entertained, and my search for my Mark Edwards winner continues.
3.5⭐
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was really into this one at the beginning. The setup grabbed my attention right away, and I found myself eager to keep turning the pages to figure out where everything was headed. The mystery had me hooked, and I enjoyed getting to know the characters and all the secrets simmering beneath the surface.
Unfortunately, somewhere around the 60% mark, I started losing interest. The story slowed down for me, and I found my attention wandering more often than not. I kept waiting for that spark from the beginning to come back, but it never quite did. While there were still a few twists and moments that kept me curious enough to finish, I wasn't as invested as I had been early on.
Overall, this wasn't a bad read by any means. It had a strong, intriguing start and plenty of potential, but the middle and latter half just didn't hold my attention the way I hoped it would. I'm glad I finished it, but it ended up being a solid 3-star read for me rather than one I'd rave about.
Unfortunately, somewhere around the 60% mark, I started losing interest. The story slowed down for me, and I found my attention wandering more often than not. I kept waiting for that spark from the beginning to come back, but it never quite did. While there were still a few twists and moments that kept me curious enough to finish, I wasn't as invested as I had been early on.
Overall, this wasn't a bad read by any means. It had a strong, intriguing start and plenty of potential, but the middle and latter half just didn't hold my attention the way I hoped it would. I'm glad I finished it, but it ended up being a solid 3-star read for me rather than one I'd rave about.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
"A week in paradise" becomes a nightmare when Patrick joins Holly, his girlfriend, and her family for a luxurious holiday in Scotland to celebrate Hogmanay. It's always tough to meet the family of the person you are dating. But Patrick will find it to be horrific from the very beginning. When one of their group goes missing, things take a turn for the worse!
I can always count on Mark Edwards to deliver gripping, twisted, dramatic, and tension filled books. One of the Family is full of secrets, deception, shifting loyalties and unease. As with his other books, I found One of the Family to be wonderfully written, well thought out, brimming with twists, perfectly paced and full of interesting characters. As with all books, there were some characters I liked, some I changed my mind about, some I didn't care for, and well, they are all a bit of a mess.
I can't wait to read what Mark Edwards writes next!
Thank you to Atria Books and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
I can always count on Mark Edwards to deliver gripping, twisted, dramatic, and tension filled books. One of the Family is full of secrets, deception, shifting loyalties and unease. As with his other books, I found One of the Family to be wonderfully written, well thought out, brimming with twists, perfectly paced and full of interesting characters. As with all books, there were some characters I liked, some I changed my mind about, some I didn't care for, and well, they are all a bit of a mess.
I can't wait to read what Mark Edwards writes next!
Thank you to Atria Books and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 29, 2026
Patrick has been invited to spend New Year’s Eve (Hogmanay) at his girlfriend Holly’s holiday mansion, in the Scottish Highlands, in the middle of nowhere. Holly’s dad Charles Grant is a millionaire, owning a computer tech company called Gravitas. This is a first for Patrick, as he’s never met the family before, and Charles is introducing his new fiancée Jasmine to the family. The week long stay is a disaster from start to finish, with missing family members, murder and secrets being revealed.
This was full of twists, turns, and suspense, mixed with freezing weather conditions, blinding snowstorms, and set in an isolated area in the Scottish Highlands, which all added to the reading experience, and which I couldn’t put down. I’ve never read anything by Mark Edwards before, but will definitely be adding more to my reading list.
4 ⭐️
Thanks to Mark Edwards, Penguin, and NetGalley, for providing me with this free ARC, with which I leave a voluntary review.
Available: 18 June 2026
This was full of twists, turns, and suspense, mixed with freezing weather conditions, blinding snowstorms, and set in an isolated area in the Scottish Highlands, which all added to the reading experience, and which I couldn’t put down. I’ve never read anything by Mark Edwards before, but will definitely be adding more to my reading list.
4 ⭐️
Thanks to Mark Edwards, Penguin, and NetGalley, for providing me with this free ARC, with which I leave a voluntary review.
Available: 18 June 2026
August 12, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
It's been a long time since I've read a book by Mark Edwards. The last one was, "Follow You Home" and I rated that one 5 stars. This was good but it didn't blow me away.
Patrick has been dating Holly for several months. He's finally going to meet her family as they travel to her family's vacation home in the Scottish highlands. He's nervous as they are wealthy. Her Father is the founder and CEO of a big tech company. What Patrick realizes when he gets there is that they are pretty odd and keeping some secrets. The family is also going to meet their Father's newest partner that same weekend. Everyone is on edge.
It's a good fast paced story. There are many twists and turns. It's a little unbelievable and a touch too convoluted for my liking. There's a present mystery involving a boy who went missing in the area. We also go back in time with Holly and her siblings and some of the locals. It always kept me guessing and I was entertained.
Published on August 4, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the Advance Reader's Copy.
It's been a long time since I've read a book by Mark Edwards. The last one was, "Follow You Home" and I rated that one 5 stars. This was good but it didn't blow me away.
Patrick has been dating Holly for several months. He's finally going to meet her family as they travel to her family's vacation home in the Scottish highlands. He's nervous as they are wealthy. Her Father is the founder and CEO of a big tech company. What Patrick realizes when he gets there is that they are pretty odd and keeping some secrets. The family is also going to meet their Father's newest partner that same weekend. Everyone is on edge.
It's a good fast paced story. There are many twists and turns. It's a little unbelievable and a touch too convoluted for my liking. There's a present mystery involving a boy who went missing in the area. We also go back in time with Holly and her siblings and some of the locals. It always kept me guessing and I was entertained.
Published on August 4, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the Advance Reader's Copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Welcome to the family!
Patrick has the opportunity to get away for a holiday with his new girlfriend, Holly, in Scotland. And a chance to meet her family. They will be staying in the most extravagant home on a seaside cliff…a castle. Sounds perfect, right?
Not so fast…let’s throw in mysteries of unsolved murders, as well as new ones. A family who appears to be at war with one another, and Holly’s dad is with a new fiancée. One who could pass for a daughter.
Oh, it’s going to be a bumpy ride this holiday season for sure!
I loved the mysteries and intricate web of deceit. All with the backdrop of a small village. But I would have liked a bit more depth from the characters themselves. Amid all the turmoil, no feelings were displayed. Everyone seems to take each reveal or twist (which I guessed early on) in stride. Hmmm… just strange behavior.
✍️ Mark Edwards
📄 336 pages
🗓️ Anticipated release date: August 4, 2026
📈 4/5🌟🌟🌟🌟
👉 Thriller, suspense
Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Atria Books
Patrick has the opportunity to get away for a holiday with his new girlfriend, Holly, in Scotland. And a chance to meet her family. They will be staying in the most extravagant home on a seaside cliff…a castle. Sounds perfect, right?
Not so fast…let’s throw in mysteries of unsolved murders, as well as new ones. A family who appears to be at war with one another, and Holly’s dad is with a new fiancée. One who could pass for a daughter.
Oh, it’s going to be a bumpy ride this holiday season for sure!
I loved the mysteries and intricate web of deceit. All with the backdrop of a small village. But I would have liked a bit more depth from the characters themselves. Amid all the turmoil, no feelings were displayed. Everyone seems to take each reveal or twist (which I guessed early on) in stride. Hmmm… just strange behavior.
✍️ Mark Edwards
📄 336 pages
🗓️ Anticipated release date: August 4, 2026
📈 4/5🌟🌟🌟🌟
👉 Thriller, suspense
Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Atria Books
June 2, 2026
CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THIS AUTHOR’S WORK
One of the family is dead.
One of the family is missing.
And one of the family might just be the killer...
One thing I really enjoy about Mark’s books is how much he really reels you in in the drama and the nonsensical madness of it all.
The book was giving all the atmospheric vibes, and I could really picture the Scottish sceneries. There is a lot of characters to build up that whodunnit suspect list and everyone was acting shady.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators did a great job bringing the story to life.
I will say that this book is very embellished and quite farfetched, so it was very much tipping into the popcorn thriller category.
But all in all, I had a good time with it and I cant wait to see what he releases next.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pre read
Here to Stay is what made me love this authors work
I feel like this newest release is going to be so good
Time to devour it!
🤍❤️💙❤️
One of the family is dead.
One of the family is missing.
And one of the family might just be the killer...
One thing I really enjoy about Mark’s books is how much he really reels you in in the drama and the nonsensical madness of it all.
The book was giving all the atmospheric vibes, and I could really picture the Scottish sceneries. There is a lot of characters to build up that whodunnit suspect list and everyone was acting shady.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narrators did a great job bringing the story to life.
I will say that this book is very embellished and quite farfetched, so it was very much tipping into the popcorn thriller category.
But all in all, I had a good time with it and I cant wait to see what he releases next.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pre read
Here to Stay is what made me love this authors work
I feel like this newest release is going to be so good
Time to devour it!
🤍❤️💙❤️
August 10, 2026
Not his best
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
An addictive, jaw-dropper of a tale, One of the Family took Meet the Parents, crossed it with Succession, and added a very Ruth Ware-meets-Lucy Foley feel all in one go. You see, this one-sitting read had edge-of-your-seat tension, layers of dark family secrets, gritty inheritance battles, and oodles of thoroughly toxic individuals, which all came together to create quite the popcorn thriller-esque read. Don’t get me wrong, this wild and crazy ride of rich people behaving badly also had the kind of atmosphere that gets readers hooked on a story right from the beginning. With the brilliant locked-room setting of a luxury estate in an isolated small Scottish town, the evocative prose made me feel as if I was there as the impending snowstorm arrived to cut them all off. Sinister, evocative, and chilling, it was almost like another character in this darkly entertaining, unputdownable read.
What was my absolute favorite piece of this one, however? Well, that had to be the “HOLY S***?!” twists. Turning the story on its head several times, the delightfully over-the-top second half had my eyes glued to the pages as dark secrets came out and scandals were revealed. I mean, I don’t know about you, but I’m always a fan of tea-spilling stories that look at the dysfunctional side of wealthy families and their drama-filled lives. And let me tell you, this book packed quite a punch for all of the above. With unreliable characters, morally gray behavior, and hidden motives, it was a Hot Mess Express in the best possible way. After all, this f***ed-up family was the kind you love to read about, but would never want to belong to or know in real life. So if you love shifting loyalties, toxic family dynamics, or sibling rivalries, grab this one now. It most definitely delivered in spades. Rating of 4.5 stars.
Read if you’re a fan of:
- Rich people behaving badly
- Evocative prose
- Small-town secrets
- Multiple POVs
- Dysfunctional families
- Fast-paced plots
- “HOLY S***?!” twists
- Isolated settings
- Dark secrets
- Succession-like vibes
- Dual timelines
- Locked-room thrillers
- Toxic family drama
- Morally gray characters
- Twist-heavy finales
SYNOPSIS:
When Patrick is invited by his girlfriend to join her and her family on a luxury holiday in a remote and beautiful part of Scotland, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a nightmare of a family, sinister behavior…and a plot to murder the patriarch’s younger fiancée.
Arriving at the house, Patrick meets Holly’s dad, self-made-millionaire Charles, along with her brother Lewis and older sister Miranda. Also on the trip is the widowed Charles’ bride-to-be, Jasmine, who—in her thirties—is around the same age as the three siblings. Lewis and Miranda are horrified by their dad’s impending marriage to this younger woman. Surely, she is just after his money—and is going to steal their inheritance from them. To make things worse, Jasmine is an almost exact doppelganger of their mother before she got sick and died.
Patrick finds himself in the middle of this viper’s nest, trying to keep out of the family crosshairs. He starts to suspect that Lewis has dark plans for Jasmine—putting himself in peril as a potential witness who could mess up his scheme. Perhaps more than one person won’t escape this family of snakes…
Thank you Mark Edwards, Atria Books, and NetGalley for my complimentary physical and digital copies. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 4, 2026
Content warning: sexual content, drug and alcohol use, death, cancer, gun violence, murder, adult/minor relationship, infidelity, mention of: death of a parent, teen pregnancy
What was my absolute favorite piece of this one, however? Well, that had to be the “HOLY S***?!” twists. Turning the story on its head several times, the delightfully over-the-top second half had my eyes glued to the pages as dark secrets came out and scandals were revealed. I mean, I don’t know about you, but I’m always a fan of tea-spilling stories that look at the dysfunctional side of wealthy families and their drama-filled lives. And let me tell you, this book packed quite a punch for all of the above. With unreliable characters, morally gray behavior, and hidden motives, it was a Hot Mess Express in the best possible way. After all, this f***ed-up family was the kind you love to read about, but would never want to belong to or know in real life. So if you love shifting loyalties, toxic family dynamics, or sibling rivalries, grab this one now. It most definitely delivered in spades. Rating of 4.5 stars.
Read if you’re a fan of:
- Rich people behaving badly
- Evocative prose
- Small-town secrets
- Multiple POVs
- Dysfunctional families
- Fast-paced plots
- “HOLY S***?!” twists
- Isolated settings
- Dark secrets
- Succession-like vibes
- Dual timelines
- Locked-room thrillers
- Toxic family drama
- Morally gray characters
- Twist-heavy finales
SYNOPSIS:
When Patrick is invited by his girlfriend to join her and her family on a luxury holiday in a remote and beautiful part of Scotland, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a nightmare of a family, sinister behavior…and a plot to murder the patriarch’s younger fiancée.
Arriving at the house, Patrick meets Holly’s dad, self-made-millionaire Charles, along with her brother Lewis and older sister Miranda. Also on the trip is the widowed Charles’ bride-to-be, Jasmine, who—in her thirties—is around the same age as the three siblings. Lewis and Miranda are horrified by their dad’s impending marriage to this younger woman. Surely, she is just after his money—and is going to steal their inheritance from them. To make things worse, Jasmine is an almost exact doppelganger of their mother before she got sick and died.
Patrick finds himself in the middle of this viper’s nest, trying to keep out of the family crosshairs. He starts to suspect that Lewis has dark plans for Jasmine—putting himself in peril as a potential witness who could mess up his scheme. Perhaps more than one person won’t escape this family of snakes…
Thank you Mark Edwards, Atria Books, and NetGalley for my complimentary physical and digital copies. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 4, 2026
Content warning: sexual content, drug and alcohol use, death, cancer, gun violence, murder, adult/minor relationship, infidelity, mention of: death of a parent, teen pregnancy
August 15, 2026
"A week in paradise—with the family from hell."
"When Patrick is invited by his girlfriend to join her and her family on a luxury holiday in a remote and beautiful part of Scotland, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a nightmare of a family, sinister behavior…and a plot to murder the patriarch’s younger fiancée."
Poor Patrick, so excited to meet his girlfriend Holly's family for the first time and has no idea what danger he is walking into. He is one of the best characters as he is an outsider looking in. There is so much tension between the family members which include Holly's brother Lewis, the sister, Miranda, millionaire father Charles and his new younger girlfriend Jasmine, which has an uncanny resemblance of their mother which died at the age of 42. They see her as a gold digger while they appear as rich spoiled adult brats. This is full of action and includes unsolved murders from the past, and now one is dead and another missing. So many family secrets on this holiday adventure while I'm enduring 103 TN heatwave. My first time reading a Mark Edwards' book was the Wasp Trap and I look forward to future ones. I like his style.
Thank you Edelweiss Books and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
"When Patrick is invited by his girlfriend to join her and her family on a luxury holiday in a remote and beautiful part of Scotland, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a nightmare of a family, sinister behavior…and a plot to murder the patriarch’s younger fiancée."
Poor Patrick, so excited to meet his girlfriend Holly's family for the first time and has no idea what danger he is walking into. He is one of the best characters as he is an outsider looking in. There is so much tension between the family members which include Holly's brother Lewis, the sister, Miranda, millionaire father Charles and his new younger girlfriend Jasmine, which has an uncanny resemblance of their mother which died at the age of 42. They see her as a gold digger while they appear as rich spoiled adult brats. This is full of action and includes unsolved murders from the past, and now one is dead and another missing. So many family secrets on this holiday adventure while I'm enduring 103 TN heatwave. My first time reading a Mark Edwards' book was the Wasp Trap and I look forward to future ones. I like his style.
Thank you Edelweiss Books and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 16, 2026
3.5-4⭐️ I am endlessly impressed with the way Mark Edwards writes his gritty, moody, atmospheric thrillers. They start with just a simmer, something dark bubbling up just below the surface. But before you know what has happened, tensions have gone sky high.
Similarly to fellow British author Lisa Jewell, Mark Edwards turns the seemingly mundane into the stuff nightmares are made of (his book Here to Stay still lives rent-free). In this case, an invite to join his girlfriend and her family in the Scottish Highlands turns to disaster as one family member goes missing, one turns up dead— the k!ller must likely be one of them. Perhaps it should have been a sign when the opening chapter begins with the question, “Are you scared?”
I will say, this book is action-packed, and as such, you get a little less of the emotional drama a book featuring such an intense family would suggest. But as someone who eats family dramas for breakfast, I’ll always want more of the raw emotional component. There is also an interesting tech element to this story that I really enjoyed and found myself wanting more of, though I think it was woven in well. All in all, a solid domestic suspense that makes for a fun summer read.
🎧 I went back and forth between the physical book and the audio and enjoyed both. With a full cast of narrators, it was very easy to distinguish character from character. However, given the larger ensemble cast, I think an immersive read combining book and audio is best.
Read if you like:
▪️atmospheric settings
▪️dual timelines
▪️family secrets
▪️ensemble casts
▪️speculative elements
▪️cold cases
Check out my Bookstagram post here ♥
Thank you Atria Books and Simon Audio for the advanced copies.
Similarly to fellow British author Lisa Jewell, Mark Edwards turns the seemingly mundane into the stuff nightmares are made of (his book Here to Stay still lives rent-free). In this case, an invite to join his girlfriend and her family in the Scottish Highlands turns to disaster as one family member goes missing, one turns up dead— the k!ller must likely be one of them. Perhaps it should have been a sign when the opening chapter begins with the question, “Are you scared?”
I will say, this book is action-packed, and as such, you get a little less of the emotional drama a book featuring such an intense family would suggest. But as someone who eats family dramas for breakfast, I’ll always want more of the raw emotional component. There is also an interesting tech element to this story that I really enjoyed and found myself wanting more of, though I think it was woven in well. All in all, a solid domestic suspense that makes for a fun summer read.
🎧 I went back and forth between the physical book and the audio and enjoyed both. With a full cast of narrators, it was very easy to distinguish character from character. However, given the larger ensemble cast, I think an immersive read combining book and audio is best.
Read if you like:
▪️atmospheric settings
▪️dual timelines
▪️family secrets
▪️ensemble casts
▪️speculative elements
▪️cold cases
Check out my Bookstagram post here ♥
Thank you Atria Books and Simon Audio for the advanced copies.
May 8, 2026
One of the Family is an exceptionally intelligent psychological thriller that blends emotional depth with relentless suspense. Mark Edwards delivers a novel that is not only gripping, but psychologically perceptive and thematically layered.
🖤 Atmosphere:
The tension in this book is masterfully sustained from beginning to end. Edwards creates a persistent sense of unease where every interaction feels significant and every revelation subtly shifts the reader’s perception. The atmosphere is claustrophobic, unsettling, and deeply immersive.
🧠 Psychological Depth:
I really loved how grounded the suspense felt in human behavior and family dynamics. The manipulation, emotional conflict, and blurred lines between love, loyalty, and control made this feel much deeper than your average thriller.
📖 The Writing & Pacing:
Mark Edwards has such an addictive writing style. The pacing was incredibly well done, steady, intentional, and constantly building tension without ever feeling rushed. Every chapter revealed just enough to keep me fully invested while still maintaining the mystery and psychological unease.
🎭 The Characters:
The characters felt believable, flawed, and emotionally complex. Nobody felt one dimensional, which made the paranoia and tension even stronger because I genuinely didn’t know who to trust.
📚 Overall:
This was intelligent, unsettling, and ridiculously hard to put down. If you enjoy psychological thrillers filled with tension, layered family dynamics, emotional manipulation, and twists that genuinely keep you engaged, I absolutely recommend this one.
✨ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
🖤 Atmosphere:
The tension in this book is masterfully sustained from beginning to end. Edwards creates a persistent sense of unease where every interaction feels significant and every revelation subtly shifts the reader’s perception. The atmosphere is claustrophobic, unsettling, and deeply immersive.
🧠 Psychological Depth:
I really loved how grounded the suspense felt in human behavior and family dynamics. The manipulation, emotional conflict, and blurred lines between love, loyalty, and control made this feel much deeper than your average thriller.
📖 The Writing & Pacing:
Mark Edwards has such an addictive writing style. The pacing was incredibly well done, steady, intentional, and constantly building tension without ever feeling rushed. Every chapter revealed just enough to keep me fully invested while still maintaining the mystery and psychological unease.
🎭 The Characters:
The characters felt believable, flawed, and emotionally complex. Nobody felt one dimensional, which made the paranoia and tension even stronger because I genuinely didn’t know who to trust.
📚 Overall:
This was intelligent, unsettling, and ridiculously hard to put down. If you enjoy psychological thrillers filled with tension, layered family dynamics, emotional manipulation, and twists that genuinely keep you engaged, I absolutely recommend this one.
✨ Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2026
A moody, winter-y locked room thriller that was utterly unputdownable. A chaotic rich family, secrets left and right, all set in a mansion in the Scottish Highlands. This was such a fun one. My only qualm is our male lead seemed a bit.... useless & juvenile at times. Read this around New Years!!!!
July 6, 2026
Solid 4 ⭐🍿
I'm genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Patrick is meeting his girlfriend Holly’s family for the first time and spending New Year’s with them at their remote Scottish mansion. First impressions aren’t the only thing he should be worried about — this family has dark, long‑buried secrets that are about to surface, and Patrick will have to make some tough decisions.
This was such a fast‑paced, atmospheric thriller. I was instantly hooked by the chaotic, toxic family dynamic and flew through it. Most of the characters are completely unlikeable, but that just added to the friction between them. I also absolutely loved the setting — the cold, bleak Scottish winter adds the perfect layer of tension and makes the whole story feel even more unsettling. There were moments when it leaned a little soap‑opera‑ish, but honestly, I didn’t mind; it only made the drama more fun.
The mystery unravels perfectly at the end, delivering a few entertaining final twists. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys twisty domestic thrillers, isolated‑setting mysteries, and fast‑paced family‑drama suspense. I’m excited to pick up more from Mark Edwards.
Available Now! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Patrick is meeting his girlfriend Holly’s family for the first time and spending New Year’s with them at their remote Scottish mansion. First impressions aren’t the only thing he should be worried about — this family has dark, long‑buried secrets that are about to surface, and Patrick will have to make some tough decisions.
This was such a fast‑paced, atmospheric thriller. I was instantly hooked by the chaotic, toxic family dynamic and flew through it. Most of the characters are completely unlikeable, but that just added to the friction between them. I also absolutely loved the setting — the cold, bleak Scottish winter adds the perfect layer of tension and makes the whole story feel even more unsettling. There were moments when it leaned a little soap‑opera‑ish, but honestly, I didn’t mind; it only made the drama more fun.
The mystery unravels perfectly at the end, delivering a few entertaining final twists. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys twisty domestic thrillers, isolated‑setting mysteries, and fast‑paced family‑drama suspense. I’m excited to pick up more from Mark Edwards.
Available Now! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2026
I was sooooo happy to win this on Goodreads!
One of the Family, a mystery/thriller, centers around main character Patrick. Patrick is just a regular city guy who is dating Holly-who just so happens to be from the very wealthy Grant family. He is invited to join her and her family for a holiday at their family’s mansion in the rural Scottish Highlands and his life is changed forever.
I’m not exaggerating when I say One of the Family is full and twists and turns-it is full of secrets, murder, and a lot of family drama. The characters are well-developed (though most are unlikable), and the book’s pacing is fast-paced. I absolutely loved the surprise ending, no spoilers! Highly recommended to fans that like mystery/thriller books.
Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
One of the Family, a mystery/thriller, centers around main character Patrick. Patrick is just a regular city guy who is dating Holly-who just so happens to be from the very wealthy Grant family. He is invited to join her and her family for a holiday at their family’s mansion in the rural Scottish Highlands and his life is changed forever.
I’m not exaggerating when I say One of the Family is full and twists and turns-it is full of secrets, murder, and a lot of family drama. The characters are well-developed (though most are unlikable), and the book’s pacing is fast-paced. I absolutely loved the surprise ending, no spoilers! Highly recommended to fans that like mystery/thriller books.
Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Read
August 29, 2026This is the first time I have read a Mark Edwards novel. He and his publisher have a way of grabbing you with the synopsis and then before you know it the author has you immersed into a charming Scottish village in the middle of a severe winter storm.
It seems dark and cold as most of the subterfuge of the story takes place at night.
The story was wound around a wealthy conniving family, villagers the family had interacted with and Patrick our narrator who is a not yet successful film documenterian brought on this family get together as a new plus one of the daughter of the wealthy Grant family.
As I felt compelled to pick up this murder mystery again and again, it felt like being immersed in a very good made for streaming movie. So put on the popcorn, pull up your best reading blanket as it's cold between the pages of this book and snuggle up in your easy chair.
It did make me forget that it’s been 100° outdoors by day and 84° by night here in Houston.
Thank you to the author and his editor Sean deLone of Atria Books for sending me this copy of One of the Family as a winner of a Goodreads giveaway.
It seems dark and cold as most of the subterfuge of the story takes place at night.
The story was wound around a wealthy conniving family, villagers the family had interacted with and Patrick our narrator who is a not yet successful film documenterian brought on this family get together as a new plus one of the daughter of the wealthy Grant family.
As I felt compelled to pick up this murder mystery again and again, it felt like being immersed in a very good made for streaming movie. So put on the popcorn, pull up your best reading blanket as it's cold between the pages of this book and snuggle up in your easy chair.
It did make me forget that it’s been 100° outdoors by day and 84° by night here in Houston.
Thank you to the author and his editor Sean deLone of Atria Books for sending me this copy of One of the Family as a winner of a Goodreads giveaway.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Patrick Tolhurst has been invited to spend the Hogmanay holiday with his girlfriend Holly and her family in the Scottish Highlands and he's justifiably nervous to meet them as they make their way to a remote peninsula on the coast. Holly's father is Charles Grant, owner of Gravitas, a computer hardware company, and he has announced he's going to marry a much-younger woman named Jasmine, a hotel clerk whom he met on a recent trip to Miami. His adult children are not pleased by this news but they are especially shocked when they lay eyes on Jasmine and she's the spitting image of their beloved mother who died young from cancer. Jasmine is the woman's doppelgänger. What are the odds?
'Family is everything,' their mother always said but these three siblings and one brother-in-law hardly get along. In fact, they are downright nasty to each other, as only siblings can be. Dad's big concern has always been the family's reputation so he has tended to bail his kids out of whatever bad situation they've gotten themselves into. So it's not surprising that they are not well liked by the local townspeople, is it? Patrick begins to sense secrets, lies and broken promises are part of their history. Does he really want to be 'one of the family?'
The setting on the Scottish coast is lovely but the story turns into a locked-room mystery as a winter storm hits the peninsula and cuts them off from any outside help. Murder and mayhem with plenty of plot twists make for an absorbing, page-turning read. This is a good one!
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc via NetGalley. This is my first taste of Mark Edwards' books and I look forward to reading more.
'Family is everything,' their mother always said but these three siblings and one brother-in-law hardly get along. In fact, they are downright nasty to each other, as only siblings can be. Dad's big concern has always been the family's reputation so he has tended to bail his kids out of whatever bad situation they've gotten themselves into. So it's not surprising that they are not well liked by the local townspeople, is it? Patrick begins to sense secrets, lies and broken promises are part of their history. Does he really want to be 'one of the family?'
The setting on the Scottish coast is lovely but the story turns into a locked-room mystery as a winter storm hits the peninsula and cuts them off from any outside help. Murder and mayhem with plenty of plot twists make for an absorbing, page-turning read. This is a good one!
Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an arc via NetGalley. This is my first taste of Mark Edwards' books and I look forward to reading more.
April 27, 2026
Patrick’s girlfriend Holly invites him to spend New Years at her family’s vacation home in Scotland so that she can introduce him to her family.
What sounds like a relaxing holiday turns into pure hell for Patrick.
He meets Miranda, Holly’s bitchy older sister, her odd and cold husband, Zack, and Holly’s brother, Lewis.
Then Charle’s, Holly’s self-made millionaire father arrives with his new fiance, Jasmine, who happens to be two years younger than Holly.
To make things even more odd, Jasmine looks nearly identical to Elizabeth, Holly’s deceased mother (the term “doppelgänger” was used a few times in the book).
This book felt like what you’d get if you combined Meet The Parents with Succession and thew it into a remote town in Scotland with some frigid and snowy weather.
There are some extremely unlikable characters in this book and screwed up family dynamics that will definitely make your family seem normal at Thanksgiving this year.
Like many thrillers, the last 20% of the book is without a doubt the best part.
As I was reading along I was thinking to myself that it was going to be pretty predictable based on its description (and some parts were), but there were enough twists and surprises towards the end to satisfy my need to be surprised in books like this.
One thing I can tell you is that not everyone who you meet in this book will make it to the end alive.
This was my first book by Mark Edwards and it definitely won’t be my last!
Thanks to Atria Books and Mark Edwards for proving me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: August 4, 2026
What sounds like a relaxing holiday turns into pure hell for Patrick.
He meets Miranda, Holly’s bitchy older sister, her odd and cold husband, Zack, and Holly’s brother, Lewis.
Then Charle’s, Holly’s self-made millionaire father arrives with his new fiance, Jasmine, who happens to be two years younger than Holly.
To make things even more odd, Jasmine looks nearly identical to Elizabeth, Holly’s deceased mother (the term “doppelgänger” was used a few times in the book).
This book felt like what you’d get if you combined Meet The Parents with Succession and thew it into a remote town in Scotland with some frigid and snowy weather.
There are some extremely unlikable characters in this book and screwed up family dynamics that will definitely make your family seem normal at Thanksgiving this year.
Like many thrillers, the last 20% of the book is without a doubt the best part.
As I was reading along I was thinking to myself that it was going to be pretty predictable based on its description (and some parts were), but there were enough twists and surprises towards the end to satisfy my need to be surprised in books like this.
One thing I can tell you is that not everyone who you meet in this book will make it to the end alive.
This was my first book by Mark Edwards and it definitely won’t be my last!
Thanks to Atria Books and Mark Edwards for proving me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: August 4, 2026
September 19, 2026
In a nutshell, this was truly a frantic, humous, thriller of a novel. It started out with Patrick meeting his girlfriend’s mega-rich family for the first time. As someone from a working-class background, Patrick is somewhat intimidated by this overbearing family, who fully ignore him as someone who is inconsequential. Even so, all hell breaks loose when the arrogant patriarch arrives with his new bride, who’s less than half his age and a doppelgänger for his long-lost wife. From that point on, the story evolves into murder and mayhem, as well as endless twists and turns.
I debated between a 4-5 star review, as I enjoyed the novel, as well as the final ending of the story. However, not only was it hard to read about Patrick’s despicable future in-laws, but his “normal” girlfriend was far from endearing. In addition, the audiobook narrator sounded as if he were going to have a complete breakdown towards the end of the novel, as he became overwrought with hysteria concerning Patrick’s situation. In any event, this was an enjoyable read.
I debated between a 4-5 star review, as I enjoyed the novel, as well as the final ending of the story. However, not only was it hard to read about Patrick’s despicable future in-laws, but his “normal” girlfriend was far from endearing. In addition, the audiobook narrator sounded as if he were going to have a complete breakdown towards the end of the novel, as he became overwrought with hysteria concerning Patrick’s situation. In any event, this was an enjoyable read.
February 22, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy of One of the Family by Mark Edwards.
This was my first experience reading Mark Edwards, and it certainly won’t be my last. From the very first chapter, the story is saturated with lies, deception, and relentless twists that keep the tension dialled high throughout. Just when I thought I had a handle on where the plot was heading, another turn completely shifted my perspective.
What stood out most was the character development. Edwards crafts a cast that feels layered and unpredictable — I found myself loving, hating, tolerating, and even adoring different characters as they evolved across the narrative. My loyalties constantly shifted, which made the reading experience even more immersive.
A gripping psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the final pages. Highly recommended for fans of dark domestic suspense
This was my first experience reading Mark Edwards, and it certainly won’t be my last. From the very first chapter, the story is saturated with lies, deception, and relentless twists that keep the tension dialled high throughout. Just when I thought I had a handle on where the plot was heading, another turn completely shifted my perspective.
What stood out most was the character development. Edwards crafts a cast that feels layered and unpredictable — I found myself loving, hating, tolerating, and even adoring different characters as they evolved across the narrative. My loyalties constantly shifted, which made the reading experience even more immersive.
A gripping psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the final pages. Highly recommended for fans of dark domestic suspense
September 27, 2026
4 stars!!
One of the Family was a very well-written and atmospheric take on the “meeting the family turns into a nightmare” trope, and I absolutely couldn’t get enough of it.
The story follows a couple whose visit to meet family in the remote Scottish Highlands quickly takes a much darker turn than expected. What begins as an uncomfortable family gathering gradually becomes a tense and unsettling mystery, with secrets, suspicious behavior, and plenty of questions about who can actually be trusted.
There were definitely characters in this one that I found absolutely deplorable, while others had me rooting for them the entire way. I especially loved the Scottish winter setting. The isolation, cold, and overall atmosphere added so much to the sense of unease and made the story feel even more claustrophobic.
The mystery was another major win for me. I genuinely didn't know exactly what was going on for much of the book, and the revelations continued to keep me guessing until everything was finally brought to light. For me, that's a home run when it comes to a thriller—I want to have theories, question everyone, and still be surprised when the truth comes out.
Overall, this was a tense, atmospheric, and thoroughly entertaining thriller that kept me turning the pages. Highly recommended for thriller fans, especially anyone who enjoys dysfunctional families, isolated settings, dark secrets, and mysteries that keep you guessing.
One of the Family was a very well-written and atmospheric take on the “meeting the family turns into a nightmare” trope, and I absolutely couldn’t get enough of it.
The story follows a couple whose visit to meet family in the remote Scottish Highlands quickly takes a much darker turn than expected. What begins as an uncomfortable family gathering gradually becomes a tense and unsettling mystery, with secrets, suspicious behavior, and plenty of questions about who can actually be trusted.
There were definitely characters in this one that I found absolutely deplorable, while others had me rooting for them the entire way. I especially loved the Scottish winter setting. The isolation, cold, and overall atmosphere added so much to the sense of unease and made the story feel even more claustrophobic.
The mystery was another major win for me. I genuinely didn't know exactly what was going on for much of the book, and the revelations continued to keep me guessing until everything was finally brought to light. For me, that's a home run when it comes to a thriller—I want to have theories, question everyone, and still be surprised when the truth comes out.
Overall, this was a tense, atmospheric, and thoroughly entertaining thriller that kept me turning the pages. Highly recommended for thriller fans, especially anyone who enjoys dysfunctional families, isolated settings, dark secrets, and mysteries that keep you guessing.
August 15, 2026
Mark Edwards is an auto buy author for me who never lets me down. I always know I'm in a safe pair of hands when I pick up one of his books.
And this was no different.
Right away I loved the setting of the Scottish Highlands and the time of year being the period between Christmas and New Years. (Unfortunately I did happen to read this during a summer heat wave!)
This is packed full of rich people drama throughout and this was one of the main reasons I liked it.
Once again this authors writing style worked for me. I can't put my finger on it, but he is just such a great writer, that the story flows effortlessly.
I liked the characters in this and I really liked how every single one played such an important role in the story. They felt like real people to me, and I can definitely see this being made into a TV show.
The plot had me invested for the most part and I found the whole thing an easy read.
However I did have one slight issue with this book. It felt WAY too long to me.
I think the whole thing could have been wrapped up a lot quicker than it was and because of this in the second half of the book, my interest did start to drop off quite dramatically.
The twists weren't surprising to me but I did still find them enjoyable.
Another thing that I wasn't a huge fan of was the past timeline chapters. Luckily they were only short and did add to the plot, but they still weren't my favourite thing to read.
Overall this was a thrilling mystery that I did really enjoy.
Thanks to Michael Joseph for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review
And this was no different.
Right away I loved the setting of the Scottish Highlands and the time of year being the period between Christmas and New Years. (Unfortunately I did happen to read this during a summer heat wave!)
This is packed full of rich people drama throughout and this was one of the main reasons I liked it.
Once again this authors writing style worked for me. I can't put my finger on it, but he is just such a great writer, that the story flows effortlessly.
I liked the characters in this and I really liked how every single one played such an important role in the story. They felt like real people to me, and I can definitely see this being made into a TV show.
The plot had me invested for the most part and I found the whole thing an easy read.
However I did have one slight issue with this book. It felt WAY too long to me.
I think the whole thing could have been wrapped up a lot quicker than it was and because of this in the second half of the book, my interest did start to drop off quite dramatically.
The twists weren't surprising to me but I did still find them enjoyable.
Another thing that I wasn't a huge fan of was the past timeline chapters. Luckily they were only short and did add to the plot, but they still weren't my favourite thing to read.
Overall this was a thrilling mystery that I did really enjoy.
Thanks to Michael Joseph for the ARC I received in exchange for an honest review
September 19, 2026
Patrick is just an ordinary guy who aspires to be a documentary filmmaker while paying his bills by being a delivery driver. However, he is engaged to wealthy heiress Holly. Holly's family always meets for the new year at the family home in Scotland. Patrick is a little nervous to be meeting the wealthy father, as well as Holly's sister Miranda and brother Lewis. Holly's father is bringing his new fiancee Jasmine who is a dead ringer for the first wife. Oh, and there's an old mystery that no one talks about plus a young man found dead of hypothermia nearby. Wait till the current killings start.
I liked the setting in Scotland - 3 story mansion, near zero degrees, almost dark by 3pm daily, and a cave close by. Readers get a lot of surprises in this story - all throughout. My feeling while reading - - gosh, what all will rich people do to get even richer.
I liked the setting in Scotland - 3 story mansion, near zero degrees, almost dark by 3pm daily, and a cave close by. Readers get a lot of surprises in this story - all throughout. My feeling while reading - - gosh, what all will rich people do to get even richer.
August 8, 2026
Succession goes to Scotland in this rich people behaving badly story by Mark Edwards.
I have only read a couple of books by him, but what I especially appreciate is his creativity. His writing is immersive and I felt fully entrenched in the Scotland countryside.
The characters, being rich and spoiled, are absolutely vile in the best way. Patrick, the outsider, is a great MC and I loved having someone to cheer for.
The characters are well developed, flawed, and full of backage with secrets that kept surprising me. This is a propulsive story and the short chapters made it completely bingeable.
The audiobook narration was superb. I loved the full cast narrated by Anna Burnett, Kirsty Strain, Peter Caulfield, Sarah Slimani, and Thomas Judd. They really brought a unique voice to the characters and it was the perfect production of this multi POV story.
I have only read a couple of books by him, but what I especially appreciate is his creativity. His writing is immersive and I felt fully entrenched in the Scotland countryside.
The characters, being rich and spoiled, are absolutely vile in the best way. Patrick, the outsider, is a great MC and I loved having someone to cheer for.
The characters are well developed, flawed, and full of backage with secrets that kept surprising me. This is a propulsive story and the short chapters made it completely bingeable.
The audiobook narration was superb. I loved the full cast narrated by Anna Burnett, Kirsty Strain, Peter Caulfield, Sarah Slimani, and Thomas Judd. They really brought a unique voice to the characters and it was the perfect production of this multi POV story.
Want to Read
April 30, 2026Scottish Highlands, luxury holiday with the girlfriend turns into a week in paradise..but with a family from hell.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author, Mark Edwards for sending me an early ARC.
Publication date: August 4th, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author, Mark Edwards for sending me an early ARC.
Publication date: August 4th, 2026
September 24, 2026
Patrick cannot believe his luck. His new girlfriend, Holly, is beautiful, personable, and rich! When she suggest he accompany her to Scotland to meet her family, he is nervous and quite pleased. They are to spend Hogmanay with her family at their Highland mansion.
He has never met any of her family, but from the first introductions, he feels a palpable tension. Then, when Holly’s father, Charles Grant, arrives with his new and much younger American girlfriend in tow, the siblings are gobsmacked. She is an exact doppelganger of their mother, only decades younger. Patrick has a feeling that the whole family are hiding a dark secret. When Patrick, who works making true-crime documentaries, learns that a body was found a year ago near the Grant home, he tries to discover what happened to him. As evidence mounts, signs seem to connect this body to the Grant family. Patrick becomes apprehensive. It would seem that one of the Grants is willing to kill to guard their family secrets.
Cleverly written, this thriller is fast-paced and packed with tension. There are several plot twists that I appreciated. This contemporary novel includes cutting edge technology and unscrupulous people. The Grant family were all quite unpleasant, narcissistic, and difficult to care for, with the possible exception of Holly.
An entertaining thriller that is permeated with malice and tension, plus a claustrophobic vibe, this novel will be enjoyed by many fans of the genre.
He has never met any of her family, but from the first introductions, he feels a palpable tension. Then, when Holly’s father, Charles Grant, arrives with his new and much younger American girlfriend in tow, the siblings are gobsmacked. She is an exact doppelganger of their mother, only decades younger. Patrick has a feeling that the whole family are hiding a dark secret. When Patrick, who works making true-crime documentaries, learns that a body was found a year ago near the Grant home, he tries to discover what happened to him. As evidence mounts, signs seem to connect this body to the Grant family. Patrick becomes apprehensive. It would seem that one of the Grants is willing to kill to guard their family secrets.
Cleverly written, this thriller is fast-paced and packed with tension. There are several plot twists that I appreciated. This contemporary novel includes cutting edge technology and unscrupulous people. The Grant family were all quite unpleasant, narcissistic, and difficult to care for, with the possible exception of Holly.
An entertaining thriller that is permeated with malice and tension, plus a claustrophobic vibe, this novel will be enjoyed by many fans of the genre.
August 16, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
I must remember that I really love the authors work and continue to work through his back catalogue!
I must remember that I really love the authors work and continue to work through his back catalogue!
August 17, 2026
3.5 stars. When Patrick gets invited to his girlfriend Holly’s family home he’s delighted. It feels like the next step in their burgeoning relationship and he’s looking forward to meeting her father and her siblings. But when they arrive at the remote Scottish home, things don’t go according to plan. Holly’s father, Charles, arrives with his new, young, fiancee, Jasmine and the atmosphere is tense to say the least. But every family has its issues, right? Patrick does his utmost to remain impartial to the family dynamics, but the longer he watches, the more he learns. And when a family member is killed, he realises that something is very wrong here.
A fast paced thriller with twists and turns galore. The isolated Scottish Highlands make for the most magnificently brooding setting and the cast of characters perfectly enhances that. Most are pretty unlikeable, in fact the only one I slightly warmed to was Jasmine. The rest are awful!
No matter, it’s still riveting to see how the plot carefully pulls itself together and slowly unravels the secrets of this remote, chilling place. If you’re after a tense and thrilling read, filled with atmosphere and suspicion, look no further.
A fast paced thriller with twists and turns galore. The isolated Scottish Highlands make for the most magnificently brooding setting and the cast of characters perfectly enhances that. Most are pretty unlikeable, in fact the only one I slightly warmed to was Jasmine. The rest are awful!
No matter, it’s still riveting to see how the plot carefully pulls itself together and slowly unravels the secrets of this remote, chilling place. If you’re after a tense and thrilling read, filled with atmosphere and suspicion, look no further.
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