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The Estate
There's no place like home...and Beth hopes there never will be again.
Beth never had a settled home as a child, but that's all behind her now. She's fine. Great. Settled in her single life. Until friends start peeling away, moving on to careers and family, leaving her feeling impatient and angry. When she bumps into Jason at a party, she spots the opportunity for her own fresh start - to turn her back on a reckless life of drinking and missed deadlines. She can build a new life, too...can't she? When she discovers that Jason has the opportunity to house-sit a new build out of town, she glimpses her chance. There's only one catch - Jason needs to stay in town for the sake of his new job. But Beth can keep their dreams alive on her own, can't she?
As her drinking worsens, and new friends turn out to be prospective enemies, her sense of reality begins to unravel. As Beth comes to confront the mysteries of her own past, she moves closer to understanding the desperate crime at the heart of the estate. But first she must learn who is behind the strange attacks on her new home. And is Jason who she thought he was? Can she even trust him?
In this taut crime novel set in the aftermath of the Irish recession, a change for the better turns into a nightmare of uncertainty. An edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Cass Green.
Beth never had a settled home as a child, but that's all behind her now. She's fine. Great. Settled in her single life. Until friends start peeling away, moving on to careers and family, leaving her feeling impatient and angry. When she bumps into Jason at a party, she spots the opportunity for her own fresh start - to turn her back on a reckless life of drinking and missed deadlines. She can build a new life, too...can't she? When she discovers that Jason has the opportunity to house-sit a new build out of town, she glimpses her chance. There's only one catch - Jason needs to stay in town for the sake of his new job. But Beth can keep their dreams alive on her own, can't she?
As her drinking worsens, and new friends turn out to be prospective enemies, her sense of reality begins to unravel. As Beth comes to confront the mysteries of her own past, she moves closer to understanding the desperate crime at the heart of the estate. But first she must learn who is behind the strange attacks on her new home. And is Jason who she thought he was? Can she even trust him?
In this taut crime novel set in the aftermath of the Irish recession, a change for the better turns into a nightmare of uncertainty. An edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Cass Green.
Audiobook
First published February 6, 2020
11 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Liza Costello
9 books15 followersBorn in County Westmeath and living in Dublin (Ireland), Liza Costello writes short fiction and poetry. Her writing has been published in a wide number of magazines and broadcast on national radio. She won the Dromineer Literary Festival Poetry Award and was joint runner up for the Patrick Kavanagh Award for a collection of poetry.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
April 25, 2023
The premise says it’s a crime thriller it isn’t!!!
Beth Sheehan moves to the countryside in Dublin with her boyfriend Jason who is sent to Dublone for his new job, they rent their new home but Jason is never there so Beth has to stay weeks at a time until he decides to appear.
She meets the nosy neighbours they seem intent on knowing if they are buying the place but tells them they rent.
Alarm bells 🔔 start ringing when Jason wants Beth’s money put in his account 🛎️ 🛎️ why would anyone do that?
This was supposed to be an eerie read but for me it wasn’t I didn’t feel anything at all just banter about mothers, friends etc it was a bore would not recommend.
Beth Sheehan moves to the countryside in Dublin with her boyfriend Jason who is sent to Dublone for his new job, they rent their new home but Jason is never there so Beth has to stay weeks at a time until he decides to appear.
She meets the nosy neighbours they seem intent on knowing if they are buying the place but tells them they rent.
Alarm bells 🔔 start ringing when Jason wants Beth’s money put in his account 🛎️ 🛎️ why would anyone do that?
This was supposed to be an eerie read but for me it wasn’t I didn’t feel anything at all just banter about mothers, friends etc it was a bore would not recommend.
March 23, 2025
This book was awful. I should have dnfed it. It was super confusing and there were so many plot holes. Plus the main guy character was a dick and the girl went and visited him. wtf? I’m so mad about this book. The only thing I liked about it was the setting. That’s all the characters sucked and one demensional. Okay sorry rant over.
February 10, 2020
3.5 Stars!
Gloomy, eerie, and complex!
The Estate is a dark, gritty thriller that transports you to recession-era Ireland and into a housing estate mostly abandoned due to economic depression and only inhabited by those few desperate and willing to do almost anything for survival.
The writing is edgy and intense. The characters are consumed, manipulative, and unreliable. And the plot is a mysterious tale of control, betrayal, obsession, malice, substance abuse, familial drama, loneliness, isolation, and violence.
Overall, The Estate is a twisty, atmospheric, sinister Audible Original title that reminds us just how quickly life can spin out of control and highlights just how parasitic some relationships can truly be.
Thank you to Midas PR for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Gloomy, eerie, and complex!
The Estate is a dark, gritty thriller that transports you to recession-era Ireland and into a housing estate mostly abandoned due to economic depression and only inhabited by those few desperate and willing to do almost anything for survival.
The writing is edgy and intense. The characters are consumed, manipulative, and unreliable. And the plot is a mysterious tale of control, betrayal, obsession, malice, substance abuse, familial drama, loneliness, isolation, and violence.
Overall, The Estate is a twisty, atmospheric, sinister Audible Original title that reminds us just how quickly life can spin out of control and highlights just how parasitic some relationships can truly be.
Thank you to Midas PR for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2020
The Estate is dull thriller with a no pay-off.
June 3, 2021
The Estate is a taut and compelling psychological thriller set in the aftermath of the Irish recession, where a change seemingly for the better turns into a nightmare of uncertainty. There's no place like home...and Beth hopes there never will be again. Beth never had a settled home as a child, but that's all behind her now. She's fine. Great. Settled in her single life. Until friends start peeling away, moving on to careers and family, leaving her feeling impatient and angry. When she bumps into Jason at a party, she spots the opportunity for her own fresh start - to turn her back on a reckless life of drinking and missed deadlines. She can build a new life, too...can't she? When she discovers that Jason has the opportunity to house-sit a new build out of town, she glimpses her chance. There's only one catch - Jason needs to stay in town for the sake of his new job. But Beth can keep their dreams alive on her own, can't she?
As her drinking worsens, and new friends turn out to be prospective enemies, her sense of reality begins to unravel. As Beth comes to confront the mysteries of her own past, she moves closer to understanding the desperate crime at the heart of the estate. But first, she must learn who is behind the strange attacks on her new home. And is Jason who she thought he was? Can she even trust him? This is a compulsive, dark and gritty thriller set on a rundown housing estate left to its own devices due to lack of money. There are twists and turns galore and overall there is a chilling atmosphere that underpins the story. Some of the character being enigmatic and creepy also adds to the thrill ride. It's full of suspense and is certainly bleak and eerie from the very beginning. It'll also keep you guessing as to whether our narrator is reliable, manipulative or simply a drunk spewing out their words. A psychological thriller that'll mess with your mind. Highly recommended.
As her drinking worsens, and new friends turn out to be prospective enemies, her sense of reality begins to unravel. As Beth comes to confront the mysteries of her own past, she moves closer to understanding the desperate crime at the heart of the estate. But first, she must learn who is behind the strange attacks on her new home. And is Jason who she thought he was? Can she even trust him? This is a compulsive, dark and gritty thriller set on a rundown housing estate left to its own devices due to lack of money. There are twists and turns galore and overall there is a chilling atmosphere that underpins the story. Some of the character being enigmatic and creepy also adds to the thrill ride. It's full of suspense and is certainly bleak and eerie from the very beginning. It'll also keep you guessing as to whether our narrator is reliable, manipulative or simply a drunk spewing out their words. A psychological thriller that'll mess with your mind. Highly recommended.
January 15, 2023
When I began this I was expecting more of a character study written in a thriller style. It wasn’t quite that? Maybe Chic Lit written in a thriller style?
Overall a very entertaining, quick read. The central “thriller mystery” took a rapid turn about 75 pages from the end that somehow I feel is jarring. The “chic lit” mystery is fairly obvious all the way through. Yet it kept me turning the pages. This is definitely one of those stories that needs Netflix to turn it into a two-part series or something.
Recommended for a Buddy read - it would be fun to try and guess what it is about with another person.
Overall a very entertaining, quick read. The central “thriller mystery” took a rapid turn about 75 pages from the end that somehow I feel is jarring. The “chic lit” mystery is fairly obvious all the way through. Yet it kept me turning the pages. This is definitely one of those stories that needs Netflix to turn it into a two-part series or something.
Recommended for a Buddy read - it would be fun to try and guess what it is about with another person.
March 18, 2022
3 stars. Just about.
This book had a good potential, but just did not deliver it.
I felt connected to the main character and the premise was good enough but overall it felt slow, uneventful.
It took ages to get to some substance and action. And by the time something started to happen, it was the end.
This book had a good potential, but just did not deliver it.
I felt connected to the main character and the premise was good enough but overall it felt slow, uneventful.
It took ages to get to some substance and action. And by the time something started to happen, it was the end.
February 23, 2022
The Estate started off great, but sadly didn't continue the way I expected it would. Really, up until nearly the halfway point I was hooked and felt the need to keep reading - the atmosphere was great and the mystery had me INVESTED. I needed to know what was happening and more importantly why it was happening.
And then I realised I wouldn't get all the answers and if I did, they wouldn't satisfy me at all. What bothered me the most about it was that there were so many plot points, and yet none of them were actually developed properly. I like when books are more than just a mystery/thriller, but this just wasn't it. The main character is annoying - she's not unlikeable because she's naive and makes bad decisions and drinks maybe a bit too much, just plain annoying. The blurb and the mention of drinking suggests maybe an unreliable narrator. There's some family drama to add flair and depth to the character, but we could do without and the book wouldn't turn out any different.
I'm not sure if it makes sense, but in trying to do too much, The Estate just ended up doing too little, and so a book that could be really good, considering the premise, turned out just ehhh...
And then I realised I wouldn't get all the answers and if I did, they wouldn't satisfy me at all. What bothered me the most about it was that there were so many plot points, and yet none of them were actually developed properly. I like when books are more than just a mystery/thriller, but this just wasn't it. The main character is annoying - she's not unlikeable because she's naive and makes bad decisions and drinks maybe a bit too much, just plain annoying. The blurb and the mention of drinking suggests maybe an unreliable narrator. There's some family drama to add flair and depth to the character, but we could do without and the book wouldn't turn out any different.
I'm not sure if it makes sense, but in trying to do too much, The Estate just ended up doing too little, and so a book that could be really good, considering the premise, turned out just ehhh...
July 11, 2021
Okay the ending was absolutely bats and EVERYTHING felt like it happened in the last 60 pages or so but there was a great sense of menace and kind of unputdownable energy throughout. I think this is a first novel but I'll definitely check out the next one.
February 27, 2024
I could not find the alternative Gooodreads version for this., as I read the book in paperback, not via Audiobook. For the most part I enjoyed this book. The middle section was my favorite. I feel that the author tried to pack too many things into this book, between the protagonist's own inner demons, her relationship with her boyfriend, her personal and professional life and family drama added into the mix. I just found that there was too much going on, that by the end there was a lot to unpack. There were some serious moments of tension in this book and it kept me up waaaayyyy past my bedtime on two occasions. I even brought it with me to work to finish on my lunch break. I will gladly check out more from this author.
December 31, 2023
Very slow and then rushes in on ending to tie everything up
June 7, 2020
I was recently approached to take part in the blog tour for The Estate by Liza Costello, and, as some of my readers had expressed a desire to read about more audiobooks I accepted the opportunity.
I have mixed feelings about this book. This will absolutely be many people’s taste, however there were a few reasons I struggled with it. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I absolutely did but that wasn’t a constant for me for a couple of reasons which I’ll note.
The book is based from the point of view of the main character, Beth. After finding herself shunned by friends and heading down a route of heavy drinking, she meets a man, a man in whom she sees a fresh start and a happy future. As she attempts to keep their dreams alive single handedly.. things start to take a turn..
The premise of the book is very good, it’s well written and nicely presented, however it also jumps from past to present and for me as a listener, I found that difficult. I have no doubt that this would absolutely have worked had a read it from a book, but trying to concentrate on it left me confused until I got used to it.
Once I got used to that, I was happily sucked into the story and immersed myself in the difficult situations presented to Beth, but it did take some time for me to really engage. I feel that had the book focussed on the tale at hand I’d have enjoyed it a lot more as a listener.
For the most part the narration was very good, clearly read and nice to listen to, it felt like someone telling me a story of their own past, and the accent helped with that too. The only thing was as the book continued there were parts where the voice was easy to ignore, that may be an attention span thing more than a narration issue.
I would definitely try Liza Costello’s work again, and as I’ve said it’s probably a personal thing rather than anything you wouldn’t like if you picked it up, but I’d be tempted to pick up a book instead of the audio to see if I get on with it better.
Definitely check out this author, especially if you like slow burning psychological crime novels, there are other bloggers doing this same book as part of the blog tour, so please check out each blog with an open mind and go from there before deciding if you’d want to try it out.
I have mixed feelings about this book. This will absolutely be many people’s taste, however there were a few reasons I struggled with it. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I absolutely did but that wasn’t a constant for me for a couple of reasons which I’ll note.
The book is based from the point of view of the main character, Beth. After finding herself shunned by friends and heading down a route of heavy drinking, she meets a man, a man in whom she sees a fresh start and a happy future. As she attempts to keep their dreams alive single handedly.. things start to take a turn..
The premise of the book is very good, it’s well written and nicely presented, however it also jumps from past to present and for me as a listener, I found that difficult. I have no doubt that this would absolutely have worked had a read it from a book, but trying to concentrate on it left me confused until I got used to it.
Once I got used to that, I was happily sucked into the story and immersed myself in the difficult situations presented to Beth, but it did take some time for me to really engage. I feel that had the book focussed on the tale at hand I’d have enjoyed it a lot more as a listener.
For the most part the narration was very good, clearly read and nice to listen to, it felt like someone telling me a story of their own past, and the accent helped with that too. The only thing was as the book continued there were parts where the voice was easy to ignore, that may be an attention span thing more than a narration issue.
I would definitely try Liza Costello’s work again, and as I’ve said it’s probably a personal thing rather than anything you wouldn’t like if you picked it up, but I’d be tempted to pick up a book instead of the audio to see if I get on with it better.
Definitely check out this author, especially if you like slow burning psychological crime novels, there are other bloggers doing this same book as part of the blog tour, so please check out each blog with an open mind and go from there before deciding if you’d want to try it out.
June 25, 2023
This book started off really really well but then just lost itself towards the end.
You obviously read this book because of the strange happenings in the estate but they are merely glossed over after they had happened and there's not that many. The book focuses more on the main characters slump to rock bottom as a result of loneliness, her abusive boyfriend and odd family dynamic.
The book also decides that it needs 2 misplaced/mediocre twists that do not make any sense. This is definitely not a thriller book.
You obviously read this book because of the strange happenings in the estate but they are merely glossed over after they had happened and there's not that many. The book focuses more on the main characters slump to rock bottom as a result of loneliness, her abusive boyfriend and odd family dynamic.
The book also decides that it needs 2 misplaced/mediocre twists that do not make any sense. This is definitely not a thriller book.
August 5, 2021
One of the worst books I've ever read
April 8, 2024
I have many unanswered questions!
December 18, 2022
Reading a lot of the positive reviews, I can't help but wonder if I read the same book or whether I seriously missed something. In my opinion, this really was not good. This is not merely a difference of opinion, because for me, the writing and quality was not good.
I will always take my hat off to any author that completes their first novel. I'm guessing the author is an amateur writer and this is a first novel because some of the mistakes seriously concern me; things like repeating the same thought /observation within literally two paragraphs is annoying and repetitive! It's a mistake that's easy to make while writing your rough draft, but one that should be picked up on your first edit if your reader's enjoyment is of any importance to you.
I will say that where the author does succeed, is in creating a bit of an atmosphere and it has an interesting premise, but that's where it ends.
The choices made throughout the novel made me feel like little thought or care went into the development of the story. That, or we are reading the first unedited draft in which case, I'm thinking of applying for a job at the company that published this book. Though I have no editing experience, it seems like the editors who worked on this book didn't either. Especially because there were plenty of typos and problems with copy editing.
There are prolonged conversations like they were direct transcripts from a day to day conversation with parts that bare no importance to the story and are therefore just really tedious to read. There is also random detail given to parts such as meditation sessions that again, have no relevance or impact to the story. The characters are extremely one-dimensional. The main character in particular is weak and frivolous and has very few redeeming qualities, so it's hard to back her or connect with her.
Then, the entire climax to the story that is meant to drive the most impact, comes so quickly, is over before you know it, and suddenly we are back to following Beth's tedious thought processes and conversations, with no further reveals. At least as far as I could see since I gave up completely twenty pages before the end.
The very climax of the fact that her friendly neighbour has kidnapped a little girl out of desperation and has kept her hidden in the portakabin, could have been a very impactful twist and one which could have explained a lot of the random - not very scary - occurrences of weird noises and lights flickering etc that happened to Beth. Yet the author and story editors once again, missed this opportunity and instead it was revealed that the kidnapping took place only a few days before the girl was discovered and again had no connection to all the random things that the main character experienced in all the weeks she lived there? What was the point of everything else we read if this was the main plot device of the book?
Perhaps all the random things that occurred to Beth were explained, but I just couldn't put myself through more pages of really uninteresting character interactions and decided I didn't care.
As I said though, I congratulate her for completing the book and getting it published - that in itself is 50% of the foundation for being a good writer. But please, for the love and respect of literature, take a masterclass and put more effort into editing and story development for your next novel.
I will always take my hat off to any author that completes their first novel. I'm guessing the author is an amateur writer and this is a first novel because some of the mistakes seriously concern me; things like repeating the same thought /observation within literally two paragraphs is annoying and repetitive! It's a mistake that's easy to make while writing your rough draft, but one that should be picked up on your first edit if your reader's enjoyment is of any importance to you.
I will say that where the author does succeed, is in creating a bit of an atmosphere and it has an interesting premise, but that's where it ends.
The choices made throughout the novel made me feel like little thought or care went into the development of the story. That, or we are reading the first unedited draft in which case, I'm thinking of applying for a job at the company that published this book. Though I have no editing experience, it seems like the editors who worked on this book didn't either. Especially because there were plenty of typos and problems with copy editing.
There are prolonged conversations like they were direct transcripts from a day to day conversation with parts that bare no importance to the story and are therefore just really tedious to read. There is also random detail given to parts such as meditation sessions that again, have no relevance or impact to the story. The characters are extremely one-dimensional. The main character in particular is weak and frivolous and has very few redeeming qualities, so it's hard to back her or connect with her.
Then, the entire climax to the story that is meant to drive the most impact, comes so quickly, is over before you know it, and suddenly we are back to following Beth's tedious thought processes and conversations, with no further reveals. At least as far as I could see since I gave up completely twenty pages before the end.
The very climax of the fact that her friendly neighbour has kidnapped a little girl out of desperation and has kept her hidden in the portakabin, could have been a very impactful twist and one which could have explained a lot of the random - not very scary - occurrences of weird noises and lights flickering etc that happened to Beth. Yet the author and story editors once again, missed this opportunity and instead it was revealed that the kidnapping took place only a few days before the girl was discovered and again had no connection to all the random things that the main character experienced in all the weeks she lived there? What was the point of everything else we read if this was the main plot device of the book?
Perhaps all the random things that occurred to Beth were explained, but I just couldn't put myself through more pages of really uninteresting character interactions and decided I didn't care.
As I said though, I congratulate her for completing the book and getting it published - that in itself is 50% of the foundation for being a good writer. But please, for the love and respect of literature, take a masterclass and put more effort into editing and story development for your next novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2021
Against my better judgement I plodded through this to the halfway mark.
Set in Ireland, just after the recession,the story revolves around Beth, the only member of a house of five girls to still have a job. Two head off to Australia and I honestly can't remember what the other two did, but on the night of the farewell party Beth meets Jason, and suddenly they're A Couple. Jason has it al worked out – he knows of a house on small estate, south of Dublin in the middle of nowhere, whose owner would like to have a Presence. All he wants in return is the cost of the insurance. No rent, no money for utilities – nothing. Well, obviously it's too good to be true, and you know what they say about that.....
So Beth moves down on her own because Jason is committed to his job for another twelve weeks. He'll be down for the weekends, so there's nothing to worry about so long as Beth sticks to The Plan and stays within budget. What could possibly go wrong? Well, strange neighbours, things that Bump in the night, and Beth's increased consumption of the old vino don;t help matters.
I've just reached the point where Beth has had a rather unpleasant evening, Jason comes to the rescue, but then is particularly nasty to her. He leaves in the morning before she gets up, and then off she goes for her second session of meditation. We're then treated to a great long lesson on mediation and Buddhism but written in such an awful teachy-preachy manner I just can't take any more. I couldn't care less what happens to Beth, or Jason, or Weird Claire, or even weirder Dolan family. They can all fall off a cliff for all I care.
I wouldn't say this is the worst book I've ever read, however I will say it's dull, irritating and just plain boring.
My thanks to Netgalley for a free download to review.
Set in Ireland, just after the recession,the story revolves around Beth, the only member of a house of five girls to still have a job. Two head off to Australia and I honestly can't remember what the other two did, but on the night of the farewell party Beth meets Jason, and suddenly they're A Couple. Jason has it al worked out – he knows of a house on small estate, south of Dublin in the middle of nowhere, whose owner would like to have a Presence. All he wants in return is the cost of the insurance. No rent, no money for utilities – nothing. Well, obviously it's too good to be true, and you know what they say about that.....
So Beth moves down on her own because Jason is committed to his job for another twelve weeks. He'll be down for the weekends, so there's nothing to worry about so long as Beth sticks to The Plan and stays within budget. What could possibly go wrong? Well, strange neighbours, things that Bump in the night, and Beth's increased consumption of the old vino don;t help matters.
I've just reached the point where Beth has had a rather unpleasant evening, Jason comes to the rescue, but then is particularly nasty to her. He leaves in the morning before she gets up, and then off she goes for her second session of meditation. We're then treated to a great long lesson on mediation and Buddhism but written in such an awful teachy-preachy manner I just can't take any more. I couldn't care less what happens to Beth, or Jason, or Weird Claire, or even weirder Dolan family. They can all fall off a cliff for all I care.
I wouldn't say this is the worst book I've ever read, however I will say it's dull, irritating and just plain boring.
My thanks to Netgalley for a free download to review.
August 19, 2023
This book was ok. It started of really well. The author did a great job of creating the unequal dynamic between Beth and her boyfriend. Factor in her poor relationship with her friends and family, you immediately feel a sense of protectiveness towards her, especially when he manipulates her into suggesting that she move into the titular housing estate all by herself.
That being said, I do feel like this book fell into the cliche thriller pitfall. That pitfall being, the story being dragged on for too long and then being resolved very rapidly. For me I didn’t enjoy the scenes where Beth essentially does Claire’s bidding in order to get the truth from her at the end. I just didn’t see the point in them, when she doesn’t even fully follow through on the requests anyway. Also when she goes to see her ex- boyfriend on a whim, only to email all of his colleagues about his abuse…as some sort of unconventional revenge? It was unnecessary as it added absolutely nothing to the story. I understand that they may have been there to show that Beth is now thinking freely for herself and about herself, now that she is free of so many toxic relationships. However, the execution just fell flat for me.
TW: Animal Death/Abuse, Death of a minor, Drug and alcohol abuse, emotional abuse.
That being said, I do feel like this book fell into the cliche thriller pitfall. That pitfall being, the story being dragged on for too long and then being resolved very rapidly. For me I didn’t enjoy the scenes where Beth essentially does Claire’s bidding in order to get the truth from her at the end. I just didn’t see the point in them, when she doesn’t even fully follow through on the requests anyway. Also when she goes to see her ex- boyfriend on a whim, only to email all of his colleagues about his abuse…as some sort of unconventional revenge? It was unnecessary as it added absolutely nothing to the story. I understand that they may have been there to show that Beth is now thinking freely for herself and about herself, now that she is free of so many toxic relationships. However, the execution just fell flat for me.
TW: Animal Death/Abuse, Death of a minor, Drug and alcohol abuse, emotional abuse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2024
This was a very quick, easy read. The main character Beth's life seems to be falling apart at the seams. Her friends are moving on with their lives and going on to bigger and better things, while she has remained stagnant over the years since college.
During the girls' going away party, Beth ends up in an argument with her friends and meets Jason. Deciding in the moment to go with him and leaving her friends behind.
After spending the summer with Jason, he suggests they move in together in a house outside Dublin, except he can't move until Christmas, and they need to move in ASAP before the house is gone!
Beth volunteers to move into the house alone, and Jason comes up with "the plan."
When Beth moved into the ghost estate, she tried to befriend her two lone neighbours. She starts drinking more to deal with the isolation, and then the attacks start happening.
Is it mental health, the alcohol, a criminal, or a ghost?
From there, the story is filled with twists and turns and moves quite quickly! This was hard to put down!
The twist at the end shocked me. I really didn't see it coming.
I haven't given it 4 stars, because in my opinion it's not really a thriller, but I thoroughly enjoyed it none the less!
During the girls' going away party, Beth ends up in an argument with her friends and meets Jason. Deciding in the moment to go with him and leaving her friends behind.
After spending the summer with Jason, he suggests they move in together in a house outside Dublin, except he can't move until Christmas, and they need to move in ASAP before the house is gone!
Beth volunteers to move into the house alone, and Jason comes up with "the plan."
When Beth moved into the ghost estate, she tried to befriend her two lone neighbours. She starts drinking more to deal with the isolation, and then the attacks start happening.
Is it mental health, the alcohol, a criminal, or a ghost?
From there, the story is filled with twists and turns and moves quite quickly! This was hard to put down!
The twist at the end shocked me. I really didn't see it coming.
I haven't given it 4 stars, because in my opinion it's not really a thriller, but I thoroughly enjoyed it none the less!
September 13, 2022
This was quite enjoyable, with tones of The Girl on the Train and Broken Harbour, but about fifty percent of the tension of either of those.
Beth likes a drink, and has managed to alienate her friends, her mother and her sister. But she has a boyfriend now, Jason, and she doesn't need anybody else. She can't even afford anyone else, as the plan for their future involves Jason controlling their finances carefully, while she house-sits in a ghost estate in the midlands until Jason winds up his current job and moves to join her.
Other reviewers have commented about the relationship being difficult to believe - I actually found it entirely plausible, and all the best tension comes from his manipulation of her, his gaslighting, and the way he manages to keep her reeled in. The plot described in the blurb is, in my opinion, a bit of a red herring.
Beth likes a drink, and has managed to alienate her friends, her mother and her sister. But she has a boyfriend now, Jason, and she doesn't need anybody else. She can't even afford anyone else, as the plan for their future involves Jason controlling their finances carefully, while she house-sits in a ghost estate in the midlands until Jason winds up his current job and moves to join her.
Other reviewers have commented about the relationship being difficult to believe - I actually found it entirely plausible, and all the best tension comes from his manipulation of her, his gaslighting, and the way he manages to keep her reeled in. The plot described in the blurb is, in my opinion, a bit of a red herring.
March 12, 2025
I was really into this book and felt the author had built the plot line up nicely but it all fell down when Beth is attacked by her boyfriend.
It was as though the author suddenly lost direction or maybe decided not to follow the natural flow of the storyline.
Okay, so I’m just the reader and not the writer but as the reader I felt the author had several ideas on how to bring the story together for an end but couldn’t make up her mind which one to go with.
Tying up the narrative is difficult but the author must give the reader a satisfying one. I felt the end was bitty it was all over the place with no natural flow. Half way through the book, I guessed the sister was the mother and felt the author suddenly remembered at the end, oh, I better explain this. Oh, and I mentioned that the neighbour Claire wanted a child, so let’s have her kidnapped a girl for money instead. Oh, and let’s had Beth suddenly going to see Jason and asking for an apology and not really knowing why rather than asking him to give back her share of the money he stole from her.
This book has made it onto my ‘how not to write a book list’
It had a lot going for it but a weak ending.
It was as though the author suddenly lost direction or maybe decided not to follow the natural flow of the storyline.
Okay, so I’m just the reader and not the writer but as the reader I felt the author had several ideas on how to bring the story together for an end but couldn’t make up her mind which one to go with.
Tying up the narrative is difficult but the author must give the reader a satisfying one. I felt the end was bitty it was all over the place with no natural flow. Half way through the book, I guessed the sister was the mother and felt the author suddenly remembered at the end, oh, I better explain this. Oh, and I mentioned that the neighbour Claire wanted a child, so let’s have her kidnapped a girl for money instead. Oh, and let’s had Beth suddenly going to see Jason and asking for an apology and not really knowing why rather than asking him to give back her share of the money he stole from her.
This book has made it onto my ‘how not to write a book list’
It had a lot going for it but a weak ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2023
After not finishing so many books recently the Estate is exactly what I needed I struggled to put it down and read it in one sitting!
Set in Ireland around the time of the Recession, the story follows 24 year old Beth who has burnt all bridges with her college friends, distant with her family and at a loose end when she meets Jamie.
The story jumps from different timelines and would remind you of the ‘Girl on the Train’ or JP Delaney’s book ‘The Girl Before’. The suspense writing keeps you on the edge of your seat, making it hard to leave the book down. Characters were well developed however, the ending didn’t do it for me.
*slight spoiler*
I would have liked more insight into Jamie’s life before Beth or for it all to have been a master plan that everyone knew about but Beth.
But still an enjoyable read and I loved the setting of the book - a nice change from your usual settings in the UK or US. I would give this book 5 stars for this first three quarters of it, but sadly the ending didn’t deliver for me so it’s a 3.5/5 for me.
Set in Ireland around the time of the Recession, the story follows 24 year old Beth who has burnt all bridges with her college friends, distant with her family and at a loose end when she meets Jamie.
The story jumps from different timelines and would remind you of the ‘Girl on the Train’ or JP Delaney’s book ‘The Girl Before’. The suspense writing keeps you on the edge of your seat, making it hard to leave the book down. Characters were well developed however, the ending didn’t do it for me.
*slight spoiler*
I would have liked more insight into Jamie’s life before Beth or for it all to have been a master plan that everyone knew about but Beth.
But still an enjoyable read and I loved the setting of the book - a nice change from your usual settings in the UK or US. I would give this book 5 stars for this first three quarters of it, but sadly the ending didn’t deliver for me so it’s a 3.5/5 for me.
February 19, 2020
I listened to this on audible, the reading of it was good, really good. The narrator really performing it well. However, the story itself, I found to be a little .....vanilla.
It was written well, but for me, it was a little slow at times. Virtually everything happened in the last hour or so of it. I kind of got the atmosphere, I know what the author was going for, but it just never built up enough for me to be really drawn into it. And I can't say I took to any of the characters if I'm honest. I'd definitely try this author again, but this particular one just missed the mark for me.
It was written well, but for me, it was a little slow at times. Virtually everything happened in the last hour or so of it. I kind of got the atmosphere, I know what the author was going for, but it just never built up enough for me to be really drawn into it. And I can't say I took to any of the characters if I'm honest. I'd definitely try this author again, but this particular one just missed the mark for me.
August 6, 2024
My first book back at reading.
Had me hooked from the beginning with the suspenseful writing and dark eeriness of the estate matching how I felt in cold January - depressed lol.
But the ending really disappointed me. If it was to be anyone my first guess from the jump was the neighbour so my first experience with reading a book in 2 years felt a little dissatisfying when that was the case. Except all the parts before the reveal were what I wanted from this random find in Easons. Therefore I’m not completely cold about it
Had me hooked from the beginning with the suspenseful writing and dark eeriness of the estate matching how I felt in cold January - depressed lol.
But the ending really disappointed me. If it was to be anyone my first guess from the jump was the neighbour so my first experience with reading a book in 2 years felt a little dissatisfying when that was the case. Except all the parts before the reveal were what I wanted from this random find in Easons. Therefore I’m not completely cold about it
August 25, 2024
This was an interesting ride! After Beth has a falling out with her friends, she starts dating Jason, and they manage to get a great deal on a house. However, Beth ends up staying there alone for a while, in an estate that is almost empty in the midlands of Ireland. But things are much creepier than expected. The story kept me guessing, making me eager to find out who was behind the strange attacks, and I was never sure who to trust. So much happens towards the end that it became difficult to put down!
January 25, 2021
2.5 stars. I found it a bit all over the place to be honest. It started well and Beth gave me Girl on the Train vibes of a narrator who you want to believe but you can’t be too sure about. Lots of weird and creepy things start happening, so far so good. Then after a big twist (which didn’t really make that much sense) it all goes a bit meh and the ending seemed like it should have belonged to a different story.
June 24, 2025
I found the story hard to follow not because of the time jumps but because the stories happening in the past and in the future weren't really "gripping" on their own. The ending was a nice plot twist but seemed a bit rush to me. However very glad about the interviews with the writer and the narrator on where they draw their inspiration from, it was very enlightening!
February 6, 2020
********* AUDIOBOOK REVIEW *********
The Estate has a very Girl on the Train (by Paula Hawkins) kind of vibe. I found myself screaming at Beth to put down the wine and pay attention to life!! Open your eyes Beth! I know I was screaming the same thing to Rachel for nearly the entire audiobook. There are two big differences between the two stories... besides the obvious missing train here. Beth is smart. Beth has people who genuinely care for her. Honestly, Beth has several redeeming qualities as a person. I also enjoyed this audiobook at least twice as much as I had Girl on the Train. I wasn't a fan of the bestselling hit from a few years ago if you can't tell but that's neither here, nor there.
The Estate...
There's a double timeline going on and one of them is very well developed and I felt confident in what I thought was happening. The other timeline seemed to only give us small glances at a time and I was usually left feeling curious and slightly bewildered.
Now The Estate isn't a riveting thriller that will accelerate your heart-rate and leave you looking over your shoulder. It is a psychological mind-bender that will have you slowly questioning Beth. You'll be left wondering what is real and what is the wine? The Estate makes you reevaluate what you've heard and question the characters.
The narration by Denise Gough is incredibly done. I do love a good British accent. It's really a favorite for me and I often find myself searching for it. I believe Ms. Gough's performance led to some of those frenzied or crazed feelings while wondering on Beth's mental state. It’s really fascinating… Gough has this warm, and kind of, inviting voice but mixed with the words she was reading it felt impulsive and frantic. It’s a good solid story.
I received a complimentary copy of this audio book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.
Check out my Blog: Next Book Review
Check out my Facebook Page: href="https://www.facebook.com/NextBookReview/">Next Book Review Facebook
The Estate has a very Girl on the Train (by Paula Hawkins) kind of vibe. I found myself screaming at Beth to put down the wine and pay attention to life!! Open your eyes Beth! I know I was screaming the same thing to Rachel for nearly the entire audiobook. There are two big differences between the two stories... besides the obvious missing train here. Beth is smart. Beth has people who genuinely care for her. Honestly, Beth has several redeeming qualities as a person. I also enjoyed this audiobook at least twice as much as I had Girl on the Train. I wasn't a fan of the bestselling hit from a few years ago if you can't tell but that's neither here, nor there.
The Estate...
There's a double timeline going on and one of them is very well developed and I felt confident in what I thought was happening. The other timeline seemed to only give us small glances at a time and I was usually left feeling curious and slightly bewildered.
Now The Estate isn't a riveting thriller that will accelerate your heart-rate and leave you looking over your shoulder. It is a psychological mind-bender that will have you slowly questioning Beth. You'll be left wondering what is real and what is the wine? The Estate makes you reevaluate what you've heard and question the characters.
The narration by Denise Gough is incredibly done. I do love a good British accent. It's really a favorite for me and I often find myself searching for it. I believe Ms. Gough's performance led to some of those frenzied or crazed feelings while wondering on Beth's mental state. It’s really fascinating… Gough has this warm, and kind of, inviting voice but mixed with the words she was reading it felt impulsive and frantic. It’s a good solid story.
I received a complimentary copy of this audio book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.
Check out my Blog: Next Book Review
Check out my Facebook Page: href="https://www.facebook.com/NextBookReview/">Next Book Review Facebook
February 25, 2020
Full of suspense throughout. Fans of Gone Girl/Girl on the Train etc will enjoy this. Listened on audible. Narrator was excellent and the interview with the author at the end really insightful about the creative process.
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