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The Night Visitor
Professor Olivia Sweetman has worked hard to achieve the life she loves, with a high-flying career as a TV presenter and historian, three children and a talented husband. But as she stands before a crowd at the launch of her new bestseller she can barely pretend to smile. Her life has spiralled into deceit and if the truth comes out, she will lose everything.
Only one person knows what Olivia has done. Vivian Tester is the socially awkward sixty-year-old housekeeper of a Sussex manor who found the Victorian diary on which Olivia's book is based. She has now become Olivia's unofficial research assistant. And Vivian has secrets of her own.
As events move between London, Sussex and the idyllic South of France, the relationship between these two women grows more entangled and complex. Then a bizarre act of violence changes everything.
The Night Visitor is a compelling exploration of ambition, morality and deception that asks the question: how far would you go to save your reputation?
544 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2017
333 people are currently reading
3576 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Atkins
66 books423 followersLucy Atkins is an award-winning author and journalist. Her bestseller, MAGPIE LANE, is a literary mystery set in an Oxford College, and was chosen as a Book of the Year by the Guardian, The Telegraph, Good Housekeeping magazine and Radio 4's Open Book. THE NIGHT VISITOR has been optioned for television. Her latest novel, WINDMILL HILL has been described as 'a triumph' by Philip Pullman and was a Summer Books 2023 pick in The Guardian and The Observer.
Lucy teaches on the Creative Writing Masters degree at Oxford University. She is a book critic for The Sunday Times, the Guardian, and other publications. She has also written several non-fiction books, including the Amazon #1 parenting bestseller, First-Time Parent (Collins, 2008).
Instagram @lucyatkinswriter (includes Free Live Creative Writing Classes)
www.lucyatkins.com
Lucy teaches on the Creative Writing Masters degree at Oxford University. She is a book critic for The Sunday Times, the Guardian, and other publications. She has also written several non-fiction books, including the Amazon #1 parenting bestseller, First-Time Parent (Collins, 2008).
Instagram @lucyatkinswriter (includes Free Live Creative Writing Classes)
www.lucyatkins.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 470 reviews
January 9, 2019
This was stunning. Just stunning.
Olivia Sweetman is a successful and attractive History professor who has started making a name for herself on television. She is struggling to maintain her professional life whilst managing her home life with her husband and three children.
Vivian is the socially awkward and solitary housekeeper at Ileford Manor, where she is caretaker of the house and it's possessions whilst her employer is in a care home.
One day a flyer falls through Olivia's letterbox which promises the chance to see the previously undiscovered diary of Annabel Burley, one of the first women surgeons, at Ileford Manor. Olivia visits Ileford where she reads the diary of Annabel, a pioneer of women in the medical world and more shockingly, a self confessed murderess.
Olivia cannot pass up this chance to write a book about Annabel, and in order to get permission to use the diary, Olivia befriends Vivian and enlists her as a research assistant for the book, a job Vivian is remarkably capable at.
What follows is a fabulous character study of the two women, the secrets they are keeping and the lengths to which they will go to to get what they want. Vivian is a particularly complex character and her personality resonates through every page she appears on. Olivia is a flawed but likeable and sympathetic protagonist.
I listened to the audible version and the two narrators were simply fantastic, Vivian's voice was perfect and it really added to the beautiful writing.
I loved this book, the writing is remarkable, the characters are wonderfully drawn and the plot unfolds at a perfect pace. I can't wait to read more of the author's work.
Marvellous.
Olivia Sweetman is a successful and attractive History professor who has started making a name for herself on television. She is struggling to maintain her professional life whilst managing her home life with her husband and three children.
Vivian is the socially awkward and solitary housekeeper at Ileford Manor, where she is caretaker of the house and it's possessions whilst her employer is in a care home.
One day a flyer falls through Olivia's letterbox which promises the chance to see the previously undiscovered diary of Annabel Burley, one of the first women surgeons, at Ileford Manor. Olivia visits Ileford where she reads the diary of Annabel, a pioneer of women in the medical world and more shockingly, a self confessed murderess.
Olivia cannot pass up this chance to write a book about Annabel, and in order to get permission to use the diary, Olivia befriends Vivian and enlists her as a research assistant for the book, a job Vivian is remarkably capable at.
What follows is a fabulous character study of the two women, the secrets they are keeping and the lengths to which they will go to to get what they want. Vivian is a particularly complex character and her personality resonates through every page she appears on. Olivia is a flawed but likeable and sympathetic protagonist.
I listened to the audible version and the two narrators were simply fantastic, Vivian's voice was perfect and it really added to the beautiful writing.
I loved this book, the writing is remarkable, the characters are wonderfully drawn and the plot unfolds at a perfect pace. I can't wait to read more of the author's work.
Marvellous.
June 21, 2018
This book totally lived up to the creepy title and cover! I saw this on NetGalley and requested without even reading what it was about, that's how drawn I was to this one, and I'm thrilled to say that it doesn't disappoint!
Olivia Sweetman is a beautiful wife and mother with a successful career as a historian. Her career is about to skyrocket with the debut of her first book, Anabel, which is guaranteed to make the best seller list. However, this book only came to be with the help of Vivian Tester.
Vivian has supplied the Victorian secret diary of Anabel Burley in which she confesses to the murder of her husband. Olivia is over the moon with this discovery and can not wait to tell her story. Vivian aids Olivia by conducting nearly all of the research for the book.
The two don't always see eye to eye. Vivian is an odd woman that is socially awkward around others. She is the exact opposite of Olivia's free spirit. Not to mention Vivian also has an obsession with beetles. Yes, that's right. Those terrifying bugs with their click clacking wings. *Shivers*
So many secrets. So many lies. Highly recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley, Quercus Books, and Lucy Atkins for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Olivia Sweetman is a beautiful wife and mother with a successful career as a historian. Her career is about to skyrocket with the debut of her first book, Anabel, which is guaranteed to make the best seller list. However, this book only came to be with the help of Vivian Tester.
Vivian has supplied the Victorian secret diary of Anabel Burley in which she confesses to the murder of her husband. Olivia is over the moon with this discovery and can not wait to tell her story. Vivian aids Olivia by conducting nearly all of the research for the book.
The two don't always see eye to eye. Vivian is an odd woman that is socially awkward around others. She is the exact opposite of Olivia's free spirit. Not to mention Vivian also has an obsession with beetles. Yes, that's right. Those terrifying bugs with their click clacking wings. *Shivers*
So many secrets. So many lies. Highly recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley, Quercus Books, and Lucy Atkins for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 17, 2017
I was immediately swept up into the world of Olivia Sweetman, a wife and mother of three, a successful career woman and author of a new bestseller titled Anabel. The book is based on a Victorian diary of Annabel Burley whose personal life is sensational and who paved the way for women in the medical field.
Enter the not so elegant Vivian, who is socially awkward, lonely, plain and bitterly jealous. She is the private secretary, manager, housekeeper, caretaker, and trustee of Manor Ileford. She also holds all the cards when it comes to having access to the diary Olivia so desperately needs to complete her book. She also has a fondness towards creepy crawlies (beetles). She possesses a certain creepiness in her own behavior. Vivian is a master of using silence as her weapon of choice. Revenge is eating away at her and she is about to become unhinged. What has she done?
An insanely creepy, addictive page turner that draws you in until you are so absorbed that not a single distraction will pull you away!
May 31, 2018
"Embrace reality even if it burns you." (Pierre Berge)
How many steps does it actually take to keep a great distance between deceit and frenetic lies? Truth be told, never ever enough foot action.
Olivia Sweetman seems to be having it all. She is wife to David, author and psychologist, mother to three active children, and a very successful history professor known far and wide on the TV circuit. She has a home in London, a family farm, and vacations in the south of France. Not much lacking here. Like gazing at the hardened carapace of a colorful insect, all can scurry away in a heartbeat.
The stage seems to be set with the unexpected presence of one Vivian Tester. Vivian has contacted Olivia with a brilliant idea for a book based upon Annabel Burley, the second wife of Lord Burley of Ileford Manor. Vivian, who is the caretaker of the manor and of the current aged owner, has come upon Annabel's diary. The diary reveals a fascinating Victorian life in which Annabel goes on to attend the London School of Medicine for Women in 1899 after her husband's death. Annabel's challenges seem to reflect those of modern day women as well.
Our story begins at a fancy soiree in London the night before the book is presented to the public. We view Olivia perched upon a landing overlooking those in attendance. Her footing seems to be a bit off as she addresses her admirers. She searches for the familiar face of Vivian in the crowd. Vivian, "the helper", who led the path to Annabel. Vivian, who lifts back the curtain, as harlequin ladybugs find their way from beneath the folds of all this velvet and velour.
Lucy Atkins will lock you in from page one. Seriously. As readers, we come to realize that there is a mighty facade happening here and we're in the midst of a masquerade ball. But on whose end and to what extent? Atkins pumps up this storyline with thread upon thread of subplots that round out her main characters and keep everything churning non-stop. The dialogue reflects the nature of individuals who find themselves in the throws of precarious living. And, O Brother, Atkins keeps it pulsating until the very end. I highly recommend this one if you've been in a reading slump. It will definitely "unslump" you, dear readers.
I received a copy of The Night Visitor through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Quercus Books and to Lucy Atkins for the opportunity.
How many steps does it actually take to keep a great distance between deceit and frenetic lies? Truth be told, never ever enough foot action.
Olivia Sweetman seems to be having it all. She is wife to David, author and psychologist, mother to three active children, and a very successful history professor known far and wide on the TV circuit. She has a home in London, a family farm, and vacations in the south of France. Not much lacking here. Like gazing at the hardened carapace of a colorful insect, all can scurry away in a heartbeat.
The stage seems to be set with the unexpected presence of one Vivian Tester. Vivian has contacted Olivia with a brilliant idea for a book based upon Annabel Burley, the second wife of Lord Burley of Ileford Manor. Vivian, who is the caretaker of the manor and of the current aged owner, has come upon Annabel's diary. The diary reveals a fascinating Victorian life in which Annabel goes on to attend the London School of Medicine for Women in 1899 after her husband's death. Annabel's challenges seem to reflect those of modern day women as well.
Our story begins at a fancy soiree in London the night before the book is presented to the public. We view Olivia perched upon a landing overlooking those in attendance. Her footing seems to be a bit off as she addresses her admirers. She searches for the familiar face of Vivian in the crowd. Vivian, "the helper", who led the path to Annabel. Vivian, who lifts back the curtain, as harlequin ladybugs find their way from beneath the folds of all this velvet and velour.
Lucy Atkins will lock you in from page one. Seriously. As readers, we come to realize that there is a mighty facade happening here and we're in the midst of a masquerade ball. But on whose end and to what extent? Atkins pumps up this storyline with thread upon thread of subplots that round out her main characters and keep everything churning non-stop. The dialogue reflects the nature of individuals who find themselves in the throws of precarious living. And, O Brother, Atkins keeps it pulsating until the very end. I highly recommend this one if you've been in a reading slump. It will definitely "unslump" you, dear readers.
I received a copy of The Night Visitor through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Quercus Books and to Lucy Atkins for the opportunity.
April 6, 2017
Oh The Night Visitor has some beautiful beautiful writing, it took me all of 5 seconds to be totally immersed into this one, it has two of the most impressive characters I’ve read in a long long time, with a story that is often haunting and genuinely sends you deeper down the rabbit hole with every chapter.
Told alternatively between Olivia, highly successful, hiding a secret and Vivian, her “research assistant” who knows many things and is hiding her own, the relationship between these two, how you see it and them develop is intensely fascinating and holds a dark sense of menace, things you can feel coming but cannot quite grasp.
The plotting is intelligent and intricately woven, neither woman is easily readable and Lucy Atkins twists the characters around wonderfully to keep you feeling off kilter, yet unable to stop reading. I really don’t want to give anything away, the scene setting is also impressive and overall this was just one heck of a read.
The ending is killer and the rest of it is just as addictive, terrific terrific stuff here. And Beetles. Is all I’m saying.
Highly Recommended.
Told alternatively between Olivia, highly successful, hiding a secret and Vivian, her “research assistant” who knows many things and is hiding her own, the relationship between these two, how you see it and them develop is intensely fascinating and holds a dark sense of menace, things you can feel coming but cannot quite grasp.
The plotting is intelligent and intricately woven, neither woman is easily readable and Lucy Atkins twists the characters around wonderfully to keep you feeling off kilter, yet unable to stop reading. I really don’t want to give anything away, the scene setting is also impressive and overall this was just one heck of a read.
The ending is killer and the rest of it is just as addictive, terrific terrific stuff here. And Beetles. Is all I’m saying.
Highly Recommended.
May 30, 2018
Thanks to Quercus for gifting me a copy of The Night Visitor by Lucy Atkins
Olivia Sweetman has the perfect life. She has three kids, a wonderful husband and two homes. She is a well know historian and will soon be publishing a book titled Anabel. The book is based on a Victorian diary of Anabel Burley who confesses to murdering her husband.
Vivian is the one who found the diary and secretly brought it to Olivia’s attention. Oh god, Vivian is straightup MESSY BOOTS. She’s socially awkward and just plain weird. I loved reading her POV. Vivian is the care taker of Ileford Manor, the home of the Burley’s, which is how she found the fascinating diary.
Both women are hiding secrets. Ooo betrayal, BEETLES, lies, secrets and more! 4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ OUT IN JULY
Olivia Sweetman has the perfect life. She has three kids, a wonderful husband and two homes. She is a well know historian and will soon be publishing a book titled Anabel. The book is based on a Victorian diary of Anabel Burley who confesses to murdering her husband.
Vivian is the one who found the diary and secretly brought it to Olivia’s attention. Oh god, Vivian is straightup MESSY BOOTS. She’s socially awkward and just plain weird. I loved reading her POV. Vivian is the care taker of Ileford Manor, the home of the Burley’s, which is how she found the fascinating diary.
Both women are hiding secrets. Ooo betrayal, BEETLES, lies, secrets and more! 4 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ OUT IN JULY
April 14, 2017
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. Just WOW. Fabulous book, well deserving of a full 5*.
I thought this looked like a curious read, so put in a request...and boy, am I glad I did! This is a beautifully seeded, skillfully written book, full of deceit, unsettling characters and page-turning twists.
The story focuses on two characters: Olivia, a successful historian / author, who seemingly has the perfect life, and Vivian, a shady housekeeper whose past is largely concealed until the very end. Throughout, the reader dips into both their lives, particularly their joint work on a book called Annabel, about a woman largely forgotten by history, who killed her husband.
It soon becomes apparent that Vivian is mentally unhinged, not to mention has an unhealthy obsession with dung beetles (though this all becomes clear at the end). Olivia, despite seeming in control, is actually living a life spun of lies, with a destructive marriage, a problematic relationship with her kids, and ultimately, a lack of integrity when it comes to fact-checking her books.
So many moments in this book sent genuine shivers down my spine. Vivian's stalking of Olivia on her holiday in France. The sinister cutting of Olivia's daughter's hair. The eerie obsession with Bertie the terrier. The growing sense of creepy discomfort was masterfully paced, and the author showed perfect restraint with her gradual revelations. In fact, there's nothing I could fault, really. Highly impressive indeed!
I finished this book in a day, which shows just how gripping it was. An EXCELLENT read, and I'll definitely be on the look-out for more of Lucy Atkins' books in the future.
Wow. Just WOW. Fabulous book, well deserving of a full 5*.
I thought this looked like a curious read, so put in a request...and boy, am I glad I did! This is a beautifully seeded, skillfully written book, full of deceit, unsettling characters and page-turning twists.
The story focuses on two characters: Olivia, a successful historian / author, who seemingly has the perfect life, and Vivian, a shady housekeeper whose past is largely concealed until the very end. Throughout, the reader dips into both their lives, particularly their joint work on a book called Annabel, about a woman largely forgotten by history, who killed her husband.
It soon becomes apparent that Vivian is mentally unhinged, not to mention has an unhealthy obsession with dung beetles (though this all becomes clear at the end). Olivia, despite seeming in control, is actually living a life spun of lies, with a destructive marriage, a problematic relationship with her kids, and ultimately, a lack of integrity when it comes to fact-checking her books.
So many moments in this book sent genuine shivers down my spine. Vivian's stalking of Olivia on her holiday in France. The sinister cutting of Olivia's daughter's hair. The eerie obsession with Bertie the terrier. The growing sense of creepy discomfort was masterfully paced, and the author showed perfect restraint with her gradual revelations. In fact, there's nothing I could fault, really. Highly impressive indeed!
I finished this book in a day, which shows just how gripping it was. An EXCELLENT read, and I'll definitely be on the look-out for more of Lucy Atkins' books in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2018
The Night Visitor is definitely a clever and unique thriller.
Olivia Sweetman has the perfect life! She has three children, a supportive husband, and two homes (don't we all wish we had two homes! lol). Olivia has just published a book title Anabel which is based on a Victorian diary of Anabel Burley who murdered her husband.
Then we have Vivian who "secretly" brought the diary to Olivia's attention. Oh my goodness is Vivian a hot mess haha. She is quite the opposite of Olivia... she's socially super awkward and just a tad odd. And... interestingly enough she has a little bit of an obsession with beetles... eek creepy crawllyyyy in your bones ;).
I enjoyed the multiple POV with this one and of course both women are hiding secrets which is always a plus!
Secrets, lies, and beetles... what more can you want?! :)
3.5 stars!
Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
Published to GR: 6/12/18
Publication date: 7/3/18
Olivia Sweetman has the perfect life! She has three children, a supportive husband, and two homes (don't we all wish we had two homes! lol). Olivia has just published a book title Anabel which is based on a Victorian diary of Anabel Burley who murdered her husband.
Then we have Vivian who "secretly" brought the diary to Olivia's attention. Oh my goodness is Vivian a hot mess haha. She is quite the opposite of Olivia... she's socially super awkward and just a tad odd. And... interestingly enough she has a little bit of an obsession with beetles... eek creepy crawllyyyy in your bones ;).
I enjoyed the multiple POV with this one and of course both women are hiding secrets which is always a plus!
Secrets, lies, and beetles... what more can you want?! :)
3.5 stars!
Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.
Published to GR: 6/12/18
Publication date: 7/3/18
June 29, 2017
I read Lucy Atkins’ debut novel The Missing One in 2014 and adored it. It was one of my favourite books of that year – combining a tale of family and long lost secrets with (of all things!) a passion for killer whales. Her next book, The Other Child felt like quite a departure. I enjoyed it but was a little surprised that it seemed so different to its predecessor. And here we are again, with Atkins offering up something completely different, which I guess says something about her versatility as a writer and storyteller.
Our MC, Olivia herself is a historian and – through the book she’s writing – there are occasional references to early feminist movements and the first female medical students and doctors (and on that note, I was reminded of Natasha Lester’s A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald).
Atkins wrote this book in a way in which there’s a shadow of foreboding. We know something’s happened with research assistant Vivian and we know (as a result) Olivia’s book and reputation (and perhaps her livelihood) are on the line. The author cleverly ekes out that element of the story however, so we aren’t quite sure what it is that puts Olivia’s book at risk. And even when we do know, we’re not quite sure where the risk lies.
In some ways it’s a novel of suspense, though there’s no threat of death or physical danger. Just a feeling of malice. Of spite and of hatred simmering beneath the uncomfortable relationship Olivia and Vivian have formed.
I guessed the plot-twist though wasn’t entirely sure how it would play out. I was keen to know what happened though, so felt compelled to keep reading.
Having said that, there were a few weaknesses here for me. Although I ‘liked’ Olivia I didn’t really engage with her or Vivian in a way I would have liked. I would have said Olivia was the main character, but interestingly Atkins delivers her chapters in third person and it’s Vivian from whom we hear in first person.
The timing also seemed a bit off as we jumped about a little and the sojourn in France seemed a bit pointless other than introducing a second ‘night visitor’ of sorts, into the life of Olivia and her family this time, joining Vivian’s long-term tormentor.
I did enjoy Olivia’s internal quandaries in terms of her integrity, ethics, fame and need for external validation (damned fathers with their high expectations and exacting standards!). Her need to draw on her ‘name’, reputation and popularity (for financial purposes) and her fear of how she’d be perceived by fellow academics and colleagues was an interesting one – and relevant given the ease with which we elevate chefs, scientists, writers and actors into god-like idols via the media and online world.
I was perhaps a little disappointed (or frustrated) by the end, but although it’s a good outcome in some ways, we lovers of closure and control didn’t entirely get our fix.
One of the greatest lessons (or rather reminders) out of this book for me is that people aren’t either just good or bad. Not black or white in that sense. It’s no surprise that people do what they need to in order to survive, or for their kids and families. If slightly twisted, there’s also stuff they’ll do out of ambition, or revenge. I certainly believe that greyness has a place in our world but the point worth pondering is where we draw the line. Or where we’re prepared to draw the line.
3.5 stars
Read the full review on my site: http://www.debbish.com/books-literatu...
Our MC, Olivia herself is a historian and – through the book she’s writing – there are occasional references to early feminist movements and the first female medical students and doctors (and on that note, I was reminded of Natasha Lester’s A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald).
Atkins wrote this book in a way in which there’s a shadow of foreboding. We know something’s happened with research assistant Vivian and we know (as a result) Olivia’s book and reputation (and perhaps her livelihood) are on the line. The author cleverly ekes out that element of the story however, so we aren’t quite sure what it is that puts Olivia’s book at risk. And even when we do know, we’re not quite sure where the risk lies.
In some ways it’s a novel of suspense, though there’s no threat of death or physical danger. Just a feeling of malice. Of spite and of hatred simmering beneath the uncomfortable relationship Olivia and Vivian have formed.
I guessed the plot-twist though wasn’t entirely sure how it would play out. I was keen to know what happened though, so felt compelled to keep reading.
Having said that, there were a few weaknesses here for me. Although I ‘liked’ Olivia I didn’t really engage with her or Vivian in a way I would have liked. I would have said Olivia was the main character, but interestingly Atkins delivers her chapters in third person and it’s Vivian from whom we hear in first person.
The timing also seemed a bit off as we jumped about a little and the sojourn in France seemed a bit pointless other than introducing a second ‘night visitor’ of sorts, into the life of Olivia and her family this time, joining Vivian’s long-term tormentor.
I did enjoy Olivia’s internal quandaries in terms of her integrity, ethics, fame and need for external validation (damned fathers with their high expectations and exacting standards!). Her need to draw on her ‘name’, reputation and popularity (for financial purposes) and her fear of how she’d be perceived by fellow academics and colleagues was an interesting one – and relevant given the ease with which we elevate chefs, scientists, writers and actors into god-like idols via the media and online world.
I was perhaps a little disappointed (or frustrated) by the end, but although it’s a good outcome in some ways, we lovers of closure and control didn’t entirely get our fix.
One of the greatest lessons (or rather reminders) out of this book for me is that people aren’t either just good or bad. Not black or white in that sense. It’s no surprise that people do what they need to in order to survive, or for their kids and families. If slightly twisted, there’s also stuff they’ll do out of ambition, or revenge. I certainly believe that greyness has a place in our world but the point worth pondering is where we draw the line. Or where we’re prepared to draw the line.
3.5 stars
Read the full review on my site: http://www.debbish.com/books-literatu...
May 4, 2017
Brilliant brilliant brilliant
see locations here : Visit The Night Visitor
Two gripping lead characters, intrigue like you wouldn't believe and a plot that's like standing on a rug, having your feet pulled out from it, smacking your head as you hit the floor and then sitting dazed on the floor as you realise what the consequences of that ending actually are.
Oh and the beetles.....brrrrrr...you'll be scratching half way through but the beetles are there as a very interesting part of the plot.
Very very clever indeed. High five to Lucy Atkins
Really hard to write anything more without spoilers. Just read this - THE BEST NOVEL OF 2017.
This is going to stay with me for a very very very long time. Got the proof as I read half of someone else's and then HAD to get it. Will definitely be buying a few copies of the finished book for friends and family!
Full review:
I borrowed a proof copy of this from someone and only managed to read half before I had to hand it back, but I was so enthralled I was prepared to beg for a copy to read asap. Thankfully the publishers were sending me one anyway and a day later it arrived – I devoured it and was knocked out by the rest of it as well as THAT ending!!
Lucy Atkins has written some great novels in the past – The Missing One still sticks in my mind for those beautiful orcas – but this one although not really having a real sense of location, has a unforgettable sense of gothic mystery, of those shiny green beetles that still makes my skin itch when I think about them.
Never before have I read about two such brilliantly creepy characters. Two women who you know really distrust each other from the off. A sense of a stalker, a creepy sense of unease and in the ‘scenes’ in Ileford House, a creepy sense of someone just standing there waiting in the shadows. In Olivia’s chapters there was a sense of being watched – the tension was palpable and with the theme of the beetles running through the novel and becoming very cleverly clear at the end – it was a itchingly good read from start to finish.
You know those books when you are led down one path, then another and another and then BOOM that ending which floors you with its brilliance. It’s a novel to read for yourself as to give too much away would really spoil it – but the discovery is a great one and I wanted to know why I hadn’t spotted it earlier. I had that sense of a really satisfying read – a deliciously satisfying read and strangely enough a morbid sense in beetles now although I still itch when thinking about them.
I love puzzling novels like this – this has stayed with me ever since I read it. It’s also clever as it carries avery clear message for people today where the truth in many things is often hard to find and where (on social media especially) you can never really see behind someone’s facade. Reading this will make you think and then wonder some more. Sharp, atmospheric writing has punched this into my reading memory like the sharp stab of a pin which sticks the beetle to the mounted frame.
see locations here : Visit The Night Visitor
Two gripping lead characters, intrigue like you wouldn't believe and a plot that's like standing on a rug, having your feet pulled out from it, smacking your head as you hit the floor and then sitting dazed on the floor as you realise what the consequences of that ending actually are.
Oh and the beetles.....brrrrrr...you'll be scratching half way through but the beetles are there as a very interesting part of the plot.
Very very clever indeed. High five to Lucy Atkins
Really hard to write anything more without spoilers. Just read this - THE BEST NOVEL OF 2017.
This is going to stay with me for a very very very long time. Got the proof as I read half of someone else's and then HAD to get it. Will definitely be buying a few copies of the finished book for friends and family!
Full review:
I borrowed a proof copy of this from someone and only managed to read half before I had to hand it back, but I was so enthralled I was prepared to beg for a copy to read asap. Thankfully the publishers were sending me one anyway and a day later it arrived – I devoured it and was knocked out by the rest of it as well as THAT ending!!
Lucy Atkins has written some great novels in the past – The Missing One still sticks in my mind for those beautiful orcas – but this one although not really having a real sense of location, has a unforgettable sense of gothic mystery, of those shiny green beetles that still makes my skin itch when I think about them.
Never before have I read about two such brilliantly creepy characters. Two women who you know really distrust each other from the off. A sense of a stalker, a creepy sense of unease and in the ‘scenes’ in Ileford House, a creepy sense of someone just standing there waiting in the shadows. In Olivia’s chapters there was a sense of being watched – the tension was palpable and with the theme of the beetles running through the novel and becoming very cleverly clear at the end – it was a itchingly good read from start to finish.
You know those books when you are led down one path, then another and another and then BOOM that ending which floors you with its brilliance. It’s a novel to read for yourself as to give too much away would really spoil it – but the discovery is a great one and I wanted to know why I hadn’t spotted it earlier. I had that sense of a really satisfying read – a deliciously satisfying read and strangely enough a morbid sense in beetles now although I still itch when thinking about them.
I love puzzling novels like this – this has stayed with me ever since I read it. It’s also clever as it carries avery clear message for people today where the truth in many things is often hard to find and where (on social media especially) you can never really see behind someone’s facade. Reading this will make you think and then wonder some more. Sharp, atmospheric writing has punched this into my reading memory like the sharp stab of a pin which sticks the beetle to the mounted frame.
February 16, 2020
After reading several psychological thrillers with minimalist writing styles, it took me a while to get into this. However the further I read, the more I couldn't put it down.
The character and relationship development (amazing) along with scenery descriptions fit seamlessly into the story. I didn't realize how much I liked the writing and format until I was halfway through the book. It alternates between Olivia and Vivian and past and present. New information is revealed every chapter.
The two main protagonists are described by many as "flawed" which may be an understatement. To me, they were completely unlikable. The supposedly "normal" character, Olivia, was the worst and although Vivian is creepy and spectacularly devious, I had more sympathy for her. Several other characters have some repulsive qualities also.
That said, the cast doesn't have to be likable for me to enjoy a book. I read this at a pretty good clip as I was so engrossed in the story. If you liked 'Little Big Lies' for it's relationship aspects, you might give this a try (although this story packs a bigger punch).
The character and relationship development (amazing) along with scenery descriptions fit seamlessly into the story. I didn't realize how much I liked the writing and format until I was halfway through the book. It alternates between Olivia and Vivian and past and present. New information is revealed every chapter.
The two main protagonists are described by many as "flawed" which may be an understatement. To me, they were completely unlikable. The supposedly "normal" character, Olivia, was the worst and although Vivian is creepy and spectacularly devious, I had more sympathy for her. Several other characters have some repulsive qualities also.
That said, the cast doesn't have to be likable for me to enjoy a book. I read this at a pretty good clip as I was so engrossed in the story. If you liked 'Little Big Lies' for it's relationship aspects, you might give this a try (although this story packs a bigger punch).
Read
November 13, 2023I don't usually read psychological thrillers, too often they focus more on the twists and turns of the plot than characterisation or writing skill, but not so here with The Night Visitor by Lucy Atkins. I've loved her later novels, so I thought I'd read some of her backlist, and this is such fun! There are twists and turns that I didn't figure out, but really it's about two women who are so well-drawn, so complex that they are both likeable and dislikeable and very real. TV historian Olivia comes across a diary written by a Victorian woman which is a confession to a murder. Vivian, the care-taker of the diary becomes Olivia's unofficial research assistant and knits herself into Olivia's life in a way that becomes increasingly difficult for her to untangle. It reminded me very much of Notes on a Scandal.
June 9, 2017
The two main characters of this novel are Olivia Sweetman and Vivian Tester. A third character is the lowly dung beetle. Yes, you read that correctly.
Professor Olivia Sweetman is a historian, teacher, writer, popular and plausible to all who know her. She's well dressed, attractive, mother to three children and wife to David, a writer whose star is fading as he struggles to write a follow up to his first successful book. Vivian Tester is a nobody. 60 years old, spinster, bulky, frumpy and altogether the complete opposite of Olivia, she is the housekeeper at Ileford, a strangely ugly country house owned by the Burley family. Their paths cross one rainy day when Olivia visits a small museum in Sussex, and Vivian, working at the museum that day, shows her a diary. It is written by Annabel, a Victorian woman who apparently confesses to murdering her husband and immediately enrols in medical school.
Desperate to write a book about Annabel, Olivia persuades Vivian to become her researcher. Both women are manipulative liars, locking horns frequently and generally being unpleasant to each other most, if not all, of the time.
Vivian has an obsession with beetles – dung beetles in particular – and Olivia has a connection with them as her late father, an Oxford professor, found fame after discovering some hitherto unknown facts about the little creepy crawlies. Now, I'm a fan of living creatures, large and small, furry or feathery, two legs or eight, or anything in between, I don't care, but the frequent references to beetles, dung or not, is a bit over the top and could well have been pared back with little or no effect on the rest of the story.
Occasional clunky, contradictory and childish writing irritated me: weather referred to as “boiling hot” is something I would expect from a child not an adult. Ileford is at once described as ugly, then as stunning. Vivian is described by Olivia, at least twice, as being “on some spectrum somewhere”; this in itself is a nonsensical statement. At times the sequence of events is confusing, as it's difficult to know whether what you're reading is a recollection or something happening in the here and now. As for the twist, it's actually fairly easy to spot quite early on, but it takes pages and pages and yet more pages, before the author finally reveals all.
The title of the book puzzles me, as the “night visitor” is almost an aside. There are too many holes and unanswered questions, particularly about the Incident in France – did the author forget to connect the dots, or just decide it didn't matter? Certainly she couldn't have cared about the ending as it came to an abrupt full stop. Just like that.
If you're a dung beetle, you'll love it.
Thanks to Amazon for an ARC
Professor Olivia Sweetman is a historian, teacher, writer, popular and plausible to all who know her. She's well dressed, attractive, mother to three children and wife to David, a writer whose star is fading as he struggles to write a follow up to his first successful book. Vivian Tester is a nobody. 60 years old, spinster, bulky, frumpy and altogether the complete opposite of Olivia, she is the housekeeper at Ileford, a strangely ugly country house owned by the Burley family. Their paths cross one rainy day when Olivia visits a small museum in Sussex, and Vivian, working at the museum that day, shows her a diary. It is written by Annabel, a Victorian woman who apparently confesses to murdering her husband and immediately enrols in medical school.
Desperate to write a book about Annabel, Olivia persuades Vivian to become her researcher. Both women are manipulative liars, locking horns frequently and generally being unpleasant to each other most, if not all, of the time.
Vivian has an obsession with beetles – dung beetles in particular – and Olivia has a connection with them as her late father, an Oxford professor, found fame after discovering some hitherto unknown facts about the little creepy crawlies. Now, I'm a fan of living creatures, large and small, furry or feathery, two legs or eight, or anything in between, I don't care, but the frequent references to beetles, dung or not, is a bit over the top and could well have been pared back with little or no effect on the rest of the story.
Occasional clunky, contradictory and childish writing irritated me: weather referred to as “boiling hot” is something I would expect from a child not an adult. Ileford is at once described as ugly, then as stunning. Vivian is described by Olivia, at least twice, as being “on some spectrum somewhere”; this in itself is a nonsensical statement. At times the sequence of events is confusing, as it's difficult to know whether what you're reading is a recollection or something happening in the here and now. As for the twist, it's actually fairly easy to spot quite early on, but it takes pages and pages and yet more pages, before the author finally reveals all.
The title of the book puzzles me, as the “night visitor” is almost an aside. There are too many holes and unanswered questions, particularly about the Incident in France – did the author forget to connect the dots, or just decide it didn't matter? Certainly she couldn't have cared about the ending as it came to an abrupt full stop. Just like that.
If you're a dung beetle, you'll love it.
Thanks to Amazon for an ARC
October 5, 2020
(3.5) I devoured the first half of this book.. I've seen other reviews where reader's felt it was too wordy but i enjoyed the extremely creepy, atmospheric style. Both women were interesting to me, & i thought the format of alternating pov's was well done. The problem for me came at about 60% when it really slowed down. It became obvious where we were headed, but the path to get there just felt drawn out and repetitive. I went from hanging on every word, to seriously contemplating a dnf at about 70%! (I NEVER do that!) & although the last chapter or 2 did pick back up some, i just didn't feel like the ending was enough. Still though, i remember that authentically creepy, compulsive energy i felt while getting into the first half, so i will be looking into what else this author has to offer!
**The audio version was fantastic! Vivians voice specifically added so much to the tone of the story.. & as emotions picked up, the narrator nailed it without sounding at all overdone. I'd definitely recommend it!
**The audio version was fantastic! Vivians voice specifically added so much to the tone of the story.. & as emotions picked up, the narrator nailed it without sounding at all overdone. I'd definitely recommend it!
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February 19, 2017In The Night Visitor Lucy Atkins has created, in Vivian Tester, one of the most vivid, memorable and menacing characters I've ever read. She's brilliant - deluded, obsessed and scarily believable - and is the perfect adversary for the ambitious main character, historian Olivia. The two-handed approach - one chapter from Olivia and one chapter from Vivian (her researcher) - works really well and, with every turned page, my unease and curiosity intensified as Lucy Atkins cleverly and deftly ramped up the tension and intrigue. Dark, tense and menacing, I was quickly drawn into the story and couldn't put it down. Readers who enjoyed Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller will adore it.
April 19, 2017
Remember Zoe Heller's Notes on a Scandal? Well, this is like a lighter, less morally-dense version of that book with added gothic deliciousness.
Atkins has created a gripping page-turner of a book as academic historian turned TV eye candy (I loved that she's been invited to take part in Strictly!) Olivia finds her life collapsing on all fronts: her marriage is under pressure, her teenage son is troubled, and now her scholarly reputation might end up in tatters. On the other side, we have the slightly grotesque figure of Vivian: big, clumsy, socially-awkward... but the gate-keeper to a Victorian diary that Olivia wants to get her academic hands on. As the tensions between the two women escalate, only one of them will emerge unscathed.
I enjoyed this immensely but it's one of those books where we have to suspend our disbelief and where the revelatory 'twist' is far more obvious than it ought perhaps to be. Do also be aware that there are loose ends here that remain untied , the usual dependence on someone acquiring specialist skills almost overnight that fool the world's experts solely for the sake of a complicated revenge plot , and an unresolved ending .
In some ways, the questions raised at the end in terms of what should happen next are almost more interesting than the actual book ending... Despite some realism qualms, an engaging switch-off read: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Review copy from Amazon Vine
Atkins has created a gripping page-turner of a book as academic historian turned TV eye candy (I loved that she's been invited to take part in Strictly!) Olivia finds her life collapsing on all fronts: her marriage is under pressure, her teenage son is troubled, and now her scholarly reputation might end up in tatters. On the other side, we have the slightly grotesque figure of Vivian: big, clumsy, socially-awkward... but the gate-keeper to a Victorian diary that Olivia wants to get her academic hands on. As the tensions between the two women escalate, only one of them will emerge unscathed.
I enjoyed this immensely but it's one of those books where we have to suspend our disbelief and where the revelatory 'twist' is far more obvious than it ought perhaps to be. Do also be aware that there are loose ends here that remain untied , the usual dependence on someone acquiring specialist skills almost overnight that fool the world's experts solely for the sake of a complicated revenge plot , and an unresolved ending .
In some ways, the questions raised at the end in terms of what should happen next are almost more interesting than the actual book ending... Despite some realism qualms, an engaging switch-off read: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Review copy from Amazon Vine
May 5, 2017
I bloody loved this book. It put me somewhat in mind of Zoe Heller's Notes on a Scandal (which I also bloody loved). Alternating between the voices of Olivia - successful author and TV-personality, attractive, nice houses, large family, and Vivian - bitter, jealous, lonely, plain, elderly housekeeper, The Night Visitor sucks the reader into a claustrophobic chokehold of deceit and secrets.
While Olivia Sweetman should be riding high on the massive success of her latest book, she is acting strangely fretful and on edge, and Vivian, her research assistant has mysteriously vanished at a crucial moment. With absolutely nothing in common, Olivia and Vivian's lives have become interwoven through work, but increasingly uncomfortably and obsessively so. Set mainly in East Sussex and the south of France, the story of these two very different women is filled with symbolism, usually of the creepy-crawly variety, which was a very clever way to expose many character flaws in both parties.
There were several gasp-out-loud moments for me in this book. Not the gratuitous or macabre kind, but much more subtle and a feeling of being sucked into a vortex of manipulation and deceit. It was difficult to know who to trust at times and difficult to know who the characters themselves could trust also.
Shining a light on feminism (and cleverly done, might I add), this exceptionally well-plotted book exposes our culture and how we believe things to be. But as Vivian points out: just like the dung beetle, never underestimate someone you think is below you.
Verdict:
Absolutely brilliant! Creepy and compelling edge-of-your-seat reading at its best. Often disturbing and unsettling but always absorbing and engrossing. Massive thumbs up from me!
While Olivia Sweetman should be riding high on the massive success of her latest book, she is acting strangely fretful and on edge, and Vivian, her research assistant has mysteriously vanished at a crucial moment. With absolutely nothing in common, Olivia and Vivian's lives have become interwoven through work, but increasingly uncomfortably and obsessively so. Set mainly in East Sussex and the south of France, the story of these two very different women is filled with symbolism, usually of the creepy-crawly variety, which was a very clever way to expose many character flaws in both parties.
There were several gasp-out-loud moments for me in this book. Not the gratuitous or macabre kind, but much more subtle and a feeling of being sucked into a vortex of manipulation and deceit. It was difficult to know who to trust at times and difficult to know who the characters themselves could trust also.
Shining a light on feminism (and cleverly done, might I add), this exceptionally well-plotted book exposes our culture and how we believe things to be. But as Vivian points out: just like the dung beetle, never underestimate someone you think is below you.
Verdict:
Absolutely brilliant! Creepy and compelling edge-of-your-seat reading at its best. Often disturbing and unsettling but always absorbing and engrossing. Massive thumbs up from me!
May 5, 2018
The Night Visitor by Lucy Atkins was such a good book. It is the first by the author that I have read and I will definitely be looking out for her again.
Professor Olivia Sweetman has the perfect life - she has 3 kids and wonderful husband. She is a TV presenter and a well respected historian. Now she is launching her best selling book based on the Victorian diary of Annabel Burley. Her secrets and deceits are threatening to be exposed - just how far will she go to protect her reputation?
Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read and enjoy in exchange for my honest opnions.
Professor Olivia Sweetman has the perfect life - she has 3 kids and wonderful husband. She is a TV presenter and a well respected historian. Now she is launching her best selling book based on the Victorian diary of Annabel Burley. Her secrets and deceits are threatening to be exposed - just how far will she go to protect her reputation?
Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read and enjoy in exchange for my honest opnions.
July 28, 2017
Wonderfully creepy. Author Lucy Atkins sets a great tone for the creepy goodness of this novel with her informative tidbits about Dung Beetles which are interspersed throughout the story about Olivia Sweetman, a tv personality, historian and author of a soon to be published book. Olivia, caught up in her fame while promoting her book meets Vivian Tester, a dowdy housekeeper to a famous gothic manor who possesses the diary that her book is based on who has secrets of her own and ultimately leads Olivia into a web of deceit and mystery. I liked the way the author put in info. about the Dung Beetle throughout the book which I thought was masterful, because for me everytime I read those tidbits I was creeped out and combined with the story itself it just made this a page turner for me.
December 13, 2025
This was one of the most addictive books I've read this year!
Super creepy and just well-rounded out.
Highly recommend!
Full review to come
Super creepy and just well-rounded out.
Highly recommend!
Full review to come
September 6, 2017
This book absolutely captivated me! If I could rate it higher I would.
Although the story itself is centred primarily around the two main characters of Olivia Sweetman & Vivian Tester, there was never a dull moment, and I couldn't help but turn the page to see where the story would lead.
The two women are on opposite ends of the spectrum, both privately and professionally. Olivia Sweetman is riding the crest of the wave, a historian with TV deals and a book about to break the best seller lists, with a loving "picture perfect" family. Vivian Tester, retired, perhaps bored, perhaps resentful, little private life to speak of. Their paths cross over the appearance of a Victorian diary, and so the story begins...
Neither character is above reproach, and neither character is without faults.
An atmospheric novel about reputation, lies, deceit and integrity. How do you measure those on both a personal and professional level, and are they one and the same? What would you do to achieve your goals, and how far would you go to protect them or to right a wrong?
Although the story itself is centred primarily around the two main characters of Olivia Sweetman & Vivian Tester, there was never a dull moment, and I couldn't help but turn the page to see where the story would lead.
The two women are on opposite ends of the spectrum, both privately and professionally. Olivia Sweetman is riding the crest of the wave, a historian with TV deals and a book about to break the best seller lists, with a loving "picture perfect" family. Vivian Tester, retired, perhaps bored, perhaps resentful, little private life to speak of. Their paths cross over the appearance of a Victorian diary, and so the story begins...
Neither character is above reproach, and neither character is without faults.
An atmospheric novel about reputation, lies, deceit and integrity. How do you measure those on both a personal and professional level, and are they one and the same? What would you do to achieve your goals, and how far would you go to protect them or to right a wrong?
June 22, 2018
This book just didn't work for me. There was way too much extra information that wasn't completed and left big holes. I wasn't as enthralled as other mysteries/thrillers and the big TWIST (?) was easily seen coming. I actually disliked both characters. Even writing this I'm thinking about all of the unanswered questions. The beginning started with big mysteries that didn't even need to be mysterious - she makes mention of Bertie but not who he is or where he is now - it makes you think "Oh i need to know more about this character" but in the next chapter she slowly reveals who Bertie is. This threw me off right from the start BECAUSE THERE DIDN'T NEED TO BE A MYSTERY ABOUT WHO BERTIE IS. I pushed through this book because of the stellar ratings but I wouldn't recommend it.
May 10, 2017
A dark creepy pyschological thriller, The Night Visitor had me immersed from the first page.
The characters of Olivia and Vivian were intruiging and so compelling to read about. Vivian is chilling and the author gives a sinister insight into a damaged mind.
Lucy Atkins is able to capture the emotions of these two women with very clever writing.
I read this in a matter of days, as I just had to find out more about these two women and how their stories would turn out.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a psychological thriller which is fleshed out with deep characters, wonderful locations and a believable unique story.
The characters of Olivia and Vivian were intruiging and so compelling to read about. Vivian is chilling and the author gives a sinister insight into a damaged mind.
Lucy Atkins is able to capture the emotions of these two women with very clever writing.
I read this in a matter of days, as I just had to find out more about these two women and how their stories would turn out.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a psychological thriller which is fleshed out with deep characters, wonderful locations and a believable unique story.
August 15, 2017
Too many loose ends not tied up and a ridiculously abrupt ending, spoil what could have been an excellent thriller. Would be interested to find out the reasoning behind the title, as 'the night visitor' was not a major factor in the book; although I was waiting for there to be some link made between Vivian's night visitor and the incident in France- which sadly there wasn't! Disappointing after a really promising middle section.
January 3, 2018
Such a wonderful, engrossing read!
May 8, 2022
This one had a slower start to what I’m used to in a thriller, but if definitely picked up and I ended up really enjoying it! I learned a lot of facts about beetles reading this🤣The plot twists were pretty predictable but it was enjoyable to read.
July 21, 2017
Professor Olivia Sweetman has worked hard to get where she has, with a high flying career as a TV presenter and historian and her family life with her husband and children. But as she stands before her crowd at her new book launch, she can barely look anyone in the eye. Only one person knows what she has done and if that person confesses what they knew, her whole life will be over. That person is Vivian Tester, a socially awkward housekeeper of a Sussex manor where the diary Olivia's novel is based on was found. As events progress the relationship between the women changes and becomes even more complicated. Then a bizarre act of violence changes everything.
I loved the concept of this novel but it really does not work. For me the main issue lies in how this was written. Atkins tells this from the perspectives of Olivia and Vivian, absolutely fine, but within their sections she has the character flashback to prior events, nothing wrong in theory but Atkins really does not make it clear when we have switched to prior events and it made this so confusing. I was constantly having to think of the timeline and where we could be at that point and it did, completely ruin my enjoyment of the novel.
My other problems with this novel was with some of the plot itself. Some of the events, namely the bizarre act of violence, were bizarre! However they were so bizarre they bordered on ridiculous and meant the novel lost credibility. Towards the end Atkins quickly clears things up but there are some plot threads that are not tied up and I was left with more questions and answers, very frustrating. Overall, the plot is good but some of it is lost in translation which is a real shame.
I did enjoy the novel but I was not gripped by it. The plot, when stripped right back is essentially a good one, and contains intrigue and historical wrongs. Sadly, too much was lost in translation with how this was written and some of the events included.
I loved the concept of this novel but it really does not work. For me the main issue lies in how this was written. Atkins tells this from the perspectives of Olivia and Vivian, absolutely fine, but within their sections she has the character flashback to prior events, nothing wrong in theory but Atkins really does not make it clear when we have switched to prior events and it made this so confusing. I was constantly having to think of the timeline and where we could be at that point and it did, completely ruin my enjoyment of the novel.
My other problems with this novel was with some of the plot itself. Some of the events, namely the bizarre act of violence, were bizarre! However they were so bizarre they bordered on ridiculous and meant the novel lost credibility. Towards the end Atkins quickly clears things up but there are some plot threads that are not tied up and I was left with more questions and answers, very frustrating. Overall, the plot is good but some of it is lost in translation which is a real shame.
I did enjoy the novel but I was not gripped by it. The plot, when stripped right back is essentially a good one, and contains intrigue and historical wrongs. Sadly, too much was lost in translation with how this was written and some of the events included.
April 20, 2017
If you are looking for a story to creep you out and have you wary of trusting anyone, then look no further!! This is the story of Olivia who has a seemingly perfect family, and is a bestselling writer/tv personality/historian - but sometimes things aren't quite as they seem!!
The story centres around the points of view of Olivia and the 60 year old housekeeper, Vivian, who has helped her with research for her latest book. And as the release date approaches then Olivia starts to realise that the book she has written may not be as truthful as she thought it was, and Vivian knows this and threatens to shatter her dreams and bring her whole world crumbling down.
Vivian is a very complex character who has suffered throughout her life, and when she spends time with Olivia and her family she starts to see them as friends and thought she could rely on them to keep her company. From Olivias' point of view nothing could be further from the truth and does all she can to avoid any contact. Vivian isn't going to give up without a fight! I struggled to find either women likeable at times and that adds to the depth of the story.
Olivia is also struggling to deal with her own life as her family life crumbles around her and events from her past soon come back to haunt her.
This story has creepy undertones from the very beginning and as a reader you find yourself wondering just who to trust and realise there are secrets on all sides. This book really gave me the chills at times and the levels of deception from both women is cleverly drawn out and leads you to a stunning conclusion. Having each woman take it in turn with each chapter to give you their side works so well for the plot line and you will also find yourself learning to be fascinated about dung beetles!
Chillingly dark thriller!
The story centres around the points of view of Olivia and the 60 year old housekeeper, Vivian, who has helped her with research for her latest book. And as the release date approaches then Olivia starts to realise that the book she has written may not be as truthful as she thought it was, and Vivian knows this and threatens to shatter her dreams and bring her whole world crumbling down.
Vivian is a very complex character who has suffered throughout her life, and when she spends time with Olivia and her family she starts to see them as friends and thought she could rely on them to keep her company. From Olivias' point of view nothing could be further from the truth and does all she can to avoid any contact. Vivian isn't going to give up without a fight! I struggled to find either women likeable at times and that adds to the depth of the story.
Olivia is also struggling to deal with her own life as her family life crumbles around her and events from her past soon come back to haunt her.
This story has creepy undertones from the very beginning and as a reader you find yourself wondering just who to trust and realise there are secrets on all sides. This book really gave me the chills at times and the levels of deception from both women is cleverly drawn out and leads you to a stunning conclusion. Having each woman take it in turn with each chapter to give you their side works so well for the plot line and you will also find yourself learning to be fascinated about dung beetles!
Chillingly dark thriller!
January 22, 2018
Amazing. Intelligent. Brilliant.
December 23, 2020
My second book by the author and - ta-da ! - my next 5 stars for the brilliant Lucy Atkins.
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