Leave the Lights On

by Egan Hughes

His dream house is about to become her worst nightmare . . .

Their new 'smart home' is Joe's dream. A remote cottage where everything - from the lighting to the locks - is controlled through an app. It's the perfect blend of old-world charm and modern convenience. What better place for them to escape after all Lauren's trauma?

Lauren desperately wants Joe to be happy after all she's put him through, so she doesn't tell him how much she hates being so dependent on technology. How vulnerable it makes them.

Then 'the incidents' begin.

Joe thinks Lauren is the victim of her own fevered imagination. But Lauren can't be sure. She doesn't believe in ghosts, but she also knows the past rarely stays buried. And she is haunted by one question:

Is their past finally catching up with them?

Genres: Thriller, Mystery

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2021

About the author

Egan Hughes is a copywriter who loves to write twisty psychological suspense novels highlighting the darker side of life.

'The One That Got Away' is her debut novel. An early version was shortlisted for the Richard & Judy Search for a Bestseller competition. It was shortlisted for the CWA's New Blood Dagger Award.

'Leave the Lights On' is her second novel, out now in paperback, ebook and audio.

Reviews

[Louise Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5stars rounded up to 5

Their new "smart home" is Joe's dream. A remote cottage where everything - from the lighting to the locks - is controlled through an app. It's the perfect blend of old-world charm and modern convenience. What better place to escape after Lauren's trauma? Lauren desperately wants Joe to be happy after all she has put him through, so she doesn't tell him how much she hates being dependant on technology. Then the incidents begin.

I don't think I would like to live in a house where everything is controlled by an app. I've read a couple of book that have had "smart homes" in them and nothing good comes from them. This book is no different.

The pace is steady, the plotline is gripping and I was hooked after a few chapters. This is one of those books you can't say too much about as I would spoil it for potential readers. There were times when I was on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #LittleBrownBookGroupUk and the author #EganHUghes for my ARC of #LeaveTheLightsOn in exchange for an honest review.

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren and Joe seemed like the perfect match. They had bought and sold properties together, done them up and moved to the next. But now they had finally bought their forever home, and Joe, being the hi-tech wiz that he was, had created the perfect hi-tech app to run everything in it. Joe just needed to sell the idea to those that mattered so that they could live happily ever after once it took off and became in demand.

The thing was, Lauren hated it. She didn’t like the idea of the house having that much control. It wasn’t long before things that go bump in the night began to happen regularly for Lauren, and there was never anyone else there to see it.

I was intrigued by these characters and fell into the Lauren camp from the beginning. I find keeping up with technology quite hard myself, so I sympathised with her. The excitement that Joe had, just shone from him when he talked to anyone about his new creations, especially with anyone in the same field as him.

Several brilliant storylines surface from the past that fit in with the strange happenings. The story shows how technology plays such a huge role in our lives. Is it ultimately believed over us mere mortals? I liked the police investigation side of this story. Great edgy read. I Loved it.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leave The Lights On does its job and it does it perfectly.

Joe’s baby is his “smart home” Imagine not having to find your keys for your house’s front door to open. That would definitely help those of us who can never remember where the darn keys are!

It’s a different matter for his wife Lauren. She was perfectly happy renovating the cottage with no technology involved. All she needed was Joe, her easel and paint, and her dog. But she wants Joe to be happy, and what makes him happy is to control his house via his phone. So she keeps it to herself. At first…

What do you think of smart homes? It’s a big no for me… says the woman who is connected via her Fitbit and controls her printer through her WIFI connection. Alright, basic technology is now part of our lives, we can’t deny it. I draw the line at the Alexas and Google home machines who make me feel like someone is spying on me. That’s probably why I took Lauren’s side from the very beginning. The flawless and anxiety-inducing writing did the rest and before I knew it, I could not tear myself away from the book.

Lauren and Joe have settled and now wish to make the house their comfy safe home. All is well, despite Lauren’s feelings towards the house being able to boil water on its own or switch on and off lights in a room when you enter. Except not all is well. Even if I could understand Lauren’s reluctance, the undertone of her words and thoughts made me wonder why she was so anxious.

When strange things began to happen, I picked rationality. A glitch from the house. A shadow that would have frightened Lauren. Easy explanations were rife. When things escalated, I started to doubt. The beauty – and the darkness – of this book lies in the fact I did not simply doubt my assumptions, but also the characters, and even the place. My down-to-earth approach was challenged by a very ominous feeling enhanced by the gorgeous creepiness oozing from the chapters.

Funnily enough, while everything was against Lauren, even her husband, I could not stop thinking she was right. But how? Why? The reader is drip-fed information about what led Lauren and Joe to the cottage and why each of them behave the way they do. Again, I found myself believing in Lauren, fuming when mental illness was used to explain her fears. Egan Hughes cleverly builds an insanely intense plot like a chimney fire, adding one log after the other, slowly and with purpose, until it gets so warm and dangerous that you suffocate and burn yourself.

Do you like suspecting people? I do, and with this book, there was plenty to do! The more I read, the less I knew who to trust. Leave The Lights On feels so realistic I got goosebumps on more than one occasion. I got jumpy, I got riled up, and the many red herrings made me feel I was losing it! Well, I adored losing myself in this book and the hours flew by! This novel definitely gives you nightmare vibes, and you’ll beg for more! I loved it!

An atmospheric and creepy techno-psycho-thriller!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the arc of Leave the Lights On by Egan Hughes.

5 star read- This is my first book from Egan Hughes and this follows Joe's dream which is a smart home, which is actually a posh cottage in which everything from lighting to even locks are all controlled from a simple app on your device everything is controlled by this app nothing is manual. This sounds modern right.. Lauren just wants joe to be happy and enjoy himself after all she did to him.. not spoiling what she did.. but because it is all dependent on technology and Lauren doesn't like that she keeps that to herself and don't tell him this... then some things happen which they think may be ghosts or something but this worries lauren as to think is her past catching up to her/found her....

This is a must read it was so interesting, gripping and had me at the end of your seat, wasnt expecting this to happen.

Highly recommend
5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[QHuong(BookSpy) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Woww không ngờ cuốn này có thể tệ đến mức vậy. Mình cứ ngỡ cuốn này được viết từ thời kì Gone girl, nhưng nhìn lại mới biết cuốn này được xuất bản năm 2021! Đến bây giờ thriller đã thay đổi rất nhiều rồi, vậy mà những trope cũ kĩ vẫn còn tồn tại trong cuốn này với cách xử lý cũng cũ kĩ mà không có gì mới mẻ hơn. Mình đã quá chán ngán kiểu nhân vật nữ chính bị coi là hoang tưởng, ảo giác khi nói về những âm thanh kì lạ ở trong nhà mà không ai tin, rồi chính chồng của nữ chính là người lôi nữ chính đi gặp bác sĩ tâm lý để chữa chứng bệnh ảo giác đó. Mình cũng đã quá mệt mỏi với việc lừa người đọc bằng chính hai trope trên để rồi mình đoán luôn được thủ phạm khi mới đọc vài chương đầu của truyện.

Toàn bộ hồi 3 của truyện rất diễn giải lan man khi mà lúc này ta đã biết rõ chân tướng kẻ chủ mưu. Ngay giây phút nhân vật này lộ diện thì tác giả lại thực hiện một thủ pháp siêu cũ kĩ mà mình thấy cũng rất lười biếng, đó là lồng ghép những chương ngắn độc thoại của hung thủ, kể lể về lý do gây hại và quá trình gây hại người khác thế nào. Cứ khi đang mạch kể của nhân vật chính thì lại bị chen vào chương độc thoại của kẻ xấu làm mình cực kì bực bội. Cũng phải nói luôn là kẻ xấu này mình thấy không có gì là quá giỏi giang thông minh cho lắm, nhưng cứ tự cho mình là thần thánh che mắt được thiên hạ. Đoạn kết với cách xử lý của nhân vật chính nữa thì càng thấy kẻ xấu quá ngu ngốc và thiếu suy nghĩ.

Còn về nhân vật nữ chính? Tên là Lauren, hoạ sĩ, bị cho là hoang tưởng do cô có một số trải nghiệm đáng sợ về một kẻ đeo bám trong quá khứ. Nói chung cái phần kể về kẻ đeo bám này không có gì thú vị và dài liên miên xuyên suốt truyện. Lauren sau đó tự tìm ra được kẻ xấu (như thường lệ, cảnh sát ất ơ, bất tài, vô dụng và trong cuốn này thậm chí còn quá thừa thãi), lập kế hoạch thông minh để hạ bệ kẻ xấu và nói chung là làm hết việc của cảnh sát. Anh chồng nửa đầu truyện có vẻ mạnh mẽ, quyết liệt mà nửa cuối truyện thì mờ nhạt, cứ như bị vô hình.

Ôi, cuốn này thực sự tệ và mình vẫn không thể tin được là cuốn này cũng chỉ mới được xuất bản năm ngoái!! Cho dù có thêm yếu tố mới lạ là nhà công nghệ nhưng cũng chẳng sáng tạo được gì hơn mấy trope cũ kĩ.
Bạn nào mới đọc trinh thám thì có thể tìm cuốn này tham khảo chứ fan trinh thám hay đọc thriller lâu năm mà đọc chỉ thấy buồn ngủ hoặc tức tối thôi (chắc thế).

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read, but the ending knocked it down to three stars. I think it could've been a bit more interesting.

[SandyC · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book goes a bit beyond an ordinary thriller and explores how modern technology affects people’s daily life. The author cleverly weaves different opinions into the plot through how each character acts and what each of them says. With everyone nowadays heavily relying on modern technology, it’s nice to have a story like this. It really makes you think a little after reading it.
The first 200 pages are just a page-turner. I couldn’t help flipping through them to find out who’s behind all of it. Lauren keeps hearing things and seeing people she shouldn’t have when she’s left alone in the smart home. She tries to seek help from her husband Joe and thinks he’d have her back. But Joe’s too carried away with his baby—he put everything into the smart home and decided to go all the way to defend it, be it conscious intention or not. Traumatised from her past experience, Lauren has no one else to turn to and must fight her own war.
For the rest of the book, I have to say, I’m a little disappointed. It’s about how Lauren hunts down the one who did this to her, but the climax doesn’t come as expected. It’s not hard to guess the ending after the clues are slowly revealed one by one.
For a good thriller, the last 50 pages should be gold. But the actual climax takes place too early, at around Page 200. And we got a so predictable ending in the last 50 pages. It’s really a pity that the first 200 are so good that it doesn’t have a thrilling but reasonable ending to match it.
About the characters, I can see that the author also tries to discuss the female’s role in a relationship. I really feel bad for Lauren. She puts all her trust in Joe but doesn’t get what she deserves. Joe believes that he loves Lauren and thinks he could do anything for her, but he never does. When Lauren needs him to be there for her, when all she needs is someone who she trusts telling her that she’s not mad, Joe simply turns against her and makes everyone thinks that she’s out of her mind. What a cocky flipping head! He must have thought that all women are weak and men are born superior. What I’m really disappointed about is that this book is written by a female writer. But even towards the end, Joe is still defending himself and doesn’t sound like he’s regretting a lot. Yes, he is a nice man, but also a bastard to have done that to his wife. And Lauren simply has him back! She says that she needs to have a second thought but doesn’t at all. I understand it’s somehow necessary to have the characters this way to advance the plot, but it could’ve been better so readers don’t feel that women are always the weaker side in a relationship and they need to suffer more for no reason.

[jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

lauren and joe settle into a picturesque, rural cottage after spending years, flitting round run-down flats and selling them on after making them up. joe is obsessed with tech, and fits his new house up with as much as he can think of with the help of a few technicians. but someone - or something - is messing with lauren. her past comes flying back to her, and everyone thinks she's going crazy. will they figure it out, or is lauren doomed to be haunted by her past forever..

a creative, modern and unforgettable read. this book was much better than i expected it to be, and i read it almost non-stop for an entire day.

the plot was strong and original, but it did meander in some places. it wasn't a book i could whizz through though it definitely wasn't boring. i enjoyed reading it, but there were two significant twists and were both surprising, although the first seemed forced after a while. without giving away any spoilers, i can't explain it fully, but i think anyone who read it might understand where im coming from.

the characters were largely diverse and the inclusion of an autistic child was appreciated, and i think for the most part his personality and traits weren't entirely inaccurate. the background context was filled in smoothly throughout the book and some parts were genuinely chilling.

overall, this was a good book, just about scraping four stars from me. it wasn't outstanding, but i'd recommend it to most people interested in thrillers.

[Laura- Jayne Breed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interest premise but it fell flat

The reliance on smart tech is everywhere and a book about a smart house turning sinister had all the hallmarks to be a thrilling read…. But it wasn’t. Whilst some of the stunts were done really well it just felt, on the whole, flat there is no other way to describe it.
Prior to reading this book by the author, I read her debut, which again, it felt flat. The suspension of belief is humongous.

[Collette Mcgaahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well told thriller which seemed a bit sluggish at the start but did up the pace after awhile. I don’t want to give any spoilers so won’t go into any of the plot some of which seemed obvious but most of which was very tense. An easy read but the subject matter was a bit boring for me. Perhaps it’s an age thing. https://www.netgalley.co.uk/book/2160...

[Emma Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that great. Bit too slow for my liking. All very predictable and not particularly well written. Hoping the next one will be better. Felt rushed somehow. It was a shame. Thought the first book was better.

[Emma Ounsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A paranoid thriller with a steady pace and exciting plot.
The tech route is done thing we all have experience in which makes this book more valid than ever.
Characters were well written and the setting from the house made all the more claustrophobic by the over-the-top security.
Enjoyed!

[Suzi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm afraid this was a bit frustrating to me. I can't imagine not working things out sooner if you were living in this particular scenario. The main character was also so gullible and afraid it just didn't seem realistic enough to me.

[Roberta Marquez]

Available now

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[Alanna Burbidge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good

[Claire Coupland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing thriller, I was on the edge of my seat. Well structured, it kept me guessing until the very end. A great thriller!

[Sarah Hoey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was totally hooked on this page turner and it kept me guessing! Definitely worth a read!

[Corinne Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of turns and twists Quick read but not one of my favourites

[miss claire l perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!

I really enjoyed this, it was twisty and really did keep me guessing. Nothing violent or gory which makes a nice change!