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The Long Weekend
Fast paced and incredibly compelling . . . this book will not let you put it down. -- SHARI LAPENA
In this pulse-pounding thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny, a group of women travel to the most remote place in England for a weekend escape, only to discover a startling note that one of their husbands will be killed before they return home--perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.
Three couples
Two bodies
One secret
Dark Fell Barn is a "perfectly isolated" retreat, or so says its website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need.
The women arrive for a girls' night ahead of their husbands. There's ex-Army Jayne, hardened and serious, but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young Emily, just wed and insecure, the newest addition of this tight-knit band. Missing this year is Edie, who was the glue holding them together, until her husband died suddenly.
But what they hoped would be a relaxing break soon turns to horror. Upon arrival at Dark Fell Barn, the women find a devastating note claiming one of their husbands will be murdered. There are no phones, no cell service to check on their men. Friendships fracture as the situation spins wildly out of control. Betrayal can come in many forms.
This group has kept each other's secrets for far too long.
In this pulse-pounding thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny, a group of women travel to the most remote place in England for a weekend escape, only to discover a startling note that one of their husbands will be killed before they return home--perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.
Three couples
Two bodies
One secret
Dark Fell Barn is a "perfectly isolated" retreat, or so says its website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need.
The women arrive for a girls' night ahead of their husbands. There's ex-Army Jayne, hardened and serious, but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young Emily, just wed and insecure, the newest addition of this tight-knit band. Missing this year is Edie, who was the glue holding them together, until her husband died suddenly.
But what they hoped would be a relaxing break soon turns to horror. Upon arrival at Dark Fell Barn, the women find a devastating note claiming one of their husbands will be murdered. There are no phones, no cell service to check on their men. Friendships fracture as the situation spins wildly out of control. Betrayal can come in many forms.
This group has kept each other's secrets for far too long.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2022
1602 people are currently reading
32787 people want to read
About the author
Gilly Macmillan
15 books5,435 followersGilly Macmillan is the New York Times & Sunday Times bestselling author of TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, THE NANNY, WHAT SHE KNEW (previously published as BURNT PAPER SKY in some territories), THE PERFECT GIRL, ODD CHILD OUT & I KNOW YOU KNOW.
Gilly is Edgar Award nominated and an ITW award finalist. Her books have been translated into over 20 languages.
She grew up in Swindon, Wiltshire and also lived in Northern California. She studied History of Art at Bristol University and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.
Gilly lives in Bristol, UK with her family and writes full time. She’s currently working on her seventh novel.
Gilly is Edgar Award nominated and an ITW award finalist. Her books have been translated into over 20 languages.
She grew up in Swindon, Wiltshire and also lived in Northern California. She studied History of Art at Bristol University and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.
Gilly lives in Bristol, UK with her family and writes full time. She’s currently working on her seventh novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,756 reviews
November 30, 2022
Wow! This is one of the best written, complex, twisty, extra smart and most intense stories Gilly MacMillan created!
The deeply layered, flawed, broken characters she’s developed catch you unguarded. Most of them are not likable but you still feel empathy for them after learning more about their problematic pasts.
Entire progression needs your full attention because POVs of the story changes without giving any warning. And there’s a big twist is coming at the first third hits you so hard: you keep saying: stupid, stupid, stupid ( that’s what I told myself)
The plot is moving, eccentric, absolutely riveting;
Longtime friendship: a loyal gang: they’re like family! Four men and a lady!
Rob, Toby, Mark, Paul and Edie! Edie already wrapped those four boys in her little finger. She chose to marry with Rob and those heartbroken three boys moved on their lives by marrying with lovely wives. Mark starts working at army intelligence, meeting with his wife Jayne: smart, secluded, straight-laced, tough woman who still has second thoughts why that handsome man chose her.
Toby, professor, nerdy, finds Ruth: accomplished doctor, who is mentally trainwreck, struggling mom, suffering from insecurity and alcoholism.
Paul marries young, determined, pretty Emily who suffers from trust issues after her father’s abandonment and lying to her family.
I have to admit: the first half of the book is breathtaking! The mystical Northumbrian farm surrounded by ancient burial grounds, lack of communication with outside world, the storm- the lightnings- the incessant rain makes you feel you are stuck in a movie scene reminds you of Se7en meets Wuthering Heights.
There are myths about shapeshifters lurking around the woods. And three women find themselves in that claustrophobic cabin in the woods mystery, keeping secrets from each other and none of them are mentally stable. The tension is building. Somebody plays a really psychotic game with them!
Jayne has a hidden agenda to choose this exact place for their long weekend. Ruth fuels her delusions with alcohol, resentment, anger and fear and Emily acts like rebellious teenage daughter who got captivated by annoying adults. The note Edie sent raise their suspicions. Could Edie kill one of their husbands? Or could someone write a note behalf of her? And finally where the hell their husbands are? Why three of them have excuses to arrive lately at the same time?
Second half of the book: we have revelations, learning more about the culprit and how his/ her mind works. Especially last forty page kept me on my toes! Things get completely out of control. You just get shocked, you keep screaming because anyone can die!
Okay I have so much away! Normally I would give four stars to this reading but at last pages I had so much fun and I improved my villanelle laugh! It was freaking fantastic! Even though confusing POV direction gave me a little headache, I truly awed intelligent mind of the author! So I’m rounding up my 4.5 to 5 tricky, gripping, shocking stars!
The deeply layered, flawed, broken characters she’s developed catch you unguarded. Most of them are not likable but you still feel empathy for them after learning more about their problematic pasts.
Entire progression needs your full attention because POVs of the story changes without giving any warning. And there’s a big twist is coming at the first third hits you so hard: you keep saying: stupid, stupid, stupid ( that’s what I told myself)
The plot is moving, eccentric, absolutely riveting;
Longtime friendship: a loyal gang: they’re like family! Four men and a lady!
Rob, Toby, Mark, Paul and Edie! Edie already wrapped those four boys in her little finger. She chose to marry with Rob and those heartbroken three boys moved on their lives by marrying with lovely wives. Mark starts working at army intelligence, meeting with his wife Jayne: smart, secluded, straight-laced, tough woman who still has second thoughts why that handsome man chose her.
Toby, professor, nerdy, finds Ruth: accomplished doctor, who is mentally trainwreck, struggling mom, suffering from insecurity and alcoholism.
Paul marries young, determined, pretty Emily who suffers from trust issues after her father’s abandonment and lying to her family.
I have to admit: the first half of the book is breathtaking! The mystical Northumbrian farm surrounded by ancient burial grounds, lack of communication with outside world, the storm- the lightnings- the incessant rain makes you feel you are stuck in a movie scene reminds you of Se7en meets Wuthering Heights.
There are myths about shapeshifters lurking around the woods. And three women find themselves in that claustrophobic cabin in the woods mystery, keeping secrets from each other and none of them are mentally stable. The tension is building. Somebody plays a really psychotic game with them!
Jayne has a hidden agenda to choose this exact place for their long weekend. Ruth fuels her delusions with alcohol, resentment, anger and fear and Emily acts like rebellious teenage daughter who got captivated by annoying adults. The note Edie sent raise their suspicions. Could Edie kill one of their husbands? Or could someone write a note behalf of her? And finally where the hell their husbands are? Why three of them have excuses to arrive lately at the same time?
Second half of the book: we have revelations, learning more about the culprit and how his/ her mind works. Especially last forty page kept me on my toes! Things get completely out of control. You just get shocked, you keep screaming because anyone can die!
Okay I have so much away! Normally I would give four stars to this reading but at last pages I had so much fun and I improved my villanelle laugh! It was freaking fantastic! Even though confusing POV direction gave me a little headache, I truly awed intelligent mind of the author! So I’m rounding up my 4.5 to 5 tricky, gripping, shocking stars!
March 21, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded up.
Was kind of eye rolling in the beginning but as the twists started being revealed I liked it more and more. Surprising thriller!
At first, I thought it was kind of a silly, basic thriller setup. Three couples are supposed to go to a remote, isolated location for a weekend away. The husbands all have things come up so they send the three wives ahead with the promise to catch up with them the next day. When the women arrive, there is a note from another woman--Edie--who was part of the fourth couple in the group, but her husband has died. She tells them in the note that she has killed at least one of their husbands. Then a storm hits, so they can't leave and they have no phone service.
This is a very common thriller setup--oh no! something bad is happening and we are stuck with a storm and can't leave! We can't call and warn our husbands or check to see if they are ok!
But then...everything I thought was going on turned on its head. The book is told from multiple perspectives, and sometimes the perspective is anonymous and I fell into the trap of thinking that person was one character, then another--it was a challenge to puzzle out who it was and what their motivation was!
Fun thriller with many surprises, recommended!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Was kind of eye rolling in the beginning but as the twists started being revealed I liked it more and more. Surprising thriller!
At first, I thought it was kind of a silly, basic thriller setup. Three couples are supposed to go to a remote, isolated location for a weekend away. The husbands all have things come up so they send the three wives ahead with the promise to catch up with them the next day. When the women arrive, there is a note from another woman--Edie--who was part of the fourth couple in the group, but her husband has died. She tells them in the note that she has killed at least one of their husbands. Then a storm hits, so they can't leave and they have no phone service.
This is a very common thriller setup--oh no! something bad is happening and we are stuck with a storm and can't leave! We can't call and warn our husbands or check to see if they are ok!
But then...everything I thought was going on turned on its head. The book is told from multiple perspectives, and sometimes the perspective is anonymous and I fell into the trap of thinking that person was one character, then another--it was a challenge to puzzle out who it was and what their motivation was!
Fun thriller with many surprises, recommended!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
January 3, 2025
A book with a synopsis that promises me a perfectly isolated retreat, a friend's group weekend getaway, a relaxing break turning to horror, three couples, two bodies, one secret, is a book I am going to read.
The Long Weekend has been screaming at me to pick it up since it released in March of this year. I've been waiting for an audiobook copy from my library for months.
Alas, it came through and I immediately downloaded it. While I was able to finish it in less than 24-hours, this was not it.
It started with a wee bit of promise. The women were actually heading out on their weekend retreat, but nothing else connected with me. Literally zero things.
Once the women arrived at Dark Fell Barn, they proceeded to do nothing that would equate to the intent to have a fun weekend holiday. They were all so wrapped up in their own heads; just miserable. Why even bother?
Additionally, do I need the perspectives of the property owners? I hated the inclusion of them and their lives into my friend's weekend getaway. It was such a waste of words.
Imagine my surprise then when the said weekend getaway lasts less than 24-hours. There goes any hope of our isolated retreat vibes because we're returning to the city.
This has to be the lamest weekend getaway of all time. Further where it goes from there, not what I signed up for. I'm so glad this is over.
Moving on...
As always though, let me leave you with this: just because this book did not work for me, does not mean it will not work for you. It just didn't suit my personal tastes and wasn't what I was looking for when I picked it up.
I know that many, many Readers are going to have a lot of fun with this, so please don't let my disappointment sway you from picking it up if it sounds interesting to you.
What the heck do I know, anyway!?
The Long Weekend has been screaming at me to pick it up since it released in March of this year. I've been waiting for an audiobook copy from my library for months.
Alas, it came through and I immediately downloaded it. While I was able to finish it in less than 24-hours, this was not it.
It started with a wee bit of promise. The women were actually heading out on their weekend retreat, but nothing else connected with me. Literally zero things.
Once the women arrived at Dark Fell Barn, they proceeded to do nothing that would equate to the intent to have a fun weekend holiday. They were all so wrapped up in their own heads; just miserable. Why even bother?
Additionally, do I need the perspectives of the property owners? I hated the inclusion of them and their lives into my friend's weekend getaway. It was such a waste of words.
Imagine my surprise then when the said weekend getaway lasts less than 24-hours. There goes any hope of our isolated retreat vibes because we're returning to the city.
This has to be the lamest weekend getaway of all time. Further where it goes from there, not what I signed up for. I'm so glad this is over.
Moving on...
As always though, let me leave you with this: just because this book did not work for me, does not mean it will not work for you. It just didn't suit my personal tastes and wasn't what I was looking for when I picked it up.
I know that many, many Readers are going to have a lot of fun with this, so please don't let my disappointment sway you from picking it up if it sounds interesting to you.
What the heck do I know, anyway!?
May 10, 2022
When John and Maggie, the proprietors of Dark Fell Barn receive a beautifully wrapped gift, and note for their next weekend guests, they are assuming it will be a pleasant surprise for them. After all, the instructions attached ask them to place the gift prominently on the kitchen table, facing the door, with letter leaning against it, so it will be the first thing they see when they enter the room, and stressed the importance of their attention to detail.
Their guests, Jayne, Ruth and Emily will have a girls night on Friday night, because each husband has found an excuse to arrive LATE-their husbands planning on joining them for the rest of the weekend, on Saturday.
But more than one storm is a brewing!
The note attached to the gift, claims that one of their husbands will be murdered that night, and with 📵 no cell service, the roads impassable due to the weather, and the dementia of their host John, causing additional confusion…the women must survive the night before they learn the fate of their spouses.
I LOVED the set-up for this-and for the first several pages, I was HOOKED and perplexed by the mixed reviews, BUT (you knew there was a BUT coming!) this quickly went off the rails 🚂🚂🚂 into crazy territory!
I have enjoyed ALL of Gilly Macmillan’s previous work, but this one was her first MISS for me! If the “crazier the better” is your thing-this just might work for you!
Thank You to my local library for the loan!
Their guests, Jayne, Ruth and Emily will have a girls night on Friday night, because each husband has found an excuse to arrive LATE-their husbands planning on joining them for the rest of the weekend, on Saturday.
But more than one storm is a brewing!
The note attached to the gift, claims that one of their husbands will be murdered that night, and with 📵 no cell service, the roads impassable due to the weather, and the dementia of their host John, causing additional confusion…the women must survive the night before they learn the fate of their spouses.
I LOVED the set-up for this-and for the first several pages, I was HOOKED and perplexed by the mixed reviews, BUT (you knew there was a BUT coming!) this quickly went off the rails 🚂🚂🚂 into crazy territory!
I have enjoyed ALL of Gilly Macmillan’s previous work, but this one was her first MISS for me! If the “crazier the better” is your thing-this just might work for you!
Thank You to my local library for the loan!
January 10, 2022
The 3000 acre isolated Northumbrian farm belonging to the Eliott family is the location for the long weekend. The Elliotts own Dark Fell Barn, a holiday rental, to which Jayne (ex army intelligence), Ruth (a doctor and struggling new mum) and Emily (a much younger new bride) arrive a day in advance of their husbands. The husbands are the glue of the group as their friendship goes way back to school days and this soon becomes very apparent. The fuel added to the fire is a note and gift delivered earlier in the day by a courier from Edie, newly widowed and not part of the weekend fun. The note shockingly claims that one of their husbands will have been murdered by the time they read it. Sit back and let the games begin.
First of all, what is so effective, especially at the start of the book, is the author lulls you into a false sense of security then socks you between the eyes with something! These little bombs (or a big ones at times!) are interspersed with things that seem so normal. It therefore has a much greater shock value as it’s so unexpected. It leads you to make false assumptions several times over and speculations abound! It becomes apparent that secrets and lies lurk close to the surface, there is betrayal and malevolent delusion which beggars belief.
The characterisation is very good though it has to be said that few are likeable. Jayne is very interesting with her traumatic army background, Emily is tougher than she seems and Ruth is a mess. They turn on each other as their suspicions mount, the complex old and new brittle dynamics that fracture with remarkable ease are done very well in a multi layered plot. The pace cleverly rises to a crescendo and then falls as switches point of you leaving you in a state of suspense and desperate to know the outcomes. It definitely makes you eagerly read on. The ending is twisty, exciting and certainly dramatic.
The fantastic, wild, awe inspiring Northumbrian landscape that seems to dwarf you with its vast expanse, with its vagaries of weather, the foliage and animal life are used incredibly effectively to enhance tension, suspense fear and menace. At times it becomes very scary and so hair raising you can scarcely breathe.
My only negative is the initial jumping from character to character takes some getting used to and so it doesn’t flow well at the start. Then it seems to ‘bed in’ and it’s a cracking read from then on.
Overall, this is another winner from the talented Gilly MacMillan.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K. Cornerstone, Century for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
First of all, what is so effective, especially at the start of the book, is the author lulls you into a false sense of security then socks you between the eyes with something! These little bombs (or a big ones at times!) are interspersed with things that seem so normal. It therefore has a much greater shock value as it’s so unexpected. It leads you to make false assumptions several times over and speculations abound! It becomes apparent that secrets and lies lurk close to the surface, there is betrayal and malevolent delusion which beggars belief.
The characterisation is very good though it has to be said that few are likeable. Jayne is very interesting with her traumatic army background, Emily is tougher than she seems and Ruth is a mess. They turn on each other as their suspicions mount, the complex old and new brittle dynamics that fracture with remarkable ease are done very well in a multi layered plot. The pace cleverly rises to a crescendo and then falls as switches point of you leaving you in a state of suspense and desperate to know the outcomes. It definitely makes you eagerly read on. The ending is twisty, exciting and certainly dramatic.
The fantastic, wild, awe inspiring Northumbrian landscape that seems to dwarf you with its vast expanse, with its vagaries of weather, the foliage and animal life are used incredibly effectively to enhance tension, suspense fear and menace. At times it becomes very scary and so hair raising you can scarcely breathe.
My only negative is the initial jumping from character to character takes some getting used to and so it doesn’t flow well at the start. Then it seems to ‘bed in’ and it’s a cracking read from then on.
Overall, this is another winner from the talented Gilly MacMillan.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K. Cornerstone, Century for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
November 5, 2023
Note: I received a free copy of this book. In exchange here is my honest review:
This one is middle of the road for me. 🤔 Parts would grab your attention and then just kinda drop off. 🫠 Was I surprised my the ending, no. But it’s not the worst thing I’ve read. 😉
Thank you @goodreads @gillymacmillan and @williammorrowbooks #goodreadsgiveawayswinner
This one is middle of the road for me. 🤔 Parts would grab your attention and then just kinda drop off. 🫠 Was I surprised my the ending, no. But it’s not the worst thing I’ve read. 😉
Thank you @goodreads @gillymacmillan and @williammorrowbooks #goodreadsgiveawayswinner
August 11, 2022
I struggled with how to rate this one. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was ok. I thought it dragged a lot and then something interesting would happen, then drag again. I struggled to finish it. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more reading the physical copy? 🤷🏻♀️
March 7, 2022
It’s a hoax! Or is it?
Couples’ weekend has gone seriously wrong.
When all three of their husbands are delayed, Emily, Jayne and Ruth set out to the remote Dark Fell Barn for their couples’ weekend alone.
However, things turn sinister when they arrive and find a gift with a suspicious note claiming that one of their husbands will be murdered.
The fourth member of their group, Edie, didn’t join them this weekend due to the recent death of her husband. Did she write the note?
When the weather takes a turn for the worse and tensions run high, the weekend getaway is ruined.
Is one of their husbands really in danger? If so, which one?
Gilly Macmillan packs this atmospheric thriller with trope after trope. Dyscalculia, PTSD, Dissociative Disorder, Dementia, Alcoholism, Psychopathy and more. Combined with an unsavory cast of characters and continually changing perspectives, my mind was spinning!
The long three chapter structure leads to a slower read overall, as it takes a long time for the action to ensue. However, I was hooked by chapter two!
This book will take A LOT of suspension of your beliefs, but is a fun ride. While it is not technically a locked room thriller, it definitely toes the line.
Fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware will really enjoy this one!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected date of publication 3/29/22
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishers for the ARC of The Long Weekend in exchange for an honest review.
Couples’ weekend has gone seriously wrong.
When all three of their husbands are delayed, Emily, Jayne and Ruth set out to the remote Dark Fell Barn for their couples’ weekend alone.
However, things turn sinister when they arrive and find a gift with a suspicious note claiming that one of their husbands will be murdered.
The fourth member of their group, Edie, didn’t join them this weekend due to the recent death of her husband. Did she write the note?
When the weather takes a turn for the worse and tensions run high, the weekend getaway is ruined.
Is one of their husbands really in danger? If so, which one?
Gilly Macmillan packs this atmospheric thriller with trope after trope. Dyscalculia, PTSD, Dissociative Disorder, Dementia, Alcoholism, Psychopathy and more. Combined with an unsavory cast of characters and continually changing perspectives, my mind was spinning!
The long three chapter structure leads to a slower read overall, as it takes a long time for the action to ensue. However, I was hooked by chapter two!
This book will take A LOT of suspension of your beliefs, but is a fun ride. While it is not technically a locked room thriller, it definitely toes the line.
Fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware will really enjoy this one!
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Expected date of publication 3/29/22
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishers for the ARC of The Long Weekend in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2022
EXCERPT: Behind her, something approaches, not quickly, but deliberately. She swings the torch wildly in its direction but sees only foliage, teased by the wind. A shudder ripples through her. Lightning strikes, but it only confuses her, white light glancing off every tree trunk, picking out every leaf and thorn and bramble.
She feels spotlit by it, intensely vulnerable, and takes off down the hill, running as quickly as she can, not caring what she steps on, or whether she risks falling. She feels possessed by fear, driven by it. The torch beam bounces, illuminating things at random. A tree, the ground, a face.
Emily doesn't see the log across the lane. Her toes hit it, hard, and she falls heavily. Her phone flies from her hand. For a moment, the large puddle it lands in glows, lit from within, before reverting to oily black. Emily lies still, wet, shocked, cold to her bones, and in the deepest darkness she's ever been alone in. She begins to push herself up and her whole body starts to shake.
A few feet from her, a hand reaches towards the puddle where her phone has sunk, dips into the water, and removes it.
ABOUT 'THE LONG WEEKEND': Three couples. Two bodies. One secret.
Dark Fell Barn is a “perfectly isolated” retreat, or so says its website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need.
The women arrive for a girls’ night ahead of their husbands. There’s ex-Army Jayne, hardened and serious, but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young Emily, just wed and insecure, the newest addition of this tight-knit band. Missing this year is Edie, who was the glue holding them together until her husband died suddenly.
But what they hoped would be a relaxing break soon turns to horror. Upon arrival at Dark Fell Barn, the women find a devastating note claiming one of their husbands will be murdered. There are no phones, no cell service to check on their men. Friendships fracture as the situation spins wildly out of control. Betrayal can come in many forms.
This group has kept each other’s secrets for far too long.
MY THOUGHTS: I raced through the first two thirds of The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan, the story tautly paced, compelling and atmospheric. But then . . . (my hand is doing that wavering thing here) the author started to lose me. It started to get messy and disjointed and, frankly, more than a little unrealistic. Melodramatic is another word that comes to mind.
None of the main characters are particularly likeable. We initially meet only the women: Ruth, a doctor, alcoholic, increasingly paranoid new mother, married to Toby, and whose life is rapidly unraveling; Jayne, ex-army, suffering from PTSD, married to Mark, also ex-army; Emily, the newbie in the group, younger than the others, and married to Paul. The women are together because of their husbands longstanding friendship. These are not women who would ever have been friends otherwise. They are not particularly close and now find themselves in a remote and hostile environment without the buffer of their husbands, recipients of a strange and threatening letter, signed 'E'.
Edie: the only woman in the men's longterm friendship group; at school with them all and married to the fourth of the men, Rob, recently killed in an accident, and struggling to adjust to life without him. Toby, Mark and Paul have formed a protective circle around her, dropping anything and everything to be at her beck and call. Edie is the only one of the wives not going on the retreat. She is upset that the group is continuing with the annual tradition so soon after Rob's death, not even skipping a year. Is that why she has written the vitriolic and threatening letter? Or is there a completely different reason for it?
I loved the first two thirds of this read, and tolerated the remainder of it. Overall it's a good read, just not great like I have come to expect from this author.
⭐⭐⭐.1
#TheLongWeekend #NetGalley
I: @gillymacmillan @randomhouse
T: @GillyMacmillan @randomhouseuk
#contemporaryfiction #crime #domesticdrama #mystery #psychologicalthriller #suspense
THE AUTHOR: Gilly Macmillan grew up in Swindon, Wiltshire and also lived in Northern California. She studied History of Art at Bristol University and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.
Gilly lives in Bristol, UK with her family and writes full time.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
She feels spotlit by it, intensely vulnerable, and takes off down the hill, running as quickly as she can, not caring what she steps on, or whether she risks falling. She feels possessed by fear, driven by it. The torch beam bounces, illuminating things at random. A tree, the ground, a face.
Emily doesn't see the log across the lane. Her toes hit it, hard, and she falls heavily. Her phone flies from her hand. For a moment, the large puddle it lands in glows, lit from within, before reverting to oily black. Emily lies still, wet, shocked, cold to her bones, and in the deepest darkness she's ever been alone in. She begins to push herself up and her whole body starts to shake.
A few feet from her, a hand reaches towards the puddle where her phone has sunk, dips into the water, and removes it.
ABOUT 'THE LONG WEEKEND': Three couples. Two bodies. One secret.
Dark Fell Barn is a “perfectly isolated” retreat, or so says its website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need.
The women arrive for a girls’ night ahead of their husbands. There’s ex-Army Jayne, hardened and serious, but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young Emily, just wed and insecure, the newest addition of this tight-knit band. Missing this year is Edie, who was the glue holding them together until her husband died suddenly.
But what they hoped would be a relaxing break soon turns to horror. Upon arrival at Dark Fell Barn, the women find a devastating note claiming one of their husbands will be murdered. There are no phones, no cell service to check on their men. Friendships fracture as the situation spins wildly out of control. Betrayal can come in many forms.
This group has kept each other’s secrets for far too long.
MY THOUGHTS: I raced through the first two thirds of The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan, the story tautly paced, compelling and atmospheric. But then . . . (my hand is doing that wavering thing here) the author started to lose me. It started to get messy and disjointed and, frankly, more than a little unrealistic. Melodramatic is another word that comes to mind.
None of the main characters are particularly likeable. We initially meet only the women: Ruth, a doctor, alcoholic, increasingly paranoid new mother, married to Toby, and whose life is rapidly unraveling; Jayne, ex-army, suffering from PTSD, married to Mark, also ex-army; Emily, the newbie in the group, younger than the others, and married to Paul. The women are together because of their husbands longstanding friendship. These are not women who would ever have been friends otherwise. They are not particularly close and now find themselves in a remote and hostile environment without the buffer of their husbands, recipients of a strange and threatening letter, signed 'E'.
Edie: the only woman in the men's longterm friendship group; at school with them all and married to the fourth of the men, Rob, recently killed in an accident, and struggling to adjust to life without him. Toby, Mark and Paul have formed a protective circle around her, dropping anything and everything to be at her beck and call. Edie is the only one of the wives not going on the retreat. She is upset that the group is continuing with the annual tradition so soon after Rob's death, not even skipping a year. Is that why she has written the vitriolic and threatening letter? Or is there a completely different reason for it?
I loved the first two thirds of this read, and tolerated the remainder of it. Overall it's a good read, just not great like I have come to expect from this author.
⭐⭐⭐.1
#TheLongWeekend #NetGalley
I: @gillymacmillan @randomhouse
T: @GillyMacmillan @randomhouseuk
#contemporaryfiction #crime #domesticdrama #mystery #psychologicalthriller #suspense
THE AUTHOR: Gilly Macmillan grew up in Swindon, Wiltshire and also lived in Northern California. She studied History of Art at Bristol University and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.
Gilly lives in Bristol, UK with her family and writes full time.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Long Weekend by Gilly Macmillan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
January 23, 2022
A relaxing long weekend away for three couples goes horribly wrong, becoming instead the weekend from hell.
From the outset, this annual long weekend planned as an idyllic break for three couples got off to a bad start. For various reasons the three men, Paul, Toby and Mark, were unable to get away until the following day so their wives went ahead to spend the night alone in the off-grid, refurbished barn they had booked on a remote farm in Northumbria.
A cosy fire, a good meal and a few glasses of wine sounded like the perfect way to spend an evening before the men arrive the next day. It would help the newest wife, Emily get to know the other two women, Jayne and Rachel. However, after the farmer had driven them up to the isolated barn and left them on their own, they found a disturbing letter which would change everything for them. Waiting for them on the kitchen table, the letter claimed to be from their close friend Edie, stating that she had murdered one of their husbands. With no phone or internet reception, the women became frantic, unable to contact their husbands to reassure themselves this was just a poorly judged joke.
The group was originally made up of four couples. Rob, Toby, Mark and Edie had all been close friends at school, along with the boys’ rugby coach Paul. As students they would holiday together, and after Paul and Edie married, would go away on couples’ weekends with their wives or partners. However, since Paul had recently died in an accident, Edie turned down the invitation to join the other three couples, so this weekend was always going to be different.
With a storm closing in, tensions build as the women try to reassure each other that the letter must be a hoax. After all, why would Edie want to murder one of her life-long best friends? However, each of them feels anxious worrying that it is her husband who has been murdered. As the night goes on, strange things start to happen, and they become more and more desperate, chaotically charging around the property in the dark trying to get a phone signal or searching for the way back to the farmhouse in the storm.
Told from multiple viewpoints, by the three women and the farmer as well as an unidentified voice belonging to someone who is clearly deranged and obsessed with carrying out a disturbing plan. The lack of chapter breaks made it a little confusing initially to know which character is narrating at any time, but this improved once their voices become clearer and everyone’s actions and motives started to come into focus.
All the couples have flawed marriages and secrets they are keeping from each other and their partners. New mother Rachel, normally a capable doctor, is reeling from coping with her new baby and Toby’s refusal to help out and is self-anaesthetising by drinking heavily. New wife Emily has found out that Paul lied to her about a trip he took and in no longer sure about trusting the man she dearly loves. Jayne has her own issues she has been hiding since she left her job in army intelligence, and perhaps doesn’t know Mark as well as she thinks she does.
Dark and intense, this is a tale of obsession overlaid with a menacing atmosphere as the sinister plot slowly unfurls.
With thanks to Random House UK and Netgalley for a copy to read. Publication expected 3rd February. Original review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th...
From the outset, this annual long weekend planned as an idyllic break for three couples got off to a bad start. For various reasons the three men, Paul, Toby and Mark, were unable to get away until the following day so their wives went ahead to spend the night alone in the off-grid, refurbished barn they had booked on a remote farm in Northumbria.
A cosy fire, a good meal and a few glasses of wine sounded like the perfect way to spend an evening before the men arrive the next day. It would help the newest wife, Emily get to know the other two women, Jayne and Rachel. However, after the farmer had driven them up to the isolated barn and left them on their own, they found a disturbing letter which would change everything for them. Waiting for them on the kitchen table, the letter claimed to be from their close friend Edie, stating that she had murdered one of their husbands. With no phone or internet reception, the women became frantic, unable to contact their husbands to reassure themselves this was just a poorly judged joke.
The group was originally made up of four couples. Rob, Toby, Mark and Edie had all been close friends at school, along with the boys’ rugby coach Paul. As students they would holiday together, and after Paul and Edie married, would go away on couples’ weekends with their wives or partners. However, since Paul had recently died in an accident, Edie turned down the invitation to join the other three couples, so this weekend was always going to be different.
With a storm closing in, tensions build as the women try to reassure each other that the letter must be a hoax. After all, why would Edie want to murder one of her life-long best friends? However, each of them feels anxious worrying that it is her husband who has been murdered. As the night goes on, strange things start to happen, and they become more and more desperate, chaotically charging around the property in the dark trying to get a phone signal or searching for the way back to the farmhouse in the storm.
Told from multiple viewpoints, by the three women and the farmer as well as an unidentified voice belonging to someone who is clearly deranged and obsessed with carrying out a disturbing plan. The lack of chapter breaks made it a little confusing initially to know which character is narrating at any time, but this improved once their voices become clearer and everyone’s actions and motives started to come into focus.
All the couples have flawed marriages and secrets they are keeping from each other and their partners. New mother Rachel, normally a capable doctor, is reeling from coping with her new baby and Toby’s refusal to help out and is self-anaesthetising by drinking heavily. New wife Emily has found out that Paul lied to her about a trip he took and in no longer sure about trusting the man she dearly loves. Jayne has her own issues she has been hiding since she left her job in army intelligence, and perhaps doesn’t know Mark as well as she thinks she does.
Dark and intense, this is a tale of obsession overlaid with a menacing atmosphere as the sinister plot slowly unfurls.
With thanks to Random House UK and Netgalley for a copy to read. Publication expected 3rd February. Original review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th...
June 11, 2023
2.5 stars
Enjoyed the atmosphere and foreboding suspense and tension but I couldn’t get myself invested in the adults acting like teenagers storyline. Also found the lack of chapters made the book drag. Found myself mixed up between characters a few times. A decent twist along the way but overall, it wasn’t for me.
Enjoyed the atmosphere and foreboding suspense and tension but I couldn’t get myself invested in the adults acting like teenagers storyline. Also found the lack of chapters made the book drag. Found myself mixed up between characters a few times. A decent twist along the way but overall, it wasn’t for me.
November 14, 2024
Not for me confusing to the point I don’t know what the hell is going on!!!!!
March 25, 2022
Such an absolute middle-of-the-road, mediocre read. And for once, I don't even think I'm an outlier here in my opinion, as most reviews I've read seem to have similar thoughts.
In a nutshell, three woman, whose spouses are all lifelong friends, do a weekend getaway to an isolated, remote, refinished barn. All three of their spouses have something come up at the last minute (not suspicious at all), so the three women go on their own. Of course there is a storm that knocks out cell service yatta yatta, and the owner of the barn who drives the women there has lewy body dementia, which causes him to act erratically. The women drink and stress over the fact that their men are unreachable. Simultaneously, you know a murder takes place because there is a body being transported to a deep freezer in a storage locker, but you have no clue who the victim and killer are until close to the end.
This ARC was hard to read, as there were no chapters and everything was run together, so it made the different POVs feel even more disjointed. The three women's voices were all over the places, and I had to keep looking back to see which woman was which. I didn't really care for any of the three women either, so that likely didn't help. I kept reading for the "big reveal" but honestly, once that happens, the plot falls apart even more.
Overall, due to way too many plot holes and very disjointed storytelling, this was barely a 3-star read for me. I think this is a very "skippable" book for thriller fans.
In a nutshell, three woman, whose spouses are all lifelong friends, do a weekend getaway to an isolated, remote, refinished barn. All three of their spouses have something come up at the last minute (not suspicious at all), so the three women go on their own. Of course there is a storm that knocks out cell service yatta yatta, and the owner of the barn who drives the women there has lewy body dementia, which causes him to act erratically. The women drink and stress over the fact that their men are unreachable. Simultaneously, you know a murder takes place because there is a body being transported to a deep freezer in a storage locker, but you have no clue who the victim and killer are until close to the end.
This ARC was hard to read, as there were no chapters and everything was run together, so it made the different POVs feel even more disjointed. The three women's voices were all over the places, and I had to keep looking back to see which woman was which. I didn't really care for any of the three women either, so that likely didn't help. I kept reading for the "big reveal" but honestly, once that happens, the plot falls apart even more.
Overall, due to way too many plot holes and very disjointed storytelling, this was barely a 3-star read for me. I think this is a very "skippable" book for thriller fans.
April 21, 2022
This is one of the most annoying books I've ever read. Not a single likable or interesting character, each behaves more over-the-top than the next and all are just a bunch of boorish drama queens overreacting to just about everything. The story starts out fine but quickly devolves into a melodramatic mess. Point of view shifts quite rapidly, sometimes between paragraphs, which serves to drain the story of any competent narrative. Very few surprises along the way and the story ends about as silly as the rest of what came before. Macmillan, like too many other authors I've encountered recently, used to write with an edge that separated her books from the many others in the genre, but now seems to have caved to writing commercial slop that appeals to people that like their thrillers dopey and stilted. Such a disappointment. Doubt I'll be going back to her anytime soon.
December 10, 2021
Rating: 2.0/5
Three women find themselves in a secluded retreat in deepest Northumberland, with their respective husbands due to be joining them the following morning. But when they receive an ominous message saying, "By the time you've read this, I'll have killed one of your husbands" the mood amongst the group of friends changes very quickly.
The premise sounded appealing - not completely original - but the kind of basis that has formed a solid foundation for many enjoyable mysteries I have read over the years. However, unfortunately, I found this latest offering from Gilly Macmillan heavy going. I didn't really mind that the setting with the isolated location and the group of women with troubled, secretive histories has all been done before - but I have seen it handled so much better. This is clumsy, more than a touch melodramatic, unbelievable and silly.
Shortcomings of the storyline aside, I also found the reading experience hampered by the fact that the book is not broken down into chapters. This seemed like a particularly strange decision when you consider that the narrative is provided from the viewpoints of several different characters. But, not only are there no chapter intervals, but there is also no signposting to make clear whose point of view you are seeing at any given time. This was regularly frustrating and meant that I found myself having to check back or re-read sections to make sure which protagonist was providing the account at that time. I am all in favour of writers challenging a reader's expectations and experimenting with literary devices, but in this instance it really didn't work well.
Ultimately, I was just glad to get to the end, so that I could put this back on the shelf and move onto something else. Sadly, another case of a synopsis that simply flatters to deceive.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
Three women find themselves in a secluded retreat in deepest Northumberland, with their respective husbands due to be joining them the following morning. But when they receive an ominous message saying, "By the time you've read this, I'll have killed one of your husbands" the mood amongst the group of friends changes very quickly.
The premise sounded appealing - not completely original - but the kind of basis that has formed a solid foundation for many enjoyable mysteries I have read over the years. However, unfortunately, I found this latest offering from Gilly Macmillan heavy going. I didn't really mind that the setting with the isolated location and the group of women with troubled, secretive histories has all been done before - but I have seen it handled so much better. This is clumsy, more than a touch melodramatic, unbelievable and silly.
Shortcomings of the storyline aside, I also found the reading experience hampered by the fact that the book is not broken down into chapters. This seemed like a particularly strange decision when you consider that the narrative is provided from the viewpoints of several different characters. But, not only are there no chapter intervals, but there is also no signposting to make clear whose point of view you are seeing at any given time. This was regularly frustrating and meant that I found myself having to check back or re-read sections to make sure which protagonist was providing the account at that time. I am all in favour of writers challenging a reader's expectations and experimenting with literary devices, but in this instance it really didn't work well.
Ultimately, I was just glad to get to the end, so that I could put this back on the shelf and move onto something else. Sadly, another case of a synopsis that simply flatters to deceive.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
December 19, 2021
This is the second book that I have read this month called The Long Weekend, but this one was so very different to the first! This Long Weekend is absolutely one that I am glad I wasn't part of. I don't think that there was one character in this book that I liked or cared about. But in this case I feel that it didn't matter, It was a dark and pretty intense read that kept me guessing until the end.
This book does jump around a lot., between time periods and characters. Once I got used to that it was such a great read. A weekend away for a group friends turns deadly. The women arrive the night before their partners and are greeted by a letter saying that one of their husbands has been murdered. There is no mobile service and tensions run high. Desperate to contact their husbands, drastic measures need to be taken.
All of these women and their partners are hiding something and have their problems. None of them are people that I would want to be friends with.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for my advanced copy of this book to read. Released February 3rd, 2022
This book does jump around a lot., between time periods and characters. Once I got used to that it was such a great read. A weekend away for a group friends turns deadly. The women arrive the night before their partners and are greeted by a letter saying that one of their husbands has been murdered. There is no mobile service and tensions run high. Desperate to contact their husbands, drastic measures need to be taken.
All of these women and their partners are hiding something and have their problems. None of them are people that I would want to be friends with.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for my advanced copy of this book to read. Released February 3rd, 2022
March 21, 2022
Finished! That’s the only unequivocally good thing I can say about this. I struggle to find any deeper meaning. I suppose the plotting was okay, but I didn’t like the style of the author revealing more a little at a time, in annoying bits and pieces. All the characters were either vile or whiny, or both.
The premise sounds intriguing. Three ladies go for a weekend - of course isolated and without network coverage. When the arrive to their far away borrowed barn, they find a note that one of their husbands will be killed. They are supposed to be arriving the next day. Jane, Emily and Ruth don’t know what to think. Emily is the outsider, the new comer, and we’re told how much harder it must be for her at least five times in fifteen minutes of audio book. They’ve all got their nasty little secrets and private agendas.
Surprisingly little of the story actually plays out in the weekend getaway place. Lots is played out at home, in parallel plot lines, before everyone is back where they came from.
It’s not a plotless book, I just didn’t feel that it had anything meaningful to add to the genre or as a comment on the human condition or anything at all. Pointless. Horrible characters being horrible to each other.
The premise sounds intriguing. Three ladies go for a weekend - of course isolated and without network coverage. When the arrive to their far away borrowed barn, they find a note that one of their husbands will be killed. They are supposed to be arriving the next day. Jane, Emily and Ruth don’t know what to think. Emily is the outsider, the new comer, and we’re told how much harder it must be for her at least five times in fifteen minutes of audio book. They’ve all got their nasty little secrets and private agendas.
Surprisingly little of the story actually plays out in the weekend getaway place. Lots is played out at home, in parallel plot lines, before everyone is back where they came from.
It’s not a plotless book, I just didn’t feel that it had anything meaningful to add to the genre or as a comment on the human condition or anything at all. Pointless. Horrible characters being horrible to each other.
December 19, 2021
A mystery told through multiple characters POV’s, full of twists and turns and once you get into the characters is a good read.
Three couples decide to go on an isolated retreat, deep in the Northumbria moors, the three women arrive early for a weekend getaway with their husbands due to join them the following morning. Well that was the plan, because when they get to Dark Fell Barn the women find a note claiming that one of their husbands has been murdered. With no phone or internet coverage in the moors they are stranded and unable to confirm or refute the claim.
The uncertainty of the claim leaves the friends feeling out of control and tempers fragile. Each wife is desperate to know that their husband is safe and an explanation to what is going on. Which husband is in danger and who is responsible.
A good read can get a little confusing with the multiple narrators.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Three couples decide to go on an isolated retreat, deep in the Northumbria moors, the three women arrive early for a weekend getaway with their husbands due to join them the following morning. Well that was the plan, because when they get to Dark Fell Barn the women find a note claiming that one of their husbands has been murdered. With no phone or internet coverage in the moors they are stranded and unable to confirm or refute the claim.
The uncertainty of the claim leaves the friends feeling out of control and tempers fragile. Each wife is desperate to know that their husband is safe and an explanation to what is going on. Which husband is in danger and who is responsible.
A good read can get a little confusing with the multiple narrators.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2022
I was excited for this one so maybe I came into it with too high of expectations, but The Long Weekend did not work for me. I couldn't connect with any of the characters. They were flawed yet very one-dimensional. The mystery was decent enough, but riddled with random disconnects and pointless offshoots. Unfortunately, it all ended up falling a little flat for me.
January 19, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Dark Fell Barn is a "perfectly isolated" retreat, or so it says on the website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need. The women arrive for a girls night ahead of their husbands, There's ex-army Jayne, hardened and serious but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young Emily, Just wed and insecure, the newest addition to the tight-knit band. Missing this year is Edie, who as the glue holding them together until her husband died suddenly. But what they hoped would be a relaxing break soon turns into horror.
This story is told from multiple points of view. The atmosphere is tense, the characters were flawed, unlikable, they all have secrets but they're well developed. You have to give your full attention whilst reading as you don't always know whose speaking and there is no chapters. I enjoyed the mystery and intriguing plotline. The pace is steady in this well written book. I didn't see the last twist coming.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUk #Cornerstone and the author #Gilly Macmillan for my ARC of #TheLongWeekend in exchange for an honest review.
Dark Fell Barn is a "perfectly isolated" retreat, or so it says on the website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need. The women arrive for a girls night ahead of their husbands, There's ex-army Jayne, hardened and serious but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young Emily, Just wed and insecure, the newest addition to the tight-knit band. Missing this year is Edie, who as the glue holding them together until her husband died suddenly. But what they hoped would be a relaxing break soon turns into horror.
This story is told from multiple points of view. The atmosphere is tense, the characters were flawed, unlikable, they all have secrets but they're well developed. You have to give your full attention whilst reading as you don't always know whose speaking and there is no chapters. I enjoyed the mystery and intriguing plotline. The pace is steady in this well written book. I didn't see the last twist coming.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUk #Cornerstone and the author #Gilly Macmillan for my ARC of #TheLongWeekend in exchange for an honest review.
December 24, 2022
3.4 Stars
After a rough year in which they lost one of their own, a group of married friends takes a long weekend at Dark Fell Barn is exactly what they need. Located remotely and removed from Wi-Fi, cell phone reception, and all of the other distractions of normal day life, this long weekend will be incredibly relaxing and healing...or will it?! What this group doesn't know is that someone has other plans in mind. As soon as the wives, who are traveling ahead of their husbands, arrive they immediately are delivered a letter. This letter illustrates plans that include blackmail, threats of bodily harm and even murder! Is this a hoax or something they should actually take seriously?
It took me quite some time to get used to the format and writing style in this novel and in addition to that, an above-average amount of perspectives made it extremely difficult to pin down all of these incredibly neurotic and deeply flawed characters until about 3/4 of the way through... Which was way too much work! The story in itself was pretty interesting and the perspective from the sociopath especially was intriguing, and even more so just plain amusing... Heck, all of the characters were batshit crazy in their own way, if I'm being honest!! If you can't enjoy a book in which the characters are all incredibly unlikeable, this is definitely not the book for you! This novel was different from her previous work that I've read, and it was a departure in style as well, IMO, making what I hoped to be her best novel yet in fact my least favorite. I hate it when that happens! Moving on!
After a rough year in which they lost one of their own, a group of married friends takes a long weekend at Dark Fell Barn is exactly what they need. Located remotely and removed from Wi-Fi, cell phone reception, and all of the other distractions of normal day life, this long weekend will be incredibly relaxing and healing...or will it?! What this group doesn't know is that someone has other plans in mind. As soon as the wives, who are traveling ahead of their husbands, arrive they immediately are delivered a letter. This letter illustrates plans that include blackmail, threats of bodily harm and even murder! Is this a hoax or something they should actually take seriously?
It took me quite some time to get used to the format and writing style in this novel and in addition to that, an above-average amount of perspectives made it extremely difficult to pin down all of these incredibly neurotic and deeply flawed characters until about 3/4 of the way through... Which was way too much work! The story in itself was pretty interesting and the perspective from the sociopath especially was intriguing, and even more so just plain amusing... Heck, all of the characters were batshit crazy in their own way, if I'm being honest!! If you can't enjoy a book in which the characters are all incredibly unlikeable, this is definitely not the book for you! This novel was different from her previous work that I've read, and it was a departure in style as well, IMO, making what I hoped to be her best novel yet in fact my least favorite. I hate it when that happens! Moving on!
December 29, 2023
This is probably a LOT more enjoyable in a physical format. I was again faced with an audio narrator trying to narrate multiple characters with little differentiation between voices, including male and female characters.
This can be dealt with in some books because the character's name is on the chapter, but for this one, a few HUGE chapters had no such distinction. It became frustrating to constantly jump back and determine which character was narrating now and then try to sort out the information I knew.
This would have been eliminated in the physical format, and the many twists and turns that Gilly Macmillan concocted would have been more enjoyable.
In some ways, too much was going on to shock the reader. I did enjoy the overall reveal; I guessed some things, but not all. It had a few really creepy personalities.
Overall, I was more frustrated in figuring out what character was speaking at any time to get fully lost in the story.
3 Stars.
This can be dealt with in some books because the character's name is on the chapter, but for this one, a few HUGE chapters had no such distinction. It became frustrating to constantly jump back and determine which character was narrating now and then try to sort out the information I knew.
This would have been eliminated in the physical format, and the many twists and turns that Gilly Macmillan concocted would have been more enjoyable.
In some ways, too much was going on to shock the reader. I did enjoy the overall reveal; I guessed some things, but not all. It had a few really creepy personalities.
Overall, I was more frustrated in figuring out what character was speaking at any time to get fully lost in the story.
3 Stars.
dnf
February 16, 2022Three strikes and I’m out. This author and I do not mix well. I can understand her popularity, but her books are just not for me.
May 10, 2022
This is such a well thought out and tense thriller that had my nerves frayed and my heart racing until the very end.
There's a lot of heartbreak, drama and destruction that unfolds in this story. MacMillan pulled no punches in portraying realistic actions and reactions. It really makes you stop and think how you would react if placed in a situation like that: Being isolated, not knowing if this is a hoax or if your husband is in fact dead, having to navigate this with women you're not close to and find no comfort in. (I could definitely see myself reacting similarly to Emily).
Likewise, the ending wasn't one of those "everyone lived happily ever after" types that are pretty common and very unrealistic. This ending was a fairly accurate depiction of people dealing with the fallout and aftermath of horrible and life-altering events.
And I'm going to be honest, I ugly cried over John's story arc. Through his perspective, we glimpse the heartbreaking reality of navigating life with Dementia and slowly losing more and more of yourself to it. (Excuse me while I tear up again).
Folklore on shapeshifters is incorporated into the story, and it's such a perfect allegory for Dementia. It's inclusion was brilliant!
I've not always been a big fan of Gilly MacMillan, but I really loved this book! If your a fan of taut, fast-paced thrillers give this one a read.
Trigger Warning: Dementia, Mental Health Issues, Alcoholism, Suicide
There's a lot of heartbreak, drama and destruction that unfolds in this story. MacMillan pulled no punches in portraying realistic actions and reactions. It really makes you stop and think how you would react if placed in a situation like that: Being isolated, not knowing if this is a hoax or if your husband is in fact dead, having to navigate this with women you're not close to and find no comfort in. (I could definitely see myself reacting similarly to Emily).
Likewise, the ending wasn't one of those "everyone lived happily ever after" types that are pretty common and very unrealistic. This ending was a fairly accurate depiction of people dealing with the fallout and aftermath of horrible and life-altering events.
And I'm going to be honest, I ugly cried over John's story arc. Through his perspective, we glimpse the heartbreaking reality of navigating life with Dementia and slowly losing more and more of yourself to it. (Excuse me while I tear up again).
Folklore on shapeshifters is incorporated into the story, and it's such a perfect allegory for Dementia. It's inclusion was brilliant!
I've not always been a big fan of Gilly MacMillan, but I really loved this book! If your a fan of taut, fast-paced thrillers give this one a read.
Trigger Warning: Dementia, Mental Health Issues, Alcoholism, Suicide
January 11, 2022
Ominous, absorbing and atmospheric, The Long Weekend is psychological suspense at its finest! A gorgeous thriller about obsession and dark secrets that threaten to destroy a group of close friends who all have an awful lot to hide. As always, Macmillan summons a dark magic on the page, with a haunting setting, compelling plot and prose so vivid it paints the story in intricate detail. This one shines!
The book is boldly structured with multiple characters and time periods moving abruptly about, sometimes between paragraphs, but the effect is such that the suspense is kept at a constant high. The twists are unexpected and surprising, revealed with a practiced, almost casual air.
Undoubtedly, the characters are all train wrecks, and each is unreliable in his/her own way, but their character development is so elegantly done you can’t help but empathize. This is an unforgettable thriller that ratchets up the tension with every flip of the page.
The book is boldly structured with multiple characters and time periods moving abruptly about, sometimes between paragraphs, but the effect is such that the suspense is kept at a constant high. The twists are unexpected and surprising, revealed with a practiced, almost casual air.
Undoubtedly, the characters are all train wrecks, and each is unreliable in his/her own way, but their character development is so elegantly done you can’t help but empathize. This is an unforgettable thriller that ratchets up the tension with every flip of the page.
December 22, 2021
Kind of reminded me of The Guest List. That same vibe...I liked it. Kept me guessing and turning pages.
December 20, 2021
Enjoying this book requires a delicate balancing act: thinking hard enough about it to keep the many, many characters and backstories straight, but not so hard that all the plot holes become distracting. (Even if you're just looking to be entertained, you may find yourself grappling with questions like ) How much you enjoy the book will also depend on your tolerance for those staple gimmicks of the suspense genre meant to keep us guessing, like referring to characters by pronouns alone and stuffing every page with red herrings.
If you can get past that kind of thing, there's some genuinely good character development and lovely prose. And I did want to find out what happened! I kept reading all the way to the end! A lot of people loved The Silent Patient and Before I Go to Sleep, both of which bothered me for similar reasons. So I'm confident that this will have plenty of fans. Just pay attention as you read. But not too much attention.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)
If you can get past that kind of thing, there's some genuinely good character development and lovely prose. And I did want to find out what happened! I kept reading all the way to the end! A lot of people loved The Silent Patient and Before I Go to Sleep, both of which bothered me for similar reasons. So I'm confident that this will have plenty of fans. Just pay attention as you read. But not too much attention.
(I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.)
April 7, 2022
boring, confusing, all over the place
April 24, 2022
Only 20% left and I just. COULDN’T. FINISH. IT.
This book is a HUGE drag… I struggled so much while reading it. There is no thrill, no enjoyment in reading this book. At first, the beginning seems very promising and intriguing, then it slowly deteriorates, the more it comes to the end, the more confusing and messy the plot becomes. I cannot separate any points of view as the distinction between the characters is too blurry and the writing makes it harder to distinguish. Thus, the way the story is structured doesn’t do any good to the overall atmosphere - the switch between the now “at home” and the now “isolated place” and the past is too chaotic and doesn’t make any sense! It took away the feeling of trapped in an isolated farm and instead, what is the most interesting is just the now “at home”.
I read until I know the perpetrator and to be honest, I don’t care at all. The relationship of the people is so messed up and stupid that I cannot wait to get rid of this book.
This book is a HUGE drag… I struggled so much while reading it. There is no thrill, no enjoyment in reading this book. At first, the beginning seems very promising and intriguing, then it slowly deteriorates, the more it comes to the end, the more confusing and messy the plot becomes. I cannot separate any points of view as the distinction between the characters is too blurry and the writing makes it harder to distinguish. Thus, the way the story is structured doesn’t do any good to the overall atmosphere - the switch between the now “at home” and the now “isolated place” and the past is too chaotic and doesn’t make any sense! It took away the feeling of trapped in an isolated farm and instead, what is the most interesting is just the now “at home”.
I read until I know the perpetrator and to be honest, I don’t care at all. The relationship of the people is so messed up and stupid that I cannot wait to get rid of this book.
April 19, 2022
A fast paced read with an unreliable narrator and a weekend getaway with friends, what could go wrong?
Jayne, Ruth, and Emily are our main characters although you do hear from others and one is a mystery. The one issue I had with this book is the character often changed within a chapter with no indication of the change, and I found myself trying to figure out who was speaking which was confusing. I did really enjoy that first twist!
I have enjoyed all of Gilly Macmillan's previous books and although I enjoyed this one, it was not one of my favorites. I did like the eerie setting and I absolutely LOVE the cover of this book, it drew me right in. I would still recommend this book to those that have enjoyed her previous work and enjoy mystery/thrillers. I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next! 3.5 stars ~
A big thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Jayne, Ruth, and Emily are our main characters although you do hear from others and one is a mystery. The one issue I had with this book is the character often changed within a chapter with no indication of the change, and I found myself trying to figure out who was speaking which was confusing. I did really enjoy that first twist!
I have enjoyed all of Gilly Macmillan's previous books and although I enjoyed this one, it was not one of my favorites. I did like the eerie setting and I absolutely LOVE the cover of this book, it drew me right in. I would still recommend this book to those that have enjoyed her previous work and enjoy mystery/thrillers. I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next! 3.5 stars ~
A big thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
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