A Gingerbread House

by Catriona McPherson

An invitation you can't refuse. You should…

When shy, lonely Ivy meets a woman who claims to be her long-lost sister, she knows it’s too good to be true. She decides to trust Kate anyway. She wants a family. She wants someone to love. She’s making a mistake. Ivy enters Kate’s Scottish fairytale cottage… and she doesn’t come out. She’s the first to go missing. She won't be the last.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Scotland, Audiobook, Suspense, Adult

Audible Audio

First published July 1, 2021

About the author

Catriona McPherson (she/her) was born in Scotland and immigrated to the US in 2010. She writes: preposterous 1930s private-detective stories about a toff; realistic 1940s amateur-sleuth stories about an oik; and contemporary psychothriller standalones. These are all set in Scotland with a lot of Scottish weather. She also writes modern comedies about a Scot-out-of-water in a “fictional” college town in Northern California.

She has won multiple Anthonys, Agathas, Leftys and Macavitys for her work and been shortlisted for an Edgar, three Mary Higgins Clark awards and a UK dagger

Catriona is a proud lifetime member and former national president of Sisters in Crime.

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a slow moving thriller. I feel the beginning is so boring I almost DNF this book. The story did pick up, and I did enjoy the middle. I did not think the ending was good. I saw the twist coming. This is just a ok Thriller, but the storyline once it gets going is good. I did not love the characters. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Severn House) or author (Catriona McPherson) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concurrent
A Gingerbread House is an atmospheric mystery with a promising premise, but it doesn't quite hit the mark in all areas. The story is set in a small Scottish town, and McPherson excels at creating a moody, claustrophobic setting that pulls you into the world of the characters.

The plot centres around three women, each drawn into a strange, almost surreal situation involving a mysterious house and a sinister figure. The slow-burn start was off-putting, but the pace picks up as the story progresses, and the mystery deepens. McPherson's writing style is engaging, and she has a knack for creating an eerie, unsettling tone that suits the story well. Adding layers of suspense as the characters are drawn into increasingly strange and unsettling situations helps combat the dull start. The early lack of momentum may deter some readers from fully engaging with the story.

In the end, A Gingerbread House partially rewards patience with a good second half that pulls everything together. It’s a decent read for fans of atmospheric mysteries, though it requires some persistence to get through the initial slow build. If you enjoy a story that gradually ramps up in intensity, this one might be worth your time.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn Publishing for this suspenseful, intense ebook in return for my honest review. The story is told in two parts. One is focused on Tash, who discovers shocking criminal activity in her family's business. When she threatens to expose it, she fears her father's reaction and retaliation.

The other part of the story involves three women who go missing on successive months. The first is Ivy, a woman in her early 50s. She was befriended by a woman, Kate, who claims to be her sister. Ivy was longing for someone to love and had been thinking of getting a cat to make up for any affection in her lonely life. Now hoping she had found a new missing part of her family, she was thrilled to be invited to Kate's cottage, which resembled a dwelling out of a fairytale. Martine always wanted to meet her father, who was always missing from her life. Her mother refused to discuss him. Kate said she had a connection with him, showed her some blurry photos of the man, and invited her to a genealogical society meeting. Like Ivy, Martine vanished. Laura thought she had found the ideal man on a dating app. She carefully dressed in her most upscale clothing and left her quiet home to meet him with some trepidation and excitement. While waiting for him, she is kidnapped.

The three missing women now find them together, locked in and trapped in the filthy cellar of the Gingerbread House. They are dirty, underfed, and there is a sewer drain in the room which the captives must be used for a toilet and disposal of trash. The odour is repellent and sickening. It is cold, and they have no way to keep themselves clean. The house is attached on one side to a large building, and the stink is permeating the business there. Their conditions are gruesome, and some readers may find the descriptions repugnant.

Meanwhile, Tasha is moving around a lot, fearing the wrath of her father. She has no idea how much danger she is going to face. She has been doing an internet study of missing women. She finds a connection between the three locked in the cellar of the Gingerbread house. Each one lived alone, worked from home, and had no family or friends who might report them missing or come looking for them. They all were discontent with their lives, longing for something absent for their fulfillment. Their disappearance at different times has been a low priority for the police.

Kate tells the captives that she has taken them on her sister's orders and hints that the sister intends to keep one and murder the other two. They have had quick glimpses of the menacing sister, a large woman wearing a net curtain hiding her face like a veil and carrying a knife.

Tasha is determined to find the three women if they are still alive. This brings her search to a terrifying and grotesque conclusion, with some daring, nasty action scenes. I was deeply engaged in the story in hopes that the 3 victims could be saved. I felt that Tasha's story could be condensed, as there seemed to be unnecessary filler. There were some words I guessed must be Scottish slang that were unfamiliar to me.
This was a gripping story of madness, suffering, and the pain of trying to survive under loathsome conditions.

[Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not an enjoyable reading experience. Difficult to follow the plot. Too many characters being introduced. Couldn’t sort out who was who. The pacing was too slow. With so many characters, it kept reverting back to introductions and character development so not much happened in the story to move it along. Lost interest about half way through as I couldn’t understand what I was reading anymore. Gave an extra star because it had promise. The very beginning was delightfully eerie but went off the rails after that. The audio performance was average. I think if the plot had been better executed, the audio would also have been more engaging. I received an advanced audio copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[OutlawPoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that concerned me at first. My problem was Tash. I just didn’t understand her. It wasn’t that I necessarily disliked her, but for some reason, her character just seemed so…alien to me. Something about the way she spoke and the way she thought.

I kept going, though, because of the other women. As we got to know them, I worried so much about them. And as we got to know them, I also got to know and love Tash.

The book was intense. As our story lines merged, I simply didn’t want to stop reading. I needed to know what was going on and if our women would end up okay.

And on a personal note, I loved that our author put a diverse character in an important role – in the middle of Scotland – and gave her a story line and personality that defied stereotypes, while still noting that her ethnicity was an important part of who she was. Well done.

I really liked this book and I’d happily read the author again!

*ARC provided via Net Galley

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three women go missing in this very odd thriller. I have to say that I really did enjoy it, but the pacing was a little off and I could not really understand the motivation of Tash, the only person seemingly looking for them.

I seem to be in the minority, but I did not think the book started off slow. I think it told the story of each of the missing women well and I can't think what I would have cut out of each of their stories. I would have even added to the set-up by explaining Tash's connection better. She seems to come out of nowhere and start investigating simply because she once drove past one of the victims. I'm pretty confused there.

Where I think the pacing is off is the last 5% or so of the book. It wraps up way too neatly way too fast.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Mystery thriller set in Scotland this ended up a win for me. I felt very confused and it dragged at the beginning but I ended up really liking the story. There are times I felt the author gave to much information and that made it hard for me on what “the main” story was about.
This is actually two stories that merge into one with a sort of happy ending. I hope this doesn’t discourage you from trying this audiobook. You’ll have to be patient with the direction and I felt like it paid off. I really liked the main characters and the ending. I would recommend this as a audiobook. The narrator was Mhairi Morrison and she was lovely. This was 10 hours and 57 minutes.
Thanks Dreamscape Media via Netgalley.

#AGingerbreadHouse #NetGalley

[Margie Bunting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catriona McPherson excels at creating cleverly plotted, tense stories with just the right amount of creepiness. A Gingerbread House is the latest.

Three women are looking for something that’s missing in their lives. The oldest, Ivy, who has never had a family or friend she could count on, becomes involved in a community of cat lovers. Martine turns to genealogy to figure out where she came from and who her father was. Laura just wants what everyone else seems to have—a husband and children—and she puts her hopes in a unique dating service. Their desires eventually lead them to each other, and to a situation that seems more hopeless—and more deadly—with each passing day.

Tash has been a player in her family business for years. When her father, the company’s CEO, is down with the flu, Tash decides to clean up his stacks of paperwork and happens upon something that indicates the company may have ventured into illegal—and reprehensible-- territory. She makes it her mission to save the company from ruin and to bring her father to justice. Tash’s quest ultimately involves her in the plight of the other three women in intriguing and dangerous ways. And that’s when the story really picks up speed and intensity.

McPherson’s writing may initially send you to Google to interpret her Scottish vernacular, but you will soon get into the rhythm of her story. Her originality is unmatched; her choices are never predictable. If you enjoy a story that is unsettling but (probably) won’t keep you from sleeping at night, this one is for you.

My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for giving me the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is one common element among all Catriona McPherson’s stand-alone novels. It is their uniqueness. You will never have read a story like any of them. I always ask myself the same question after I finish reading one. How in the world did Catriona ever think this up? I am never less than gobsmacked. A Gingerbread House fully lives up to the high standard that this author has set for a chilling tale. Nobody does a thriller better. I go into reading a Catriona McPherson stand-alone knowing that I will be kept on tenterhooks until the end.

I am hesitant to tell specifics of the story because readers need to experience all the moments leading up to the terrifying events for themselves, without preamble. I will prepare readers that the book begins with two storylines, and you might question at first what they will ever have to do with one another. But, ah, that’s the genius of Catriona McPherson. Watching the gap close between the two stories is enthralling. When the stories are just that one step away from colliding, the tension owns us, body and soul.

A Gingerbread House is a tale of how the holes in one’s life can lead to being blind to warning signs when the hope of filling that hole appears. Three women are featured in what they are looking for to make themselves whole. Ivy is looking for someone or something to love her, Martine is looking for information about a father she never knew, and Laura is looking for her dream life of a husband and children. They will each fall prey to scams playing on their vulnerabilities. What they think is the answer to their prayers will become a hell for survival. A gingerbread house indeed.

In the simultaneous storyline, Tash is a thirty-year-old woman who still lives with her parents, as does her brother Baz. The whole family works in the transportation business that Dad, Big Garry, started with just one truck and grew to an international company. Tash is happy enough with her situation in life until her father comes down with the flu, and Tash takes charge for a few days. In working her way through all the paperwork on her father’s desk, she makes a discovery that completely upends her world. In trying to understand it and right an unthinkable wrong, Tash will take a journey into unchartered territory, away from the comforts she has always known.

The two storylines seem unrelated at first, but I had faith that McPherson would bring them together at some point, although they were both intriguing on their own. If this book is your first Catriona McPherson read, be patient. The wait is worth it. So clever is this author, knowing how to build the suspense along parallel lines of intensity and join them in an aha moment. Of course, the Scottish setting is a favorite for me, and the author knows well how to use the setting to its best advantage, from its places of isolation to its community connections to the creepy edge of the unusual.

Every year I think that I’ve read my favorite Catriona McPherson stand-alone novel, and then the next year comes around bringing a new favorite. And so the pattern continues. A Gingerbread House is on top of the favorites for now. It is certainly a book that crime/mystery readers don’t want to miss if they want a riveting read. I wish I could read it again for the first stime.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Catriona McPherson and Severn House for an early read of this extraordinary book. The review is my honest opinion.

[Larry Fontenot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as good as a few of the other novels by McPherson, A Gingerbread House still has the quirky madness of the others McPherson novels I've read. A story that begins in two strains meets near the end, as many good books feature. Tash is a marvelous character, resilient, committed, and yet aware of the damage that her pursuit can do. Ivy, Martine, and Laura are in their separate ways fearless and brave, resourceful when their separate lives cross under very dire circumstances. Kate and Gail are the usual McPherson evil incarnate. If there is a flaw in the book, it this: we never really understand these two people, though an explanation of their behavior is offered at the end. But McPherson often offers up characters that we are not really expected to understand. Their roles are to provide the danger, destruction and obstacles to safety for people like Tash, Ivy, Martine and Laura to navigate.

[Angela Y (yangelareads) ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Copy provided by Dreamscape Media.

A Gingerbread House was a slow moving thriller set in Scotland about Ivy who meets her long lost sister, Kate. I was so excited about this book after reading the summary, but this book was such a disappointment for me. It was so slow paced that when I got to the middle part of the book I was hoping it will pick up but it never did. I wished I liked the book as much as everyone else who read the book. But I am thankful that I received this book for an honest review.

Rating 2.5/5

[Soozee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cracking read! There are two strands to the story - Tash works for her father in his transport business, but then she finds he has a dodgy sideline and she sets out to expose the dirty dealings. Ivy is a lonely lady who meets a woman at a family history event who claims to be her sister; she trusts her and goes to meet her at her home...

But Grimm's fairytale of a house in the forest where children are held captive by the wicked witch may be based on more truth than any realise. I was desperate to keep reading as the women are snared into a trap and Tash starts her plan to expose wrong doing. The suspense just kept building.
Its a high octane thriller of the first order, and I enjoyed every page. Absolutely brilliant, from an author who's other offerings have all been excellent.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This thriller has tension, lush prose, and terror galore. Catriona McPherson is a brilliant storyteller, effortlessly luring readers into the dark and unnerving world she creates in A GINGERBREAD HOUSE. This is a story unlike any other, despite its fairytale undertones. A captivating and chilling read.

[Katherine Hayward Pérez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lady in a fairytale house, three missing women and a search....I was drawn in by the synopsis and title of this novel. It seemed to me to be a kind of Little Red Riding Hood retelling.

I liked how the name The Gingerbread House evoked something cosy, trustworthy and safe. Every character was well created and original. Every one was lured inside by Kate's welcoming and friendly attitude.

Little do they know, they won't come out.....

I liked this novel but in some parts, like the beginning, the setting description is too descriptive and I felt very scared. I didn't know if it was going to be my kind of novel and was not sure if I wanted to finish it. I was, however, so gripped by wanting to know what was going to happen to each character out of genuine worry for them that I continued.

Some descriptions of the cellar of the house were graphic and a little gruesome.

The thriller is slow burn, which I think helps build tension.

Thanks to Catriona McPherson, Severn House and Rachel's Random Resources for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

4 stars.

[Patricia Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tash is the character driving the story. We don’t know much about her or what she is actually doing except she is hiding something from her father while trying to decide to go to the police.

Kate and her sister Gail are older and live in a fairy tale cottage. They are also crazy as loons. Kate lures young women in with a story of them being switched at birth and she found out they are her sister. First, are women that dumb? No.

The story of the missing women runs along with Tash’s story until they intersect and everything is tied up nicely.

I could not get into this until about a third of the way through and then things played out as expected.

This was like a good recipe for a scary story but not so great execution.

NetGalley/August 3, 2021, Severn House

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Catriona’s work ever since the day I met her a few years ago when she attended an event with Ann Cleeve. I haven’t quite caught up with everything that Catriona has written but I am slowly getting there. I read the synopsis for ‘A Gingerbread House’ and it certainly sounded like the psychologically twisty story that I have come to expect from Catriona. ‘A Gingerbread House’ is a read and a half and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it but more about that in a bit.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into ‘A Gingerbread House’. In fact by the time I got to the end of the synopsis that was it. This was one of those books where I made the fatal mistake of starting to read it shortly before I went to bed. Let’s just say bedtime was delayed and I had a ‘lack of sleep’ hangover the following morning. If I wasn’t reading the book, then I was thinking about it. If I had to put the book down for any reason, then I would immediately look forward to being able to pick it up again. You could say that I had become well and truly addicted to the story. I seemed to race through this story and I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough. I found ‘A Gingerbread House’ to be a gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘A Gingerbread House’ is extremely well written. I love the way in which Catriona grabs the reader’s attention and then she reels the reader in, much as a fisherman reels in a catch. I love the way in which Catriona sets the scene and she describes it so realistically that makes the reader feel as though they are at the heart of the action and part of the story themselves. The story is a bit of a slow burner and the tension builds as the story develops. Reading ‘A Gingerbread House’ felt very much like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. ‘A Gingerbread House’ is a tightly plotted and deliciously creepy story.
In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘A Gingerbread House’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Catriona’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

[StinaStaffymum · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm going to be in the minority here and say I was disappointed in A GINGERBREAD HOUSE. The premise offered something so much more exciting and I had my appetite whet for edge of your seat thrills...but nothing got my adrenaline pumping here. I found myself trapped within what appeared to be the underbelly of a crime family and then something strange happening with a 54 year old woman claiming to be the doppelganger of her twin sister! It was just...weird. And not in a good way.

Tash got on my nerves and I found her to be off-putting and strange. No, I found everyone to be off-putting and strange. And the entire book was just justa discombobulated convoluted mess that was I was thoroughly confused as to what was actually happening. I love a good Scottish thriller...but not this.

It is a slow thriller...so slow it is stagnant. I tried skimming ahead to where others say it picked up but for me is just never did. The story stayed confusing. Everyone just got stranger. And I just wasn't enjoying myself.

Life is too short to read books that you don't enjoy...so I moved on. NEXT!!

I would like to thank #CatrionaMcPherson, #Netgalley, #RachelsRandomResources and #SevernHouse for an ARC of #AGingerbreadHouse in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

[Fictionophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to imagine a truly dire and creepy scenario, it would be to be held captive by two deranged middle-aged women in a dank and damp cellar. That is what three women find themselves facing in this stand-alone thriller by Catriona McPherson.

Three women who are lonely, with a scanty support system, who have little in the way of friends or family. This type of women are the perfect victims for any number of crimes. They are not likely to be missed any time soon… In fact I’d say that this novel could act like a fable, to get just this type of woman to foster more daily contacts and create a support system for themselves.

“When you live a small life, turned in, you can get a long way down a road without ever knowing.”

My favourite parts of the book were when Tash was working as a driver. When she was ferrying cancer patients and disabled children about. She was just so darned good at it. I also liked how the three very different woman became fast friends during their ordeal.

The plot was a tad confusing at first, then when the characters all asserted themselves it moved faster and became clearer.

I have long been a fan of this author. Though I’ve never read any of her series fiction, I have read most of her stand-alone novels. This is not my favorite of hers, but it is memorable. Recommended for those who have acquired a taste for ‘tartan noir’.

3. 5 stars

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Dreamscape & NetGalley for providing a free digital audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book is a bit of a slow start: Tash (Natasha) Dodd is the heir to a self-made transport fortune, currently run by her father, Big Gary. Her brother Baz is a worthless layabout who draws a check for doing nothing, but Tash is a go-getter. By pure accident, Tash discovers that her dad a) has a secret burner phone, and b) has been using that phone to do nefarious business, specifically, people smuggling using his fleet - but he's "out of it" now. Tash doesn't let Big Gary know that she knows, but sets out to gather evidence to put him away.

Meanwhile, Ivy, who's had a terrible, emotionally abusive childhood and is just now picking up the pieces after her awful mother's death, has made an online pal in a cat chat group and is meeting her at a cat rescue meeting in a local bar. Ivy's "friend" doesn't show, but she makes a new friend named Kate, who claims Ivy is a dead ringer for the woman's twin sister, the two born at the same hospital on the same day as Ivy. "You must come visit us at our fairy-tale cottage! My sister Gail would love to meet you! We'll all be sisters!"

Obviously, Ivy is making a terrible mistake, and there are others who follow in her footsteps. We follow along behind them, switching back and forth between Tash and what ends up being 3 single women with no real attachments (family, children, etc.), now trapped an a fetid basement under Kate & Gail's house. As you might expect, Tash is bound to cross paths, somehow, with the 3 women and their captors.

It is rather clever, how this is done, but I have to admit to not really getting how Tash's traveling to rival companies and doing brief stints at them gets the goods on her dad. Maybe I missed that part and never regained the thread? Likewise, the explanation for WHY Kate & Gail are keeping the women trapped is ... not entirely clear to me; that part felt a bit rushed and I might need to re-listen, as it was truly bizarre. I feel like McPherson was trying to make the reader feel like there was a supernatural element to the story (God knows I've seen this in other mysteries - looking at you, Sophie Hannah). I was relieved that it didn't end up going there but I still feel slightly dissatisfied with the wrap up.

The epilogue is satisfying, though, in a way that I wasn't expecting to like, but did. This book had some rough spots in narration (Mhairi Morrison has a great way with accents and a very pleasant voice but there's a lot of over-enunciation that's a little distracting, but better that than the opposite I suppose), but overall it was quite good, and I definitely wanted to speed through and find out what happened. Time to go back and check out that Catriona McPherson back catalog ...

[Anne]

Audio---A Gingerbread House by Catriona MacPherson is a strange tale of missing women. These women were taken, rather, walked into a trap, by the least suspected little woman ever. She convinced them to come to her. When she did, she trapped them in a cellar. February, March, May. April was evidently too careful to fall for it. Tash, on the other hand, had run away with evidence that her father's transport company was smuggling human cargo. Knowing that once she confronted him she might end up dead, she planted the information in places that would eventually be discovered. It was all there. She confronted him, but not before discovering it was worse than she thought: it was trafficking. He denied it, but of course he was guilty. She wanted to keep the company and bring it back into prosperity but was that possible? She ran with a meeting date that he would turn over the company to her, but she was not stupid. She made it so people would know she was missing so they would look for here. That was the problem with the missing women. They were loners, worked for themselves. No one cared, least of all the police. Their loves converge in the most interesting of ways.

I listened to the audio version of this book and it was a very good job done by Mhairi Morrison who kept the women straight. She was low-key and undramatic, even at the most dramatic moments. She let the words speak for themselves.

Tash was a very clever woman and played to her strengths. The women in the cellar lasted for months and there were plenty of hardships. The reasons for the kidnapping were not made clear until the very end, after Tash joined the others. It was a clever plot and paced perfectly. In the beginning the women's stories were introduced separately, with Tash interspersed, until they kind of came together, and it became all about Tash, until she joined them. It was interesting to see how strong these various women could be. They were not a type, but joined in that trait. I enjoyed listening to A Gingerbread House. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of the audio version of The Gingerbread House by Dreamscape Media through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #dreamscapemedia #agingerbreadhouse #catrionamacpherson

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Gingerbread House is a dark and chilling fairy-tale retelling from multi award-winning author Catriona McPherson.

Ivy is a shy and lonely woman desperate to find somewhere she belongs. Forever feeling like she’s on the outside looking in, Ivy longs to one day find somewhere where she doesn’t feel like a total outsider. When she meets a woman claiming to be her long-lost sister, Ivy refuses to listen to reason and decides to take this woman at face value. Could Ivy at long last have found the family she has always wanted? As she throws all caution to the wind, Ivy decides to put her entire trust in Kate even though this might very well end up being the biggest mistake of her life. Just what is Ivy going to get herself tangled up in?

Kate might offer Ivy the possibility of love and family, but when she invites her to her fairy-tale cottage deep in the heart of the Scottish countryside, little does Ivy realise that this seemingly enchanting house will be the place where her worst nightmares will come to life leaving her frightened, desolate, trapped and with no way out. Ivy might be the first woman to go missing, but she certainly will not be the last. The trap is set and more victims are going to fall foul of the spell of the gingerbread house.

How many more women have to go missing before somebody realises that all is not well deep in the heart of the Scottish countryside? Can anyone save these women? Or is it already far too late?

Catriona McPherson’s A Gingerbread House is a spooky chiller that is creepy, unsettling and full of shocks and surprises that will have readers jumping out of their skin. Catriona McPherson certainly knows how to keep her readers on a knife’s edge desperate to find out what will happen next and this tense and terrifying thriller is sure to keep them engrossed and floored by the jaw-dropping and highly satisfying twist at the end of the book.

A perfect Halloween read, Catriona McPherson’s A Gingerbread House is a delicious slow-burn of a novel sure to keep readers guessing.

[J Kromrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Catriona McPherson weaves a spellbinding tale in her psychological thriller, "A Gingerbread House". Set against the haunting backdrop of the Scottish wilderness, this novel grips you immediately, and doesn't let go.

The characters are like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle—each one hiding secrets, their motives shrouded in mist. Ivy, our protagonist, is both vulnerable and determined. Her longing for family and connection resonates deeply. Kate, the mysterious sister, exudes an eerie charm that keeps you guessing. And Tash, embarking on her own enigmatic journey, adds another layer of intrigue.

The gingerbread house is more than just a setting; it's a character in itself. McPherson's vivid descriptions transport you to its cozy yet unsettling interior. The scent of cinnamon, the creaking floorboards, and the flickering candlelight—all contribute to an atmosphere thick with foreboding.

Mhairi Morrison's narration is a treat for the ears. Her voice dances between innocence and menace, capturing the essence of each character. Whether it's Ivy's hesitancy or Kate's beguiling allure, Morrison brings them to life.

The pacing is deliberate, allowing tension to build steadily. As secrets unravel and the forest closes in, you'll find yourself turning pages late into the night. McPherson masterfully balances suspense with emotional depth, leaving you haunted by the choices made within those gingerbread walls.

"A Gingerbread House" is a dark fairy tale for grown-ups—a blend of folklore, family bonds, and chilling twists. If you're ready to lose yourself in a labyrinth of secrets, step inside. Just beware: not all fairy tales have happy endings.

🎧 Narration: Mhairi Morrison's performance adds an extra layer of magic to this already enchanting story. Her voice lures you deeper into the forest, where danger and wonder coexist.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gingerbread House, a thriller by Catriona McPherson is deliciously disturbing. Characters are an artful mix of sweet and spicy, just the way you expect a good gingerbread to turn out. The story follows four women, all losing their way in the world. Our main focus is on Tash Dodd, the daughter of a successful shipping company owner. Big Garry is your typical big fish in a little pond, setting up his business outside of the major metro areas. Even though Tash has known a privileged life, she chose to focus on the work, viewing herself as the worker bee of the family while her brother got stoned, her mom upgraded their house, and Big Garry grew the business. But when an unexpected phone call on a hidden phone overturns everything she thought she knew about her family, their business, and the world they’ve built for themselves, Tash makes a run for it. As she travels through rural areas of Scotland, giving the reader little appetizers and tastes of the country, her path crosses with three other women, women who are about to be plunged into a hellscape with very little chance of rescue. The reader will find themselves urging Tash on, willing her to find these vulnerable women and many like them, before it’s too late.

The suspense of this novel is pitch-perfect, starting out at a steady, even clip and building until you simply cannot stop turning the pages. McPherson’s Scottish voice is wonderful, never too complex so that you can’t follow, even if you don’t know the slang-du-jour. The evil lurking on the pages of A Gingerbread House is both in plain site and hiding behind a veil of secrecy. McPherson will keep you guessing until the final pages. I simply loved this thriller and I think thriller fans everywhere should grab this one as soon as it’s available.

Huge thanks to Ms. McPherson, NetGalley, and Severn House for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

[Paulina M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.33 stars
Enjoyability 8/10

Full review: https://frostawingsit.ca/2021/07/13/a...

A Gingerbread House was one of my most anticipated 2021 books, and it did not disappoint. McPherson’s prose is so engaging. I just couldn’t put the book down. I needed to know what was going on! I feel it’s a book to go in blind as the story unravels slowly - kind of like one of those pixel puzzles that the image starts blurry and gets clearer as it goes.

I do have to say that most characters were well developed. It’s hard to name them and not spoil the book, but I am impressed with Catriona’s character work. I think that is why I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get more of Kate and Gail’s background.

The solution also got me conflicted. Usually, I care a lot about fairness, and A Gingerbread’s House wrap-up had some information previously not disclosed to the reader. Somehow, though, I did not mind. Since we knew the antagonist, I didn’t care much about the why as long as someone stopped them! For this reason alone, I will be picking up more books by the author. She made me not care about my number one pet peeve! I thoroughly enjoyed this book—bonus point for a primarily female cast of characters, including the serial killer.


Even though I felt like the end was a bit rushed, I enjoyed it at the same time. McPherson tied up all the loose ends and offered a tightly closed book. There is still a part of me that wants to see Tasha again, despite knowing this is a standalone book!

Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Severn House, Catriona McPherson, and NetGalley or providing me with a copy of A Gingerbread House

[Victoria Wilks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman who lives in a fairytale house, three missing women and an investigation in to their disappearance.

Ivy is a vulnerable, incredibly lonely woman who longs for nothing more than to be part of a family and have people love her. Her prayers seem to have been answered when Kate walks into her life claiming to be her long-lost sister, and not only does she arrive with this welcome news – she also invited Ivy to come and live in her cottage with her so they can get to know one another properly. However Ivy enters the house and never comes out.

But Ivy is certainly not the last person to disappear under such mysterious circumstances. When two other women go missing following similar events, an investigation begins to locate their whereabouts and uncover who – or what – is behind their sudden disappearance.

The moment you read the description for this book you are swept away into a world of mystery and intrigue. The cottage is so aptly names The Gingerbread House – something that instantly lulls you in to a false sense of security, reminding you of comfort and calmness, however the reality of the house is far from perfect, infact some would say it resembles things of nightmares.

The characters are detailed and realistic, allowing you to feel a connection with them from the start. My heart really went out to Ivy, a woman who longed for nothing more than a family and a connection to save her from her loneliness, and it was this that lead to her vanishing without a trace.

The story is well paced and full of suspense and tension as the story pushes forward. I found myself fully invested in the story and the mystery that is laced throughout the complex plot. This was certainly a thrilling tale that had me reading well in to the night.

[Sandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four women are linked in a mystery. The first three, Ivy, Martine and Laura have all been tricked into a kidnapping and are imprisoned in a basement, slowly getting closer to death every day they are there. Ivy thought she was finding her long-lost sister while Martine hoped to meet her father who was never in the picture. Laura thought she was coming to a dance where she would meet a man who was looking for marriage. They were all tricked by the same middle-aged women who now keep them prisoners. They share the fact that there were all independent businesswomen who worked from home and who didn't have support systems ready to make their cases in the newspapers and media and push the police to keep investigating their disappearances.

Tash Dodd is a different story. She works at her family's business, a transport business. When she finds out that things are going on that aren't legal and that everyone in the family knows except her, she leaves while she works out what to do. While she is gone, she stumbles on the story of the missing women and starts to work out how they are all related.

This is my first Catriona McPherson novel, but it won't be my last. I listened to it and the Scottish accent of the narrator made it seem more settled in that location. It was a story most women can relate to, especially any woman living by herself. Do any of us have enough people to keep us safe from harm or to refuse to let a disappearance die from lack of attention? The true story of what was happening to these women is a nightmare although their strength of character and the friendship that grows between them is their strongest tool. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

[Jill Elizabeth]

I was so disappointed by this one... I read Strangers at the Gatte and it was weird but I really liked it. So needless to say I was expecting an unusual storytelling style going in. The premise of this one, along with the opening bits of Tasha's letters apologizing for all that happened, really intrigued me and I was really looking forward to digging in. Then the book started in earnest. Or, I should say the pages started to turn in earnest, but the story never seemed to go anywhere.

I found Tash oddly off-putting and strange, even by McPherson standards, and a lot of the book quite linguistically confusing. I am not up on Scottish slang, and I felt like every third expression was something I had to stop and Google or else just gloss over because I had no idea what they were trying to say. The bits with Ivy and Kate were all over the place for me and I struggled to stay in the think of them also.

After reading a bunch of other reviews, I tried skipping ahead to the point at which people kept saying it picked up - but for me it just never did and I stayed confused, like I was reading two or three different books jammed into one. New women were introduced. Kate and Gail got stranger. The Tash storyline remained a mystery. It all felt like so much work, trying to figure what was supposed to be happening and why... It never gelled for me in a way that made sense or held my interest, and at 35% I gave up - not even curious enough to see what it all meant through skimming. I just couldn't get into this one...

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well... this was a little different to what I was expecting. And in a good way!
First we meet Ivy who is a bit shy. She is waiting to meet a new friend she met online when she finds out that she has a long lost sister. A twin to boot. Some accident at the hospital. Something like that. Too good to be true... maybe? But it could be, so she puts her trust in her new friend and sets off to meet her long lost family. But she doesn't return.
Turns out, she is only the start of things. Two other women a similarly approached. Similarly not returning to their lives. But no one is paying any attention to their disappearance. Their captors have picked well. No one that is until Tash starts to look into things... Tash whose family run business has been used for nefarious things and she is hell bent on exposing the situation... But what can she do?
This is a slow burn of a book which had me wondering what in heck was going on and where in the heck are we going, pretty much all the way through. But there's tension among the confusion. A layer of intrigue that bubbles slowly under the surface. I say slowly, it is slow initially but does ramp up quite a bit as we race to the end. Delivering a cracking ending that was well worth the wait, and not quite what I was expecting! Satisfying nonetheless.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5* rounded to 5
The witch in a fairy tale lives in a gingerbread house. The evil in fairy tales always disguise its intention beyond a friendly mask.
This is a slow burning, creepy and riveting thriller, a story of how evil can prey on your weakness and imprison you taking hope away.
Three women are kept in a basement, one woman is trying to save her family business.
I’m a fan of Dingy Diller and Last Ditch series but it’s the first thriller I read by Catriona McPherson.
I was a bit confused at the beginning as I couldn’t understand Tash and I didn’t like her. I felt sorry for Ivy, Laura and Martine: they are lonely women, nobody will miss or search them. I felt for them and hoped that they could be freed.
The book slowly grew on me as the growing tensions and things started happening.
There are some very tense and creepy moments, the author did an excellent job in describing the relationship of the three captive women
There are some lovely descriptions of Scotland that made me wish I was there.
Ms McPherson is a talented storyteller and this story kept turning pages till the last twists and the solution.
An entertaining and gripping story that I highly recommend.
Many thanks to Catriona McPherson, Severn House and Rachel's Random Resources for this digital copy, all opinions are mine.

[Johanna (jojreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Severn House for the advanced audio copy in exchange for review.
I found this a bit slow to start, but once the plot really took off and I could see where things were going, it really hooked my interest. The narrator had a lovely voice which made for easy listening, although I did get a bit distracted a few times while listening and am sure I missed some key points.
Lonely middle-aged Ivy attends a meeting expecting to adopt a cat, and instead meets a woman claiming to be a long lost sister she never knew existed. Ivy goes to Kates home, a lovely little gingerbread cottage, to have a family reunion of sorts, and is not heard of again. As more women go missing, we start to discover what’s really happening although are not provided with the clearest explanation or motive yet. Suddenly another character, Tash, is thrown into the story and starts to investigate the disappearances of these lonely women with no family or many friends.
I found the story was very detailed in the beginning, and then less so towards the middle and end, and would have appreciated things moving a bit slower, and then not being wrapped up in quite the hurry. Overall, an enjoyable book, but I think reading a physical copy would make for an easier time keeping track of the characters and the plot.