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In Her Blood
Two missing girls, two decades apart. Only one person knows the truth ...
Jac Morgan never planned on going back to her hometown. Seven years after the fatal house fire that killed her mother and branded Jac a killer she's back - but for only one reason. Her sister, Charlie, has gone missing. Charlie's the only good thing in Jac's life, and she doesn't believe she would ever run away. Jac is certain the answer to her sister's disappearance is somewhere in the town.
Because twenty years ago, another teenage girl went missing. Paige Gilmore, beautiful and talented daughter of eccentric matriarch, Iris Gilmore, disappeared on the annual Gilmore Hotel Open Day. As Jac starts the search for Charlie, she is drawn to the Gilmore Hotel - the haunted house of her childhood, a place that holds its own secrets and mysteries and is still home to the enigmatic Iris and her long-suffering daughter, Lisa.
Meanwhile, as Jac desperately hunts for answers to Charlie's disappearance, another Open Day looms, and Jac begins to realise everyone at the hotel has a secret - and that someone is willing to kill to keep the truth from coming out.
From Ngaio Marsh Award shortlisted author, Nikki Crutchley, In Her Blood is a compulsively readable dark, twisty and atmospheric thriller, sure to keep you turning the pages until deep into the night.
Jac Morgan never planned on going back to her hometown. Seven years after the fatal house fire that killed her mother and branded Jac a killer she's back - but for only one reason. Her sister, Charlie, has gone missing. Charlie's the only good thing in Jac's life, and she doesn't believe she would ever run away. Jac is certain the answer to her sister's disappearance is somewhere in the town.
Because twenty years ago, another teenage girl went missing. Paige Gilmore, beautiful and talented daughter of eccentric matriarch, Iris Gilmore, disappeared on the annual Gilmore Hotel Open Day. As Jac starts the search for Charlie, she is drawn to the Gilmore Hotel - the haunted house of her childhood, a place that holds its own secrets and mysteries and is still home to the enigmatic Iris and her long-suffering daughter, Lisa.
Meanwhile, as Jac desperately hunts for answers to Charlie's disappearance, another Open Day looms, and Jac begins to realise everyone at the hotel has a secret - and that someone is willing to kill to keep the truth from coming out.
From Ngaio Marsh Award shortlisted author, Nikki Crutchley, In Her Blood is a compulsively readable dark, twisty and atmospheric thriller, sure to keep you turning the pages until deep into the night.
304 pages, Paperback
Published November 30, 2022
8 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Nikki Crutchley
12 books81 followersAfter seven years of working as a librarian in New Zealand and overseas, Nikki now works as a freelance proofreader and copy editor. She lives in the small Waikato town of Cambridge in New Zealand with her husband and two girls.
Nikki has been writing on and off her whole life and before she turned to crime writing had success in flash fiction. She has been published in 'Bonsai: Best Small Fictions from Aotearoa New Zealand', and 'Fresh Ink' anthologies.
Crime/thriller/mystery novels are her passion. 'Nothing Bad Happens Here', her first novel, is set on the Coromandel Coast of New Zealand. It was a finalist in the 2018 Ngaio Marsh Award for best first novel.
Nikki's second book, 'No One Can Hear You', was long-listed for the Ngaio Marsh Award for best novel in 2019.
Nikki's third book, The Murder Club, the second in the Miller Hatcher series, is out September 2020.
Nikki has been writing on and off her whole life and before she turned to crime writing had success in flash fiction. She has been published in 'Bonsai: Best Small Fictions from Aotearoa New Zealand', and 'Fresh Ink' anthologies.
Crime/thriller/mystery novels are her passion. 'Nothing Bad Happens Here', her first novel, is set on the Coromandel Coast of New Zealand. It was a finalist in the 2018 Ngaio Marsh Award for best first novel.
Nikki's second book, 'No One Can Hear You', was long-listed for the Ngaio Marsh Award for best novel in 2019.
Nikki's third book, The Murder Club, the second in the Miller Hatcher series, is out September 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
December 7, 2022
An excellent crime/missing person thriller set in a small town in NZ. Jac returns to her hometown after 7 years after receiving a couple of texts from her alcoholic father saying that her younger sister, Charlie is missing. He told the police but the local cop after a brief investigation assumes Charlie has left town. Needing a place to stay Jac finds her way to the old rundown Gilmore hotel with it’s crazy old lady owner, Iris who asks Jac to stay on as a cleaner. In a second timeline set 21 years earlier, Iris’s daughter Lisa tells the story of the lead up to her sister Paige going missing, Paige was always Iris’s favourite. The mystery set up kept me reading, with enough red herrings to lead me down the wrong path trying to work out what was going on. The hotel adds an almost gothic atmosphere to the story as it has a locked wing, and a creepy history- post world war 2 it had been used as a place for returned soldiers recovering from both physical and mental injuries including one room where a man hanged himself. An entertaining read.
January 13, 2023
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
In Her Blood by Nikki Crutchley is a wonderfully dark and compulsive read that centres around a hotel with secrets. The story is set in a small town in New Zealand.
Two teenage girls go missing, twenty years apart.
Past - Paige Gilmore a talented musician and daughter of eccentric hotel owner Iris Gilmore, and sister of Lisa, disappeared on the annual Gilmore Hotel Open Day.
Present - Jac Morgan left her hometown seven years after a fire killed her mother when she was aged seventeen. The general consensus was that Jac had killed her mother although never proven… She’s now back in town because her sister Charlie has gone missing and she needs to find her.
Whilst searching for her sister she scores a job at the once opulent but now rundown hotel that’s only open to the public for its annual Open Day. The hotel is eerie and atmospheric, hidden here she finds mystery and secrets.
Are the two girls disappearances connected, what secrets are the Gilmores keeping? The Gilmores are a dysfunctional family as are the Morgans.
I was excited to receive a surprise copy of this intriguing and suspenseful crime read that was throughly enjoyable, thank you Harper Collins Australia, I was intrigued from beginning to end.
Publication Day 30 November 2022
Publisher Harper Collins Australia
In Her Blood by Nikki Crutchley is a wonderfully dark and compulsive read that centres around a hotel with secrets. The story is set in a small town in New Zealand.
Two teenage girls go missing, twenty years apart.
Past - Paige Gilmore a talented musician and daughter of eccentric hotel owner Iris Gilmore, and sister of Lisa, disappeared on the annual Gilmore Hotel Open Day.
Present - Jac Morgan left her hometown seven years after a fire killed her mother when she was aged seventeen. The general consensus was that Jac had killed her mother although never proven… She’s now back in town because her sister Charlie has gone missing and she needs to find her.
Whilst searching for her sister she scores a job at the once opulent but now rundown hotel that’s only open to the public for its annual Open Day. The hotel is eerie and atmospheric, hidden here she finds mystery and secrets.
Are the two girls disappearances connected, what secrets are the Gilmores keeping? The Gilmores are a dysfunctional family as are the Morgans.
I was excited to receive a surprise copy of this intriguing and suspenseful crime read that was throughly enjoyable, thank you Harper Collins Australia, I was intrigued from beginning to end.
Publication Day 30 November 2022
Publisher Harper Collins Australia
December 4, 2022
I love a small town murder mystery. Something about everyone knowing everyone’s business, but at the same time plenty of secrets are being kept. In Her Blood is set in a small town in New Zealand called Everly. At the centre of it all is the Gilmore Family…this one messed up family.
Jac Morgan vowed to never return to her hometown after leaving under a cloud of suspicion. But when she gets a text from her estrangement father telling her that her sister, Charlie, has gone missing, she drops everything to come back to find her. Her arrival is met with hostility and sadness, and nobody is talking about Charlie. She takes a job cleaning at the Gilmore Hotel, a run down hotel, that opens once a year for an open day. Iris Gilmore is I’ll,and being looked after by her daughter Lisa. 21 years ago, the eldest daughter, Paige,went missing without a trace. Could there be a connection? What secrets are this family and this hotel keeping?
This was an intense page turner. With dual timelines, we learn about the Gilmore family before Paige disappears and see just how evil Iris could be. There were plenty of secrets and ways that this story could have toned, and it kept me up late into the night to finish it.
Thanks to Harper Collins Australia for my copy of this book to read. In Her Blood is out now
Jac Morgan vowed to never return to her hometown after leaving under a cloud of suspicion. But when she gets a text from her estrangement father telling her that her sister, Charlie, has gone missing, she drops everything to come back to find her. Her arrival is met with hostility and sadness, and nobody is talking about Charlie. She takes a job cleaning at the Gilmore Hotel, a run down hotel, that opens once a year for an open day. Iris Gilmore is I’ll,and being looked after by her daughter Lisa. 21 years ago, the eldest daughter, Paige,went missing without a trace. Could there be a connection? What secrets are this family and this hotel keeping?
This was an intense page turner. With dual timelines, we learn about the Gilmore family before Paige disappears and see just how evil Iris could be. There were plenty of secrets and ways that this story could have toned, and it kept me up late into the night to finish it.
Thanks to Harper Collins Australia for my copy of this book to read. In Her Blood is out now
December 11, 2022
Thank you Harper Collins for sending us a copy to read and review.
An old hotel with an eccentric but barbed owner, missing girls and two sisters suffering the disappearance of their loved sisters are the ingredients of this crime suspense read.
Secrets from the past and mysteries from the present collide as the reader becomes a sleuth in piecing it together.
Twenty years ago attractive Paige Gilmore went missing.
The perfect daughter and adored sister.
Her elderly mother never getting over the fact and still treating her sister with contempt.
Jac has returned home after a long absence to the town where sad memories of a house fire haunt her.
Her sister has disappeared.
Staying at the hotel she discovers eerie coincidences and strange behaviours.
Although I guessed the culprit early on it didn’t derail the experience.
I was still intrigued and felt the tensions and fears.
I enjoyed the dynamic between the Gilmore family and the delusion that was abundant.
Jac was a gutsy and likeable character and the sort of character I’d like see return to the pages.
An old hotel with an eccentric but barbed owner, missing girls and two sisters suffering the disappearance of their loved sisters are the ingredients of this crime suspense read.
Secrets from the past and mysteries from the present collide as the reader becomes a sleuth in piecing it together.
Twenty years ago attractive Paige Gilmore went missing.
The perfect daughter and adored sister.
Her elderly mother never getting over the fact and still treating her sister with contempt.
Jac has returned home after a long absence to the town where sad memories of a house fire haunt her.
Her sister has disappeared.
Staying at the hotel she discovers eerie coincidences and strange behaviours.
Although I guessed the culprit early on it didn’t derail the experience.
I was still intrigued and felt the tensions and fears.
I enjoyed the dynamic between the Gilmore family and the delusion that was abundant.
Jac was a gutsy and likeable character and the sort of character I’d like see return to the pages.
October 24, 2022
I think I have encountered the most vile character in literature that I have read in a long time. Iris Gilmore is the matriarch of the Gilmore Hotel, a pretty run down place with a false veneer of opulence that is both tired and worn. She is so the mother from hell, doting on one daughter and treating the other daughter with loathing and contempt.
Jac Morgan had left her home town 7 years earlier with no plans to return. She however receives some worrying texts from her father saying her sister Charlie has disappeared. Reluctantly Jac heads home with the sole purpose of looking for Charlie. However when she arrives in town the first thing to greet her is the discovery of her father, drowned in the river after supposedly hitting his head when he fell in, no doubt drunk.
No one in town wants to help Jac with her search for Charlie and it’s not long before she discovers that another girl went missing some 20 years ago, the daughter of Iris Gilmore.
Told in two time frames this story weaves together tales of two very different lives that have somehow converged in the same place with disastrous results. There are many suspects, and a few red herrings but all in all it’s a twisty, page turning read.
#InHerBlood #NetGalley
Jac Morgan had left her home town 7 years earlier with no plans to return. She however receives some worrying texts from her father saying her sister Charlie has disappeared. Reluctantly Jac heads home with the sole purpose of looking for Charlie. However when she arrives in town the first thing to greet her is the discovery of her father, drowned in the river after supposedly hitting his head when he fell in, no doubt drunk.
No one in town wants to help Jac with her search for Charlie and it’s not long before she discovers that another girl went missing some 20 years ago, the daughter of Iris Gilmore.
Told in two time frames this story weaves together tales of two very different lives that have somehow converged in the same place with disastrous results. There are many suspects, and a few red herrings but all in all it’s a twisty, page turning read.
#InHerBlood #NetGalley
December 21, 2023
A poorly written book which wasn’t particularly mysterious or dark just pretty silly and full of selfish unpleasant characters. On the plus side it was a quick read.
December 13, 2022
So nice to read Nikki Crutchley's latest. Great premise - two young girls missing, decades apart but both connected to the once-majestic Gilmore Hotel. Jac Morgan returns home to look for her missing sister, Charlie only to stumble on the mother-daughter combo of Iris and Lisa Gilmore and the story of missing Paige Gilmore.
Quite a page-turner and I didn't twig to the ending - until I got there!
Quite a page-turner and I didn't twig to the ending - until I got there!
December 2, 2022
In Her Blood by Nikki Crutchley introduces two families and a missing girl; stories unfolding decades apart. Both families have been torn apart by tragedy and loss, but they're not blameless we learn and Crutchley offers some very flawed and unlikeable characters in this dark and twisty read.
We kinda get to know quite early on 'why' Charlie goes missing. I hate knowing 'whodunnit' or sometimes even the 'why' early in the book as it means there's no opportunity to use my detective skills or little grey cells to demonstrate my crime-solving prowess.
However, Crutchley does offer us several people who had connections to both Paige and later to Charlie so in that respect we've got a few suspects. And - on that note - in reality, the 'who' is the person I probably least expected.
I liked the flawed characters Crutchley offers us via Jac and her family... resplendent with dysfunction. And then of course there's Iris, Paige and Lisa... reminding us money and status don't buy happiness or bring out the best in people, but does make it easier to bury their secrets and hide their flaws and behaviour.
There are of course deeper themes around parenting and families (particularly regarding expectations and rejection) and whether the way we're treated growing up is like a self-fulfilling prophecy and we grow into those expectations others had of us or we had of ourselves. For that reason it would be a great bookclub selection as there's lots to debate and discuss.
3.5 stars
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
We kinda get to know quite early on 'why' Charlie goes missing. I hate knowing 'whodunnit' or sometimes even the 'why' early in the book as it means there's no opportunity to use my detective skills or little grey cells to demonstrate my crime-solving prowess.
However, Crutchley does offer us several people who had connections to both Paige and later to Charlie so in that respect we've got a few suspects. And - on that note - in reality, the 'who' is the person I probably least expected.
I liked the flawed characters Crutchley offers us via Jac and her family... resplendent with dysfunction. And then of course there's Iris, Paige and Lisa... reminding us money and status don't buy happiness or bring out the best in people, but does make it easier to bury their secrets and hide their flaws and behaviour.
There are of course deeper themes around parenting and families (particularly regarding expectations and rejection) and whether the way we're treated growing up is like a self-fulfilling prophecy and we grow into those expectations others had of us or we had of ourselves. For that reason it would be a great bookclub selection as there's lots to debate and discuss.
3.5 stars
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
May 19, 2023
In Her Blood by Nikki Crutchley is a captivating and atmospheric thriller that delves into the depths of family dysfunction while immersing readers in the moody setting of a small town in New Zealand. This book delivers a tale of two missing girls, two decades apart, intertwining their stories.
One of the features of this novel is its exploration of family dynamics and dysfunction. The protagonist, Jac Morgan, is burdened by a tragic past that haunts her every step which becomes a gripping backdrop for the story. As she returns to her hometown in search of her missing sister, Charlie, the complex relationships within her family unravel, revealing a web of secrets and hidden truths.
Crutchley skillfully portrays the intricate emotions and strained connections between the characters, none of whom are particularly likeable and are all flawed. Although I didn’t immediately warm to the protagonist, by the end, as we learn more about her, I was able to empathise with her struggles and became invested enough to devour the final act of the book in one sitting.
The author's ability to create a moody and atmospheric setting is commendable. Within the small town in the Waikato, an area this reader once lived is a decaying hotel, which is more than just a backdrop; it becomes a character. The vivid descriptions of the hotel’s past, presided over by the vile Iris Gilmore contribute to a palpable sense of place. The setting feels authentic and adds an extra layer of depth to the story, enhancing the tension and mystery surrounding the disappearances.
The dual timeline narrative, connecting the vanishing of Paige Gilmore twenty years ago with Charlie's recent disappearance, adds an intriguing dimension to the plot. As Jac uncovers clues and investigates her sister's case, she becomes entangled in the secrets and mysteries that have haunted the Gilmore Hotel for years. The suspense builds steadily, and the stakes are raised with each revelation. For me, though, this was less a whodunnit and more of a whydunnit as I’d worked out early on in the narrative who was behind the disappearances.
In Her Blood is a well-written mystery/psychological crime thriller that combines family drama and a strong sense of place.
I borrowed the paperback version from a public library.
One of the features of this novel is its exploration of family dynamics and dysfunction. The protagonist, Jac Morgan, is burdened by a tragic past that haunts her every step which becomes a gripping backdrop for the story. As she returns to her hometown in search of her missing sister, Charlie, the complex relationships within her family unravel, revealing a web of secrets and hidden truths.
Crutchley skillfully portrays the intricate emotions and strained connections between the characters, none of whom are particularly likeable and are all flawed. Although I didn’t immediately warm to the protagonist, by the end, as we learn more about her, I was able to empathise with her struggles and became invested enough to devour the final act of the book in one sitting.
The author's ability to create a moody and atmospheric setting is commendable. Within the small town in the Waikato, an area this reader once lived is a decaying hotel, which is more than just a backdrop; it becomes a character. The vivid descriptions of the hotel’s past, presided over by the vile Iris Gilmore contribute to a palpable sense of place. The setting feels authentic and adds an extra layer of depth to the story, enhancing the tension and mystery surrounding the disappearances.
The dual timeline narrative, connecting the vanishing of Paige Gilmore twenty years ago with Charlie's recent disappearance, adds an intriguing dimension to the plot. As Jac uncovers clues and investigates her sister's case, she becomes entangled in the secrets and mysteries that have haunted the Gilmore Hotel for years. The suspense builds steadily, and the stakes are raised with each revelation. For me, though, this was less a whodunnit and more of a whydunnit as I’d worked out early on in the narrative who was behind the disappearances.
In Her Blood is a well-written mystery/psychological crime thriller that combines family drama and a strong sense of place.
I borrowed the paperback version from a public library.
April 10, 2023
Jac has been dreading the day she would have to return to her hometown, but after a panicked drunken call from her father, she knows something is very wrong. Her little sister Charlie is missing.
Retracing her sisters steps, Jac desperately searches the entire small town and finds no leads. She knows the investigation could take days, so Jac books herself into the nearest vacant hotel, the Gilmore Hotel. The hotel is eerily quiet and eccentric in all its furnishings, paired with a bizarre mother daughter management duo, Jac is definitely hesitant to their welcoming.
The owner it seems has something in common with Jac, she too has a missing family member, and although it has been over twenty years she knows her girl; Paige will come back to her.
Could these young missing woman be connected?
This thriller was fast paced, chilling and really quite creepy. If it hadn't been for my fellow buddy readers I think I could’ve chewed this up in a day.
The old hotel setting was brilliant, making the entire novel feel eerie, cold and a bit haunted. With every dark room discovered, a small piece of this mysterious puzzle slipped into place. This novel follows two different timelines; twenty years in the past before Paige disappears and present day, when Charlie goes missing. Enabling the readers to see how the hotel has been transformed over time, from a home to a shell that reeks of loss and darkness. Nikki Crutchely does a brilliant job intertwining these timelines, moulding the twists together it links the two separate missing cases oh so well.
In Her Blood is also told from multiple perspectives, my favourite being the missing sister; Charlie. Charlie’s point of view is absolutely chilling, you can sense the terror in the character as both the readers and Charlie try to figure out were she is.
Although I picked the ending slightly early on, each moment leading to the final reveal remained tense and unsettling. This was a great thriller by a Kiwi author, and one I will be recommending.
Retracing her sisters steps, Jac desperately searches the entire small town and finds no leads. She knows the investigation could take days, so Jac books herself into the nearest vacant hotel, the Gilmore Hotel. The hotel is eerily quiet and eccentric in all its furnishings, paired with a bizarre mother daughter management duo, Jac is definitely hesitant to their welcoming.
The owner it seems has something in common with Jac, she too has a missing family member, and although it has been over twenty years she knows her girl; Paige will come back to her.
Could these young missing woman be connected?
This thriller was fast paced, chilling and really quite creepy. If it hadn't been for my fellow buddy readers I think I could’ve chewed this up in a day.
The old hotel setting was brilliant, making the entire novel feel eerie, cold and a bit haunted. With every dark room discovered, a small piece of this mysterious puzzle slipped into place. This novel follows two different timelines; twenty years in the past before Paige disappears and present day, when Charlie goes missing. Enabling the readers to see how the hotel has been transformed over time, from a home to a shell that reeks of loss and darkness. Nikki Crutchely does a brilliant job intertwining these timelines, moulding the twists together it links the two separate missing cases oh so well.
In Her Blood is also told from multiple perspectives, my favourite being the missing sister; Charlie. Charlie’s point of view is absolutely chilling, you can sense the terror in the character as both the readers and Charlie try to figure out were she is.
Although I picked the ending slightly early on, each moment leading to the final reveal remained tense and unsettling. This was a great thriller by a Kiwi author, and one I will be recommending.
December 23, 2022
✍️ Jac Morgan has returned back to her hometown of Everly seven years after the house fire that killed her mother and branded her a killer. Her sister Charlie is missing so Jac is here to find her. Twenty years ago another girl went missing. Paige Gilmore, the daughter of the Gilmore Hotel matriarch Iris Gilmore. The haunted hotel holds lots of secrets and mysteries which could lead to a clue into her sister's disappearance.
I love books in particular that are Fast Paced and Thrillers like this one was so I was very excited when I received an advance copy from the lovely people @harpercollinsaustralia
From the beginning this story was profuse with Apprehension, Intrigue and Inquisitiveness that I was immersed until the end. I was engrossed by the alternative POV's as well as the past and present narration of the story.
The plot was ingeniously written and unique in its entirety. A real page turner.
The characters were imaginatively constructed with peculiar personalities and I found the writing to be evocative and engaging.
Highly recommend!
I love books in particular that are Fast Paced and Thrillers like this one was so I was very excited when I received an advance copy from the lovely people @harpercollinsaustralia
From the beginning this story was profuse with Apprehension, Intrigue and Inquisitiveness that I was immersed until the end. I was engrossed by the alternative POV's as well as the past and present narration of the story.
The plot was ingeniously written and unique in its entirety. A real page turner.
The characters were imaginatively constructed with peculiar personalities and I found the writing to be evocative and engaging.
Highly recommend!
March 29, 2023
This is a mystery novel set in small-town NZ, probably close to where I once lived in the North Island south of Auckland. A girl goes missing and her sister, in Australia, comes back to try and find her. They are from a dysfunctional family and the clues are in another dysfunctional family, who own an old worn-down hotel in the area.
The characters are all dislikable in their own ways, perhaps giving the author what she wanted to show: that weird families produce strange offspring. The plot moves along well, with a few red herrings thrown in to make you think, “Was it him?” For me, I was distracted by obvious flaws in the book, like a mobile phone that somehow dies and won’t recharge at the crucial time. Also, how a middle-aged woman could subdue a much younger and fitter woman. I also compared this book with recent Australian crime novels set in remote outback towns. Unfavourably to me. Still a reasonable crime novel, that you couldn’t call a police procedural as the sole small-town cop was virtually non-existent.
The characters are all dislikable in their own ways, perhaps giving the author what she wanted to show: that weird families produce strange offspring. The plot moves along well, with a few red herrings thrown in to make you think, “Was it him?” For me, I was distracted by obvious flaws in the book, like a mobile phone that somehow dies and won’t recharge at the crucial time. Also, how a middle-aged woman could subdue a much younger and fitter woman. I also compared this book with recent Australian crime novels set in remote outback towns. Unfavourably to me. Still a reasonable crime novel, that you couldn’t call a police procedural as the sole small-town cop was virtually non-existent.
January 15, 2023
In Her Blood by Nikki Crutchley is a creepy story that increases in intensity as it progresses. Set in a small town in New Zealand with all the characteristics that ooze out of small towns where everyone knows everyone and while there are secrets, they are often hinted at and distorted.
Two families over two time frames with missing girls. What happened in the past? Is the same thing happening again twenty years later? How badly are all the characters in this story really messed up?
As I said at the start, this is a creepy story with creepy characters that just creeped me out!!! That being said I just couldn’t put it down and had to keep reading to find out what happened and what happens - the past and the present.
Highly recommended read!
This review is based on a complimentary copy from HarperCollins Publishers Australia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#InHerBlood #Netgalley
Two families over two time frames with missing girls. What happened in the past? Is the same thing happening again twenty years later? How badly are all the characters in this story really messed up?
As I said at the start, this is a creepy story with creepy characters that just creeped me out!!! That being said I just couldn’t put it down and had to keep reading to find out what happened and what happens - the past and the present.
Highly recommended read!
This review is based on a complimentary copy from HarperCollins Publishers Australia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#InHerBlood #Netgalley
January 7, 2023
Jac Morgan gets a desperate text from her estranged, drunken father, her sister Charlie is missing. Against her better judgment Jac returns to the small town she ran from after the house fire that killed her mother.
Twenty one years ago another young girl went missing in the same town. Paige Gilmore was never found and her mother, sister and the family hotel all seem haunted by her disappearance.
Thought of as a runaway no one but Jac seems concerned about Charlie so she tries to investigate her disappearance.
Another great story from Nikki. It is, as they say, a real page turner (no pun intended!) and I highly recommend it.
Hoping Nikki is well through the next novel. I’ve managed to start the last three years with one of her books. It’s becoming a tradition. No pressure Nikki.
Twenty one years ago another young girl went missing in the same town. Paige Gilmore was never found and her mother, sister and the family hotel all seem haunted by her disappearance.
Thought of as a runaway no one but Jac seems concerned about Charlie so she tries to investigate her disappearance.
Another great story from Nikki. It is, as they say, a real page turner (no pun intended!) and I highly recommend it.
Hoping Nikki is well through the next novel. I’ve managed to start the last three years with one of her books. It’s becoming a tradition. No pressure Nikki.
November 21, 2022
3.5 Stars
I like small town crime, and this was definitely an entertaining read.
Jac Morgan returns to the small NZ town of Everly, to try and find her missing sister. It just happens to be nearly 21 years to the day that another young girl disappeared without a trace. Jac starts her search and it leads to the (non-operating) Gilmore Hotel. Jac takes a cleaning job with the family that own the hotel - and meets some eclectic, quirky, unusual people there. Her search for Charlie uncovers some secrets surrounding the hotel.
A read that had me captivated, only marked down slightly because with such a small bunch of characters, it made guessing who might be behind the mystery a lot easier to guess.
I like small town crime, and this was definitely an entertaining read.
Jac Morgan returns to the small NZ town of Everly, to try and find her missing sister. It just happens to be nearly 21 years to the day that another young girl disappeared without a trace. Jac starts her search and it leads to the (non-operating) Gilmore Hotel. Jac takes a cleaning job with the family that own the hotel - and meets some eclectic, quirky, unusual people there. Her search for Charlie uncovers some secrets surrounding the hotel.
A read that had me captivated, only marked down slightly because with such a small bunch of characters, it made guessing who might be behind the mystery a lot easier to guess.
January 25, 2025
Jac receives messages from her dead-beat dad, saying her sister Charlie is missing - worried, Jac returns to the town where she was run out from - after their housefire was blamed on her actions - exiting the bus and arriving at the camp park - looking for her father, he arrives just as someone pulls him from the creek, dead. the local cops are not interested in Charlie - deeming her exiting left with no goodbyes to anyone. Jac's search for Charlie encompasses another missing girl 20+ years ago - who looks a lot like her sister Charlie, the weirdness of the Gilmore Hotel and the occupants intensifies - especially when Charlie is 'presented' as Paige Gilmore - to long lost daughter. An intriguing and twisted story of jealousy, punishment and loss.
November 23, 2022
Exceptional offering from Nikki Crutchley!
In In Her Blood, Nikki Crutchley conjures up a spooky, overpowering mansion that takes on a persona: haunting the reader's imagination much like the Overlook Hotel (The Shining).
Inside, Crutchley assembles a sinister chorus of characters, all with ghosts of their own - the most sinister, the domineering matriarch, Iris Gilmore.
In a clever angle the author overlaps two stories of disappeared girls, alike in appearance but twenty one years apart.
In In Her Blood, Nikki Crutchley conjures up a spooky, overpowering mansion that takes on a persona: haunting the reader's imagination much like the Overlook Hotel (The Shining).
Inside, Crutchley assembles a sinister chorus of characters, all with ghosts of their own - the most sinister, the domineering matriarch, Iris Gilmore.
In a clever angle the author overlaps two stories of disappeared girls, alike in appearance but twenty one years apart.
January 6, 2023
Gripping and page turning.
I thoroughly enjoyed the old hotel setting and the vivid pictures Nikki creates. Having spent a lot of time in Waitomo, the setting description was spot on. I could “see” the domain, the campground, the school and the scary hotel that definitely has a strong presence both in real life and the book. True to the way Nikki writes, the storyline kept me guessing to the end. I found it hard to put down and would definitely recommend. Five stars! ⭐️
I thoroughly enjoyed the old hotel setting and the vivid pictures Nikki creates. Having spent a lot of time in Waitomo, the setting description was spot on. I could “see” the domain, the campground, the school and the scary hotel that definitely has a strong presence both in real life and the book. True to the way Nikki writes, the storyline kept me guessing to the end. I found it hard to put down and would definitely recommend. Five stars! ⭐️
November 16, 2022
I loved this small town story and especially haunted old Hotel, but is it past guest haunting it or the people living in it? With two sets of sisters trying to survive difficult upbringings, this book is an interesting look into the complicated relationships we have with family and how they shape us into ourselves as adults!! 5 stars from Me!!
December 18, 2022
Loved this book! Had been searching for a book to read after a break of a few months and this didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed the setting of the old hotel and the stories it held from it’s past. The two sets of sisters were were all very memorable characters and a few dodgy people kept you guessing along the way. Definitely recommend.
March 10, 2023
Book 10. She returns to her home town that she left 7 years ago after a house fire that killed her mother, because her sister is missing. It turns out another girl went missing 20 years before. A lot of twists, I guessed the ending quite early on. Not a bad read, very easy, a New Zealand author. 🤓📚 #tsreadinglist2023 #tsrecommendations
October 16, 2025
Another enjoyable read by Nikki Crutchley, and In Her Blood was certainly a lot less harrowing (for me) than 'To the Sea, which was truly uncomfortable.
I found it a fast read, that flows along really well, with nice suspense.
The ending, however, felt both drawn out, and incomplete, at the same time, so I was glad to have finished, and yet needed more.
I found it a fast read, that flows along really well, with nice suspense.
The ending, however, felt both drawn out, and incomplete, at the same time, so I was glad to have finished, and yet needed more.
April 17, 2023
Not a bad book. I was back and forth for a while over who was the 'culprit' but then I did pick who it was before it was obvious..... I would've preferred a bit more of a twist..... but it was still quite well written.
July 12, 2023
I enjoyed this psychological mystery drama set in small town New Zealand. The setting of the creepy old hotel was particularly well done. It had a Miss Haversham feel to it. And although I had solved the mystery long before the conclusion, the story kept me reading till the end.
June 8, 2024
This is my 3rd Nikki Crutchley book this year, having 'discovered' her in the "Bad Deeds Down Under" anthology, and it was good. I was kept guessing until all is revealed near the end - and there were plenty of candidates for the one doing the foul deed. I hope there will be more!
November 10, 2025
I struggled through this finding it repetitive and derivative. I hoped there might be a twist to keep me interested but there wasn’t. I worked the plot out fairly early on and didn’t really feel invested in any of the characters. Dual timeline and changing 3rd person narration didn’t help.
January 15, 2023
Review copy received with thanks from the publisher and NetGalley. More in my next Good Reads blog at www.sandiwallace.com/blog/.
February 20, 2023
A gripping story! Highly recommended.
February 20, 2023
This Just DID NOT sit well with me...fractured writing...characters I did NOT care for and had no desire to invest my reading time in : with no offence to the author but NEXT !!!!!
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