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The Caretaker
An isolated, empty ski resort in the off-season. A woman who doesn't want to be found. A man who may not be who he appears to be. A game of cat and mouse - with deadly consequences. On the run from a controlling husband and his underworld associates in Melbourne, Charlotte has adopted a new identity and found a job as an off-season caretaker in a tiny, deserted alpine resort. Some dangerous people are looking for Charlotte and so she's lying low, tending to the lodges, happy to be alone, but jumping every time a floor creaks or the wind whistles through the empty buildings. She's trying to convince herself she's okay, that she got away. But then strange things start happening around the resort. And Charlotte starts to realise that every escape route is being sealed off, one by one. From Gabriel Bergmoser, the master of propulsive, page-turning storytelling, The Caretaker will have readers second-guessing themselves at every turn. What's real and what isn't? Who's dangerous and who isn't? And who will survive?
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2023
32 people are currently reading
508 people want to read
About the author
Gabriel Bergmoser
18 books271 followersGabriel Bergmoser is a Melbourne based author and playwright. After starting out in the youth theatre scene with his early plays Windmills, Life Without Me and Hometown, Gabriel completed his Masters of Screenwriting at the Victorian College of the Arts. He co-founded the independent production company Bitten By Productions, entering the Melbourne theatre scene with the one-act comedy Reunion and the futuristic Babylon Trilogy of noir thrillers. Gabriel's 2015 Beatles comedy We Can Work It Out opened to sell out shows and rave reviews – it has also been performed in Queensland and returned to Melbourne stages for the 2018 Fringe Festival.
In 2015 he won the prestigious Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award for his pilot screenplay based on Windmills and was flown to the International Emmys in New York to accept. The same pilot was later nominated for the Monte Miller Award. In 2016 his first young adult novel, Boone Shepard, was published by Bell Frog Books; it was later shortlisted for the Readings Young Adult Prize the day after the sequel, Boone Shepard's American Adventure was released. The third book, Boone Shepard: The Silhouette and the Sacrifice, was released in 2018 and a television adaptation is currently in development with Pirate Size Productions.
His 2016 plays The Lucas Conundrum, Regression and The Critic opened to excellent reviews while his early 2017 play Springsteen sold out its entire season. His play Heroes was nominated for the 2017 Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing and went on to win several awards, including five for Best Production and three for best script, on the 2017 VDL One Act Play Festival circuit. His first musical, Moonlite (featuring original songs by Dan Nixon) was performed as part of the 2018 Midsumma Festival; it received rave reviews, sold out its entire season, and was later selected for the highly sought after Home Grown Grassroots development initiative. His 2019 play, The Trial of Dorian Gray, sold out its entire season, was extended, then sold out again. Several of his plays have been published by Australian Plays.
In 2019 Gabriel signed a two book deal with Harper Collins, with the first, The Hunted, scheduled for publication in July 2020. The Hunted will be published in the UK by Faber with translation rights having sold to Bulgaria, Greece, Germany, Italy and France. The film adaptation is currently being developed in a joint production between Stampede Ventures and Vertigo entertainment in Los Angeles, with Gabriel writing the screenplay. He has since signed a second two book deal with Harper for his YA coming of age novel The True Colour of Little White Lies and a follow up.
In 2015 he won the prestigious Sir Peter Ustinov Television Scriptwriting Award for his pilot screenplay based on Windmills and was flown to the International Emmys in New York to accept. The same pilot was later nominated for the Monte Miller Award. In 2016 his first young adult novel, Boone Shepard, was published by Bell Frog Books; it was later shortlisted for the Readings Young Adult Prize the day after the sequel, Boone Shepard's American Adventure was released. The third book, Boone Shepard: The Silhouette and the Sacrifice, was released in 2018 and a television adaptation is currently in development with Pirate Size Productions.
His 2016 plays The Lucas Conundrum, Regression and The Critic opened to excellent reviews while his early 2017 play Springsteen sold out its entire season. His play Heroes was nominated for the 2017 Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing and went on to win several awards, including five for Best Production and three for best script, on the 2017 VDL One Act Play Festival circuit. His first musical, Moonlite (featuring original songs by Dan Nixon) was performed as part of the 2018 Midsumma Festival; it received rave reviews, sold out its entire season, and was later selected for the highly sought after Home Grown Grassroots development initiative. His 2019 play, The Trial of Dorian Gray, sold out its entire season, was extended, then sold out again. Several of his plays have been published by Australian Plays.
In 2019 Gabriel signed a two book deal with Harper Collins, with the first, The Hunted, scheduled for publication in July 2020. The Hunted will be published in the UK by Faber with translation rights having sold to Bulgaria, Greece, Germany, Italy and France. The film adaptation is currently being developed in a joint production between Stampede Ventures and Vertigo entertainment in Los Angeles, with Gabriel writing the screenplay. He has since signed a second two book deal with Harper for his YA coming of age novel The True Colour of Little White Lies and a follow up.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
September 13, 2023
3★
“The first thing Charlotte did, every time she set foot in the lodge, was check the fine, thin thread that crossed the hall just past the front door. In the semi dark it was impossible to see. If you walked through and broke it, you wouldn’t notice.”
Yes, she sounds paranoid. With good reason. She’s terrified of being found. Why? This story is told in the third person, THEN and NOW. Just when it hits a point of high tension, it shifts to the other timeline – pretty much the definition of a cliffhanger.
Aussie author Bergmoser places Charlotte in Sydney (THEN) and the Snowy Mountains (NOW). Then she was in university, fell for a handsome, young, very wealthy man of whom her father did not approve. Dominic had nightclubs and she became a manager, setting aside her desire to be a writer.
Her best friend, Mel, warned her she should be more curious about who Dominic was and how he got so rich so young. But Charlotte was totally smitten and he seemed to be as well.
NOW she’s alone in the Snowy Mountains as the caretaker of a small resort that has just closed after the winter ski season. It is still cold, snow is still on the ground, and the roads are icy. She has driven the three hours down the mountain to town for supplies.
“She hadn’t noticed him. He was very good at going unnoticed. She was crossing the road. He watched her from his spot beside the post office and considered how best to make his approach. He bit his lip. He took a coin from his pocket and flipped it.”
We don’t know why she’s there – only this.
“She’d spent the last six months on the run, always looking over her shoulder, analysing every too-long look that came her way. But up there, alone, it was unlikely anyone would find her, cops or the others. It also meant that if they did, she was screwed.
But what was the alternative? Keep bouncing from town to town, waiting for the click of a cocked gun or a shriek of sirens?”
The switching between THEN and NOW is done well, and I was never confused about where I was. The characters were believable and the terror was real. I didn’t believe her clever protective devices or the number of people living double lives about which she (and we) knew nothing.
But it’s exciting and I had no idea how she could possibly extricate herself.
“She had been wrong. There was no uncorrupted pocket of the world where she could again feel like the person she’d once been. There was no part of her left untainted. There was no blank slate future. There was only running. Only surviving.”
The writing is uneven. Some of it reads smoothly, (meaning I’m just enjoying the story), but then I would run across misplaced words, awkward phrasing, and misspellings. Another good edit would have cleared a lot of that up.
There will be many readers who will overlook my gripes and enjoy the thrilling ride. Thanks to #NetGalley and Harper Collins for a copy of #TheCaretaker for review.
“The first thing Charlotte did, every time she set foot in the lodge, was check the fine, thin thread that crossed the hall just past the front door. In the semi dark it was impossible to see. If you walked through and broke it, you wouldn’t notice.”
Yes, she sounds paranoid. With good reason. She’s terrified of being found. Why? This story is told in the third person, THEN and NOW. Just when it hits a point of high tension, it shifts to the other timeline – pretty much the definition of a cliffhanger.
Aussie author Bergmoser places Charlotte in Sydney (THEN) and the Snowy Mountains (NOW). Then she was in university, fell for a handsome, young, very wealthy man of whom her father did not approve. Dominic had nightclubs and she became a manager, setting aside her desire to be a writer.
Her best friend, Mel, warned her she should be more curious about who Dominic was and how he got so rich so young. But Charlotte was totally smitten and he seemed to be as well.
NOW she’s alone in the Snowy Mountains as the caretaker of a small resort that has just closed after the winter ski season. It is still cold, snow is still on the ground, and the roads are icy. She has driven the three hours down the mountain to town for supplies.
“She hadn’t noticed him. He was very good at going unnoticed. She was crossing the road. He watched her from his spot beside the post office and considered how best to make his approach. He bit his lip. He took a coin from his pocket and flipped it.”
We don’t know why she’s there – only this.
“She’d spent the last six months on the run, always looking over her shoulder, analysing every too-long look that came her way. But up there, alone, it was unlikely anyone would find her, cops or the others. It also meant that if they did, she was screwed.
But what was the alternative? Keep bouncing from town to town, waiting for the click of a cocked gun or a shriek of sirens?”
The switching between THEN and NOW is done well, and I was never confused about where I was. The characters were believable and the terror was real. I didn’t believe her clever protective devices or the number of people living double lives about which she (and we) knew nothing.
But it’s exciting and I had no idea how she could possibly extricate herself.
“She had been wrong. There was no uncorrupted pocket of the world where she could again feel like the person she’d once been. There was no part of her left untainted. There was no blank slate future. There was only running. Only surviving.”
The writing is uneven. Some of it reads smoothly, (meaning I’m just enjoying the story), but then I would run across misplaced words, awkward phrasing, and misspellings. Another good edit would have cleared a lot of that up.
There will be many readers who will overlook my gripes and enjoy the thrilling ride. Thanks to #NetGalley and Harper Collins for a copy of #TheCaretaker for review.
September 27, 2024
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**3.5 stars**
The Caretaker by Gabriel Bergmoser. (2023).
**Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 2 August 2023**
On the run from a controlling husband and his underworld associates, Charlotte has adopted a new identity as an off-season caretaker in a tiny, deserted alpine resort. She knows dangerous people are after her and she's trying to convince herself she's okay. She's happy to be alone but she jumps every time the floor creaks or the wind whistles. But then strange things start happening and she starts to realise that every escape route is being sealed off one by one...
Having read previous novels from this author, I was expecting an action-packed heart-racer. I was half right: it's more of a slow-burner full of tension and anxiety, but certainly still sets the heart racing with the anticipation of something bad to happen. Charlotte has isolated herself in an empty ski resort to escape the clutches of others - she's frightened to the point of paranoia. Although, is it paranoia if there actually is a bunch of bad guys after you? The storyline is a cat and mouse game that cleverly alternates Charlotte's history and her current situation. Nothing is quite as it seems in this atmospheric read...
Overall: if you are into tension-filled slow-moving thrillers, you'll find this one a treat.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
**3.5 stars**
The Caretaker by Gabriel Bergmoser. (2023).
**Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 2 August 2023**
On the run from a controlling husband and his underworld associates, Charlotte has adopted a new identity as an off-season caretaker in a tiny, deserted alpine resort. She knows dangerous people are after her and she's trying to convince herself she's okay. She's happy to be alone but she jumps every time the floor creaks or the wind whistles. But then strange things start happening and she starts to realise that every escape route is being sealed off one by one...
Having read previous novels from this author, I was expecting an action-packed heart-racer. I was half right: it's more of a slow-burner full of tension and anxiety, but certainly still sets the heart racing with the anticipation of something bad to happen. Charlotte has isolated herself in an empty ski resort to escape the clutches of others - she's frightened to the point of paranoia. Although, is it paranoia if there actually is a bunch of bad guys after you? The storyline is a cat and mouse game that cleverly alternates Charlotte's history and her current situation. Nothing is quite as it seems in this atmospheric read...
Overall: if you are into tension-filled slow-moving thrillers, you'll find this one a treat.
July 22, 2023
Gabriel Bergmoser is adept at placing his lead characters into seemingly hopeless situations, stacks the odds against them in further and then allows us to watch them attempt to get out of it. He does it again in no less dramatic fashion in The Caretaker and it had me hooked in deep fascination.
The Caretaker is a psychological thriller that slowly and carefully builds up the tension with a growing great weight of expectation and dread pervading every page. The lead character is Charlotte Laurent and from the moment we meet her we get the sense that she’s on the run, in fear for her life.
“Charlotte Laurent stepped out of the car, quickly and carefully scanning her surrounds. She didn’t expect to see anything out of place. But then, expectations and reality did not always align…This was the second supply run she’d made since taking on the job. On the first she clearly hadn’t bought enough; that had only been three weeks ago. She could allow herself one mistake. She couldn’t afford a second.”
Charlotte has gone into hiding. She has taken on the job as the off-season caretaker of a tiny ski resort in Australia’s alps. She’s hoping to go unnoticed while she lies low. But even before she reaches the safety of her ski lodge residence she’s spooked by a stranger in the general goods store as she stocks up on provisions.
Right from the very first page the tension begins to build. Charlotte is skittish, she’s created traps and pitfalls around her hideaway, she has her getaway plans in place. There is no doubt, she believes someone’s coming to kill her. And then John, a pleasant, good-natured man with a love of the Bee Gees shows up and moves into one of the resort’s lodges.
We’re filled in on the backstory by switching between two time periods in alternating chapters: the frantic present day that simply oozes fear and a sense of impending doom and the past where she first meets her future husband, Dominic. We simultaneously grow to understand the type of man he was as we witness the extreme measures she’s now taking to protect herself from the attackers she’s sure are coming for her.
Gabriel Bergmoser has created a compelling story of suspense and intrigue. From a careful beginning we slowly get a picture of the situation Charlotte finds herself in. The location plays a key role in the mood of the story, too. It’s remoteness, the desolate nature of the landscape and the danger that may be hidden in the thick surrounding bushland. It all adds up to a heightened feeling of danger at every turn.
I found this to be an extremely intriguing thriller that offers up some added rewards by revealing a few deeper, unexpected secrets. Call them twists if you like, but there are times when the entire narrative tends to completely change course. It was simply up to me to try to put the pieces together.
Anyone who enjoys the anticipation of a plot that provides a slow, steady build up of tension before exploding into a fierce flurry of scarcely believable activity is going to really enjoy The Caretaker.
My thanks to the publisher HarperCollins and NetGalley for a digital ARC to read, enjoy and review.
The Caretaker is a psychological thriller that slowly and carefully builds up the tension with a growing great weight of expectation and dread pervading every page. The lead character is Charlotte Laurent and from the moment we meet her we get the sense that she’s on the run, in fear for her life.
“Charlotte Laurent stepped out of the car, quickly and carefully scanning her surrounds. She didn’t expect to see anything out of place. But then, expectations and reality did not always align…This was the second supply run she’d made since taking on the job. On the first she clearly hadn’t bought enough; that had only been three weeks ago. She could allow herself one mistake. She couldn’t afford a second.”
Charlotte has gone into hiding. She has taken on the job as the off-season caretaker of a tiny ski resort in Australia’s alps. She’s hoping to go unnoticed while she lies low. But even before she reaches the safety of her ski lodge residence she’s spooked by a stranger in the general goods store as she stocks up on provisions.
Right from the very first page the tension begins to build. Charlotte is skittish, she’s created traps and pitfalls around her hideaway, she has her getaway plans in place. There is no doubt, she believes someone’s coming to kill her. And then John, a pleasant, good-natured man with a love of the Bee Gees shows up and moves into one of the resort’s lodges.
We’re filled in on the backstory by switching between two time periods in alternating chapters: the frantic present day that simply oozes fear and a sense of impending doom and the past where she first meets her future husband, Dominic. We simultaneously grow to understand the type of man he was as we witness the extreme measures she’s now taking to protect herself from the attackers she’s sure are coming for her.
Gabriel Bergmoser has created a compelling story of suspense and intrigue. From a careful beginning we slowly get a picture of the situation Charlotte finds herself in. The location plays a key role in the mood of the story, too. It’s remoteness, the desolate nature of the landscape and the danger that may be hidden in the thick surrounding bushland. It all adds up to a heightened feeling of danger at every turn.
I found this to be an extremely intriguing thriller that offers up some added rewards by revealing a few deeper, unexpected secrets. Call them twists if you like, but there are times when the entire narrative tends to completely change course. It was simply up to me to try to put the pieces together.
Anyone who enjoys the anticipation of a plot that provides a slow, steady build up of tension before exploding into a fierce flurry of scarcely believable activity is going to really enjoy The Caretaker.
My thanks to the publisher HarperCollins and NetGalley for a digital ARC to read, enjoy and review.
July 27, 2023
A good read, but my enthusiasm was dampened by my own expectations. Charlotte is not a patch on Maggie (from The Hunted). But there's definitely a good story and a few twists along the way to make it an entertaining read.
In The Caretaker, Charlotte is in hiding from her former life in Melbourne. Having altered her name and appearance, she takes on the job of off-season caretaker at a small and shabby ski resort, 3 hours away from the nearest small town. Technically it's available for letting, but guests are not really expected. Then along comes John, to work on his book in isolation. At first Charlotte keeps a very wary distance, but soon John's affable nature wins her over and they begin to spend some time together. Time passes, and Charlotte remains vigilant, but then one day she has her own unexpected visitor.
The story is told by way of the very familiar Now and Then structure. I found Charlotte's past fairly uncompelling and was always keen to get back to the present, to see when the action was going to ratchet up. Eventually it did, and there it was - Bergmoser's trademark frantic pace and violence. But for me it was too little too late to make this a memorable read like his adult fiction debut.
With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book.
In The Caretaker, Charlotte is in hiding from her former life in Melbourne. Having altered her name and appearance, she takes on the job of off-season caretaker at a small and shabby ski resort, 3 hours away from the nearest small town. Technically it's available for letting, but guests are not really expected. Then along comes John, to work on his book in isolation. At first Charlotte keeps a very wary distance, but soon John's affable nature wins her over and they begin to spend some time together. Time passes, and Charlotte remains vigilant, but then one day she has her own unexpected visitor.
The story is told by way of the very familiar Now and Then structure. I found Charlotte's past fairly uncompelling and was always keen to get back to the present, to see when the action was going to ratchet up. Eventually it did, and there it was - Bergmoser's trademark frantic pace and violence. But for me it was too little too late to make this a memorable read like his adult fiction debut.
With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this book.
August 18, 2023
This is a book about a woman on the run from her underworld husband. Shes trying to escape her past and start anew.
The majority of characters in this story are unlikeable. The setting takes place in an isolated lodge in the ski fields. This is what I loved the most about the book. I felt like I was there. Told with a now and then timeline with alot of suspense, I couldnt stop reading as I wanted to know what what was going to happen next.
First book by this author and definately wont be my last.
The majority of characters in this story are unlikeable. The setting takes place in an isolated lodge in the ski fields. This is what I loved the most about the book. I felt like I was there. Told with a now and then timeline with alot of suspense, I couldnt stop reading as I wanted to know what what was going to happen next.
First book by this author and definately wont be my last.
August 31, 2023
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
I absolutely loved The Hunted and couldn’t wait to read the authors latest thriller The Caretaker.
The Caretaker by Gabriel Bergmoser is a cleverly written thriller with a well planned plot where a woman named Charlotte who has a new identity doesn’t want to be found.
There is less physical violence in this story, it’s character driven and the setting is an isolated, small run down Aussie ski resort during the off season where our protagonist takes a job. It all feels very cat and mouse in a nerve racking way, never knowing who to trust.
I loved devouring this one, perfectly paced and full of suspense and twists!
Publication Date 28 July 2023
Publisher Harper Collins Australia
A huge thanks to Harper Collins Australia for a copy of the book
I absolutely loved The Hunted and couldn’t wait to read the authors latest thriller The Caretaker.
The Caretaker by Gabriel Bergmoser is a cleverly written thriller with a well planned plot where a woman named Charlotte who has a new identity doesn’t want to be found.
There is less physical violence in this story, it’s character driven and the setting is an isolated, small run down Aussie ski resort during the off season where our protagonist takes a job. It all feels very cat and mouse in a nerve racking way, never knowing who to trust.
I loved devouring this one, perfectly paced and full of suspense and twists!
Publication Date 28 July 2023
Publisher Harper Collins Australia
A huge thanks to Harper Collins Australia for a copy of the book
July 19, 2023
I was lucky enough to snag an advance reading copy of the book and was so excited to read it from the blurb on the back but unfortunately was left wanting more.
*TW - this book includes drugs, alcohol, domestic abuse and graphic violence/torture*
I wasn’t sure if I should rate it 2 or 3 stars. Ultimately I decided on 3 because the writing IS very good and there were suspenseful moments and a few twists, but I found Charlotte to be very frustrating. I could immediately tell it was written by a male author as the way he portrayed Charlotte was somewhat insulting. Charlotte was made out to be a very emotional, indecisive and scared woman who somehow half the time was smart enough to evade capture and set up many traps but the other half lacked any kind of conviction or thought to take action. Throughout the entire story, every interaction she had with a male included at least one moment of mansplaining how every move she had ever made in her life was wrong or was not good enough or somehow didn’t fit into some type of narrative they had all somehow concluded about her. She questions herself when she shouldn’t and cries constantly and doesn’t seem to have any other depth to her character. The story drags on for a few more chapters than it should before the action finally sets in and then it all ends suddenly and we are left with an epilogue that seems unbelievable and a little….cliche?
I’m sure many others would find this book enjoyable however it wasn’t for me.
*TW - this book includes drugs, alcohol, domestic abuse and graphic violence/torture*
I wasn’t sure if I should rate it 2 or 3 stars. Ultimately I decided on 3 because the writing IS very good and there were suspenseful moments and a few twists, but I found Charlotte to be very frustrating. I could immediately tell it was written by a male author as the way he portrayed Charlotte was somewhat insulting. Charlotte was made out to be a very emotional, indecisive and scared woman who somehow half the time was smart enough to evade capture and set up many traps but the other half lacked any kind of conviction or thought to take action. Throughout the entire story, every interaction she had with a male included at least one moment of mansplaining how every move she had ever made in her life was wrong or was not good enough or somehow didn’t fit into some type of narrative they had all somehow concluded about her. She questions herself when she shouldn’t and cries constantly and doesn’t seem to have any other depth to her character. The story drags on for a few more chapters than it should before the action finally sets in and then it all ends suddenly and we are left with an epilogue that seems unbelievable and a little….cliche?
I’m sure many others would find this book enjoyable however it wasn’t for me.
April 22, 2024
This had a great concept on the blurb, but the end result failed to deliver. Rather than build up suspense and tension, this book relies on a couple of jump scares, that made me think midday movie more than psychological thriller. And this concept screams out for more psychological tension.
Split into past and present chapters, the past shows us why Charlotte is on the run. I found the past chapters barely compelling, and much of that is down to the writing and the chapters being too drawn out. Snappier chapters could have told the story just as well and give the reader more time in the present. But the present chapters were also a bit lackluster. Honestly, I could see the story trying to imply Charlotte was on edge, but it all felt a little shallow to me. When John arrives, renting out one of the cabins, I still didn't get a real feeling of Charlotte being too concerned. And I think that maybe one of the issues with this story. The characters lack emotional depth. Emotions are there when they need to be, but it feels more going through the motions, if that makes sense.
And then there are character choices and behaviours in this book, which I found inconsistent and odd. I can't describe them in detail here because it will be a spoiler, but I'll just say that John's development almost ruined this story for me. Despite trying to be dark and sinister (I guess?), it felt clownish and amateur. I could not buy into it at all. Some things about Charlotte don't add up. One example is her perfection of booby traps around the resort where she is staying. Nothing in her past or present gives the reader an impression she's suddenly a survivalist. In fact, it's the opposite. Her past and present tells me she would struggle to be on the run like this.
I was disappointed with the book.
Split into past and present chapters, the past shows us why Charlotte is on the run. I found the past chapters barely compelling, and much of that is down to the writing and the chapters being too drawn out. Snappier chapters could have told the story just as well and give the reader more time in the present. But the present chapters were also a bit lackluster. Honestly, I could see the story trying to imply Charlotte was on edge, but it all felt a little shallow to me. When John arrives, renting out one of the cabins, I still didn't get a real feeling of Charlotte being too concerned. And I think that maybe one of the issues with this story. The characters lack emotional depth. Emotions are there when they need to be, but it feels more going through the motions, if that makes sense.
And then there are character choices and behaviours in this book, which I found inconsistent and odd. I can't describe them in detail here because it will be a spoiler, but I'll just say that John's development almost ruined this story for me. Despite trying to be dark and sinister (I guess?), it felt clownish and amateur. I could not buy into it at all. Some things about Charlotte don't add up. One example is her perfection of booby traps around the resort where she is staying. Nothing in her past or present gives the reader an impression she's suddenly a survivalist. In fact, it's the opposite. Her past and present tells me she would struggle to be on the run like this.
I was disappointed with the book.
August 7, 2023
I was very pleasantly surprised with this book. It has incredible story building and a twist I truly did not see coming. There were a few parts I felt were a little over the top silly, but I can't touch on those without giving away some spoilers.
October 27, 2023
Gabriel Bergmoser has done it again! What a ripper of a book! Chilling, nerve-wracking, suspenseful, riveting. His latest thriller is just brilliant. The junction of the two timelines was perfectly crafted, the characterisation is strong, and the pace after the midway point is fast! I loved and devoured every page of this book, as I have loved all of Bergmoser's prior stories. Get this book on your shelves! Pronto!
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia for an ARC of this book to read and review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Australia for an ARC of this book to read and review.
November 28, 2023
Charlotte is a student studying to be a writer, although she seems not to be all that enthusiastic about it, she just doesn't seem to be able to get the right measure on it. Not a particularly popular girl and for a social life she seems to rely on her friend. Out on the town one night with friend Mel, who unlike Charlotte is able to blend in with everyone, Charlotte sits on her drink alone. However, when a man approaches her, handsome and confident Charlotte accepts his idea to leave and they head out on their own. One thing leads to another, Dominic has his own business, nightclubs and Charlotte starts to work for him, her writing career flies out the window. Her father isn't all that impressed, not able to believe that making as much money as he appears to do at such a young age and owning several nightclubs is legitimate, he's suspicious. Charlotte is besotted and doesn't heed her father's warning for which in time when it's revealed to her, Dominic is a drug dealer, clubs are needed to launder the money and by then Charlotte is in too deep. To top off her delusion, her uncle she had admired runs a very large drug syndicate. Things start to go bad and the next thing is she finds herself tucked away at a small ski lodge, off season, nobody around, hiding from bad men, she's been accused of Dominic’s murder. She has tried to be invisible but making a phone call from a public booth to her friend is found out by a hit man. Added to the mix is a stranger who arrives on the mountain who has hired another one of the lodges supposedly to write. John is not at all as he pretends to be and soon enough Charlotte finds herself trying to escape this psychopath and the hit man.
October 30, 2023
Nothing quite frustrates me more than this app at the moment and it’s constant glitching and logging out when you’re in the middle of a review, which is what just happened to me … again.
Gabriel Bergmoser is a must buy author for me, and if I’m honest it was largely to do with the awesomeness that was Maggie in his two previous books. Well, that and the blood and gore - I’m the type that will say ‘it’s horrific, it’s gory, that’s terrible … I give it 5 ⭐️’.
So I have to say when I saw the main character in The Caretaker was a woman I began it with some trepidation. Because comparison is the thief of joy and all that ….
The Caretaker is about Charlotte/now Katie who is on the run after being accused of murdering someone. You don’t initially know what she’s running from but you discover she’s accused of murdering her husband. She’s hiding out in the valleys surrounding the Australian snowfields, acting as a caretaker for some lodges between seasons. Until someone finds her …. She meets John who hires one of the lodges and you know John is either going to be trouble or her saviour. (No spoilers)
The Caretaker has is a slow burn, and has a strong sense of setting and character-based. It’s not until the final chapters things really start to move - but there is that disconcerting air thats is palpable throughout the book, with vivid description of the loneliness and isolation Charlotte/Katie experiences and how she is constantly on edge, and paranoid about any change to her surroundings and isolated normality. It’s suspenseful, and there is an interconnectedness with many of the characters that we don’t realise until late in the book, providing some of those AHA moments that as a thriller reader you expect, that you want them to not be obvious early.
You get your gratuitous violence, and a reasonable amount of blood and gore towards the end (winning). Charlotte doesn’t quite hit me like Maggie did, though she comes close as the story culminates. I’ll recommend this one to lovers of Bergmoser’s books and for those non-squeamish (though I think the violence is pretty tame considering the community within which Charlotte finds herself moving).
Thanks to Harper Collins Australia for sending me The Caretaker to read.
4.5 ⭐️
Gabriel Bergmoser is a must buy author for me, and if I’m honest it was largely to do with the awesomeness that was Maggie in his two previous books. Well, that and the blood and gore - I’m the type that will say ‘it’s horrific, it’s gory, that’s terrible … I give it 5 ⭐️’.
So I have to say when I saw the main character in The Caretaker was a woman I began it with some trepidation. Because comparison is the thief of joy and all that ….
The Caretaker is about Charlotte/now Katie who is on the run after being accused of murdering someone. You don’t initially know what she’s running from but you discover she’s accused of murdering her husband. She’s hiding out in the valleys surrounding the Australian snowfields, acting as a caretaker for some lodges between seasons. Until someone finds her …. She meets John who hires one of the lodges and you know John is either going to be trouble or her saviour. (No spoilers)
The Caretaker has is a slow burn, and has a strong sense of setting and character-based. It’s not until the final chapters things really start to move - but there is that disconcerting air thats is palpable throughout the book, with vivid description of the loneliness and isolation Charlotte/Katie experiences and how she is constantly on edge, and paranoid about any change to her surroundings and isolated normality. It’s suspenseful, and there is an interconnectedness with many of the characters that we don’t realise until late in the book, providing some of those AHA moments that as a thriller reader you expect, that you want them to not be obvious early.
You get your gratuitous violence, and a reasonable amount of blood and gore towards the end (winning). Charlotte doesn’t quite hit me like Maggie did, though she comes close as the story culminates. I’ll recommend this one to lovers of Bergmoser’s books and for those non-squeamish (though I think the violence is pretty tame considering the community within which Charlotte finds herself moving).
Thanks to Harper Collins Australia for sending me The Caretaker to read.
4.5 ⭐️
December 18, 2023
A new-to-me author whose book I bought at a booksigning on the blurb alone and boy, am I glad I did.
This is twisty psychological thriller that will keep you guessing right until the very last page.
I devoured this in two sittings.
This is twisty psychological thriller that will keep you guessing right until the very last page.
I devoured this in two sittings.
September 17, 2023
From the same mind that brought you The Hunted, this (again) Australian noir concerns a young woman taking up a job as a caretaker in the ski off-season. But what is she running from, or, evidently, what should she be running from? Alternating from Charlotte’s past to Katie’s present, we see a haunted, hunted, but surprisingly resourceful person emerge. The cast of characters are only really what’s needed, but the standout is the increasingly unhinged John, who is amusingly portrayed in places, and so, so easy to picture in the Mind Movie that plays when I read. Fast paced (in the now times, not so much in the explanatory past story) and gripping, this is a worthy addition to the genre.
November 24, 2024
This review is just to help me remember key points about the book. If you find it helpful or relatable that's cool too.
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"What's real and what isn't? Who's dangerous and who isn't? And who will survive?"
An evil man, the world's most passive female protagonist with no self preservation skills, and a lunatic.
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"What's real and what isn't? Who's dangerous and who isn't? And who will survive?"
1.5 Stars ⭐️
An evil man, the world's most passive female protagonist with no self preservation skills, and a lunatic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
*review to come*
*review to come*
August 2, 2023
This book was another wild ride by the fabulous Gabriel Bergmoser!
I am always kept on the edge of my seat with his books! While this one started out more of a slow burn, I was still completely engaged and actually went a bit rogue in my buddy read with the lovely @piccolos_teacups_and_books @lilyraiti and @cassiehale71 because I just could.not.put.it.down!!
It was one of those books that had you questioning everyone, such unreliable characters that throw you off guard and you just don't know who or what to believe!
The main character, Charlotte was a gutsy woman no matter what was thrown her way and I was cheering her on all the way!
An absolute page turner that my fellow psychological thriller lovers will devour!
Its out now! Grab a copy!
Thank you so much to @netgalley and @harpercollinsaustralia for the e-copy to read and review.
I am always kept on the edge of my seat with his books! While this one started out more of a slow burn, I was still completely engaged and actually went a bit rogue in my buddy read with the lovely @piccolos_teacups_and_books @lilyraiti and @cassiehale71 because I just could.not.put.it.down!!
It was one of those books that had you questioning everyone, such unreliable characters that throw you off guard and you just don't know who or what to believe!
The main character, Charlotte was a gutsy woman no matter what was thrown her way and I was cheering her on all the way!
An absolute page turner that my fellow psychological thriller lovers will devour!
Its out now! Grab a copy!
Thank you so much to @netgalley and @harpercollinsaustralia for the e-copy to read and review.
June 6, 2023
I must say I am in two minds about this book. Why? Because I liked parts of it and found other parts annoying and unbelievable. It made me want to keep reading but then when I did I found I was a bit disappointed.
Charlotte is a young women who finds herself in compromising and often difficult situation. She finds love but it is not all it is cracked up to be. She makes bad choices and founds out family secrets which has put her life in danger. This is her story and it is done in tow parts. Then and Now!
I found Charlotte annoying because of her decision making but that is what the story is all about in part. But I was getting into the story as it seemed to be going somewhere a bit dark and I did want to find out where that was. Must say I was disappointed as it dragged on and finally when all the action did start to happen it was just a bit far out and unreal.
Many twists you don't see coming which is good. Many outcomes that are so unreal and unbelievable (which isn't always bad) but I just found it lost me towards the end and I didn't enjoy it. So some good and some not so good.
The Caretaker: The must-read gripping new suspense thriller novel from the best-selling author of The Hitchhiker and The Hunted
Gabriel Bergmoser
HarperCollins
Charlotte is a young women who finds herself in compromising and often difficult situation. She finds love but it is not all it is cracked up to be. She makes bad choices and founds out family secrets which has put her life in danger. This is her story and it is done in tow parts. Then and Now!
I found Charlotte annoying because of her decision making but that is what the story is all about in part. But I was getting into the story as it seemed to be going somewhere a bit dark and I did want to find out where that was. Must say I was disappointed as it dragged on and finally when all the action did start to happen it was just a bit far out and unreal.
Many twists you don't see coming which is good. Many outcomes that are so unreal and unbelievable (which isn't always bad) but I just found it lost me towards the end and I didn't enjoy it. So some good and some not so good.
The Caretaker: The must-read gripping new suspense thriller novel from the best-selling author of The Hitchhiker and The Hunted
Gabriel Bergmoser
HarperCollins
May 3, 2023
You know that inexplicable feeling you get when you realise that something is…wrong? When something, and you can’t quite put your finger on what, makes you feel, very suddenly, uneasy?
If that feeling were a book, it would be this one.
Charlotte, a woman hiding desperately from her past, takes up residence in a remote, off-season ski resort. There’s more, obviously. A lot more. But Bergmoser weaves such an exquisitely winding tale that it feels like a spoiler to divulge more than that. Chapters flit between past and present, but the story moves at a clipping pace that somehow manages to quietly tighten tension, even while indulging it’s themes.
Set, in part, against the desolate landscape of the empt ski resort, Bergmoser captures the unflinching beauty and brutality of solitude in nature most unwelcoming. The prose here haunts from its pages.
The exploration of Charlotte was, as well, excellent. There’s an unnerving reality and vulnerability to her character that will resonate, especially with women. Her unfolding story is a knife pressed to skin, only stopping when it scrapes against bone. While the book is splashed in blood and violence and intrigue, it’s here, in the quiet, human moments, where it really shines bright.
Despite featuring characters from previous novels, this book is an easy stand-alone read. Highly recommend.
Another chilling thriller from a master of the genre.
If that feeling were a book, it would be this one.
Charlotte, a woman hiding desperately from her past, takes up residence in a remote, off-season ski resort. There’s more, obviously. A lot more. But Bergmoser weaves such an exquisitely winding tale that it feels like a spoiler to divulge more than that. Chapters flit between past and present, but the story moves at a clipping pace that somehow manages to quietly tighten tension, even while indulging it’s themes.
Set, in part, against the desolate landscape of the empt ski resort, Bergmoser captures the unflinching beauty and brutality of solitude in nature most unwelcoming. The prose here haunts from its pages.
The exploration of Charlotte was, as well, excellent. There’s an unnerving reality and vulnerability to her character that will resonate, especially with women. Her unfolding story is a knife pressed to skin, only stopping when it scrapes against bone. While the book is splashed in blood and violence and intrigue, it’s here, in the quiet, human moments, where it really shines bright.
Despite featuring characters from previous novels, this book is an easy stand-alone read. Highly recommend.
Another chilling thriller from a master of the genre.
August 9, 2023
Unfortunately I had high hopes for this book and they just didn’t deliver.
The premise was fascinating but the end result was lack lustre.
I found the whole story quite slow and drawn out, it felt like watching a jump scare movie where nothing really happens for the majority of the book and in the end quite predictable
The character of John I found bizarre, I understand he was supposed to be portrayed as a psychopath but just didn’t seem to make sense why he cared or got involved with Charlotte, doesn’t he have a life!?
What I did enjoy was exploring the relationship between Charlotte and her father and why it became what it did
I also did like the jumping between past and present to further understand how Charlotte ended up being so isolated and how she ended up in the awful situation she did
That said I had little to no sympathy for Charlotte, she brought a lot of her unfortunate situation upon herself and her poor decision making was frustrating throughout the entire novel
The premise was fascinating but the end result was lack lustre.
I found the whole story quite slow and drawn out, it felt like watching a jump scare movie where nothing really happens for the majority of the book and in the end quite predictable
The character of John I found bizarre, I understand he was supposed to be portrayed as a psychopath but just didn’t seem to make sense why he cared or got involved with Charlotte, doesn’t he have a life!?
What I did enjoy was exploring the relationship between Charlotte and her father and why it became what it did
I also did like the jumping between past and present to further understand how Charlotte ended up being so isolated and how she ended up in the awful situation she did
That said I had little to no sympathy for Charlotte, she brought a lot of her unfortunate situation upon herself and her poor decision making was frustrating throughout the entire novel
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2023
Exaggerated clichéd riven dribble. The characters were nonsensically shallow and inconsistent. One minute the heroine can kill someone she supposedly loves and the next minute she cannot kill an obvious deranged murderer – really? The author tries to create gravitas with supposed deep and meaningful analysis to justify actions but only succeeds in creating bullshit. Quoting Emily "I found the whole story quite slow and drawn out, ... watching a jump scare movie where nothing really happens for the majority of the book and in the end quite predictable". I found it just silly.
May 16, 2025
This author certainly knows how to entertain his readers. The mystery, thriller and suspense elements throughout this story will keep you turning the pages well after your bedtime. I enjoyed this one, and the twist was worth waiting for. Recommended.
November 19, 2024
This is my second book by this author – let me tell you – he can write a page turning, eerie, and atmospheric thriller! If you don’t mind a bit of violence, you are in for a wild ride.
This one is set in a remove and isolated off-season ski lodge where Charlotte, under a new identity, is trying to hide from her prior life and her husband’s violent associates.
The story is told in two timelines, now and then. In the present, Charlotte is just living a quiet, isolated life, struggling to stay alive. In the past, we begin to see what led her to the present predicament. The merging of the two timelines is so well done, giving you that AHA feeling.
The story is full of suspense and crazy twists. The odds are stacked against Charlotte and you feel like you’re holding your breath throughout the book.
This one is set in a remove and isolated off-season ski lodge where Charlotte, under a new identity, is trying to hide from her prior life and her husband’s violent associates.
The story is told in two timelines, now and then. In the present, Charlotte is just living a quiet, isolated life, struggling to stay alive. In the past, we begin to see what led her to the present predicament. The merging of the two timelines is so well done, giving you that AHA feeling.
The story is full of suspense and crazy twists. The odds are stacked against Charlotte and you feel like you’re holding your breath throughout the book.
August 24, 2023
Great read. Not a big crime fic reader but it was good for my first one.
Liked how the author made a “then and now” layout for the chapters it was a good way to see the build up of Charlottes character.
The ending was good though it sounds like there could be more. Especially how the epilogue was written.
Liked how the author made a “then and now” layout for the chapters it was a good way to see the build up of Charlottes character.
The ending was good though it sounds like there could be more. Especially how the epilogue was written.
September 11, 2023
I adored this book! It had me hooked from the first few pages and I struggled to put it down.
Charlotte, on the run from her drug lord husband, has sought escape a the caretaker of an off-season ski resort. The twists and turns that this book takes had me on the edge of my seat throughout.
My first book by Gabriel Bergmoser - won’t be my last!
Charlotte, on the run from her drug lord husband, has sought escape a the caretaker of an off-season ski resort. The twists and turns that this book takes had me on the edge of my seat throughout.
My first book by Gabriel Bergmoser - won’t be my last!
January 7, 2024
Easy read, although the writing and plot were a bit amateur.
Storyline was far too dramatic and of all places this story could’ve taken place in, you chose Thredbo?
One bit of credit must be given to the alternating chapters of past and present which was unique and captivating.
Storyline was far too dramatic and of all places this story could’ve taken place in, you chose Thredbo?
One bit of credit must be given to the alternating chapters of past and present which was unique and captivating.
July 23, 2023
Well written and even paced thriller! I could feel atmospheric vibes that made the hairs on my arms stand up. The isolated mountain cabin set the scene for a great thriller.
November 20, 2023
What a ride! What a fantastic, well thought out thriller!
I'll admit I had the read this in the daytime to get through the first half; I was so paranoid!
I'll admit I had the read this in the daytime to get through the first half; I was so paranoid!
June 25, 2024
Very interesting book with some crazy twists.
Set very remotely up a ski field in summer- it was still packed full of energy and excitement
Set very remotely up a ski field in summer- it was still packed full of energy and excitement
November 4, 2024
Great thriller with lots of twists and an ending that leaves questions
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews