Scan barcode
essja7's review against another edition
2.0
The super bright cover caught my eye as I strolled through the library...
The synopsis promised a gripping psychological thriller...
The lack of chapters allowed me to fit it into my #
2 out of 3!!! Unfortunately the story didn't grip, it wasn't thrilling but I did read till the end. The general storyline had potential, rich family, protected secrets... unfortunately the writing lacked maturity and depth almost like a really simple YA novel. The characters were relatively hard to like and the few who we could latch onto as the lights we could follow ended up as ridiculous as the rest. The ending presented a twist but it was simply for convenience sake to tie up loose ends rather than a clever new path to tease us into wanting more.
Not a recommended read from me.
The synopsis promised a gripping psychological thriller...
The lack of chapters allowed me to fit it into my #
2 out of 3!!! Unfortunately the story didn't grip, it wasn't thrilling but I did read till the end. The general storyline had potential, rich family, protected secrets... unfortunately the writing lacked maturity and depth almost like a really simple YA novel. The characters were relatively hard to like and the few who we could latch onto as the lights we could follow ended up as ridiculous as the rest. The ending presented a twist but it was simply for convenience sake to tie up loose ends rather than a clever new path to tease us into wanting more.
Not a recommended read from me.
llbel123's review against another edition
1.0
I disliked Overington's last offering, The One Who Got Away but returned for her latest book given I am such a fan of her previous work, I Came To Say Goodbye was a standout.
However, like her last offering, this one missed the mark for me. Strange, American, undeveloped characters and story threads, and an even stranger wtf twist in the dying pages. I have resolved to only read her next book if she returns to the style of writing present in her earlier works.
However, like her last offering, this one missed the mark for me. Strange, American, undeveloped characters and story threads, and an even stranger wtf twist in the dying pages. I have resolved to only read her next book if she returns to the style of writing present in her earlier works.
rheashami's review against another edition
2.0
The writing isn’t the greatest and the plot is as bonkers as I remembered from last time
erinnejc's review against another edition
3.0
While I enjoyed this book, some parts were a little strange for me e.g. the burial etc of Owen Alden-Stowe, and it did seem to drag at times. I found the vernacular within which it was written was off-putting at times.
susani_'s review against another edition
2.0
I don’t know how to rate this book. It was weird!
That ending.
That twist.
🙅🏼♀️🤦🏽♀️🤢
That ending.
That twist.
🙅🏼♀️🤦🏽♀️🤢
princessfee's review
5.0
An ending I didn't see coming! Not one of Caroline Overingtons greatest, I do prefer her writing in australian settings, but an easy read and easy to get sucked into!
princessfee's review against another edition
5.0
An ending I didn't see coming! Not one of Caroline Overingtons greatest, I do prefer her writing in australian settings, but an easy read and easy to get sucked into!
tasmanian_bibliophile's review
3.0
‘This is going to be my first dead body.’
It should be straightforward. A family trust owns a decrepit, heavily mortgaged estate, in the hills of Paso Robles, California. The estate can only be sold if all the direct descendants agree to the sale. The descendants agree, certain conditions are stipulated. What could possibly go wrong?
The developers who purchased the estate, in violation of the agreed conditions of the sale, start removing the magnificent oak trees. They also start demolishing the family cemetery on the estate, where a partially singed, recently buried body is discovered.
The police are involved, and then another much older body is discovered elsewhere on the estate. Are the deaths connected?
Three generations of the Alden-Stowe family are scrutinised by the police as they try to find out the truth. And what a complicated, convoluted tale they will uncover: deceit, rivalry, self-serving alliances and treachery. Just who will be ‘the lucky one’?
‘Someone had a secret. You can bury bones but not secrets.’
There are plenty of twists and turns in this novel, some more believable than others. I kept turning the pages, trying to work out exactly who was responsible for what (and I didn’t work it all out before the final reveal). There are quite a lot of different characters in this story. While many are quite stereotypical, they fit the story perfectly. I am in two minds about the ending. On one hand, I liked the neatness and cleverness of it. On the other hand, it irritated me. No spoilers, though, because that would ruin the impact of the read.
If you like fast-paced psychological thrillers, you may enjoy this novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
It should be straightforward. A family trust owns a decrepit, heavily mortgaged estate, in the hills of Paso Robles, California. The estate can only be sold if all the direct descendants agree to the sale. The descendants agree, certain conditions are stipulated. What could possibly go wrong?
The developers who purchased the estate, in violation of the agreed conditions of the sale, start removing the magnificent oak trees. They also start demolishing the family cemetery on the estate, where a partially singed, recently buried body is discovered.
The police are involved, and then another much older body is discovered elsewhere on the estate. Are the deaths connected?
Three generations of the Alden-Stowe family are scrutinised by the police as they try to find out the truth. And what a complicated, convoluted tale they will uncover: deceit, rivalry, self-serving alliances and treachery. Just who will be ‘the lucky one’?
‘Someone had a secret. You can bury bones but not secrets.’
There are plenty of twists and turns in this novel, some more believable than others. I kept turning the pages, trying to work out exactly who was responsible for what (and I didn’t work it all out before the final reveal). There are quite a lot of different characters in this story. While many are quite stereotypical, they fit the story perfectly. I am in two minds about the ending. On one hand, I liked the neatness and cleverness of it. On the other hand, it irritated me. No spoilers, though, because that would ruin the impact of the read.
If you like fast-paced psychological thrillers, you may enjoy this novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith