There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In recent reads, I've had a problem with authors dropping big hints to the "solution" and making it so obvious, I would guess the ending and be left feeling disappointed.
However, THIS book is a master class in how to leave clues along the way, allow some clues to leak information but let the ending still pack a major freaking punch.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. So, let's rewind a bit.
A group of old friends cone together for the first time in years to relax and reminisce at one of the friend's remote ancestral estate - a creepy gothic mansion filled with mystery and old legends. The group of seven drifted apart nine years ago, when the eighth member of the group, and sister of the week's host ran away from everything and everyone and eventually committed suicide. Despite their friend's death and the circumstances surrounding it hanging over their reunion, the group vows to have a good time, but then mysterious "accidents" begin to occur as a storm bares down. And with the estate completely cut off from the outside world, the group needs to figure out what's happening- and fast.
This book had everything you need a for great mystery/thriller: a creepy mansion, love, lies, madness, murder, oh my! I was enthralled from the beginning as the key players were introduced in the story in what was an insanely tense an brooding atmosphere. And things only got better from there. With every chapter, things got darker and more intense as things deepened. And like I said, the author left some key clues that helped me guess some of the solution, but man, there were plenty of other surprises packed in there! I was floored!
I love, love, loved the ending and once I reached the 70-ish percent mark I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. I HAD to know it ended. And the last pages were sheer perfection. Perfect for the tone of the book. Just perfect.
Honestly, if you're looking to read a great thriller by the fire this winter, make sure to pick this one up. It's a perfect gothic-style mystery that will eat up a cozy weekend. Then will have you turning down your friends' Facebook invites to meet up.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment