A chilling and atmospheric murder mystery
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The Blurb:
All of them are friends. One of them is a killer. During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves. They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world. Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead. The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps. Now one of them is dead . . . and another of them did it. Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close?
The Review
So, the lurgy finally got me. Forced to take the day off work because I can't stop coughing and feeling pretty sorry for myself as I rattle around the house on my own. But what better thing to do when you're off work sick then to settle down with a good murder mystery. Especially one so good, that you read it in its entirety, in one day!
Atmospheric, chilling and deftly plotted, this is exactly as satisfying as a murder mystery should be. The story is told through 5 alternating narratives, of both the guests and the workers that look after the remote lodge. In a nice twist, not only do we not know who the murderer is, but for most of the book we don't know who the murdered victim is either.
The best thing about this book is how cleverly the intricacies of the old friendships are revealed. To start with it felt like too many characters and that I was going to have a hard time keeping them straight in my head, but the author does a great job at singling out the idiosyncrasies that help you quickly distinguish who's who.
The reasons behind the group dynamic slowly unfold throughout the story as their shared secrets are revealed. It was fascinating how the author managed to paint such realistic friendships, especially those old ones that sometimes feel like they are teetering only on shared memories. Some of the characters were duplicitous, selfish and needy - ooohhh they made for such wonderful reading.
This was such a straightforward delight of a book to read. A totally character-driven murder mystery and a very satisfying read.
Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for this preview copy in return for an honest review.