dnf on page 25

trigger warning
<spoiler> mention of dementia, mention of memory loss, mention of drug addiction </spoiler>

I am getting really good at juding early if I want to spend more time with a book. Some cases are really, really obvious, and this is one of them.

We meet a family at a big event. The wife is getting old, suffering from some kind of dementia, and this party is supposed to be a big celebration of her life, so everyone has been told to come.
In the span of the few pages I've read, we've had the unveiling of some dramatic infedelity event, a daughter of the family being discovered in flagrante delicto behind a curtain on the stage next to some musicians, throwaway mention that one of the brothers has had issues with drug addiction, the father having a breakdown and possibly a heart attack.

It's just a big mess and things are being thrown on top of it, without giving anything the attention it would deserve. Additionally, the writing felt disjointed. People were doing things, thinking a bit, and then suddenly they're two steps further down the line when it would have been important to mention every single one.

Sorry, we will not be getting along and thus I call it quits.
The arc was provided by the publisher.

During their annual family reunion, Stefan Fox, the patriarch collapses, leaving his four children grappling with what this means for their future: if one or more of the Fox children should die, their $10 million share of the inheritance would be split equally between the remaining siblings. The Fox sibling (Valerie, the dedicated eldest sister, Jeremy, the recovered drug addict, Christian, the overachiever, and Lucinda, the problematic youngest child) have been brought up by their father to be as competitive as they come, and this might be just the ultimate competiton.

I enjoyed "The Den", the plot was full of action and fast-paced, making it a really quick read. The mystery and the way the family were described made me feel, at times, like I was reading an Agatha Christie novel. The characters fell a bit flat, for my personal taste, but I overall really like this book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys classic mysteries.

Usually, I like the family drama thrillers, but this one fell flat. Every single one of the Fox siblings was annoying and while the dynamics themselves were good, this made me not care that much about them. The plot was boring and kind of a slog to get through and there was no tension or suspense to be found anywhere.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Excellent book, it was interesting.

A family estate is to die for in a gripping novel of psychological suspense by the author of Into the Sound.

Nothing brings the four Fox siblings together like their detestable father’s heart attack—and a hefty inheritance to be divided equally. At his deathbed is his oldest daughter, Valerie; her irresponsible sister, Lucy; and their two embattled brothers, Christian and Jeremy. Even the former housekeeper, Marian, who’s been with the family for forty years, is on watch. All Valerie hopes for is an amicable reunion, despite the damages of the past.

By punishing means, Stefan Fox raised his children to be competitors. The cruel lessons now serve them well in a game of life and death. When it comes to the family fortune, the rules are simple: fewer siblings means a bigger share.

After a suspicious accident, Valerie knows the worst is yet to come—and confiding in the wrong person could be the most dangerous thing she’s ever done.


Sadly, i couldn't connect with characters and i decided to pass on this story for now. I saw a lot of people that enjoyed it, so i encourage you to try it out.

Suspenseful read for sure. I did not see this one coming! This was a good and easy read.

The character development was great and I would recommend this book to a friend. It is perfect for the upcoming gloomy weather.

I found this book to be merely an alright read. It centres on the four adult Fox children, who are being pursued by an unidentified attacker after their father is hurt and the specifics of his enormous riches are made public. The youngest daughter Lucinda's perspective dominates the narrative, although you also get chapters from Valerie, the oldest sister, and Marian, their former housekeeper.

This kind of reminded me of the music video for the Shin's song "Simple Song" except more complex. I thought it was interesting and needed to know how it was going to end.

WOW! It's already #wickedwednesday ...

Where did the time go? I don't know about you but this week is flying by.

I have never been one to plan my books out for the week but I thought I would give it a whirl. The Den is a book I had been eyeballing for quite some time but due to my own stupidity, I had not picked up sooner. I knew that I wanted to read this one this week so I made it a priority.

This was one of my best decisions...

I was first introduced to Cara Reynard when I read Into the Sound (if you haven't read it yet, you should!) So, I had already known that I would enjoy the writing style. Never did I know, I would love this book as much as I did.

Talk about a psychological thriller! This one had my brain swelling! The Den is a chilling read that is perfectly placed. I was never bored and I never felt rushed. The story line was addicting and as much as it was thrilling, it will also pull at your heart strings. The attachment I had to these characters was REAL! There are so many twists and turns you will never figure out what is going on until the very end.

Cara Reinard has done it again,

The Den is FREE on Kindle Unlimited and out now. Check out this teaser :

A family estate is to die for in a gripping novel of psychological suspense by the author of Into the Sound.

Nothing brings the four Fox siblings together like their detestable father’s heart attack—and a hefty inheritance to be divided equally. At his deathbed is his oldest daughter, Valerie; her irresponsible sister, Lucy; and their two embattled brothers, Christian and Jeremy. Even the former housekeeper, Marian, who’s been with the family for forty years, is on watch. All Valerie hopes for is an amicable reunion, despite the damages of the past.

By punishing means, Stefan Fox raised his children to be competitors. The cruel lessons now serve them well in a game of life and death. When it comes to the family fortune, the rules are simple: fewer siblings means a bigger share.

After a suspicious accident, Valerie knows the worst is yet to come—and confiding in the wrong person could be the most dangerous thing she’s ever done.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of The Den by Cara Reinard from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinions. For those of you into binge watching a TV series called Succession than this is the perfect book for you! This book is a fast paced read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last word. I absolutely loved this book about the Fox family and can't wait to read more by this author.

One word, "meh". The characters are all very unlikeable, which maybe they were meant to be that way, I don't know. Four siblings fighting over fathers money. To be honest, I really didn't care what happened to any of them.

'The Den' follows the four fox siblings as they deal with the impending death of their father and the financial windfall that could come to each of them once he passes. As their father's health troubles are revealed to be suspicious, the siblings become embroiled in a paranoia-filled hunt to find out who could have put their father in this position. As more suspicious accidents befall the family, the circle of suspicion draws closer and closer. This was a fast-paced and well written read. However, not a single one of the central characters was likable. The main antagonists were pretty predictable and I wish at least one of them had been dropped so that the finale could have felt more clean and streamlined.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Alright cover on this one. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I don't think I have ever read a book where there wasn't a single likable character. Now I have. 😂 This book really reminded me a lot of the TV show Succession. I wasn't sure it was going to be my jam, and it did take a bit to really get invested. However, once it hit its stride I was sucked into the plot and ended up finding it highly entertaining. The one negative about it was that it was relatively obvious who was behind everything. But, like I said, it thoroughly entertained me, so I am giving it four stars and two thumbs up.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

I really, really enjoyed this! I didn't expect to because it does follow the usual "I've inherited lots of money from my father who hated me" trope, but it was actually enjoyable!

Don't get me wrong, the characters were deplorable - I mean absolutely horrid brats - but that was the point. I didn't really care about any of them - also the point.

But the writing, the intrigue, the plot - which I only half guessed cause the final twist was so out of left field- my life!!!!

It's well written, well plotted (if not a little crazy) and very enjoyable. All in all, a good read.


Star Rating: 4

CAWPILE Rating: 7.71/10

Characters: 8/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Writing: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Intrigue: 8/10
Logic: 7/10
Enjoyment: 8/10

Many thanks to the author, Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book more than I did, but it just wasn’t a hit for me. The world and character building were done well, the storyline was interesting, but it wasn’t suspenseful enough. It wasn’t a terrible read though. The author definitely uses descriptive imagery to its fullest extent and at times the story moved smoothly. It just wasn’t my usual read.

This is one of those books that is a great idea but not one of the characters is very likeable. The storyline was interesting but it was told from each of the four siblings POV's and I didn't really enjoy any of them. While I did want to figure out what was going on I didn't have anyone that I wanted to root for. It was still written but overall it was just an okay read for me.

I enjoyed this book much more than I anticipated. The family drama was very well done!! I would have liked to have seen more about the family's childhoods etc.

Unfortunately this book didn't work for me. Thanks for the copy in exchange for an honest review. But only two stars for me. Thanks

The Fox family is privileged, monied, glamorous and VERY dysfunctional.  Four siblings have been dictated and compared to each other by their dominant father all of their lives. As usual there is a chosen one, a pleaser, an underachiever and the one who pushes the envelope. The backstory of their persecution to each other growing up and by their parents became tiresome…the reader got the picture early on. They were miserable in spite of all their money and privilege.
   To fill out the cast of characters: the mom is in an Alzheimer’s unit, the nanny/nurse who up until recently lived on the property and her son who grew up w the 4 siblings, a the lawyer/friend next door and a son-in -law who liked to spend his wife’s money—all of it.
   The first hint of disaster starts when the dad has a massive stroke and heart attack at a black tie fundraiser. As the story progresses you learn that he really has been poisoned. Who will head the billion dollar family business?  Well we know it will be the ”chosen one” until he meets his fate with a tree and a fast car and now there are 3.  The family trust fund which would have been divided by 4 is now a plumper number for the remaining trio……and they ALL could use the money.
   Underachiever who was once a drug abuser is found w a needle sticking out of his arm, barely breathing  and the numbers are looking better for the remaining two.  But by now there is a pattern being formed and they finally see there’s a plan being carried out, but who? and Why? .
   There are certain parts of the puzzle the reader could easily calculate but there was a a major twist at the end that tied up the whole scenario.  The ending was happier than I thought could be possible after all the hate that was circulated throughout the chapters.

The four Fox siblings are finally gathered together once again at an event to celebrate their mother when suddenly their father suffers a massive heart attack and stroke - landing him the hospital, completely incapacitated. This activates The Den - his secret inheritance plan, which, like all of the Fox patriarch's plans turns into a game. But with millions of dollars at stake, this game turns deadly quickly, and the remaining siblings must figure out what's going on before they become the killer's next targets.

The story is told from various POVs, including several of the Fox siblings and their nanny/family maid, Marian.

This was a great Knives Out-style mystery, with rich people all competing to figure out who was behind everything, all while stabbing each other in the back at every turn. I mean, there are absolutely no loyalties in this families, that's for sure! And that's part of the fun, really. You have a family that is so dysfunctional its story is just filled with problem after problem, and secret after secret, and each adds a new twist to the storyline that shifts the perspective.

And wow are there some twists and turns until you arrive at that doozy of an ending. I really can't give anything away, but there are some things you can maybe guess, but there are some things that really were just - BAM! TWIST! I loved it! All the layers the author worked to put together in the story up to that point paid off with that ending.

This was just an action-packed, fast-paced mystery from start to finish. Things happened fast and furious, right from the beginning. And each new chapter brought about a new element to the story, there was no wasted space here.

I highly recommend this novel and would absolutely read more from this author.