The House Beyond the Dunes was an excellent read with an engaging mystery.

Lane McCord hopes this weekend at the Outer Banks will be the next big step in her relationship with her boyfriend Kyle. But when Lane wakes up in the hospital having survived a near-fatal fall, which Kyle did not survive, their romantic getaway has turned into a senseless tragedy. Confused and grieving, Lane returns to the cottage to collect her belongings but a winter storm leaves her stranded with no way off the beach.

The premise of The House Beyond the Dunes sounded interesting and I wondered what the circumstances would be that led to the fall. With Lane having no memory of what happened, it takes quite a while before we find out what actually happened that led to Kyle's death. While Lane is trying to remember what happened, she is contacted by a detective who is looking into Kyle's accident and he brings up two missing women who Lane hasn't heard of. Soon after, Lane begins receiving journal entries written by Stevie, one of the missing women, and she's left wondering what they have to do with her accident. From there Lane begins her own investigation leading her down a path she may not come back from. I liked the way her investigation played out and the ending where she finally learned the truth of everything was well done with just enough suspense to keep you guessing on how everything would turn out.

The book is told from Lane's point of view with Stevie's journal entries occurring every few chapters. Lane is an interesting woman, she's currently working at a coffee shop to pay her way through school to get her PhD in Psychology. She's from a very different world than her boyfriend although it's clear she doesn't know everything about him. Stevie, one of the missing women whose journal is sent to Lane, couldn't be more different from Lane. She's homeless and works as a bartender at a dive bar near where Kyle's beach house is. I was so curious to learn what the connection was and why someone sent Lane the journal entries. I loved the ending where we found out what that connection was and I did not see it coming at all.

Overall The House Beyond the Dunes was a fantastic read and I would highly recommend it if you're looking for a great mystery.

This was an entertaining thriller filled with twists and turns. I liked the plot and the characters were a lot of fun. Very much recommend this book.

When I had finished the book and I had tears pouring down my face, soaking into the neck of my t-shirt, my nose was running in the most attractive way and my dogs were looking at me like they somebody should do something, because, clearly their mum had lost her mind! It was one solid read, and, I couldn’t recommend this book enough!!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for an advanced copy of this book.

Mary Burton is always on my reading list. Definitely recommend

Interesting approach. I had a huge ahah moment at the end. Topic/theme/plot was in my area of expertise and still faked me out due to the exquisite development of the action. Ms Webb's skills are topnotch always and are fully on display here.

Wow, I didn't expect to get sucked into a novel so quick! The House Beyond the Dunes opens with a bang and doesn't let up. I think it was great that the author starts the novel after the accident and Lane has to piece together the past afterwards. As someone who visited Outer Banks, I loved that the author gave it a menacing vibe in the off-season. The locale really added to the tension and I felt the dread right alongside Lane as she's trapped at the beach house. Some of the twists were a surprise while others were fairly predictable. Although I had guessed some of the ending, I still really enjoyed how the author wrapped up the story. My first five star read of 2024.

I am a longtime fan of Mary Burton and I really enjoyed her newest book - The House Beyond the Dunes. What if you were with your loved one when they dies, but you have no idea how it happened? This is what happened to Lane while on a romantic weekend away at her new boyfriend's remote North Carolina beach cottage.

Lane is fine, but her boyfriend did not survive. How can Lane go on with out knowing exactly WHAT happened? I really loved this one and thought the pacing, action and characters were fantastic. It kept me reading late into the night and I couldn't wait to see what happened. Loved it!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up!

"The House Beyond the Dunes" by Mary Burton is a slow-burning suspense thriller that will keep you guessing as you never quite know the full picture about what's going on. Details are given sparsely as we follow Lane, the main female character, who is trying to heal after a fall down the stairs during a vacation that she took with her new boyfriend Kyle, whom she has been seeing for about 3 weeks. Lane survived the tumble, but Kyle did not. Particulars are hazy about what happened, and Lane cannot remember the events preceding their fall. We are tasked with piecing together the clues about who Kyle was before he died, the nature of his and Lane's short relationship, and whether the people who lived by him are covering something up. I definitely did not predict the end of this book, which is the best thing a suspense/mystery/thriller can do. This book kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat the entire time I read it. I think there could have been a little more "oomph" here and there, but overall, I am satisfied with this rather quick, compelling read. I will be sure to check out other books penned by Mary Burton

Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake, and Mary Burton for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

Is it a tragic accident or something a lot more sinister ? This is one great mystery that was heart pumping to put together the pieces before something else worse happens.

It was fine, I guess. Middle of the road, nothing special. Honestly, I expected more from it.

I don't think I'd enjoy it much even if there weren't a huge glaring plot hole that practically screamed at me until I started thinking it was intentional and maybe even a clue. It wasn't.

But other than that there was nothing particularly bad about this book. But there are also many much better choices out there.

Do check the trigger warnings before deciding if want to pick up this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This was a great read, a creppy story with quite a few twists. Mary Burton has a way of telling a storty and hooking you right away. I will say, I did guess some of the twists right away but still enjoyed readng them play out to see if I was correct. I enjoyed the setting on the North Carolina coast and the house that was in a setting cut off by the weather.

Lane thinks she may have met the man of her dreams, with Kyle, she perhaps sees a future with him, so when he invites her to his beach house for the long weekend, she agrees. The next thing she knows, she wakes up in the hospital; she is injured and Kyle is dead from a fall down the stairs. She cannot seem to remember what happened, but surely it was an accident When Detective Becker shows up questioning her, she starst to doubt herself and then he asks about two women, Stevie and Nikki. that she claims she does not know. What is the truth and how is she connected to their story. Is Lane in trouble with the law or is she in danger?

Nikki, Stevie, and Lane. Lane and Kyle have been dating platonicly for several weeks and he suggests a trip to a cottage he owns on the Outer Banks. She knows he has sex in mind and she's has no objections. But shortly after they arrive something happens that causes them to plummet down the stairs. Lane miraculously survives but Kyle is killed. But Lane remembers nothing about the accident. When she returns to the house to collect her belongings, she starts to question everything. Really interesting story with various red herrings along the way. Lane doesn't know who to trust and there are several menacing characters. Non-stop suspense. Great read!

I didn’t like the main character Lane, during the book. Something was off about her character.
I thought why would you go back to the house where so much violence had occurred?
I liked the NC setting but that was about it.
The ending revealed a crucial factor in Lane’s life. It was a surprise, but I’ve seen this plot twist used in other books and it seems to be the hot commodity now in thrillers.

Mary Burton's latest kept me intrigued and eager to keep reading. I really connected with the characters & enjoyed trying to figure out what really happened. I am looking for more of her books because I love finding authors like her who write in a way that keeps me picking up the story any chance I get! Perfect for thriller-lovers.

The House Beyond the Dunes by Mary Burton

Riveting read from first page to last ~ Couldn’t put it down and read till 2am to find out how it all would end!

What I liked:
* The twists, turns, and surprises
* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing
* That it drew me in, made me care, had me wondering and caring about what would happen next
* Not knowing what was really happening and who to trust even when I had inklings about some of the characters
* The solving of mysteries that cropped up – and there was more than one dark mystery in this story
* That the baddies were dealt with and justice – of sorts – was delivered
* The dark backstories of some characters and how they played into the plot
* That no character was perfect but the understanding of what made most of them tick was provided
* Thinking about how difficult it would have been to survive and thrive for some of the characters
* Thinking about and hoping for a positive future for Lane and the man who helped her find answers that she needed

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about how evil and cruel some people can be along with their disregard for others

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

So I don’t have any of the right words to even go about why you should read this book! Firstly I thought oh this will be a romantic getaway someone breaks in kills one oh who done it?! But that was NOT this no sir! It was so much more! It was something that I just could not put down! Mind blown doesn’t even cover it! And it just kept on blowing my mind over and over again! Twists? Oh yeah it’s got plenty. Nail biting suspense? Tons! Nuclear mind bend? Yep it’s got that too! And also a very true and creepy vibe so it’s perfect for reading now! I am so beyond happy that I read this! I went in not expecting much but a different spin on similar stories. Dead WRONG! and was superb surprised to see otherwise. I just can’t say enough about this book. Can I give it 20 stars?? It’s so worth it! Read it!!!! Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for allowing me access to this eARC

This was very atmospheric and added a chilling aspect of the story. The characters actions were so unbelievable and over the top, I really struggled with her actions. It didn’t keep me from devouring this book though, which is a testament to the author’s writing. I couldn’t give a hoot about the character and still was invested! I appreciated the red herrings and was surprised by the twists. 3.5 ⭐️

The House Beyond the Dunes by Mary Burton is a combination of memory-loss and psychological mystery. The story completely revolves around Lane McCord after she has miraculously survived a fall down a flight of stairs; Lana has no hampering injury but is unable to remember the events leading upto the fall. All she remembers is that she was in her new boyfriend Kyle's house when the accident occured and she can think of no reason why she, along with Ian, would have fallen down the stairs. The fact that Ian had died in the same accident only increases her distress and confusion.

And when a police officer tries to question her about two missing women who were last seen around Ian, her confusion only increases. Soon after, Lana starts getting snippets of the diary written by one of the missing women. As she starts reading them, Lana begins to suspect that she never really knew Ian, thus prompting her to visit Ian's house and try to get to know the real person behind his persona.

As Lana tries to navigate the strange people involved in Ian's life and their conflicting accounts about him, the reader along with her, are taken through a maze of lies, deception, vengeance and manipulation, while asking questioning themselves - did Lana push Ian deliberately or was it an accident as she thinks? Was Ian as good as he seemed to be or did he have sinister intentions towards her?

The premise of memory loss along with the seemingly sinister atmosphere conjured by the author, seemed like it would be a great read. And the story started off on a promising note. The author Mary Burton tells the story primarily through Lana and I felt Burton didn't make her complex or interesting enough. Her actions lacked sense some times and I couldn't understand her motivations most of the times. The story itself seemed directionless till about half way through and got thrilling only after that. But certain plot twists were glaringly obvious to me by that point and hence, it was not as great a reading experience as it could have been.

In my opinion, this is a story which had great potential but doesn't arrive there because of the lack in character's depth and certain narrative choices.

Wow!! This is a mystery you do not want to miss. From the first chapter, I was pulled into the intrigue of the storyline. A definite read!

One minute, Lane and her sort-of boyfriend are enjoying a weekend away at his swanky beach house in the Outer Banks, the next, she is waking up in the hospital with a swollen hip, a concussion and the news that Kyle is dead. They had tumbled down the stairs in the house, and the neighbor across the street heard fighting before the “accident.” It’s in quotations because all of a sudden there’s a detective asking tough questions about what happened. In an effort to remember, Lane heads back to the house to see what she can remember. But what she finds is only more questions and confusion…

This book takes place after the major “event” of the book has taken place, but don’t let that deter you - there’s plenty of mystery and action here! As Lane looks for answers, she finds only more questions, especially when she is sent some mysterious journal entries by a woman named “Stevie,” which weaves in a whole new story. And both stories are really good. I was drawn in by the lives of both women and was eager to see how both of them ended up. I mean, it wasn’t exactly a huge surprise who “the bad guys” were, but how it came together was what kept me turning pages, and the author knew how to keep the suspense going throughout.

And it was quite an interesting ending!

It was definitely original, I just don’t know how I feel about it. It wasn’t bad, but I don’t know if it would have been my first choice for how to wrap things up. But I can’t say too much more without giving things away. I CAN say I didn’t see it coming, so that’s a point in its favor.

Overall, this really was a really great atmospheric thriller with multiple layers and plenty of suspense. It was a quick read that I definitely enjoyed and recommend!