Halfway House had SO much potential. I was drawn to the synopsis and thought it was going to be a fantastic read... It could be the way this author writes just isn't for me but I found the entire book to be extremely disjointed, and written more like a journal. I found that I couldn't empathize with any of the characters nor did I feel like I really got to know any of them. I think this could be a good book with a solid edit.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orenda Books for the ARC read.

Thank you for the copy of this book. It had a very interesting premise but it didn’t quite deliver in the way I was hoping. Overall it was still an enjoyable read.

Halfway House is a dark comedy set in an Edinburgh hostel with a twist, where Lou O’Dowd takes on a night shift job at a halfway house for offenders on bail to shake off a failed relationship. 🌃🏠

Lou's knack for making perfectly wrong decisions adds an entertaining twist to the story. Her reckless nature leads her into chaotic situations, from sharing a flat with aspiring actors to engaging in questionable romances. 💔🤪

Working with dangerous residents including killers and thieves, Lou's lack of training hints at disaster. The eccentric mix of characters adds to the madness, creating a sense of impending chaos. 😱🃏

Lou herself is a complex character, flawed yet compelling. Her selfishness and poor judgment make it hard to root for her, but her journey into screwball comedy territory keeps the story engaging. 🌀🤦‍♀️

Halfway House delivers a blend of dark humor and farce, offering a wild ride of madness and strangeness that remains consistently entertaining. If you're up for a comedic rollercoaster with no chance of redemption, this one's for you! 🎢😆

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Lou is a bitter awful human. Spending time with her was hard, but a unique experience. The book was fine, but the protagonist was hard to get into because Lou really had 0 redeeming qualities.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orenda Books for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

The novel has an interesting concept, but I unfortunately didn't feel like it lived up to it's potential. It has dark humor and an unlikeable narrator which may appeal to some, and others not. It was unpredictable but also at times a bit slow.

A very unique story, I’ve not read anything like it before. I couldn’t stop reading it but am still trying to figure out what is what at the end.

Lou O’Dowd had a sugar daddy. That was until his wife found out. Realising that her days of living in a beautiful penthouse in the prestigious Port Melbourne area are numbered, the inept and inapt Lou decides a complete change of scenery is what she needs. Successfully securing the role of nightcare worker (how???) at a men’s unit for ex offenders who are undergoing rehabilitation, a move to Edinburgh is necessary for her to take up the post. Reconnecting with her cousin Becks means Lou has somewhere to live, so it’s all systems go.

The blurb for this book makes it sound far more interesting than it actually is and I expected far more. There is dark humour but it often misses the mark, Lou is not a character that grew on me and the story loses any connection by being so slow, though the plot became more interesting once the unit and its occupants appeared.

All in all too slow and silly for my taste.

Thank you NetGalley and Orenda Books.

I really wanted to like this book but it was hard when the main character is just not the most likeable person in the world. Now a book about a halfway house is wild already but I dont know maybe I just expected more suspense. Also I kind of wanted them to go more into the character development. Not my favorite but not the worse.

This was quite slow which detracted from an otherwise interesting story. Lou was a character I loved to hate, and Tim was wholly unreliable which was a lot of gun in the end.

Halfway House is the first book by Helen Fitzgerald that I have read to date, and I think it was a good choice. The premise certainly appealed to me, and the dark humour satisfied my dark side.
With the possible exception of the protagonist's mother, there aren't many likeable characters. Our protagonist, Lou, is 23 years old, and unbelievably selfish. She treats her family and friends abominably, casting them aside when they are no longer of use to her. She makes endless bad decisions, and then wonders how it all went so wrong. I really wanted to shake some sense into her as she bumbled from one disaster to another. I just knew things weren't going to end well for her.
I genuinely liked Tim, even after I realised all was not as it seemed with him and he wasn't as innocent as he purported.
The fact that I wanted to shake (and slap) Lou, and mother Tim, shows how engaging this book was. The tension towards the end had me on the edge of my seat.
Despite the despicable characters, I enjoyed this book immensely.
Thanks to Orenda Books and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for this review.

I was very excited by this one. The blurb caught my attention straightaway, as did the cover, and it sounded original, dark, and interesting. Unfortunately, I found the cover and blurb to be much more interesting than the actual book... I just couldn't get into this one. Despite a strong opening that held promise, I found the protagonist very difficult and the pacing to be too slow and a bit all over the place to hold my attention. I couldn't connect with the story or characters. It felt a little flat and convoluted, particularly given the premise. I was looking for dark, snarky humor and instead found a slow roll that wasn't a good fit for me...

This is a darkly humorous, sometimes terrifying story about Lou O'Dowd, a complicated anti-heroine who has enough problems of her own ( mostly self created, mind you) and moves from Australia to Edinburgh in search of...?

Well, that one is a little hard to answer. Ostensibly it is to get away from her affair with married man that has ended badly, and an economy were getting a job isn't that easy. But Lou seems determined to make sure that nothing is easy!

She has a gift for attracting weirdos, so when she gets a job at a halfway house monitoring a questionably rehabilitated set of offenders - including murderers and a paedophile - you know this is going to go pear shaped.

And indeed it does. With Lou held hostage, and the outcome looking grim. But once again, it is her own direction to duty and bad choices that have played a big part in getting her into this situation in the first place. so, what happens now?

This book is original and well written, and will have high entertainment value for readers with a quirky sense of humour and decidedly dark tastes. It. It was a little too dark and occasionally gross by my standards, but I think that will only further endear itself to its target audience. Definitely worth a read, if this description appeals to you, it gets 3.5 stars!

It's been awhile since I've read any books by this author so I was looking forward to reading this one that was described as a thriller with dark humour, sadly it was lacking in both descriptions for me.
The main character Lou has moved from Australia to Edinburgh after an affair with a married man went wrong to work as a night manager in a hostel for men who have served long prison sentences for some very significant crimes.We are lead to believe that at 23 with no training in this sector that she is a suitable candidate to spend many a late night alone with these men.
Parts were farfetched, and the ending was very hasty. Overall, it was a disappointing read for me,
I hope other readers enjoy more than me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Orenda Books for the ARC.

This was a really well done thriller novel, I enjoyed the overall concept of this book and how it worked overall. I enjoyed the way the characters were written and how everything was set up perfectly. I was never bored when reading this and thought the overall suspenseful feel worked. I enjoyed how well Helen FitzGerald wrote this.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. The publication date is the 7th May. I loved this book there was many dark humorous moments as the book was highly entertaining. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I’m now a fan! 😊

The most memorable character for me was definitely Lou and there was also many unexpected twists throughout which made it a gripping read!