Caro is an artist and illustrator, fining life a little bit of a struggle, when returns to her childhood home for the funeral of her stepmother Elizabeth, little does she know how much of her life is about to change.
Steph the sister of Caro has made the journey over from New York for the funeral and is meeting her younger sister for the first time in many, many years. Although the sisters are now relative strangers to each other there is always a bonding, a sibling bond between them which has never left them really stemming from the time they spent growing up at the isolated farmhouse in rural Derbyshire with their stepmother.
This remote farmhouse now offers refuge from a bad relationship, and a chance to start again for Caro.
The village seems strange for Caro, why are people looking at her oddly. What is it with this place.
There were parts in this book it felt a little odd, and I found if I stopped part way through a chapter, then I had to go back and re read it, there were parts in this book that felt rather spooky, that made you want to continue reading it.

overall an interesting read.

What an excellent read. It gave me shivers and was increasingly creepy and scary as the story began to unfold.
The main character goes through torments and night terrors. Noises and bumps in the night; hallucinations and half remembered deep dark secrets.
There seems no end to her troubles and even her new love appears to be mysterious.
As the mystery deepens, and becomes more dark and oppressive, we are thrown red herrings until ultimately we are into an amazing twist to the tale. Really wasn’t expecting that. A must read.

This spooky little story opens at the funeral of a woman who, it would seem, is not going to be mourned by either of her two step-daughters. Steph has made the journey from New York, meeting her younger sister Caroline for the first time for many years, and even though the sisters are now strangers there is a sibling bond between them which stretches back to the time they spent growing up at the isolated farmhouse in rural Derbyshire.

Almost against her better judgement, Caroline returns to the farmhouse to sort out her stepmother's effects and finds the house to be just as terrifying as she did when she lived there with her step-mother. The isolated nature of the farm, along with some very painful childhood memories, ensure that Caroline's stay at the house in charged with emotion and filled with an absolute terror of reliving past traumas.

I found Cuckoo to be a really interesting psychological thriller. It's proper scary in places, with noises and unexpected happenings in the house which seem to be beyond Caroline's control. The only bright spot in this rather dark tale is Caroline's burgeoning relationship with her neighbour, Craig, who came to her rescue with alarming regularity.

I read the book long and late in order to finish the story as I was quite enthralled in the melodrama that was constantly unfolding. I particularly enjoyed the references to some rather dark fairy stories, which were definitely not the cosy sort for children, and the long buried family secrets which were finally revealed took me by surprise.

Caro, an artist and illustrator, returns to her childhood home for the funeral of her stepmother Elizabeth - a woman from whom she has long been estranged. In fact estranged is probably the wrong word, since they had very little relationship even when living in the same house. Caro also hasn’t seen or been in touch with her older sister, Steph, for many years until they reconnect at Elizabeth’s funeral.

Astonished to learn that the house, Larkstone Farm, has been left to the sisters, and in need of a place to flee to, Caro moves back into her childhood home, a place of which she has few if any happy memories. Cinderella-like, her father died when she was very young and her stepmother was emotionally abusive for reasons Caro has never understood, terrifying her with the strange and sinister story of the pear drum, an old-fashioned musical instrument, and the object itself.

Almost immediately following her arrival, uncanny and alarming things start to happen in the house; furthermore, the people of the village seem to hate and despise her, though Caro has no idea why. Early on, she hears herself and her sister referred to as “the flashy one and the nutcase”... and since nobody would ever describe Caro as flashy, it seems they view her as the latter. Luckily her neighbour, Craig, seems more sympathetic.

Caro has also been commissioned to illustrate a book called (worryingly for her) The Pear Drum and Other Dark Tales From the Nursery, and these tales are scattered throughout the book. Dark they certainly are; these are not stories I would want to read to young children.

Sophie Draper does very well to give the story of the pear drum and the instrument itself an edge of horror - I found myself shivering at the idea of Caro opening it, and feeling genuine unease as to what she might find if she did. There was a definite whiff of the paranormal and I wondered where the story was going to go.

The story does have the feel at times of a dark fairy tale, with some classic fairy tale elements such as the wicked stepmother and the woodcutter.

I felt for Caro, whose life has been awful; she’s a bit of a mess, but that’s not surprising in the circumstances, and she appears to have no-one around her who she can really trust.

Cuckoo is a well told story with a dark and haunting atmosphere - I enjoyed it very much.

Well it’s safe to say that this book had a dark and very atmospheric vibe running throughout which really helped to create a palpable tension. I have to admit that I felt as if I was on the edge of my seat as Caro finds herself in some unsettling situations.

I was so intrigued to discover more about Caro’s back story along with finding out what was happening in the present. At times I didn’t have a clue as to what was going on and had numerous theories that had me constantly changing my mind. I loved the fact that I was kept guessing along with feeling satisfied when I did figure something out!

The fairy tale side to this book really had me gripped adding an even darker aspect to the story. After all there is a dark and disturbing undercurrent to most of fairy tales and I think Sophie Draper used these stories perfectly in this book.

The pacing of Cuckoo is steady so if you like a story to move at break neck speed you may be disappointed. However in a way the slower pace really helps to crank up the tension with an increase in speed as the story begins to race to a very chilling ending.

A dark and tension filled story that had me turning those pages to discover the truth!

I love the cover for the book, having read it, it really suits the tone and plot in the book. It is creepy, haunting and has plenty of twists to keep the reader engaged. I really enjoyed it and I am so glad that I was able to get my hands on a copy!

The writing style was great and it helped add to the suspense in the book. The characters were great and I thought they were very well developed and worked really well within the story itself. Sophie Draper is definitely one to watch for me!

Four stars from me for this one, I really enjoyed it – highly recommended!!

A gripping and twisting dark fairy tale of a thriller, set in the snowy Peak District. When Caro's wicked stepmother dies, her estranged sister reconnects with her to discuss the settlement of the estate. The story parallels a book of fairy tales that Caro has been commissioned to illustrate; but these are fairy tales in the darkest sense, not the sweet tales from the nursery. There are genuinely chilling elements to the book, with narrators so unreliable that it makes one's head spin trying to work out who is telling the truth.. All this is set to the haunting beat of he Pear Drum - a horrible instrument used to torture Caro as a child that has reappeared in her life. It's really hard to believe that this is a debut novel. It's clever, assured and will stay with you long after the last page. Definitely my read of the year - can't wait for Draper's next book.

This deep, dark psychological thriller is not for the faint-hearted to read

Caroline (Caro) and her sister Steph, after not seeing each other for more than ten years, meet at the funeral of their stepmother, Elizabeth. Steph lives in New York and is much older than Caro, which was one of the reasons for their lack of closeness, or so it appears.

Caro left her home in London and went to live in her stepmother’s house after her death. Caro is a freelance artist illustrating children’s books. Being back in her childhood home caused unwanted painful memories of her stepmother to surface as if the ghost of Elizabeth was haunting her. Caro is not sure if these ghosts are alive literally or alive in her vivid artist's imagination.

Craig Atherton, her tenant and neighbour, became her friend and lover, which was fortunate because the village community shunned her and clearly despised her. Caro has no idea why. As events unfolded, her lost memories gradually slipped back into consciousness. These memories were buried in the trauma of an accident that left her stepbrother dead when she was only six years old.

The characters are well developed as is the convoluted story. However, I found the psychological evil of the plot develops at a rapid rate, and I kept hoping there would be a glimmer of good. There was.

It is a good story enmeshing the living contradictions we call life….

BonnieK

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

From the teasing prologue, what a suspenseful read this is. It starts quite slowly, setting the scene and the backstory. Two sisters, estranged for many years, brought together again at the funeral of their stepmother Elizabeth, whose sudden death leaves unanswered questions. Caro, the youngest sister is having some tough times and with nowhere to live, she goes to live at her stepmother’s property, following the funeral, primarily to sort out her stepmother’s property and effects.

Weird things start to happen and Caro, already of a highly strung nature, goes into meltdown. I have to admit to being quite frustrated with her a lot of the time – there was a lot of eye rolling and mutterings of ‘get a grip woman’ going on at this end, but nonetheless her behaviour is integral to the story and to be fair, maybe some of the events may have freaked me out.

The Derbyshire location is vividly described as is the remoteness of the property, particularly the snowy landscape. With the local townspeople giving Caro the cold shoulder, it is clear that something has happened in the past, but what.

This may have had a slower start but the pace picks up, there are some shocking revelations and the latter part of the book is quite superb. All the way through I was never sure who to trust and the ending certainly took me by surprise. An extremely well plotted thriller. I enjoyed it.

Caro, after the death of her mother and then father, has been raised by her stepmother. They've never seen eye to eye, so when after her death Caro finds out that she - together with her sister with whom she had grown apart - has inherited the house, she's surprised. Even more so when her sister relinquishes the inheritance. Recently separated from a boyfriend, and with job as an illustrator that she can do everywhere, Caro decides to take on the task of clearing the house out, while waiting for the probate to clear. Soon strange things begin to happen at the house, and Caro starts to ask herself what's happening. She also finds things that she doesn't remember from her childhood, photos and different things that make her start to wonder why can't she remember so much from her childhood? Why did Elizabeth hate her so much?

The author managed to capture the creepy, chilling atmosphere however there was no tension for me. It started in a great way, intriguing and full of questions, the odd things happening at the house Caro was staying at were intriguing at the beginning but quickly it dramatically slowed down, the things started to feel repetitive and not so dramatic, and yes, the author's writing is very descriptive and vivid but I could live without reading about every single detail of the house, or the town - there was no progress to the story. And so I started to skim - reading: firstly because the pace was much too slow for my liking, and secondly, because I desperately wanted to arrive at the final twist that so many of the reviewers rave about. And when it happened... Well, guys, what shall I say, I've guessed it already long ago. I was of course hoping till the last moment that it wouldn't finish in such obvious way, but well, it did.

I couldn't put my finger on the main character. I suppose I should have compassion with her, fell for her but I simply couldn't understand her actions. She seemed to be very naive and to make every mistake possible, and to make any bad choice possible. Yes, usually characters that have flaws feel much more realistic but not Caro, and moreover, she didn't learn by her own mistakes. While sometimes it could make you, the reader, feel compassion, maybe understanding, for me it was just frustrating. She never tried to overcome her problems and fear, she just went with the flow, agreeing to everything that was happening in her life. Laptop suddenly gone? Oh well, it simply happens, right? The end left me thinking if Carol really did get her "happy end" or if she was too gullible to see the real intensions of Craig, or what were his intentions, to be honest.

The setting of the house, creepy, old and solitary, out of a small town, with unfriendly neighbours, in the middle of winter, snowed in couldn't be better. But the potential in this simply hasn't been taken.

It's not that I didn't like this book but I also didn't love it. There was a great potential to it and it pained me to see that it wasn't utilised. The turns and twists were there, and the author tried to make them unpredictable and unique. There is the constant feeling of isolation and that something is going to happen which is necessary in this kind of books. I think that the problem is with me, and I'm guessing that if I haven't been reading so many books in this genre, I'd enjoyed "Cuckoo" much more. So if you're into a slow - paced creepy story about abused and neglected child, about family secrets, about hate and revenge with a ting of gothic to it simply try this novel.

After the death of her stepmother Caro returns to her old childhood home. It is place that is haunted by unhappy memories and maybe something more.

This is an engrossing family mystery with some decent suspense and genuinely unsettling moments.

An unusual tale of family which goes back to chilhood,full of dark tales and imaginings. A surprising twist at the end.

Cuckoo, predominantly a work of psychological suspense that also has a fairytale vibe to add intrigue, is a work I admire as any author who attempts to pen a unique novel rather than using the same tired templates is on the path to a possible bestseller. An atmospheric, gothic mystery with plenty of surprises to entertain readers, Draper does a fantastic job of making the story chilling and provides many heart-stopping moments. Haunting with mesmerising description of the rural Derbyshire area, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Main character Caro is someone you can empathise with in terms of her feeling of being an outsider and she is naturally very damaged due to incidents from her past. However, she appears to make some ridiculous decisions throughout which annoyed and frustrated me quite a bit. There are many gripping and intense moments and the plot is taut and multilayered. The characters are well drawn and not to be trusted and the conclusion shocking but satisfying.

Many thanks to Avon for an ARC.

You can’t help but be intrigued by the creepy prologue of somebody lying in a hospital bed seemingly all but dead, but alive with thoughts and feelings. As we launch into a stepmother’s funeral in chapter one, we know we’re not about to encounter an ordinary family but just how twisted can they be? The answer is VERY!

When their stepmother dies, Steph and Caro inherit the estate their father left in trust for them. Steph strangely decides that she doesn’t want anything and agrees to give Caro her share, including the house they grew up in. A struggling artist, Caro moves into the house where she is reminded of her youth…and finds the pear drum that her stepmother scared her with all those years ago. Even more bizarre is the commission that Caro receives to illustrate a childrens’ book called The Pear Drum and Other Dark Tales from the Nursery. There’s no such thing as coincidence surely? As Caro starts drawing, her memories start to come back…gradually revealing a dark secret that has been buried for many years.

The stepmother storyline gives quite a fairytale feeling to the story and Caro’s upbringing was reminiscent of Cinderella tormented by not only her stepmother but her older sister, Steph. Caro is such a flawed and damaged main character and, as we read snippets of her past, I couldn’t help but feel that she was heading towards another storm as I remembered the hospital bed from the prologue.

With shocks and surprises around every corner, Cuckoo is a riveting and thrilling psychological thriller that has the feel of a spooky adult fairytale.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I must agree with others when they say that the marketing ploy was better than the actual book!

This book just wasn't for me...the book was quite repetitive and was mostly about ghosts, spirits, and dark fairy tales.

Throughout the book, the main character tries to remember her horrible past, and why she was treated the way she was. I felt like we were turning in circles on that subject, it took way too long for us to find out what truly happened.

However, there were two things I enjoyed, the writing and the ending. The writing was superb and really painted a scene! The whole time, the main character Caro, is living in her step-mother's huge mansion, and the description of the mansion made me want to clean the house the whole time. You know that's a good description.

Also, the story got much better at around 75%, there was a bit of action and we figure out the childhood secret that Caro didn't remember. Also, the actual last page of the book was quite a cliffhanger, I would definitely want to know more.

The only way I can start this review honestly is by saying straight off – Yes this is as good as it sounds and surpasses all the glowing reviews it has already received! And it was only published nine days ago! Now that is what you call a debut novel entrance and a half!

A fantastically sinister unsettling story that even had me listening for noises from the attic and counting my lucky stars that mine is pretty inaccessible! I’m glad I didn’t need to go up there to get my Christmas decorations down this year and I honestly don’t spook easily at all.

As well as Caro’s storyline there are snippets of fairy tales, and not the Disney kind! These are most certainly not for children with their dark, sinister and haunting tales that all to soon seem to become relatable to the events in Caro’s life, and for me it was that thread throughout the book that captured my imagination and full attention.

The build up is pretty slow and subtle and I will admit maybe a bit too slow for me to begin with, but I am so glad I stuck with it because as soon as things start to unravel and the twists start to kick in, the whole plot bursts wide open leading to some completely unforeseen results that truly left me stunned.

A really great debut novel, part psychological suspense, part fairy tale all with a sinister haunting gothic ambience that will spin the heads of even the most seasoned reader. This is a book not to be missed.

Many thanks to the author Sophie Draper, publishersAvon Books UK and NetGalley for my copy in exchange for an honest, independent review.

https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2018/12/08/cuckoo-by-sophie-draper/

I loved everything about this book, at the start I found the tension built so well I wasn't sure if it was going to be too scary for me but I think that is the quality of the writing and the fact that I was reading in quite long stretches of time. This was definitely one of those books that I kept wanting to pick up and carry on reading, and I am glad to have discovered this author as I can't wait to read another book by her.

I don't want to give anything away but I love the fact the twists came all through the book, and even at the end you're left thinking. A superb thriller, absolutely wish I could give it a 6th star!

Haunting, disturbing, and darkly atmospheric CUCKOO by Sophie Draper is a thriller with a mysterious edge.

When Caro's stepmother suddenly dies it brings Caro back in touch with the sister who abandoned her years ago and she soon finds herself returning to her remote childhood home to focus on her illustrations. But Caro is still haunted by her past and being in this house only makes it worse. As she begins to go through the old house, memories and old stories start to come alive and Caro cannot help but wonder why her stepmother hated her so much and why the local villagers feel the same way towards her. She wants to know the truth but is she prepared for it?

CUCKOO by Sophie Draper is a very well-written thriller with a unique edge and I really enjoyed it. It is a slow=paced story so if you are looking for a fast, energetic pace then this one may not be for you. There are so many elements that come together to work really well in this plot and there were times where I couldn't figure out where it was going but was intrigued by the result.

CUCKOO by Sophie Draper is a fascinating debut and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I was intrigued to get to Cuckoo as I initially requested to read it through Netgalley without knowing much about it at all and I’m pleased to say it lived up to it’s promise of being an atmospheric thriller. The book begins with a creepy prologue that totally piques the interest of the reader. We are then introduced to our main character, Caro, who returns to her miserable childhood home after the sudden death of her stepmother. The first thing I really liked about Caro was her profession. She is an illustrator who has a real love of books and fairytales. This made me feel connected to her very quickly as I have a huge weakness for fairytales, especially when they have dark undertones. Fairytales are a very common theme throughout the story. Caro keeps coming back to them both in her work and her personal life. She takes on a commission to illustrate a book of sinister fairytales and I loved how her work on this was interspersed with flashes of her own dark memories.

Cuckoo is a very readable book, it flows beautifully, giving away just enough to keep the reader hooked on the mystery of the story. There is a real sense of menace that builds at a steady pace as the plot winds to it’s conclusion. Adding to the menace is the running theme of death throughout which makes the book genuinely unsettling at times. I really had no idea who could be trusted, this kept the story unpredictable for me right up to the end.

I really enjoyed reading Cuckoo and I’m so glad I took a chance on it. The plot is so intriguing and everything is murky enough to keep the reader on their toes. It is a fascinating look at family, grief, trust and memory and also how far a person can trust their own recollections. If you are looking for a a creepy, slow-burn of a thriller then I would definitely recommend giving Cuckoo a read.

Highly disturbing and incredibly addictive. I was glued to my Kindle, almost physically unable to stop reading. Raised heart rate and shallow breaths, admittedly the scariest book I've read. Dark, spooky, and very unpredictable, Sophie Draper keeps you guessing.

Caro's thoughts, memories and illustrations are just fragments of a whole, never telling the full story. Her past experiences, both from a previous relationship and from childhood, have left her fragile, suspicious and even paranoid. Thanks to Sophie Draper's brilliant writing, you can't help but get swept up in this feeling of paranoia and confusion that haunts Caro. More plot twists than I can count, 'Cuckoo' takes you on a spooky, haunting rollercoaster from one secret to another, with mind games and manipulations aplenty.