everyone's welcome. but not everyone leaves…

i’ve read a lot of big authors for the first time this year, and i’m happy to add sam carrington to that list. thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for giving me an advanced copy of “the open house” in exchange for an honest review!

nick and amber miller are in the midst of splitting up and trying to sell their home. amber reluctantly agrees to an open house event with her estate agent despite her worries about gossip and nosey neighbors. but during the event, amber watches thirteen people enter her house and only twelve leave…

this book is the epitome of suburban paranoia, and i devoured it! the only reason i wasn’t able to finish it faster is because of moving across the u.s. i felt like i couldn’t trust a single character, including amber.

i enjoyed the alternating chapters between amber and her mother-in-law, barb, as well as the random, mysterious chapters sprinkled throughout. it all kept me guessing what was going on and added another layer to the unreliable narrator trope.

another important element is the gentrification issue discussed throughout the story, especially being a sociologist. a lot of the drama and suspense stems from the fact that developers are trying to take over the village, and i think sam effortlessly wove those issues into the narrative to add another layer to the story.

i did feel like the writing was a bit contrived at times, specifically the way the characters talked to one another. but maybe that’s a cultural thing that i haven’t experienced since i grew up in the u.s. i also felt like some of the characters’ stories were left unresolved, or were just waved off, which left me with some confusion.

overall, “the open house” had the paranoia and unreliability of “the woman in the window” and the suburban, gossipy fun of a liane moriarty novel. just when i thought i had it figured out, another twist or character was thrown at me, which kept me on my toes until the very end. i can’t recommend this thriller enough, and i’m excited to read more by sam carrington.

Amber is all set to start a new life with her new partner Richard. She just needs to sell her family home first, but there’s been no interest. Her estate agent suggests an open house to get a buyer and though she is reluctant to let strangers into her home, Amber agrees knowIng at least she can watch them through her doorbell app. However her anxiety turns to bewilderment as thirteen  viewers come into Amber’s house but only twelve leave. From that moment the open house over strange and unnerving events unfold in her house and Amber cannot be sure that viewer number thirteen has left.

I was immediately drawn to this book with the idea of someone walking into your house for an open viewing but not leaving. It’s an enjoyable read which gets under your skin quickly. It’s creepy and full of twists. There are so many devious characters, each with their own agenda that I changed my mind every few chapters about what was going on and who was taunting Amber. I didn’t guess all of the ending which was a nice surprise. I like the multiple narrations especially as one was anonymously written from the culprit. I was a little disappointed by the ending which felt a bit rushed and superficial with some loose threads - I was confused about which of two characters the anonymous narrator was.  However it didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment of the book and I would recommend it to other fans of the genre.

Amber and Nick are divorcing. Amber watches remotely as 13 people enter for an open house. BUT she only counts 12 leaving. Is there really someone still in her house? Is it safe for her sons? Strange things start to happen. Who is behind them? Could it be her ex Nick, her soon to be ex mother in law, the odd realtor, the developers who want to demolish the area or even the nosy neighbor across the street? A great mystery with complex characters and so many options for who the "bad guy" is. 

Thanks to netgalley, Sam Carrington and Avon Books, UK for the arc

Wow, Sam Carrington you really went to the park with this one. It's honestly not something I would even have thought of and the suspense was killing me - I didn't want to put this book down. It had me on the edge of my seating guessing who it was, who done it, what was going to happen. An excellent thriller! I can't imagine how Amber must've been feeling knowing that only 12 left... What thoughts would be running through your mind? 

Thank you NetGalley and Sam for allowing me to read this book. One of my favourite reads of 2020!

A woman going through a divorce and trying to sell her house feels like she is being watched.

Amber is looking to sell the family home and move she and her sons to another area to live with her new boyfriend, Richard. But first she must sell the house. When her estate agent doesn't seem to be finding any buyers, it looks like her overbearing soon-to-be ex-mother-in-law Barbara may get her wish and she won't be moving three hours away. The agent suggests an open house, and Amber agrees. But when she thinks she sees 13 people go in and only 12 go out, she starts to feel like someone is watching her, something her boys also say. Did she just miscount? Or is something even more sinister going on?

There are so many twists in this book no one is going to see the ending coming. Just when you think you have it figured out, you don't.

A slowish start which sets the scene beautifully and describes the main characters in clear definition. The story picked up speed very quickly and had me reading through half the night as I just had to get to the end. The story is told by  three characters, Amber, her mother in law Barb and an unknown person. There are mysteries galore and though some seem easy to resolve the whole truth does not come out fully 7ntil the very end . I did think that it sort of left things in the air about the next steps but the main mysteries had all been completed. I felt the ending was a tad to hurried but I adored the book from start to finish.

I definitely feel I'm in the minority with not loving The Open House by Sam Carrington. I did find it such an easy read and I whizzed through it in a matter of hours but I felt not a great deal happened until towards the end and then it all felt rushed. I found I was waiting a while for it to really pick up the pace but then before I knew it we were at the end. It was slightly confusing at times and I didn't find I liked any of the characters unfortunately. I'd still be interested in reading more from Sam Carrington in future though.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to someone who enjoyed this genre. I look forward to reading the next work of this author.

Just wow!! This psychological thriller is about a divorced couple trying to sell their house so their lives can move on.  Amber is staying in the house with her two children and Nick is living elsewhere.  After an open house strange things start happening.  Deep dark secrets will come the the surface by the end of this book.  This book kept me guessing until the final chapter, loved it!! Well done! Thank you to the NetGalley, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nick and Amber Miller are splitting up and selling their Devon family home. But despite the desirable location, the house isn’t moving. Not a single viewing so far.

So, when their estate agent suggests an open house event, despite her initial hesitation Amber agrees. But after the event Amber has more to worry about.

Because thirteen people enter her house that afternoon, and only twelve leave.

The premise was so intriguing and I was excited to read it.

Initially the book started out really good, there was everything that one could want in a psychological thriller. The pace of narration of the plot was good, there were suspicious characters, an interesting open house event as well as some unexpected twists at regular intervals.

But then suddenly towards the end it felt that everything was all over the place. Some of the characters just went missing from the plot without any explanation and the twists introduced to create a spectacular end were kind of too unreal and lacking substance.

Overall an interesting plot which missed the mark for me because of flat ending.

Thank You to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC!

It’s not very often nowadays that I’m unable to guess how a book might end - this book surprised me and kept me guessing until the last pages! 

Sam Carrington has done an amazing job of writing the characters in this book, and manages to keep the suspense going all the way through. I enjoyed the smaller chapters and like how they are written from a specific characters point of view. 

Make sure you’ve left yourself plenty of reading time, because you’re going to want to read this book in one sitting!

Thank you Netgalley UK and Avon Book UK for sending me an advance reader copy in exchange of an honest review.

Solid 2.5 stars, bumping to 3 for Finley and Leo - I hope they never find out the ending!

The Open House by Sam Carrington reflects its real estate theme in many ways. Similar to house-hunting, it is a thrilling experience of stepping into the domestic worlds of strangers while frustrating you with difference between initial first impressions and the inevitable wait for things to fall into place. While I didn't mind these as they are part of discovering your ideal book (and dream home), it is the certain decorative decisions by the author on the prose level that really impacted my view of the book (running with the property metaphor!) 

The story slips between 3 first person POVs: 
1. Amber Miller: a newly divorced/separated mother of two who is desperate to sell off the shared property with her former spouse Nick to move in with her new flame, messaged-me-on-Facebook Richard.
2. Barbara "Barb" Miller: Nick's mother who apart from having a great nickname, also happens to be the exact kind of overbearing in-law one would want to run a mile from. The house was once Barb's and she isn't happy with the prospect of the sale. 
3. An unnamed narrator who flits in and out and to be honest, I still don't who know they were by the end of the book. 

The story is predominantly narrated by Amber, with Bard making frequent appearances in both the Amber's over-detailed first-person present telling as well as Barb's own first person present narration. Just as we manage to untangle the distinctness of the voices of the two women speaking in the same way and tense, we get single page chapters of helpfully italised but still in the same tense and person POV of the unnamed ominous narrator. 

Aside from the time it took me get over the narrative voices and POV, I was pretty invested in the story, mainly due to the hook of a missing viewer from the Open House and the slow burn of the different threads that emerge. Amber's awesome best friends Jo and Keeley (who get a mention in the author's thank you, so I assume are inspired by real people) and her boys Finley (8) and Leo (6) are some of my favourite characters, unlike the slippery estate agent Carl Anderson, a nosy novelist neighbour Davina over complicate  the story. The entire storyline taking place under the shadow of a new landgrabbing housing development adds exciting dynamics.

Writing children can be very difficult but the writer excels at bringing out the little nuances in their personalities - Finley's bold older child and Leo thoughtful quiet are writing with care and love. Every scene with them was full of the energy and craziness you expect from children which really takes us into the scene. Finley's quips like "if you hadn't called us down, we'd be ready", and Leo's observant moments telling Amber off for swearing and calling her out "It's not right to tell lies Mum," add a lot of personality which really proves useful in keeping the story relatable and real.

On the contrary, Amber telling us every little detail of what is going on (time jumps are much harder when we are reading first person present, but we don't need to hear every detail). This elongated the book and while the slow-burn works, it meant the pay off and climax was rather rushed. It doesn't help that the writer chooses to tell us everything as opposed to showing, which didn't let me immerse into the scene. In a long paragragh, Amber tells us "I ignore the suggestion" as she proceeds to do the act she was doesn't not to do. "I'm relieved", "I know that's not what she's meaning" and "I thought I'd be pleased but instead I'm angry" are things I wish I could say about the writing but instead they are just things I read! 

What Sam Carrington get right though is the dynamics of women covering up for useless men in their lives. Women take emotional (and physical) blows in order to protect their families from facing the blunt force of truth. It's painful, frustrating to see women taking in the emotional burden but is also very real. 

What could have been done better was the sense of place. While the house and Apple Grove are fair well described, the story could take place in any part of the country, and the village sense is completely lost. I would have loved a stronger sense of place given that the story takes place in Devon, where the writer herself lives (according to her bio) and there is a impeding move to Kent with "enigmatic" Richard. The choice to keep Devon nondescript may have been a deliberate choice, but I wish there was a sense of rooting into the place, as the urban reader like me saw no difference from my own city-centre life. 

In the end, the mystery is worth the read, and I really did enjoy the reveals, although I guessed most of it quite early on. That's not a bad thing at all as readers of thrillers want to be able to see the reveal coming, and reflect on the clues. That's why the entire arc with Davina felt both unnecessary and the role she plays in the final reveal very unsatisfactory. I was rooting for a last page twist with her profession but "spoiler" the doesn't happen. Overall though, a fast enough read, with enough thrills and twists to keep me hooked.

This was an interesting but convoluted story, many mysteries from the past and current day, many suspects, many of which were guilty in some ways.  It was easy reading but somewhat slow and repetitive in parts.

I love a good thriller, and this one started out great. The storyline was fresh and held my interest, but the ending left me disappointed. 
This is a story about messy, tangled and complex family dynamics. The narrative alternates between Amber, her mother-in-law and someone unknown. After Amber and her husband Nick separate, Amber stays in the family home with their two sons. The house was given to them by Barb, the creepy mother-in-law. They are now trying to sell their home so everyone can move on. Amber has met someone online and when the house is sold they will move in together. But the house isn't getting anyone interested in it. Amber decides to allow an open house to try to get some movement even though she is reluctant to see strangers (and the nosy neighbors) go through her things. Ambers friends talk her into using her Ring Security Camera to see who is attending the open house. Amber counts 13 going in but only 12 leaving. That is when the story gets really good, disturbing and suspenseful. Then after many twist and turns and great storytelling you are invested in the book You keep reading all night to find out what is going to happen and then you get the worst ending ever. UGH.
If you can get past that the ending is awful, the rest of the book is good, a really clever plot with startling secrets that bring out the worst in people.

An addictive page-turner! Psychological suspense at its best!

Wow, what a great book this is. It is the third book I have read by Sam Carrington and this is definitely my favourite so far.

This story is told from the POV of Amber and her ex-mother in law Barb. Amber has been separated from Barb’s son Nick for a while now and has decided to relocate to Kent with her two children and her boyfriend Richard. Leaving Devon will mean Barb will see much less of her beloved grandsons and the house she once owned, will no longer be kept in the family, as Amber and Nick are selling up!

Frustrated that there hasn’t been any interest in the house, Amber agrees to have an open house. It is at this event that it seems one person who entered didn’t actually leave! Who were they and where did they go? It is from here strange things start to happen and Amber soon realises someone really doesn’t want this house to sell!

Perfectly paced, gripping and tense, this story had my attention from start to finish. The short chapters, which end with little cliff-hangers, make it very hard to put this book down! I actually ended up leaving a little late to collect my son from school as I just had to finish it! At times this story also had a creepy edge to it, which I absolutely loved, it definitely had me questioning little noises in the house a bit more than I normally would!

The characters in this book all give you a reason to feel suspicious of them, I went round in circles with my theories and whilst I was right on a couple of bits, I would never have guessed the ending, which is full of spectacular twists and turns.

I love that this book was based in Devon, which is where I live. Whilst some areas are fictional, there is still the odd place name that is real and I know well, which helped me imagine the setting perfectly.

An enthralling and spine-tingling read full of palpable suspense. Don’t miss out on The Open House, out on December 10th.

Thank you to Sam Carrington, Avon Books and NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

DNF @ 60%

I very much wanted to love this thriller, but I couldn't get into the story so I decided to drop it for now. But I do plan on trying to read it again in a month or so. 

I need to say that this book has a solid mystery, and if you enjoy reading domestic thrillers, I believe that you would enjoy this book.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First time reading this author and highly enjoyed. 

Amber wants to sell her house and move on. She is done with her husband and ready for a new life. She allows an open house to get the house to sell quicker. This is one of those whodunnit type stories. 13 people enter the house but only 12 exit. Amber has to discern what is going and why they do not want her house to sell. 

This was creepy but also amazing. I read it in one sitting, thankful I do not need to sell my house soon. HA. 

I suggest this book for thriller fans who want something new to try. 

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gripping and tense, this is a book that will grab your attention and keep you guessing right from the very start.

The Open House is a suspenseful psychological thriller, told from multiple perspectives and filled with a slow-burning tension. The story primarily focuses on Amber - a mother of two in the process of splitting from her husband Nick and trying to sell the family home. Focusing on the promise of a fresh start in Kent with her new boyfriend Richard, Amber can't wait to get the wheels in motion - yet it seems nobody wants to buy the house. 

As Amber digs deeper and difficult questions start to arise, it isn't long before unexplained events and strange coincidences start to occur. Stressed and under strain, Amber questions her sanity - but it isn't long before the concern starts for real. 

Packed with twists and turns, The Open House will keep you turning page after page to find out what will happen next. It's unexpected yet totally gripping, and full of expertly-placed red herrings. The pace gradually picks up throughout the book, until the very end when all the loose threads start to tangle together. 

The ending is completely unpredictable and shocking - keeping up with the twists right to the very end. However, some of Amber's decisions towards the end did feel out of character compared to the rest of the story. This was a little jarring and sadly put a dampener on what was otherwise a highly compelling read.

The Open House is an immersive psychological thriller bound to keep you on the edge of your seat!

I had never read anything by Sam Carrington before and after hearing a few people talk about it in the NetGalley November group I was intrigued so I’d first like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

As with any good thriller/mystery you expect tension, pace and short chapters that leave you convincing yourself that you can squeeze in one more chapter before falling asleep. The Open House does not disappoint! From page one I was hooked and desperately wanted to know what the big twist would be, after all that’s what us readers really look forward to.

I loved the alternating chapters between Barb and Amber as well as the 3rd person injections. It was really difficult for me to like Barb and not side with Amber. I felt that she was very cunning and manipulative in every way. I understood Amber’s anger at the school pick up incident and why she wanted a fresh start, to top it off Nick seemed so laid back he was almost horizontal and it sounded like Amber had carried both parental roles for too long. Is it any wonder she was stressed?

From the moment Amber spied on the open house I felt the tension and immediately my mind started to try and work everything out. I wanted to rationalise it for Amber because surely the thirteenth person wasn’t in her house? I thought Davina and Amber as a team worked really well, seeing their friendship develop was an added bonus. We all like to play detective in any good mystery and I had my suspicions, but whilst some of them came to light I had not anticipated that ending!

To say I was blown away was an understatement. The twists just kept on coming and before I knew it I had reached the end wondering what had happened in the last 20% of the book? In hindsight I think it may of been one twist too many for me, nevertheless I still enjoyed the read immensely.

This was a gripping, intense, heart racing read that did not disappoint. Now I need to devour the rest of Sam Carrington’s books!

Who knew so much drama could happen from selling a house? 
And not normal drama you would expect in this situation but full on life altering drama
It all starts when Amber decides to go along with an ‘Open House’ idea that her Estate Agent is pressing for, she decides to watch who is going in via her doorbell vid app
She sees 13 figures going in
And only 12 leaving
Of course she hasn’t paid the upgrade to rewind or to keep the footage so then she is on a herculean mission to get someone, anyone to believe her including her soon to be ex, her new beau, Davina opposite, her best friends and her small but very imposing Mother In Law
But when she digs deeper and people from the past start to appear she will wish she hadn’t started what will eventually lead to gruesome discoveries and ‘murders’
A good, well told story if slightly far fetched in parts but great characters and fast moving story let you forgive that and join in on what is the strangest story of selling a house you will read
Enjoyable
8/10
4 Stars