Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

Sometimes the perfect life is too good to be true. But you know what they say about too good to be true... it most probably isn't. This book illustrates that perfectly and kept me entertained until the end. I didn't suspect the culprit until later, and was surprised at the motivation behind the crimes. Recommended for anyone who loves a great read.
TB

you know it was a mighty excellent read when you get this sad hollow feeling when you finish it....
i really don't know how to express my love for that book, it just checked every box on what makes the best thriller book list.
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firstly, the main character, Bram, he was written very realistic and was a very much a reliable narrator, which i have to add isn't a common occurring in thrillers featuring civilians as MC, the author gave him personality traits you could relate to, from the love of nature and everything organic and ecofriendly to the kind and half-full cup outlook on life and lastly, to the reactions a person might express when put under fear and best importantly, peer pressure.
also for my utmost delight, the author didn't put her sole focus on the plot and the main character, she also wrote such distinctive side characters, it felt like you were tightly wrapped in the book's world with everything happening to them.
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the plot if i have to sum it up in one word it would be: rich, there were so much happening, you just don't get time to digest one thing for the next shock to take your breath away.
but regarding the shock thing, i didn't mean it as multiple plot twists just for the sake of shock value, no, it was kind of dilemmas the characters faced that were thought provoking, you'd feel yourself getting uncertain because your head would be swimming with the question; what would have i done if i were in their place??
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the ending of the plot happened a lot earlier than the actual ending of the book, which was kind of a new thing for me, but it just showed me how attached i felt to the characters, like i knew what was happening the entire time, but now i'm intersted on the impact that would leave upon the family.
to make a long story short, it was really worth the time and feelings.
* i received an ARC of this book via netgalley and the publisher in exchange of an honest review*

Synopsis –

Having just moved from London to the Scottish highlands, the Hendriksens – Bram, Kirsty & their two kids want nothing more, but a peaceful life in their beautiful new home. But as things start going wrong, Bram can’t help but wonder if these nightmares are connected to Kirsty’s troubled past. With their beloved home no longer a safe haven, they have to deal with some terrible happenings, before the secrets are revealed.

Review –

I struggled to connect with Bram and his mind’s workings initially. His character felt weak & stupid at times. I couldn’t help but wonder why he was so helpless, slow & passive. Easily intimidated by his father in law David, Bram was constantly looking for his approval, which was really irritating!

Though the plot itself was quite interesting and kept me turning pages, I found that the psychological aspect of this novel was weak. Some aspects were so unrealistic and hard to come to terms with.

However, I did like the author’s portrayal of Kirsty’s character, the trauma of her teenage years and how it strained her relationship with her parents. This in turn affected her love life and trust issues.

The writing was fast paced and had an easy flow making it enjoyable. I also liked the setting of this book, the isolation of the house which created intrigue, adding the elements of fear & suspense, the serenity of nature around also described well.

The ending did not manage to “wow” me nor did the big reveals. I always appreciate intense and power packed build up towards the endings in thrillers , but this however was just was not on par with my expectations.

Overall, it was an “OK” psychological thriller.

Bram and his family move from their busy life in London to their dream home in Scotland to start afresh but then the Dead crows appear!!

I love a psychological thriller, but this was a very slow start for me, I actually stopped a few times as I couldn't get into. I enjoy a build up to create tensions and suspense, but for me this was quite drawn out and never really got a great build up until about ¾ of the way way.

I couldn't get a feel for Brams character, he just seemed a bit annoying to me and I couldn't put my finger on why his character wasn't likeable.

If you can persevere through the first ¾ of the book it does all link together really well and actually has a really good ending. But for me I really enjoy thr build up and without that I really couldn't get into it.

Thank you netgalley for the arc.

A slow, psychological thriller, one which I honestly struggled to get through. Thank you to #netgalley for give the opportunity to read this i for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to as I anticipated it being a bit too "scary movie/haunted house" from the blurb for my taste. This wasn't really the case, and it was more like a typical psychological thriller storyline, but I wasn't totally convinced by the way it was all tied together unfortunately. The vast majority of the characters ended up being implicated in one way or another, and the motives were a little strange, as were some of the actions taken by the characters. Not a bad book by anyone's standards, and I flew through it, finishing it in a day but the suspense and twists just fell a bit flat in my opinion.

I received a complimentary of this book from the author via NetGalley, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Bram and his wife Kirsty and their two children move to the Scottish Highlands so they can get.away from the hectic pace of the city and learn to enjoy the slower paced rural country life. Bram is a stay-at-home dad which his father-in-law continues to brow beat him about since he never felt Bram was good enough for his daughter and unfortunately the in-laws only live a few miles away from their new home. Immediately scary and vicious attacks surround the Hendriksen family. A sweet little guide dog is intentionally injured by an unknown predator in a wolfish mask, someone puts poison in their vegetable garden and dead crows are continually left hanging upside down on their property. The police don't take their threats seriously and say it's just bored teens trying to get a rise out of the new outsiders, but Bram feels it is more personal and directed at his family for reasons he doesn't understand but if the police won't find the culprits he will just have to handle the situation himself. Little does he know that the problems will get so much worse and out of control and that he and his family will.end up fighting for their lives.

This was a very enjoyable domestic thriller taking place in the beautiful Scottish Highlands and the author does a terrific job writing about the beauty of the countryside's scenery and lifestyle of the residents. The story immediately starts with mystery and grabs your attention. I thought this was going to be a cozy mystery and thankfully It was not. About forty percent into the book the story really takes off with non-stop action and sinister happenings. At one point the story seem to slow down and then BAM, a truly unexpected twist occurred an I couldn't put the book down needing to find out how the rest of this mind boggling twist would turn out. Whew! What a great plot twist from the writer, completely unexpected. This is my first book by this author but I am now a fan and have picked up another book to read in the near future. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy domestic thrillers with dark secrets and plenty of violence which makes this story quite a little gem.

I want to thank the publisher "Inkubator Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this digital copy and any thoughts and opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this terrific book a rating of 4 Highly Unexpected And Deserving 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

Thank you Inkubator Books and Netgalley for the arc of this book. It started out great and I loved the creepy things that were starting to happen. As I got to know the characters, I didn't like any of them. But the story was good and the writing was good, so I kept reading. The story got more intriguing, but then it took a strange turn into the ridiculous. If you can suspend your disbelief you'll still like this book because the story is good, and I really wanted to find out who was behind everything.

A bit terrifying how living in Scotland was told in this story. it is completely different from the perspective told by my cousin who lives in Scotland. I am not saying this story was real but I am always thrilled to know the bad side of the scary secrets of a place. It is good for me but terrifying for a family who only seeks peace.
The Hendriksen decide to live life simpler and start fresh. Bram, his wife Kirsty, and their two children Phoebe and Max move to the Scottish Highlands from London. This place is also the hometown of Kirsty. They built their dream house and live a life closer to the environment by planting their vegetables and raising their protein source. But as soon as they thought they are already settling in, their vegetables are tarnished, there is a dead crow, and someone had taken a shot at their dog named Bertie. Who would do such things? Especially when they are just new to the town. Who has a grudge against a family who just moved? The polices do not seem to care and said that it is just a cause of local bored teenagers. Bram on the other hand suspects that there is more behind this and it might be connected to the past of his wife Kirsty.
I really like how the Author messed up my mind and put it to places I could have never been. Secrets that I could not fathom of. I do like its pace too. it started nice and slow then pick up its pace at the middle. Characters are not too bad as well. I find Phoebe cute for she is a bit clingy and kinda hated Max for he is like not a child. He is a bit mature for his character to be called one of the children. But some other kids are just like that. The backstory was also superb for it provides some information that is connected to what is happening to their family.
My Final thought is that this book is fun to read and would love by other readers on how stories can put a different perspective only Authors can show vividly.

Wow! She’s done it again. This book has a slightly different feel to it than the previous book, giving it an original feel, but all Jane’s talents at writing in this genre still shine through.

There is extreme darkness in unexpected places in this extraordinary book. A nice, nuclear family, making the move to have a more quiet life now one of their children has flown the nest and they feel more financially stable. Yet their quiet countryside life is soon interrupted with some quite dark and terrifying goings on. The narrative just gets darker, and darker, and darker, starting off with some pretty sick pranks, Internet trolling and vandalism, and ending at the complete other end of the spectrum in terms of criminality. I just loved how this dark and tense atmosphere was established so quickly, and the fact that it juxtaposed so well with this well-to-do domestic life, made it all the more exciting.

There is a huge strength in the way this writer builds characters. Each one has some kind of redeeming or likeable quality, or you are able to see how they are guided or jaded by innocence or loyalty. I have loved getting to know their backgrounds and working out what makes them tick, and then sitting back and watching the action when those issues inevitably arise.

Once again, I have been unable to put this book down and it has provided twist after twist. The tension is ramped up and the ending is explosive and unexpected.

Overall, I have those to be an inescapably dark and consuming book that has hooked me from the first line: “They had wrapped nylon wire around his wrists and then around his ankles to hog-tie him, so he couldn’t do anything…”

I have every confidence in saying that this is a five star read and Jane Renshaw has definitely secured her place alongside Lisa Jewell and Arianne Richmonde as my favourite writers in this genre.

I wanted to enjoy this book so badly. It had nice creepy vibes at the beginning and I was loving it. The “twist” happens and it goes downhill from there into stupidity. I wanted to DNF around 50%, but pushed through. Should have just ditched it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.
Wonderful and well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start. I read this book in 1 night and ended up with a book hangover the next day but it was worth it.
5 Stars!

I loved the characters as they were very believable. Great suspense.
My first but not my last book by Jane Renshaw.

This book is....not good.

There are too many book being released with 'haunted house' themes - and this one was just ridiculous.

Dream Come True....?
Leaving behind the bustling city and moving to the Scottish Highlands for a better quality lifestyle was a dream come true for the Hendriksen family. The dream soon turns sour with bizarre and sinister occurrences. With a slow, mounting sense of tension and plenty of unexpected twists this is a suspenseful read which, admittedly, begins to spiral into realms of sheer disbelief but is still a compelling and unexpected read.

I have read and loved a couple of Jane’s books now. I read the synopsis for ‘No Place Like Home’ and it certainly sounded like it would be a deliciously dark read. Well I couldn’t wait any longer to start reading and dived straight in. I did enjoy reading ‘No Place Like Home’ but more about that in a bit.
As soon as I started reading ‘No Place Like Home’ I knew that I was in for a treat. I found it rather difficult to put the book down for any significant length of time. The characters intrigued me and I had to find out how the story panned out for them. I can’t say that I warmed to any of the characters as I got the distinct impression that they were hiding something but that could just be my suspicious nature working overtime. I managed to read the story in several binge sessions. When I had the book in my hands I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would lose all track of time.
‘No Place Like Home’ is extremely well written. I love the way in which the author grabs your attention from the start and draws you into what proves to be a compelling story. For me, this story is more of a slow burn. It starts off at a gentle pace but the story gathers momentum and ends in a dramatic conclusion. There were several twists and turns to the story that I didn’t see coming. I found ‘No Place Like Home’ to be a tense read, which kept me guessing and had me on the edge of my seat on several occasions.
In short, I did enjoy reading ‘No Place Like Home’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will be reading more of Jane’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

Dead crows and dogs getting shot at, people breaking in. All this happens to Bram, Kristy and their kids when they move from London to a little village in Scotland. Supposed to be a idyllic place to settle which is Kristy's hometown, but someone doesnt want them there.

The book started real slow for me and I had to get back to it twice. The story builds up well but would have liked it to have a faster pace and the characters a bit more likable.

Thank you Netgalley and Inkubator books for the ARC

What a well written book! The story was amazing! This thriller will have you hanging on the edge of your seat! I enjoyed the characters most!

An absolutely brilliant and terryfying read. This story was like a crazy twisty roller coaster. Brilliant and well written. I woild love to read more from this author xx