What an entertaining read! I just finished watching the new hit television series Traitors, and this book came to mind with the castle, and the mystery and secrets behind a castle. I enjoyed the book, will read more in future.

I didn’t know what I was expecting when I went into reading this one, but it was quite interesting and very suspenseful. Loved the creepy tone of this book and it was a nice palate cleanser, as I have read a lot of historical fiction recently. I recommend checking this one out.

An ordinary holiday by the sea and a chance for for a family to bond. Turns into a terrifying experience for the family. They now need to face the horrible truth of what The Trophy Room really is. This book is written in a mixture of the second and third person. I would highly recommend this book for fans of psychological mystery.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Trophy Room is creepy, chilling, and suspenseful. Perfect for readers who enjoy being scarier stories. Some parts of the story was more disturbing then others. I'm giving the book 3.5 stars, for the story line and for the character building.

Gothic Suspense…
A menacing gothic suspense with a perfectly crafted backdrop. A holiday by the sea, some rest and relaxation. That was certainly not to be, for when the Miller family meet the Trevelyans something dangerous is ignited. What secrets does Leybury Hall hold - and what exactly is The Trophy Room? With a creeping sense of unease and effectively told in a multi voice narrative this is an edgy and tension fuelled read.

This book kept me guessing and was hard to put down. From the first chapter, I was hooked! Twists and turns abound in this one-of-a-kind book!

This was an interesting read filled with action. I never really engaged with any of the characters but thought that the storyline was good.
Many thanks to Bleaknorth Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks NetGalley for this modern ghost story. Frank and Janice go on vacation to the sea with her son Jason. While walking on the beach, Jason sees a dog being thrown overboard a boat out at sea. He and Frank rescue it and get to meet Sammy the owner of the dog. Dominic, a sleazy, would-be thug, was the one who threw the dog overboard. Dominic is working for Rupert Fitzwilliam, a man who lives in a big house and has a trophy room full of ghosts. Sammy and Jason become friends. Frank, who happens to be a DI, Janice and Sammy’s parents become friends and they all manage to stay alive until the police can catch up to Rupert. This book held my attention. It wasn’t one that I couldn’t put down, but I certainly liked it. You will too

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this!

I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis of this book. This book instantly drew me in, I got to explore through the eyes of our main character and this is always my favorite way to discover these details of the story and, it was done very well in this book. I really enjoyed this book and the plot. This author did amazing. I loved the writing style.

This book was so interesting. I had a hard time connecting to the characters but the plot really kept me entertained. I liked the interesting twist as well.

The trophy room was an enjoyable read. It took awhile to get into the story, but once I did it was an interesting read.

I thought this book was OK- it focused a little more on real life crimes than on the ghost story aspect, which is what I expected. 2 families meet through their young kids- one is on holiday and one lives there. They become embroiled in a nefarious plot orchestrated by a guy that has ties to an eccentric (and possibly villainous) millionaire, and must ban together to defeat him.

I couldn't really get into the characters in this book- there were a lot of them and I didn't think the author went all that deep into helping the reader get to know them. Also, the switch back and forth between active and passive voices was a bit jarring and often pulled me out of the story. I thought some of the plotlines got a little lost as the book continued, though maybe the author was just trying to throw out red herrings.

There was a lot of action and excitement in the book and I didn't get bored but also never fully connected. I don't feel like this story will stick with me as I read other books. Overall, not for me but a unique and action-packed read. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Trophy Room is a really compelling thriller that explores the bonds of family. While some parts of this book can be a bit dark and disturbing, this is a really compelling book that keeps you on your toes.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review an eARC of this book.

First, let me say two things I liked about this book:

1. The details given for places, times and persons in this book are excellent and vividly detailed.
2. The book was quick to read. (At least for me.)

Now, sadly it was not the most enjoyable read for me. It slipped from third to second person perspectives in several places. This to me was jarring and withdrew me from the experience. The author gives you too many definites..."you will see", "you will find", "we will return." Sadly, this too took me out of the experience as well. I do not like when an author displays authority over a reader. It's a type of passive domination that I find very disagreeable.

The author has great talent, that much is evident in their detail, but this book was not meant for me.

An excellent suspense story, which shows that gratuitous and graphic violence is not necessary. It reminds me of the classic works, in the Hitchcock style, that grabs the viewer and immerses him in the story, with some perfectly designed clues to confuse the reader and force him to think about possible alternative outcomes and endings... with an outcome that is clearly presented, very logical and in which justice is finally served.

3.25 stars

We follow The Millers and The Trevalyans as they become fast friends after a chance meeting. Soon they find themselves entangled in a web of intrigue and conflict with the owner of Leybury Hall.

The Trophy Room wasn't for me. I was expecting a gothic locked room mystery, but there is no locked room mystery to be solved. Although we have a suspenseful gothic mystery, the book's plot focuses mainly on the contemporary bandit mystery. However, I will say that the book chapters that were directly linked to the Trophy Room were superb. Highly atmospheric, and in that aspect, Litherland kept me guessing all the time if Leybury Hall's legacy to its owners is supernatural or pure madness.

The remainder of the book just left me wanting more; Litherland was dealing with topics that can be exciting and deeply disturbing. Still, in my opinion, he didn't commit to the delivery of either. The narrative relied heavily on allusion and the reader believing the character has the whole picture. There are many instances when the reader isn't privy to details when the characters clearly are.

The final product felt disjointed to me - it felt like I was reading two books - one of piracy, bootlegging, and intrigue, the other a gothic dark mystery. Even though this disharmony is part of why I couldn't get into the book, I thought it was brilliant. It made me consider that even if a person/character has dark secrets that may be supernatural, parapsychological, or psychological. What happens to them at their home stays between their four walls; the outside world remains as normal as can be! I did appreciate the contrast. It made Leybury Hall's events seem more plausible and veracious.

Disclaimer: I first read it as an ARC. In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Bleaknorth Publishing, Barry Litherland, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Trophy Room.

This is my first gothic mystery ever and I have to say that after I got a ways in I actually enjoyed it. It is creepy and scary and told from three different points of view. The writing is great and the characters are very well developed. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys this genre

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this amazing arc for my honest opinion..

This book wasn’t for me unfortunately, I didn’t realise it was a gothic thriller but that was my fault. I found it hard to get into and not an easy book to read at all.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

I wanted to like this book better than I did as I love gothic, atmospheric novels. I had trouble getting into it (not sure why) but I was definitely caught up in the storyline of families on vacation and a "haunted" mansion with a "trophy room" that no one has seen. And the fact that it involved a creepy old man, diamonds, and murder made it a compelling read!

This book is really scary. I would also call the setting Atmospheric. I would highly recommend this for any fan of thrillers or mysteries.