Cover Image: The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse

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Member Reviews

A group of friends meet up for a joint vacation by the sea. They have all grown slightly different ways since they were last together and this is obvious early on. The tale is told in three perspectives, that of Genevieve, Kira and Moira. The rest of the group is just along for the author's ride (?). Have a small problem with this setup. If you are going to do split-perspective...commit (with the case of a small group like this put in an isolated situation, you could hear from all voices). The setup and pace of the story didn't really get going for me until about halfway , most likely due to the awkward handling of the split perspective. Some cheesy writing in places but suspense was established and once it did get going, the reader was carried to the end. However, the ending was another issue....All in all, the story was meh - a bit frustrating but a decent read if your selection is slim or limited

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Unfortunately this book missed a mark for me.
The author wanted to create a spooky atmosphere but i guess it takes more that a newly renovated lighthouse, creepy room and abundance of storm and fog.
I didn't particularly like any of the characters, besides maybe James. No one was particularly interesting either. They were all one-dimensional and half of them could have been written out without any negative impact on the plot.
The ending had no sense whatsoever, it came out of nowhere and it ruined the whole book.

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I smashed through this book in an afternoon, it was one of those with instant grip and I had to get to the end ASAP to find out what happened. The atmospheric setting of the book was fabulous and the descriptive writing sent shivers down my spine on more than 1 occassion. The characters were a good mix and although I do enjoy multiple POV the chapters did change a bit much for my liking and I got confused at some points and had to go back and check who was narrating that chapter. The ending had an absolutely fantastic build up hence why I couldn't put it down but the actual ending was a tad disappointing compared to the rest of the book, I suppose I just wanted a bit more closure, it was a bit open ended for me.
On the whole though I did enjoy it and would recommend.

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My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Avon Books UK for the electronic copy.

I quite liked the premise of the story - six friends from their university days hold their 10-year reunion on an un-inhabited island, Ora, off the Scottish coast. Kira organised it; she's a magazine photographer and she's there to get pictures of the newly-renovated lighthouse and adjoining cottages, taking advantage of the free accommodation to meet up with the friends she's not seen for 3 years. Except Genevieve, Lucas's girlfriend is a new addition and no one really knows her. There's Moira and Jess who are married and have left their young daughter at home; there's James who's always been Lucas's best friend.

Once they get to the island on the Friday afternoon the boatman tells them there's no boat on Sundays and warns them to be careful around the rocks. They find there is only the tiniest of chances to get a mobile phone signal. However, the place is amazing and food and drink start to flow - then weird things start happening, beginning with James's unexplained disappearance.

Genevieve upsets Jess's fragile nature with her folklore tales; the girls especially start to feel there's something wrong with the place. They want to go home - but there's no boat on Sundays!

The story is told from three points of view: Kira, Moira and Genevieve. The writing conveys the isolated atmosphere of the island as the group's relationships begin to crumble under the weight of disbelief and suspicion.

However, the conclusion left a lot to be desired, especially after following a story designed to lead the reader towards the supernatural.

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A group of old friends come together for a uni reunion on a lighthouse island. They are not a likeable group with lots of childish behaviour and old resentments, and there are definite secrets and tensions in the air. This was an enjoyable read and the author built the tension well through the use of differing narrative viewpoints. However, I gave this novel 3/5 stars because I felt the ending was a bit weak and unsatisfactory

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Loved the atmosphere and setting of this mystery-thriller and the plot was engaging, with plenty of twists and misdirection. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters. Overall and enjoyable read but just slightly to the left of my wheelhouse.

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Six friends are trying to reconnect on a break to a remote island with a light house as part of the accommodation. Things very quickly get strange; things go missing and tempers become frayed. A novel which really gripped me at the start, but started to flag a bit and I found the ending unconvincing. A promising novel which doesn’t quite hit the mark.

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This is the story of a group of University friends who embark on a reunion on a remote Scottish island. I am not normally attracted to a spooky tale, but I was given the opportunity to read it by Netgalley for an honest review and I love reading and like to diversify so why not. It was well written and had me hooked to find out what on earth was going on at The Lighthouse (I don't give spoilers in my review, but it was eerie) but I was just a little annoyed by the whole thing. Normally, you find a character which you like or can relate to. Something about a character which you love. Not here, everyone was just annoying and I couldn't for the life of me work out why they were together. I don't know how they became friends or why they would choose to spend time together, it really wound me up. The only commonality about this group of friends is that five of them went to Uni together. I was a little disappointed in the ending and I was also glad to have finished the book.
I would definitely read something by this author again, but not a sequel to this story.

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Kira, a photo journalist, has an assignment to review a remote, newly refurbished lighthouse off the Scottish coast. So her friends join her for a freebie long weekend.
At first, the group are blown away by the beauty of the island and the lighthouse but spooked by stories of folklore and ghost stories told by Genevieve, the newest member of the group, an eerie vibe seems to float around. Things get moved, one of the group goes missing.....
Told in turn by three of the girls we examine the events, as slowly the tension rises. Is one of the group orchestrating events or is there someone else out there?.
For me, the setting is cleverly described along with the atmosphere but the characters let this book down. Their obsession with getting a mobile signal was particularly annoying (it's a remote island, what do you expect!).
Worth a read though.

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The Lighthouse was a bit of a letdown for me. I was expecting more spooks and creepy things going on with the lighthouse and its history. The author definitely does a good job providing folklore and tales about the island but never goes into enough detail to make it scary. I think a lot of it for me was the characters. I didn't find any of them personable or likeable and it took away from the story. Overall the idea of something strange going on a secluded island with a lighthouse with history was really neat. I just would've loved more of a scare and more detail into the spookiness behind the story.

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Quite a suspense filled read. 6 old University friends are invited by Kira to join her on a holiday to an uninhabited island to stay in a lighthouse and cottage which has been revamped into a luxury holiday home. She is doing this to do a story and pictures for a magazine. They are dropped off by boat which will return after the weekend to pick them up . After the first night's drinking and chatting one of their number James goes missing, they search for him and eventually turns up back at the cottage saying he just went for a walk and is alright . He appears to be somewhat different and frightened of something . The group decide to explore the lighthouse and visit the lamp room , but are baffled to find one of the rooms locked up . Things tend to become strained between them especially when a bathroom mirror is smashed and a message "LEAVE" is written across the wall , Kira is furious but everyone denies knowledge of this. Things turn more sinister as the locked room is now open and has not been updated , leaving the question "why not" . All becomes apparent as the tale unfolds ending with a shock accident involving James.

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Growing up on the coast, I've always had a bit of a fascination with Lighthouses and I also love anything spooky, so when I saw the blurb for this book I thought I have read that!

Six people travel to a lighthouse on a remote island up in the Scottish highlands. They're looking to get away from it all, but the island isn't as relaxing as they hoped. Things ‌go missing and tensions flare between the party. One of the group, James, disappears. When he comes back, he seems scared and out of sorts. Are they alone on the island, or is there something more sinister going on?

The Lighthouse is an atmospheric drama with a nice bit of tension throughout.

My favourite part of the story was the setting. It was so vividly described I almost felt like I was there, and it added to the eerie undertone of the book.

The story is told from three perspectives. Kira, a photographer who organised the trip. Moira, who came on the trip with her wife to get away from things and relax. Lastly, there's Genevieve, the newest member of the group. She is an outsider with a fascination for ghost stories. I wasn't particularly taken with any of the characters. Yes, they were flawed and believable, but also unlikeable, especially Kira.

I went into this with high hopes and while I enjoyed the slow tension that crept up through the story; but I felt a bit disappointed by the ending, which wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped.

Still, if you're looking for a spooky, slow burn but tense read, I would highly recommend The Lighthouse.

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No one expected them to go there. The question is: will any of them leave?
Six friends travel to a remote island north of the Scottish Highlands for an old school reunion. They’ve rented The Lighthouse – a stunning, now abandoned building that was once notorious for deaths at sea.
On the first evening, someone goes missing. The group search all through the night to no avail. But when the five remaining friends return to the lighthouse early the next morning, they are shocked to find James inside. He’s looks terrified – but won’t say a word about where he’s been.
The party vow to put the strange night behind them and enjoy the rest of their stay, but when more unexplained things begin to occur, tensions escalate. It’s clear James knows something, but nothing will persuade him to give up the secrets of the island. Is he protecting his friends from a terrible truth, or leading them into more danger?
A chilling, gripping and powerfully atmospheric suspense novel with a gothic edge.

This was a brilliant, fast-paced and completely engrossing thriller! Right up my street with a lighthouse, remote, unihabited Scottish island, stormy weather and so much tension! Unravelling relationships, supernatural elements, tales of old folklore and things that go bump in the night, they are all here. I liked the characters, we knew enough about them and what had brought them together, the scene was well set up and the descriptions of the weather and wild environment all weaved together. Definitely an author to look out for and highly recommend!

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Creepily atmospheric, spookily compelling. Very engrossing! I liked some of the interpersonal relationships and dialogue more than others but I loved the sense of dread and uncertainty the author created.

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A group of friends who met at University along with their other halves rent out a lighthouse on a remote island in Scotland for part reunion and partly for one of the group to take photos for publicity for the newly reopened Lighthouse.

All seems lovely at first then a few things go missing they discover a locked room which later is unlocked. One of them goes missing for a few hours and won’t say where they’ve been. Are they really alone on the island or is there someone else there who wants them gone? Will they all leave the island in one piece or are some relationships damaged forever.

You will just have to read it to find out.

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I was sent a copy of this book in return for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley.

I couldn’t put this book down. It was written in a way that kept me interested and I liked the way the characters were built up. I must admit, I wish the story was a bit different at the end, but that’s how the author saw it, and I respect that. I would definitely recommend this book for someone that likes to get lost in a book. Thanks.

#TheLighthouse #NetGalley

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Kira managed to get a trip to a remote Scottish island with a lighthouse to promote it being newly refurbished.... She decides to take her friends there on a reunion but there are so many tensions bubbling below the surface between them. The fact that they are on a remote island and have no way of communicating with the mainland only adds to the tension, and when things start to go missing they begin to question each other. The ghost stories which have been told about the,area do nothing to ease the tensions. Is it one of them playing tricks, a ghost or something more sinister going on? And just what has happened to James and why won't he talk about it!

Many thanks NetGalley for letting me read this novel. Not usually my sort of read but I really enjoyed it and found i couldn't put it down!!!

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A great page turner - lots of twists and turns, and a great read that kept me engaged from the very first page.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

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Captivating? Yes

Creepy? Yes

Keep me up way past my bedtime? Yes

This was a great read, it had me jumping at shadows and guessing all the wrong things. This is definitely a book i will recommend to my friends who love a good mystery novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for so kindly gifting me the ARC to read to and review.

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Six friends travel to a remote island in Scotland to stay in a lighthouse that has recently been refurbished. Told in first person from three of the main characters perspectives, it reveals the tensions between the friendship group, and weird goings on since arriving on the island. At times tense and thrilling, however I was expecting slightly more from the story. The characters kept doing things that I felt were silly being on a remote island with no means of contact. Oy 3 out of 5 stars for me this time. Thank you for the advanced read.

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