This was a real slump buster for me. I found it a very absorbing read. It is so well paced.

I feel there are really two sides to this story. The mystery of this peculiar Island, its past and all the mysterious goings on and the character study . Told from three different perspectives we get to know a lot about our 6 ‘friends’. We really get to know the intricacies of the relationships between them all and there is something so honest in them. We have such great dynamics between all the characters. It was also refreshing to have one of these types of mysteries with a cast of characters in their 30s.

Each of the characters despite to prove to the friends they have known since there late teens early 20s that they are still that 20 something when they have grown and life has moved on and now they have 30 something problems to cope with too. You could really feel the ennui in group as they found themselves regressing slightly but also realising that they had grown apart. It was such subtle yet brilliant character building.

Kira is out trip organiser, but also is forced to spend it with her ex boyfriends new girlfriend. Her inner monologue focusing on trying not to seem bitter or cruel but also really wanting to be better than the new woman, but finding out she was actually a nice person. This inner turmoil read so genuine. There was not real childishness to Kira’s character, I liked how she would catch herself in her bitterness and reassess her behaviour. We also get Genevieve, the new one to the group, the outsider desperate to prove she is interesting and fun to her boyfriends oldest and dearest friends. Always feeling like she is outside all the jokes, or being misinterpreted in her eagerness to fit. Moira is our third protagonist. This is supposed to be a restorative trip for her and her wife, they have been inseparable from their toddler and have lost a little of who they are now that they are a young family. They are struggling with who they are now compared to who they were and what they want from those changes. I really liked how we got such an intimate view of their relationship as they tried to reconcile the who they were with the who they need to be for their child.

This all adds such layers to the mysterious vibe of the island. All the inner turmoil added to the ominous and dark feeling of the island is just so engaging. As the mystery builds with subtle spooky paranormal aspects, we just have such slow burn creepy vibes that layer on top of all the tension and build in such a fantastic manner. Despite being slower paces, the bickering and tension building between the characters makes it such a page turner.

Despite the nod to Agatha Christie that feels much more akin to Lucy Folly in the way its written and I think a lot of people would enjoy this little spooky psychological thriller.

I found this book to be very uninspiring and quite a disappointment. The characters irritated me in the way they behaves running around in the dark like silly children and drinking too much. They were all quite shallow and not particularly nice. The book wasn’t creepy for me and I found myself thinking that I’d read something similar last year. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A group of friends, along with a couple of newcomers, meet up for an old school reunion after not seeing each other for several years. They are transported to a remote island lighthouse for a weekend of fun, food, booze and catch-up. Communication with the outside world is virtually non-existent and a boat won’t return for them until the weekend is over. What could possibly go wrong ?
The suspense started early after James disappeared on the first night only to suddenly reappear hours after searches failed to find him. Nerves are rattled on several occasions when things start disappearing, only to turn up later and they sense that they are not alone on the island after all.
I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book and the suspense was almost palpable. Somehow I could feel how creepy the situation was and kept wondering when disaster was going to strike.
I loved Fran Dorricott’s writing style and how she managed to keep me on tenterhooks the whole time. I look forward to reading more from her. I definitely won’t be visiting any remote lighthouses anytime soon.

Is it Ghostly, is it psychological, who knows, maybe both, but one thing I'm sure of, is that it was a bit scary, and a bit creepy, but I loved it!!
Very different from my usual read, but just the title, gave me intrigue!!
Six friends from uni, go to a Scottish island, for a weekend break, and each chapter, is about their look and insight, on what is happening, in the story!! Also it tells of their own normal everyday lives, within this story!! Not only does it make it interesting, but also intriguing!! Loved it!!

Told from the point of view of the women in the story, this suspense thriller held my attention throughout.

The rampant tension, brought on by interpersonal conflicts, secrets, and paranoia, seems to permeate the pages.

“I’ve realised something earlier: I don’t trust any of them not to lie.”

Personally, I was riveted right up until almost the end, which left me somewhat unsatisfied. I’m sure my opinions about the ending are in the minority though.

This thriller would be the perfect read for the autumn. With creepy vibes and overtones of horror, this suspense-fueled novel would be just the thing for a late October night.

I was sent a copy of The Lighthouse by Fran Dorricott to read and review by NetGalley. I spent most of my time reading this book not quite enjoying it! I found it rather slow and even though it was written first person, which I usually love, I didn’t feel any emotional connection or particularly like any of the characters – even the three of them chosen to narrate the story. I got a bit annoyed at how often the author used the term ‘my wife’ or ‘her wife’ as if it needed to be reinforced that one of the couples were in a same sex marriage, even though the people in the other relationship were just referred to by their names! I found the novel to be rather long-winded and with scant actual tension given the genre. This aside, the novel did gather pace in the latter part of the book and it was readable enough to get me to the end. All in all a bit of a disappointment for me, sorry!

This book was a great read but it was scary. I had to stop reading it at bedtime as it just played on my mind all night.....

A locked room mystery set on an isolated Scottish island. The storytelling lacked pace and I was not drawn into the characters. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I seem to have had a thing about books based around lighthouses lately & this one set in Scotland just begged to be read. Six people set off for a reunion on an abandoned lighthouse that has been done up as a holiday let. It is a new let & Kira is a photographer who is going to take publicity shots. The group are mostly university pals along with a girlfriend. The plan seems to be to eat, drink & be merry but when one of the party disappears only to return next morning the group are somewhat shaken- especially as there seem to be spooky tales about the place. More strange things happen- will they all ever get back home safely?

Told in the first person from three different characters, this should have been a really gripping scary tale. At times I struggles to identify who was narrating. It took a while to work out who was with who- something that would have been useful to have established in the beginning. I also didn't warm to any of the characters so overall it was an OK read but I had hoped for better. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This is a tense and sometimes spooky mystery story. The scene is set when five best friends meet up for a reunion. One of the five brings along his girlfriend and right from the beginning, there’s a slightly uncomfortable atmosphere. The location for the weekend break is a remote lighthouse renovated to provide a luxury getaway for a family or group of friends. Things start to disappear and strange noises are heard. The group begins to become unsettled and old rivalries and long kept secrets come to the surface.

The story is told through the eyes of three of the characters and this is interesting as each of them has a different perspective and a different opinion as to how to deal with their situation. I usually enjoy this technique but find it to be less effective for this book because it is difficult to follow since there’s no real variation in the writing style for each chapter.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and can recommend it to anyone who likes a real page turner.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this book.

Set on a Scottish island the descriptions of the remoteness, the wildness and history is very well described and I could visualise the surroundings. The history of lighthouses and this island in particular were absorbing and believable.
The 6 'friends' who gather for a reunion, unfortunately, do not have a great deal to make them appealing to me as a reader. How they were ever friends in the first place and their fractured relationships now did not endear them to me. Even the couples seem to have problems that suggest they shouldn't be together.
The story itself is slow to lead to a reveal but well written. Sadly the conclusion is rather a let-down for me.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Fran Dorricott/Avon Books UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Loved the way this book kept me guessing, chilling in places and well written in the way that makes you need to know what happens.
The chapters are narrated by some of the characters, and I did get a bit confused in places and had to check who was telling the story, but that might be because I was so gripped in the story I didn't look at the name!
Will certainly be looking out for more books by Fran Dorricott
Thank you netgalley

Friends, James, Jess, Kira, Lucas, Moira and Genevieve are at the Ora lighthouse for a reunion. The trip has been organised by Kira who is a travel photographer. James, Jess, Lucas, and Moira met in their first year at uni. Kira, who dated Lucas, met them in their third year. Beanie-wearing Ben takes them across the water and explains there's a boat only once a day between the island and the mainland. On the first evening there, one of their group goes missing.

Set on a remote island north of the Scottish Highlands, The Lighthouse had a really creepy vibe. I was soon flicking the pages in anticipation of what was to come next in this tense and suspenseful story. It was a very well-executed tale that Fran Dorricott brought to life admirably and I was desperate to find out the secrets the island was hiding. A terrific read. 😊👻

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Avon Books via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

As always I love a story set in a closed room environment- in this case a lighthouse on a Scottish island. In addition to the usual psychological thriller elements that are then to be expected, this novel goes one step further introducing a ghostly twist.

I've not read any of the author's previous novels, so wasn't sure what to expect- but she introduces a fascinating cast of characters, all of which suspect each other of being involved in the mysterious events that happen- and I also suspected all of them in turn.

It is an addictive read & sometimes I did ask myself what I was doing reading it late at night when confronted with some particularly creepy moment. The final twist was very unsettling!

I will certainly now look out for more novels by this writer.

A creepy island mystery, a group of 6 friends are away together for a reunion . This involves lots to eat and drink and a chance to relax. One of the men, James disappears in the first night and the rest of the group spend a lot of time looking for him . Things disappear and the group of friends get very cranky with each other, I found this irritating rather than eerie or suspenseful. I did not like any of the characters particularly (and I am not so sure they like each other) and found the story being told by different people a bit confusing at times. That may be because the book did not keep my interest for the first few chapters.
For me, the story did not build up the suspense as much as I had expected , the friends and partners have a history which bears on the events here, but there are only suggestions about things that are not ok well into the book. Fortunately the second half of the book picked up as some of the history is revealed and clues are discovered and this kept my interest more. And then the book stops....
Not a bad book , but was expecting better. Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

So close to being a 5 star but something didn't sit quite right with me because of the ending. Thought it would be a bit more. Great atmospheric reading though. Brilliant setting at a lighthouse as I just love lighthouses. The friends have come together to meet up whilst on this spooky weekend break. Things turn spooky with stories of past people on the island. Each friend has their own baggage and not just what they brought for the weekend gathering!!

When six friends go on holiday on a remote island they thought they would have a peaceful time. It soon became clear that they weren't alone. Things went missing or were moved to another place. When a tragic accident happened they began to turn on each other blaming one another. Will they ever get off the island only time will tell.
I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

What a fantastic book. I was gripped from the start and kept awake til the early hours reading ‘just one more chapter’. I will definitely be recommending this to my fellow bookworm friends.

After downloading the book I didn’t plan to read it straight away, but after seeing what was being said on twitter I really couldn’t help myself.

This was such a gripping read… following a group of friends on a little weekend getaway to the middle of nowhere. The only ones out there. They obviously thought it would be fun and chill just getting drunk. But how wrong could they be?

This book was very much a guessing game, but in a different sense. Not so much a who done it as more of a what!!

While the main characters were constantly questioning and second guessing there self wondering what the hell was going on the group was always split. Some believing one thing and others not.

This books certainly kept you on your toes and made you feel like part of the story.

So when I saw this book I thought this was right up my alley. I do love a good location based book. The characters just got me so frustrated and I could not be dealing with them. It did get better about half way in and it all started to fall into place but this was the plot getting better, the characters were still as annoying as ever.

So unfortunately this is not a must read from me, but I can see how others would like it. I normally do love the author's books and it will not put me off reading another one.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.