Thank you so much for the opportunity to read The Lighthouse!

It wasn’t necessarily what I’d usually choose, and I’m a big wimp when it comes to ghost stories, but I really enjoyed it.

Well written, so easy to yread. - also very descriptive.
Seriously creepy and tense.

From the very start of this book you could feel the sense of something imminent. There is a building tension that has you questioning all the six main characters.
I liked the fact we had multiple pov as the story progressed.,
This is a really eerie and positively creepy book that kept me on the edge of my seat.
I do love books set in or around light houses, and this didn't dissapoint .




I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Six friends go away to a lighthouse for the weekend. They hope it will strengthen old friendships that have cooled over the past few years. This weekend not what they expected. A strange spirit send to be around and then things go missing or are moved. Is there a ghost? Determined to find out after one of them had an encounter it comes to an unexpected conclusion.

I love a locked room thrillers, groups of semi estranged friends with long histories, isolated settings and inclement weather so this was the perfect read for me.
Descriptive and well written I really enjoyed this book, I thought the premise was spot on and although I thought there was room for more scares, ,more shocks although the tension and build up was brilliantly executed.
The plot was well thought out and overall it kept me gripped and invested throughout. it was a book I was fully absorbed in and a fast, easy read

The raw and rugged setting is intrinsic to this psychological suspense with a supernatural twist. Shrouded in ghostly tales and with inclement weather closing in, six friends wonder if their reunion on the remote island would end in tragedy.

I like the creepy, menacing atmosphere the story has. It's hard to decide what is happening. Mysterious occurrences unsettle the group and test friendships. Told from different points of view, the reader knows more than the individual characters. Some of the narrators are unreliable.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The Lighthouse had the potential to be a humdinger of a book. A group of friends are travelling to a remote Scottish island to stay on an island for their reunion holiday. Unfortunately, it soon becomes apparent that things are not quite as they seem. From early on we’re waiting to see the creepy things we assume will happen, and yet I couldn’t help feeling things fell a little flat.
Our initial introduction to the characters hints at discord between them. The presence of a new partner will, we assume, be problematic and at least one of them shows signs of growing mental instability. Throw alcohol into the mix and we soon see that things between this group are far from rosy. As we get to see their interactions it’s hard to work out whether the problems are down to them, or if there is something supernatural happening.
After an intriguing start, I felt everything slowed down just a little too much. Seeds of upset are sown, but things took a long time to really develop and the reactions of some of the characters felt rather exaggerated. As we only see their reaction to events, and sometimes some time after the event, it became increasingly hard to feel concerned.
Once we start to get answers as to what’s going on, I found myself frustrated. I can’t imagine this scenario would have taken place, and gone uncovered, so it was difficult to understand how the group got to where they did. The resolution to their problem felt unnaturally quick, and I can’t honestly imagine anyone would experience such an event and be so willing to effectively ignore it.
While I didn’t find this quite as engaging as I’d hoped, I’d like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this before publication in exchange for my honest review.

Incredibly tense and atmospheric, this book had me on the edge of my seat throughout. I enjoyed the switching between POVs of three of the characters, I always feel it adds more to the story. The build up to the reveal of what was happening on the island and at the lighthouse was really well done and set at the right pace, it wasn't too drawn out and didn't feel like it was all over too quickly. An excellent mystery/thriller!

Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for my copy of this book in return for a review

Six friends, now in their thirties, come together for a reunion on a remote Scottish island. They’re staying in a cottage next to a lighthouse steeped in history. Strange occurrences begin to happen, including items that disappear and then reappear. The reader is constantly questioning if these are paranormal occurrences or not? There’s a chilling and ghostly atmosphere, tensions start to build from the start and this is reinforced by the lack of phone signal and the ghostly stories connected with the lighthouse. This lonely, windswept location is the perfect setting for the story. It’s well written, the writing is descriptive and you really get a sense of the cold, austere landscape and its complete isolation.

The story starts off really well, sadly it lost the suspenseful atmosphere as the story unravelled and it became very predictable. I kept pushing on expecting a really exciting twist to the tale or a surprising revelation. The ending is disappointing and very anticlimactic after the initial build up. It felt very sudden and the revelations in last few pages felt like an easy way out. That being said it’s an enjoyable read with a fantastic spooky build up, chilling atmosphere and great characters but just needed a more riveting ending.

Thank you to the publisher to the advanced review copy.

The author knows how to set the scene and the island initially sounds like heaven. Remote, windswept and buffeted by the waves, the landscape appears serene and beautiful to the friends as they settle in for a weekend of fun and relaxation. Soon, however, the atmosphere changes. Things disappear and everyone denies having taken them. Shadows appear in corners when there is noone there. And what lies behind the only locked door in the lighthouse? Suddenly the isolation becomes claustrophobic as the friends realise they are stranded here without a way off the island, with something that doesn't want them here.
How perfect is this premise? Despite my growing unease, I read it in almost one sitting because I had to get answers ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Lighthouse

Amazing read, very creepy thriller which is right up my street.
Friends reunite for a weekend, one person goes missing and when found won’t explain where they have been or doing...
Lots of twists to keep you guessing, so cleverly written.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK.

The premise is interesting with a group of friends experiencing unexplained things at a private island with a stunning and mysterious lighthouse for a reunion.

At the beginning I was intrigued with the plot and the multiple POVs also gives the readers more insight and secrets from all the characters.

The writing style is good because I can feel the spooky vibes from the story and I'm very curious to know the truth about what's really going on in that island which gives unsettling feelings for the characters.

However, I feel the pacing started to turn slower in the middle of the story and I don't feel connected with the characters because they always seems to bicker with someone else.

Near the ending, the pacing pick up a little and things started to get slightly more intense.
Unfortunately, I don't feel satisfied with how things turn out. I wish there are more explanation about the ending because I didn't get the closure I wanted from the story. I still have so many unanswered questions in my head but the book is already finished.

Overall, for a debut novel it was okay. This was a very quick read for me and if you enjoy reading a mystery book with creepy and eerie vibes on a private island then this book might be for you!

Thank you to Netgalley, Fran Dorricott and Avon Books UK for granting me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Note: Will post it on Instagram on February 3rd.

As I started this book, I was so thrilled with the spooky vibes, the creepy lighthouse and the mysterious disappearances. I was off to a great start and flew through the first 200 pages quickly. However, the character conflicts started to really bring down the excitement. I had a hard time believing any of these characters even liked each other… and James? Please just let him be lost and forget about it. From the moment they find him, he’s distant, frustrating and just weird. I just wanted to reach in the book, grab him and be like “dude, what is wrong with you.” The Sammy angle was “okay” at best. It was hard to believe but I went with it. Overall, 3.5 stars. I liked it but I can’t say I loved it.

This had bags of potential but it became quite ridiculous early on, in my opinion and never really recovered. Sorry.

A group of friends from university have a 10-year reunion on an Island in Scotland. Ora Island has a recently refurbished lighthouse as well as a large cottage and is the perfect place for a getaway. It’s been three years since the entire group of friends has gotten together and there are some tensions between members of the group. In addition, the island has an eerie feel right from the beginning. When some of their belongings start to go missing and other strange things occur, their fun, relaxing vacation becomes scary and maybe even dangerous.

This story is told from multiple points of view which is good to see some of the things that happen from more than one side. The group dynamics alone would have made for a tense vacation - a young woman, her ex-boyfriend and new girlfriend, a young man who is keeping secrets, and a married couple on their first trip without their daughter. Add in the creepy atmosphere of the island and you get tension from the very beginning and the sense that something is going to go wrong. One of the characters tells ghost stories at the beginning so some of the others wonder if a ghost is behind some of the things going on there.

The book has a big build-up and kept my interest throughout the story. However, the payoff wasn’t as big as I expected and was somewhat disappointing, so I would rate it 3.5 stars. Some things are left unanswered at the end that I would have liked to see resolved. However, the ambiguity regarding the island was a suitable ending. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but I would be interested in reading others.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Avon Books UK. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

This book started well but soon slowed and I found that I became easily bored. I liked the setting, remote island and creepy lighthouse.
The characters were ok but there didn’t seem to be any relationship between them. We’re told that they are old school friends but there nothing to really tie them together. There wasn’t really any twists to keep you interested and the ending didn’t really fit. Unfortunately this one is not for me.

Thank you to Avon Books UK for this advanced copy.

I'm a sucker for a book with a lighthouse on the cover. Add in the praise of being described as a "powerfully atmospheric suspense novel with a gothic edge", how could I refuse?!

The Lighthouse is a well-developed thriller set on a remote island that slowly builds up a sinister feeling and heightens the emotions with its isolated setting.

The set-up of the story kicks off the book brilliantly, as you began to get to know these likeable characters and anticipate what's going to go wrong. I especially enjoyed hearing about the folklore surrounding the lighthouse and the concept of a ghost haunting the building. But for me, I needed a few more scares to really build up the atmosphere.

It's obvious that the friends are feeling the tension and you can feel their fear of what's going on in the lighthouse, but it isn't quite described well enough for the reader. By the halfway point, there's only really a broken mirror to go off, so I needed more creepy occurrences like this to really make me believe in the presence of a ghost. But then I do like to be scared, so those looking for a lighter thriller will likely enjoy how this excellent location adds more tension to the situation.

I definitely began to feel the chills towards the end, as the final confrontations put your nerves on edge. But then the quick and somewhat confusing wrap-up left me wanting more! I can see why it was written this way, but I just didn't find it very effective, whereas a different ending would likely have turned my opinion around a lot more.

This was my first book by Fran Dorricott and I will definitely read more by her in the future as I enjoyed her characterisation and pace. I personally needed a little more action, but I'm certain that this is going to be a very well-liked thriller this year.

Six friends reunite for a weekend stay in a newly renovated lighthouse on a remote island of Scotland. They think it's the perfect opportunity to rekindle their friendship and reminisce about their college days.
But things start going wrong from the beginning. Items are misplaced or vanish, one of the friends disappears but refused to talk about why or what happened, and they learn that the island is steeped in tragedy and death. Soon they start questioning if they really are alone on the island. Is it ghosts? Is someone hiding on the island? Or is the threat much closer to home?

I was desperate to find out the secrets the island was hiding. This is a very well executed that is brought to life perfectly and I was kept on the edge of my seat in the lead up to all being revealed.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Sent to me by Netgalley…friends on an island…murder and mayhem…who did it? Almost like Agatha Christie…the story moves slowly at times with a surprise ending…

Absolutely loved this novel.
A spooky, well written adventure with the eeriest setting, it really did unnerve me.
The characters were all interesting in their own right, I would’ve loved to have known more about them and about what would happen to them after the story ended.
I wanted more!

This book started out with 6 friends, 5 of whom have known each other a considerable time and they decide to rent a lighthouse in Scotland for a much needed vacation. This book may start out all fluffy but quickly turns chilling and creepy AF. Poor James, although I did like all the main characters in this book and rooting for their escape and safety. Many twists and turns, and thank goodness this was not predictable. This gave me shivers long after it was.

Recommended if you want a truly creepy book to read. Will get this at publishing to own and look forward to more by this author in the future.

Thank to Netgalley, Fran Dorricott, and Avon Books UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 2/3/22