This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I have another one on my TBR. The very start of the book grabbed my attention but then it was definitely a slower pace suspense moving forward. When starting this book I found it was quite slow to get going and the characters, especially the main character Ellen Saint, were not very likable. The story moves from the past to present times and unfortunately didn’t hold my attention in some parts. Secondary characters in the story helped to fill in some of the blanks as the story progressed, focusing on Ellen’s need for revenge.

The second part of the book did pick up a little bit; however, where I was expecting twists and turns it didn’t deliver. That being said, and without giving away too much of the storyline, the book was still entertaining and I would rate it as 3.5-stars. I would recommend this book to other readers.

I feel perhaps making the book a little shorter and polishing it in some spots could’ve pushed me closer to 4-stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC copy of this book for my honest opinion.

Thank you Atria Books for the gifted arc copy of The Heights by Louise Candlish.

I can always count on Louise Candlish for twist endings. I was completely drawn in to the synopsis that tells us our main character sees a man on a rooftop terrace that she recognizes, but how can that be because he’s dead and she’s the one that killed him. The story that unfolded from there was full of obsession, hatred and revenge fueled by grief. I keep thinking about the characters and how the ending affected I how perceive them. The ending had some big twists and the novel was an enjoyable read but in the end didn’t overly wow me.

3.5 stars

The Destructiveness on Revenge

Ellen Saint has an unusual condition. Heights make her want to jump. She’s working with a client and trying to avoid looking out the window when she glances at The Heights, a slender apartment building across the way. A man stands on the balcony. At first she doesn’t think much about him except that if she were there she’d have to force herself not to jump. Then she realizes it’s the man she killed two years ago. Ellen believes her family was destroyed by the man. She’s consumed with the need for revenge and can see nothing but the white hot hatred she feels for him.

This is a story of the destructiveness of revenge. It’s told in four parts and from several points of view. Ellen tells her story. Then her ex-husband Vic gives his version. It’s revealing how two people can see events so differently.

The book had good points. I thought the author did well with Ellen’s state of mind. She wasn’t a likable person, but you could feel her torment. The major problem with the book is that it’s slow. There is only one incident. Although it’s interesting to see different view points, it lacks the pace of someone searching for clues.

This is a character driven novel. If you enjoy psychological suspense, you may like this book.

I received this book from Atria for this review.

What would you do if you suddenly spotted someone that you know you killed?

That’s how Louise Candlish’s gripping new novel begins. Told from multiple perspectives, Ellen Saint, the novels main character, sees her son’s problem child former best friend that she murdered across a rooftop and it sparks a thrilling novel that one can’t put down.

Multiple reviews go into more detail, but as to not spoil the novel, I will say that I had a slow start with this one. But the ending does not disappoint! Stick with it!! 3.5 ⭐️

This was one that I wanted to like more than I did after really enjoying The Other Passenger. It was a fairly quick read and had a sub-topic that I wasn’t familiar with. High Place Phenomenon-the urge to jump when in high places. I totally cannot relate because I hate heights!
Ellen was working with one of her clients when she looks to the building across the street and sees someone familiar-someone she killed two years ago after her seething hatred of him came to a boil when he destroyed her life and the lives of those she loves. The story then unfolds as to what leads up to the present day and then present day.
The story is told in multiple timelines and POV so you have to pay attention to the chapter names, and a lot of it was predictable, but there was one twist I definitely didn’t see coming which gave it a boost.
Overall, this was a solid story which I enjoyed and I’ll be reading more from this author in the future.
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my review.

Ellen blames Kieran for her son’s death. So, she kills him. Imagine her surprise when she sees him two years later standing on a nearby building. Surprise soon turns to murderous rage as Ellen decides to kill Kieran again in The Heights.

I usually love this author’s books. However, The Heights is an exception. Ellen is a totally unlikeable and unrealistic character. We are in her messed-up brain for over half the book. And that slows the pacing to a crawl. By the time the action started happening, I really didn’t care. Overall, a miss for me. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars

Having loved the author's previous book, I had high hopes for this one. For the most part I enjoyed The Heights, but the story does lose some steam in the second half. However, there's interesting stuff going on in the final chapters which goes a long way in making up for the parts that dragged on.

I was hooked just from reading the publisher's blurb on the back cover. Basically a woman spots a man on the roof terrace of an apartment building. The kicker is she is convinced this guy is the same man she killed two years ago. Say what?

I'm finding it tricky to articulate my thoughts about the book without giving away too much of the plot so my apologies my review is vague. The story runs pretty smoothly as you are learning the women's backstory as well as what's going on in the present day with her searching for answers about the man she saw on the roof. This book is definitely more of a slow burn mystery. Unfortunately while Part Two is a key part of the story I did struggle with feeling fully engaged at this point. I like how the author shifted gears a bit but it somehow manages to be boring at the same time. I do think the book is too long and trimming 50 pages here and there would have helped quite a bit.

Thankfully everything gets back on track for the ending and I can say overall it's a pretty decent read.

While there were startling moments and ominous characters, this was a smoother style of suspense as it maintained its darkness and level of complexity from beginning to end. As more was revealed some of the pieces felt underwhelming, and some of the reasoning didn't quite align on some aspects

The Heights
Louise Candlish


Buy This Book
The Heights is a tall, slender apartment building among warehouses in London. Its roof terrace is so discreet, you wouldn’t know it existed if you weren’t standing at the window of the flat directly opposite. But you are. And that’s when you see a man up there—a man you’d recognize anywhere. He may be older now, but it’s definitely him.

But that can’t be because he’s been dead for over two years. You know this for a fact.

Because you’re the one who killed him.

Dabney and Maggie read Louise Candlish’s The Heights, then (virtually) got together to discuss the novel and are here to share their thoughts.

Maggie: Something that I love about the current suspense/thriller/mystery market is that the characters are clever, nuanced and surprising. Almost every novel you pick up has this in common. Candlish is different. Having read her previous work, I know to expect three characters from her – one selfish jackass, one naive but earnest damaged individual and one middle-aged man who desperately wants to pretend he’s in his twenties and sleeps with younger women. She uses them effectively but they are always present. All three of those stock characters are easily identified in this novel. What is your experience with Candlish and would you agree those characters make an appearance here?

Dabney: This is my first Candlish and, after what you’ve said, I’m grateful for that. None of these characters felt stock to me. In fact, I’m not sure who would be who in your first two characterizations! I found Ellen, whom I describe as the main character, mesmerizing and unique. Her particular combination of rage, self-awareness, and intelligence was blazingly compelling to me. I’m guessing you see her as the earnest damaged individual? I’d argue she is, in her own way, a selfish jackass. But perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves. What did you think about the plot?

Maggie: I loved the plot ! It captures a lot of factors about modern family life really well in spite of its deeply atypical premise . Ellen epitomizes the way the modern mom feels – we are pressured to helicopter parent, to make sure our kids are achieving optimum performance scholastically while also having meaningful after-school activities (music, dance,sports etc.) and yet we are also expected to give them a great deal of freedom, to know when to stop hovering over them and allow them to spread their wings. It’s an extremely stressful tightrope to walk on and I empathized a lot with Ellen. She’s also symbolic of the pressures of co-parenting with an ex, that difficulty of getting them to agree on what is best for the child and carry through with the agreed-upon rules and boundaries. I didn’t find her selfish at all – tired, stressed and a devoted mother but not selfish. She also characterizes every mother’s deepest fear, that everything we do isn’t enough to keep bad things from happening to our kids or bad people from influencing them.

What did you think of the plot/premise?

Dabney: I, too, thought it was fabulous. You know, from the beginning, that something terrible happened to Ellen and her family and that she blames someone she thought was dead. Ellen’s loathing for this man is visceral:

Kieran Watts is the monster who destroyed my life. Whose actions will torment my soul until my dying day, and perhaps even beyond—I wouldn’t put it past him.

Ellen thinks he’s dead because she claims she killed him and yet suddenly, while standing in a client’s home in London, she sees him, standing on the penthouse deck of the apartment across the street. Ellen’s hatred for Kieran is visceral and, once she’s seen him, she is determined to find him and make sure that, this time, he pays for what he did to her.

To say that Ellen is obsessed with Kieran is to miswrite.Since the moment Kieran became friends with her son Lucas, seven years ago, Ellen has been sure that Kieran is, as you wrote, a selfish dangerous jackass whose friendship with Lucas is ruining her son. And, as the book goes back and forth between today and seven years ago, we don’t really know if Ellen’s right about Kieran or if Ellen’s obsession keeps her from seeing Lucas, Kieran, and Lucas’ sister Klara clearly. It’s mesmerizing.

Maggie: It is mesmerizing, although I think the last several chapters show us the truth pretty clearly. That is another aspect of the thriller market I love right now – pages and pages of uncertainty and then shocking clarity. It’s seductive and addictive. You mentioned Kieran, a disadvantaged teenage boy who earns a scholarship to a posh academy. He could easily have been a boring, clichéd caricature but seen through Ellen’s eyes he becomes an almost other-worldly harbinger of evil. How did you feel Candlish handled that aspect of the plot?

Dabney: Parents do not see their teenage children with clarity and, man, did I think that applied to Ellen. Part of the great fun of the novel is trying to figure out what is and isn’t true in Ellen’s narration which, we should add, takes up most but not all of the book. Candlish doesn’t make it easy to sympathize with Ellen consistently–her rage has warped her and, at times, makes her what may or may not be crazy. Is Kieran evil? Was he evil in the past but now should be forgiven? Who is the psychopath: myopic, enraged Ellen, Kieran the boy, Kieran the man, or some combination therein? I couldn’t put the book down because I so needed to know the answer to that question!

Maggie: This actually touches on two of the triggers I found in the book. One is harm to children/young adults – if you are sensitive to that, this probably isn’t the novel for you. The second is a phenomenon I call “Bitches Be Crazy” and which has been in existence in the Western world for many centuries. It’s the premise that strong emotions in women are a sign of unbalance – we are hysterical, obsessed, manic, unhinged. Most women have probably been told to “calm down” at least once in their life because we aren’t allowed any excess display of emotion. I thought Vic, the middle-aged guy who tries so hard to be “cool”, labels Ellen this way a lot, as do her daughter and husband. What did you think of the character of Vic? And did the book have any triggers for you?

Dabney: I am a trigger-free reader although extreme violence to kids is tough for me to read. So, no to that question!

As for Vic, I thought he was portrayed as someone we are supposed to know is a loser–I still can’t figure out what his wife sees in him. And, again, Ellen does need to calm the f*ck down. Her rage is ruinous and not just for her. One of the things I found especially unlikable about Ellen is how sure she is that her perceptions are THE RIGHT ones. She wouldn’t listen to anyone, not even those she loved and she knew loved her.

I really enjoyed The Heights tremendously even though I found Ellen, Kieran, and Vic all hard to root for. And I think that says something about how well Candlish writes–I usually don’t like books where I don’t like anyone but in this case, it didn’t bother me. Did you like the book?

Maggie: I enjoyed the book but with a caveat. I’ve heard other readers mention that they struggled to get past the beginning and I agree that this is a book you have to settle into. At the twenty percent mark the author says “keep reading – because we’re almost there” and I can remember wanting to scream at my Kindle “Are we??” because I felt like it was taking a bit too long to get where we were going. Once we were past the precipitating event, the story picked up and was very much what I expected from today’s thriller market.

In terms of grading, I would give it a B+/A-. The book is fabulous once the story really gets going but it does lag a bit between the gripping beginning and the backstory that returns us to that point. What grade would you give it?

Dabney: I too would give it at B+/A-. And, interestingly, for the exact opposite reason. I thought the weakest part of the book was the resolution and the post-resolution exposition. The first 90% of the book is a DIK read for me, but the end just wasn’t quite what I wanted.

*3.5 stars rounded up.

Ellen Saint is participating in a creative writing class with Felix Penney, the author of nine crime novels and is calling the crime memoir she's writing Saint or Sinner. She starts off with a killer line: 'Kieran Watts has been dead for over two years when I see him standing on the roof of a building in Shad Thames.' And she goes on to tell the story of the monster who destroyed her life.

Although I enjoyed the story and how it all played out, I never came to like Ellen very much. She asks at one point: "Do I have your sympathy at all, dear readers?" And I have to say my answer would have been no. I also thought that the story dragged on for far too long. I enjoyed the sections that were written by her ex-husband Vic's point of view the best--the two have stayed remarkably close throughout their ordeal. There are also brief comments written by a journalist, Michaela Ross, for the Sunday Times, dated December, 2021, that fill in some of the details. This is truly a story of hatred, obsession and revenge.

I received an arc of this new suspense novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.

3 Intense/Slow Reveal Stars
It can be shocking to the system when you spot someone you thought was "no longer with us".
It can be even more shocking when you know this can't be true because you were the one who made sure "he was no longer with us".

What the hell!!! How did this happen...That is only one of the questions wracking the brain of our Mum who has hated the man who should be dead. After all, he is the reason her son is gone, he is the reason her marriage was destroyed, he was the reason for all of her pain.

This is told in current times and the past. The characters are not likable, the idea intriguing, and writing at times clever.

Lucas has everything going for him and is headed for great things. That is until Kieran enters the picture. Kieran is a new foster student at the school and Lucas has been asked to take him under his wing. From that moment on Lucas changes, parties, drinking, skipping school. His mother, Ellen, can’t help but dislike Kieran, he has an attitude and is just plain trouble. When Lucas goes to college, Ellen is relieved. Perhaps the bond has been broken, but when tragedy strikes during Christmas break, Ellen is out for restitution and revenge. Kieran has ruined her life. As Ellen plots, she takes matters into her own hands, but two years later she catches a glimpse of Kieran. It’s impossible, but there he is in the flesh. With a lucrative app, he has made good, but Ellen’s not quite finished with him yet! A twisty good read of a mother’s love, Candlish once again brings us a compelling page turner.

Another book classified as a thriller that is really a slow-burn suspense... except I didn't think this was very suspenseful. A forgettable thriller, unfortunately.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine for a moment that you look up at a rooftop terrace and see a man you've hated with a passion for years - a man responsible for a horrific crime that devastated your family. Then imagine you can't believe your eyes; he's been dead for something like two years. And you know that because you killed him.

How's that for a zingy opener? Of course, if that were all there is to the story, there wouldn't be much need for a book. In fact, there's much more; chapters weave in and out of different time frames in the lives of Ellen Saint, whose almost college-age son Lucas lost his life in an auto accident that involved the aforesaid man (Kieran Watts) on the rooftop. Since then, she and Lucas's father, Vic, have separated, although they're still in contact (in large part through shared grief). Now, she's married to Justin, who has a teenage daughter Freya who lives with them.

For the most part, Justin has adopted the role of sympathetic spouse and Vic has tried to get on with his life; Ellen - always a protective mother, to say the least - wants no part of moving on. She wallows in sorrow and blame, gaining some solace when Kieran went to jail for his part in Lucas's death. But that was before he was released; after that, Ellen's angst and vitriol toward Kieran approaches an entirely new level (which, for the record, was a big turn-off for me).

Readers know from the start how her bitterness translated into action, so needless to say, seeing the man she's sure is Kieran comes as a shock. The rest of the book follows her resolve to take matters into her own hands and looks back at where she is now and how she got there. I must say I wasn't thrilled with the ending, although I think that's in part because I was less than thrilled with Ellen's character. That said, it's an engaging story that made for good reading on a couple of snowed-in days. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a prerelease copy.

Thanks for NetGalley & Atria for allowing me to read & review The Heights.

I'm not typically onto "slow burn" thrillers but the pacing on this one, while slow, was enough to keep me interested.

The story is about a mother, Ellen and her efforts to seek revenge against Kieran for the murder of her son, Lucas. She's always felt that justice did not prevail following her son's death. Kieran deserves to die for killing her son. The thing is, Ellen hated Kieran long before her son's death, she instantly hated him from the moment she 1st saw him and wanted her son to stay far away from him.

Just a heads up, pretty much all of the characters are unlikable.

The story is good and I recommend checking it out. I think this would also make a decent movie.

***I reviewed in Barnes & Noble but Amazon would not allow me to review this one***

This is the story of a woman named Ellen Saint who wants revenge for the death of her son Lucas. Unfortunately, her quest for revenge is thwarted by some of the people closest to her. Told in multiple viewpoints, there were some parts that flowed for me more easily than others and some that dragged a little. For example, the parts in which Vic, her ex-husband, was the narrator seemed to plod along but when Ellen was narrating, the story moved at a quick pace. I enjoyed the characterization and could easily identify with Ellen’s distress over the loss of her son and her frustration at the lack of justice in the courts. The plot was complicated at times but not at all hard to follow. There were some characters who seemed superfluous but by the end, all of them tied together into a very well-woven plot. I especially enjoyed how the intrigue and suspense built as the conclusion was approaching. I also liked the foreshadowing and the surprise twist at the end. No spoilers, but this is one you will want to read all the way to the end and then discuss with others.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher Atria books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. I also received an e-galley from them via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

The premise of this story really captured my interest. Ellen, the mother of a teenage son, takes an instant dislike to one of his new friends. It seems the feeling is mutual. When a tragic accident occurs, Ellen becomes obsessed with getting revenge.

It’s hard to say I ‘liked’ this book because the subject matter was so grim. I kept reading because I wanted to know how far Ellen would go with her obsession and I also wanted to know more about the other side of the story.

There was also a shocking twist at the end of the story that managed to validate Ellen’s obsession. Book clubs will find this one to be a good choice for discussions.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. I am happy to offer my honest review.

Louise Candlish blows another one out of the park. A family that has suffered a disaster and a mother who is out to get revenge. Louise Candlish is an absolute go to read for me now anytime I am looking for a book that is going to grab me in and not disappoint.

The way that this story is told through Ellen's book that she has written and supplemented by excerpts of newspaper articles. This book will have you flying through to the end to find out what the true story is and what truly happened when Ellen lost her son.

This was my fourth book by this author and I was so disappointed with it. Despite being well written, it was basically just a mom droning on about how much she hated her teenage son’s friend. After a terrible accident, her son is killed and the friend serves a light sentence for causing the accident. At this point mom sets out to make the friend’s life miserable, which includes causing his death. We learn all this in flashbacks after mom sees friend several years later alive and well on the roof of a building in London.

I was expecting twists and turns and suspense but all this book seemed able to grind out was a lot of anger, anxiety and mistrust. I was hopeful the introduction of high place phenomenon would add some needed tension and spark to the story but it was only mentioned a few times. I think it could have used much more effectively.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Atria Books for gifting me both a digital and paperback ARC of the latest thriller by Louise Candlish - 4.5 stars!

The Heights is a tall apartment building in London - expensive and discreet, especially for the person occupying the penthouse. But Ellen Saint recognizes him instantly as the person who killed her son, and who she then killed. So how could it be him?

It's really best going into this with as little information as possible, but be sure that you are in for a wild ride of tragedy and revenge. I truly felt for all the characters in this book which adds to the tension. You will read the story told in the POV of Ellen, Vic (her son's father), and from a journalist who is documenting Ellen's story. A medical condition I had not heard of before, High Place Phenomenon, which adds an interesting layer. This is a slow burn of a book but one I couldn't put down!