This started out a little slow. It is more mystery than psychological thriller. I liked the format of the newspaper story alternating though out. I figured out one twist but not all of it. And there were more reveals I did not expect. The back half of the book is definitely stronger. I also like the reference to a special Kennedy event in MA that has always captured my intrigued. I think I have liked her other books better though.

Well, I found The Heights to be a pretty intense read. Although filled with unlikable characters from the beginning (Kieran! Lucas!) I was so intrigued to stick through the pretty slow burn of Part 1 and then flew through parts 2-4.
I am not a mother, and even I really struggled reading a lot of what was told from Ellen’s perspective. I know this book won’t be for everyone (my own mum didn’t like it and gave up part way through!) but I’m glad I stuck with it and saw how the story was able to unravel. There are definitely no shortages of twists, turns and surprises in this one! Candlish writes well and was able to capture my attention (even in parts I found difficult to push through), finishing this read this in less than a day!
Big thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada as well as Atria Books for this ARC!
3.5/5 rounded up

<i>"Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future"
-Oscar Wilde</i>

Ellen Saint is a victim and her son’s best friend, Kieran Watts, is the villain … at least, that’s how she sees it, and she’s not having any of it. She clearly believes the villain must pay. Where do those thoughts take her? Luckily her book within a book, Saint or Sinner, spells it out.

I won’t detail the plot points, as so many reviews have been written for this already, but at its core, this is a story of what happens when someone’s pain blinds them to reason, and when the line between victim and villain gets blurred.

Candlish once again writes a compelling story that encompasses themes of family, parenting, love, grief, obsession and revenge, among others. Ellen isn’t a sympathetic character - while I understood her motivations, I found her dogged stubbornness and refusal to listen to anyone off-putting, even if I might’ve felt the same way if I’d been in her shoes. Her ex, Vic, wasn’t perfect, but I could at least partially sympathize with him.

On the surface, this is a tale of hate and revenge. Dig deeper and you’ll find a story that explores how anyone could be a saint or sinner under the right circumstances.

A bit of warning: it’s a slow-burn, so those looking for ‘thrills’ won’t find them. What you will find is a well-written book with fascinating, flawed characters and a book that just might make you think!

★★★ ½ (rounded up to 4)

Thanks to Atria Books, NetGalley and author Louise Candlish for this ARC. I’ve given my opinions freely and honestly. This is due for publication on March 1, 2022.

"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"
Sounds intriguing, right? The book starts with Ellen Saint working at a client's condo, and she sees Kieran on his rooftop terrace at the apartment building next door, called The Heights. It shouldn't be possible, because she paid someone to kill Kieran, after Kieran killed her son in a car accident. The rest of the book revolved around Ellen trying to find out where her money went, Ellen wanting Kieran dead, and Ellen stalking Kieran. It was a bit slow for the majority of the book, but it did have a good shocker at the end that made it well worth the time spent.

Ellen Saint is at a client’s home when she spots a familiar figure on a terrace at an apartment building across the way – someone she never expected to see again. Kiernan Watts was responsible for an unspeakable tragedy against Ellen’s son Lucas, and Ellen thought she made sure Kiernan paid for the harm he caused. Yet somehow, here he is again, and it seems Ellen will stop at nothing to make sure he finally gets what’s coming to him.

“The Heights” is a novel about a mother’s obsession, grief, and revenge. It’s is a slow burn psychological thriller – almost a little too slow in the beginning. There is a lot of backstory and the characters are complex but mostly unlikeable. As a mother myself, I found Ellen’s white-hot rage understandable but she also had a lot of blind spots and I couldn’t relate to her insatiable need for revenge and complete unwillingness to listen to her loved ones. It’s a story worth sticking with though, with some unexpected twists as the momentum picks up.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-ARC copy of this title in exchange for my review.

I really tried to like this book but I just didn't. I read the author's Our House as an ARC, and was introduced to this author and I enjoyed that one, so I thought this might be ok. But it really wasn't for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters, didn't care about the story line, and it was just so overly British (yep, I'm an American) in descriptions for the kids schooling that I felt like I was reading a poorly translated wanna-be thriller.

I tried to read this several times and just couldn't get into it. In the end, it was a DNF for me - I honestly didn't care about any of the characters or the story line at all. This felt like a completely unnecessary book.

A twisty novel suffused with grief. Ellen's son Lucas died in a car with Kieran, a boy she already hated because she saw that he was distracting Lucas from his studies and taking down the party path. She's sure he's dead but then one day she spies him - living in an upscale apartment- and she's shocked. Is he alive? Yes but what does she do now. This is told in the past and present and by Ellen, her ex (and father of Lucas) Vic, and in bits of a newspaper article. What happened that night in the car? Why isn't Kieran dead? No spoilers from me but know that there are multiple twists. Ellen's anger and angst rise off the page. She's not an especially likable character but she's interesting. This goes on a bit too long (a trim in the middle would have helped) but that doesn't mean I didn't turn the pages to find out the truths. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read.

The Heights by Louise Candlish is a highly recommended novel about maternal obsession and revenge.

When Ellen Saint is at a client's home and sees Kieran Watts standing on a roof top terrace in the apartment building across the way she is shocked. She knows that this is not possible because he's been dead for two years, and she should know because she killed him. Kieran was responsible for her son Lucas's death and she extracted her revenge on him for his actions that impacted her son's life.

This really is a slow-burn psychological thriller that examines grief, fear, guilt, and revenge and the disastrous effects that Kieran had on her family. You will know that something bad is going to happen and as you read the reason for all of Ellen's hatred is set up. At the beginning Ellen is writing about the events as a form of therapy. Interspersed in between Ellen's words is the Sunday Times magazine article about Ellen and chapters following the perspective of Vic, Lucas's father.

We have no likable or relatable characters here. The first part of the novel, which is through Ellen's point-of-view is very slow. Once the second part begins, the pace picks up and we are provided with more information. The struggle is staying engaged with the first half of the novel which is very slow and some what repetitive. Things do pick up in the end but the trick is to stick with it through the beginning in order to make it to the end.

The writing is good and Candlish provides plenty of twists, but you have to endure the slow start to get to the actual psychological thriller part of the novel. Ellen's obsession with Kieran can become a bit tiresome. The key to enjoying this novel is sticking with it to the final denouement.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Atria Books
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, and Amazon.

This was a seriously slow burn, a little painfully slow and it felt long. It was hard for me to get invested into the story and I contemplated DNF'ing it at a few points... kind of wish I had..
While it did pick up once I got to part 2 and we got to see Vic's perspective, instead of Ellen's, it still didn't have me super invested in their story. The ending was generally predictable expect for 1-2 small parts.
Huge thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Simon and Schuster Canada for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars. There were a lot of things I liked about this book and several I didn't. Although it started a little slow, there were several surprising twists throughout the book. Ellen was a tough character to like, even given what she had been through. I wish her mental health had been explored more - it was mentioned briefly but never really addressed. I would have liked a little more background on Lucas as well and his relationships with Kieran and Jade. I felt like a lot was revealed at the end of the book that should have been part of the narrative earlier. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Louise Candlish writes just the smartest, most socially conscious thrillers! Her latest novels go for the gut when navigating real, modern social concerns while also making readers question who really is the bad guy in her narratives. The tension in her books ratchets up with the stakes, as her protagonists almost invariably find themselves careening towards a violence that will change their lives forever.

The Heights is no different, as our main narrator Ellen Saint must make hard and terrible choices in the course of seeking both answers regarding and vengeance for a devastating tragedy. She’s thought she’s moved on from what happened, maintaining healthy relationships with her extended family and pursuing a career she loves, working on interior lighting for primarily private residences. It’s while on one such job in a tony apartment building that she looks up to see a figure perched on a dizzying rooftop opposite, causing her to muse aloud to her latest client about her own peculiar relationship with heights:

QUOTE
I find that my first thought, as it always is when I witness someone poised inches from a sheer drop like that, is, <i>He’s going to throw himself off</i>. He’s going to lean forward, look down and hear the call of the void, exactly as I would. Then he’ll jump.

I say as much to Selena and she exclaims in horror. “But why would he want to jump?”

“Not him, <i>me</i>. If I were standing where he is. Don’t worry, it’s nothing to do with feeling suicidal. It’s a condition. They call it high place phenomenon.”

“What, it’s like vertigo?”

“That’s more a sensation of spinning–like in the movie. This is a kind of irrational impulse. But not everyone has it.”
END QUOTE

Their casual conversation comes to a screeching halt, however, when Ellen realizes that the stranger she’s discussing with Selena isn’t a stranger at all. As the man on the rooftop moves, she recognizes his gait and his build, even from a distance. Which is impossible, or so she tells herself, because that man is dead, and she’s the one responsible.

Of course, she never actually verified the lifelessness of his corpse for herself, a choice that will continue to haunt her as she begins to stalk this familiar figure, to see if the man she thought she killed has really managed to escape her justice and is walking around South London once more. Her loved ones tell her that she’s losing her grip on reality – the man has been missing, presumed dead, for years – but she knows that if this is really him then he needs to be held accountable, or at least more so than he already has been, for what he’s done.

Years ago, her beloved eldest child Lucas made friends with a rougher sort at school. Kieran Watts was every mother’s nightmare, a bad influence whom Ellen blamed for Lucas’ declining interest in studies and increased interest in partying. While her ex, Lucas’ father Vic, agreed with her about barring Kieran from their lives, her husband Justin thought she was being unfair, asking:

QUOTE
[“]Shouldn’t we cut him a bit of slack?”

“Not if it gives him a free pass to screw with whoever he likes. This is part of the problem, Jus, he knows the school doesn’t dare punish him, he knows the parents don’t feel they can criticize him. They’re all too scared of looking like heartless rabid right-wingers. Well, I’m not–and nor is Vic.”

There was a flicker of irritation in Justin’s gaze. “You <i>really</i> think Kieran wouldn’t swap his free pass–if that’s really what it is, which I personally doubt–for the kind of life Lucas has had? Come on, you’re usually so kind, El.”

“It’s not <i>my</i> character that’s in question here!” Did I really need to convince my own husband of my decency?
END QUOTE

Certain that Kieran is taking advantage of society’s leniency to get away with criminal mischief at best, and straight up moral corruption at worst, Ellen dedicates herself to trying to prove that he’s a bad person, in hopes of getting him out of her son’s life for good. Fast forward half a decade, and Ellen finds herself still consumed by thoughts of the young man who mocked her at every turn, who made her feel powerless and, if she’s guessing correctly, is still making a fool of her. This time, she swears, she’ll get to the truth and make sure the job is finished herself. But what will she sacrifice in order to accomplish her goals? And will her terrible attraction to the void cause her downfall in more ways than one?

I could not stop reading this terrific novel that really pushes on the panic buttons of middle-class parenthood and has readers asking themselves what they might do in similar situations. Especially for people like me who consider ourselves on the bleeding-heart-liberal spectrum of politics, the question of how tolerant we can be of bad influences in our childrens’ lives really resonated. Ms Candlish works the particular fear of over-reaction with exquisite precision as she shifts back and forth through time and different perspectives in this propulsive thriller, to get to the truth of what really happened all those years ago, and what Ellen will do to make sure justice is served for all.

I really struggled with this one. I felt a bit that I was going around in circles with the formatting. One aspect would be discussed and then another document, or person pretty much narrates what happened from the outside or vice versa. I felt like there should have been some form of explanation about the set up, so that I knew how to follow this one coming out of the gate. I felt that this caused the story to drag at many points where it did not benefit the pacing. The main character was really hard to like although I felt like I should have felt more sympathetic based on the back story. She seemed clueless about her children and their lives. She seemed to forget that her children make their own decisions. Then, you have the current dad and step-dad character that is completely checked out. There were some plot twists that made it a little more interesting, however this one just drug on forever. Thanks for the ARC< NetGalley,

Pub date: 3/1/22 (US), already available in the UK
Genre: mystery/thriller
In one sentence: Ellen took revenge on the boy who caused her son's death - but then she finds out he's still alive, and he's living in posh apartment complex The Heights.

The Other Passenger introduced me to Louise Candlish, so of course I had to read this one! There are some strong similarities between the novels despite their different settings - complex interpersonal relationships, multiple timelines, lots of secrets, and mysterious deaths with far more to them than meets the eye. In both books, I thought I had everything figured out, but then the ending left me reeling. The book is twisty but grounded - I dislike thrillers that are completely unrealistic, so I love that Candlish can build a gripping plot without losing touch with reality.

If you like true crime-inspired novels, this one is a winner! It's a bit of a slow burn, especially in the middle, but the last 20% or so was worth it to me. I'm excited to see what Candlish writes next!

Ohhh....this book was so good!

Formatted as a story within a story, you wonder how a woman can confess all of her thoughts, feelings, and secrets in such a public way. Especially when you realize that her book is being written about in a news article - one that paints it in a not so fantastic light....

Candlish takes us on a journey from before the start of that fateful day, when her son Lucas is paired as a mentor with a new student Kieran who has transferred in from a "rougher" part of town. Right away you get the feeling that Ellen Saint is not happy with the arrangement. But once he's involved in the tragedy that kills her son, he is only evil incarnate to her. And she will stop at nothing to make him pay for what he did.

When Ellen spots him years later in a posh apartment building, aptly named The Heights, we find out about her secret affliction, and you just know the story is going to go down even darker paths. What everyone does after this sighting is just an explosion of secrets and reveals that will make your head spin.

As with her previous book, Candlish does not disappoint. I am very grateful to NetGalley and Atria Books for my eGalley and Simon & Schuster for my surprise physical copy which has a place of honor on my bookshelves!

I read this book compulsively. I just could not put it down until I knew the entire story. Ellen Saint looks out the window and sees Kieran Watts, but how could this be since she is the one who had him killed. Is it really him? Is Ellen stable? Is her mind playing tricks on her? Or is someone else up to something she can’t understand? The only thing she knows for certain is that her 17 year old son, Lucas and his best friend, Kieran Watts were in Kieran’s car and the car ends up in the lake in 2017. Kieran is able to get out and lives, but her son, Lucas dies that night. She is not going to forgive Kieran and she believes he is best not being a part of this world. He is evil. I really felt for Ellen, as to lose a child must be beyond heartbreaking. There are many twists and turns in this story. Things are not always as they seem. Ellen wants to know exactly what happened the night her son dies. She needs to know. I needed to know, too. When I finally finished the last page, I knew the exactly what happened and could finally go to sleep.

Thank you NetGalley, Louise Candlish, and Atria for an ARC of this book.

I’d like to thank Simon & Schuster for my physical copy of The Heights by Louise Candlish that I received on Valentine’s Day. This is the story of Ellen Saint, a wife and mother who lives with personal fears and demons. It’s a case of a parent wanting revenge on a young man named Kieran Watts who is believed to be a monster by taking the life of Ellen’s son, Lucas. But is it really Kieran that’s the monster or is it Ellen? Perhaps it’s neither and the real monster is someone you wouldn’t expect. This is a domestic thriller about tragedy and revenge with twists that I did not see coming. It isn’t until close to the end that the truth is finally revealed and it was not how I predicted! I’d like to thank The Atria Marketing Team @ Simon & Schuster for my physical copy that I’m adding to my home library, and NetGalley for the e-arc to read, review and enjoy. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading dark, compelling storylines and I’m giving it a 4 star rating!

I think this author's talent is displayed in the tension that she is able to build with such a simple premise ... but nothing is actually as simple as it seems. The hate and tension were visceral, and this is a psychological/domestic thriller that is so wonderfully done you'll be on the edge of your seat the entire time.

The Heights is twisted and dark yet such a compelling read I could not put it down.

The books starts strong when Ellen sees a man across the rooftop but that can't be: she was the one who killed him.

The book is full of not so nice characters that you can hiss at and shake your head at but they keep things more than interesting.

Twists and turns and an ending I did not see coming at all.

Get your copy of The Heights and put it to the top of your TBR pile; you will be glad you did.

Louise Candlish has provided us with an addictive, devastating, thought-provoking psychological story.

The Heights, a high-end apartment building where Ellen Saint notices Kieran outside of the penthouse while consulting for a client. Kieran shouldn’t be there. In Ellen’s mind, the young man shouldn’t be anywhere at all.

Heights, a part of Ellen’s biggest fear, L’Appel du Vide, an irrational urge to jump when in high places.

This book switches between multiple viewpoints and timelines in a smooth enough way not to be confusing but in a jolting enough way to add to the suspense. I don’t want to say too many details about the plot because I want to avoid spoilers. But this is a book about grief, revenge, new beginnings, and obsession. I really enjoyed it. The characters are mostly completely unlikeable. Except sweet Justin, Ellen’s husband, of course.

I recommend this book to fans of psychological suspense books of all sorts. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy.

Yikes! Remind me to never get on Ellen Saint's bad side! That broad is SCARY! Ellen, is on a mission with a one track mind. Kill Kieran Watts. The hate and rage that consumes Ellen, makes it almost impossible for her to focus on anything else in her life.

The Heights is narrated from multiple points of view, Ellen, Vic, Ellen's ex-husband., and a journalist who shares a writing class with Ellen. By narrating from multiple points of view, you see a completely different side to everything transpiring depending on who is telling the story. Interesting, right? Yes, I thought so too!

So, what did Kieran do to consume Ellen's mind to kill him ? Why is Ellen so hateful?

You are going to have to buy this book to find out! I can tell you that this is a wild story that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and a book that you do not want to miss out on.

Five Stars, thank me later.