A compelling and atmospheric historical thriller. It is also one that will stay with you long after you read it.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I couldn’t put this one down. I’m surprised by the reviews saying this was slow for them, because I found the pacing to be perfect, and the speed helped to build suspense.

Tommie Ware is having a hard time. He lives with his aunt, whom he adores. He has lived with her since birth. One night, his aunt gets murdered and he has to go and live with his mother, who is a live-in housekeeper for a rich, eccentric family.

I really liked the format of this one, with the court transcripts and news articles from the trial. The characters were really well developed, especially Tommie, Muriel, and Martin. I could picture Muriel wandering around in a pill-induced haze, and Martin’s face when he played his sick games. They weren’t likeable characters, but they were fully realized. I liked Tommie as well, even though I did think him a little mature for 11.

A great read! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 !

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a copy of this remarkable thriller in exchange for an honest review!

I read this as part of a buddy read and it was truly phenomenal! Told from the perspective of an 11-year-old boy made this murder mystery so much more intriguing, peaking my curiosity to the max! The short chapters go by quick and keep you on edge while sparking questions till the very end!

My only complaint would be that the characters were very tricky to organize in my brain! Switching from using first names to last names and having generational names that are the same. I often had to pause and think... wait.. who is this character? But by the ending, everything tied together so well and the epilogue was one of the best epilogues I've read in a long time - so perfect!

This is definitely one I recommend checking out to anyone who loves a great 'whodunnit' mystery thriller!

One of the biggest parts of An Unthinkable Thing that stood out to me is the difference between the social classes of people. For the Henneberry’s, if you weren’t part of the upper class, that was enough to treat the person terribly.

Poor Thomas grew up in the “lower” class neighborhood and was as happy as a boy could be. He and his Aunt Claire had a lovely life until she doesn’t come home one night. Everyone thinks that he will be just fine, or even better, because he is going to live in a huge house on an enormous plot of land. Nothing could be further from the truth for Thomas. The strange, creepy, and down-right disgusting things that he has to endure and witness are enough to drive anyone mad…..especially an eleven-year old boy.

This might be my first historical fiction book based in the 1950s. Even though Lundrigan doesn’t mention it often or even go into deep details, I was easily transported into the 50s throughout the reading of the book!

I was very surprised by the outcome of the story and Lundrigan wrapped it up perfectly in the epilogue! I would like to thank Kate Rock Book Tours, NetGalley, Penguin Random House CA, and Nicole Lundrigan for this #gifted advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!

Wow. This was fantastic. I was enthralled by the world of the awful Henneberrys and their staff. I loved how the court case played out throughout the story and little by little more was revealed. I didn’t see a single reveal coming but also was so interested in the story that I wasn’t trying to guess what would happen. I would go in an blind as you can - you won’t be disappointed!

Though I don't typically read much historical fiction, I thoroughly enjoyed "An Unthinkable Thing" by Nicole Lundrigan. It tells the story of one summer in a young boy's life.

The summer of 1958 is when 11-year-old Tommie Ware's beloved aunt dies. His aunt, who raised him, is murdered. As a result, Tommie has to go live with his mother. She's the live-in housekeeper for a very wealthy family on the other side of town. But Tommie isn't excited to go to the Henneberry estate, and they're not exactly thrilled to have him either. Tommie knows he needs to stay out of trouble and out of the way of the rich family. He just wants to go back to live with his aunt, not really understanding that she is not only gone but that she was murdered.

Not long after moving into the house, Tommie himself is accused of murder. This is a mystery, a coming-of-age story, and a fascinating work of historical fiction. I felt like I got to know Tommie and how lonely he was - both without his aunt and with his mother. I also enjoy stories that are interspersed with interviews, court transcripts, police documents, and more like this one is.

I received a complimentary copy of AN UNTHINKABLE THING by Nicole Lundrigan as part of a TLC Book Tours scheduled tour. Thank you to the author, Penguin Random House Canada and TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read AN UNTHINKABLE THING!

AN UNTHINKABLE THING begins with a young boy named Tommie in 1958. He is being raised by his aunt while his mother works for a well to do family. When his aunt doesn’t come home and detectives show up at the door instead, Tommie’s happy life is blown apart. He must go to live with his mother in the home of the family for whom she works, only able to take a very few of his possessions and his memories with him. The new kid on scene, he is the focus of a lot of attention, not all of it good.

We’re also following a later timeframe, a time after a horrific crime has been committed and it is Tommie who is the chief suspect. Is it possible that this boy could turn on the family that took him in? With alternating timelines and perspectives, the reader is kept turning the pages to find out what has happened.

This book really sucked me in from the very beginning and I felt so bad for poor Tommie. He and his mother have very little relationship and his aunt was such a positive influence in his life that my heart broke when she was lost to him. They didn’t have much in the way of possessions, but they had friends and a supportive neighborhood around them. Tommie’s transition to the wealthy family that employs his mother is not a smooth one. Because we’re often reading from the POV of a Tommie’s 11 year old perspective, the reader can often pick up on clues that Tommie doesn’t see and you can feel the tension of what is coming.

This book was very bingeable and it kept me hooked to get the answers at the end. There were some good twists and turns along the way as well!

AN UNTHINKABLE THING by Nicole Lundrigan is available now!

This book was dark, moving, and unforgettable. It's definitely one that will stick me.

The novel opens with Thomas, an eleven-year old boy, on trial for the murder of a family of three - the Henneberrys. The book then brings us back to before the murders to learn what happened. After his beloved Aunt and guardian falls victim to a local serial killer, Thomas is shipped off to live with his biological mother who is a live-in maid for the Henneberrys. At first, Tommie is excited to move to the mansion and befriend the young Martin Henneberry, but appearances can be deceiving and before long, Tommie is eager to move out and start a new life. But is he so eager that he would be willing to commit murder?

I love novels where you know how things turn out but you have to figure out how we got there and let me tell you, this book really kept me guessing. There were three big reveals and I basically got them all wrong which I always really enjoy.

The character development was exceptional and it was easy to connect with Tommie. He had been through so much in his young life, yet he maintained a generally positive attitude and always seemed to stand up for the underdog. Muriel's character fascinated and repulsed me at the same time. Lundrigan built her up so well that I could actually envision her swaying around the house, hear her slurring her words, and imagine her setting her sights on poor Tommie. Martin was abhorrent but Lundrigan did such an excellent job developing him that you could almost (but not quite!) understand how he became who he was because of his upbringing.

I loved the format of the novel. Interviews and news articles were inserted between some of the chapters and I felt like it was a great and unique way to get across other points of view and various pieces of information.

All in all, this book was exceptional and one that will haunt me. There are so many layers and so much to digest that it would be a great read with a friend or bookclub.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, Kate Rock Book Tours, and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

An Unthinkable Thing is a linear historical thriller with crooked characters and is a gripping story with twists. The entire story focuses on Tommie, his life after the murder of his beloved aunt. Everything isn’t always perfect like it seems, so when the suspicions turn onto what really happened to Tommie’s aunt, thats when the twisted games begin! It doesn't hit in the face like thrillers usually do, but the tension build and it all comes crashing down like an avalanche in a silent film.

I’m not a frequent historical fiction reader, so I went in with little expectations and enjoyed this very much!

Thank you Viking via Netgalley for the reader’s copy which was provided with no obligation to review. All thoughts are my own.

This book was an attention grabber for sure. Thomas loses his Aunt to a tragedy, the aunt who raised him since birth. He is forced to go and stay with his mom and her employers, the Henneberry’s.

Besides being distraught over his aunts death, there is something wrong with Dr. and Mrs. Henneberry and their son Martin. Martin is older than Thomas and has a vindictive side- sometimes he is your best friend and other times not- and with a really creepy undertone. And speaking of creepy- Mrs. Henneberry’s fascination with Thomas and how she dotes on him and makes him give her foot rubs…eww.

When the Henneberry’s end up shot and killed poolside Thomas is the prime suspect. Did an 11 year old boy really commit this crime?

I thought the book was well done but wasn’t thrilled with the ending. It felt a little forced to me. But, I would still recommend it.

Sometimes an unthinkable thing can become thinkable. Filled with distinctive characters and subplots, even the twists have twists. Tommie's Aunt Celia tells him once that a lie can make things worse, but Tommie learns that the truth can too. Set in 1958 this story is filled with the happiness and troubles of that time. Tommie is only eleven but is being tried as an adult for the murder of three people. An interesting story and worth your time.

Wow what a great read! I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Great storyline that unfolds with precision. Loved the tension, twists and turns.
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Started out pretty good but it lost me around 30%. I got a bit bored with the characters daily activities. Lol. Ending was satisfying but it was a drag for the most part

Thank you to Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review

An Unthinkable Thing is a book that takes you on a wild ride! The Henneberrys seem to be the perfect family but they aren't. They have so many dark secrets that no one is leading the life they share with the public. When a horrible crime happens the reader is not sure what to think. So many twists and turns! This will keep you guessing!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I didn't want to not give feedback, but while I realize this is an ARC, the format (or at least my version) was kind of a mess. Words and paragraphs jumbled together, making it hard to read. I ended up putting it aside. I'd love to have a better copy and try again.

An Unthinkable Thing was a book that made me think (not that I wasn’t already thinking); it is a book that made me feel (not that I wasn’t already feeling); but more than anything else, An Unthinkable Thing was a book that made me mad, or should I say madder!

For me this book was about wealth, power, and privilege. I’ve never really been a defund the police or eat the rich kind of person, but by the end of this story the Gladstone/Henneberry family looked pretty fucking tasty.

Lundrigan wrote a story in the not so recent past that felt very timely and current. The wealth gap and the privilege that has bought and continues to buy is as relevant as it has always been. Thomas Ware was the perfect vehicle to illustrate that gaping void between the haves and the have nots and the entitlement that they enjoy at our expense and through our hard labour.

If it feels like I’m going a bit off course here and I’m taking things at bit too personally…well, isn’t that what a good book is supposed to do? Make you feel, be personally involved: love, hate, sympathize, and angry. Nicole Lundrigan wrote a good book that made me feel all of these emotions.

As the story revealed the utter contempt that the Gladstone/Henneberry clan felt for all of those beneath them, I couldn’t help but extrapolate that into my own life. I was appalled at their depravity, the entitlement they felt, the way the system protected the rich “donners” who were such “good people,” but I wasn’t surprised, we see it all around us every day.

Well, enough of my political commentary.

An Unthinkable Thing finished off with an ending I didn’t expect, but one that made it even better.

*4.5 Stars

What a jaw dropper! Tommy Ware is an eleven year old boy who lives with his aunt and has since birth. One night she didn't come home from work and they later find that she has been !murdered. Tommy goes to live with his mother Esther at the wealthy family's estate where she works. His mother is always at her employers beck and call which leaves Tommy to navigate this new place by himself. The Henneberries are very different than they appear to be. A horrible crime is committed and Tommy is blamed. Could an eleven year old boy done this?
This book kept me glued to the pages from start to finish. Best mystery I have read so far this year!

My thanks to Penguin Random House Canada, Nicole Lundrigan and Netgalley.
I'm not doing a review on this. There's some good ones out there. If you want specifics, then please read those.
I went through the whole gamut of emotions reading this story. My heart actually ached for Tommie. After his Aunt's murder and all he had to deal with, it got a bit intense at times.
Tommie was just a character that you can't help but love.
I went back and forth throughout this book. Did I love it or hate it? Both.
Not the story itself, but definitely the wealthy family that he and his mom "served."
at the end? I'm glad I read this. Honestly, Tommie is somebody I'm happy to have known.

Tommie Ware has lived his entire 11 years with his Aunt Celia. His main aspiration in life is to be a good person. He sticks up for his friends, takes care of those around him and always knows just what to say. When the unthinkable happens and his Aunt Celia is murdered, Tommie goes to live with his mom at the estate she lives and works at. Tommie is quite innocent and is totally unprepared for the shocking things that he witnesses at the Henneberry’s. He only has to get through the summer and is counting down the days, but as the days progress, he is more confused then ever. He wants to be brave, but he doesn’t know how. When a horrific crime occurs everyone turns on Tommie and he is arrested for murder. Did Tommie finally snap as he continued to witness the evil surrounding him, or is he being framed? This book had me riveted from first to last page with its intriguing plot and the intertwining of the court room case. Tommie is a character you won’t soon forget and Lundrigan has the reader guessing the outcome until the very end!

Just finished An unthinkable thing by Nicole Lundrigan
This book was a great read very detailed and never saw the end coming. This book follows a young boy, Thomas ware in a summer he will not forget. Between the death of his aunt and when he moves in with his mom, whom is a house keeper of a wealthy family. If you want a quick suspenseful tea this is for you!