This book is an absolute masterpiece. The narration of 11-year-old Thomas was perfect for this story. I loved the use of court records/police reports in between chapters. It helped to build up the mystery of the story while also allowing me to make my own speculations. I was absolutely not prepared for the ending, but those people got what they deserved.
The writing itself was very well-done and the characters and their personalities well built. There was a discomfort present with some of the characters despite not knowing the reasons that really helped the story along. Tommie was such a good person and a good narrator for this book.
This was an excellent read and I highly recommend it.

Lundrigan is a Canadian thriller author. Her previous books include "Hideaway" and "The Substitute". This new release is another thriller with a coming-of-age component and is set in 1958. We are introduced to Tommy Ware, who at eleven years old is living with his aunt, Celia, in a low income area of the city. When Celia is murdered Tommy is sent to live with his mother where she works on an estate of a wealthy family. We learn quickly that the married couple and their 16-year-old son are later shot dead and Tommy has now been charged with the murders, as we read the trial transcripts interspersed in the build up to the event. This is a great recommendation for fans of the genre. I really enjoyed it.

An Unthinkable Thing held my rapt attention from start to finish.

In 1958, after someone brutally murders his aunt, eleven-year-old Tommie moves in with his mother at the Henneberry estate, where she works as a live-in housekeeper. Soon, Thomas finds himself trying to balance his mother’s instructions of keeping a low-profile while also entertaining the mercurial Henneberrys.

By the summer’s end, someone murders the wealthy family in their backyard by the pool. Tommie is the prime suspect. Is Tommie an innocent child, or is he a cold-blooded killer?

The story alternates between Tommie’s perspective and news clippings, radio transcripts, and court testimony.

The author did an excellent job with Tommie’s voice and maintaining just the right amount of tension. She also deftly explores wealth, privilege, and power imbalances.

This historical thriller has so many great twists and turns. I constantly kept pointing the finger at someone else. I eventually correctly guessed the killer, but I also thought everyone was suspicious, so there’s that.

I will definitely go back and read Nicole Lundrigan’s previous books if they’re anything like this one.

CW: SA.

Thank you to Viking for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

This book was incredible!!! I am a sucker g or a good mystery and this read nailed it. I enjoyed the entire coming of age aspect of the story and found the character wonderfully written. This will be one read that stays with me.

Did he do it? Tommie Ware tells his story in this twisty tale-no spoilers- set in 1958. He's been raised by his aunt Cella while his mother Esther works at the Henneberry estate but now she's been killed and for the first time in his memory, he's spending time with Esther. Things aren't as he thought. AND, the Henneberry family is a nest of vipers, filled with secrets and anger. And then they're murdered. This is told from Tommie's perspective and it does wander a bit in spots. That said, Lundrigan does a good job with a sense of impending doom and with the characters. And with the end. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

3.5 stars
A young boy trapped in a web of lies, deceit, and hidden truths is the star of this book. Tommie Ware has not ha an easy life, but one he has found happiness in with his aunt and his best friend. His world turns upside down as his aunt is murdered and Tommy is forced to move in with his mother, Ester, to the home where she is the maid.

The family is pretty gruesome. The son, Martin is a nasty entitled creep while dad is a philanderer and a cad. Mom is no prize either, assisted by an unscrupulous doctor, who prescribes a plethora of pills. Martin terrorizes the old woman who lives next door and has been taught that all woman are "asking for it". by his father.

As mentioned, Ester is at the beck and call of her employers. She seems a timid sort who begs her son to be good, be quiet, stay out of sight. However, Martin sees in Tommie a vulnerable child that he feels he is able to entice to the nasty games he plays.

After a heinous tragedy, the unexpected happens and poor Tommy is accused of the crime and is standing trial. Will this young boy be railroaded into prison or is there a chance that the truth will eventually be known?

I enjoyed this linear story which showed empathy for Tommy and where he wound up. I truly liked the epilogue where as often the case, the universe seems to right itself and justice is served.

Thank you to Nicole Lundrigan and NetGalley for a copy of this story due out April 12, 2022.

This was truly an unputdownable book.
An Unthinkable Thing by Nicole Lundrigan was written extremely well.
And our characters I felt like I was watching it all unfold right before my eye's! Just how amazing her writing is.
The flow of the story was continuous and I truly did not want to put this down as it was an addicting read.
Nicole has done an amazing job of creating not only very believable characters but a very vivid scene.
I enjoyed this story and the suspense it held.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Viking,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Set in the late 1950's, this story depicts a terrible summer as 11 year old Tommie Ware is abandoned when his guardian is murdered. Tommie is placed back with his mother( who had initially given him up) and moves into the luxurious Hennebury estate where his mother is the housekeeper. Before long, tragedy strikes again and it is up to the reader to decide who is at fault!

Told from the 11 year old's point of view, readers will be swept up by the lavish estate, the horrendous characters while the tragedy slowly unfolds. If you like a slowburn, are a sucker for a poor orphan-like boy, or just want a stab at solving a crime #AnUnthinkableThing is for you
#penguin #randomhouse #viking

An Unthinkable Thing was unputdownable! I stayed up far too late reading, and grabbed it first thing in the morning to continue! The characters are interesting and the story engaging. I’ll be thinking about that ending for quite some time.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

“An Unthinkable Thing” has left me with Undeniable Thoughts………complete heart & mind wreckage. My soul has ‘so’ much love for this book. My initial reaction at last page finished was whoa?! What?! Wait! No!! No, Omg! All that did not just happen!! This book tore me apart and twisted my mind, but it also made me reach deeply to analyze my feelings.

This is about maternal love. Biological or not, it is still a powerful bond and that shines with Aunt Celia and Tommie. That light being snuffed out is devastating to Tommie (as well as those who read this story).

It is about courage. In this story, sometimes courage is not quite enough to go beyond the fear, but when courage wins, it wins strong and in ways which cannot be predicted or undone.

It’s about betrayal, rich vs. poor, love vs. hate, kindness vs. cruelty, courage vs. weakness, entitlement vs. contentment, truth vs. deception. It’s about who we are and who we choose to become. It’s about innocence and lost innocence. Friendship and enemies and figuring out which person is which with these characters.

It’s about sacrifice, self loathing and self love. It’s finding your way and it’s about finding ‘you’ despite the circumstances. It’s about finding who your family and friends truly are. It’s about deciding between doing right or wrong and facing the consequences as a result of your choices.

This is beautiful and it is horrible. This book shows the difference between how the rich and poor are treated. It shows us that more often than not, the ‘poor’ are, in heart and spirit, the ‘richer of the two’.

This is written with the narration of Thomas, who is the main character, with dialogue of all characters along with chapter breaks which consist of the murder trial and “news reports”

People you’ll be spending time with:

Celia: Thomas’s aunt, who raised him when his mother gave him away at birth. She’s sweet, loving, care free and joy filled. Positive about life, wonderful with Thomas, but unfortunately too trusting and naive about the men she brings into her life.

Evelyn Ware: Thomas’s biological mother. Employee of the Hennessy’s as their maid. Seems caring enough. Not much more description to share.

Thomas Ware: Thomas, Tommie, Tom, is introduced as the sweetest and most polite young boy. He seems like your average kid playing innocent games like any eleven year old would play. Especially the kids in 1958. He adores his aunt Celia and the two are very close. An “all American boy“ and then he’s forced to move with his mother. Did living in the crazy and twisted Hennessy’s estate turn him into murderer?

Martin Hennessy: entitled rich kid, troublemaker, bully, buddy, brotherly, unwanted, invisible, sneaky, sly, seemingly saintly, often times sinister. Who exactly is Martin Hennessy? Being close in age and living under the same Hennessy roof, Thomas is the one who gets to knows the answer best.

Dr. Hennessy: Basically, he’s a cruel and heartless jerk.

Muriel Hennessy: The woman is either suffering mental illness, from being overly medicated or a lot of both. She’s oppressive, pompous, haughty, theatrical. She makes no apologies for anything, ever.

Mrs. Grimshaw: Neighbor to the Hennessy’s. Elderly lady always roaming the woods looking for things which she confuses from earlier years. She suffers from Alzheimer’s and is often the target of Martin’s bullying.

Mr. Pober: Sleazy, perverted, filthy man who lives on the steps of where Thomas and Celia live. Always harassing Celia.

This is a story that is so utterly engrossing and suspenseful, surrounded by secrets and mysteries. It’s also wonderfully nostalgic in its happier moments. Worthy of every minute reading every page.

Finding this book to read was a surprising gem and I’m so thankful to @NetGalley the publisher @RandomHouseca @VikingBooks and to the author #NicoleLundrigan for the opportunity to read this early and to be able to share it with other readers!! Thank you very much! #AnUnthinkableThing

#Netgalley
#2022BestBooks #2022BookReleases #2022MustReads #Reading #Readers #Authors #Goodreads

I’m sharing to Goodreads & Twitter and will post to instagram soon. I will also share to Amazon (USA) and Barnes & Noble on release day.

This title is available for pre-order on Amazon and released April 12, 2022

This is a very well constructed murder mystery, with a somewhat surprising ending. The three murder victims were all such horrible people that I was giving props to whoever did kill them! There are lots of disturbing and unsettling things that happen, and because it was pretty unpleasant to read at times, I’m going to give this one 4 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A solid four starts. Well written coming of age story with a heavily nuanced storyline, making for just the right amount of mystery. The complex characters made for what was an easy read a deep one as well. My kind of writing and domestic plot. My first book by this author but will look for others.

First, I want to start by thanking NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the advanced ebook copy of An Unthinkable Thing by Nicole Lundrigan. It was a pleasure to be one of the first people to read this book.

Told from the perspective of Tommy Ware, An Unthinkable Thing was reminiscent of several V.C. Andrews books. It's even a bit nostalgic of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Throughout the book, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it did, I was content with the result.

Although a little slow, the story was well written, and I was eager to find out what would happen. I was pleased that there were several likable characters, which made up for the ones that weren't pleasant. All in all, I enjoyed An Unthinkable Thing, and there isn't really anything negative I could say about the book other than the pacing could have been a bit more brisk. Four out of five stars.

Tommie is a happy 11 year old boy that lives in Lower Washbourne with his Aunt Celia when the unthinkable happens and his Aunt Celia is murdered. He now has to move in with his mother that gave him away hours after his birth to live at the Henneberry Estate in Upper Washbourne where she is the housekeeper. Tommie always envisioned that his mother lived a lavish lifestyle which is why she must have given him away all those years ago. After making the move he is confronted with the truth and how wrong he was.

The Henneberry clan, old money and old ways, are not your typical family.

When the members of the family are found murdered it appears that Tommie is the guilty party. Did he or didn't he is the question.

This was a melancholic tale if ever there was one. I cared so much for little Tommie and his mother Esther who only wanted what was best for her son. Tommie's innocence and naivete captured my heart and the atmosphere the author created was pitch perfect. I felt as if I was walking the grounds of the estate with young Tommie's hand in mine. The members of the Henneberry family were so despicable that it was cringeworthy and appalling. This was a slow burn story but a compelling one and I absolutely had to know what happened and how. I wasn't at all disappointed. This was a new author for me and one that I would gladly seek out again. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for my complimentary copy.

To be completely honest…I really just did not like this one. I kept reading it because I wanted to know what the point of it was. But really, it’s just a long drawn out detail of a boy’s day to day life leading up to a murder that he may or may not have been involved in. And the truth isn’t known until the very last page.

It wasn’t exactly suspenseful or even that entertaining. It was an easy enough read for me to finish in one day, but it was absolutely not one I would recommend to my friends.

It just didn’t do it for me and I wish it had.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for gifting me an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Son Of A Cracker Jacker! 😳😳😯🤯🤯

Well goodness me! 😳 Holy Flip! What in the world?! This was a major interesting one! I mean goodness almighty! A slow burn mystery thriller that had some crazy jaw dropping moments. The setting is in the 50's and during the entire read, you have excerpts of the investigation of a murder of a family during court. While also being told from Tommie's eleven year old self of what lead up to it and happened.
Tommie was living with his Aunt until she was murdered herself, and sent to stay with his mother who was a live-in housekeeper to a wealthy family, The Henneberry's. With Tommie left to his own accord, he starts to wander, becoming curious and eventually uncovers secrets that this "perfect" family seems to hold. By the end of summer, the entire Henneberry family is murdered. Could Tommie have done such a thing?
This pulls you in, holds your attention, and while a slow burn, keeps you on the edge of your seat! I thoroughly enjoyed this unique premise and style and devoured it in hours! The mystery kept on rolling throughout and the secrets that unfold will leave your jaw on the floor. A must read people!

Thank you to NetGalley & Penguin Random House Canada for this DARC.
Release Date: April 12, 2022

I give this 4.5 / 5 Bouquets! 💐