Cover Image: The New House

The New House

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Member Reviews

Tess Stimson is a wonderful writer that has a unique ability to write thrillers that feel both contemporary and highly unusual. This novel focuses on a mysterious property and some potential owners, each of whom has some shady secrets. I loved every second of this book!

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A bidding war between three couples for a house and the extreme lengths they will each go to to get it, what a great book this was, read it in one sitting as I could not put it down ..

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I always enjoy Tess Stimpson’s books and I marvel at how she frequently excels at producing dislikable protagonists, and yet at the same time such compelling characters who make it impossible to put her books down. The New House has an abundance of such characters, it is full of twists and turns that one would expect, and you do not know who can be trusted at any moment. I swayed back and forth as to who I believed.
I highly rate and recommend The New House for anyone who enjoys a great domestic thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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What a rollercoaster ride!

If you love a great domestic thriller, look no further than this story. It has everything I love and needed for a winning five stars novel.

I loved the introduction of the couples and got really intrigued by the posts on social media. It feels so unrealistic how some people are really putting up all their interactions and life events for everyone to read and see.

With such a glorious mix of characters, this story never let me down.

With sufficient twists and unexpected turns, and so many suspenseful moments where the author has created a story where I was waiting on the edge of my seat for the shoes to drop. And it drops big time.

Viral videos are not a good way to try covering what's happening behind the doors.

I'm honestly still reeling from this one.

Cleverly done, this is a great trilling story everyone should read.

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So many psychopaths! Psychopaths, sociopaths, enablers, oh my!

But as one of the narrators, Mille tells us, there are good and bad psychopaths. She's one of the good ones. She uses her powers for good as a cardiac surgeon. It what gives he the ability to hold a beating heart in her steady hands, or to operate on someone she knows, without feeling emotion.

So when she gets into a bidding war for the house of her dreams, she sets in motion a domino effect between her family, the owners of The Glass House, Stacey and Felix, and her buyers Harper and Kyle. If Mille and Tom can't get the house, Harper and Kyle (or kyperlife as their popular vlog is called), can't buy Mille's house. The problem is, Harper has already sold her house when she finds out, and is stuck in what she calls her "teeny little rented mouse-house".

This story takes the notion of house wars to a whole new level. Buying a house is definitely requires a strategy, but the degree of manipulation these three families go to is off the charts. And in the end someone is dead (no spoiler - we know this from the beginning). We hear many theories about what might have happened, and the whole time we know someone knows the whole story. And in the best suspense style, we must wait until the nail biting ending to find out.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance readers copy.

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What can go wrong when you buy a new house? It turns out a lot.

This book is extremely well written with multiple narrators, vlog posts, and transcripts of an interview. Each chapter is titled with the narrator, which is very helpful when you have a lot of narrators. There are quite a few subplots in the book so I was constantly guessing what each subplot was doing. I love I’ll definitely read more by this author!

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EXCERPT: The night of the charity gala, that night when everyone met for the first time, a tragic series of events was set in motion. Until then, you just had six ordinary people linked only by a simple desire to sell their houses.

But something changed for everyone that night. Our lives got tangled together. We became part of each other's stories - with disastrous consequences.

A small quirk of fate, and everything could have turned out differently. Sometimes all it takes is for the wrong person to cross your path at the wrong time.

I'm not to blame for what happened that autumn. It took a perfect storm of circumstances; every single person involved in the drama played their part.

What if the estate agent had got stuck in traffic on the day of the viewing and someone else had got their bid in first?

What if the mortgage broker hadn't listened to her voicemail?

I can see you all sitting there smugly telling yourselves you'd never have taken the law into your own hands, no matter what the provocation. You're not capable of killing someone in cold blood, right?

Self-defense maybe. Or to protect your family.

But never murder.

ABOUT 'THE NEW HOUSE': Three couples. Three houses. One home to die for…

Stacey and Felix are the glamorous owners of the stylish, modern Glass House, with its pool and floor-to-ceiling windows. Now they’re downsizing, but Stacey can’t sell to just anyone. She needs the right buyer, who will keep her secrets.

Millie and Tom have always imagined living in the Glass House. Now it’s for sale. With property prices booming, if they can sell quickly, it could be theirs. But are the house and its charming owners all they seem?

Harper and Kyle are moving up in the world. They need a new house, in the right school district, to give their children the start in life they never had. Millie and Tom’s is perfect. It’ll take every penny they have, and more, but it’ll be worth it. Won’t it?

When one of the sales falls through, how far will someone go to get everything they’ve always wanted?

MY THOUGHTS: 'These violent delights have violent ends, and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume.' - Shakespeare

OMG Tess Stimson! A meteor shower of stars! Five just doesn't cut it.

A big fat 'YES!' to all the hype and the publicity claims. I was gripped and consumed by this book. It's crazy, compelling, addictive, mindblowing, twisty and more.

The New House is a book best gone into cold. Stock up on your favourite drinks and snacks, lock the door, turn off your phone, pick up your copy of The New House by Tess Stimson and prepare for a wild rollercoaster ride. You won't regret it.

Tess Stimson scares me.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#TheNewHouse #NetGalley #TessStimsonAuthor

I: @tessstimson @avonbooksuk

T: @tessjstimson @AvonBooksUK

#contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #mystery #suspense #thriller

THE AUTHOR: I was born in Surrey, in the south of England, and read English at Oxford University.

​Upon graduating I joined ITN as a news producer.
I reported and produced regional and world stories, travelling to hotspots and war-zones all over the
globe, before leaving bullets behind to become
a full-time writer.

​Since then, I’ve written more than a dozen novels, numerous short stories, and two non-fiction books, which have been published internationally and translated into more than twenty languages.

​In recent years, I’ve moved away from writing women’s fiction and towards darker psychological thrillers,
which seem to suit my personality better - make
of that what you will.

​As well as writing fiction I continue to work as
a journalist, and also teach reporting for media and creative writing at a university in the North-Eastern US.

​I live in Vermont with my husband, and am visited intermittently by my three grown-up children whenever they need their laundry done.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The New House by Tess Stimson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

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Thanks to netgalley and Avon Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Millie wants to buy a glass house that is for sale and owned by tv presenter Stacy. Harper wants to buy Millie's house. Things so way off the rails when circumstances cause Stacy to not be able to sell.

I liked this book well enough. It mostly held my interest. I thought some things were quite farfetched but overall it mostly worked. I will read more from this author.

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Millie and Tom Downton are the parents of Medusa, 13, and Peter, 10. Millie and Tom grew up next door to one another. Millie is a heart surgeon whose parents were bad people. Her father was a narcissist and her mother was a punching bag. Tom’s parents were good people who helped to protect Millie when she was growing up. Her parents' problems led her to be wild at times.

Millie and Tom have a nice home, but Millie has her eye on a home called The Glass House and wants to buy it. When she sees it’s for sale, she befriends the owner, Stacey, who is a TV presenter. Now that their own home is for sale, bloggers, Kyle and Harper, want to buy Millie and Tom’s place.

Millie is concerned when she sees bruises on Stacey’s arms and wonders if her husband, Felix, is abusing her. As these three couples get to know one another more, twists get thrown into the mix that turn into a nightmare.

It is hard to write a synopsis on this book in that doing so would release a lot of spoilers. The way it is written grabs the reader to know more about this unknown psychopath leading the story. It’s compelling yet gruesome and dark at times but shows how a mother’s love can be so true.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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I was lucky to receive an advance copy of The New House by Tess Stimson from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. OMG this book will keep you on the edge of your seat guessing what the next twist/turn will be. I started this right before I went to bed and unfortunately was unable to put it down and got very little sleep! :) Buckle up - it's a wild ride! Do yourself a favor and go read this ASAP!

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A story about three couple who want to buy or sell a house.

One of them is a psychopath. The psychopath tells their story via a podcast.

The rest of the story is told by the couples in alternating points of view.

We know early on that someone dies in one of the houses. But we don't know who or why or whodunit.

The blog portion is very interesting but also rather creepy.

Each one of the families have secrets.

Each family wants what they want. Badly

Not a relaxing read but OMG it's intriguing and I couldn't stop reading.

I love this authors work!

Thanks to netgalley and Avon Books UK

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This story follows a house chain. Three women and one killer who is a psychopath. The reader is kept guessing throughout. A gripping read. Thanks to Netgaley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

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My goodness this book sent me on a crazy roller coaster! The subject matter is so fascinating and I just wanted to learn more and more! I would love to sit down with some of these fictional characters. Lol. Every book I read by Tess Stimson is better than the one before. This one was so different that I kept having to remind myself it was her writing it! (In the best possible way of course!) I love the multiple alternating POV. Some in first person. Some in third. And the twists and shockers totally threw me! I didn’t want this book to end!

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I really enjoy author Tess Stimson's novels. This one did not disappoint and I devoured it within a couple of sittings.

The blurb reads

"Stacey and Felix are the glamorous owners of the stylish, modern Glass House, with its pool and floor-to-ceiling windows. Now they’re downsizing, but Stacey can’t sell to just anyone. She needs the right buyer, who will keep her secrets.

Millie and Tom have always imagined living in the Glass House. Now it’s for sale. With property prices booming, if they can sell quickly, it could be theirs. But are the house and its charming owners all they seem?

Harper and Kyle are moving up in the world. They need a new house, in the right school district, to give their children the start in life they never had. Millie and Tom’s is perfect. It’ll take every penny they have, and more, but it’ll be worth it. Won’t it?

When one of the sales falls through, how far will someone go to get everything they’ve always wanted?"


The blurb sounded very interesting with an undercurrent of mystery and I could not wait to get reading.

We meet some wonderful characters, three couples to be exact, all very different and at different stages in their lives.

Their lives become entangled in the house chain, but not everything is as straightforward as it should be. The story weaves a very thrilling story and I loved the characters in this novel.

Thanks to Netgalley, Tess Stimson and the publishers for allowing me an arc in exchange for my honest review.

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Wow! What an amazing book!!
Would love to read more from the author.
Thankyou netgalley for the Arc!

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This is a bombshell of a book. Three couples are connected through a house-buying chain. Millie & Tom want to buy the Glass House owned by Stacey & Felix. Harper & Kyle want to buy Millie & Tom's house. The retail dance that ensues gets REALLY escalates. Quickly! The narrative includes the perspective of Millie, Tom, and Stacey in alternating chapters. Inserted in between are a podcast transcript called "Inside the mind of a psychopath" and a vlog hosted by Harper (and Kyle, sort of).
The twists keep coming as a battle of the minds and muscles ensued. You will be surprised to find out who emerges as top dog. I was impressed with the creativity and unusual plot elements in Stolen and this book is a worthy successor. I do think I will be working my way back through some of this author's earlier works. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Samantha Downing, and Alice Feeney.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

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Who knows what can go right or wrong in looking to buying a house. Started off catching my attention right off. Keep reading it get better and twisty.


Thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an early release of this book

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WOW!! Who knew house hunting could turn so ugly?!?!?! Three couples come together thru the process of buying and selling their homes and that will be their deadliest mistake. With characters you'll love to hate, this exceptionally well written, seemingly straightforward storyline, has the most exciting twists and turns! This was simply excellent!!

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How far would you go to get the house you dream of? Millie is a bit different than most people. She enjoys breaking into houses and have a look around. She does not mean harm, she just loves to do it and take a little something as a souvenir. When she sees that the house of her dreams, the Glass House, is up for sale, she wants to with all her heart. She meets the owner and in the process she puts her own house on the market. Turns out, her house is the dream house of somebody else. These three families get entangled into each other’s life. Who would have thought that buying a house would lead into murder.

This was so much fun. I enjoy immensely books who give me a look into the mind of a psychopath. It is so fascinating. Here I get a lot of that and I liked it. You should just dive into that book without knowing too much about the story. I was hooked from the first page and I highly recommend it.

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A dark tale of 3 couples who come together in a house buying ‘chain’ but we know from very early on in the book that a murder takes place in one of the homes. The book then twists and turns as this story unfolds and it definitely kept me hooked. We’re made aware that at least one of the characters is a ‘psychopath’ and there’s a clear feeling of tension and impending doom throughout this book.
None of the characters are particularly likeable, but I’m sure that was intentional. Instead, they’re interesting in a dark and mysterious way. A really good book!

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