A slow to build story that had some parts I enjoyed and others I wanted to hurry on,some characters wasn’t that keen on and the whole ‘she left to join the theatre’ not convincing all the time,on the whole well written

Ava is a struggling actress, but recently landed a job that could potentially help her make it big. Only problem is, it is in a very isolated location. Once she goes, to her boyfriend's reluctance, she is surprised to see how welcoming everyone is. But we know, things aren't always as it seems.

This is a slow to pick up thriller, I found myself struggling to stay connected to the story as it slowly progressed. I enjoyed the thriller aspect, but felt there were a few holes in the plot. Overall, a thriller that kept me interested, for the most part.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date 12/2/22

Ava needs a break from her boyfriend and thus jumps at the chance to join the Chimera Theatre Group and move into a remote country cottage with her fellow group members. But someone is playing pranks on the group that become more menacing. This was a very slow-burn and thus the suspense wasn't really ratcheted up enough for me and I didn't feel like the ending provided much of a bang.

Ava is a struggling actress who has recently joined the Chimera Theatre Group. While it does require moving to the country and away from her soap star boyfriend, Will, Ava is eager to go. She needs the space from Will...and a chance to see to see if this group will help give her her big break.

But.....on the way there, she and one of the members, Lally, are in a car accident. Soon after, other strange events start happening. Ava's room in the house requires one of the other member to walk through her room, which disturbs her sleep. She's lonely and scared at the strange noises in the night.

While her acting has never been better, she isn't resting well and more and more things start happening to everyone in the house. Everyone seems to have secrets....and someone is determined to push them out.

Chris Curran has written a slow-burn of a book. While the mystery behind the "who is terrorizing the group" was fairly apparent - at least to me, there was still a few twists that helped push this book along. There were a few plots that were left a bit convoluted (Dom's appearance in town, Lally being weird overall, who was in the attic at night.....etc), and overall, the end/resolution was rather vague.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in advance of it's release.

This book had me gripped right from the very first page and I couldn't stop reading, it was absolutely gripping from start to finish. Twisty and suspenseful it kept me guessing.

I read this book as a small read along on bookstagram. The cover to me screams that it would be right up my street however the book fell a bit flat and was really too long. We kept waiting for something to happen and I really needed more drama. I wanted to enjoy the book so i did finish it however wasn't a good one for me.

⭐️ 3/5
📚 101/36
📍 🇬🇧
🗂 Suspense mystery
📖 Ava and Will’s relationship has been a bit rocky. Ava accepts a new job and plans to have some time apart, but Will wants to continue as they were. Is the new job all it seems?
👉 NetGalley buddy read
✅ Easy read
✅ Short chapters
✅ Started off more-ish!
✅ The beginning felt real (lies, family)
✅ I was excited to be guessing what was going on early on
🤷🏻‍♀️ Would have liked it written first person
😩 How things were handled in the plot didn’t ring true
😩 I needed a faster pace and quicker plot
📆 16th October 2022

The cover of this book initially drew me in and I was initially very intrigued with the concept of this book. This is a slow burn thriller that will be ideal for someone who likes a slower, cosy mystery. For me, I found it a little too slow and I was constantly waiting for the story to really get going - there just wasn’t enough drama for me to feel really hooked. I struggled to resonate with the characters throughout the book, finding them hard to connect with or empathise with. I did, however, enjoy the little jaw dropping twist that the author dropped in at the end! This is a good read but not a favourite - 3* 🙌🏻

Thanks to NetGalley, One More Chapter and Chris Curran for sharing this book with me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollinsUK for giving me a copy of this book for my review.

Ava wants fame, but her boyfriend Will has found his nitch and is trying to help her do the same.. She is given a chance to join Chimera Theater Group in the country. She goes and takes a break from Will.

The group all live together in a small cottage, 3 men, 3 women. On the surface they are all good friends, but they also have their issues. The group starts to experience some nasty pranks that end in a death. The group, including Ava starts to mistrust each other. So the questions begin who did it? An outsider? A member? Was it suicide?
In addition there is a subplot that involves Ava’s mom that also is an interesting addition to the story.

The book is an ok mystery. It did not move very fast and didn’t pick up until towards the end. However, then all of a sudden when it picks up it’s over. I also couldn’t attach or route for any particular character. Which was disappointment.

I was excited to start this as I love dark psychological thrillers and the synopsis sounded great.

Ava decides to put her relationship with her boyfriend on hold as she tries to progress her acting career. She joins the Chimera Theatre Group and moves in with them in their remote country cottage to start performances. The group seem welcoming at first but lots of nasty events start to happen. Is it a coincidence or is someone trying to stop the group from performing?
There are lots of secrets within the group so who can Ava trust?

I liked the setting for the story. It felt particularly claustrophobic inside the house. I also liked the characters and found it interesting to gradually get to know them.
I found I was waiting for the story to get going however. There was a lot of mounting tension but it wasnt until the last part that very much happened. I also found the ending slightly rushed leaving a few unanswered questions.

Overall a bit too much of a 'slow burn' thriller for me so only an average read.

From the start I had bad vibes about everyone. Things were happening to the group and nobody knew who or why. Everyone seemed to have a secret or two.

Unfortunately after the first few chapters there wasn’t a great deal happening. A few pranks but nothing I would call thrilling until the end. I did finish the book so it wasn't that bad but it was very predictable.

I think this would be more suited to a fan of young adult books. I enjoyed how it was written and I would definitely look out for more from this author but this book just didn't hit the mark for me

This was a slow burn which is fine, not every book needs to be an edge of your seat, fast paced thriller but that and the fact that there were massive plot holes and threads left untied and unexplained resulted in the low rating. it would have helped if a third party would have read this and called out gaps

One of the things that I like most about this book is that when you think that you have it all worked out, another twist will come your way and you will have to try to work it all out once again.

Ava is a struggling actress who has recently joined the Chimera Theatre Group as one of the other actors is pregnant. However, right from the start bad things start happening making Ava wondering if her decision to relocate to this remote village and joining this theatre group was indeed the right one. An engaging read even if it wasn’t the best book I’ve read this year. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Just not a big fan of this one! I hate giving bad reviews!

I liked the idea of a bunch of theatre players living under one roof, I was hoping for Of We Were Villains vibes, but this wasn’t it!

The story trudged along and even the suspenseful parts weren’t that exciting, and really left me wanting more. And it was overall very easy to predict.

When the Lights Go Out
⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 12/2/22
Author: Chris Curran
Publisher: HarperCollins
GR: 3.20

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and HarperCollins and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Who can you trust… WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT. A group of new friends. But can she trust them? For struggling actress Ava, landing a role with the Chimera Theatre Group could lead to her big break. And relocating to a remote country village means stepping out from the shadow of her boyfriend—despite his determination not to let her go. Everyone in the group seems so welcoming, they’re one big happy family. But, like all families, they each have secrets. And someone in the group doesn’t want certain secrets to get out…

My Thoughts: The intriguing plot and cover attracted me to request this book. It was a slower burn mystery. Not every avenue was explored, it felt like there were some holes that were not filled throughout the book. There were twists, but I was left with wanting more. The biggest con for me was the ending, it just ended and was vague. Maybe opening up for a series book but it was too vague. The characters were flawed and unliked. I just couldn’t connect with any of them. The premise was creative and the mysterious happenings were intriguing but outside of this, I could not connect with the book. This was not a bad book and it will be a great book for someone.

Big thanks to NetGalley & HarperCollins UK for providing an ARC for free, in exchange for an honest review.
It's a slowburn mystery about characters who have dysfunctional relationships. Too bad, the slowburn itself was actually too slow. Or maybe if there would have been more happenings in the book, this pace wouldn't have been bothering at all. But unfortunately there weren't many subplots to focus on.
Nonetheless, the premise was intriguing, the mysterious happenings were indeed creative. The ending was a bit hasty or hurried, but it was a fine read if you're into slowburn mystery stories.

When Ava accepts a position in a theater group as a way to reclaim her acting career and get space from her soap star boyfriend, what seems like an exciting new opportunity quickly turns into a fraught situation. When it becomes apparent that the others in the group are hiding secrets and that someone is pulling escalating pranks, Ava struggles to settle in and find the positives, unwilling to give up on the new opportunity.

The theater setting creates a fantastic atmosphere, and the descriptions of the cottage and the way the actors interact is fresh and intriguing. Ava is an interesting protagonist and is easy to root for, and the stakes are believable as to why she would be unwilling to give up on her dream, keeping her in a situation that keeps getting worse. The setup for When The Lights Go Out works well to establish a tense mystery with interwoven story elements that keeps the plot moving. It is exciting to see how the tensions of the interpersonal relationships will resolve, as well as the mystery of who is trying to sabotage them.

The secondary plot of Ava's fight with her father and stepmother who she adores, tied up with the odd circumstances of how her real mother died, works thematically but could have used a bit more to balance it within the narrative. The ending of the mystery felt slightly uneven. The central narrative and plot has an interesting resolution, but there are aspects of the story that are left open-ended. While it felt like a narrative choice, it was slightly unsatisfying and left the very end of the novel feeling somewhat abrupt. Overall, it is a tight mystery that keeps the pages turning with twists and intrigue.

This is an eerie, intriging read. The protagonist Ava is an actress who joins a theatre group to help her career and get away from her commercially successful boyfriend. The plot evolves slowly which creates a marked tension and helps develops the nuance of the characters. A very engaging read.

The premise of this book sounded interesting when I requested it, but once I started ready it really wasn’t that interesting. Not a whole lot occurred and much of the book was slow and pointless.

Ava lands a role with Chimera Theater Group and moves into a shared remote cottage with them. Ava’s trying to get a break from her overbearing boyfriend and thinks the distance will do them good. However, shortly after Ava arrives she learns of some practical jokes have been occurring and they seem to be escalating into terrifying things. Someone in the group must be doing them. Then someone ends up dead and Ava is scared for her life. She wants out but will the group let her go?

This book wasn’t great, it wasn’t bad, it was just a story told in an ok way. While this book was definitely a thriller, I just didn’t care about any of the characters enough to care what was going on. Non of the characters resonated with me and while I do feel this book will be a great read for someone, it really wasn’t that for me - it just fell flat. I want to extend my gratitude to @netgalley and the publisher @harpercollinsuk for my e-ARC copy, if you think this book would be for you check it out on December 2nd of this year.