This novel fell short for me.I liked the premise but the writing was at a very slow pace. I just didn’t care about not very likeable characters.. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

No Ordinary Reunion..
What exactly happened ten years ago? Elizabeth has now been invited back to the ancestral home of Thomas Kirkwood by his mother Ada on the pretext of celebrating his short life - a memorial weekend- where a host of people will be gathered. Is there an another reason for this unexpected event? Perhaps so and, whatever it is, Elizabeth is in the middle of it. A slow burn suspense told in dual timeline and with a deftly drawn cast of characters, a firm sense of place and an underlying sense of menace making for a suspenseful read.

This story had potential but never really got there for me. It centers on Lizzie, whose boyfriend is murdered at his own graduation party, with the killer never identified. 10 years later, his mother is planning a memorial and invites back all of his friends, but her true intention is to figure out who killed him. The chapters go back and between 10 years ago and current time.

Ten years ago, deeply in love, I would have done anything for Thomas Kirkwood. But on the night of our graduation, fuelled with drink and drugs, Thomas's lifeless body was found floating in the Kirkwood family lake. The weekend changed everything, and I swore I would never return to Kirkwood Manor. Now, ten years later, I have been invited back to the place that holds such terrible memories for me, to a memorial weekend for Thomas, organised by his still grieving mother, Ada. But this is no ordinary weekend. This is a reunion to catch a killer and I fear I could be top of the list.

The pace is slow to begin with. Straight away we are looking into what had happened to Lizzie's boyfriend Thomas Kirkwood. I didn't like any of the characters, Thomas's mother had invited all of the people back to the Manor for a weekend party that had been there the night Thomas had died at his graduation party. The story is too descriptively written, and it's told from multiple points of view. The second half of the book was much better, it's also told in the past and present-day format. It could also be a little confusing with all the characters to keep up with. The ending was a little bit predictable.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #LHStacey for my ARC of #TheWeekend in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley.

The death of Thomas Kirkwood was never solved. Now ten years later, his mother is bringing everyone that was there that night back for a reunion but her real motives are to find out exactly who that murderer is.

I really liked how the story revolved around the supposed girlfriend that never quite fit in. None of the people involved in this weekend getaway were all that great. I know everyone has their flaws but man these people were really screwed up. I also enjoyed going back into the past with the characters and getting a glimpse of what happened that weekend and trying myself to put all the pieces together.
Also, definitely read until the very end, I was not expecting that.

The book was told in different points of views with a past and present reference.

Normally, I like these kind of books. I enjoy the insights of different characters but this one didn’t do it for me. Overly explaining isn’t always good.

I really liked the ending even though I wasn’t too surprise but it tied up nicely.

Overall, I would say, go into it knowing it’s a slow pace read and if you get easily bored, this one should be a skip for you.

I do enjoy a good thriller and have loved reading several books by this author, but never expected this book. There’s a definite change of voice in the writing style and a finesse that puts LH Stacey on a level playing field with some of the most respected authors of the genre.
The book focuses on the story of Lizzie, now wishing to be known as Elizabeth, as she returns to the home of her deceased boyfriend, Thomas, for a 10-year memorial to his passing. The timeline shifts between the present day and the events of a hedonistic party, 10 years in the past, which led to her discovering Thomas’ lifeless body. It doesn’t take long to realise that Lizzie’s relationship was one sided and that she was being gaslit at every turn.
Hosted by Ada, Thomas’ mother, the memorial is to take place in the grounds of their family home, over the course of a weekend. In the ten years since Thomas’ death, there have been many changes at the home, not least of which is that William, his younger brother, is now in charge. The house has been converted to a luxury hotel where William is in charge and also the chef. As many of the friends, that were present at the tragic weekend, arrive at the hotel, Lizzie must process feelings that she has long since kept to herself.
As every thriller reader must hope for, this book left me guessing what would happen next. I found the story to be tense and I was unable to put the book down. I read into the wee small hours and was absolutely gripped.
It’s hard not to take to Lizzie, and to experience the nervousness that she feels at returning to such a tragic part of her past. Ada, Thomas, and William’s mother is an out and out snob who I felt no sympathy for. Her controlling, manipulative ways contributed to her son’s death without a doubt. She was not complicit to his final moments, but they were certainly a result of her actions.
I cannot praise this book enough and really hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did. Prepare to feel all the tension and nervousness that Lizzie endures as the writing will pull you in.

When she left 10 years ago, she never meant to come back. But here she is, the weekend of the 10th anniversary of his murder, returning to her old life, hoping for the answers she never got.

What I loved about this book was the character histories. You got to meet each person today and who they were 10 years ago. While we feel no sympathy for the victim, you are full of sympathy for Lizzie and William. The flashback tidbits were enough to keep you guessing as to who did it,

My only issue was how quick and neatly most of the story tied up…. It was too neat and tidy. But not all my questions were answered which leaves the story lingering in my brain.I do have to say I’m an L.H. Stacey fan!

What would you do if the body of your love was found floating in his family’s lake? You certainly wouldn’t want to go back to the scene of the crime ten years later, invited by his still distraught mother. Good thing you aren’t the main character in this book then.

I enjoyed this story. I don’t get the low scores here, I will be recommending it to others!

This was a good thriller that kept me on my feet. I love a book I can’t put down and this one falls into that category.
Thank you!

I was looking forward to reading this book, as I’m a huge lover of mystery, thriller-type books. The Weekend by L. H. Stacey is about a group of friends that return to an estate for a 10 year remembrance ceremony. Manipulation and secrets unfold throughout this book with an ending that was rather predictable.

Unfortunately, the story was lacking something for me. I didn’t get attached to any of the characters and found the story difficult to follow due to multiple POVs and timelines.

Although the story had potential, I would give it a 2.5/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

10 years after her boyfriend's death, Elizabeth, formally known as Lizzie, is invited to his memorial at Kirkwood Manor. She is hesitant to go because the manor holds bad memories, and she can't escape the feeling that something bad may happen. Elizabeth, curious, decided to go and quickly realizes her dead boyfriend's mom is hosting the weekend in order to find out who killed Thomas.

This book is a slow burn, and if I am honest thought perhaps a bit too descriptive in places. I wish some of the description had been more character based. While I figured out the ending, I did still find the payoff to be worth the read.

I love creepy books set in manors, so it was a good find for me, and I love the cover! Out in February if this sounds like one that would interest you. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay I think maybe I just got off on the wrong foot with this one. It starts off with utter debauchery, which is compelling but they are banging in a lake. Or a shallow swampy pond.
Don't bang in a shallow swampy pond. You will get pelvic inflammatory disease. Is this a thing with the English Elite? You have orgies in unsavory places?
I literally couldn't get over it.
I mean that's probably because I don't live somewhere with shallow swampy ponds or English rich people.
The writing was good. I liked all the different perspectives. I loved that we had a little closed mystery and I liked that everyone was salty.
I just had some issues with the whole pond thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy of The Weekend, in exchange for my honest review.

The manor.
A dilapidated mansion surrounded by forests and its own lake. A place where golden child Thomas and his freeloading friends run wild.
When Lizzie, Thomas’ girlfriend, finds him dead during one of their debaucherous parties, she vows never to return to the manor.

Ten years later.
Ava, the grieving mother, invites all of his friends back to the newly renovated manor for a memorial. When people start dropping like flies, Lizzie vows to stay and solve the mystery whether it kills her or not.

This story had so much potential - the title, the cover, the setting. While it got off to a slow start, the plot really picked up towards the middle of the book. Unfortunately, right when I started getting into it, it fell a bit flat at the end.

There were many characters in this book, which can work for a closed door mystery, but with such limited character development it just eliminated 80% of them from possibly being the murderer.

I also struggled with many of the storylines being left with loose ends. While I understand can be intentional, it gave this story the feeling of being unfinished.
What was up with Jordan’s story?
How did we learn nothing about Anna and William’s past?

There were a few twists, but sadly I predicted them pretty early on. I think that with some further editing and fine tuning, this book has the makings of a good thriller!

Read this if you like…

🕰️ Before and after timelines
➕ Multiple perspectives
🤷‍♀️ Unreliable narrators
🏞️ Setting as a character
🚪 Closed door mysteries

This novel was ok for me. While I liked the premise, there were several things lacking, including characters that I just didn’t care about and a bit too much description. If you like a slower paced novel, this may be for you.

When Elizabeth gets an invitation to return to Kirkwood Manor on the ten year anniversary of the death of her boyfriend Thomas Kirkwood, she takes up the invite with great trepidation. Is there another reason that Thomas Mum and brother William want to get everyone together again? Who was responsible for Thomas's death and what other mysteries are hidden within the dark corners of Kirkwood Manor?
I found this story an easy read and there were some subtle twists to keep me interested. It bounces between past and future and I liked the character of Lizzie. I felt sympathy for her character and what she had been through. Elements of trauma and controlling relationships made this an interesting read.

Overall this book kept me guessing until the very near end. I loved the setting and the main character. The use of dual timelines was a wonderful element to build suspense. For the majority of the novel, I was fork hooked. There were some weak points, however. With the exception of Lizzie, the characters were hardly developed. The plot reveals seemed oddly positioned. There was also a formality to the way the characters spoke that felt a bit antiquated. It was an enjoyable mystery, even if not a favorite.

Unfortunately I couldn’t really get into this book, I found it was rather slow and nothing much happened. The style of writing wasn’t my kind of thing either. The characters were good and the story I thought could have been better. I’ll continue to look out for more by this author as I enjoyed the other books.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

I often find books that flit between past and present annoying and difficult to follow, but this book pulls it off. The past and present interlock to explain the plot, whilst leaving room for plenty of twists to stop you guessing immediately who was to blame. As a result I read the book at speed to see if I was right.

Disappointed with this, had such high hopes but the writing just went on and on! It really dragged and sucked all the fun out of what could’ve been such a good well executed story. So sorry x