Thank you so much to William Morrow for this digital ARC! I wanted to finish it before it published last Tuesday, but life happened! It was definitely not because the story was lacking!! I really enjoyed this one, it sounded so interesting to me. Domestic thrillers are one of my go tos when I’m looking for something that will draw me in and keep me engrossed in the story. This one definitely succeeded in that! From the beginning to the shocking end and all the in between! There were some moments that were truly jaw dropping and I never could have predicted a lot of the twists! I thoroughly enjoyed the way it is written with varying viewpoints, along with journal entries from the past. Highly recommend this one for any thriller lover!

When Nicole and her husband, Tom, win a large sum of money in the lottery, they go from have nots to have a lots! Is that even a thing?? 🥴 They decide to be smart about their money and not be one of those couples that blows all their money and end up broke. Building the Glass Barn with top notch technology and security is one of their few indulgences. When Nicole comes home one evening to find Tom floating facedown in the pool she runs to her neighbors at The Manor House for help. Olly and Sasha jump into action along with their housekeeper Kitty, who sits with Nicole until the detectives come. Detectives Hal and Jen are determined to figure out if Tom’s death is accidental or a homicide. Their job is made incredibly difficult as everybody involved is hiding something and telling lies to cover themselves. As all their lives become intertwined and secrets are revealed, you are kept guessing until the end!

🤯 Holy moly, the twists in this book were spectacular!

Nicole & Tom win the lottery and build their dream home, the Glass Barn, on the picturesque grounds of the Lancaut Manor. Unfortunately, one day Nicole finds Tom dead in the swimming pool. Was his death an unfortunate accident or was he murdered?!

This book published this week and I highly recommend it if you enjoy British psychological thrillers.

Thank you @williammorrowbooks for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

(This review was posted on the the Barnes & Nobles website)

This author is growing on me. Her books usually begin slower than I'd like but keep reading! She comes up with some top-notch, gripping stories and interesting characters. Nicola and Tom are childhood sweethearts. They grow up, get married and win a huge lottery and buy a gorgeous home with all the trappings. The home is built on a nature preserve. Nicola comes home to a dead Tom. What happened? Is it her? The weird neighbors? What follows is a dual-timeline story with numerous twists and turns. Great setting, I understand Lancaut Nature Preserve is a real place and this story made me want to add it to my ever-growing Bucket List. Look forward to more from this author!

Thank to #NetGalley, Gilly Macmillan and William Morrow for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

The Manor House is not at all what it seems initially. Gilly Macmillan creates a novel, which begins with a murder and then wraps around a group of characters, who are not what they seem. At the center is an elaborate con created by a dangerous and experienced con artist. The plot is masterfully created. There are many levels of complexity and what seems straight forward is anything but a simplistic story. As readers read the narrative, bits and pieces begin to unfold, but then suddenly, readers discover what they did not see coming, and The Manor House becomes a compelling read that is difficult to put down..

I am not going to offer up spoilers. The series of mysteries here are too delicious to reveal. Readers need to take apart the multiple layers of plot. No character is what he or she seems. There are places where the story is heartbreaking, but also places when a plot detail makes readers wonder if that is how she or he might behave. I enjoyed this novel. Don't give up if at the beginning a digression seems to have no purpose. Every sentence has a purpose. The ending is masterful and exquisitely clever. I laughed, which I believe was what Macmillan hoped for her readers.

Thank you to the author and to HarperCollins for providing this ARC for me to read and review. The comments above are exactly my opinion.

WOW this was a twist filled domestic thriller. The book is an easy and gripping read, with each chapter told from the perspective of a different character. The characters are well-developed, and the story is well-described, making it easy to picture the modern glass house. The mystery part was definitely creepy. I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read more of her book. I would recommend this book.


Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

When newlywed Nicole returns home to find her husband, Tom floating face down in their swimming pool, she is devastated by what she believes to be an accident. Tom and Nicole are recent lottery winners and have built a high tech home near the Manor House where Olly and Sasha live with their housekeeper, Kitty. Once the police determine that Tom’s death was no accident, other characters become involved and suspects and motives are explored but almost no one is who they say they are and the truth is obscure. Nicole and other characters are in danger as detectives Hal and Jen race to follow leads and learn interesting facts about each character’s background.
I found this thriller to be just the perfect mix of character development, surprises and great storyline. There weren’t too many characters so they were easy to keep track of and I enjoyed the ways their background stories were revealed. The detectives were presented as very human and made mistakes but were thorough in their investigations and were very likable. There was also just the right amount of drama and some heart pounding scenes in which characters came close to danger. This is a thriller that is hard to put down and had me guessing until the end. I enjoyed it overall but wished for more explanation around certain aspects that seemed to play important parts in the story, such as why Nicole’s high tech home had “glitches”. This was mentioned frequently and seemed important at times but got lost in the storyline.
#NetGalley #WilliamMorrow

Unfortunately this book was not for me and I ended up DNF-ing around 65% I still want to thank William Morrow because I’ve been a Gilly MacMillan fan in the past and still am.

The book opens with Nicole’s husband Tom found dead in the pool. The two have newly come into money after winning the lottery. Their neighbors, Sasha and Olly seem to be up to no good.

The book is well written, I have no complaints with that at all, I just could not get into the story to save my life. There is not enough character development, and it feels like we are supposed to know what these characters are up to and all about without actually knowing them.

The book flips between present time and a diary kept by the owner of the house Sasha and Olly are living in rent free. It’s clear that they took advantage of that situation.

Overall, my biggest issue is that I couldn’t connect with the characters, I was bored, and I just couldn’t get into it.

I think that fans of slow burn thrillers and mysteries will really enjoy this one, and I don’t want to discourage anyone from giving it a chance.

Nicole and Tom are just making ends meet, until they win the lottery. They build a beautiful home on the grounds of Lancaut Manor. They are enjoying the finer things and getting use to their new status when tragedy strikes. Tom is found dead in the pool. Nicole is heartbroken and lost without him. She has nice neighbors who are happy to help her sort things out, or so she thinks.

This story is crazy; full of manipulation, jealousy, deceit, lies and murder. No one is what they seem, trust no one. Ms. Macmillan does a wonderful job of leading us down different paths at the same time. Just when you think you know where this is going, plot twist. And then a few more to keep you turning the page. Enjoyable read but towards the end I was ready for it to conclude. Characters are so realistic, some you just hate, some you’ll feel sorry for and others will totally surprise you. Told from many points of view but very easy to follow. Shorter chapters add to the suspense and keep the story flowing.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Oh my goodness! Gilly Macmillan is one of my favorite authors, and The Manor House did not disappoint! I love how developed her characters were, from Olly and Sasha, to Nicole and Tom, to Anna and Kitty, to the two detectives, and Patrick and the vagabond. With a huge cast of characters, it would be easy to lose track of the story, but each chapter is from a different perspective. I really appreciated how the day of Tom's death was seamlessly woven in detail by detail to create a suspenseful whodunit mystery. The only part I didn't love was the secret from Nicole's past - I almost wish that had been left out as I think the ending would have been even more satisfying. There definitely were a few loose ends that could have been tied up, but overall, I loved this book!

Nicole and Tom Booth have literally hit the jackpot when they win the lottery. Nicole carefully manages their winnings, but the couple does build a custom house located on a peninsula between England and Wales. The neighborhood is upscale, and their glass home is next door to the Manor House that Nicole knows from her childhood. All their money can’t keep tragedy from striking, though, and one day, Nicole finds Tom dead in their swimming pool. She turns to her neighbors at the Manor House, Sasha and Olly, and their housekeeper, as well as an old friend of Tom’s. However, it seems like several people are keeping secrets, which could put Nicole in danger.

I love the premise of this book. The first few chapters start slowly but set up a tense, foreboding atmosphere. The story is told from multiple points of view, mixed in with journal entries from five years in the past from a woman with an unknown tie to the current events. Everything eventually all comes together, but as you’re reading the book, the journal entries interrupt the flow of the narrative about events going on in the present. Things continue to slowly build, but then things pick up when several plot twists occur. The author does a great job in creating characters so vivid that I had a strong, negative reaction to a few of them. This shows how skilled the author is. However, I still found some parts of the story hard to get through because the actions of a couple different characters are so appalling. The ending is surprising and satisfying in this imaginative thriller.

~ Christine

This was a creepy slow burn mystery full of twists I didn’t see coming!

The characters were compelling! I did like some more than others and one of them did have the same name as me which was a little strange lol. This story was told from different povs, which I loved, but it did include a pov of the murder victim. As it was intriguing to read Tom’s own account of the day he died, at the same time I didn’t love it.

The mystery itself was creepy! I loved how the smart house played a role and I really enjoyed the twists!! The story itself was a bit of a slow burn and I think it would have been better if it was about 50 pages less.

This was an enjoyable story with great scenic descriptions and I can’t wait for what the author writes next.

Pub date: 11/7. OUT NOW!

This eARC was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Nicole and Tom have become lottery winners. Now, they have bought a place called the Glass Barn nearby a palatial place called the Manor House. When Nicole comes home one day, she is shocked to find Tom dead in the pool.

Olly and Sasha live in the Manor house. Olly is a writer and Sasha teaches Yoga.

Nick and Anna originally owned the Manor House. They were taken with its intricate history and Medieval markings on the walls. When Nick died, Anna was bereft and soon felt like she had no friends and her memory wasn’t what it used to be. Sasha who taught yoga encouraged Anna to join and soon became close to the woman.

There are a lot of characters here in addition to Hal and Jen, the police investigating Tom’s death. There were times I wondered what I was reading and how naive some people can be. But, that’s what makes this plot so compelling. In life, you wonder whom you can truly trust and that’s true in this novel. Be ready for a story the likes of which you have probably never read before. Enjoy!

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

A Couple win the lotter and build their dream home in the country. It is a glass barn with all the security systems money can buy. Nicole comes home from a Country show to find her husband, Tom, dead in the pool and a head wound. She runs to the neighbors for help after calling the police. The police are suspicious right from the start. The story is told from several points of view interspersed with extracts from a journal. You also hear from Tom on the day he dies as what he is up to throughout the day, before he dies. This story has many twists and turns and tries to lead you into different directions as to what may have happened. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC.

Did I love it? No. Did I hate it? No.
It was super twisty and in some places, very outlandish. It was slow to start with some good parts and some totally weird parts

Thank you to netgalley & William morrow publishing for the eARC!

3.5 ⭐️

What a ride this thriller was! Things started out fast from the start with the main plot point happening within the first chapter. The character development was amazing. We really got to know each character & the motivations behind their actions which is hard to do with this many POVs usually. I also really enjoyed the change in the writing with the flashbacks to Tom’s POV & entries from Anna’s diary. Unfortunately, after the initial event, the pacing slowed down. It still kept my interest but it wasn’t like I couldn’t put it down. There was a lot going on during most of the book & not all of it felt necessary. There was 1 plot twist about halfway through the book but after that everything played out kind of predictably. I enjoyed the read, it’s a good thriller but not an edge of your seat, unpredictable read like I’m usually drawn to.

This ARC was provided by the publisher on exchange for an honest review

My advice when reading this intriguing book? Don't take anything for granted. It's got more twists than a 10-pound bag of licorice sticks.

Nicole and Tom love their new home - an eye-popping custom-built model with lots of glass, a secluded location and a plethora of accoutrements including Tom's Maserati. But it wasn't always this way; not long ago, in fact, they were barely making ends meet. That changed when they won a bundle - several bundles, actually - in the lottery. Now they're living like the king and queen that Nicole always dreamed they would.

Then tragedy strikes; Nicole comes home from an outing and finds Tom dead in their swimming pool. She runs screaming to their neighbors' Manor House for help - the folks who sold Nicole and Tom the land for their dream house. Sasha and Olly are sympathetic, as is Kitty, their housekeeper who lives in their coach house. And so is Tom's longtime friend Patrick, with whom he recently had a major falling out; now, Patrick has returned with a giant apology and a promise to help Nicole get on with her life.

Tough situation, and one that gets worse by the day after the police begin to question whether Tom's death really was an accident. But at least Nicole is surrounded by friends and neighbors who can help her navigate the rough spots, right? Well, maybe, maybe not. Through flashback chapters, readers get glimpses into all the characters and events that led up to Tom's death. Mind you, I'm not a fan of this kind of writing; normally, it causes more confusion than it's worth. Here, however, I actually looked forward to them - and found my jaw dropping at more than one revelation. Put another way, just when I thought I had things figured out, I didn't.

By the end, I was so engrossed that I was actually happy to have an extra hour to finish the book (that was the night we set back the clocks to wipe out Daylight Savings Time - usually the biggest bummer night of my entire year). All in all, a treat to read - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K., Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Gilly is a master at creating novel that will make you want to stay up late flipping the pages.

Another winner Gilly!

This was definitely a wild ride! It was such a twisty and at times very dark novel. I did enjoy it, I just think it could have been about 100 pages shorter.

Gilly Macmillan (favorite author) returns following The Long Weekend and The Nanny with her latest taut, twisty, atmospheric psychological thriller, THE MANOR HOUSE. A couple wins the lottery and builds a beautiful home next to neighbors who may not be trustworthy.

A murder, deception, journal entries, gaslighting, and an ongoing whodunit collide when the past meets the present. Everyone wants a piece of the action when you are a lottery winner.

Tom and Nicole are in love, childhood sweethearts, married, and have just won the lottery. They want to keep it quiet and are building the house of their dreams. A beautiful glass smart home barn mansion amid luxurious grounds they called The Glass Barn. They cannot wait to move in and, hopefully, children to follow.

It is located on the Lancaunt Peninsula, an outcrop formed by a dramatic bend in the River Wye, on the border between England and Wales. They have it all, from the home, pool, luxury cars, and everything they have always wanted.

Their neighbors, Olly (writer) and Sasha (yoga instructor) live in the Grand Manor House, and their housekeeper, Kitty, in the adjacent coach house. The two mansions are entirely different. Tom and Nicole's Glass Barn is new and modern, whereas The Manor House is old, grand, and Gothic, with creepy tunnels.

After six months, they have started trying for a baby. When the worst possible thing that could happen—Nicole comes home to find the music blaring, and Tom is face down, drowned in their pool. She is frantic and seeks her neighbor's help.

Was this an accident, or did someone murder Tom?

Detectives Hal and Jen are leading the investigation. Who murdered Tom, and what motive? Can Olly and Sasha be trusted? What about Patrick, Tom's old friend who wanted money? Could he protect her?

From the past (five years earlier) to the present (The Day of his death) to one month to ten months later —told from alternating POVs: Nicole, Tom, Olly, Sasha, Hal/Jen (detectives), Kitty (maid), and the mysterious Anna's journal.

Macmillan sets the stage brilliantly with her vivid descriptions of architecture and design, which draw you into the atmospheric, lush setting.

THE MANOR HOUSE is multi-layered, full of plot twists, turns, suspense, menace, and some unreliable characters, keeping you guessing which characters are to be believed and which are cons. The two mansions are like additional characters. Anna's diary entries added intrigue and mystery.

There is another layered revenge plan besides the murder mystery, which keeps readers on the edge of their seats!

As always, the author delivers another fabulous whodunit psychological suspense with excellent characterization! For fans of Carol Goodman, Shari Lapena, Riley Sager, A.J. Banner, and Sarah Pearse.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
Pub Date: Nov 7, 2023
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The plot was good and I enjoyed the story, but some parts felt like it just dragged on. I liked the multiple POV but found it hard to like most of the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!