This whodunnit had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! It reminded me of a more macabre "Clue", and I loved every twist and turn. That ending had my jaw dropping. Definitely recommend that you pick this one up ASAP!

This book is a mysterious journey, who will choose to stay and follow the rules in an old manor with a history of murder and horror!
The six main characters are different from each other, but they all share a goal, to earn their portion of one million dollars! The characters include someone who survived a previous bloodbath at The Castle, there’s a lot to take in as the story unfolds.
The storyline keeps the questions coming, one is who is the traitor, is there one? Sometimes the details are a bit drawn out but overall you’ll want to know more!

Thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

While this story kept me turning the pages, ultimately I found it a disappointing read. I couldn’t visualise the characters, the house and the plot was thin. Each chapter was devoted to a particular character, but they all had the same ‘voice’.

Tension Fuelled..
Beechwood Castle is the site of one of the most infamous murders in modern history. When six people receive an invitation to spend a night there it may well be a night that they will never forget. An alluring premise draws the reader into a solid mystery with a propulsive plot populated with a deftly drawn and eclectic cast of characters. A pacy narrative laced with an underlying vein of menace maintains the reader momentum throughout. Compelling and tension fuelled.

Book Review: The Traitors by Carissa Ann Lynch

Rating: ★★★★☆

I recently delved into the mysterious and suspenseful world created by Carissa Ann Lynch in her novel, The Traitors, and, it did not disappoint. From the intriguing premise to the captivating characters, this book kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.

In The Traitors, six individuals receive an enigmatic invitation to spend 24 hours in the eerie Beechwood Castle, with the chance to win a portion of one million dollars. However, the dark history of the castle, tainted by a brutal murder, sets the stage for a night filled with treachery and deception. As the night unfolds, it becomes clear that among the six participants, one is an imposter and all are harboring secrets that could prove deadly.

Lynch masterfully weaves a tale of suspense and intrigue, drawing readers into a web of mystery that keeps them guessing until the very end. The pacing of the story is relentless, with twists and turns that will leave you breathless. The author's writing is engaging and evocative, effectively setting the scene within the decaying walls of Beechwood Castle.

One aspect of the book that truly stood out to me was the diverse and well-developed cast of characters. Each individual brought their own secrets and motivations to the table, adding layers of complexity to the narrative. As alliances shift and suspicions rise, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern friend from foe.

I must also commend Lynch on the brilliant cover design of the book, which immediately sets the tone for the thrilling story that lies within its pages. It's evident that the author has a keen eye for detail and knows how to craft a compelling story that keeps readers hooked until the very last page.

In conclusion, The Traitors is a gripping and entertaining read that seamlessly blends mystery, suspense, and a touch of darkness. If you're looking for a book that will keep you guessing and leave you wanting more, look no further than Carissa Ann Lynch's captivating novel.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

The Traitors by C.A. Lynch  is a mystery novel.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Harper Collins, One More Chapter - in particular Chloe Cummings for sending me a widget,  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals,but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Beechwood Castle is now a crumbling mansion, and is about to be renovated by a new, unknown owner.  It has a history of violence, most recently when three teenagers were massacred.    Before the renovations begin,  six people will be invited to spend 24 hours within its haunted walls, and each will be able to claim their portion of the million dollars being offered.

Most, but not all of the six are in need of the money, and all six have done things that are at the most mean, and some unethical.  They are all looking for redemption of some form.

Staci, the true-crime podcaster.  Lolly, the sole survivor of the massacre.  Cornelius, the out-of-work architect.  Penelope, the washed-up author. Bonnie, out on parole.  Rad, the disgraced police officer.  One of these is an imposter.  One of them may be a killer.
 

My Opinions:
This was a bit of a locked-room mystery with a definitely creepy feel.

All of the characters had faults, but a couple of them were easier to like than others.  Lolly, Bonnie and Rad had some redeeming qualities, but I couldn't say I particularly liked the others.  That being said, they were all interesting.

The plot was quite good, and I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong about the murderer -- hence the 4 stars  (I was at 3.5 before that).

The short chapters made it a fast read, and overall, it was a fun, entertaining mystery!

I found this book got more and more stupider as it went on. The initial premise was interesting and i was really invested but it went down hill rapidly at the 50% mark. The characters were initially believable but seemed to become shells of themselves the more you learnt about them. This had so much promise but it failed to deliver on the outcome. I finished this book but really wish i hadn't as my hope it got better never happened.

Fantastic book. Great plot. Great back stories and tying it all in. Kept my attention throughout and did not see the ending coming at all

The traitors is a fantastic locked room mystrey thriller.

I absolutely loved this book

Stay overnight in a run down house and get the chance win part of a milion dollars.

Oh this was so good. Thrilling book with great characters.

Woah!!! A chilling and suspenseful read that will leave you questioning the motives of everyone involved. This thriller is a must-read for anyone that loves being on the edge of their seat….

I thought this sounded really intriguing, but unfortunately I didn't like anything about it once I was reading. All the characters are completely horrible and one-dimensional. I don't mind unlikeable characters, actually I often enjoy them, but it was every single character and they were all just awful and that was all there was to them. I didn't see the reveal of who the murderer was coming, because it was completely unbelievable. I think this could have been really good, but I just don't think it was written or developed well.

Six people are invited to stay the night in a well known house that once had a horrible tragedy. An eclectic group have to survive the night in order to win a cash prize. One person invited was someone who survived that horrible tragedy decades ago. The real question is, who invited them and why? This book was decent. I think locked room horror can be a lot of fun! The downside is that none of the characters are very likable and I didn't really root for any of them. I thought the author did a good job switching around to all the different points of views in each chapter. Also, I liked the build up of the story right until the ending. I did not care for the ending.

I do like a ‘locked room mystery’ so was happy to be offered this to review. It was a shortish read at 270 pages and with that, and how it piqued my interest, I flew through it in a couple of sittings.

The setting of an old and crumbling manor (which was also the site of brutal murders) was very atmospheric. I know this is quite a cliche setting but didn’t detract from me enjoying the story. The story was mysterious, dark and medium paced and didn’t have unnecessary filler or lulls in the story.

I don’t ever try and guess endings. I just go with the flow and see what happens as I’m reading. I wouldn’t have guessed the ending of this one. As I was reading I would flit between characters as to who was the killer. I will say that it did take me by surprise when I got to the end.

If you like Freida McFaddens work then you will enjoy this.

I enjoyed the book's slasher style set up and plot but overall it felt a bit shallow and simplistic. I didn't guess the ending, which was good, but I'm still confused as to why they were all labelled as Traitors.

I thought I would like this book, but I didn't.

All the characters are unlikeable and rather flat. The real plot of the story only starts after the background to all six characters has been presented, which took up nearly half the page-count.

It felt like I was reading a boring account of a game of Among Us - Haunted Mansion version.

I could also maybe have gotten it all wrong and the predictable plot and the flat caricature-like characters are supposed to be a feature and not a bug.

Great book about 6 people invited to spend the night in a house where a brutal murder took place. All are said to be traitors and one an imposter. GREAT who done it that keeps you guessing until the very end, with some awesome twists. I enjoyed and have read other books by this Author.
Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and the Author Carisa A Lynch for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A super quick read that held my attention until the final pages. The character were all unlikeable and the storyline had a few holes but overall a good read.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc

Enjoyed this book, read it over a couple of days. No likeable characters but I think that was the point. I also didn’t quite get the imposter and traitors thing. I can’t quite figure out who betrayed who to make them traitors, but never mind. Good read nevertheless.

Beechwood “castle” is a mansion which is crumbling. Twenty-seven years ago, three teenagers were brutally murdered. One survived. Twenty-seven years on a cream envelope land through the doors of six people inviting them to stay the night at the “castle” If they make it through the night, they will receive a substantial award.
The six people were all very different from one another young and older, with different careers and walks of life. All of them are traitors, and one of them is an imposter.
I felt that the author did a great job of letting us get to know each character and it switched from different characters' POV, building them into real people. The setting was well described making it easy to imagine it.
Each person had their issues and could have been the imposter. Could I guess who the murderer from both incidents was? Absolutely not, this had me guessing the whole time.
This was like watching a scary movie, I didn’t know what would happen next and was on the edge of my seat.
It was a fast-paced, well-written book, I thought it was great!

**3.5-stars**

💙💛😱💛💙😱💙💛😱💛💙😱💙💛😱💛💙

Over 25-years ago, Beechwood Castle was the site of a grisly axe murder. Three teens lost their lives on that gruesome night, while one teen survived. A final girl. In the aftermath of the killing, the local community was left reeling. In an effort to catch the person responsible, a local cop ended up killing a boy he suspected was the murderer, but as it turns out, he was most likely innocent.

The castle has had a rocky history every since, the grounds falling into ruin. Now six people have received invitations for an overnight stay at the infamous castle. The selling point, the chance to win a portion of a million dollar cash payout. All they need to do, make it a full 24-hours on the property.

From the publisher:

'Six people walk into the house. One of them is an imposter, all of them are traitors, which of them will survive the night?'

The Traitors is a hoot! It definitely reads like a B-Horror film, but y'all know that I have no problem with that. It gets categorized as a Locked-Room Mystery, and while I guess I can understand that comp, to me it's the classic set-up for a blood bath of a Horror Thriller.

Sure, there's some mystery as to who is killing people, but to me the blood and brutal slayings sort of take center stage. It is a And Then There Were None format, but with much more of a heavy-handed Horror slant. That's all semantics though, either way, it's a fun time.

I enjoyed the initial character set-up. Getting to meet each of the six people who received a Willy Wonka-esque Golden Ticket invite for the overnight stay at Beechwood. I was instantly reaching for the popcorn as the drama of this cast of unlikable characters began. They each had their own motivations for being there, but who wasn't supposed to be there at all? That was the question.

It seems someone has infiltrated and they begin picking off the competition one-by-one. Is it as simple as that though, or is something else going on?

I had a lot of theories as to what was going on. It's all a bit chaotic, but there's never a lack of action. Lynch keeps the pace going at a nice steady speed throughout. The twists and turns were surprising and they kept me engaged. I wasn't just eating the popcorn, I was throwing it at some of these characters.

This is the third novel I have read by Carissa Ann Lynch and I've had fun with them all. They don't take themselves too seriously. We're all just here for a good time. I would recommend this to anyone who just wants a fun, quick-paced, intense, OTT-dramatic weekend read. If you enjoy multiple kills, unlikable characters and an ominous setting, you absolutely need to check this out. I enjoy all of those things and feel like this novel checks all those boxes.

Thank you to the publisher, One More Chapter, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I had fun with this and am definitely planning to pick up more from Carissa Ann Lynch!