The Surfacing by Claire Ackroyd was a well written book and all the characters were perfect for this book. I really enjoyed it. A great holiday read especially as it was a page turner from start to finish. It was ajoy to read sitting in my garden in the shade on my day off.

It was twelve years since teenager Peter Ferguson drowned in Loch Ness in Scotland. On the very same night Stephanie and her sister, Aurelie, were camping on its shores. Sadly their family life as they knew it fell apart, they became sisters that no longer speak to each other. As years go by, Aurelie is getting married, Stephanie realises that a reunion might finally bring the truth out into the open, about that fateful night to the surface.

As the wedding celebrations get underway, tongues loosen amongst the guest , and dangerous whispers circulate all around them. There is real danger that the whole truth will come out about that night which will break them all apart forever.

Secrets maybe hidden deep and forever, but they have a way of coming out to the surface. the clock is ticking and their secrets are boiling to the surface. . . . .

Superb read.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC.

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

The Surfacing by Claire Ackroyd is a slow burning thriller that promises family dysfunction, secrets and mystery. This is the author's debut novel!

Stephanie Trent's family used to go camping every summer at Loch Ness, until one summer a teenager named Peter Ferguson suspiciously drowned. With no leads or clues to what happened, his family has never stopped looking for answers. Now 12 years later the Trent family will reunite for Stephanie's sister Aurelie's wedding to Alistair. Everyone will be there including coworkers and friends of Peter. Stephanie realizes that if she wants answers to what really happened the night Peter died, this wedding is a perfect opportunity. As the festivities start and people begin to loosen up, rumors and speculation run rampant. As Stephanie digs deeper, she may just find something that should have stayed hidden.

I have to be honest, I'm a bit unsure of how to best rate this. For a debut I think it is a strong idea and parts are well done, but other parts I feel don't own up to the potential of what it could have been. The tension and atmosphere is very well done. And the exploration of grief and secrets are strong. I think my problem lies with the character development. I think they needed more depth to make this story really pop. I believe with just a few tweaks that this could be a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Claire Ackroyd and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC! Publication date is June 1st 2025.

The Surfacing by Claire Ackroyd is a slow-burning psychological thriller about dark secrets, grief, and guilt in a dysfunctional family.
This book burns so slowly... Detailed descriptions of nearly everything made me want to skip pages. I constantly struggled to understand why the problem had escalated after so many years. Why now? Because of the wedding? It doesn't make any sense. If this were such a sensitive and important situation, no one would wait 12 years!

One more thing that didn't work for me - constant reminding about the secret! I wanted to scream! I know there is a secret, you reminded this a million times. This is something that really irritates me in any book.

Dual timelines, and thankfully, just from Stephanie's perspective, show what happened to the family over this time.

On a stormy night twelve years ago, Peter went missing by a Loch Ness lake... Stephanie with her family used to camp there every summer until that fateful night. Now they are back because of Stephanie’s sister Aurelie’s wedding. Aurelie's fiancé, Alister, and some more guests used to know Peter, so they believe this is the perfect time to find out what happened.

This is not a bad debut novel, just a bit off for me, but if you look at other reviews, it seems like others enjoyed it so much more, so absolutely give it a go.

Thank you NetGalley for this copy!

I was excited to read this book as the synopsis seemed to tick all the boxes for me!
However, I found that overall, this fell flat. I normally love details in books, but this was so overwhelmingly detailed that I found the actual story was getting lost.
I found the narrator lacked the character needed to keep me engaged. I did finish, but unfortunately this just wasn't for me.

Secrets aplenty are revealed at a family wedding. 

That's all I'm telling you about the synopsis. With dual timelines, we are treated to what happened in the past and how the issues were addressed in the present. I'm a sucker for big secret reveals in thrillers so I loved the shock factor that came with this one.

This was a pretty solid debut by the author. I look forward to reading what she writes next.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this digital ARC!

This had a promising premise where many years ago a boy goes missing by a lake and that is where thr FMC was camping with her family. Now she’s on her way to her estranged sisters wedding and the story unfolds.

This was a very slowburn thriller which I couldn’t get into as I felt the characters lacked depth. It was hard to stay interested despite a clear narrative. I did enjoy the dual timeline.

Overall, a decent read for me.

I enjoyed this book. It was a genuinely a good thriller that I would go ahead and recommend to friends. I liked the writing and it was a good thriller read. I wish there was some more emotion. I couldn't really connect to the characters and they weren't that likeable which is the reason for my rating.

Thank you to the author and publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

★★★

On a stormy night twelve years ago, Peter Ferguson disappeared from the shores of Loch Ness. No one knows what happened that night, and his family has never stopped looking for answers…

Stephanie Trent’s family used to go camping at the shores of Loch Ness every summer until that fateful summer. Much has happened to the Trents since then, and this weekend will be the first time in many years they are reunited. The occasion is Stephanie’s sister Aurelie’s wedding to Alister Brown, who used to work alongside Peter together with his friends who make up the wedding party. If there was ever a time to find out what truly happened to Peter, it will be this weekend.

<i>”None of us knows the deeds of which others are capable. The lies they’ll tell, the crimes they’ll commit. The unseen monsters which lurk in their depths.”</i>

I was quite hooked by the premise but disappointed by the execution and did not get invested in the storyline at all. The characters lacked depth, they felt distant and superficial, and I was not able to connect with any of them.

The story is told in two timelines, past and present. While this offers some insights into the breaking up of Stephanie’s family and her estranged relationship with Aurelie, it feels like too much was filler that did not move the story forward. Similarly, in the present, the wedding weekend is dissected in such a way that I felt like I attended the insufferable event myself.

The writing felt quite monotone and was dragging on. I think tightening it up could have made it snappier and made it a slow-burn indeed. Instead, it fizzled out…

If you are new to the thriller and crime novel genre, you might enjoy this more than I did.

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Claire Ackroyd for a copy. All opinions are my own.

I want to start by saying this is wonderful for a debut. I think it is a debut. Regardless, I enjoyed it and was impressed.

I'll admit, I nearly gave up on it in the beginning but I want to encourage people to stick it out. Our main character, Stephanie, at first seems petty and without substance but that is not the case. Her quirks made me laugh, but as the story continues, we see why she is the way she is and that she isn't without feeling or emotion, she's been hurt. If you give it a chance, she's a likeable main character!

This author has a writing style I ended up admiring. I liked how the story went by the hours instead of long and drawn out. We got snippets of the past, showing us why things are the way they are, along the way. It's easy for that to confuse the story, but I felt it was done seamlessly, even though the past time frames differed.

Stephanie is traveling to her estranged sister's wedding, but she has an ulterior motive. Two disappearances occured years ago and Stephanie is determined to find out which skeleton in her past holds the answers. We hear some Scottish lore along the way, which I found interesting. I thought the loch ness monster wasn't going to be mentioned but luckily I was wrong! Shoutout to Nessie.

This was an easy, accessible read that moved smoothly between the present and the past—something I particularly enjoyed. The narrative was clear and easy to follow, making it a comfortable read. While I wasn’t fully hooked or deeply invested in the storyline, I still found it engaging enough to finish. The ending did take me by surprise, though it didn’t quite deliver the jaw-dropping moment I was hoping for. Overall, it was a decent read, but not a standout for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to be an ARC reader.

Claire Ackroyd's The Surfacing is a gripping psychological mystery that delves into the complexities of family secrets and the haunting nature of unresolved past events. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of Loch Ness, the novel follows Stephanie, who returns to the site of a traumatic event from her youth—the drowning of teenager Peter Ferguson twelve years prior. As her estranged sister Aurelie's wedding approaches, Stephanie is drawn back into the web of secrets that fractured their family.

Ackroyd masterfully builds suspense, weaving together themes of memory, guilt, and the corrosive effects of buried truths. The narrative unfolds with a slow-burning tension, as Stephanie confronts the lingering shadows of that fateful night. The author's evocative prose captures the eerie beauty of the Scottish landscape, enhancing the novel's haunting atmosphere.

Stephanie portrayed as a deeply flawed yet compelling protagonist. I don't like her as I feel she is very self-centered. Though TBH, all the characters in this story are unlikeable and insufferable.

The pacing also feels slow, with most of the plot going round in circles. Nevertheless, the final reveal and twist was somewhat shocking enough. Rating this a 3.5⭐

I finished this book in a couple of hours and just couldn't put it down. It had such a compelling story line that drew me in right from the very start. I was hooked.

A debut domestic noir, Claire Ackroyd’s The Surfacing (2025) is a psychological thriller, based around a wedding. Stephanie and her sister Aurelie haven’t spoken for years, but a letter from their mother encourages Steph to travel to England for Aurelie’s wedding. It’s been twelve years since Steph’s friend has gone missing: teenager Peter Ferguson drowned in Loch Ness, whilst her family was also camped there. The secrets of that night threaten to become exposed over the course of the wedding weekend and then a guest is found dead. A slow burn of a narrative lacking in tension builds towards the climax and the not so surprising truth of what happened on that fateful night and caused such family estrangement. A somewhat average mystery thriller, with a slow reveal whodunnit that is a three star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Lake Union Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

Just a bit more of the same, and I feel like these kinds of books run into one another. It's hard to stand out, I know, but that's what it is.

Thank you to Net Galley & Lake Union Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Genres, settings, categories, themes: mystery, suspense, thriller, slow, family, Scottish highlands, English manor, wedding

POV: 1st person, Stephanie's perspective

Series/Sequencing Style: standalone

Format: ebook (e-arc)

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Overall ratings

~ Characters ~ 3.5/5 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 A bit hard to really puzzle out how everyone is in reality versus what you’re seeing through Stephanie’s lens. Maybe interesting as character studies, although most come off as unlikable.

~ Plot ~ 3.5/5 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 A lot of this book is about the wedding and extra details that felt superfluous. I know some was for dramatic effect and some was to add a tense suspense atmosphere, but ultimately, there was a lot of filler for what was a fairly good plot underneath it.

~ Pacing ~ 3/5 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 a little slow for me personally

~ Writing ~ 4/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 could use one more pass of checking by the editor for minor spelling errors (noted “woman” instead of “women” for example), and the style was a bit odd due to the narrator’s voice, which was a little stunted and choppy (intentionally because we were in her mind)

~ Reading enjoyability & fun ~ 2/5 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

~ Diversity & representation: WLW MC, something is different about Stephanie's brain, but I don't want to try to guess what

~ Sadness level: 2.5/5

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❗CW/Triggers:❗adultery, alcoholism, car crash, drowning, missing-presumed-dead child (by relation, not age - 19-20 yo) parental abandonment, self harm, suicidal thoughts, (more as spoilers in Goodreads review)

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📝 Review/Notes 📝

So this narrator is interesting. Her character is a bit complicated and perhaps confusing in the conclusion.

The unreliable narration of being in Stephanie’s head could prompt discussion points - for example, are these people she hates really so bad? Her sister allowed her to be bullied and never really fixed that, but maybe she wanted to? Early on, we are sympathetic to Stephanie and at least I felt like she was totally fair cutting these people off and assumed her sister was a bad person. But what if that's just because we are seeing things through her perspective and they're actually okay?

Overall, not a bad book, just was a bit off for me, but from other reviews it seems like others enjoyed it more. I just wanted a bit more from it and was left underwhelmed. There was a lot of emphasis on *secrets* and her determination to uncover the past in a way that felt repetitive at one point, and I don't know if I got a ton of satisfaction from how everything wrapped up in the end. More notes on Goodreads review.

Side note: Odd the author named 2 main characters Sarah and Mike and then went on to thank them in the acknowledgments as agent & editor - you didn’t want to choose other names?

I thank Lake union publishing for a copy of ‘The surfacing by Claire Ackroyd.
Stephanie has been invited to her estranged sister’s Aurelie wedding. The sisters hasn’t spoken for a while. But she decides to go to find out the truth when herself her sister and her mother was camping on the shores of Loch Ness twelve years ago. Where teenager Peter Ferguson drowned.
She goes to the wedding with her mother and as the drink flows secrets are revealed. Some things she wasn’t expecting.
I was really intrigued by the blurb and I though this was just up my street, and I liked the premise of this story. But I find that it took quite a different turn, and it was more about Stephanie and her life and her family more that what happened to Peter and who was fault for his death. Don’t get me wrong this book is beautifully written but different to the blurb and I thought the ending was a bit disappointing. 3.5 stars from me.

📚 Book Review: The Surfacing by Claire Ackroyd 🌊

⭐ 3/5 Stars ⭐

The Surfacing by Claire Ackroyd was quite a unique read for me. It’s the first time I’ve come across a book where the chapters are structured as day and time stamps—it definitely stood out and added an interesting layer to the story. Another aspect I found intriguing was the back-and-forth timeline, seamlessly shifting between moments in the past and the present. This kept me engaged and curious about how everything would tie together.

While the story did pull me in and had moments that intrigued me, I found the flow of the book a bit challenging at times. There were sections where I noticed myself stumbling through the narrative—it didn’t always feel as smooth as I would have liked. Despite that, the core of the story was strong and kept me reading.

Now, let’s talk about the ending—wow. I did not see that coming. The twist completely blindsided me, and the reveal of the culprit was a total shock. It was one of those moments that leaves you staring at the page, processing what just happened.

That being said, I do think this is a book you should approach when you’re in a good headspace. There are heavy themes, including discussions about self-image and thoughts of exiting life. If you’re currently struggling with similar feelings, it might be best to hold off and come back to this story when you're in a better place.

Overall, The Surfacing is a gripping read with a powerful, unexpected ending. While there’s room for improvement in the flow, the unique structure and emotional depth make it a book worth considering—just be mindful of the heavier themes.

This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of The Surfacing by Claire Ackroyd, published by Lake Union Publishing
I really enjoyed this novel, I found the characters to be compelling, the plot and setting equally so. I liked how the story was told both past and present. The secrets kept unfolding with every turn of the page. Loved the mystery and twists that kept happening
I would absolutely recommend this book and look forward to reading more novels by this author