Dead of Night is a suspenseful thriller infused with almost gothic elements. Suffering writer's block since the death of her partner, bestselling author Serena Winters decides a change of scenery might help. Leaving NYC for a magnificent clifftop house on the California coast, Serena discovers that the house has a past as mysterious as the books she writes: 30 years ago, the family living there disappeared in the middle of the night. With the story serving as inspiration for her next book, Serena finds herself drawn into the mystery of what happened, but her interest in the story draws attention from someone in town who obviously doesn't want the mystery solved because Serena starts to receive threatening notes and questioning her sanity. Gray does an excellent job of turning a beautiful beach house into an ominous setting, with an ever-watchful neighbor, locked door to the basement, and sinister noises in the night. The story alternates between Serena's perspective in the present and that of two other characters connected to the house 30 years ago. Excellent pacing, relatable characters, and an intriguing plot make this book a 5 star read for me!

I binged this book. The opening pages were laced with mystery, and once I got into Serena Winters' POV, I was hooked. As an author, I could understand her struggle to get her next book going and her need for inspiration. I loved how in the process of seeking a change of scenery, she tumbled into the mystery of missing family. The POVs from the other characters, including a missing wife and a young girl, rounded out the plotting well. This story has that addictive popcorn thriller vibe that readers are seeking nowadays.

Now this is a cool thriller!!! I loved the excitement and fast pace! It’s my first read by Lisa Gray & won’t be my last! Running to add all of her many books to my TBR shelf!

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

This was the first book that I’ve read by this author and it was just okay for me. I would have liked it to have been more fast-paced and more character driven.

When a grieving writer temporarily moves to a small town in California in order to deal with the twin challenges of a lack of ideas for her next book and the realisation that her partner was cheating on her before he died (and that she played an unwitting role in his death), the last thing she expects is inspiration from a most unusual source.

But it turns out that the rental house that she is living in has a macabre history, after a family went mysteriously missing several decades before. Nevertheless, however fascinated Serena may be by what may have happened to them, there is someone who does not want her following up this particular story...

A really excellent read, this was a story that had me gripped. And this book has earned Lisa Gray a place on my auto read list!

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Dead of Night’ written by Lisa Gray in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Best-selling crime writer Serena Winters is suffering from writer’s block after experiencing the death of her partner Michael and is persuaded by her literary agent to get away for the summer. As soon as Serena arrives at The Cliff House she learns about Dani, Bill and Charlotte Dupries who lived there some years previously and becomes intrigued by their disappearance. When Serena starts asking questions it becomes clear that not only is she good at writing mysteries but is also good at solving them, and that someone in Seaton Point wants her gone before she learns the truth.

‘Dead of Night’ is an explosive thriller that’s grabbed me from the start and hasn’t let go as it tells of the events that happened in 1994 leading up to the present time. The suspense rapidly increases with adrenaline-filled twists and turns and character descriptions so insightful that it’s impossible to know who to trust or guess in advance what’s going to happen to Serena. It’s a brilliantly written thriller with such a compelling plot that it caught my imagination and I haven’t been able to stop reading. I recommend this thriller for anyone who loves a gripping read and have no hesitation in giving it a well-deserved five stars.

This book had me hooked from the first page and didn’t let go! The creepy, isolated beach house setting, the shifting points of view, and the constant suspense kept me turning pages (and hitting replay on the audiobook). 😱 Every time I thought I had it figured out, a twist would hit, leaving me shocked and desperate for more.

The audiobook made the experience even better. The narrator delivered an immersive performance that brought Serena’s fear and confusion to life. Listening felt like stepping into her shoes and walking that haunted shoreline yourself.

Dead of Night isn’t just a thriller; it’s a psychological ride with characters you’ll love to question and a story that keeps you guessing until the very end. If you enjoy twisty, atmospheric thrillers that get under your skin, this one’s a MUST. And trust me, the ending will leave you speechless!

Add it to your TBR if you haven’t already! 📖💥

Thank you SO MUCH to @thrillerbookloversthepulse , Thomas & Mercer, and @netgalley for this #gifted e-ARC & ALC!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Thomas&Mercer for the book #DeadOfNight by #LisaGray. I absolutely loved this chilling book with secrets, deceit and murder. Serena is a famous author who hasn’t written a word since her partner died. She decided to rent out a house in California for a change of scenery. There are people talking about that houses history and three people that went missing many years ago. Serena decides she wants to try and find out what happened to these missing people and ends up finding trouble from someone that doesn’t want the past revealed. Can she get to the bottom before she is a victim?

🌟 F I V E S T A R F R I D A Y book tour review 🌟 featuring “Dead of Night” by Lisa Gray!

Serena Winters is a best selling crime author, but lately finds she has writers block like no other. She feels a lot of guilt and grief over the sudden death of her partner and decides an escape from NYC is exactly what she needs.

Serena rents a luxurious house located on the edge of a cliff in a small town in California. She has high hopes that the change of scenery will distract her from her grief and allow her to focus on her writing. With deadlines quickly approaching, Serena needs to get her head in the game. That is until she finds out about the history of the house and the family who disappeared from it 30 years ago without a trace. Serena becomes obsessed with finding out more about the cold case … and the more she digs for information, the easier the words start to flow on her newest book.

When threatening notes start to show up, the porch lights get smashed in, doors are found open and items go missing around the house, it becomes obvious that someone doesn’t want Serena to dig up the past. Now the crime writer finds herself in the middle of an actual crime! Who can Serena trust and what really happened 30 years ago??

I LOVED THIS BOOK! The small town isolation, house full of secrets and twisted intimidation had me glued to the pages! Everyone at #thepulse is raving about this one and Lisa is an author to put on your radar!

Thank you kindly to @lisagraywriter @brilliancepublishing @thrillerbookloversthepulse for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review and spot on this book tour! This book releases on May 15, 2025 and is a must read summer thriller!

This moves back and forth between POVs and time periods to tell the story of what happened at the house and in the town where Serena. a crime writer, has gone to find peace and regain her mojo after the death of her partner. She didn't expect what she found at the house or that she herself would become a target. This has secrets, lies. and dark bad behavior but you will root for Serena. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a quick read thanks to good storytelling.

This was such a great read. Fast paced, with multiple timelines and POVs. There's several different storylines running alongside eachother that all connect by the end and it's done in such a great way. It kept me intrigued thoughout and while I figured out some of the twists, I certainly hadn't expected some of the others.
This was my first read from this author and I'm excited to read more from her.

Lisa Gray has done it again! I loved To Die First, and Dead of Night was just as gripping.

After the tragic death of her partner, bestselling crime writer Serena Winters has hit a bad writer’s block. Desperate for a fresh start and racing against a looming deadline, she retreats to a secluded clifftop house in small-town California. But what begins as a quiet escape quickly turns sinister when Serena learns of the cold case that still haunts the home: a young family vanished from it without a trace thirty years ago.

As Serena digs deeper into the mystery—partly out of curiosity, partly for inspiration—she quickly finds herself tangled in a web of secrets the locals would rather keep buried.

I loved how the author expertly builds tension through multiple timelines and layered perspectives, letting the mystery unfold slowly. The way the timelines intertwined was just cleverly blended and I’m here for it!

The story kept me on edge with each reveal, and just when I thought I had figured it out, Wham, bam, another twist throws me off course.
And that final reveal in the epilogue? Gosh, I really didn’t see that one coming.

Huge thanks to the Lisa Gray and Thomas Mercer for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

After the sudden loss of her partner, bestselling crime author Serena Winters decides to get away from New York City to a secluded clifftop house in small-town California, hoping it will inspire her to write again. But as word of her arrival spreads, not everyone is happy that she is there and accusations that she wants to cash in on the house’s mysterious history begin to circulate. When she uncovers the chilling story of a young family who mysteriously vanished from the very same house thirty years earlier, she can’t help asking more questions…However, someone in the town is determined to stop her and Serena suddenly finds herself in danger. Can she uncover the truth while trying to keep secrets of her own before she becomes the next victim?

Get out the popcorn because this is one addicting thriller! I read it in two sittings but I could have read it in one if I had more time! It was such a quick, easy, fast paced read and I didn’t want to put it down. I was invested in finding out what happened to the missing family and how the dual timelines and alternating points of view came together. It had so many elements that I love in a good thriller…the isolated setting, a mystery from the past, a stalker waiting to make their move, and a main character with secrets of her own! The ending was such a clever twist and definitely had me thinking. So far, this is one of my favorite reads this year!

I was hooked into the story. The plot is real simple, a writer vacations in a small town with a rental property whose previous renters disappeared. Of course the author has to investigate what happened and figure out why they disappeared. You also get the POV from Ruby, a young mom whose child is missing. The stories intertwine, and the plot twist at the end comes out of nowhere! Four stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse for allowing me to read this ARC.

I was given the opportunity via the Thriller Book Lovers (The Pulse) to read this book this month, and I’m glad that I requested it. This is a very “popcorn thriller” type of book. It was very plot driven, not a huge amount of character background, yet it kept my attention and kept my will to find out how it would end going strong. While it was a rather predictable plot, there was a big twist at the end that surprised me. I really love that the book was able to answer all of my questions in the end as well. I did half of this book on my kindle and the other half via audio. The little that I did of the audio was done very well with a clear sounding narrator. If you’re a lover of popcorn thrillers, missing person cases, and creepy yet beautiful vacation homes, definitely pick this one up when it releases on 5/15/2025.

Thank you to Lisa Gray and Amazon Publishing for the ARC! This book has been buzzing around The Pulse lately and I can see why!

When author Serena Winters is suffering from writers’ block after losing her partner and a disastrous last book, she takes a trip to a cliff house to get some serious writing done. But she quickly realizes the house has a chilling past of its own.

I could have read this book in one sitting! Told through multiple timelines, several stories unravel and I was equally invested in all of it! The book almost felt like true crime to me, with its sharp writing style and it just felt so real!

With Lisa Gray’s signature twists, fast pacing and locked room vibe, this one was a winner for me!

“Dead of Night” releases May 15, 2025. This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

🌟𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧🌟
𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔯
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟷𝟻, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤! ★★★★★

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...A crime writer. A cold case. Will she survive to tell the story?….

🌻𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...Lisa Gray does it again!!👏 Her last thriller was a 5 star for me as well!Alright guys, just 🔟 more days until this one hits shelves so save the date. 🙌🎉This one had so many amazing elements…a gripping story line, a creepy setting & so many chapter cliffhangers that leave you frantically flipping the pages. The alternating time lines were merged in so flawlessly and omg, that epilogue! 😱Yasssss, girl!! 🌟

🎧I was lucky enough to have the audio too & it was very well done, but highly recommend BOTH formats of this book.

💘Thanks to @lisagraywriter @amazonpublishing for getting this one out into the world & to my homies at @thrillerbookloversthepulse for letting me read along with you! So fun! 🤩 🤸

Loved the multiple POV’s and timelines. I feel like when a book has that, it makes the whole book feel much more fast paced. Each chapter left you on a cliffhanger where you just HAD to keep reading. Couldn’t put it down! But also had to turn the lights on because of how creeped I got at certain points 👀🙈. So many twists and surprises! I absolutely must go read The Final Act now 🥰

I really enjoyed this book! It was so twisty and suspenseful! I loved that Serena, a bestselling author, decides to dig into the mysterious disappearance of the family who used to live in the secluded cliff top home that she's temporarily renting. There were a few different timelines and POVs to keep up with in this one, but the author did a great job, and I was able to keep it all straight. I liked how everything came together in the end!

This book could easily be read in one sitting. I started it one night when I went to bed, and finished it the next morning! There's a reason that everyone over at The Pulse @thrillerbookloversthepulse has been talking about this one!