Far too much build up in this story. I did enjoy the last 3/4 of the book, the twist was surprising.

So I'm a little torn-- the best thing about this is definitely the mood. I wish it had been more about Loch Ness, but it was maybe more of a family drama/murder mystery. It was slow and intense, and then the payoff was unexpected. I'm glad the narrator was terrific, which made it possible to stay with the story even when it was slow.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future

Loved this book. Once I started it I had to finish it the same day and listened non stop. Great plot and characters. Perfect narration as well. Plenty of times it left me guessing and wondering what would come next. I also loved the setting as well.
Great job all around.

A great debut! A thrilling journey of a slow-burning mystery. Claire Ackroyd paints a vivid picture and brings these settings to life. Dual timelines add to the suspense and uneasy feeling of unreliable characters.

It's been 12 years since a 19-year-old boy mysteriously disappeared from the shores of Loch Lomond, the same night Stephanie's family camped on its shores. In the years that followed, the already fragile family dynamic has shattered, and Stephanie hasn't seen her mother, father, or sister for five years. But now, her sister Aurelie is getting married, and Stephanie feels compelled to go, seeking answers to not one, but two mysteries that have haunted her, whilst trying to keep more from surfacing.

From here, the story unfolds gradually, and you wade through the mystery with Stephanie with a sense that something is submerged just below the surface. As the story unfolds, so does the fact that the main character is morally grey- flawed and complicated, which is always far more appealing to me. This is definitely a slow burn, that keeps you on edge and deliciously uncomfortable without relying on big shocks. Themes of complex family relationships, self-discovery, identity and buried trauma run through the story, adding depth to the mystery.

I went into this novel hoping for an atmospheric murder mystery set upon a Scottish loch, and did find myself wishing, much like Stephanie, that I was back in the Highlands where the book began.
Nonetheless, I was drawn into this thriller not only by the tale but by the audio narration, which, despite pulling me out of the story at times with a less than perfect Scottish accent, was suited to the tone with a calm, emotionally resonant delivery.
All in all, a solid story and an admirable strong debut from Claire Ackroyd. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy psychological mysteries with a literary, introspective tone.

Content warning: drowning, cancer, self-harm, infidelity, mental illness, deportation, bullying, death, car crash

Stephanie is haunted by the ghosts of the past. The ghosts of that one summer that split her family apart, that had her best friend deported, and that saw the disappearance of a young man at her family's campsite. The ghosts have secrets, and on the eve of her estranged sister's wedding, the secrets threaten to surface once more.

This was a multilayered twisty, turny thriller that had me guessing to the end. We have the main story arc of "what happened the night the man went missing"; we have the arc of Stephanie and Jennifer; we have the mother's secrets; and much, much more. One thing gets revealed and then another new surprise is lurking in the shadows. The story alternates between the "now" and the "then" to fill in the backstory, and the pace is slow and measured until it's really not.

Told from Stephanie's (unreliable) POV, few of the characters were actually likeable, and the end left me stunned.

I had this book as an ebook via Amazon First, and as an audiobook via NeGalley. The audio narration by Elizabeth Knowelden was an excellent accompaniment to the book, with Knowelden excelling at the accents and the pacing and the emotion to keep the listener on the edge of their seats until the very end.

~I recieved a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own~

Twelve years ago, Peter Ferguson drowned in Loch Ness, and no one knows what really happened. Stephanie Trent and her family were camping on the shores when it happened, and now she’s back, hoping to get some answers finally. With her sister Aurelie getting married, the whole family is reuniting, and old secrets start bubbling up.

This one was a bit hard to get into. It’s a slow burn with dual timelines, and not much happens early on. But once it picked up, I was intrigued. There were a few twists that caught me off guard in a good way. Still, the ending didn’t quite do it for me.

I wanted to love it, but didn't. The audio narration, though, was fantastic!

Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for the free audio copy.

Thank you Blackstone Audio and NetGalley for a copy of this audio book for review purposes. I loved this book. Stephanie lives near Loch Ness as an artist in residence. She is invited to her sister Aurelie’s wedding and the two haven’t spoken for 12 years. Stephanie is a very literal person and goes to the wedding against her better judgement. This book is told in a back and forth manner between the present and 2005 when the family was camping in Scotland. On a stormy night, a young man named Peter Ferguson disappeared. Odd that Stephanie lives in a cottage on his parents’ property. Or that the man, Alistair, that her sister is marrying is one of three people who harassed Peter at his restaurant job. Or that her mother’s alibi for the night Peter disappeared is sketchy at best. Stephanie’s father is remarried with two children. Things unfold quickly. I found this book to be thoroughly engaging. This is her first book, and it is wonderful. This would make a great book for book club. It would also make a good beach read. Pack this one and thank me later!

This is not a bad book at all but it was not a book for me. I could not stay focused, despite the decent narration.

I just finished listening to a good audiobook. The Surfacing by Claire Ackroyd is available now. Check it out.

I thought the narrator was great however the story a little lacklustre.

The book was slow to unfold and rather predictable, I didn’t feel the characters were fully developed to make me feel for the story and where it was heading and why. Not enough emotion or pace to keep me engaged. I did finish but however was quite underwhelmed.

This audiobook was a slow burn that couldn’t quite keep my attention. It had dual time lines from 2005 and current, which normally is a good thing. However, I couldn’t get into either one.

The ending twist was good and I enjoyed the narration. I listened at 2X.

All in all, this wasn’t for me.

3-3.5 stars.
Initially it took me a bit to get into this book. Once I got about 1/4 of the way into the book, it began to get better.
Buckle up for a slow burn thriller. As I always say, this book has all of the ingredients of a great thriller.
Tension is the atmosphere and you could cut it with a knife (pun intended). There are grudges, family secrets, a friend who disappeared years ago where the FMC was camping, dysfunctional family (and that is being generous), and grief sprinkled on top.
Stephanie, our FMC, returns to her family for her sister's wedding, extremely reluctantly. However, her Mother writes her and because her Mother is dying of cancer, she decides to go - but with a plan to uncover secrets that have haunted the past 12 years.
I was disappointed in the end.. unless this is being set up for a second book, then the ending would make more sense. I was left a bit unsettled because I didn't feel I got closure.
The structure of the plot was okay - there are dual timelines but all told in first person POV (Stephanie's). Dual timelines are soooo hard to write. This was done decently, but I think it still needs a bit of context work because there were a few spots I had to go back a few lines to make sure I knew where I was in time. The pace was SLOW. Tons of details that I think could be removed to improve the space. I also think this needs one more round of editing - incorrect use of word tense throughout.
There were so many characters. They were somewhat developed - most were surface level. I did relate to some of Stephanie's sarcasm. I did feel that Stephanie was very dry. She almost seemed like she may be on the higher level of the spectrum, and I hope that was the case. This wonderful group of folks need more representation in books (my sister is a person with autism).
Overall - if you can tolerate a slow burn thriller, you will enjoy this book.
I think it is worth the read if you go into the book forewarned.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Happy Reading!

This is an interesting story that focuses on how Stephanie and her family are less than honest with the police the day after they are interviewed - along with several others at their campsite - regarding the disappearance of a young man near Loch Ness during a storm the night before.

Although these events took place many years ago, they have remain a festering sore, alienating Stephanie's family members from each other and affecting their interpersonal dynamics.

And while her mother wants to prevent anyone from finding out what they did and why, Stephanie has finally decided to return from her arts residency in Scotland to attend her sister's wedding in England in order to finally face up to a past that still haunts her.

This book was a mixed bag for me. Although I wanted to know the real story of what happened to Peter, the missing young man, and the back story of Stephanie's friendship with Jennifer was also interesting, parts of the book dragged a little and I think the pacing could have been better.

The writer does do very well in terms of atmospheric storytelling, bringing alive the settings, especially those in Scotland. If you like beautiful prose and a slowly unfolding plot, this could be a good fit for you. It gets 3.5 stars.

Claire Ackroyd’s ‘The Surfacing’ is a brooding and atmospheric psychological thriller that deftly intertwines family secrets with a deeply unsettling mystery.

From the outset, the novel establishes a haunting tone, pulling the reader into a world where the past refuses to stay buried. The premise itself is compelling, offering layers of intrigue that kept me invested in uncovering how the narrative would unfold.

One of the novel’s strongest elements is its vivid setting and an evocative backdrop that enhances the sense of unease, allowing the environment to feel like a character in its own right. The moody and isolated landscape amplifies the tension, creating an immersive reading experience. Despite this richness, I found the pacing to be somewhat slow, with certain moments lingering a bit longer than necessary. While this deliberate unfolding may add to the atmospheric quality, it occasionally tested my patience.

The mystery itself is engaging, woven with enough twists to maintain intrigue. I found myself eager to piece together the clues and understand the depths of the story. However, while the plot was compelling, the character development didn’t quite match its full potential.

One undeniable strength of the book was its narration. The prose was smooth and well-paced, making it easy to stay engaged even when the plot took its time to develop.

Overall, an atmospheric and well-written thriller that succeeds in creating an eerie, immersive experience. While its mystery is compelling and its setting beautifully rendered, I found myself craving deeper character exploration to fully connect with the story’s emotional core. Nonetheless, it remains a captivating read that will appeal to those who enjoy slow-burn psychological mysteries with an evocative sense of place.

Claire Ackroyd delivers a twisty, atmospheric page-turner that slowly unravels the truth behind a drowning, a fractured family, and a sisterly reunion that’s anything but sweet. I was hooked from the first whisper of suspicion to the final, jaw-clenching reveal.

Perfect for fans of slow-burn suspense and stories where the real monsters aren’t in the water—they're at the wedding.

Thank you Claire Ackroyd, Brilliance, and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

#thesurfacing #netgalleyarc #netgalleyreview #netgalley #arcreview #arc #arcreader #review #somanybookssolittletime

Claire Ackroyd’s The Surfacing is a gripping psychological thriller that masterfully weaves family secrets with a haunting mystery. Twelve years after Peter Ferguson’s tragic drowning in Loch Ness, Stephanie is forced to confront the shattered past when her sister Aurelie’s wedding reunites their fractured family.

As old wounds reopen and whispers of suspicion swirl through the celebration, tensions rise and buried truths begin to emerge. Ackroyd’s storytelling is atmospheric and suspenseful, pulling listeners into a web of secrets that threatens to unravel everything. The narrator’s nuanced performance perfectly captures the emotional complexity and mounting dread, making it impossible to stop listening.

The Surfacing is a chilling tale of loyalty, betrayal, and the lengths we go to protect—or expose—the truth. A compelling, dark family drama that lingers long after the final chapter.

This story follows our FMC Stephanie as she attends her estranged sister Aurelie's wedding with an ulterior motive of trying to solve a mystery from their past. The story is moody and atmospheric, and I found the pacing to be a bit slow. There is also some timeline jumping that I found confusing to follow in the audiobook format. That being said, the narrators voice is so lovely! I found the writing to be a bit verbose for my taste, but at least I enjoyed listening to it! While this wasn't my favorite, I would rate it a solid three stars, and will be checking out what Claire Ackroyd comes out with next.


I'd like to thank Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing, and author Claire Ackroyd for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

The Surfacing by Claire Ackroyd was a good listen, atmospheric, well-written, and intriguing enough to keep me interested throughout. The setting was vivid, and the premise had a lot of potential, which is what initially drew me in. I found myself pulled along by the mystery and wanting to know how it would all unfold.

That said, I felt like the story didn’t quite go as deep as it could have. The characters, while interesting, felt a little underdeveloped. I would’ve loved more emotional nuance and backstory to fully connect with them and their motivations. The narration itself was smooth and well-paced, which made it easy to stay engaged, even when the story felt a bit surface-level.

Overall, I enjoyed it and would still recommend it to a friend, especially someone who likes a quiet, slow-burning mystery. It’s a solid listen, just one that I wish had dug a little deeper.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook copy.