This is not the first time I have encountered this pair of sleuth!

Canadians Charlie and Simm run a bar in Montreal, but never completely let go of their former role as private detectives. Simm's family is rich, but, disliking the predatory way his forebearers made his money, he had opted to carve his own path in life. Charlie hopes to start a family, though her husband remains ambivalent about that.

Out of the blue, an old client steps back into their lives, after his brother died in a fire. His considerable inheritance and all papers relating to it has disappeared......

The couple decide to spend a week in Niagara and stay in Noah's old mansion, which has fallen jnto disrepair. They are joined by Noah and the sister of his late wife, Sarah, who has a passion for family history and, surprisingly, Simm's estranged brother Walter and his wife, Clarissa.

Sarah descovers there is more to the mansion than msets the eye, sure there is a hidden tunnel with hidden rooms under the premises, S she decodes the clues inside the diary of one of Noah's ancestors. Simm. Meanwhile, is sure that Moah's brother was murdered, looking for clues any of the neighbours might give.

This is where the story takes a decidedly gothic turn, as hidden tunnels and rooms do indeed reveal themselves. Charlie starts to hear strange noises, becoming convinced the house may have a paranirnal dimension too. Then come death threats, and actual attacks on on or two of the six very different inhabitants. Someone in the house is a possible murderer, but who could be the wrong doer?

There is a lot more suspense built up with each chapter, and the reveal is enough of a surprise-but-not surprise to make for a most satisfying ending. Then there is the human dimension where unfinished business from an earlier novel gets resolved, and certain family reach a better reconciliation.

The gothic demensions with the secret rooms and evil ancestors were personally enjoyable, though other may find this a little contrived, and prefer the messier noir direction in evidence before.

Either way it does make for a great thriller, set in one of the more atmospheric and picturesque parts of Canada.

This gothic thriller is a good one for those of us who like to 'join in' and solve the mystery.

I was hooked and had great fun trying to follow the clues and help Charlie and Simm.

I enjoyed the setting and the story unfolded beautifully. There is a mansion filled with secrets, a mystery of double dealing and loads of drama.

Cahrlie and Simm are fabulous characters and they are on the case of a missing family fortune. There are lots of additonal characters that keep the mystery alive and I think this is a very good read.

I wasn’t sure how I felt coming into this book as I at first wasn’t particularly in the mood for a gothic thriller but with its publication date coming this week on July 3rd, I wanted to make sure to get it done.

Thankfully my mood changed very quickly as I got entrenched into the world that AJ McCarthy created. The book was definitely engaging and filled with twists and turns, some predictable and some not. It was a very well written book which definitely put the reader into the creepy run down mansion of a setting.

On a side note if there was a real life setting such as this, which I’m sure there is somewhere, it would have been a perfect marketing opportunity to do a “giveaway” of an k weight experience in said place like what Simon and Schuster did with A J Barkers newest release. But I digress…

If you’re looking for a thriller that will keep you on your toes and draw you into the prose, this is a perfect read for you!
It comes out July 3, 2025 .

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from Black Rose Writing through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again