Published by William Morrow Genres: Adult Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, thriller
Format: ARC, eBook
The Manor hotel has opened on the Dorset coastline. It’s a luxurious wellness hotel owned by Francesca Meadows. It is a place to relax, be pampered, and enjoy the beautiful setting. What guests don’t know is that the manor has an ugly past. The guests may be in the dark, but there are those who know, those who have been watching, waiting, and planning. Soon old friends, old secrets, and old enemies will collide at the luxury hotel.
I had such high hopes for this book. I was intrigued by the synopsis: a manor, the woods, the secrets. I just knew I was going to love it. But sadly, this one didn’t work for me. I did enjoy the journal entries which gave glimpses into the past and showed the characters as teenagers. There are a lot of characters with various motivations and their connections to the past. Then there are the birds. Francesca is told that she needs to keep them happy. What happens when the birds are not kept happy?
The book is told through various characters POV’s (5 in total). I didn’t mind this and we got their thoughts and motivations. Sadly, I only cared about Eddie, all the other characters fell flat for me. He was the only sympathetic character in the book for me.
Then there are the birds and the black feathers being found at the hotel. I wish this would have been explored and utilized more in the book. This element piqued my interest and I found this to be a nice touch and a nod to the local lore.
I enjoyed the atmosphere and the tension in the book. I thought these were nicely done. I also enjoyed watching as characters began to show their true colors.
I really wanted to love this one, but it just didn’t work for this reader. I can’t fault the writing or the premise. Lucy Foley is a great writer and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
Others enjoyed this book more than I did so please read their reviews as well. We can’t love them all and that is the case with this book.
Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.