THE MANOR HOUSE

5 stars out of 5

My advice when reading this intriguing book? Don't take anything for granted. It's got more twists than a 10-pound bag of licorice sticks.
 

Nicole and Tom love their new home - an eye-popping custom-built model with lots of glass, a secluded location and a plethora of accoutrements including Tom's Maserati. But it wasn't always this way; not long ago, in fact, they were barely making ends meet. That changed when they won a bundle - several bundles, actually - in the lottery. Now they're living like the king and queen that Nicole always dreamed they would.

Then tragedy strikes; Nicole comes home from an outing and finds Tom dead in their swimming pool. She runs screaming to their neighbors' Manor House for help - the folks who sold Nicole and Tom the land for their dream house. Sasha and Olly are sympathetic, as is Kitty, their housekeeper who lives in their coach house. And so is Tom's longtime friend Patrick, with whom he recently had a major falling out; now, Patrick has returned with a giant apology and a promise to help Nicole get on with her life.

Tough situation, and one that gets worse by the day after the police begin to question whether Tom's death really was an accident. But at least Nicole is surrounded by friends and neighbors who can help her navigate the rough spots, right? Well, maybe, maybe not. Through flashback chapters, readers get glimpses into all the characters and events that led up to Tom's death. Mind you, I'm not a fan of this kind of writing; normally, it causes more confusion than it's worth. Here, however, I actually looked forward to them - and found my jaw dropping at more than one revelation. Put another way, just when I thought I had things figured out, I didn't.

By the end, I was so engrossed that I was actually happy to have an extra hour to finish the book (that was the night we set back the clocks to wipe out Daylight Savings Time - usually the biggest bummer night of my entire year). All in all, a treat to read - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan (William Morrow, November 2023); 331 pp.