There Should Have Been Eight
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3.1 • 7 Ratings
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
In this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh, a remote estate in New Zealand’s Southern Alps hosts a reunion no one will ever forget.
Seven friends.
One last weekend.
A mansion half in ruins.
No room for lies.
Someone is going to confess.
Because there should have been eight. . . .
They met when they were teenagers. Now they’re adults, and time has been kind to some and unkind to others—none more so than to Bea, the one they lost nine long years ago.
They’ve gathered to reminisce at Bea’s family’s estate, a once-glorious mansion straight out of a gothic novel. Best friends, old flames, secret enemies, and new lovers are all under one roof. But when the weather turns and they’re snowed in at the edge of eternity, there’s nowhere left to hide from their shared history.
As the walls close in, the pretense of normality gives way to long-buried grief, bitterness, and rage. Underneath it all, there’s the nagging feeling that Bea’s shocking death wasn’t what it was claimed to be. And before the weekend is through, the truth will be unleashed—no matter the cost. . . .
Customer Reviews
3.75stars-intriguing and compelling
3.75stars—THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT by Nalini Singh is a contemporary, adult stand alone, mystery thriller focusing on a tight knit group of friends (Darcie, Ash, Kaea, Phoenix, Vansi, Aaron and Luna) who have gathered together to remember someone they lost.
NOTE : Due to the nature of the story line premise including murder, talk of suicide, and miscarriage, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from first person perspective Luna , THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT follows Luna, and her group of friends as they venture together to the old manse owned by the Shepherd family. Approximately nine years earlier, Luna’s best friend, and Darcie’s younger sister Beatrice Shepherd committed suicide, something all of the friends struggle to accept. Fast forward to present day, wherein the surviving friends, plus Aaron’s new fiance Grace, have arranged a weekend together to address the proverbial elephant in the room but from the outset strange happenings, mysterious illnesses, death and poisonings threaten years of friendships when the group begins to point fingers at everyone present. As the friends begin to succumb to illness and possible murder, Luna struggles to accept that anything and everything has an intended victim, and the person(s) responsible maybe one of their own.
From the outset Luna drops hints as to the who, what and why. Luna herself is battling an hidden illness, one of which she has never revealed, but her suspicions will come to fruition when madness, jealousy, and a history of family troubles threaten to resurface as the storied past repeats itself, over and over, again.
We are introduced to a large ensemble cast of questionable and unlikeable secondary and supporting characters including Darcie and Ash, Kaea, Phoenix and Vansi, Aaron and his fiance Grace. As the madness begins to spiral out of control, Luna discovers that someone else has declared themself judge, jury and executioner.
THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, madness and jealousy, greed and retribution, family, friendships, relationships and love. The premise is intriguing and inviting; the characters are eclectic but often one dimensional. The person(s) responsible was easily deduced.