The Long Weekend
A Novel
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3.8 • 237 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
“Twisty, dark, and packs a punch. . . . Gripping and genuinely nail-biting.” — Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium
In this pulse-pounding thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny, a group of women travel to the most remote place in England for a weekend escape, only to discover a startling note that one of their husbands will be killed before they return home. Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.
Three couples
Two bodies
One secret
Dark Fell Barn is a “perfectly isolated” retreat, or so says its website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need.
The women arrive for a girls’ night ahead of their husbands. There’s ex-Army Jayne, hardened and serious, but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young Emily, just wed and insecure, the newest addition of this tight-knit band. Missing this year is Edie, who was the glue holding them together, until her husband died suddenly.
But what they hoped would be a relaxing break soon turns to horror. Upon arrival at Dark Fell Barn, the women find a devastating note claiming one of their husbands will be murdered. There are no phones, no cell service to check on their men. Friendships fracture as the situation spins wildly out of control. Betrayal can come in many forms.
This group has kept each other’s secrets for far too long.
"Fast-paced and incredibly compelling . . . this book will not let you put it down." — Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ruth, Jayne, and Emily, the protagonists of this well-crafted thriller from bestseller MacMillan (To Tell You the Truth), arrive one Friday at Dark Fell Barn, a guesthouse in the north of England, without their husbands, tight-knit school friends who were delayed at the last minute. Not joining the group is another friend, recently widowed Edie, who leaves a note at the barn informing the three women she has killed one of their husbands. With no cell service and a powerful storm trapping them, the three vacillate between panic and assuring themselves it's a mean prank from the manipulative Edie while hiding secrets of their own: physician Ruth has slid into alcoholism since giving birth, former military intelligence analyst Jayne has PTSD, and much younger Emily grapples with her traumatic childhood. Ruth's disappearance early the next morning and one of their husband's showing up alone raises more questions. The revelation of the real killer's identity, after many red herrings, sets up a suspenseful, prolonged but never bloated race to safety. Macmillan effectively shifts perspectives in this twisty, complicated puzzle. Readers will enjoy putting together all the pieces.
Customer Reviews
Good but sad
Story was definitely a good one. Every time I thought I had something figured out, I’d end up being wrong. Twists right til the end. Not a ton of dialogue, mostly narration, which did make me kind of zone out a few times, but still super interesting overall. I will say, the villain, whom you’re introduced to fairly early on, is pretty unlikeable - as villains should be, of course. It seriously……..this individual will make you want to reach through the book and choke them! LOL Overall, I enjoyed it and will explore other offerings from this author.
Too long
The author got ahold of a DSM. and decided to use it to give every character a personality disorder, a diagnosable mental disease or disorder, or some other condition. It became laughable and comedic instead of the “psychological thriller “ the author was going for, think. PTSD, dementia, post parter depression and postpartum psychosis, substance use disorder, delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and on and on, page after page, making The Long Weekend a very long read.
You’ve got to be kidding!
Trivial, expected plot, simplistic dialog
Not the worst book I’ve read, but close