A family Christmas to remember
An idyllic, snow-covered landscape. A cottage in rural Northumberland. Full of love, laughter, food, wine and mince pies. The recipe for a joyous Noel, or is it?
They seem like the perfect family
With her seemingly perfect family, Lisa Truett is envied by all her friends. Husband David is solid and dependable, salt of the earth, adores his family. Enigmatic adult twins Emilia and Rosamund are on the path to successful careers in journalism and music. Her youngest, Oliver, is blessed with brains and beauty. He can expect a brilliant future. No wonder they’re known as the ‘too good to be Truetts.’
But they never thought it would end like this
Someone is stalking them but who? Whose footprints mingle with theirs in the snow around their cottage? It turns out the family is far from perfect, after all. Will Ros ever stop seeking male approval? Is Em’s eating disorder back again? What is Oliver hiding, or, rather, who is he hiding from? David has been distant and aloof recently. Is he having an affair? But it is Lisa who hides the biggest secret of all and it could tear the family apart.
Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Ruth Ware, What Lies Beneath is this year's winter must-read - some things, just cannot, remain hidden...
What did I think?
I chose to read What Lies Beneath without reading the synopsis, simply because I have loved all of Maureen Myant's books that I have read, so I was surprised and delighted with the snowy Northumberland setting.
The Truett family have decided to spend Christmas in their holiday cottage in Northumberland but each one of them has something to hide and not even the snow is deep enough to keep these secrets buried. Ooooh I absolutely love a book filled with secrets as they all have to come bursting out at some point and there are some corkers in this book.
A Northumberland winter is almost a season of its own and whilst it's very picturesque when you're wrapped up warm in the house, it's very disruptive and dangerous when you need to go out in it. The snow is almost a character in itself as it sneakily covers rogue footprints and dramatically blocks escape routes. Maureen Myant's vivid writing paints a wonderful picture of the chilly wintery scene, but it's not just the snow that gives the reader chills.
The cottage is very isolated but it feels like the Truetts are not alone. With stalkers, blackmailers, thugs and scary local myths in the frame there are numerous suspects that could have followed the Truett trail to Northumberland. It's masterfully plotted as any one, or all, of the family could be the target and I simply couldn't put it down.
Gripping, compelling and hugely atmospheric, What Lies Beneath is a fantastic thriller that had me on the edge of my seat with the book clutched tightly in my hands; I wasn't putting it down until every single juicy secret had been revealed. Put this one on your Christmas list - it's a very highly recommended read.
I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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