The Couple at Causeway Cottage by Diane Jeffrey
Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense
Read: 5th September 2022
Published: 18th August 2022
★★★★ 4.5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
NEW START. OLD SECRETS.
Kat and Mark move to an island off the Northern Irish coast for a new beginning. Far away from their frantic life in London, it’s the perfect place to bring up the family they’re longing to start.
But as soon as they arrive, cracks begin to appear in their marriage. Mark is still texting his ex-wife. Kat is lying about a new friendship. And one of them is keeping an explosive secret about the past.
The couple in Causeway Cottage are hiding something – and the truth can be deadly…
A gripping page-turner with a shocking twist, perfect for fans of Lucy Clarke, Alice Feeney and Shari Lapena.
MY THOUGHTS:
I have only read one Diane Jeffrey book, "The Guilty Mother", the others seemingly to pass me by unnoticed (which of course I shall have to rectify). And I loved that one so much I suggested a follow-up for another backstory that remained unsolved to which the author pondered that maybe she should. I've no idea if she has or not but I sure hope so as it was an intriguing case.
Anyway, I digress. THE COUPLE AT CAUSEWAY COTTAGE is at the forefront in this supberb atmospheric thriller, and is of course the title. The chilling and remote setting of Rathlin Island is so completely atmospheric I could feel the isolation and the sea spray on my face as I was immersed within the pages. I found myself googling the island just to see it for myself, and what a setting! If it weren't for the tense atmosphere, I could almost see myself curled up in front of a fireplace alongside (my) Dexter.
What should have been a new start for Kat and Mark on the beautiful Rathlin Island off the north coast in Northern Ireland turns out to be something quite different from what they expected. Moving from the rat race of London to the idyllic locale of Rathlin Island had initially been to care for Mark's ailing mother who was suffering dementia and was now living in a care home in Ballycastle. Rathlin Island is just a short ferry ride from Ballycastle where they could commute as the need arises.
The couple purchased Causeway Cottage on the island, with Mark having undertaken all the viewings and the legwork and Kat had thus far only seen photos and taken a virtual tour. As they journeyed from London to Belfast from there to Ballycastle and finally to the island itself, Kat was preparing herself to see their new home for the first time. With a very small population, they had already agreed that Rathlin Island would be the perfect place to raise the family they longed to have. Despite the distance, Mark would continue to commute to Belfast for work, sometimes staying overnight or week-long stays while Kat remained at home. Her own plans were to take her passion for photography to a professional level and Rathlin Island provided numerous opportunities for the perfect photo op.
One of the first things she intends to do after settling is to capture the first peak of sunrise at Altacarry Head with Scotland's Mull of Kintyre in the background. And just as she was set for the perfect shot...she was bowled over by a very exuberant collie called Dexter. He is closely followed by his owner Darragh, and immediately Kat is assaulted by something that lingers in the dark recesses of her memory, but she dismisses it as a coincidence.
It is clear from the outset that this couple are headed for disaster. There are underlying problems that have yet to make their way to the surface and when they do, what will be the outcome? Both Kat and Mark are hiding secrets but the question is, which secret has the power to destroy? They were meant to be making a fresh start on the island and yet Mark is still texting his ex-wife Fiona, with whom he cheated on his now wife Kat just a year into their marriage. Who does that? And why is he still in contact with his ex? And keeping it from her when she queries them?
But Kat has her own secret struggles. A name from the past, a tragedy for which she blames herself - what could this mean for her? Is she at risk of her secret being exposed? And why does she always feel as if someone has been in her cottage whenever she returns from a run or a trip to the mainland? Items are moved, damaged, disappear and some even randomly appear that were never there before. And the figure she sees outside their cottage at night - is that just a trick of the light? Or was someone really there...watching them? Is she in danger?
The story unfolds solely through Kat's narrative but we have to wonder, is she reliable? Can we trust her version of events? Can we trust her at all? Added to that, she is a walking mass of conflicted behaviour. Should she, shouldn't she tell Mark? Should she, shouldn't she tell Darragh? Can she trust Mark? Can she trust Darragh? Can she trust anyone? Who's hiding secrets from whom and why? And is her own secret about to be uncovered?
To be honest, I'd guessed Mark's dark secret (he had two major ones) and in the end I didn't trust him or the story he was telling Kat. And I was never quite sure of Darragh either though he appeared friendly enough. But was that a ruse? Or as he genuine? Kat's second guessing herself and everyone around her made her appear an unreliable narrator and some of her actions were a tad questionable. And that ending! I watched and waited as it played out, expecting something else to happen...and when it did, it was chilling. And then it ended. I usually prefer my endings all tied up neatly with an explanation for everything but this one was somewhat apt in this case, I feel. It was creepy and chilling.
And as a side note, I must add that I am thrilled nothing happened to Dexter. And I chuckled immensely at his herding up a bunch of random sheep...lol
THE COUPLE AT CAUSEWAY COTTAGE is a definite page-turner but may not be for everyone. There are a lot of seemingly unanswered questions and some aspects of the story are a little vague as to actuality and plausibility. It is definitely a complex and intricate web that is expertly woven by all those involved so none of them are completely blameless, and their secrets and lies are endless.
With a brooding darkness that mirrors the location, THE COUPLE AT CAUSEWAY COTTAGE is a tense and atmospheric thriller that will keep you turning the pages until the final shocking end. Well worth the read.
I would like to thank #DianeJeffrey, #NetGalley and #HQStories for an ARC of #TheCoupleAtCausewayCottage in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
After obtaining a BA joint honours degree in French and German from the University of Nottingham, Diane then decided to become a teacher. Though she felt she wasn't fluent enough in French or German to teach either subject, she moved to France, where she became an English teacher.
Diane always wanted to be an author and started writing poems and short stories at about five years of age. After lots of rejection letters and emails over the years from agents and editors, her debut novel was published when she was 43.
Diane has written five psychological thrillers, all published by HQ, an imprint of HarperCollins, and all bestselling ebooks: Those Who Lie (2017), He Will Find You (2018), The Guilty Mother (2019), a USA Today bestseller, The Silent Friend (2020), A Karin Slaughter Killer Reads pick for ASDA, and The Couple at Causeway Cottage (2022). She is currently working on my sixth novel.
When she's not teaching or writing, she runs (a little) and swim (a lot). She devours chocolate, books and beer. She also love holidays and travelling. Above all, Diane enjoy spending time with my family and friends.
Diane now lives in Lyon with her husband and three children, black Labrador and cat.
Social Media links:
No comments:
Post a Comment