The Village

These books by author Caroline Mitchell keep you guessing all the time. The twists and turns. Each book is different and always you are kept on your toes waiting for what comes next.Keep going. 16 read now. I need more!!

Crime journalist Naomi is trying to solve a case and this case virtually consumes her.The case is about the disappearance of the Harper Family. Naomi sees a chance to get into the thick of the case when the very cottage the family disappeared from comes on the market.She persuades her husband Ed to buy it and crosses her fingers that he does not look into the history of the house, Naomi and her family currently live in London and soon they are on the way to the New Forest to the sleepy village of Nighbrook to their new home.She also has her hands full with her stepdaughter Morgan who continually tries to sabotage things for her. Another spanner in the works is the ex wife who Morgan has been covering for, her mother is into drugs and who knows what and is involved with some shady characters.Ed receives a call that his ex is on a bender so he leaves Naomi and Morgan at the house and he could be away for days.Things take a very dark turn as it soon becomes clear that they are not welcome has Naomi bitten off more than she can chew? Has all her efforts been worth the grave danger that is waiting for them? Will the story ever get told? Never in Naomi’s wildest dreams did she ever imagine that a whole Village who obviously know the truth would go to such lengths to protect their secrets….

First time reader of Caroline Mitchell.Wasn't disappointed.A really well written plot, enough to make you wonder whether village is idyllic! But come on......The New Forest? Who wouldn't want to live there........or would you......Definitely recommended

Chugs along nicely slowly building the intrigue as the characters take shape. I like to guess who did it like anyone does, part of the enjoyment. I generally get it wrong as I am no Sherlock Holmes, trust me he would t have seen that ending coming if it was on a bike whistling! The end was onion? layer after layer Absolutely loved it.

The Village is a chilling, atmospheric mystery, that combines great characters and suspense with a setting that is both isolated and claustrophobic all at once. From the very beginning of the book I was hooked, invested in the story and the mystery of the Harper family, who disappeared in suspicious circumstances a decade earlier. It is a story that involves us, as readers, in a kind of subterfuge, and yet resolutely holds its secrets from our curious and prying eyes. I, much like Naomi, became quickly intrigued by the mystery, but unlike the books protagonist, I was armed with far more clarity on just what the eponymous village was concealing. Not everything, not by a long chalk, but more than enough to get the hackles up and view everyone and everything with suspicion.The story follows Naomi and her family as they move to a new home in the village of Nighbrook, the very cottage from which the Harpers disappeared in fact. Far from the idyll they may have hoped for, the house is in need to some major repairs and the location far more isolated than even Naomi feels comfortable with. This adds a kind of conflict and tension to the story, the isolation creating a sense of threat that only grows as the story progresses. And Nighbrook is a very dark kind of village. Everyone knows everyone, and they are in no way welcoming of strangers. And there is nothing delightful about Nighbrook at all. Only a kind of shadow that rests beneath the facade of the picturesque village setting,But it is not just the villagers making Naomi's life difficult, and the animosity coming in waves off her step-daughter, Morgan, who resentment of Naomi seemingly knows no bounds. There is a real authenticity to this relationship, that idea of the child who doesn't want a new mother, doesn't welcome the intrusion in her family, and who still believes that her parents can and should be together. It is acutely observed by the author and adds to the already high tension of the story.This is very much a story of deception, a twisted subterfuge in which people are willing to kill in order to maintain order and keep their long buried secrets. We are privy to some of the past through the memories of those who lived through the disappearance, although whether we can fully trust their perspective is open to question. There are so many lies, and so few people that felt trustworthy, that even when I was shown the apparent truth, I'm not sure I believed it. Caroline Mitchell had me guessing and second guessing myself, sure I knew exactly what was happening, but still shocked by the full extent of the truth. And even then, when it seemed everything was finally out in the open, a final jaw dropping revelation is made that had me nodding in appreciation.Perhaps there's something to be said about living in a large, anonymous town or city after all.A dark, twisted tale full of misdirection, secrecy and suspense. Fans of the author will absolutely love it. I think it's one of my favourite books by. Caroline Mitchell to date.

I tried to work the plot out, but didn’t manage to. The book was a gripping read from start to finish. A lot of thought was put into writing this thriller and I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to read another Caroline Mitchell book.

Ten years ago, Ivy Cottage in the village of Nighbrook in the New Forest was left deserted when the Harper family mysteriously disappeared, and the mystery has never been solved. Now, ten years on and Naomi Ward, a crime journalist, is determined to solve the mystery, the cottage is up for sale and she's convinced her new husband Ed that it would be a great place for them to live with his teenage daughter Morgan, they are both unaware of the history of the house, but that's not going to be an issue is it? Unfortunately the villagers think differently and the Wards are faced with animosity as soon as they arrive, what is it that they are trying to keep secret and is Naomi putting her family in danger by raking up the past?The Village is told in alternate timelines of the present day and ten years earlier, so the reader gains both aspects of the story. There are some very undesirable characters in this book and I was convinced I'd worked out who the perpetrator was, well it was obvious wasn't it, oh no it wasn't because Mitchell never makes her plots obvious, and that's why they work so well. There are many twists to this tale, with one in particular that I didn't see coming, it's a fast paced, compelling, atmospheric read and in true Mitchell style she drip feeds the tension which kept me wanting more and I devoured it in 24 hours. As with her previous books, this author does not disappoint.