Do Not Disturb: A Novel

Do Not Disturb by Claire Douglas was quite an intriguing read! I was not expecting the turn this story took, which made it all the more enticing. // Kirsty, her husband, and their two girls decide to make a big move, a much needed fresh start. They choose to run a guest house with Kirsty’s mother. Soon long lost family members and acquaintances are renting out rooms, and various pasts come back to disturb them. With themes of haunted houses, mental health, and death, what more can you ask from a thriller? // Douglas did a fine job exploring the depths of the inner psyche. Kirsty’s character, for one, was forever trying to live up to everyone’s standards as the supportive wife, protective mother, and doting daughter. Mental illness played a large role, although you don't find out how large of a role it plays until much further on. I'll let you figure that one out for yourself, though, when the time’s right. // I enjoyed Douglas’ writing style, provided mostly from Kirsty’s first-person perspective, particularly as it related to death in the story. While the prologue provides the hook of a looming demise, the timeline’s literary before and after technique expertly conceals the identity of both the deceased and the killer until those final chilling moments. // I'd recommend this book to thriller fans everywhere, especially those interested in mental health as an integral part of the overall plot. // A special thank you to @harperperennial { #oliveinfluencer } for my US copy of this uncorrected Harper Paperback Original proof.

Riveting story.