By: Keri Beevis
ISBN: 9781804151167
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: 10/24/2022
Format: e-book
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
All NEW from bestselling psychological thriller writer Keri Beevis.
When you’re a kid, you imagine monsters to have horns and fangs. That they hide under the bed or in the wardrobe. And you believe they can only come after you when it’s dark.
You don’t expect them to look like everyday people or that they may be someone you already know…
The summer in question started out with hot, fun-filled days and new friendships.
We had just turned thirteen and had our whole lives ahead of us.
But that was before her…
Before we became known as the Hixton Five and our lives become defined by one night.
It’s hard to believe twenty years have passed since she was locked away.
But now she’s free and strange things have started to happen.
When I close my eyes, the creeping anxiety and fear is overwhelming and all too real.
Because the monster is back, and I know she has a score to settle with us.
My Review
MENACING. DISTURBING. SPOOKY. TERRIFYING. CHILLING!
A perfect read for Halloween!👻🎃🦇
Keri Beevis returns following With Friends Like These with THE SLEEPOVER —A dark and spine-chilling psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat with one eye open, afraid of what will happen next.
Set in the fictional town of Hixton in Suffolk, the author has created one of the year's most evil (monster) mothers! A remote farmhouse contains horrible secrets, cruel events, abuse, and nightmares.
The Hixton Five will not be the first victims. There were others before them.
This devilish witch scares me. She is nasty and has two different personalities. When the mask slips, WATCH OUT. Be careful; she will PUNISH you if you DROP anything. You will pay.
The Hixton Five. There were actually six of them that summer, the Americans having moved to the village after Christmas. The five girls that were friends allowed a boy into their fold, making six of them until he was gone, leaving five.
The Hixton Five consisted of Hannah, Lauren, Jill, Rosie, and Tash. Jill's brother Miles was now gone because of THE MONSTER.
The friends were adventurous—entering their teenage years, they liked to explore. They were innocent. UNTIL the monster. HER.
Everything changed that summer twenty years ago. From past to present, the monster had said that as children, no one would believe them. She was wrong. The monster had been taken way to prison. Now she was getting out. The monster was being freed, and they knew she or her son, Bill, would come after them for revenge—they were responsible for putting her behind bars.
Eileen was a mother and befriends the teens, often inviting them over to her remote farmhouse, providing them with food, drinks, fun at the pond, and friendship making them feel like adults, and they loved going there. Also, her son Bill was good-looking and popular, and they looked forward to their visits.
UNTIL Eileen turned into a MONSTER. A psycho. The mask slipped, and Hannah was the first to discover her sick games and how she could torment and abuse children. They made her pay in cruel ways. She did not want to return but was afraid to tell. Eileen even put on the motherly charm with her mother and was forced to go back.
Hannah Cole had moved away to Wells, still tormented by past events. She has tried to start over away from the bad memories. She owns Pawsome Pet Services and loves her dog clients.
Hannah is worried and anxious about having to return to Hixton for her parent's upcoming anniversary. Her mom wants her to stay over, and the idea haunts her. The past is resurfacing.
Hannah was married to Josh in her twenties, but they are divorced but best friends. She often calls on him for advice and help.
Rosie is one of the five, and she is always in some sort of drama and expects Hannah to drop everything when she calls. Rosie was also traumatized by the monster, and she acts out by having sex, being reckless, and binge drinking.
Then the journalist, Liam Quinn comes knocking. He is writing a book about the events twenty years ago since the MONSTER is out of prison. Hannah wants nothing to do with him or a book or revisiting the painful past.
The monster is called Eileen Wickham, Mrs. W, or Eileen Wicked. She calls the Hixton Five, little bitches. She will make them pay. She is now sixty-three years old. Can the police protect them?
Her son, Bill, is her lapdog. Hannah walked in on them, which was disgusting. The horrible games the two played. Totally sicko. Bill does whatever his mother says, and now that she is out of prison, she, of course, wants him to enact revenge on the five, especially Hannah, since she saw what they were doing.
Liam is persistent, and soon Hannah's defenses slowly wear down, and she lets him in. His loveable dog Tank has helped. Can she trust him?
When strange things start happening with notes, flowers, a music box, and things only Rosie and Hannah would understand. They are fearful either Eileen or Bill is trying to teach them a lesson. However, no one can find Eileen.
Then more sinister things occur, and part of the Hixton Five winds up dead under mysterious circumstances. Was she playing a sick game, and who is next?
Things turn dangerous, something is off with Liam, and what is his connection? Hannah starts getting involved with Liam, but can she trust him?
Then Bill shows up, and Hannah is afraid for her life, but is there someone else she should also be fearful of that may be closer than she knows?
OMG! This book captivated me from the first page to the explosive ending! It is intense, with a dark sense of foreboding, and you are waiting for the devil to jump out from behind the door.
The author does a killer job of creating riveting suspense and oh, so many twists, and red herrings, keeping you guessing until the end. She really dives deep into the mind of an evil monster. I enjoyed Hannah, Liam, and Josh's characters.
This is my second book by the author, and already on my favorite author list. I am enjoying these newfound UK authors who definitely know how to create mind-bending twisty psychological thrillers.
For fans of Harlan Coben, Miranda Rijks, and K. L. Slater. If you are looking for an eerie, sinister, frightening, creepy, and terrifying read, this is it! You may want to leave the lights on.
This would make for a great movie, especially the scenes in the cellar and barn. I would definitely keep my eyes closed in some parts. Cannot wait to see what comes next from this author.
Thank you to #BoldwoodBooks and #NetGalley for a gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review. I also pre-ordered the audiobook narrated by Imogen Church (a favorite).
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5/5🌟 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 24, 2022
Praise
'Another winner from Ms Beevis. A gripping story with plenty of twists and turns.'
- J.A. Baker
'One of my favourite authors! Keri Beevis does it again, with this fast-paced, chilling thriller!'
- Amanda Brittany
'Beevis delivers again with a creepy unsettling tale that had me looking nervously over my shoulder.'
- Valerie Keogh
‘A twisty psychological thriller that will have you racing towards the big finale at breakneck speed. Don’t expect to sleep until you’ve devoured the very last page. Loved it!'
- Carla Kovach
'Another suspenseful page-turner from this very talented author.'
- John Nicholl
'Brilliant, chilling, and unputdownable.'
- Gemma Rogers
‘Beevis has created a dark psychological thriller thick with atmosphere. Cleverly woven threads pull together in a heart-stopping conclusion in this satisfyingly clever tale. Highly recommended.’
- Diane Saxon
'A disturbingly chilling thriller which is completely gripping. The Sleepover is an intense mystery full of clever twists which I didn't see coming.'
- Alex Stone
About the Author
Keri Beevis is the internationally bestselling author of Dying To Tell and Deep Dark Secrets. Her other titles include Trust No One, Every Little Breath, The People Next Door and With Friends Like These. Dying To Tell reached no. 1 in the Amazon chart in Australia and was a top 25 hit in the UK, while Deep Dark Secrets was the bestselling Bloodhound Books title of 2020.
Keri lives in Norfolk, England, with her two naughty kitties, Ellie and Lola, and a plentiful supply of red wine (her writing fuel). She loves Hitchcock movies, exploring creepy places, and gets extremely competitive in local pub quizzes. She is also a self-confessed klutz.
In March 2022, it was announced Keri had signed a four novel deal with Boldwood Books. Her first title with them, The Sleepover, will be released in October 2022.
Find out more about Keri and her books at www.keribeevis.com or you can follow her on social media at
www.facebook.com/allaboutbeev
www.twitter.com/keribeevis
www.instagram.com/keri.beevis
