‘Delicious . . . The twist will make you rethink everything.’ New York Times Book Review<\/i><\/b>
‘Funny, clever and gripping … with twists that will blow you away.’ Irish Independent<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
When Ashley Smith – a bright-eyed but lonely American studying in London – is invited to spend Christmas with her classmate’s family at their Cotswolds manor house, it seems like a perfect country idyll.<\/p>\n
And for Ashley – who records it all in her diary – there’s the added romantic potential of her friend’s twin brother, Adam, who she thinks could be her wildest dream come true.<\/p>\n
But is there something strange about the old house, both stately and rundown? What could the motives of the mysterious Chapman family be? And what holiday horrors might be lying in wait?
‘Perfect. . . I was not prepared for the shocking revelation.’ 5* reader review<\/b>
‘All the Christmas cheer & nostalgia wrapped in a gothic murder mystery. I loved it!’ 5* reader review<\/b>
‘Filled with lots of twists . . . the perfect one sitting read.’ 5* reader review<\/b>
‘A perfect small jewel of a story.’ 5* reader review<\/b>
‘I GASPED at several of the reveals. Christmas magic mixed with a quaint murder mystery.’ 5* reader review<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ashley Smith – a bright-eyed American studying in London – has unexpectedly been invited by her classmate Emma Chapman to spend Christmas at her family’s Cotswolds manor house, Starvewood Hall. The holiday is a true English fantasy: woodland walks, charming pubs and elaborate dinners at the manor, with the added romantic potential of Emma’s twin brother, Adam, who feels like Ashley’s wildest dreams come true. But is there something strange about the old house, both stately and rundown; what could the true motives of the mysterious Chapman family be; and what may lie beyond the pages of her diary? Swept up in her own story, can Ashley see the horrors that may be about to play out?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[406],"product_tag":[26849],"class_list":["post-105855","product","type-product","status-publish","product_cat-crime-thrillers","product_tag-thriller-suspense-fiction","pa_book_author-swanson-peter","pa_cover-paperback","pa_dewey-813-6-edition23","pa_edition-1st-paperback-ed","pa_imprint-faber-faber","pa_language-english","pa_pages-8275","pa_publisher-faber-faber","pa_readership-general-trade-code-k","first","onbackorder","taxable","shipping-taxable","purchasable","product-type-simple"],"yoast_head":"\n