Apr 14, 2020

The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell REVIEW + GIVEAWAY

THE CARETAKERS by ELIZA MAXWELL

Genre: Psychological Thriller / Gothic Fiction / Sisters Fiction

Publisher: Lake Union Press

Date of Publication: April 14, 2020

Number of Pages: 317

In the isolated estate she’s found the perfect getaway. But there’s no escaping the past in this chilling novel from the bestselling author of The Unremembered Girl.

Filmmaker Tessa Shepherd helped free a man she believed was wrongly imprisoned for murder. When he kills again, Tessa’s life is upended.

She’s reeling with guilt, her reputation destroyed. Worse, Tessa’s mother has unexpectedly passed away, and her sister, Margot, turns on her after tensions from their past escalate. Hounded by a bullying press, Tessa needs an escape. That’s when she learns of a strange inheritance bequeathed by her mother: a derelict and isolated estate known as Fallbrook. It seems like the perfect refuge.

A crumbling monument to a gruesome history, the mansion has been abandoned by all but two elderly sisters retained as caretakers. They are also guardians of all its mysteries. As the house starts revealing its dark secrets, Tessa must face her fears and right the wrongs of her past to save herself and her relationship with Margot. But nothing and no one at Fallbrook are what they seem.

“Suspense fans will be satisfied.” —Publishers Weekly

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Every individual chapter in The Caretakers was a ride in itself. Collectively, it was a book-hangover-inducing mastery of tension and intrigue. EVERY chapter was amazing! They were like mini episodes - each with spikes, unraveling, and build up. They would leave you with such a punch or with so many new questions that there was no option but to keep reading. I loved that not only was there one big reveal, (actually more like two or three huge twists) there were little nuggets of suspense and bombs dropping that happened throughout as Eliza Maxwell built for the finale. I was never not enthralled.

Maxwell keeps getting better and better. Her latest book hit my top ten last year, but this is above and beyond. She consistently outdoes herself. The intertwining of story lines was done beautifully. The transition between chapters was so satisfying that it made me giddy. Some chapters would end with a line that would be picked up flawlessly by the complementing story line and it created a fantastic rhythm. Her writing style seems to flow so naturally that it creates an easy soundtrack to get lost in.

I would recommend this to everyone! I loved the dynamic between sisters. It held a lot of family drama and secrets but also showed that blood is thicker than water when it comes down to it. Also, I've been obsessing over all these true crime documentaries recently from Ted Bundy to Don't F with Cats to some Tiger King and that aspect of this story had me gushing. I felt like I was a murderino and working my dream job following the process the main character went through filming her own true crime doc. The Caretakers had something for everyone and that ending really deserves a standing ovation. I was completely satisfied with the twist that happened a few chapters from the end thinking it was all downhill from there, but when they kept coming my heart stopped and I've just been marinating in that last scene for days now.

Eliza Maxwell author hdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==edata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==adshot

Eliza Maxwell is the author of The Shadow Writer, The Widow’s Watcher, The Unremembered Girl, The Grave Tender, and The Kinfolk. She writes fiction from her home in Texas, which she shares with her ever-patient husband, two impatient kids, a ridiculous English setter, and a bird named Sarah. An artist and writer, a dedicated introvert, and a British-cop-drama addict, she enjoys nothing more than sitting on the front porch with a good cup of coffee. For more information, visit www.elizamaxwell.net.

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“Tension ratchets up in every muscle of her body. "What are you going to do with that?" she asks, her voice barely a whisper. The man who meets Tessa's gaze isn't a police officer anymore. He's a father who has had something precious stolen from him. "Whatever I have to do.”