A review by karteabooks
That Night by Gillian McAllister

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I realise I am beginning to sound like a stuck record in my book reviews... this is another book that it took me too long to pick up, and yes, I have already ordered some more of this author’s books to add to my never ending tbr… 
 
What would you do to protect your family? ANYTHING. That night everything changed. The night Frannie committed a murder, but she didn’t mean to… That night we helped her bury the body, what else could we do?
 One hot summers night in Italy, Joe and Cathy Plant receive a phone call that will change their lives forever. Their sister Frannie has killed a man, and she needs their help. They were always close, some might say too close, siblings who worked together, lived next door to each other. And now they’ve buried a body together…
 But when they return to England, Frannie, Joe and Cathy become tangled in lies in they’ve been telling, to the police, to their friends, to each other…
 But if you can’t trust your family, who can you trust? 
 
This book gripped me from the start, and it only took me 2 days to read! I was that invested in the characters, the plot and the incessant need to find out the answers… The family dynamics of the three siblings were intense and the familial bond between them seemed unbreakable, but…I’m not going to spoil anything for you, but this is one of the reasons why I think you MUST read this book! 
 
So brilliantly written, from the character descriptions to the settings and the ‘feel’ of Verona in the July sunshine, all made up for a breath-taking roller-coaster ride of who, what, where, when and why. I found it particularly touching when reading the acknowledgements, that this was written during the first lockdown and the author did all of her travelling ‘virtually’ which makes this an even more thought provoking read. 
 
I highly recommend this great physiological thriller that I wish I had picked up sooner.  When you do pick this book up, make sure you have cleared your diary and have plenty of snacks and drinks to hand, as you’re not going to want to venture far away from this amazing book. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.