ARC Review: There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh

There Should Have Been Eight
Author: Nalini Singh
Publication: Berkley (November 21, 2023)

Description: In this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh, a remote estate in New Zealand’s Southern Alps hosts a reunion no one will ever forget.

Seven friends.
One last weekend.
A mansion half in ruins.
No room for lies.
Someone is going to confess.
Because there should have been eight. . .

They met when they were teenagers. Now they’re adults, and time has been kind to some and unkind to others—none more so than to Bea, the one they lost nine long years ago.

They’ve gathered to reminisce at Bea’s family’s estate, a once-glorious mansion straight out of a gothic novel. Best friends, old flames, secret enemies, and new lovers are all under one roof. But when the weather turns and they’re snowed in at the edge of eternity, there’s nowhere left to hide from their shared history.

As the walls close in, the pretense of normality gives way to long-buried grief, bitterness, and rage. Underneath it all, there’s the nagging feeling that Bea’s shocking death wasn’t what it was claimed to be. And before the weekend is through, the truth will be unleashed—no matter the cost. . . .

My Thoughts: A group of school friends are gathering at the isolated home of one of them for a reunion. Since the loss of Bea some nine years ago, the group has fallen apart. The narrator Luna hopes that there will finally be some answers for why Bea's sister Darcie buried Bea in secret and scattered her ashes in an unknown location.

Luna has some issues of her own that she is dealing with. She's a photographer who has just received a medical diagnosis that she has inherited a genetic condition that will make her blind. She's not dealing well with the diagnosis which isn't helped by her lifelong fear of the dark. 

As she photographs her friends, she sees currents and secrets and wonder what they are all hiding. When the weather closes in, and they are stuck at the creepy Gothic manor complete with a burned out wing, strange things begin to happen. 

One of Bea's old dolls is found on Darcie's bed which really freaks her out. Avid hiker Kaea has an accident due to a sabotaged boot. Nix takes a tumble down some stairs and breaks his neck. Darcie's husband Ash goes missing and is found in the burned-out section with multiple stab wounds. Aaron who brought his new girlfriend Grace is drugged while searching for Ash. As the numbers who have survived uninjured goes down, Luna becomes more and more certain about who she believes the killer is. But then there is the twist...

This was a compelling thriller that sent chills up my spine that had nothing to do with the cold house and stormy weather in New Zealand. Seeing events from Luna's tight viewpoint really kept the focus on her and her perspective. The ending fit perfectly considering Luna's own descriptions of her relationship with Bea.

Fans of creepy thrillers will enjoy this one. 

Favorite Quote:

Right this moment, Darcie leaned against Ash, who had his arm around her waist. But when he glanced down at her when she wasn't paying attention, his expression was...flat.

As if the love and emotion had been the mask and this was the truth.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.