Kat and Mark move to an island off the Northern Irish coast for a new beginning. Far away from their frantic life in London, it’s the perfect place to bring up the family they’re longing to start.

But as soon as they arrive, cracks begin to appear in their marriage. Mark is still texting his ex-wife. Kat is lying about a new friendship. And one of them is keeping an explosive secret about the past.

The couple in Causeway Cottage are hiding something – and the truth can be deadly…

My Review

Mark and Kat have moved to a tiny island off the coast of Northern Ireland to be close to his elderly mother, who is in a care home suffering from dementia. They will just be a hop away on the ferry to visit her. They have bought a little place called Causeway Cottage, badly in need of some tlc, where they plan to start a family. Mark will have to stay away in Belfast quite a few nights a week because of his job, but Kat is fine with that. She’s looking forward to her new career as a wildlife and nature photographer.

Now I can honestly say I did not like Mark from the very beginning. Kat’s mum didn’t either so maybe it’s a protective mum thing. He has absolutely no redeeming features whatsoever that I can see. I can’t understand why she married him. He’s still texting his ex-wife. It’s not like they share the care of their children as they don’t have any. According to Mark, Fiona didn’t want children and he did.

However, I did like Darragh. Probably because of Dexter the dog. Anyone who has a dog called Dexter can’t be all bad. And he is supposedly rather attractive, which helps – Darragh that is, not Dexter.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns, the lies, the secrets and the intrigue. I did get a bit frustrated at times because characters in books always keep things from their partners, stuff that they should be able to confide in each other about.

The book fairly romps along mostly – a few times Kat spends a lot of time revisiting her guilt – but I read it on holiday while on the beach and it’s a perfect holiday read. Another great book from this author.

Many thanks to Diane Jeffrey for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author

Diane Jeffrey is a USA Today bestselling author. She grew up in North Devon and Northern Ireland. She now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband and their three children, Labrador and cat. Diane’s is the author of four psychological thrillers, all of which were Kindle bestsellers in the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia. THE GUILTY MOTHER, Diane’s third book, was a USA Today bestseller and spent several weeks in the top 100 Kindle books in the UK. Her latest psychological thriller, THE SILENT FRIEND, is set in Belfast and Lyon. It was published in ebook in November 2020 with the paperback and audiobook to follow in 2021.

Diane is an English teacher. When she’s not working or writing, she likes swimming, running and reading. She loves chocolate, beer and holidays. Above all, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Click on the link to visit Diane’s website: www.dianejeffrey.com