The Birthday Weekend: A totally unputdownable psychological thriller

Lesley Sanderson

Dec 2020 · Bookouture

About this ebook

‘Impossible to put down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Omg, omg, omg!!!!!... Spectacular’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Absolutely amazing’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I was hooked’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When Louise receives an invitation to her old friend Amy’s birthday weekend in a cottage next to the woods near their old college campus, a chill runs down her spine. 

Fifteen years ago, Hannah walked into those same woods and never came back. Her death destroyed her friends. They’ve not met as a group since. Until now.

As the party gets underway, it becomes clear her friends knew more than Louise did about what happened to Hannah. The secret she knew that could ruin someone. The bad break-up. The threatening texts she'd been receiving. Perhaps it’s time for Louise to admit to herself that maybe someone wanted Hannah gone – and that maybe that’s why Amy has brought them all back together. 

When a game of truth or dare is proposed, the question arises: how far will someone go to keep their darkest secret buried?

A gripping and addictive psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages, for fans of Gillian Flynn, Teresa Driscoll and Ruth Ware.

Readers are loving The Birthday Weekend:

‘Omg, omg, omg!!!!!... This book was spectacular. Oh my what a twisted read this was… I couldn’t put it down for the life of me. I had to know what was going to happen next before I could even eat or sleep. I just love a book that has so many juicy secrets that they are ready to explode off the pages.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘I loved this book. It was mysterious and creepy and I couldn’t stop reading it once I started. Characters were incredibly believable to me. They made the story even scarier.’ Washington Life Mag ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Oh how I loved this book. I love it when books are set in a holiday home or a getaway, old friends invited and secrets spilled over drinks – just great! … I read this book in two sittings, such a page turner. … This is a cracking read which I am thoroughly recommending!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An epic psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end!… A complicated dynamic of friendships and secrets that will surpass the limits of your wildest imagination! Lesley Sanderson has cleverly written a remarkable suspenseful mystery where every character has something to hide… I read it all in one sitting because I just HAD to find out what happened!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘Thrilling. Tense. Suspenseful. Addictive. An absolutely amazing, brilliant, fast paced stunner of a story. Another wonderful thriller from this versatile, incredibly talented author. Highly recommended’ Renita D’Silva ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

‘One of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year. It has been difficult to predict and impossible to put down, hence writing this review currently at 3am.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A book I enjoyed from the first line all the way through… It was well set-up, and well executed. I was hooked from the beginning and didn't want to put it down. The ending definitely had me surprised… Sanderson has found a way to develop a thriller that is both addictive and challenges the mind as you go through the twist and turns to reach the conclusion.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This author never disappoints, very twisty and addictive.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

Thanks NetGalley, my favorite publisher Bookouture and Lesley Sanderson for an ARC to review. 15 years ago 21 years old Hannah went missing to be found couple of days later dead in the woods, presumed to have committed suicide. Louise, Hannah, Kat, Daisy, Amy and Sam were a close knit back then till Sam and Daisy broke Hannah's heart before her death. Present day, Amy decides to celebrate her birthday by a peculiar sort of reunion reincarnating Hannah's soul to figure out what truly happened the night she went missing. The book is told from Louise's point of view. It's my first book by Lesley, I loved it and couldn't put it down till the end.

My Review: Omg, omg, omg!!!!! What did I just read. This book was spectacular. Oh my what a twisted read this was. So this was my first book by Lesley Sanderson and she knocked this one out of the ballpark. I will definitely be reading more of her books. This was a stand alone novel. This book was about a group of friends who came together after many years of being apart. Some of them still talked but some went their own way. As you see there was a tragedy long ago that separated them. It tore them straight to the core. But there was one member of the group that decided its been long enough and wanted to relive the past. So she got the group together and wow did the secrets spill out. What was this tragedy? How did that affect each member of the group? Will they finally learn the truth? You find these answers and so much more by the end. I want to start off by saying how much I loved this book and I couldn’t put it down for the life of me. I had to know what was going to happen next before I could even eat or sleep. This book was just that good. Let’s talk about characters. Well I loved them all. They all had their own unique qualities that they brought to the table and it worked really well together. It really brought the book alive and I felt like I was part of their group. I felt what they were feeling. Now on to plot. The plot made this book for me too. I just love a book that has so many juicy secrets that they are ready to explode off the pages. Who doesn’t like to find out what someone is hiding, I know I do. But my favorite part of this book was that twisty ending. When you have that many people with that many secrets you better watch out. A cat fight waiting to happen. I loved how the book came together at the end and you finally got the answers on what happened so long ago. Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

For most of us looking back on our university days (if you went that is), it brings back fond memories where your biggest worry was passing your next exam. For Louise though, receiving an invite to her university friend Amy’s party, fills her with dread. It seems that Amy is planning less of a birthday party and more of a reunion designed to uncover the truth of what happened to Hannah. Can Louise face the place and the people that still haunt her memories and is she really ready to learn the truth of what really happened to Hannah? I loved the sinister plot which immediately captured my attention. Lesley Sanderson does a great job involving the reader and she had me on the edge of my seat, trapped in the pages, also in search of the truth. The characters are well fleshed out and are pivotal in their role in the story. Each had me second guessing them, as Lesley Sanderson messed with my head and planted the seeds of doubt. I enjoyed how the book was structured, told from predominantly Louise’s point of view, that also includes newspaper articles that are scattered throughout relating to Hannah’s disappearance and subsequent death. Lesley Sanderson has fast become an author that I get excited about when I hear she has a new book coming out. I have connected with her writing and her way of storytelling and her books are always enjoyable and entertaining reads. I look forward to reading what she comes up with for us next. The Birthday Weekend is a thrilling and twisty read that tinkles the mind and encapsulates everything I love and look for in a psychological thriller. It was a pleasure to read and review The Birthday Weekend, which I highly recommend.