Three very different women whose friendship, in truth, is held together by the friendship of their husbands, gather for their yearly getaway – the ‘long weekend’ of author Gilly Macmillan’s title. The location this year, booked by ex-soldier Jane, is a converted barn in the remote countryside of Northumbria. The Elliotts – who run the farm and, struggling to keep it going in recent years, have grudgingly opened the Dark Fell Barn to the public to make ends meet – are almost run off the road by a mysterious messenger who gives them a package with very specific instructions for their forthcoming guests.
With the trio having one night to themselves before the husbands join them on holiday, their lives are turned upside down when a note tells them one of their husbands has been murdered. Isolated from the world and with no outside communication, fragile friendships are tested and paranoia sets in as they try to figure out who is dead and who could be responsible.
The narrative jumps neatly between each character’s point of view, giving each a fair shake – and their own particularly dislikeable trait – when it comes to character building. The plot is unbearably tense, the feeling of remoteness and despair creeping off the pages, and just when you think you have it all sussed out, Gilly Macmillan throws the story another giant curveball for you to figure out. Absorbing and unpredictable, The Long Weekend is fantastic entertainment.
The Long Weekend, Gilly Macmillan (Century)
Price: £12.99. Info: here
words CHRIS ANDREWS