I have read Isobel Ashdown before and enjoyed them so I was really pleased to be offered a chance to join the blogtour (although I subsequently forgot to post this on time which I’m kicking myself over)

The Homecoming starts at the opening of ‘The Starlings’ an exclusive gated community that has been built on the site of an old mother and baby home. The brainchild behind the houses is Katrin Gold who along with her husband and his brother run a property development company. As the neighbours all start to settle into their idyllic life the Golds throw a party. However when tragedy strikes the hidden secrets soon start to be uncovered.

I really enjoyed this story of how appearances can be deceptive and despite outwardly having a perfect life, reality is very different. 

This is a very character driven novel that flits between the main people all of whom are not quite what they seem. Katrin is the main character and although there were times I thought she was very naive, she also had a strong and stubborn streak that came out in order to protect her family. There were also other characters including Frida the Niece who is struggling at school, new resident Ginny who befriends Katrin and soon becomes indespensible to the family, and DS Samson who has to try and solve a case despite the turmoil in her person life. All of the characters brought their own elements into the novel with a number of strands that all ended up intertwined as the story ramped up towards the final reveal.

The writing felt of a high quality as despite the numerous viewpoints they were easy to keep track of and the individual voices seemed to jump off the paper. The setting was interesting too and the background of the mother and daughter home gave a sense of menace that added to the overall mystery of the book.

I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more from Isabel Ashdown (and I promise the next review will be posted on time!)

Find out what others thought