It’s my stop today on the blog tour for The Weekend by L.H. Stacey. Many thanks to Rachel of Rachel’s Random Resources for the invite.
Title: The Weekend
Author: L.H. Stacey
Published on: 13 February 2023
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
The story begins with Lizzie searching for her boyfriend Thomas Kirkwood. Lizzie, Thomas, and friends are at the Kirkwood Manor for Thomas’ graduation celebrations. The night starts with Thomas and Lizzie slipping away from the party for a quiet time… and ends with Lizzie finding Thomas’s body floating in the lake.
Ten years later, those present on that fateful night receive an invitation for a memorial from Thomas’ mother Ada. The Kirkwood Manor is now converted to a hotel and William, Thomas’s brother manages it. Lizzie had sworn that she would never step into the manor again. Too many hurtful memories… but, when she receives the invitation, she decides to go.
As soon as Lizzie arrives, she meets Ada. Ada wants Lizzie to help catch her son’s murderer…
That Lake. This house. His friends. They all know what happened to my boy. I know they do. And you… you have to help me find the truth…
I was hooked on to the story and couldn’t put it down until the end. This isn’t a fast paced suspense novel but there’s something unique about the way things unfold. First, we are given the events of that fateful graduation night. Then, fast forward to the present and an introduction of the characters – Lizzie and friends, William, and Anna.
The story alternates between past (ten years ago) and present. We also have multiple PoV characters – mostly Elizabeth (Lizzie) and William. I loved the flashbacks – the youngsters led a carefree life. Except for Lizzie, the rest from well-to-do families and Lizzie always felt left out. What’s more hurtful is, Ada wanted her son Thomas to ditch Lizzie for a girl from a better family. He couldn’t marry a girl who lives in the miner’s colony, could he?
As the story proceeds, we see Lizzie learning the truth about Thomas – he’s slept with all the girls in their friends circle and wouldn’t think twice before cheating on Lizzie. She also overhears the conversation between Ada and Thomas – the one where Ada forces Thomas to leave Lizzie.
Then there is William, the younger sibling who’s always sidelined – by his parents and brother. Only Lizzie supports him. After inheriting the manor, William decided to convert it into a hotel – Ada wasn’t happy with this decision. Ada belittles William at every given chance.
Halfway through the story, there’s a twist. The guests (friends of Lizzie and Thomas) wonder if someone’s out there to get them. Maybe someone’s trying to exact revenge for killing Thomas. Does this mean one of them killed Thomas ten years ago?
The mystery behind the murder kept me guessing till the end. There was something eerie about the whole atmosphere – the memorial, the guests, and everything else. Not in a creepy way, though. The final twist blew my mind. I never saw it coming. Absolutely jaw-dropping twist!
The ending did justice to all the suspense built throughout the story. Justice served on a silver platter.
Fantastic storytelling. Gripping mystery. Likeable characters. Excellent plot-to-story development. If you are looking for a slow-burn mystery with a shocking twist, I recommend you to give The Weekend by L.H. Stacey a try.
The Book Decoder 
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