Published: 12 November 2022
A family reunion. A shocking secret. A night to die for…
On a snowy December night, the Bailey family are gathered at an isolated hotel in the English countryside. They’re reuniting for the first time since the accident that shattered their lives ten years ago.
It’s a time for love and forgiveness. But more than one guest has an ulterior motive:
The perfect daughter
The alcoholic
The single mother
The liar
The handsome husband
The adulterer
The beautiful sister
The jealous sibling
The murderer…
As the clock strikes midnight, one member of the party is found dead at the foot of the grand marble staircase.
Everyone is a suspect. But which one of them is a killer?
This completely addictive psychological thriller is packed with chilling twists that will keep you up all night. Perfect for fans of The Hunting Party and The Chalet.
Erin
Now
It’s the first of December
and I feel excitement bubbling up inside me as I sit at my desk, looking out at
the crisp, cool winter’s morning. I’ve always loved this time of year, it’s a
time of hope, a time of joy, a time of promise. For me, the beginning of
December marks the start of a new chapter and is a far more exciting month for
fresh starts than dull and dreary January. December is a month of connecting
with others with memories to be made and good times to be had. As my manicured
hands run along the fold of the gold envelope I smile to myself. It’s taken a
long time to work up the courage to do what I’m about to do. The time is right
and I’m finally ready to put my plan into action.
I slide the gilded
invitation into the envelope and then seal it. Picking up my silver fountain
pen, I write the familiar name and address with a flourish. I sit back,
surveying my handiwork, and I feel a calm settle over me. I haven’t seen my
mother or my two sisters for the last ten years. Making any kind of contact
with them is a really big deal for me. But I think the time is right to mend
broken bridges and my therapist agrees.
So I’m inviting them to
our annual Christmas party. The one me and my husband Aaron throw every year at
our gorgeous country hotel. There have to be some perks to owning a sprawling
manor house, and this is definitely one of them. In the last few years, our
Christmas party has become part of the festive calendar for many of our friends
and Aaron’s family. I adore playing the hostess, choosing the perfect food, the
perfect decorations, the perfect entertainment and then welcoming all of our
guests. It gives me a huge sense of satisfaction when an event I’ve organised
is a hit. Except, I’ve always felt like something is missing. Because even
though it’s our Christmas party, the hotel is actually filled with all of
Aaron’s family and, if I’m honest, the majority of our friends here are his
too. Sure, his family treats me as one of their own by now. We’ve been together
for over nine years and his friends are also my friends by extension. But
there’s no-one here for just me.
I’ve decided now is the
time to change that. Whatever happened in the past, I’m sure we can all move on
from it. After having children of my own, my darling twins Ophelia and Jasper,
I’ve realised just how important family is. Christmastime is the ideal moment
for forgiving and forgetting.
‘Here’s your tea.’ Nia,
one of our waitresses, and my most trusted member of staff, comes into the room
and puts a tea cup down on my polished oak desk.
‘Thank you. Can you send
these out in this morning’s post.’ I gesture at the expensive invitations and
Nia immediately scoops them into a tidier stack to take with her.
‘Is there anything else
you need?’
‘There’s a couple coming
in for a wedding consultation at noon, it’s in the diary. Make sure you’re on
hand for refreshments.’
‘Certainly,’ Nia replies,
flicking her raven hair over her shoulders and taking the bundle of gold
envelopes with her as she exits the room.
All I have to do now is
wait for the replies. I’ve included photos of Ophelia and Jasper as well as a
heartfelt letter to each of the women I’m desperate to be reunited with: my
mother Nadia, my older sister Sasha and my younger sister Leah.
I gaze out of my big bay
window. I love this view of the gardens, it’s the reason I chose this room to
be my office. The terrace, dotted with rattan garden furniture, gives way to a
formal rose garden. The flowers have already withered and died for this season,
but we have some colourful winter shrubs blossoming at the moment and the pops
of purple, pink and blue cheer up the space in the absence of the roses at this
time of year.
Beyond the terrace we
have an extensive lavender field. In the summertime, the scent is simply divine
and the purple rolling field is such a pretty picture. This spot is popular
with the brides who get married at Burcott House. They love to have their photoshoots
amongst the blanket of purple and it’s a big part of the attraction for couples
wanting to get married here. We also have a team of staff employed to make all
sorts of lavender-scented products, from soap to gin; Burcott House lavender
products have a steady stream of sales through the year. Our guests love to
purchase our lavender-scented gifts as a memento of their stay, the locals in
the nearest village adore the lavender honey we make, and our online sales are
on the up as well. The lavender enterprise is just one of the many projects
I’ve been working on since Aaron officially let me take over the management of
the hotel when the twins went to school, and our profits have quadrupled in
that time.
Curving alongside the
lavender fields is a narrow road that leads to the cottage where we live as a
family. I can just about spot the top of the roof from here. We do sometimes
stay in the hotel if the rooms aren’t booked, for a change of scenery, but it’s
wonderful to have the quaint four-bedroomed cottage to return to after a busy
day. It helps me separate myself from work demands and gives me the chance to
switch off in a way I can’t if I stay at the hotel. I’m lucky that my commute
is only a ten-minute walk along the charming lane between the two buildings.
We’re miles away from the
nearest village and the rural, tranquil location is such a draw for our
returning customers. A haven away from the hustle and bustle of the world. I
find looking out at the scenery surrounding the hotel so soothing and I need
that right now because I’m nervous. What if my mother and sisters don’t reply?
What if they say no and refuse to come? But I can’t think negatively, I just
have to wait and see what happens. In the meantime, I’m going to get on with my
party planning. There’s so much to be done.
Because I want to make sure this will be a Christmas party that none of our guests will ever forget.
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