In the isolated estate she’s found the perfect getaway. But there’s no escaping the past in this chilling novel from the bestselling author of The Unremembered Girl.
Filmmaker Tessa Shepherd helped free a man she believed was wrongly imprisoned for murder. When he kills again, Tessa’s life is upended.
She’s reeling with guilt, her reputation destroyed. Worse, Tessa’s mother has unexpectedly … Tessa’s mother has unexpectedly passed away, and her sister, Margot, turns on her after tensions from their past escalate. Hounded by a bullying press, Tessa needs an escape. That’s when she learns of a strange inheritance bequeathed by her mother: a derelict and isolated estate known as Fallbrook. It seems like the perfect refuge.
A crumbling monument to a gruesome history, the mansion has been abandoned by all but two elderly sisters retained as caretakers. They are also guardians of all its mysteries. As the house starts revealing its dark secrets, Tessa must face her fears and right the wrongs of her past to save herself and her relationship with Margot. But nothing and no one at Fallbrook are what they seem.
more
I just finished The Caretakers. This is the first book I’ve read by Eliza Maxwell. I’m blown away. This book has secrets, lies, crippling guilt, an evil stepmother, family drama, and twists and turns until the very end. How far would you go to right a wrong? To expose someone’s guilt? Would you face the ghosts of the past to find out the truth of your own past? Are some secrets better left alone? This book weaves together several storylines and does it smoothly. I will definitely read The Caretakers again. I think this is a book that will stick with me for sometime. I look forward to reading all of Eliza Maxwell’s books. I think I have another favorite author to add to the list.
A Story As Old As Time. At its crux – and without giving anything away – this is essentially a retelling of one of the oldest stories known to man. So old that a people that originated in the Middle Eastern deserts recorded it as one of their earliest stories. Now, as with all retellings some particulars are changed, but at its heart it still has the same signature. In this particular variant, we have a current timeline and a timeline from nearly a century prior. In both, mistakes are made – many, many more mistakes than are obvious and are only revealed in the closing few chapters of the book. Very well done, and with an ending that will haunt. Very much recommended.
Maybe I’ll call this one “Cellphone Gothic”: contemporary, but with a turn to the past. I greatly enjoyed it, especially satisfying was the finale/wrap up. Kept me guessing and page-turning the whole way through. A fine mystery novel.
#TheCaretakers #NetGalley
If you like suspense, mystery and some craziness all rolled in one novel, then look no further!
This book will have you on the edge of your seat as you attempt to figure out what is going on and who is guilty and perhaps who is not!
The dual timeline is at times confusing, but let me add “Keep Reading!”
You will understand and be shocked!
Definitely an interesting and well described plot alternating between the past and present as their paths converge.
You will be looking over your shoulder for quite awhile!
This book is like an onion, many layers to be slowly peeled away for more insight. An insight into families, the dynamics, and especially into sisters.
What happens when a man is finally set free? Is life good? Does everyone welcome hime back? For a while, he might be popular and have big dreams. But the cameras turn away and the people that helped him move on to other projects. Tessa loved the rush of finding the wronged and making her documentaries. But now, Oliver, is angry, defeated and has nothing to lose as he screams for Tessa. She had ignored him and his calls as she moved onto her next project. On top of that, her mom has died and she has to make amends to Margot, her sister.
But then peeling back to an earlier time, there is a family, their caretakers and the relationship between the two. You’ll meet Cora, Ruby, Philip, I
the parents, and Deirdre and Aiden and Kitty. And you’ll peek into the big house and the small caretakers place and see the lives, fun, and tragedy later on. Meanwhile Tessa is learning about her mom’s past and as you read, find another layer….Tessa and Margot’s mom was adopted.
Fallbrook is a big house, a ruin in the woods. And in a small cottage are two elderly sisters, Deidre and Kitty. There is a magical, nuanced, energy to Fallbrook and the cottage and things from the past can be felt and seen. And the secrets between two sets of sisters are released as a desperate man tries to find Tessa with his angry truth.
This is a big read covering families, secrets, lies, and sisters. Fame, fortune, death, and despair are here as forgiveness, insight, and love. Take your time reading this piece of fiction with a mystery about the past …..4 stars
How do you forgive the unforgivable, especially when the person who wronged you is your only family? The Caretakers seeks to answer this question and more, in this fantastically gothic novel by Eliza Maxwell.
The Caretakers opens with the end of a trial. A wrongly-accused man is finally finding justice for the crime he didn’t commit, thanks to filmmaker Tessa Shepard. It reads like the perfect ending to a suspenseful legal drama, with everyone free to live as happily as they may. Until the man Tessa saved murders again. Until her mother unexpectedly passes away, leaving Tessa and her estranged twin to pick up the pieces of an unfinished life. As she returns home in the midst of professional tragedy to face real personal tragedy, Tessa barely keeps it together. Her twin, Margot, used to be her rock, now they can barely look each other in the eye. In the end, Tessa retreats from everything, the media circus and what’s left of her family, to investigate the story behind the manor her mother left her. Along the way, she meets the caretakers, elderly sisters who hold the key to Tessa and Margot’s dark inheritance.
This is the first book I’ve read from Eliza Maxwell, now I’m officially a fan for life. Maxwell weaves atmosphere, character, and suspense seamlessly, so the reader truly experiences the many twists and turns of her narrative. Two compelling characters trade perspectives throughout this novel, Tessa, our heroine desperate to escape her present, and the caretaker, Kitty, unable to escape her past. I loved Kitty, to the point I was in tears by the end. Yet I wasn’t expecting to relate so much to Tessa Shepard. There are many times when Tessa is an unsympathetic heroine. She’s a little selfish, a little obsessive, and a lot self-recriminating. I often tread the fine line between love and hate when it came to Tessa’s journey because I understood her. I must confess that this book wrecked me to the point I had to put it away, and reflect on all the emotions The Caretakers brought to the surface. Yet through Maxwell’s writing, I came to understand a little more of myself and my journey outside the pages.
A study in parallels between past and future, hatred and forgiveness, truth and lies, The Caretakers delves deeper than your average suspense novel. It’s not always an easy read, but this book will truly make you think, and if you allow it, make you feel. Some books are like that, a catharsis for the characters as much as it is the reader.
**I was provided with a copy of The Caretakers by the publisher and this is my voluntary and honest review.**
The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell kept me on my toes! It is a bit complicated with several subplots, but they all tie-in nicely. Although, Diedra, gave me the creeps— I was not surprised by her actions. I was expecting her to get rid of Tessa. But Tessa knew in her gut that she was better off out of that situation. I hated the estranged relationship between Tessa and her twin sister, but later that is all explained. I love Maxwell’s style and this is not the first novel of hers that I have read and certainly will not be my last!
A beta reader thought my upcoming project had similarities to this book. I checked it out before I sent mine to my editor. It has a few elements of surprise and crime in common, and I enjoyed it.
This is a very compelling story from the moment the reader first meets Tessa, a documentary filmmaker who is riding high in the aftermath of being instrumental in getting Oliver released from prison after so many years of being imprisoned for a murder he swears he didn’t commit.
Then suddenly her world implodes when Oliver has gone on a killing spree. Her career is over. Tensions with her sister Margot escalate. Tessa has to get away. Somewhere where the clamoring press can’t find her. Somewhere where she can think. So she goes to an old, isolated estate that was left to her and her sister by their mother. Fallbrook seems like the perfect refuge, despite the fact that it is in horrible disrepair. Tessa clears a corner of a room from the dust and cobwebs and fallen timbers from a roof that is an unintentional solar panel, the best she can, and makes a nest for herself.
Then she meets Kitty and Deirdre, the two elderly ladies who have been kept on at Fallbrook as caretakers. Their history with the estate is tangled in tragedy and tangled in Tess’s family history;and that story unfolds in bits and pieces through memories that float in and out of Kitty’s mind.
The book is written from multiple points of view, sometimes we are with Tessa or Margot, and sometimes we are with Kitty or Deirdre, or a few other characters who take the stage. The move between those points of view, as well as time periods, is smooth and flawless, and as the story ramps up, the tension ramps up as well.
The care-taking in this book is wonderfully layered. From the most obvious of Kitty and Deirdre being caretakers of a property; to being caretakers for our sisters; to being caretakers for ourselves. Through her journey from the lowest point in her life to stepping toward hope for the future, Tessa learns ultimately that it is up to her to take care of herself. People are there to help, to offer support, but her choices are the ones that impact her life the most.
I loved every aspect of this book, from the believable and varied characters, to the many surprises that made me stop a moment to say, “oh, my gosh!” to the wonderful use of language throughout. In describing the vagaries of Kitty and Deidre’s ability to recall the past, especially Kitty’s, the author wrote, “Truth and memory are slippery animals that creep around them these days, haunting the shadows then fading away again.”
Holy cow!! The end of this book literally made my jaw drop! I really enjoyed this book – it was like a Grimm’s fairy tale combined with a more modern day suspense/thriller. The end result made for a very interesting and very fun read! I thought the author did a great job with the characters – especially the elderly sisters who have been watching over Fallbrook. I loved how the story slowly unveiled the history of Fallbrook, keeping the reader wanting more and hooking them until the very end. This was not the only hook that the author used – main character Tessa has an unpleasant past with her sister Margot, some event caused a riff between them and it takes her mother’s death to force them back into the same space. And of course there is the hook of the wrongly imprisoned man, Oliver, and the events that unfold throughout the book as his life continues to go off-course.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I don’t know how I’ve never read her books before.This was a bit dark,but I enjoys all of the characters. Was surprised by the ending.
I have read every book that Eliza Maxwell has published, and I am a big fan of her stories. She just has a way with words and knows how to create a mysterious and creepy atmosphere. You can’t help but be sucked in and try to figure out what is going on. I love stories that can keep me guessing until the end, and this was definitely the case with The Caretakers. The story is told from Tessa’s, and the caretakers Deidre and Kitty’s POV. I am going to be pretty vague with my review, because I don’t want to spoil anything. I just want to say that nothing is as it seems. Make sure to keep track of all the small things. I loved discovering new things throughout the book, which had me changing my theories about what was going on. I loved the twists and turns, which of some really surprised me.
There is a lot going on in this book but everything fits really well together. There was no dull moment and I was hooked until the end. This book was heartbreaking but also heartwarming in a way. I loved seeing the main character Tessa find peace and mend her relationship with her sister. I also enjoyed seeing Tessa learn the truth about her family. The cover of this book is gorgeous, and it really fits with the vibe of the story. I highly recommend this book if you are intrigued with what you read in the blurb/my review, or if you have read books by this author before. I think Eliza did a great job with this book, and I already look forward to the next one.
“The heart is a formidable thing, and time a slow but powerful healer.”
The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell is an incredible journey into the healing process of families broken by pain, heartache, loss, and secrets. Two stories intertwined make up the overall plot of The Caretakers, with all the details parceled out expertly and beautifully. Tessa Shepherd and her twin sister, Margot, have been estranged for years following an accident that set Margot on a long road of recovery. Feeling responsible and heavy with guilt, Tessa flees to New York to pursue academics and a career in producing documentaries. Oliver Barlow is her latest project about a man she eventually proves has been wrongfully imprisoned for fourteen years. His eventual release sets in motion a series of events that will change everyone’s lives, especially Tessa’s.
Following a death in the family, Tessa and Margot are reluctantly reunited and navigate their new relationship, and together, they discover a shocking truth about their family. Secrets are revealed, but more secrets have been buried deep at their ancestral home, Fallbrook. What the sisters find when they visit the crumbling mansion is a long-ago tragedy deeply rooted in falsehoods, mystery, and immeasurable heartache. The two parts of Tessa’s life—Oliver and the aging caretakers at Fallbrook—collide and tangle in spectacular fashion. What happened to the family at Fallbrook all those years ago? Who is responsible for such unspeakable tragedy and why? The journey to discovery, reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace is riddled with danger and sadness, as many family sagas are.
Eliza Maxwell has a true gift of storytelling because piecing these plots together—past and present—takes immense skill, keeping the reader interested, engaged, and eager to puzzle out the truth. Maxwell builds such a complicated and moving story with ease, never once allowing the reader to become bogged down and confused by the details and the mystery. Every chapter—every sentence, actually—is well written and carefully added to the overall story until the finale when all is finally revealed, and difficult decisions are made.
The Caretakers shows us the importance of family, but not everything within a family is as it seems from the outside. Fathers can be cruel, mothers can keep secrets, and children can break and choose a path of destruction and agony. On the other hand, families can be filled with unfathomable loyalty, care, and love. The Caretakers encompasses the many facets of family and the importance of strengthening the ties rather than letting them irreversibly unravel.
This literary treasure will definitely entertain, but it will probably give you quite a bit to think about and ponder and perhaps cause some reflection on the folly of humans as well as the bittersweet joy of unconditional familial love.
I received a free copy of this book from Lone Star Book Blog Tours in exchange for my honest review.
As soon as I read the synopsis for The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell, I was instantly hooked. I knew it was a book that I had to read. It’s like it was calling out to me saying “read me…read me.” What a wild ride The Caretakers had in store for me!
Tessa Shepard made a documentary that helped free a man that she thought was framed for murder. However, when it seems he’s killed the police chief’s daughter, Tessa’s life becomes upended. Around the same time, Tessa and her twin sister inherit a large estate named Fallbrook. There she meets two old ladies who are the caretakers of Fallbrook that have their own crazy story about the past when it comes to Fallbrooks history. With danger lurking around every corner, Tessa must try to survive and figure out the two old ladies’ story.
I could not fault the plot of The Caretakers at all. It was absolutely solid from beginning to end. With The Caretakers, I felt like I was sort of getting two stories in one which was great! The first story is Tessa’s. The narrative follows Tessa as she deals with her conscience about freeing a man from prison who may have actually been guilty. She’s also dealing with the fallout between her and her twin sister Margot. With Tessa’s reputation in tatters, Tessa tries to stay out of the spotlight and deal with what’s going on in her personal life, but it doesn’t turn out to be that easy. The second narrative belongs to the two old ladies and caretakers of Fallbrook, Kitty and Deidre. Their story was the most interesting to read about. Kitty and Deidre remember two different accounts of what actually befell Fallbrook when they were children. It was traumatizing for both of them, and at least one of the sisters has blocked out the actual memories of the horrible event that happened there. I found myself trying to guess which events were the true ones. Kudos to Eliza Maxwell for adding so many plot twists to The Caretakers that I never saw coming! I absolutely was thrilled that there were so many plot twists. Just when I thought I had the story figured out, a curve ball was thrown at me making me have to start my guess work all over again. However, all cliff hangers and questions are answered by the end of the book.
The characters in The Caretakers were all written fantastically! All were fleshed out appropriately even the minor characters. It was easy to empathize with everything Tessa was going through. She had so much bad stuff going on at one time. Learning her back story, it was easy to see why she thought the way she did. I liked Margot as well. While she’s not a main character, she does play a fairly important role in Tessa’s life. Sometimes I felt like Margot was a little too closed off when it came to Tessa and her husband, Ben. This wasn’t due to bad writing, but quite the opposite. I felt like this was a character flaw that even real life people struggle with. I enjoyed Oliver’s character. He made for a fantastic antagonist. Oliver was the one who Tessa freed from prison due to her documentary. Through fantastic storytelling, it was easy to see why Oliver went off the deep end after he was released. I felt bad for him actually. Deidre was an interesting character, and I came to understand why she was wary of strangers meddling in hers and Kitty’s business. Kitty was my all time favorite character in The Caretakers though. I was sucked up in her childlike way of acting. She seemed to trust everyone and came across as such a sweet person. It seemed like she was too nice to be unkind towards anyone. I felt like Kitty had the most interesting backstory out of all the characters. The Cooke family, who had previously lived in Fallbrook before it became derelict, had the most intriguing story out of everyone. I really enjoyed reading about them.
Trigger warnings for The Caretakers include profanity, murder, violence, drinking, and police corruption.
To say I was blown away by The Caretakers is an understatement. Seriously, this book gave me goosebumps and a severe book hangover. That’s how great it was! With intriguing plot lines and fantastic characters, it was such a fantastic read. I would most definitely recommend The Caretakers by Eliza Maxwell to those aged 17+. I really believe readers of all genres will really enjoy this book!
—
(A special thank you to Lone Star Literary Life and Eliza Maxwell for sending me a paperback and Netgalley for an eBook of The Caretakers in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
I am cared for as a patient as my mysterious mind grew of such horrific spells of world of God I appreciate for these workers who care for many mental patients. I want to read this book my curiosity grows with every title and lables. And I would recommend for a free amazon gift card as a gift for others to enjoy this book
The suspense the dying thrill a must read as I lie at rest I will by extra and I will advertise to do so as yet designing my bookstore with poetry book club thank I love the world and I continue not to give up. Hunting for clues and books is really the magic of it all.
Every individual chapter in The Caretakers was a ride in itself. Collectively, it was a book-hangover-inducing mastery of tension and intrigue. EVERY chapter was amazing! They were like mini episodes – each with spikes, unraveling, and build up. They would leave you with such a punch or with so many new questions that there was no option but to keep reading. I loved that not only was there one big reveal, (actually more like two or three huge twists) there were little nuggets of suspense and bombs dropping that happened throughout as Eliza Maxwell built for the finale. I was never not enthralled.
Maxwell keeps getting better and better. Her latest book hit my top ten last year, but this is above and beyond. She consistently outdoes herself. The intertwining of story lines was done beautifully. The transition between chapters was so satisfying that it made me giddy. Some chapters would end with a line that would be picked up flawlessly by the complementing story line and it created a fantastic rhythm. Her writing style seems to flow so naturally that it creates an easy soundtrack to get lost in.
I would recommend this to everyone! I loved the dynamic between sisters. It held a lot of family drama and secrets but also showed that blood is thicker than water when it comes down to it. Also, I’ve been obsessing over all these true crime documentaries recently from Ted Bundy to Don’t F with Cats to some Tiger King and that aspect of this story had me gushing. I felt like I was a murderino and working my dream job following the process the main character went through filming her own true crime doc. The Caretakers had something for everyone and that ending really deserves a standing ovation. I was completely satisfied with the twist that happened a few chapters from the end thinking it was all downhill from there, but when they kept coming my heart stopped and I’ve just been marinating in that last scene for days now.
This my kind of book! It started off with a bang and kept my attention to the very end. It alternates storylines and I will say I felt a bit confused at times. Finally it all clicked and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. It finishes with a bit too of a twist too. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy