A Window Breaks

by C. M. Ewan

A Window Breaks is an enjoyable read.

A lot happens over a very short time!

Tom, his wife, Rachel, their thirteen-year-old daughter, Holly, and their dog travel to Scotland for much needed rest and re-connection. They are all struggling with grief after the loss of Tom and Rachel’s sixteen-year-old son a few months previous, so Tom’s boss, Lionel, insists they use his remote lodge for a few days to relax. On arrival it all looks like the ideal place for just that. That is until there is a break-in in the middle of the night on the first night they’re there.

An absolute nightmare!

Is it a random attack or have they been targeted?

From this moment on I had no idea what to think! I had my theories as the story progressed, but there was many a curveball along the way. I found it to be quite a tense read. The tension builds slowly, but it kept me intrigued. The flashbacks provided little glimpses towards the truth along the way, but also threw up new questions at times.

I thought Tom was quite a believable character. Most ‘normal’ blokes wouldn’t be equipped to deal with the sort of attack they are faced with. My husband is ex-military so I’m sure he’d be great in an emergency such as this, but Tom is a lawyer. I’m assuming they don’t tend to have the same training! 😉

Rachel was an intriguing character. She was obviously hiding something from the start, so I was itching to find out what. I couldn’t warm to her the same, although I did understand her better by the end.

I thought Holly coped well with the whole situation, especially given her age. She’s a little trooper.

It certainly kept me guessing and I was shocked by the end!

I buddy read this with some Instagram friends, and I think I enjoyed it more than some of the other ladies. I understand how the repetitive use of certain words/phrases grated on them, and I agree it could possibly have been condensed a little bit. I personally think the ending justified the build-up though. I think it would make a good film. Some of the repetitive descriptions used wouldn’t be necessary on screen. I think, done well, it would keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a tense, psychological thriller which confuses the cr*p out of you for the most part, but all wraps up nicely at the end.

** I purchased the paperback edition of this book purposely to join in with this month’s buddy read chosen by @readswithdanii **

It’s 2 a.m. in a remote Scottish lodge.

You are asleep when a noise wakes you.

You stir, unsure why, and turn to your partner.

Then you hear it.

Glass. Crunching underfoot.

Your worst fears are about to be realized.

Someone is downstairs, intent on causing your family harm.

You will do whatever it takes to protect them.

But with only each other to rely on, can you escape?