The Lodge

by Paul Finch

It's the perfect getaway. Until there's no way out.

The weekend-long Murder Tour ends with an evening at Black Tarn Lodge which seems to offer everything for 'dark tourists'. Not only is it a magnificent Gothic mansion nestling deep in the remote Forest of Bowland, it once belonged to deceased horror legend, Edgar Karnwood, and is now filled with costumes and mementoes from his many movies. Offering an elegant dinner and the screening of a legendary lost film, it's the ideal way to complete the Tour. Until night falls and a thick fog isolates the house. Until all the guests' phones go missing. And then, one by one, they start vanishing...

When a body is found, is it an accident or murder? Asking why is no priority, because suddenly everyone is cut off. No one can leave the Lodge or even call for help. They don't even know each other that well, but they're going to have to work out who they can trust soon. Because whoever's behind this slaying, he or she plainly isn't finished yet.

And who will be next? No one is safe at Black Tarn Lodge.

From Sunday Times bestseller Paul Finch comes a Gothic destination thriller that will leave you breathless. Perfect for fans of Laura Purcell, Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery

343 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 15, 2026

About the author

Paul Finch is a former cop and journalist, now full-time writer. Having originally written for the television series THE BILL plus children's animation and DOCTOR WHO audio dramas, he went on to write horror, but is now best known for his crime / thriller fiction.

He won the British Fantasy Award twice and the International Horror Guild Award, but since then has written two parallel series of hard-hitting crime novels, the Heck and the Lucy Clayburn novels, of which three titles have become best-sellers.

Paul lives in Wigan, Lancashire, UK with his wife and children.

Reviews

[RoosBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book! I loved the Gothic vibes, I loved the creative endings of the characters which were varied and unexpected, I loved the twist at the end which revealed the culprit. I would have liked more character development, some of the characters were so quickly here and gone that I didn't care about them. Also I would have liked more information about the siblings and that situation. I do recommend this but thriller readers beware it may be more bloody than we are used to.

the audio was fine, not particularly thrilling but not bad either.

thank you to NetGalley, the author Paul Finch, and Brilliance Publishing for my ARC of this audiobook.

[Natalia Farnham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you say creepy atmospheric vibes!!!! This one was so good! It didn’t disappoint that’s for sure. It had really good pacing and my goodness my heart was pounding in some scenes. And then the twist! Didn’t see it coming!!!!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is why I hate star ratings. It is useful for some ratings, but not helpful for others. Can't I just say it was fun and I liked it?

A group of people take a murder tour with a bonus night's stay at a deceased horror actor's manor. The book is a good mix of horror and thriller.

[Corinne’s Chapter Chatter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second book from this author, and unfortunately he’s just not for me. The writing itself is competent, and I’m sure many thriller readers will find it engaging, but for me it fell flat. That experience was only worsened by the audio narration, which made the book feel dated, stodgy, and—if I’m being honest—sexist.

I’m not usually one to climb onto a soapbox, but the way narrator Maxim Reston chose to bring the female characters to life left me genuinely unsettled. The voices felt like sexist caricatures rather than fully realized people. His male voices were serviceable, but even those were lackluster, adding nothing to the prose and certainly not elevating it. Audiobooks can sometimes smooth over clunky writing; here, the narration did the opposite, highlighting the rough spots and interrupting the flow of the story.

As for the prose itself, it simply didn’t engage me. I never came to care about the characters or what they were doing within the story. In fact, I finished the book and sat down to write this review about an hour later—only to realize I had to reread the book’s description to remind myself what it was supposed to be about.

All in all, this was a big miss for me. Not the way I wanted to kick off 2026, so here’s hoping this one was just a fluke.

I was fortunate to receive a complimentary ALC from Brilliance Audio via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars Rounded Up

This was a fun story with gothic elements and themes. Nick & Liz run a tour of true murder sites. The tour culminates at the famous Black Tam Lodge which has been renovated with famous memorabilia. This is a new addition to the tour for Nick & Liz as well as the participants. The lodge ends up acting as a locked door mystery.

This has a slow start and is a bit dry in the beginning. The participants are an eclectic group that I as the reader never really get attached to or care about. Honestly I wasn’t much invested in the Nick and Liz either. That said the ending makes up for the slower start and character development isn’t important to the overall story.

The narrator of this audiobook is Maxim Reston. Maxim did a great job with the voices of the male characters but his voice inflections for women characters were lacking. I found it a bit distracting overall.

Thank you to Paul Finch, Brilliance Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

[Laura Prindable · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eclectic cast of characters on a getaway to a Gothic mansion. What could go wrong? So, so many things. There is a murderer in the midst picking them off one by one. I couldn't figure this one out!

4 stars

Many thanks to Net Galley and Brilliance Publishing for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Suzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I found it very slow/ dry to start with. I'm glad I finished it though, because it was exciting towards the end.

Some thing(s) I liked:
✅The setting was amazing
✅the creepy locked in mansion/ cabin/ hotel thing is one of my favourite subgenres
✅lots of blood and gore and nastiness

Some thing(s), not so much:
⭕Slow to start
⭕Didn't much care about Nick and Liz's relationship but it came up alot (to start)
⭕Wildly unbelievable

[Donna Morfett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. The Lodge came from left field. The last of Paul's books have been incredibly fast paced crime thrillers. This took a slightly more slow, intense gothic edge.
Its not a worse book for it. Possibly better.
The characters are a bunch of supposed crime enthusiasts going on a tour of locations where infamous serial killers had carried out their horrendous crimes.
Unbeknownst to them, the final location is The Lodge. Its difficult to put a different spin on a haunted house but I think Paul has done this with the addition of film props and the mist. The mist felt like a character by itself. Ever present and making visibility zero.
As soon as everyone reached the Lodge, the tension was at a level that was maintained to the end. My heart was pounding hard.
A couple of characters were really irritating, and some were nice and I wanted them to survive. There is a great twist that I didnt expect at all. The kills were quite imaginative and dare I say brutal. I would dread to think what Paul's search history looks like for this one!
A brilliant read that I flew through and was annoyed every time I had to put it down.

[Melonie Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADVANCED READY COPY FROM NETGALLERY
AUTHOR: PAUL FINCH

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE AUDIOBOOK:

🔮 THE PLOT IS CAPTIVATING, SUSPENSEFUL, AND KEEPS READERS' ATTENTION AS IT HAS MANY TWISTS AND TURNS.

🔮 CHARACTERS ARE A GREAT MIX OF DYNAMIC PERSONALITIES AND SARCASTIC WIT THAT BRING THE STORY TO LIFE PASSIONATELY.

🔮 THE AUTHOR DID A GREAT JOB DESCRIBING THE SCENERY, WHICH HELPED ME VISUALIZE THE STORY AND CHARACTERS.

🔮 THE BOOK'S FORMAT IS LAID OUT IN A WAY THAT IS EASY TO FOLLOW ALONG. CHAPTERS ARE THE PERFECT LENGTH TO KEEP INTEREST.

🔮 THE NARRATOR DID AN EXCELLENT JOB BRINGING CHARACTERS TO LIFE WITH PASSION, ARTICULATION, POISE, AND PROFESSIONALISM.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Keywords: NetGalley, ARC Copy, audiobook, Paul Finch, fiction, thrillers, bookreviews, audiobookreviews

#bookstagrammers #netgalley #Audiobookrecommendation #audiobooks#2026books

[Justice Timblin · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC Review*
This book delivers serious **And Then There Were None** vibes with a sharp, modern edge—and I loved every minute of it. The isolated setting, mounting tension, and slowly unraveling secrets make this a total page-turner. Each character feels suspicious in the best way, and the sense of unease just keeps building until you can’t stop reading. The narrator that was chosen also helps set the tone. Clever twists, a claustrophobic atmosphere, and a payoff that hits—this is a must-read for anyone who loves classic whodunits with a contemporary spin.

[Jameson · Rating 4 out of 5]

RANT: I weep for the state of reading and publishing and this website. Many of the reviews call this a locked room mystery. What?! Dear God. Many of the reviewers can’t keep the characters straight. What?!! I can only imagine many “readers” today are actually “listeners” and it doesn’t appear that they’re listening very well. I’m sure they’re driving or doing laundry or working out or whatever but they’re not absorbing the information. There is no excuse for not keeping these characters straight. There’s no excuse for an adult reader not to know this isn’t a locked room murder mystery. Goodreads is a victim of eshittification in a myriad of ways. In recent years it has been plagued by reviewers who get the ebook or audiobook for free. I’ve ranted about this before but I’m skeptical this practice is good for authors or readers or sales or creativity. These reviews are usually unfavorable, they tell you next to nothing about anything except that they didn’t like it and that’s their opinion and thanks for the free copy. The internet has a lot to answer for obviously but its sins against literature and the human attention span are gravest. END RANT

Paul Finch writes a slasher! Hopefully, more are on their way. Besides a pair of groan-inducing developments, this was a great read. I hope Finch continues to put out more standalone novels. The only reason I haven’t finished The Island is because I got sick for a few months and didn’t want to contaminate my reading experience. But that one was off to a fantastic start and I look forward to finishing it.

The Lodge. A dark tourism group end their day of visiting murder sites by spending the night at a mansion once owned by a horror movie icon and before that an Aleister Crowley type. The whole place has a Hammer horror vibe. It’s even enshrouded in a spooky veil of relentless mist and sat behind a creepy black tarn. The real world, the sane world, is a million miles away. Dot dot dot. Then something or someone starts picking off our murderheads one by one!

Great page-turner, overall. I thoroughly enjoyed especially the first half. Then Finch resorted to some slasher tropes that I personally dislike. No spoilers, so I’ll just leave it at this: some slasher tropes work better on the screen better than on the page.

Also, surprisingly, like with most modern fiction not military-related, I began to wonder if I was the target audience. All the men were losers, all the strong characters were women. Not annoying in and of itself but when all the radio stations are playing Sympathy for the Devil you don’t really feel like listening to it anymore, do you, no matter how great it is?

Lastly, a slasher is a whodunnit. And all whodunnits are rightly judged by the success or failure of their climactic revelations. Now Finch writes horror and mystery exceedingly well. And history and action, etc, etc. In a time where the art of writing a great ending seems lost to time, I never doubted Finch would deliver a great finale. Yet, here we are. It’s not shocking; it’s a bit silly. Does it take away from my overall enjoyment? Mm hm. Trying to surprise the reader is laudable in any genre, but ending a joyride in a Ferrari at Auntie Zaza’s Yarn Shop is a letdown. I’m sure Finch knew he was taking a risk and I understand the appeal of certain subversions of aspects of my very own complaints, but for this lone reader the game just wasn’t worth the candle.

It may be argued that both of my chief complaints (men are pathetic; who did the dunning) are staples of the slasher genre but they do a disservice to The Lodge. Still I very much recommend it.

[jeff popple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Finch’s The Lodge is a highly entertaining read, while raising valid questions about society’s preoccupation with serial killers and the glorification of violent murder.

The book opens in good fashion with a group of true crime fanatics on a Murder Tour through a remote part of north-west England. The tour is run by Liz and Nick who seem to have finally found their niche with the weekend long celebration of grisly deeds. The bus tour visits various historical crime sites, as well as a creepy cottage of serial killer memorabilia. The highlight of the Murder Tour is an evening at the recently opened Black Tarn Lodge, which seems to offer everything for ‘dark tourists’. Not only is it a magnificent Gothic mansion nestling deep in the remote Forest of Bowland, it also once belonged to deceased horror legend Edgar Karnwood, and is now filled with costumes and mementoes from his many movies. Offering an elegant dinner and the screening of a legendary lost film, it’s the ideal way to complete the Tour. Until night falls, a thick fog isolates the house and the guests start disappearing.

The Lodge is a thrill-filled ride. After a leisurely start, the pace really picks up once the bus reaches the Lodge and the truth about the various members of the tour comes out. The violence comes thick and fast in the second half and there is a cinematic feel to the violence as the unlucky guests are dispatched in increasingly gruesome ways. The frequently shifting point of view works really well, and helps to ramp up the tension as the guest numbers decline. The final chapters are very exciting and it is hard to put the book down.

The characters are nicely limned and some develop in ways that you do not expect. The person behind the killings is not hard to identify, but there are enough other surprises to keep it entertaining. Adding to the pleasure are the good Gothic vibe of the Lodge, and interesting snippets about horror movies and serial killers, both real and fictional. There is also some interesting reflections on dark tourism and why we are fascinated by evil.

Some suspension of disbelief is necessary, but it is worth it. A fun piece of escapism that would make for a great B movie.

More than a 4 but less than a 5

See full review at: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/s...

[Arti · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fairly run-of-the-mill mystery/thriller with great pacing!


A serial killer murder tour goes wrong one fateful night when the party arrives at the estate of a man who once starred in many horror movies and the guests begin getting picked off. One by one the party is picked off in various horrible ways as they just try to survive the night.

It takes a second to get to know everyone as there are many characters to begin with, but they do become more distinct as it goes on. This story isn't set up well for you to truly get to know the characters and care deeply when/if they die but I don't think that was the point either. The deaths in this book, while not graphic, are shocking and gruesome and really further the tension of needing to survive.

The pacing of this novel is absolutely fantastic. While I agree with other reviews that it takes just a second to get into, once the going is on things don't slow down. The setting is grand and I think having the blueprints for this lodge would have been so fun to follow as the characters explored and ran. For being a locked lodge mystery, there was a lot of movement and moving parts to it all that kept it really fresh and fun.

Ultimately, this actually wasn't really for me. I would have liked to be more enamored with our cast of characters so I cared when they died, and I had also surmised the true culprit quite early on. There was a moment late in the game I thought my hunch was wrong and something far more interesting was going to happen but that hunch was quashed fairly quickly. I had toyed with the possibility that the victim from the beginning didn't get killed and became an apprentice of sorts. When Martha's identity was revealed I thought perhaps it truly was her husband and she would be spared and the tie together would have been shocking and fun but this is not the case. The real culprit is believable enough but at the same time I think I was hoping for something a little more.... more, in this area.

Overall The Lodge is a fantastic mystery/thriller with great pacing. I highly recommend this book if you need something fairly simple to get you back into reading thrillers or if you just want to enjoy a thoroughly well put together cat and mouse game. I wouldn't recommend this if you want to get really invested in character building or like really heavy mystery.

[Aurora Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lodge by Paul Finch

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
A group of strangers on a Murder Tour gathers overnight at a remote Gothic lodge. But when the guests start disappearing, and a body turns up, they realizes they’re trapped and must figure out who they can trust before someone else dies.

𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘
The narrator was generally solid, but I struggled with some of the female voices, which came off kinda camp rather than convincingly female. There are a lot of UK dialects too, and even as a Brit I had to slow the audio down at times.

𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘
The start was a bit of a slog for me. There’s a lot of exposition and character introductions, and it felt dry. Some of the dialogue leaned so hard into “British” that it almost felt performative rather than natural.

Once the group actually arrives at the lodge, things click, the isolated setting worked better, and the story became easier to follow. When the deaths start, it’s clear this is leaning full slasher - not cozy mystery.

It’s told through multiple POVs and feels very plot-driven. This is more cat-and-mouse than psychological, with the focus on chases and murder rather than deep character work.

The final reveal was genuinely fun and I didn’t see it coming! It tied everything together in a way that made the whole thing make sense.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
If you’re up for a fast, locked-room slasher with a murder-tour hook, this is a good time. Just know going in that it’s not cozy!

Thank you Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for this #gifted ARC.

🎧 Narrated by Maxim Reston
📖 Publishes 01•15•26 | 350 pages | 9h 3m

[Sanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy the psychological mystery thrillers and specially those with gothic mansion setting and eerie atmosphere, so I was really excited to get a chance to read this book! This was also a horror novel, getting graphic time by time, but luckily not too much.

In the start reader is introduced to a group of people interested in famous true crime places. Nick and Liz have made a business of showing people what they yearn - to feel the chill of the real murder places. But then a nicely creepy weekend trip in the Black Tarn Lodge - old mansion renovated and full of horror movie memorabilia - turns to an extreme experience, very different than what they had in mind...

Losing all contacts to the outdoor world, the mansion soon becomes a murderous locked room mystery. After first shock it seems clear someone is taking them down one by one. Who will disappear next and will anyone get out of the trap?

This was an enjoyable, movie-like experience and I really couldn´t let go until it was finished. For once, I guessed right who was behind it all, but it had so much surprises on the way it kept me on my toes until the very end. Don´t let the quite slow beginning get you fooled, there will be a lot of action. I liked that author took time to introduce the characters well, as there were so many I had to make notes at first. I really hope this will be also translated in Finnish and it made me want to read more books by Finch!

Thank you NetGalley for the gifted eARC! This is my honest review.

[Roger Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Finch is an expert at creating gripping crime thrillers and ‘sit back in your chair’ horror fiction. And in The Lodge, he has mashed the two together in a delicious serial killer crime novel. The story opens in rural Lancashire and the murder of an innocent by a maniac; Harry was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Nick and Liz who are fans of true crime and real serial killers set up a bus tour of murder hotspots which ends with a weekend retreat in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire. Situated in the middle of nowhere, they are effectively cut off by a pea soup of fog and cloud. Not that any of the guests want to go anywhere.
Their phones go missing; all part of setting the scene? Then a guest falls to their death from the roof. A tragic accident? But what where they doing up there? Then another appears and the remaining guests realise they are now stars of their worst nightmare. For them, their fascination with the macabre is now very real and they are the players in a murderous game; whether they like it or not.
Finch then takes the reader on a heart-racing adventure where nothing is as it seems and the guests are fighting to survive, while each suspecting the other of involvement in this deadliest of cat and mouse games.
The bodies mount up, until the three remaining members of the party come face-to-face with the deranged evil that has been stalking them and feasting on their fear.
The story concludes in a race-against-time, and odds, with shocks and reveals aplenty.
Highly recommended.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐️

I came for the lodge mystery, stayed for the steady unease. This story felt like creeping through fog — quiet, intentional, and impossible to look away from.

Paul Finch’s writing style is immersive. The Gothic lodge setting is isolated, fog-heavy, and soaked in tension. The closed-circle mystery felt perfectly claustrophobic — I didn’t trust a single person, and I was into it. There’s this subtle dread woven through every chapter that kept me reading, even when the characters tested my patience. The atmosphere did the heavy lifting and delivered.

Some of the character dialogue lingered a little too long and repeated in places, which made certain scenes feel more drawn out than tense. A couple of the characters leaned very dramatic, and they just didn’t land for me. There were also a ton of characters, which made it more difficult to follow at times and harder to keep everyone straight. The pacing was more of a slow, creeping burn than a sharp, punchy explosion — a bit too subtle for my usual closed-door mystery appetite. All in all, a twisty, fog-soaked mystery that was the right kind of unsettling, but a tighter edit would’ve made the suspense hit even harder.

Despite this not being my favorite mystery, it was moody, eerie, and had a different take on other books with this trope. I am interested in reading more by Paul Finch.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the advance audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

[Ciara Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎧 Audio Thoughts: I enjoyed the narrator’s voice and felt like he was telling me the story, which I enjoyed.

📝 Story Thoughts: At first it wasn’t very engaging and I struggled to get into it, but as the story progressed, probably 5 or so chapters in, I began to find it interesting and my attention was caught. I felt it grew more intriguing as it went. I love murder mystery type stories because they remind me of CLUE usually. And I wound up really enjoying this one! It was centered around a gothic type lodge and stories of serial unalivers. A group stays at this lodge for the night, but when people wind up dead, they have to figure out if it’s accidental, coincidence or something darker at play… Trapped in place, no way to call for help or get away, being hunted one by one… the ending was one I didn’t see coming and I really wound up loving this story by the end of the book!

Tropes 👇

- Murder mystery w forced proximity
- Serial unalivers
- Gothic Lodge
- Artwork w hidden meaning
- Scary Movie Props
- Third Person POV
- Multiple POV

Content Warning 👇

- Brief scenes of gore/mutilation

Audio Release Date: January 15, 2026
Audio Run Time: 8 hrs, 36 mins
Narrated By: Maxim Reston
Genre: Gothic Thriller/Murder Mystery
Format: Audiobook
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for this ALC in return for my honest review.

[Travel Books and Movies · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Lodge is a horror-thriller that’s tricky to categorize—mostly because it leans so heavily into classic horror tropes that it sometimes feels more campy than frightening. For me, the story had the vibe of a B-level horror film from the 60s or 70s, the kind that leans into clichés on purpose… and that may well be the point, since those old films are woven directly into the plot.

What I found most interesting is the book's exploration of dark tourism, following a tour group on a “Murder Weekend” led by Nick and Liz. The group visits several true-crime sites before spending the night in an isolated mansion once owned by both a serial killer and a Hollywood horror star. It’s an atmospheric setup, but a few too many characters are introduced too quickly, which made it hard to keep track of who was who. Once murders begin and the group starts turning on one another, the pace picks up, but the overall tone often veered into unintentionally comical territory for me.

Readers who enjoy pulpy horror or self-aware slasher vibes may find more to appreciate here, but it ultimately wasn’t quite the right fit for my tastes.

Title: The Lodge
Author: Paul Finch
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Setting: England
Rating: ⭐️⭐️1/2 (rounded down)

**I was given a free version of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six crime enthusiasts register for the Murder Tour, led by Nick Thornwood and his partner Liz. They’ll visit the sites of some of the most gruesome, torture-filled murders committed by infamous serial killers. Sound like fun? Just wait. This trip is a special Long, Dark Weekend to by capped off with an overnight stay at the haunted, isolated Black Tarn Lodge. The lodge is owned by the son of a renowned horror film star who immediately collects their cell phones. The gloomy, partially restored building with turrets and secret staircases is a perfect setting for this nightmare thriller. Tension builds as, one by one, guests go missing. Who will be next? Is one of the enthusiastic guests a serial killer?

The Lodge is part mystery, part thriller and all horror. Tension builds as the guests wait to see who will be the next to disappear. The atmospheric location and plot reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s And Then there Were None add to the suspense and the final scenes come as a total, shocking surprise. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Paul Finch for this ARC.

[Alison Taylor-Muhl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read all the Mark Heckenburg novels by this author, my interest was piqued by this new, standalone thriller/horror story. As always with this author, the writing is powerful, and gory in all the right places. The atmosphere oozes from the page, making it so easy to picture the eerie and imposing structure of Black Tarn Lodge. There are a lot of characters to get to grips with, and I will admit that I struggled to keep track of them all in the beginning, however, their individual roles in the overall plot make them all worth the extra concentration.

I did feel the pacing was imbalanced: with the first half of the book reading like a gothic novel – moody and steady. The pace then ramps up considerably and we find ourselves locked in a ‘Then There Were None’ type situation. Whilst the finale uncovers some dark secrets – the result of the authors clever and purposeful misdirection, I did feel the ending was rushed. All in all, if you like your reads sharp and dark, you won’t be disappointed.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is a well-crafted novel that stands out with its unique premise: a group of unsuspecting participants on a weekend murder tour suddenly find themselves in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer. Finch masterfully crafts a gripping atmosphere that pulls you in from the beginning. The pacing starts off a bit slow, but this deliberate build-up is crucial as it lays the groundwork for the electrifying encounters that follow. The execution of the story is fantastic; every detail is meticulously woven together, creating an intriguing story that culminates in a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, The Lodge is an utterly captivating read that kept me enthralled until the very last word. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller—this one is sure to leave you eagerly turning the pages and questioning every character’s motives. A fantastic addition to the genre!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a clever premise. There’s a very slow build at the start, full of murder and mystery, far before the body count begins. It builds a sense of discomfort and tension, before teetering into a fast paced and dramatic second act. Throw in a group of strangers trapped together in a gothic mansion, and a string of (fairly bloody) murders, and my heart is still in my throat.

My gore threshold is very low. This pushed me to my limit, but in a deliciously thrilling way. I guessed the twist fairly late in the game, as I was so caught up on the story, which was satisfying.

The audiobook was a great way to experience this read. It takes a little while to get across this colourful cast of characters, and the narrator does well to craft their individual personas. The narration heightens the sense of threat and drama, making this a satisfyingly gripping read.

Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this audiobook. Opinions expressed are my own.

[Sarah Elizabeth Schiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lodge by Paul Finch drops you into a luxe weekend retreat that curdles into pure paranoia the moment the fog rolls in. Cut off from the outside world, surrounded by strangers, and trapped inside a brooding Gothic estate, the tension tightens fast as guests begin to vanish and suspicion spreads.


Finch expertly plays with classic locked-room tropes (missing phones, shifting alliances, and a death that feels anything but accidental) while keeping the pace sharp and the stakes deadly. Every chapter adds another layer of unease, daring you to guess who can be trusted before it’s too late. A deliciously claustrophobic thriller that turns the idea of a perfect getaway into a nightmare you won’t want to escape


Thank you to Paul Finch, Brilliance Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC.


#TheLodge #PaulFinch #ThrillerReads #LockedRoomMystery #PsychologicalSuspense #GothicThriller #NetGalley #NetGalleyARC #ARCReview #BookReview #Bookstagram #ReadersOfInstagram #WhatImReading #Bookish

[Rose 🥀 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Lodge by Paul Finch, which publishes on 15/1/2026, in exchange for an honest review.
This is a thriller about a ‘murder tour’ where true crime fans stop at famous murder locations. But staying the night at a now deceased horror film icon’s estate soon goes eerily wrong…
This was hard to follow in the beginning as we were introduced to so many people so quickly. It would have been okay if these characters were all distinct and individual, but they felt 2d and I was confused throughout as they seemed to blur together. Because of this, I couldn’t connect to any character so I found it hard to root for anyone.
Martha’s reveal was something I’d known from the moment she was introduced, so what could have redeemed the story instead further disappointed me. As for the killer’s reveal, that was also clear and I had easily guessed it.
Overall this is not a thriller I enjoyed or would recommend.

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book overall. The eerie, gothic atmospheric setting with the isolated lodge is the major highlight of the story. It creates an unsettling feeling that intensifies as the story proceeds. The premise is very interesting, especially the Murder Tour Concept. The second half of the book becomes a compelling page-turner as the danger escalates.
However, I did find the beginning slow, it took me some time to fully invest in the story. The pacing also felt uneven at times. I felt too many characters were introduced simultaneously, which made following their POVs a bit difficult. A few plot twists were also predictable, but the final reveal was amazing and made up for it.
Overall, this is a good gothic creepy atmospheric thriller that delivers unsettling vibes and chills.
Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating-⭐⭐⭐1/2

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Paul Finch, and Brilliance Publishing for my ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and the alternating viewpoints, as well as the pacing. Nick and Liz run a "dark tourism" experience where they take a group of individuals around to different crime related sites in the UK. Once they reach their final destination, members of the group start getting picked off one by one. As we switch through alternative viewpoints, you think you start to get an idea of who the killer may be, but are ultimately kept guessing until the very end. An entertaining read - a solid 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Not a true 4 because I didn't love the two main characters' backgrounds and how they interacted with each other - very stilted and sort of trope-y in the "he's a failed writer" and "she works in admin so he can follow his dreams" way.

[Gordon Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lodge is more of a gothic horror novel than a traditional murder mystery. When Nick and Liz take a tour around the sites of some of the most gruesome murderers, they end up at a remote lodge. Previously owned by a satanist and a renowned horror actor, it is now being repurposed as a luxury getaway. But the pair and their guests get far more than they bargained for.

The horror starts when the host goes missing - after confiscating their phones. And then guests start to disappear. The first part of the novel sees blame being cast around as the group fractures, but eventually realises they have an external threat to face. The second section becomes more horror, as the mystery killer stalks the remaining guests.

Overall, The Lodge is a good read, although definitely one for horror fans.

[Ali O · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lodge by Paul Finch
Narrated by Maxim Reston
🌟🌟🌟🌟(3.5 rounded up)
A vacation that sounds too good to be true, just might be!!
This is an thriller that takes place in a remote lodge where guests are exciting to go to have an elegant and relaxing getaway, but by nightfall it becomes clear that that is not the vacation the guests are going to get!

It was a good story, but it wasn't as exciting as I was hoping for. It did start out a bit slow. However, it is a fun mystery story with some good twists! A locked room, whodunit, type of story.
I enjoyed the thorough imagery the story had. I was able to picture the scenes, while listening to the narrator.
The narrator did a very good job with the story!
Thank you to NetGalley for an audio arc of this book.
*This book comes out January 15th!*

[Rachel Combs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lodge had a premise I was immediately drawn to: an isolated setting, a group of strangers, and a tense, closed-circle mystery. The atmosphere at Black Tarn Lodge was eerie and unsettling, and there were moments that genuinely kept me on edge.

That said, I struggled a bit with the large cast of characters and how quickly events unfolded. With so much happening in real time, I found it harder to fully connect with everyone or keep track of motivations as the story progressed. As an audiobook listener, I enjoyed the narrator overall, though I did find myself replaying sections early on to make sure I wasn’t missing details.

99% chance you won't guess the killer.

While this didn’t fully land for me, I can see it working well for readers who enjoy fast-paced, high-body-count thrillers set in claustrophobic locations.