The Vacancy

by Elisabeth Carpenter

Running from her past, Rachel answers an advert to be a live-in assistant to glamorous and eccentric author Dorothy Winters. But behind the closed doors of Dorothy's house, she quickly discovers that nothing is as it seems.

When Dorothy's manuscript throws up striking similarities to events in Rachel's own life, she becomes convinced that the past she's tried to hide is catching up with her.

Then the phone calls start. The parcel arrives. The blood shows up in the bathroom.

And Dorothy's friend disappears.

Terrified of being blamed for murder, Rachel has nobody left to turn to.

Because who can she believe when she doesn't even trust herself...?

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 5, 2021

About the author

Elisabeth (Libby) Carpenter won a Northern Writers New Fiction Award (2016) and was longlisted for Yeovil Literary Prize (2015 & 2016) and MsLexia Women’s Novel award (2015).

Elisabeth lives in Preston, Lancashire with her family. She loves the north of England, setting most of her stories in the area – including the novel she is writing at the moment.

99 Red Balloons was Elisabeth’s debut novel.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

A first time read from this author and whilst I was intrigued by the premise of the books protagonist Rachel becoming a live-in assistant for elderly writer Dorothy Winters.

Obviously, we know that there's something in Rachel's past that she wants to move on from, whilst the manuscripts start to hint at exactly what that consists of.

It took a little while for the plot to get going. By then far too many characters were introduced, which made it hard to keep track especially as the narrative jumped around a lot.

There's numerous mentions to other popular novels, which were fun additions and whilst the twists and turns were interesting - it didn't do enough to keep me invested.

[Fizah(Books tales by me) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for this review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel is running from her past and found a perfect live-in job as a writer's assistant. Dorothy is the best selling author and working on her latest book. Kathryn and Andrew are characters in Dorothy's new book. Kathryn has abandoned her kid and spending some time in therapy. Both of the stories were running parallel. Gordan is Dorothy's neighbour and wants to be a private investigator.

I was so excited to read this book and was expecting a HUGE mystery. After finishing the whole book I sat for 5 minutes to think where was the mystery?. There were so many characters but did they contribute anything in the story except dragging it? No. I guessed the twisted way before the end so it wasn't fun. The story was executed so blandly. In simple words, the story was boring and the writing didn't favour it either. So many elements were thrown to confuse the reader but they only annoyed me.

[Joanne Eglon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐

A bit too slow for me and not enough happening to keep me invested.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to read. It seemed to go nowhere and there was definitely no suspense. I kept waiting for things to start getting exciting. There was so much happening, some of it very far fetched. Maybe I’m used to faster paced thrillers which could be why I didn’t enjoy this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

[Steve Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This looked interesting from the cover notes so borrowed it from the local library. The reviews here are patchy but I found it quite engaging and overall an enjoyable read with lots of characters and a decent twist at the end.

[Liberty Howells · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book, however I did find it a little slow and was confused about the characters at some points. The ending was a nice twist.

[Jessy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess it’s supposed to be character driven? It doesn’t work because the character are cliches and stereotypes and nothing is done to probe or poke at their potentially interesting aspects. If the plot were high suspense then it would make up for the shallow characters but regretfully, nothing much happens for most of the book other than a party or two and a nosey neighbor and a story inside a story that had me thinking that not even an established author could manage to get this story published. I also wonder how this formulaic mystery went to publication. This is a shallow and lazy attempt at a genre novel. Yawn. Next.

[Karen Keane · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started off ok, but I found the second half a bit of a struggle to read and the ending was very weak and not particularly believable.

[Jacob Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vacancy is a tense, highly intriguing new thriller by Elisabeth Carpenter which, to me, felt very fresh. We meet Rachel who answers a job application for live-in assistant to famous writer, Dorothy Winters. Rachel is bowled over when she receives the news that she has got the job. Dorothy is a complex character, but Rachel soon settles into her new life. Soon, strange things start happening and Rachel begins to wonder what is going on here and what sort of person Dorothy Winters really is.

I was fascinated by Rachel. When she arrives at Dorothy’s, we can see that she is doing this to make a new start in her life. Something has happened to her. I wanted to know what it was that had happened in her past and what secrets she was keeping. Elisabeth Carpenter gradually reveals what this is, and the true picture of Rachel begins to emerge. I was intrigued by Dorothy as well. Dorothy was a successful author in the 90s and is working on a new manuscript which Rachel is having to type. As Rachel begins to type Dorothy’s chapters, she realises that the story she’s working on bears a haunting similarity to events which have happened in her own life. Coincidence?

I loved Rachel’s voice which drew me into the story. It felt as though someone is watching Rachel as she settles into her new life. There are snippets throughout the book where it appears as though someone is spying and recording what she is doing. It kept the tension ticking up a notch as I wondered if this was the case. Who could be following her? As Rachel gets to know her new employer she starts snooping around her house, to try and find out more about her. I thought this was a very bold move of Rachel to make and it made me wonder what she might potentially find out about Dorothy. What would happen if Dorothy found out what she was doing?

Elisabeth Carpenter begins to reveal what is really going on here and there was one twist which floored me. I thought it was very clever and it gives the book such a haunting feeling as we draw closer to the end; I thought the ending was very satisfying.

Elisabeth Carpenter has written an another utterly addictive psychological thriller with real emotional depth and the tension keeps you turning the pages. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling reading.

I liked the different chapters and how some are the book being written and some are right there.

Did not guess the twists. However I didn’t find it so shocking. But it was a very compelling read. I didn’t want to put it down.

[Cherie Jude · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting read confused at the start but managed to get hang if it but gutted about the ending as you could tell how it was going to end but still good read.

[Samantha Gillespie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a messy book to read. It would of benefited from characters POV rather than trying to jump form one thing to the other. A bit predictable and the same as numerous books I’ve read.

[Alice Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with the writing from the opening lines, and with each turn of the page I became more absorbed in the remarkable characterisation. The author takes the reader on a journey of discovery, delving deep into the minds of the characters to slowly and convincingly uncover their secrets. Intriguing, compelling and expertly written, I savoured every word. This clever, twisty tale lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned.

[Lauren Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, THIS BOOK! I couldn’t put it down and honestly I didn’t know what was going on for most of it.. normally I’d be able to figure out the plot and antagonist pretty early on but this book just kept me on my toes. It was enthralling and gripping. Amazing story!

[Tristan]

After reading the back cover and reviews I thought this was going to be a good read. However after reading over 100 pages I had had quite enough. I thought the writing was very poor. How many times did characters wrinkle their nose when the author was describing their reactions? Too many. Read page 114 and tell me that's good writing.

[Nicola Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I managed to get through it in only a couple of days. I kept going back to it as I wanted to know what happened next! It’s the first book by Elizabeth Carpenter that I have read and I will now be buying her others!

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

So. I’m not sure how I feel about this.

This plot is pretty predictable and kind of a cliche, with maybe one twist thrown in.

Everyone acts so freaking weird in this. It’s like they know they’re in a book and have to act as odd as possible so the reader doesn’t know what’s going on, but it doesn’t work because it’s too over the top.

It’s very slow and focused on the day-to-day activities of Rachel waking up, working, snooping, wondering why Dorothy’s a kook, drinking, being hungry, and then going to bed. Occasionally a nosy neighbor will stick their nose in it or Dorothy will be hosting a crazy party, but it’s just so slow.

It’s slow and everyone is weird yet I feel like I don’t know any of the characters. Or the ones I do I don’t like and don’t want to read about. We’re mostly following Rachel and I don’t know much about her. She’s in need of a job and wants to run away from her past… but the stakes aren’t high enough for her to stick around as the story progresses and gets weirder. She’s not trapped but chooses to stay and freaks out at the things that are happening.

Baby girl, just leave!

Even the premise of the manuscript having striking similarities to events in Rachel’s own life… isn’t exactly true. Book blurbs, stop lying to me!

I ended up giving this 2.5 stars. I think Carpenter is a good writer and I was able to finish this, I just didn’t love this. I didn’t feel any suspense. I was bored. I didn’t care about the mystery as I’d already figured out what was going on even though the motivation for why things are happening makes zero sense. Literally no sense. And everyone kind of sucks.

I get what Carpenter was going for with this but it just didn’t get there. This definitely could have used some revisions, even on a developmental level.

See my full review (with spoilers): https://youtu.be/4X3hxPWbpKk?si=bvFuf...

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vacancy starts with Rachel when she successfully applies for a job as a live in assistant to well known author Dorothy Winters. We learn early on that Rachel has been targeted with hate mail and us trying to escape. She doesn't want anyone to know where she is. We know her husband has died. We know she is adopted. When she starts working for Dorothy, one of her main jobs is trying up her new book. It's not very good but lots of elements seem weirdly familiar to Rachel. There are lots of weird things going on in Dorothy's house. The neighbour next door is odd. Dorothy's friends are odd. Everything about this situation as odd. As time goes on, Rachel fears her past is catching up with her and fears her true identity is discovered. Rachel's past is far more complex than meets the eye.

I really enjoyed this book. The blurb on the back doesn't really do this book justice. It's quite creepy and its confusing as the reader gets lots of snippets about what is going on. It's not clear what is going on or who is responsible for the deeds going on. Its confusing which adds to the atmosphere. I didn't really like Rachel that much but felt I understood her better as time went by. The story became increasingly far fetched but I enjoyed it anyway. Plenty of twists and turns and I didn't guess the end!

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
I was excited to receive a copy of this book as I totally loved 99 Red Ballons which I raved about in a separate review.
A psychological thriller from a UK author who I don’t hear much mention of.
In an attempt to escape her past Rachel answers an ad by an eccentric writer for a PA.

We are told the points of view via Rachel and Kathryn mostly in alternating chapters. The reader doesn’t know who Kathryn is.
I am guessing the main tropes for this storyline are going to be lies and deception. I don’t think the main characters are telling the truth, and therefore for me I can’t engage with them.

The pace is slow, it’s very character driven. The first half of the book we get to know about the main characters, the characters are well developed,but not a lot happens plot wise. Half way in there’s some suspense and It feels a bit spooky. I’m trying to work out if spooky or if there’s gaslighting going on. I always like to try and think about where the book is going.

This one didn’t grab me in the same way as 99 Red Balloons, I didn’t manage to engage with the characters, and the plot didn’t grip me either. Disappointingly for me this one was a good read, but not great. I had high expectations after my previous read by this author.

[Sydney Stylites · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't quite achieve what it was aiming for.
At no point was I scared. Not a single point.
Not curious or mystified about the protagonist's back story. Same old, same old.
The parts which DID confuse me were not addressed?
Like what was the deal with creepy Gordon and his absentee wife? Bcoz it seemed like the writer was trying to make it into a thing, but it just...fizzled out randomly?

Plenty of loose ends like that.

Also, why was everyone so nosy and gossipy all the time??? Very, very unreal.
I guess that's another reason I didn't like the book - couldn't sympathise or even relate to the main character.
Very off-putting bcoz she behaved like NOT a good person. Snooping around like that all the time? Was I meant to root for her?
Bcoz I couldn't care what happened to her, in the slightest.

Grammatical issues and editorial errors, throwaway dialogues, and THAT ending?
Very anticlimactic.

[Sweetlikechocolate78 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! The build up of the story line was really good. The fact that one of the characters was based around an author was what led me to buying the book. I found it a little difficult to get into but once I got into it, I wanted to keep reading. At one point I got a little confused trying to figure out the characters and their stories (and because I was reading into the late hours) but the plot twist was amazing! I love psychological thrillers and trying to figure it all out along the way, but I certainly did not see this one coming until a few sentences before the reveal! This is the first book that I have read of Elisabeth Carpenter and looking forward to reading some more of her work.

[Joanna Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm...
So I enjoyed this a lot. I read it in one day and I was captivated... right until the end. It just fell a little flat and the thing that was most unbelievable is that nobody ever thought on all those..l ths to Google this author, not even the woman going to be her live in assistant. There's no way in this day and age that nobody would have discovered Dorothy was dead before the point they did.
Its a shame because it ruined an otherwise good book for Me and I had to take off a star for it.

[Sam Hood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for the most part, the writing was decent and the premise interesting, and I actually didn’t expect or predict what ended up happening, however I do wish that there was more of a shock, or a final dramatic climax that made all the build up even more worth it. It ended up being a sequence of strange events that all got explained away and tidied up neatly and then that was it the book had finished. I would still recommend if you’re a thriller fan but don’t expect any major jaw-dropping moments because you won’t find them

[Sai · Rating 3 out of 5]

A first time read from this author, read the blurb and I was excited to know the full story. It was really interesting at first, later it ant a bit confusing, lot of characters involved. I didn’t have a clue what was going on for at least the first third of this book, it seemed to go nowhere and there was definitely no suspense. I kept waiting for things to start getting exciting, but I was disappointed by the plot, feel like too much was going on at once. But It's a good one if you don't expect much from a thriller.

[Georgia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only reviewing based on what I have read so far. I enjoy that there is some depth to most chapters besides a couple and the premis of the book however I am only 100 pages in and struggling to keep reading. For me personally the book is very slow, transitions between chapters could be smoother and there are so many characters it can be difficult to keep up with them all. I am currently having a break from the book but will hopefully edit my review and it be more positive once I have motivated myself to finish it. Currently I think this book may be a DNF for me, hopefully not.

[Ashleigh Halvorsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plotline and premise I found quite new and interesting. A different type of thriller, not like one I have read before. Although it wasn't as gripping as other reads, I appreciated the authors effort. It did have interesting twists and turns, although a little confusing at times. I hadn't quite guessed the ending either which is a plus for me. Over all not a bad read. I did enjoy the characters, the author really set the scene as well.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plotline of this book was different to anything I'd read before, and I found that thrilling as the whole way through I still couldn't guess how it would end. The chapters changing between Dorothy's book and the present events was a really cool way to keep the story moving, and also revealing details little by little. I have been left thinking about the character of Rachel, and the way the story unfolded which I consider a really good sign!

[Marie-Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that completely surprises you with how good it is. I really enjoyed the characters and the suspicion around a few of them. I suspected some weren't good and I was pleasantly proved wrong. I didn't see one of the plot twist coming, which is so refreshing as I read so many thrillers. I have never read a Carpenter book before but I will absolutely be purchasing her other novels.

[Sharie Barker · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately this was a dnf at about half way through. This author needs a bit of guidance on how to keep a story flowing, it jumped too much, one minute Adam went to the loo, the next Rachel got a text and told him she had to leave, so when did he come back from the loo and sit back down? It felt like some parts were fast forwarding in the authors mind which is find, but as the reader, we have to see these pieces for the story to make sense