There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh – a Review

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Description:
They met when they were teenagers. Now they’re adults, and time has been kind to some and unkind to others—none more so than to Bea, the one they lost nine long years ago. They’ve gathered to reminisce at Bea’s family’s estate, a once-glorious mansion straight out of a gothic novel. Best friends, old flames, secret enemies, and new lovers are all under one roof—but when the weather turns and they’re snowed in at the edge of eternity, there’s nowhere left to hide from their shared history.

As the walls close in, the pretense of normality gives way to long-buried grief, bitterness, and rage. Underneath it all, there’s the nagging feeling that Bea’s shocking death wasn’t what it was claimed to be. And before the weekend is through, the truth will be unleashed—no matter the cost.

Barb’s Review:
There Should’ve Been Eight by Nalini Singh is a stand-alone mystery thriller. The story revolves around 8 best friends as teenagers, and now as adults, the group decides to gather at Darcie’s crumbling family estate to reminisce about the one they lost 9 years ago.  There Should’ve Been Eight is entirely told in Luna’s perspective.  With the group slowly falling apart, Darcie (Bea’s older sister) got them all to gather at the estate to reminisce and try and heal their grief.  Bea the one who died all those years ago, was Luna’s best friend, and she wanted to get more answers about why Darcie buried Bea in secret. Bea was the most popular of the friends, with all of them loving her.

They are all happy to be together, but in a short time things begin to change, drastically.  A terrible snow storm moves in, leaving them stranded, with no phone signals; soon accidents start happening, with danger and mistrust arising. Of the 7 friends, Luna, Darcie, Kaea, Ash, Nix, Aaron, Vansi and newcomer, Grace (Aaron’s girlfriend) was the 8^th person. First Kaea hurts his foot (sabotaged boot) when a few went hiking; then someone puts Bea’s old creepy doll is on Darcie’s bed, freaking her out. Is someone secretly out to get them?

They are all stuck, with no way to get out, as the snow gets worse.  Then Nix falls down the stairs and breaks his neck. The tension escalates and no one knows who to trust. Soon Ash is missing, with Darcie desperate to find him, with Luna and Aaron helping search for him. Once they find Ash, who is injured with stab wounds, they rush him to the main room where they all are gathered, only to see that Kaea, Vansi, Grace and now Aaron have been drugged and Darcie is also wounded.  Luna suspects between two people who might be behind the attempts and drugging, and is desperate to find a way to get the injured help. Can Luna get them to safety, and will she learn who the real culprit was?

In the last third of the book, it was a wild, exciting and shocking thriller, with so many twists along the way. Without giving any information, since it would ruin the book for you, I was unable to put the book down, especially with the surprising twists.  Luna will learn more about Bea’s shocking death and the truths will be unleashed.

There Should’ve Been Eight was a fantastic compelling thriller that was so very well written by Nalini Singh.  If you enjoy mystery thrillers, with surprising twist as we reach the end, I suggest you read There Should’ve Been Eight.

Sandy’s Review: THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT by Nalini Singh is a contemporary, adult stand alone, mystery thriller focusing on a tight knit group of friends (Darcie, Ash, Kaea, Phoenix, Vansi, Aaron and Luna) who have gathered together to remember someone they lost.

NOTE : Due to the nature of the story line premise including murder, talk of suicide, and miscarriage, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective Luna , THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT follows Luna, and her group of friends as they venture together to the old manse owned by the Shepherd family. Approximately nine years earlier, Luna’s best friend, and Darcie’s younger sister Beatrice Shepherd committed suicide, something all of the friends struggle to accept. Fast forward to present day, wherein the surviving friends, plus Aaron’s new fiance Grace, have arranged a weekend together to address the proverbial elephant in the room but from the outset strange happenings, mysterious illnesses, death and poisonings threaten years of friendships when the group begins to point fingers at everyone present. As the friends begin to succumb to illness and possible murder, Luna struggles to accept that anything and everything has an intended victim, and the person(s) responsible maybe one of their own.

From the outset Luna drops hints as to the who, what and why. Luna herself is battling an hidden illness, one of which she has never revealed, but her suspicions will come to fruition when madness, jealousy, and a history of family troubles threaten to resurface as the storied past repeats itself, over and over, again.

We are introduced to a large ensemble cast of questionable and unlikeable secondary and supporting characters including twenty-somethings Darcie and Ash, Kaea, Phoenix and Vansi, Aaron and his fiance Grace. As the madness begins to spiral out of control, Luna discovers that someone else has declared themself judge, jury and executioner.

THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, madness and jealousy, greed and retribution, family, friendships, relationships and love. The premise is intriguing and inviting; the characters are eclectic but often one dimensional. The person(s) responsible was easily deduced.