<p><b>'A real page-turner' &ndash; Ian Rankin<br><br><i>The Party House</i> by Lin Anderson is a deeply atmospheric psychological thriller set in the Scottish Highlands, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware</b><b>.</b><br><br>Devastated by a recent pandemic brought in by outsiders, the villagers of Blackrig in the Scottish Highlands are outraged when they find that the nearby estate plans to reopen its luxury &lsquo;party house&rsquo; to tourists.<br><br>As animosity sparks in the community, a group of locals take action. By the end of the night, the house hot tub has been smashed to pieces and, in the ensuing chaos, the body of a young woman is found in the foundations. Seventeen-year-old Ailsa Cummings went missing five years ago, never to be seen again. Until now.<br><br>The excavation of Ailsa&rsquo;s remains reignites old suspicions towards the men of this small community, including Greg, the estate&rsquo;s gamekeeper. He is loath to discuss old wounds, but Greg's new lover, Joanne, is frightened by his reaction to the missing girl&rsquo;s discovery. Joanne begins to doubt how well she knows this new man in her life. Then again, he&rsquo;s not the only one with secrets in their volatile relationship . . .<br><br><b>'Lin's first standalone sees her expertly mix psychological thrills with a perplexing mystery simmering in a small community. It has all the ingredients of a hit to stand alongside her Rhona MacLeod series' &ndash; Douglas Skelton, author of <i>The Blood is Still </i></b></p>