Oh my goodness, what a ride. If you’re after a twisty, layered, slow-burn suspense that keeps you guessing until the very last page, this one’s for you.
The story kicks off with a bang, literally. Alice is hosting a casual playdate when a knife-wielding intruder breaks into her home. In a moment of sheer instinct, she kills him in self-defense. What follows is anything but straightforward. While everyone around her insists she should move on, Alice can’t shake the feeling that something’s off. Strange phone calls, missing items, and people acting oddly all point to a deeper mystery. And when she receives an anonymous tip suggesting the intruder had a reason for being there, Alice begins her own investigation—one that spirals into a tangled web of secrets, lies, and manipulation.
Faulkner structures the novel in three parts: after the break-in, the day of the break-in, and life after. This clever timeline shift, paired with multiple POVs, adds depth and intrigue. I was captivated the entire time. Just when I thought I had it figured out, another layer would unfold, and I’d be back to square one. The pacing is more slow burn than breakneck, and while I did feel the middle sagged a bit, the payoff was worth it.
Alice herself is a complicated protagonist. At times I wanted to shake her, her choices were maddening, and her denial frustrating; but that’s what made her feel real. She’s a mother, a wife, a woman trying to make sense of a traumatic event while being gaslit by nearly everyone around her. Her flaws made her sympathetic, even when I didn’t agree with her.
What worked brilliantly for me was the sheer unpredictability of the plot. Faulkner doesn’t rely on cheap twists; instead, she builds tension through character dynamics and subtle clues. The supporting cast: nannies, mothers, husbands, and even the intruder’s family, are all richly drawn, each with their own secrets and motives. The book explores themes of motherhood, privilege, justice, and the murky line between truth and perception. It asks: how well do we really know those closest to us?
Now, if you’re someone who enjoys British thrillers with a gloomy undertone, multiple timelines, and a cast of morally grey characters, you’ll devour this. It’s not one to skim, there’s a lot going on, and it demands your attention, but it’s absolutely worth the investment.
The Break-In is a compelling, twist-filled domestic thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. Yes, it could’ve been tighter in places, and yes, Alice made some questionable decisions, but the suspense, the structure, and the final reveal more than made up for it. I didn’t see that ending coming and I love that. Faulkner has cemented herself as a must-read author in my books. If you’ve got the time and the brain space, grab a copy and settle in. You’re in for a wild ride.
Thank you to Jonathan Ball Publishers for the opportunity to read this book.
