The Party House

Get in the xigxag app

Listen to a sample

What to expect

‘A real page-turner’ – Ian Rankin

The Party House by Lin Anderson is a deeply atmospheric psychological thriller set in the Scottish Highlands, for fans of Lucy Foley, Ruth Ware and Sarah Pearse’s The Sanatorium.

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 ‘party house’ to tourists.

As animosity sparks amongst the locals, part of the property is damaged and, in the ensuing chaos, the body of a young girl is found in the wreck. Seventeen-year-old Ailsa Cummings went missing five years ago, never to be seen again – until now.

The excavation of Ailsa’s remains ignites old suspicions cast on the men of this small community, including Greg, the estate’s gamekeeper. At the beginning of a burgeoning relationship with a new lover, Joanne, Greg is loath to discuss old wounds. Frightened by Greg’s reaction to the missing girl’s discovery, Joanne begins to doubt how well she knows this new man in her life. Then again, he’s not the only one with secrets in their volatile relationship . . .

Critics Review

  • A real page-turner

    Ian Rankin

  • Lin Anderson is one of Scotland’s national treasures

    Stuart MacBride

  • A cleverly crafted nail-biter with spectacular suspense. An all-consuming, one-sit read that I absolutely loved. Brilliant book

    Helen Fields

  • An engrossing Highland tale, with layer upon layer of intrigue, skilfully drip-fed by a classy writer

    Mari Hannah

  • As dark, mysterious and intriguing as the Highland landscape the book is set in, Lin has created a taut, twisting tale where secrets refuse to stay buried and the past haunts every page

    Morgan Cry

  • 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

    Douglas Skelton

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.