The Lodge by Paul Finch

🔥🔥🔥 Published on 15 January 2026 🔥🔥🔥

Description from Goodreads:

"It’s the perfect getaway. Until there’s no way out.

You have been dreaming of an unforgettable weekend escape, and Black Tarn Lodge seems to offer everything—a magnificent Gothic mansion with towering turrets nestled in the misty Lancashire hills.

Expecting elegant dinners, vintage wines and a special late-night screening of a legendary lost film in the private cinema, all seems perfect—until night falls and a thick fog isolates you all from the world. But your phones go missing. Guests start vanishing. Then you find the body.

Someone, it seems, fell from the roof. But you can’t help wondering if he was pushed. Totally cut off, you cannot leave or call for help. You don’t know these people. But you need to decide who you can trust soon. Because this is not over. Who is going to be next—you?"

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The Lodge by Paul Finch is a bit of a departure from what I have previously seen from this author and I don't think the blurb or the description of the book accurately reflects the story found inside the pages. It sets a certain expectation that doesn't quite match the actual experience of the plot as it unfolds. While I know him best for his crime thrillers and police procedurals, in my opinion, this leans much more towards the horror genre than a standard murder mystery.

The story follows a group of dark tourism enthusiasts on a murder tour visiting the sites of gruesome killings and serial killer haunts. Their final stop is an overnight stay at a remote mansion in the Lancashire hills which was once the home of a famous horror actor. It's a great setup that feels very different to books I've read by him in the past as the focus shifts toward a more sinister and gothic atmosphere once the group becomes trapped by a dense fog.

The pace felt a little slow in places particularly during the journey between sites but there was an overriding sense of creepiness and tension that stayed consistent throughout the stay at the lodge. Even though I guessed the murderer earlier than expected, it was still fun to get there. It was actually quite refreshing to see the author delving into the horror genre as it takes me back to when I was younger when it was all I read.

Overall it's an atmospheric read that prioritises a sense of dread over a typical investigation. For anyone used to his more traditional crime novels, this is a darker shift but it's an enjoyable one if you appreciate a story that isn't afraid to get a bit more macabre.

Many thanks to the author, Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this, the new one from Paul Finch.

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