In a Cottage In a Wood is Cass Green’s second novel. It centers around a run-down cottage in Cornwall, and I found myself intrigued by both the plot and the setting. I’ve read and enjoyed a number of books set in that part of the world, and I’m pleased to add this one to that list.

Neve’s life is spiralling out of control. She’s recently broken up with her boyfriend and as a result, has nowhere to live. She’s been bunking on her sister’s couch, but that situation is temporary at best and she’s desperate for some positive changes, but isn’t at all sure how to bring them about.

When the story opens, Neve is waking up in a stranger’s bed. She has some vague memories of meeting him at a local pub and eventually coming back to his house for the night, but she can’t recall his name or much else about the time they spent together. She tries unsuccessfully to sneak out without waking him, but they end up having an argument during which he very blatantly checks his wallet to make sure Neve hasn’t stolen from him.

When they finally part ways, Neve is understandably upset, and she begins to trudge back through the London streets to her sister’s house. It’s cold and dreary, so she’s very surprised to see a scantily clad young woman standing alone on a nearby bridge. They have a very brief conversation, not doing much more than exchanging names, and then the stranger throws herself off the bridge and into the Thames. The police are called, but the woman – Isabelle – has drowned.

Several days later, Neve quits her job without notice. She’s sure she’ll be able to land another one without any trouble, but, of course, it’s not that simple. Her sister and brother-in-law have had more than enough of her irresponsible behavior and a heated argument ensues. Neve knows she needs to make other living arrangements, but how can she when she has no income?

In a strange twist of fate, Neve is contacted by a solicitor who informs her she’s inherited a cottage in Cornwall from Isabelle. Neve is shocked, since she and Isabelle hadn’t known each other before the night of Isabelle’s death, but since her life is currently a wreck, Neve decides to travel to Cornwall to inspect the cottage. She’s not planning to live there, but she figures a few days away from London will be good for her. When she arrives, nothing is as she expects it to be. The cottage is isolated and dirty with bars on all its windows; there’s even a dead bird in the kitchen sink. She has no idea where the nearest grocery store is located. Clearly, coming to this place was not at all a good idea.

Over the next couple of days, things get worse and worse. Neve becomes convinced someone is watching her, though she has no idea why anyone would do so. Rumors around the nearest town hint that Isabelle had a great many secrets, and Neve begins to wonder if there might be more to the other woman’s suicide than was at first suspected.

I enjoyed the mystery here, but Neve’s character was often difficult for me to like. She has a definite drinking problem, and she’s very fond of blaming others for her mistakes. She sees nothing wrong with using people and then dropping them when they’re no longer useful to her. I felt bad for her sister Louisa, who obviously cares about Neve, but is tired of cleaning up her many messes. Most of the time, Neve seems to have no common sense and acts like a teenager rather than a woman in her early thirties. and I ran out of patience with her pretty quickly.

Ms. Green has crafted a dark and disturbing story with several great twists that took me completely by surprise. She amps up the tension in all the right places, and I freely admit to being a little spooked as the story went on, which is the mark of a great thriller.

There’s one plot point near the end that doesn’t quite ring true. Ms. Green explains it well enough, but the motivations of the guilty party didn’t quite work for me; I was expecting something a little less contrived.

Having said that, I recommend In a Cottage In a Wood to those readers looking for a gripping story set in a very creepy place. You might end up wanting to strangle the main character, but the story as a whole makes up for her unlikeable nature.

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