Review: The House Swap by Keri Beevis

Synopsis:

What began with trust, ends with betrayal and danger…

I needed to escape. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere safe.

So I decide to swap homes with Tom, a man I’ve grown close to, and fly to his villa in Crete with my best friend Keira. Winter sun. Empty beaches. Silence. At last, I can breathe.

At first, it’s perfect. Warm days. Still nights. No noise but the soothing sea.

Then Keira leaves. No warning. No explanation. After that, everything shifts.

The neighbours act like they know me. Too well. The handyman lingers, always nearby, always watching. Doors I lock don’t stay locked. Things move. Subtle. Yet deliberate.

I tell myself I’m imagining it. Fatigue. Stress. Anything but the truth.

But alone, with no one to reassure me, the unease twists into something darker.

Now I’m not sure what’s real anymore.

All I know is I’m far from home, and I need to get out – before it’s too late.

Praise for Keri Beevis:

‘Another winner from Ms Beevis. A gripping story with plenty of twists and turns’ – J.A. Baker

‘From the start I was glued – a cracking roller-coaster ride of a story’ – Susanna Beard

‘Compelling, addictive, fast-paced and chilling. I loved it!’ – Amanda Brittany

‘A tense, clever and thought-provoking thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish and long afterwards.’ – Natasha Boydell

Shop The Book: The House Swap
Shop The Author: Keri Beevis
Shop My Stack: 2026 Books Read

Omg, this book was so good. The twist got me completely and I am still not okay. This is the kind of ending that sits with you long after you close the book.

If your instincts kept screaming that something was wrong but you had no proof, would you trust yourself, or talk yourself out of it?

The Story

Poppy needs an escape, somewhere quiet and safe, so she swaps homes with Tom, a man she has grown close to, and heads to his villa in Crete with her best friend Keira. At first it is exactly the break she needed, warm days, still nights, nothing but the sound of the sea. But when Keira leaves without warning, everything shifts. The neighbors seem to know her too well, the handyman is always nearby, and doors she locks don’t stay locked. Alone and unsettled, Poppy starts to wonder what is real, and whether she needs to get out before it is too late.

Reading Experience

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and could not put this book down. I finished it in a day and a half. I kept getting chills, and reading it alone in the dark had me legitimately creeped out at points.

Writing Style

This one is built for tension. Every scene carries this constant hum of unease, where you are never quite sure if what is happening is sinister or completely innocent, and that ambiguity is held right up until the twist hits and changes everything.

Characters

I am obsessed with these characters. Poppy and Keira both have such vibrant, lovable personalities, and their friendship felt genuinely comforting to read. Tom was another standout, the trust and connection he and Poppy built without ever meeting in person felt real. Once the girls got to Crete, the neighbors were wacky and I found myself suspicious of literally everyone. Even while being suspicious of them, I still loved them, they were so eccentric and colorful. I wanted to trust them and I did not trust them for one second, all at the same time.

Heartbeat

At its core, this book is about a woman doubting her own instincts from day one. She never had concrete proof that something was wrong, but she sensed it, noticed it, and talked herself out of it every single time.

Final Thoughts

If you love a thriller that will make you double check the locks on your doors, definitely read this one.

ARC provided via Boldwood Books and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

Keri Beevis is a million copy bestselling author known for her dark and gripping thrillers, many of which are set in her beautiful home county of Norfolk, England.

With rich character detail and a passion for creating twist-filled plots, Beevis crafts atmospheric stories that keep readers on the edge of their seats.

She is published by Boldwood Books.

Keri Beevis books in order

The Alphabet Killer (previously published as M for Murder)

The Storybook Killer (previously published as D for Dead)

Deep Dark Secrets

Dying To Tell

Trust No One

Every Little Breath

The People Next Door

With Friends Like These

The Sleepover

The Summer House

The House In The Woods (previously published as The Boat House)

Nowhere To Hide

The Cottage By The Sea

The House Sitter

Dead of Winter

21 Willow Lane

The House Swap – PREORDER NOW (out 1st September 2026)

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