The Spires

A Thriller

By: Kate Moretti

Narrated by: Siiri Scott

Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

A troubled woman becomes consumed by a past she’s desperate to forget in this unsettling psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Year.

Strung between two teenagers, an unemployed husband, and a tenuous career, Penelope Cox barely has her life together when the past comes knocking at her door. Willa Blaine, her old roommate, needs her help: refuge from an abusive husband. “Two weeks tops,” she says - but it’s not the imposition that bothers Penelope; it’s the memories Willa brings with her.

Twenty years earlier, Penelope, Willa, and three friends lived together in a converted church. Insular and closed off from the rest of the world, the five roommates formed their own dysfunctional family, celebrating the pinnacle of their lives; they called themselves “the Spires.” But nights of wild parties gave way to a darker undercurrent: jealousy, resentment, unrequited love, and obsession. Tensions boiled over during a night of debauchery that ended in a deadly fire, leaving the Spires scattered and forever changed.

Now Willa is the perfect houseguest: accommodating, helpful, bringing a newfound sense of excitement to the Cox household. Yet Penelope can’t help but feel the cracks in her life widen as she begins to question Willa’s motives. Everyone has secrets, it seems - and the fire may have brought down the Spires, but not everything burned was forgotten.

©2021 by Kate Moretti. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Moretti…amps up the betrayals inch by inch until you’re wondering if things can possibly get worse.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Dark, twisted, and with secrets galore, Moretti takes friendship, obsession, and revenge to a whole other level in The Spires. A twisted, compelling page-turner you’ll devour in no time.”—Hannah Mary McKinnon, bestselling author of Sister Dear and You Will Remember Me

“A compulsively readable page-turner, The Spires is also a thought-provoking look at the often complicated and sometimes harrowing dynamics of the friends we hold most dear.”—Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of A Good Marriage and Friends Like These

Excellent Thriller

I thought this book was excellent. The ending was a surprise for me and the way that the author was revealing what had happened in their history truly kept the story going. Great author and narrator!

Too slow and redundant

I wanted to keep reading but by half way it was so slow, redundant, and I found myself getting angry not intrigued. Time to stop and find something else.

Ok

Good amount of twists and it kept my attention. However I didn’t connect or like the characters which is a problem for me. I would still recommend if you’re looking for a good mystery, and it’s free with Kindle Unlimited.

The Spires

Narrated by Siiri Scott  🎧The Spires by Kate Moretti provides a slow burn thriller with an interesting and unexpected twist. Sit back, relax and take a journey into the world of murder, lies and revenge......

The Spires tells the tale of five friends, (Penelope, Wilma, Bree, Jack and Flynn) who lived in a converted church building. However, all was not well as jealousy, obsession, resentment and unrequited feelings reigned among these friends. Then the unthinkable happened during one night of partying. The building burned to the ground, leaving death in its wake and ripping the friends apart.

Fast forward twenty years later, Penelope is a wife and a mother of two. All appears to be going well, but then Willa seeking to escape an abusive husband sought refuge with Penelope. A move which poses a threat to Penelope’s marriage,  family and ultimately her sanity.

The story moved between the past and the present. I found the section of the story set in the present fascinating, while that set in the past bored me. The storyline set in the past focuses on the relationship between the five friends and was necessary in the plot's development. I never connected with the characters showcased in the past, as their actions annoyed me. In the present, the characters, though unlikeable, were more tolerable and quite fascinating.

The POVs of both Penelope and Willa in the present captured my attention. It would have been great if Willa’s POV received more page time, though. Penelope allowing Willa to move into her home after twenty years of no communication baffled me. Especially knowing that Penelope wanted to keep that part of her life hidden. I understood the need to help her, but moving in with her should have been a last resort.

The Spires was marketed as a thriller, therefore I expected a fast-paced and suspenseful read. However, it fell way below my expectations. Despite the slow pacing, the story had some interesting aspects, which kept me listening. I was curious to know Willa’s endgame and how it tied in with the events from the past. As the end drew near, an unexpected and explosive twist occurred. 

Narration

 Siiri Scott provided the narration. It was my first time listening to her. Her male and female voices were not unique. Despite the monotony of her delivery, she provided a fairly enjoyable listen. I would listen to her narration again if the opportunity arises. I listened at a speed of 1.3x

Conclusion/Recommendation

Overall, 🎧The Spires delivered an interesting tale of lies, secrets, revenge and murder. Fans of slow paced thrillers will enjoy this latest offering from Kate Moretti.

Hung in there for 8 chapters

I spend enough time watching lifetime movies with my wife, I don't want to use my cycling or walking time listening to one.

Great ending!

Was worth the bit long beginning to get to the ending! An enjoyable read! 😊

Loved this.

What an enjoyable selection. Terrific characters and twists and turns are terrific.
Definitely recommend. Enjoy

Cool Story

it is good enough to keep you going, and if you do not listen closely you may miss the 'who is who' and their connections. Good Story, very entertaining

mystery. kept me listening, didn't put it down

loved the story, the mystery of the fire, the narrator was ok, changing voice from her female to male needs work

Addictive Psychological Thriller, Don't Miss It!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was a psychological thriller full of suspense, secrets, lies, and twists that you won't see coming and you will not regret reading it!

At times, it was a bit hard to follow what was going on because the book flashed back and forth between the present and past (20 years ago), but they didn't get you much detail about the past. The book built upon that as you read. That annoyed me at first, but I think, in the end, that is what gave it such an enjoyable experience! I definitely was not able to predict the ending, that'

There was definitely a diverse set of characters in this book, two of which remained in the past and present. Some of the characters were absolutely maddening, and I wish it would have dived into Brett's story a little more (without giving away spoilers), but it wasn't enough to detract from the story!

The Spires was narrated by Siiri Scott, who I think knocked it out of the park with this title, especially with so many characters! There were a few areas of pronunciation that kind of drove me crazy, but it wasn't enough to distract me from the book (that much). I look forward to listening to more titles by Siiri in the near future!

Overall, I've been super impressed with the Kate Moretti books that I've read thus far, so I am super excited to read more by her! I think she's got it going on when it comes to this writing thing!!