“Whose story do YOU believe?

Londoners Jack and Syd moved into the house a year ago. It seemed like their dream home: tons of space, the perfect location, and a friendly owner who wanted a young couple to have it.

So when they made a grisly discovery in the attic, Jack and Syd chose to ignore it. That was a mistake.

Because someone has just been murdered outside their back door.

 

AND NOW THE POLICE ARE WATCHING THEM.”

I am delighted to welcome you to damppebbles today as it’s my turn to host The House blog tour.  The House is written by Simon Lelic and will be published by Viking Books in paperback on 3rd November 2017.  If you can’t wait until then, the eBook version is available now so make sure you grab yourself a copy.

That gorgeously eerie cover set a pretty high standard with regards to my expectations of this book.  I was hoping for something creepy, something chilling and I certainly got it. For me, however, a lot of the chill left the story as I began to learn more about the central characters.  I was smitten with the first part.  Strange events have happened and you’re never really sure what the cause was, who was affected and what exactly is going on.  I found myself feeling a little disappointed when the reason for the odd goings on was revealed.

However, it was at this point that The House took an about-turn for me.  I cast aside my need for a creepy story and instead focused on the book I held in my hands.  This was a brilliantly written, intricate and twisty tale of families gone wrong, seriously flipping wrong.  Here was one of the most sinister, devious and generally most horrible characters I have ever met (in a literary sense) screaming at me from the pages for my attention.  Now I like my characters dark.  That’s no secret.  Only yesterday, in another review, I confessed to liking the bad guy in the book more than any of the other ‘relatable’ lead characters.  But this character….WOAH!  If you like your reads dark then The House should be top of your wish list.

This book ticked so many boxes for me.  I managed to get a good dose of creepiness, I loved the way Jack and Syd, a couple very much in love at the start and our lead characters, began drifting apart as their lives were put under unexplainable pressure. The bad guy was so brilliantly horrible that I’ll remember him for a long time to come.  I absolutely loved the twist, so clever!  As soon as I start reading a book I attempt to try and work out where the story is heading, what the twist will be…I can’t help it, it’s a compulsion!  But this, this I NEVER saw coming and I absolutely loved it.  Have I mentioned that it’s very clever…?? lol.

Would I recommend this book?  I would.  It’s deliciously dark, imposing and totally engrossing.  Simon Lelic was a new author to me until I picked up my copy of The House.  I will be making a point of searching out his future thriller releases.  I really enjoyed The House but suggest you don’t just think of it as a creepy read as that is only a fraction of what this book is about.  It has a lot more to offer readers.

Four and a half stars out of five.

I chose to read and review an ARC of The House.  The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

The House by Simon Lelic was published in the UK by Viking Books on 17th August 2017 in eBook format and will be available in paperback format on 3rd November 2017 | amazon.co.uk | amazon.com | Waterstones | Goodreads |

Author bio (c) http://www.simonlelic.com

I was born in Brighton in 1976 and, after a decade or so living in London and trying to convince myself that the tube was fine, really, because it gave me a chance to read, my wife and I moved back to Brighton with our three young children. That Barnaby, Joseph and Anja’s grandparents happened to live close enough by to be able to offer their babysitting services was, of course, entirely coincidental.

As well as writing, I run an import/export business. I say this, when people ask, with a wink but I fool no one: I am more Del Trotter than Howard Marks. My hobbies (when I have time for them) include reading (for which I make time, because I can just about get away with claiming this is also work), golf, tennis, snowboarding and karate. My weekends belong to my family (or so my wife tells me), as does my heart.

I studied history at the University of Exeter. After graduating I was qualified, I discovered . . . to do an MA. After that I figured I had better learn something useful, so took a post-grad course in journalism. I know, I know: so much for learning something useful. After working freelance and then in business-to-business publishing, I now write novels. Not useful either, necessarily, but fun and, in its own way, important.

Author Links: | Website | Twitter |