Book review: The Blackhouse

The cover of ‘The Blackhouse’ by Carole Johnstone immediately drew me in. I knew based on the house pictured on the cover that this story had to take place in the UK. The spooky atmosphere on the cover also implied that it was a thriller, which I was in the mood to read.

Synopsis:

A remote village. A deadly secret. An outsider who knows the truth.

Robert Reid moved his family to Scotland’s Outer Hebrides in the 1990s, driven by hope, craving safety and community, and hiding a terrible secret. But despite his best efforts to fit in, Robert is always seen as an outsider. And as the legendary and violent Hebridean storms rage around him, he begins to unravel, believing his fate on the remote island of Kilmeray cannot be escaped.

For her entire life, Maggie MacKay has sensed something was wrong with her. When Maggie was five years old, she announced that a man on Kilmeray—a place she’d never visited—had been murdered. Her unfounded claim drew media attention and turned the locals against each other, creating rifts that never mended.

Nearly twenty years later, Maggie is determined to find out what really happened, and what the islanders are hiding. But when she begins to receive ominous threats, Maggie is forced to consider how much she is willing to risk to discover the horrifying truth.

Unnerving, enthralling, and filled with gothic suspense, The Blackhouse is a spectacularly sinister tale readers won’t soon forget.

Review:

'The Blackhouse' turned out to be a gripping read! Despite it being a slow paced mystery, it had enough complicated plot to keep me turning the pages. I enjoyed the beautiful descriptive writing of the Scotland setting. The story took place in a coastal village in Scotland, the writing made me feel like I was transported there. I love coastal towns (after all I do live in Mystic, Connecticut USA), this author has an amazing storytelling talent, she places you there. Another reason why I liked this read so much was the ambiance of the small town and its community. A great thriller read with some paranormal energy!

The Blackhouse was released on January 3rd.

Thank you Scribner and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.