The House of Ashes

LoveReading Says

This moving and powerful thriller set in Northern Ireland hits thoughts and feelings with hammer-hard precision.

Compelling, compassionate, yet deeply unnerving and dark, this is a novel that will delve into and haunt your thoughts as you’re reading it. Mary knocks at the door to Sara’s new home claiming it’s hers and demanding to know what she has done with the children. As Sara begins to investigate, she opens up a chilling and shocking window to the past. Stuart Neville writes with huge empathy, yet he doesn’t hold back, and I felt a shiver of dread as I began to read. Featuring the two women in the tale, two time frames vibrate with tension. Their voices are as individually distinctive as can be, yet there are aspects within the two stories that mirror the other. The sense of place is piercing, with the house featuring as a third main character. A supernatural element hides in the shadows, it brushed against my awareness then kept me company, blending with the entirely realistic and harrowing story, heightening emotions and keeping nerves taut as can be. I found myself wincing with regret and anguish while hopeful for the present, and the writing ensures this balance is encouraged and maintained with care and attention. I felt, really felt the ending as it resonated within my heart and soul and I sat a while, contemplating. While The House of Ashes is a formidable and provocative read, a contemplative beauty can be found within the pages and I’ve chosen this stunner as a Liz Pick of the Month.

Liz Robinson

*

In the aftermath of her nervous breakdown, Sara Keane's husband uproots his family and moves them from England to his native Northern Ireland for a "fresh start". Sara is without a job, a car and friends. When a blood-soaked elderly woman beats on the door, insisting the house is hers, so begins a series of events as Sara begins to understand the house has a terrible history her husband is determined to keep secret.

Not for the faint hearted.

As I closed the final page of this book, I felt quite stunned. Although very well written, it was a tough and challenging read. A feel-good, entertaining read it is not. The narrative is told from the perspective of two characters, Mary and Sara. The first is historical, the latter, present-day. Both women are victims in violent, controlling relationships. Both have their reasons for staying.

The House of Ashes takes the reader deep into the world of domestic abuse and it pulls no punches. Prepare to be angry, upset and shocked. Brace yourself for an emotional rollercoaster. And then think – because the subject covered is very real. This type of criminal activity goes on behind closed doors in every city, every town, every country. For years, it has been a subject too rarely addressed by writers and it takes a special author to write about it with such skill and bravery.

The House of Ashes will, no doubt, have its critics. None will target the story or the quality of writing which are both excellent. And, if you are prepared to confront the reality of coercive behaviour, narcissism and domestic abuse then read it, it will open your eyes.

Matt Johnson

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