What do you think?
Rate this book
The House of Ashes
Sara Keane's husband, Damien, has uprooted them from England and moved them to his native Northern Ireland for a "fresh start" in the wake of her nervous breakdown. Sara, who knows no one in Northern Ireland, is jobless, carless, friendless—all but a prisoner in her own house. When a blood-soaked old woman beats on the door, insisting the house is hers before being bundled back to her care facility, Sara begins to understand the house has a terrible history her husband never intended for her to discover.
Through the counterpoint voices of two women—one modern Englishwoman, one Northern Irish farmgirl speaking from half a century earlier—Stuart Neville offers a chilling and gorgeous portrait of violence and resilience in this truly haunting narrative.
Through the counterpoint voices of two women—one modern Englishwoman, one Northern Irish farmgirl speaking from half a century earlier—Stuart Neville offers a chilling and gorgeous portrait of violence and resilience in this truly haunting narrative.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2021
About the author
Stuart Neville
29 books935 followersI have been a musician, a composer, a teacher, a salesman, a film extra, a baker and a hand double for a well known Irish comedian, but I'm currently a partner in a successful multimedia design business in the wilds of Northern Ireland.
I have published short stories in Thuglit, Electric Spec and Every Day Fiction. THE TWELVE is my first novel, and will be published in the UK and Commonwealth by Harvill Secker, an imprint of Random House, on July 2nd 2009. It will be published in the USA as THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST by Soho Press, New York, and by Random House Kodansha in Japan.
I have published short stories in Thuglit, Electric Spec and Every Day Fiction. THE TWELVE is my first novel, and will be published in the UK and Commonwealth by Harvill Secker, an imprint of Random House, on July 2nd 2009. It will be published in the USA as THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST by Soho Press, New York, and by Random House Kodansha in Japan.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 419 reviews
December 30, 2021
This is one of the darkest, saddest, most impactful novels I’ve recently read!
Six decades long violent abuse remains unresolved at a haunted place! In the present time when a couple with dysfunctional relationship patterns moves to same house, the ashes and ghosts of past start surrounding them!
This book truly depressed me! When you read the parts about abuse the characters suffered from, I truly felt their pain and I got suffocated. I barely finished some chapters. Honestly I love thrillers and big fan of horror movies and books but when I saw, get witnessed or watched something about how a person intentionally hurts another human being, I get choked. When things are defined closer to true life stories and fictional world an author created, it’s inevitable to feel more agitated! This is meaner, more painful and extremely disturbing!
Two women’s stories are intercepted at the same house: the present time: Sara who recently committed suicide, psychologically shaken, barely gathering herself together, moves to the house along with her abusive, mean husband Damien. They eventually move this place located in Northern Ireland for clean start. And the house belongs to Damien’s ancestors.
And Mary who is the stranger knocks her door, telling the dark truth the house carries. Mary was just a child three decades ago when she witnessed the tragic events took place at the haunted place.
Sara and Mary are both dominated, gaslighted and tormented by men for years. I have a little hard time to understand Sara’s inner motivations about choosing her husband to marry and her reluctance to get out of the relationship. But when I read Mary’s perspective, I easily empathize with her because she didn’t have a way to get out at most of the time.
As we read both POVs, big secrets reveal about Damien’s family. Most of them prove how far they go to hold their family values together in very disturbing and sick way!
Overall: this is dark and intense story about abuse, friendship, self resilience, family secrets, women empowerment.
It affected me a lot and it was one of the most compelling reads of mine. I have to warn you this is not everyone’s cup of tea!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Six decades long violent abuse remains unresolved at a haunted place! In the present time when a couple with dysfunctional relationship patterns moves to same house, the ashes and ghosts of past start surrounding them!
This book truly depressed me! When you read the parts about abuse the characters suffered from, I truly felt their pain and I got suffocated. I barely finished some chapters. Honestly I love thrillers and big fan of horror movies and books but when I saw, get witnessed or watched something about how a person intentionally hurts another human being, I get choked. When things are defined closer to true life stories and fictional world an author created, it’s inevitable to feel more agitated! This is meaner, more painful and extremely disturbing!
Two women’s stories are intercepted at the same house: the present time: Sara who recently committed suicide, psychologically shaken, barely gathering herself together, moves to the house along with her abusive, mean husband Damien. They eventually move this place located in Northern Ireland for clean start. And the house belongs to Damien’s ancestors.
And Mary who is the stranger knocks her door, telling the dark truth the house carries. Mary was just a child three decades ago when she witnessed the tragic events took place at the haunted place.
Sara and Mary are both dominated, gaslighted and tormented by men for years. I have a little hard time to understand Sara’s inner motivations about choosing her husband to marry and her reluctance to get out of the relationship. But when I read Mary’s perspective, I easily empathize with her because she didn’t have a way to get out at most of the time.
As we read both POVs, big secrets reveal about Damien’s family. Most of them prove how far they go to hold their family values together in very disturbing and sick way!
Overall: this is dark and intense story about abuse, friendship, self resilience, family secrets, women empowerment.
It affected me a lot and it was one of the most compelling reads of mine. I have to warn you this is not everyone’s cup of tea!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Soho Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
December 26, 2021
Stuart Neville's The House of Ashes is a harrowingly chilling gothic psychological drama flavoured with the supernatural, with dual timelines set in Northern Ireland. Sara met her husband, Northern Irish architect, Damien Keane, at university, he appeared to be the 'perfect' man, charismatic, caring and loving, his true nature only surfacing after the pair get married, with Sara working in child protection. Sara had ignored warnings about Damien, and his jealousy, controlling and manipulative behaviour have her isolated from her friends and family, leading to her undergoing a mental health crisis. With the intention of having a 'fresh start', Damien and Sara move to a remote farmhouse secured for them by Damien's violent and cruel ex-con father, Francie. Sara has no job, no car and no-one she knows in the local community.
They are visited by a distraught elderly woman, Mary Jackson, who claims that the farmhouse is her home. Mary is returned to her care home, but Sara's curiosity has been triggered, it has her visiting Mary, the farmhouse had indeed been her home, but had been deliberately set on fire, resulting in its sale. We are given a dual timeline as Sara invests in some heavy and detailed research that indicates that many years ago a nightmare set of events occurred, a history and mystery that seems to be embedded within the farmhouse. There are points of connection between Sara and the haunting past, including the scenario she finds herself in with an abusive husband. We become aware of Mary's troubling childhood, living in the basement with her 2 mommies, the children, the ghosts, and the electrician who becomes aware of the personal circumstances that Sara is mired in.
This is a deeply disturbing and horrifying story by Neville, yet he manages to make it simultaneously a compulsive read, the mark of a talented writer. This is a eerie unsettling horrorof a novel, of 'families', of odious men, nasty pieces of work who abuse women in numerous emotionally distressing ways. The courage and resilience of the women is the highlight for me in what can otherwise feel like an intensely depressing and despairing narrative. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
They are visited by a distraught elderly woman, Mary Jackson, who claims that the farmhouse is her home. Mary is returned to her care home, but Sara's curiosity has been triggered, it has her visiting Mary, the farmhouse had indeed been her home, but had been deliberately set on fire, resulting in its sale. We are given a dual timeline as Sara invests in some heavy and detailed research that indicates that many years ago a nightmare set of events occurred, a history and mystery that seems to be embedded within the farmhouse. There are points of connection between Sara and the haunting past, including the scenario she finds herself in with an abusive husband. We become aware of Mary's troubling childhood, living in the basement with her 2 mommies, the children, the ghosts, and the electrician who becomes aware of the personal circumstances that Sara is mired in.
This is a deeply disturbing and horrifying story by Neville, yet he manages to make it simultaneously a compulsive read, the mark of a talented writer. This is a eerie unsettling horrorof a novel, of 'families', of odious men, nasty pieces of work who abuse women in numerous emotionally distressing ways. The courage and resilience of the women is the highlight for me in what can otherwise feel like an intensely depressing and despairing narrative. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
July 20, 2024
This review was first posted on Mystery and Suspense. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews. https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th...
When university student Sara meets architect Damien Keane in England, Sara is swept off her feet by Damien's charm, love and attention.
After Sara graduates and takes a job as a child protection officer, the couple marries, and things change. Damien becomes jealous, controlling, and aggressive, and manipulates Sara into distancing herself from her family and friends.
Sara's subsequent breakdown gives Damien an excuse to move the couple to his hometown in Northern Ireland, where Damen's ex-convict father Francie has bought - and is upgrading and expanding - an isolated farmhouse for his son and daughter-in-law.
The local residents fear Francie, who's mean, belligerent and has a reputation for violence.
Sara is lonely in Northern Ireland, with no job, no car, and no friends.
It's into this atmosphere that a disheveled old woman named Mary wanders early one morning, and knocks on the Keanes' farmhouse door.
Mary insists it's her house and asks where the children are. It turns out Mary is the home's former owner, and she now resides in a care home. Damien quickly gathers Mary up and takes her back to the care home, brushing off Sara's questions about the incident.
Sara's curiosity leads her to nose around town, where she learns a mass murder occurred in the farmhouse sixty years ago, and Mary was the only survivor.
Damien gets angry when Sara confronts him about this, saying the murders are ancient history and Sara should be more appreciative of Francie's generosity.
Sara pays surreptitious visits to Mary in the care home, and Mary tells her that a recent fire, deliberately started by someone, forced her to sell the farmhouse. Mary also tells Sara there are children in the dwelling, hiding in the walls, corners, and floors. It's clear terrible things happened in the house, and we learn exactly what as the story unfolds. Mary's speech is sprinkled with Irish vernacular, but it's easy enough to understand what she means.
The novel alternates back and forth between the past, when Mary was a child in the farmhouse, and the present, when Sara and Damien reside there.
In Mary's most vivid memories of the past, she's about ten years old, and she and two Mummies live in the cold damp basement of the farmhouse.
Their plight is dire and may have been shared by other people, including children, who came and went. Mary's recollections are sketchy, though, so parts of her story are uncertain.
In the present, Sara is lonely, dislikes living in a murder house, and is growing terrified of Damien's almost pathological jealousy. Sara regrets not heeding her best friend's warnings about Damien, but doesn't know how to extricate herself now. As Sara's situation gets more and more harrowing she starts to see the ghost of a woman as well as spectres of children, who seem to be trying to tell her something.
All this leads to a dramatic double climax that seethes with agony and retribution.
This is an excellent thriller that's gruesome and hard to stomach, but completely believable.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
October 31, 2021
Dark and intense. A mystery set 60 years apart and centering around a house called The House of Ashes.
This book pulled one of my triggers, the abuse and enforced servitude of women at the hands of what my granddaughter Rue, she's four, would call badies. Despicable men with little or no conscience. I think had I been reading and not listening I would have put the book aside. Not because it isn't good, it is, but because of the subject. The narrator though, Caroline Lennon hooked me completely and I wanted to find out the truth of what happened in this house as well as the fate of the current occupant.
Can houses where horrific events occured maintain the ghostly remnants of the past? I think so, and this story, this house, is a case in point. I felt for the characters in this book, their bravery in the face of adversity, their will to live and the hope they maintain against all odds. I loved young Mary and the present Mary, now in her seventies, as well. Plus, I needed to know who these children were, what was their purpose. All was answered in this difficult but well drawn read.
This book pulled one of my triggers, the abuse and enforced servitude of women at the hands of what my granddaughter Rue, she's four, would call badies. Despicable men with little or no conscience. I think had I been reading and not listening I would have put the book aside. Not because it isn't good, it is, but because of the subject. The narrator though, Caroline Lennon hooked me completely and I wanted to find out the truth of what happened in this house as well as the fate of the current occupant.
Can houses where horrific events occured maintain the ghostly remnants of the past? I think so, and this story, this house, is a case in point. I felt for the characters in this book, their bravery in the face of adversity, their will to live and the hope they maintain against all odds. I loved young Mary and the present Mary, now in her seventies, as well. Plus, I needed to know who these children were, what was their purpose. All was answered in this difficult but well drawn read.
September 12, 2021
4 the darkness is real stars
This one is dark, oh so dark! Set in Northern Ireland, if there is a genre for Irish noir, I would place this book there. Featuring dual storylines, ghosts, and a mystery, this one was a compelling read.
The modern-day storyline features Sara and Damien, recently moved to Damien’s homeland of Northern Ireland for a fresh start and clean slate after her mental health issues. We get glimpses into Sara’s past when she was a happier woman with friends from college and a job. This was before Damien came into her life and took those things slowly away.
The storyline from the past features Mary and several other women who used to live in the house that Sara and Damien are remodeling. Mary’s early life was a violent and terrible one and these passages were extremely difficult to read.
These two storylines show that many women have a rough road in life and there are men who are dominating and violent.
While this one was very dark, it was compelling, and I had to keep reading to find out what would happen. The ending definitely leaves some things unresolved, and this reader hopes for the best for all involved, especially Sara and Mary! They deserve some happiness and peace.
Thank you to Soho Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this one.
This one is dark, oh so dark! Set in Northern Ireland, if there is a genre for Irish noir, I would place this book there. Featuring dual storylines, ghosts, and a mystery, this one was a compelling read.
The modern-day storyline features Sara and Damien, recently moved to Damien’s homeland of Northern Ireland for a fresh start and clean slate after her mental health issues. We get glimpses into Sara’s past when she was a happier woman with friends from college and a job. This was before Damien came into her life and took those things slowly away.
The storyline from the past features Mary and several other women who used to live in the house that Sara and Damien are remodeling. Mary’s early life was a violent and terrible one and these passages were extremely difficult to read.
These two storylines show that many women have a rough road in life and there are men who are dominating and violent.
While this one was very dark, it was compelling, and I had to keep reading to find out what would happen. The ending definitely leaves some things unresolved, and this reader hopes for the best for all involved, especially Sara and Mary! They deserve some happiness and peace.
Thank you to Soho Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this one.
April 15, 2024
A dark and twisted tale written with dual timelines over six decades. The main characters are two women, one house and so many loathsome men that I was relieved to be living as a modern day feminist.
October 4, 2021
Yeah uhhhh not really a fan of books written by men that are literally just about abusing women for 60 years and more. Was hoping for more ghosts, too, so all in all just a disappointing read. Kind of regret sticking it out til the end, as it was tremendously unsatisfying and really just read like a man's fascination in how many ways a certain kind of man can abuse women and get away with it. 0 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2022
Stuart Neville, dubbed the “King of Belfast Noir” by The Guardian, has written many critically acclaimed books and his debut novel “The Twelve” won the mystery/thriller category in the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His latest publication “The House of Ashes”, spans six decades and he has definetly outdone himself with this dark, emotional and chilling, psychological suspense mystery.
- A house built on secrets. An old woman haunted by her past. A young woman fighting for her life. For Sara Keane, it was supposed to be a second chance. A new country. A new beginning…….Then came the knock on the door……-
Every now and again a story comes along that knocks your socks off and “The House of Ashes” did this for me. Compelling and addictive adjectives do not do this book justice. It was mesmerising, spellbinding and so much more.
I was transported to the heart of rural Ireland and I could visualise exactly what the author had in his mind when he penned this story. The human strife and suffering was literally palpable from both Mary’s narration of her time kept prisoner and Sara’s new life with her dominating husband and family. I loved how the past and the present contrasted but then united at the end in a compassionate and sympathetic conclusion.
Not a book to ‘entertainingly enjoy’ but a page-turner all the same, with writing that packs a punch to the heart and constantly keeps the hairs on the back of your neck tingling! As much as all the scenes are descriptive, what isn’t written is just as powerful - the unseen ordeals upstairs with the abuse the women suffered - the entire scenarios was gut wrenching and heart breaking.
I will certainly read more by Stuart Neville, both in the future and his previous novels. I actively encourage dark thriller readers to pick this book up, take your time, savour each page and place yourself in sixty years of rural Ireland with some very disturbing (and some very brave) characters!
#TheHouseOfAshes - 5 stars
- A house built on secrets. An old woman haunted by her past. A young woman fighting for her life. For Sara Keane, it was supposed to be a second chance. A new country. A new beginning…….Then came the knock on the door……-
Every now and again a story comes along that knocks your socks off and “The House of Ashes” did this for me. Compelling and addictive adjectives do not do this book justice. It was mesmerising, spellbinding and so much more.
I was transported to the heart of rural Ireland and I could visualise exactly what the author had in his mind when he penned this story. The human strife and suffering was literally palpable from both Mary’s narration of her time kept prisoner and Sara’s new life with her dominating husband and family. I loved how the past and the present contrasted but then united at the end in a compassionate and sympathetic conclusion.
Not a book to ‘entertainingly enjoy’ but a page-turner all the same, with writing that packs a punch to the heart and constantly keeps the hairs on the back of your neck tingling! As much as all the scenes are descriptive, what isn’t written is just as powerful - the unseen ordeals upstairs with the abuse the women suffered - the entire scenarios was gut wrenching and heart breaking.
I will certainly read more by Stuart Neville, both in the future and his previous novels. I actively encourage dark thriller readers to pick this book up, take your time, savour each page and place yourself in sixty years of rural Ireland with some very disturbing (and some very brave) characters!
#TheHouseOfAshes - 5 stars
March 18, 2022
The House of Ashes by Stuart Neville is an incredibly hard book for me to review, and I want you to think about that when you look at my rating and what I say about it. I think it will blow a lot of readers away to the point of giving it a higher rating than I did, so if you think it sounds good or you are already a fan of Neville, then you should probably read it. For me, having never read this author before and not remembering what the book was about, it came as quite a shock. I don't think I was fully in the mood for it when I started, but by the time I got about halfway, I was definitely feeling it. It is an incredibly dark and sinister read that deals with different types of violence and abuse mixed in with a supernatural quality. I think the beginning will pull a lot of people in, and it's definitely something that grabbed me right away.
There were quite a few parts of The House of Ashes that broke my heart, and this is definitely a mystery wrapped up in an emotional read. The story is told from a handful of different viewpoints, with the main ones being Mary and Sara. We get a nice mixture of both past and present, and I really liked the way both Mary and Sara's stories ended up tying together. I was also a big fan of the audiobook which is narrated by Caroline Lennon. I can't even begin to imagine the difficulties that go into reading a book like this, and Lennon handled it beautifully. I could feel all of the emotions and that made this even more of a heavy read. Neville's writing was incredibly impressive, and I will definitely be reading everything else he writes.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
There were quite a few parts of The House of Ashes that broke my heart, and this is definitely a mystery wrapped up in an emotional read. The story is told from a handful of different viewpoints, with the main ones being Mary and Sara. We get a nice mixture of both past and present, and I really liked the way both Mary and Sara's stories ended up tying together. I was also a big fan of the audiobook which is narrated by Caroline Lennon. I can't even begin to imagine the difficulties that go into reading a book like this, and Lennon handled it beautifully. I could feel all of the emotions and that made this even more of a heavy read. Neville's writing was incredibly impressive, and I will definitely be reading everything else he writes.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
August 11, 2021
This book made me so sad. It’s definitely not a feel good book, though when certain characters start making correct decisions in life, you’ll feel a bit uplifted. Still…sad, though.
There are two timelines here and both work. Normally, I tend to prefer one timeline but, very quickly, the author had me deeply entrenched in both our main characters’ lives.
I’ll very happily read the author in the future!
*ARC via Net Galley
There are two timelines here and both work. Normally, I tend to prefer one timeline but, very quickly, the author had me deeply entrenched in both our main characters’ lives.
I’ll very happily read the author in the future!
*ARC via Net Galley
November 4, 2023
5 ⭐️. I could not put this book down. Sara and Damien move into a new house. It becomes clear that their relationship is toxic. Mary a confused elderly lady turns up at the door and her story is told of when she lived in the house. So many different themes running through this book but the story telling was captivating. Highly recommend.
August 3, 2021
I adored this. Hugely compelling and very emotional this is a dual timeline novel with one house at the centre of it.
A tense and relevant psychological drama, with multiple perspectives and a horrifyingly authentic and complex tale at the heart of it.
Beautifully done. One to watch in 2022.
A tense and relevant psychological drama, with multiple perspectives and a horrifyingly authentic and complex tale at the heart of it.
Beautifully done. One to watch in 2022.
February 11, 2022
We are only six weeks into 2022 and I have read some of the finest crime fiction of my life. The House of Ashes by Stuart Neville is one of those books. It is utterly compelling, dark, violent and chilling. It's a story that haunted my dreams and continues to linger, days after I finished it.
If you prefer your crime fiction on the cosy side, with no violence and prefer not to be emotionally challenged, then this book is probably not for you. If, like me, you are a fan of those authors who push the boundaries, the writers who are prepared to challenge and to be challenging and do not shy away from the real cruelties of humankind, then you are in for an extra special treat.
The story revolves around The Ashes; a large house in the rural countryside in the north of Ireland and is narrated in two voices. Mary Jackson relives her time in The Ashes over sixty years ago, whilst Sara Keane is living there in the current day. The Ashes has been totally renovated after a fire which destroyed the original building, but it's clear that the ghosts that haunt the building are still around.
Sara Keane is English. She and her husband Damian have relocated to his birth place after his father bought the Ashes and gifted it to them. Sara is uneasy in The Ashes, she feels something there that she cannot describe. Given the controlling hold that her husband has over her, and how he and his father are feared locally, Sara is terribly unhappy. Constantly remembering how she used to be, before she took the pills.
When elderly Mary Jackson appears on the doorstep, barefoot and bleeding from the soles of her feet, shouting about 'the children', Sara becomes more and more disturbed. Damian will not talk to her about the history of the house, he prefers to frighten her instead.
Neville cleverly interweaves the two timelines and as the horrors that Mary endured as a child unfold, and Sara's life becomes increasingly desperate, the reader begins to link together the terrible secrets of the past with the current day.
The author has been very ambitious here, as a male author giving voices to two female characters and done with such grace and style, and apparent ease. This makes for uncomfortable, and often disturbing images being conjured up to the reader. There are themes of cruelty, control and extreme distress that runs through the story like blood in the veins.
With hints of the supernatural, alongside events that are truly, and quite sadly, certainly of the human world, this is a novel that has left a lasting impression on me. It's a story that is told with respect and empathy, but is often brutal. Highly recommended, will certainly be amongst my top books of this year.
If you prefer your crime fiction on the cosy side, with no violence and prefer not to be emotionally challenged, then this book is probably not for you. If, like me, you are a fan of those authors who push the boundaries, the writers who are prepared to challenge and to be challenging and do not shy away from the real cruelties of humankind, then you are in for an extra special treat.
The story revolves around The Ashes; a large house in the rural countryside in the north of Ireland and is narrated in two voices. Mary Jackson relives her time in The Ashes over sixty years ago, whilst Sara Keane is living there in the current day. The Ashes has been totally renovated after a fire which destroyed the original building, but it's clear that the ghosts that haunt the building are still around.
Sara Keane is English. She and her husband Damian have relocated to his birth place after his father bought the Ashes and gifted it to them. Sara is uneasy in The Ashes, she feels something there that she cannot describe. Given the controlling hold that her husband has over her, and how he and his father are feared locally, Sara is terribly unhappy. Constantly remembering how she used to be, before she took the pills.
When elderly Mary Jackson appears on the doorstep, barefoot and bleeding from the soles of her feet, shouting about 'the children', Sara becomes more and more disturbed. Damian will not talk to her about the history of the house, he prefers to frighten her instead.
Neville cleverly interweaves the two timelines and as the horrors that Mary endured as a child unfold, and Sara's life becomes increasingly desperate, the reader begins to link together the terrible secrets of the past with the current day.
The author has been very ambitious here, as a male author giving voices to two female characters and done with such grace and style, and apparent ease. This makes for uncomfortable, and often disturbing images being conjured up to the reader. There are themes of cruelty, control and extreme distress that runs through the story like blood in the veins.
With hints of the supernatural, alongside events that are truly, and quite sadly, certainly of the human world, this is a novel that has left a lasting impression on me. It's a story that is told with respect and empathy, but is often brutal. Highly recommended, will certainly be amongst my top books of this year.
October 13, 2021
A haunting look at two women's lives trapped at the hands of men and the one house that connects them both. Told in a dual timeline and narrative, we get to know Sara, a modern Englishwoman whose husband has uprooted them to move into his childhood home in Northern Ireland. Sara is essentially trapped in this house, with no job, no car and no purpose until an elderly woman shows up one night covered in blood claiming she used to live in the house.
This sets off a truly heartbreaking and chilling story about women trapped in a house, think "Room" and the family of men who hold them captive. In the present Sara's stuck in a different kind of way by her abusive and controlling husband.
I wasn't sure what to expect by this book but I couldn't put it down and the sad thing is that so many women still face problems like this (although maybe not quite to the same extent). Sara's mental health was a weapon her husband used against her rather than something he helped her manage.
Highly recommended for fans of dark, captivity mysteries like Room or Local woman missing. Excellent on audio as well.
This sets off a truly heartbreaking and chilling story about women trapped in a house, think "Room" and the family of men who hold them captive. In the present Sara's stuck in a different kind of way by her abusive and controlling husband.
I wasn't sure what to expect by this book but I couldn't put it down and the sad thing is that so many women still face problems like this (although maybe not quite to the same extent). Sara's mental health was a weapon her husband used against her rather than something he helped her manage.
Highly recommended for fans of dark, captivity mysteries like Room or Local woman missing. Excellent on audio as well.
November 9, 2021
This is a beautifully written crime novel with a twist. There are supernatural elements but that shouldn't put off die hard crime fans. There's such a strong sense of place that it's easy to immerse yourself in the tale. Neville is simply brilliant at taking you into his stories and making you feel like you're literally looking over the protagonist's shoulder. This is heart-breaking, pulse-quickening read and I finished it in two sittings. Highly recommended.
August 21, 2021
Review TK
March 2, 2022
3.75 good story, weak ending.
August 29, 2021
This is one of those dark fiction books that, as you’re reading, you know for a fact could have really happened, and maybe similar to what happened to any of those people who have disappeared and never been found again.
A young bride with an overprotective and abusive husband moves into a beautiful old home with a storied past. Sara begins to dig deeper, thanks to the outside help of their electrician, and the facts are horrible. There has been murder, suicide, and possibly arson at this home. But none of those events explain the glimpses and dreams she’s having of various young children who seem to share the home with her.
Constantly being badgered by her husband, Damien, as unstable, Sara begins secretly visiting Mary, the elderly woman who once owned the home before a terrible fire forced her into convalescent living.
Mary is an extremely interesting and complex character, one that is difficult to fathom, but we know from past crimes in history, one that is sadly very much possible.
From Mary, we learn about the family that once owned and worked the farm. I could go on and on about these people, but I would be traipsing on the fine line of a spoiler alert. There’s so much sad and horrible history within the walls of that old home. The life these people lived, either willingly or unwillingly, is the most descriptive, believable, and jaw-dropping part of the book. It’s like reading a true crime, knowing it ends horribly but being unable to Put That Book Down. Yes, sadly, we as humans devour this kind of story, whether we’re willing to admit it or not. I will definitely be reading more from Stuart Neville.
Sincere thanks to Soho Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was September 7, 2021.
A young bride with an overprotective and abusive husband moves into a beautiful old home with a storied past. Sara begins to dig deeper, thanks to the outside help of their electrician, and the facts are horrible. There has been murder, suicide, and possibly arson at this home. But none of those events explain the glimpses and dreams she’s having of various young children who seem to share the home with her.
Constantly being badgered by her husband, Damien, as unstable, Sara begins secretly visiting Mary, the elderly woman who once owned the home before a terrible fire forced her into convalescent living.
Mary is an extremely interesting and complex character, one that is difficult to fathom, but we know from past crimes in history, one that is sadly very much possible.
From Mary, we learn about the family that once owned and worked the farm. I could go on and on about these people, but I would be traipsing on the fine line of a spoiler alert. There’s so much sad and horrible history within the walls of that old home. The life these people lived, either willingly or unwillingly, is the most descriptive, believable, and jaw-dropping part of the book. It’s like reading a true crime, knowing it ends horribly but being unable to Put That Book Down. Yes, sadly, we as humans devour this kind of story, whether we’re willing to admit it or not. I will definitely be reading more from Stuart Neville.
Sincere thanks to Soho Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date was September 7, 2021.
February 7, 2022
Sara Keane moves to Northern Ireland with her husband, Damien. This is where Damien grew up & his mysterious father lives in the area & has bought a house for his son. Sara soon comes to realise that this is not about a new start, but about isolating her from her friends & family, & Damien has started to become controlling & abusive. The house is almost finished being renovated, but there are mysterious red marks which keep appearing no matter how much Sara cleans them. One night soon after they move in, a old woman knocks on the door & tells them that she lives there & is looking for her sister, Esther. Damien takes the old woman, Mary, back to her care home, but Sara has an uneasy feeling that Mary knows about what happened at the house in the past, & discovers that they have a lot in common.
This is a well-written book, with a thought-out plot, but the misogynistic violence is difficult to read in parts. The narrative alternates between Sara in the present, & Mary back when she was a young child, & personally I would have preferred a more definitive ending. I also don't like being ambushed by animal death, & there was some (mercifully quick) in the first chapter which almost put me off reading the rest of the book. It was worth carrying on in this case, & I will definitely be checking out the author's other books.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bonnier Books UK/Zaffre, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
This is a well-written book, with a thought-out plot, but the misogynistic violence is difficult to read in parts. The narrative alternates between Sara in the present, & Mary back when she was a young child, & personally I would have preferred a more definitive ending. I also don't like being ambushed by animal death, & there was some (mercifully quick) in the first chapter which almost put me off reading the rest of the book. It was worth carrying on in this case, & I will definitely be checking out the author's other books.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bonnier Books UK/Zaffre, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
June 12, 2021
Stuart Neville's latest standalone novel is an Irish mystery with a duel timeline. A heinous crime some 60 years unsolved; rumors fly, locals talk without knowing many details. Present day, a young woman and her abusive husband move into the home in which that crime took place. Will she be able to solve the riddle and lay to rest those souls who still haunt so many? For those who enjoy Tana French.
November 5, 2021
Thank you Lord I'm finished with this sadistic piece of you know what.
Avoid this. I started because I like lit about the Irish, but if this highlights the behavior in N. Ireland, I will be more selective in the future. I've come to believe that England and N. Ireland are totally evil. The English monarchy are just greedy/do-nothings who are worthless leeches.
Long live Ireland!
Avoid this. I started because I like lit about the Irish, but if this highlights the behavior in N. Ireland, I will be more selective in the future. I've come to believe that England and N. Ireland are totally evil. The English monarchy are just greedy/do-nothings who are worthless leeches.
Long live Ireland!
February 1, 2022
Twisty, dark, disturbing, gripping: I can go on with a long list of adjectives. To cut it short: I loved this dark story with a strong gothic vibe and some very disturbing and heartbreaking moments.
The author did an excellent job in developing a gripping plot, great characters that you love or hate, and a claustrophobic environment.
I loved it and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The author did an excellent job in developing a gripping plot, great characters that you love or hate, and a claustrophobic environment.
I loved it and it's strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
February 26, 2022
New author for me. Did not disappoint.
Was intense, dark, psychologically twisted, manipulative, compelling, abusive. All these factors had me tingling with apprehension as I read each page, waiting for some more violence to erupt either in the current day phase or the prior phase where people were “kept” in the remote farmhouse basement. It felt like I was reading this story with a loaded powder keg next to me…just one wrong move or one wrong look, or wrong comment and boom!
Unfortunately the women and children were the victims of the rage and abuse by the men in both cases. Both farmer family with their kidnapped women from the past and our current couple, Sara and her husband, Damien, a big shot, cunning, manipulator and verbal abuser, and his mean ex-con father.
The two stories, approx sixty years apart, come together through an elderly woman, Mary, knocking at the door of the old farm house in the middle of the night, wandering from her elderly home. This is the same farm home that Damien’s father bought for him and Sara, and is having remodeled. Secrets then and secrets now.
Was intense, dark, psychologically twisted, manipulative, compelling, abusive. All these factors had me tingling with apprehension as I read each page, waiting for some more violence to erupt either in the current day phase or the prior phase where people were “kept” in the remote farmhouse basement. It felt like I was reading this story with a loaded powder keg next to me…just one wrong move or one wrong look, or wrong comment and boom!
Unfortunately the women and children were the victims of the rage and abuse by the men in both cases. Both farmer family with their kidnapped women from the past and our current couple, Sara and her husband, Damien, a big shot, cunning, manipulator and verbal abuser, and his mean ex-con father.
The two stories, approx sixty years apart, come together through an elderly woman, Mary, knocking at the door of the old farm house in the middle of the night, wandering from her elderly home. This is the same farm home that Damien’s father bought for him and Sara, and is having remodeled. Secrets then and secrets now.
April 6, 2022
I wrote my first review at midnight last night and wanted to finish both the book and review. I read this on audio and really enjoyed the narrator. Upon reflection, I am adding some triggers (below) that were upsetting throughout the book, and for which I had to put a wall around my emotions.
Sarah is a lovely, intelligent, but too complacent, Englishwoman who recently moved from England to Northern Ireland, with her extremely, controlling and sometimes-physical husband, Damien. It takes place in two time periods, one which is current day and the other 60 years prior.
It’s a thriller, a good bit of mystery throughout, and includes a non-annoying ghostly story; throw in some murders, grisly and gory details, and horrifically, cruel men with no conscience.
It all works but let’s discuss some possible triggers:
-misogynistics who are extremely violent and cruel -women of all ages forced into subservient roles
-beatings and rape and mistreatment
Sarah is a lovely, intelligent, but too complacent, Englishwoman who recently moved from England to Northern Ireland, with her extremely, controlling and sometimes-physical husband, Damien. It takes place in two time periods, one which is current day and the other 60 years prior.
It’s a thriller, a good bit of mystery throughout, and includes a non-annoying ghostly story; throw in some murders, grisly and gory details, and horrifically, cruel men with no conscience.
It all works but let’s discuss some possible triggers:
-misogynistics who are extremely violent and cruel -women of all ages forced into subservient roles
-beatings and rape and mistreatment
November 21, 2021
Four and a half stars. Very haunting and sad story. Sara moves into a house in Northern Ireland with her controlling husband Damien and the house has a history. 60 years ago 5 people were found murdered in it. The story goes back and forth from past to present and it’s the story of the past that is heart wrenching. Very good ending but left some things open.
September 15, 2021
Irish author Stuart Neville has been called the “king of Belfast noir.” That said, I am pleased to report that his latest novel, THE HOUSE OF ASHES, is a completely different type of story. Featuring supernatural and even gothic elements in a book fueled by female resilience, this is a huge departure for Neville, a risk that pays off quite handsomely.
It begins with a fire. An elderly woman wakes up in the middle of the night and steps into the hallway outside her bedroom. She witnesses a conflagration of bright flames and is overpowered by the smell of burning wood. Even with her own life in danger, her singular concern is for her children, whom only she can see. There are the howls of the many cats from her home that are perishing in the flames, and it all ends with her prying open her bedroom window and tumbling two stories to the ground. The last thing she claims to see is a young girl dressed in white who is seemingly untouched by the flames that surround her.
These events all took place in the recent past, and the house has been rebuilt and purchased by new owners. Sara Keane, originally from England, has been brought there by her overly possessive husband, Damien. Not long after they have moved in, the couple is accosted at their doorstep by a crazed old woman who claims that the house belongs to her. Her name is Mary, and they send her back to the retirement home where she now resides.
The book then jumps back and forth between a small group of narrators and within a timeline that spans the present day and all the way back almost half a century. One day, a Mr. Buchanan meets Sara and tells her the dark history of her house, which he refers to as the old Jackson place. He informs her that murders were committed on the farm nearly 60 years earlier, and the village still lives under the ominous shadow of those horrific events.
The chapters that take us back in time are from the point of view of three young women, all of whom are prisoners of the trio of evil men who have them trapped within the “House of Ashes,” where Sara and Damien now reside. These narrators are Mary --- the younger version of our elderly lady from the prologue --- Esther and Joy. Their story is a harsh one, and the physical and mental abuse they suffer at the hands of these men who call themselves “their family” is unconscionable.
In the present day, Sara has begun seeing specters of the past --- young girls around the banks of the marshy lake on their property. When she chases after them, they submerge into the water, leaving behind what appears to be red ribbons floating on the top skin of the murky water. Sara also is seeking to get out from under the thumb of her overbearing husband, who went so far as to imitate her on a WhatsApp chat with her best friend, Amanda, to learn more about her old boyfriends. Sara ends up befriending Rossi, an electrician who is doing work on their rebuilt home. He witnesses the mental abuse to which she is subjected and gives her his business card if she should ever require help.
Sara becomes so interested in the property that she begins doing heavy research into its history and starts visiting Mary at the retirement home for firsthand information. Mary tells Sara, “The house doesn’t matter…. It never mattered. It’s the land. Those children, they’re like the trees all around and the grass in the fields. Those men planted the children there, like seeds. They’re in the ground and they’ll always be there. They’ve always been there. Like me. Always.”
This is really creepy stuff but also very telling. THE HOUSE OF ASHES definitely goes there and relies heavily on Stuart Neville’s background as a writer of crime fiction to tell a story that is as moving and inspiring as it is terrifying. Sara and Mary are forever connected by that property and the bad men who have them in their clutches. Their resilience is remarkable and something to truly admire.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
It begins with a fire. An elderly woman wakes up in the middle of the night and steps into the hallway outside her bedroom. She witnesses a conflagration of bright flames and is overpowered by the smell of burning wood. Even with her own life in danger, her singular concern is for her children, whom only she can see. There are the howls of the many cats from her home that are perishing in the flames, and it all ends with her prying open her bedroom window and tumbling two stories to the ground. The last thing she claims to see is a young girl dressed in white who is seemingly untouched by the flames that surround her.
These events all took place in the recent past, and the house has been rebuilt and purchased by new owners. Sara Keane, originally from England, has been brought there by her overly possessive husband, Damien. Not long after they have moved in, the couple is accosted at their doorstep by a crazed old woman who claims that the house belongs to her. Her name is Mary, and they send her back to the retirement home where she now resides.
The book then jumps back and forth between a small group of narrators and within a timeline that spans the present day and all the way back almost half a century. One day, a Mr. Buchanan meets Sara and tells her the dark history of her house, which he refers to as the old Jackson place. He informs her that murders were committed on the farm nearly 60 years earlier, and the village still lives under the ominous shadow of those horrific events.
The chapters that take us back in time are from the point of view of three young women, all of whom are prisoners of the trio of evil men who have them trapped within the “House of Ashes,” where Sara and Damien now reside. These narrators are Mary --- the younger version of our elderly lady from the prologue --- Esther and Joy. Their story is a harsh one, and the physical and mental abuse they suffer at the hands of these men who call themselves “their family” is unconscionable.
In the present day, Sara has begun seeing specters of the past --- young girls around the banks of the marshy lake on their property. When she chases after them, they submerge into the water, leaving behind what appears to be red ribbons floating on the top skin of the murky water. Sara also is seeking to get out from under the thumb of her overbearing husband, who went so far as to imitate her on a WhatsApp chat with her best friend, Amanda, to learn more about her old boyfriends. Sara ends up befriending Rossi, an electrician who is doing work on their rebuilt home. He witnesses the mental abuse to which she is subjected and gives her his business card if she should ever require help.
Sara becomes so interested in the property that she begins doing heavy research into its history and starts visiting Mary at the retirement home for firsthand information. Mary tells Sara, “The house doesn’t matter…. It never mattered. It’s the land. Those children, they’re like the trees all around and the grass in the fields. Those men planted the children there, like seeds. They’re in the ground and they’ll always be there. They’ve always been there. Like me. Always.”
This is really creepy stuff but also very telling. THE HOUSE OF ASHES definitely goes there and relies heavily on Stuart Neville’s background as a writer of crime fiction to tell a story that is as moving and inspiring as it is terrifying. Sara and Mary are forever connected by that property and the bad men who have them in their clutches. Their resilience is remarkable and something to truly admire.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
October 25, 2021
This is one of the saddest stories ever!
September 3, 2022
Mohou si domy, kde došlo k děsivým událostem, zachovat strašidelné pozůstatky minulosti? Ano, já si myslím, že ano a tento příběh, i dům v něm, jsou toho příkladem.
Nebylo těžké zamilovat si, ani soucítit s postavami žen v této knize. Obdivovat jejich odhodlání, odvahu, vůli žít, i naději, kterou si v sobě hýčkaly a které se držely. To vše i navzdory útlaku, utrpení a zneužívání, kterým byly vystaveny. Všechny ty emoce, které v sobě příběh zpracovává. Obsahově neskutečně náročná a bolestná kniha, která se mě osobně četla dost těžce. Né snad pro způsob, kterým je psána, ale tématem samotným. I přes to všechno, je to téma, o kterém je potřeba mluvit, i když se mnohých, hluboce dotýká.
Hodnotit tuto knihu mi přijde velice zvláštní, jelikož říct, že se mi líbila, je v podstatě nemožné. Je to příběh, který ve vás po svém dočtení zanechá množství negativních emocí, i znechucení. Ale ty rozporuplné emoce, jsou přesně tím, co má kniha ve vás vyvolat. Což se autorovi, rozhodně povedlo.
Nebylo těžké zamilovat si, ani soucítit s postavami žen v této knize. Obdivovat jejich odhodlání, odvahu, vůli žít, i naději, kterou si v sobě hýčkaly a které se držely. To vše i navzdory útlaku, utrpení a zneužívání, kterým byly vystaveny. Všechny ty emoce, které v sobě příběh zpracovává. Obsahově neskutečně náročná a bolestná kniha, která se mě osobně četla dost těžce. Né snad pro způsob, kterým je psána, ale tématem samotným. I přes to všechno, je to téma, o kterém je potřeba mluvit, i když se mnohých, hluboce dotýká.
Hodnotit tuto knihu mi přijde velice zvláštní, jelikož říct, že se mi líbila, je v podstatě nemožné. Je to příběh, který ve vás po svém dočtení zanechá množství negativních emocí, i znechucení. Ale ty rozporuplné emoce, jsou přesně tím, co má kniha ve vás vyvolat. Což se autorovi, rozhodně povedlo.
March 24, 2022
This book is brutal and depressing.
Sara and her husband have just moved house to Ireland. Sara is recovering from a nervous breakdown, but her recovery is not off to a good start: soon after their arrival to the house they've bought, an old, bloodied woman breaks in and claims the house is hers. Sara wants to understand the mystery behind this, but it seems there are people who do not want the house’s horrific history to come to light.
The book mostly follows 2 timelines and I liked how distinct the voices are - we always know who is speaking.
This novel for me was a study of 2 minds broken in various ways. However, I did find it quite predictable - we know from the start what type of climax the story is heading towards. Unfortunately, what happens on the way isn’t in any way surprising (and I do like to be surprised even in my horror reads), or written in a style that would make me want to linger on or re-read (apart from 1 beautifully written scene with a girl with ribbons). I also hoped for more supernatural element.
What jarred me the most, though, was what I can only describe as gratuitous domestic violence galore. This is a very heavy read, but also very repetitive – control-coercion-abuse, repeat. Whilst the fear of the victims is written very well, I as a reader didn’t get scared, just immensely sad. It was an emotionally exhausting read. I also questioned the purpose of writing a book of which 90% is purely various ways of abusing a woman. It bothered me.
However, I am interested in the author’s future works, as there is a lot of potential in his writing.
Sara and her husband have just moved house to Ireland. Sara is recovering from a nervous breakdown, but her recovery is not off to a good start: soon after their arrival to the house they've bought, an old, bloodied woman breaks in and claims the house is hers. Sara wants to understand the mystery behind this, but it seems there are people who do not want the house’s horrific history to come to light.
The book mostly follows 2 timelines and I liked how distinct the voices are - we always know who is speaking.
This novel for me was a study of 2 minds broken in various ways. However, I did find it quite predictable - we know from the start what type of climax the story is heading towards. Unfortunately, what happens on the way isn’t in any way surprising (and I do like to be surprised even in my horror reads), or written in a style that would make me want to linger on or re-read (apart from 1 beautifully written scene with a girl with ribbons). I also hoped for more supernatural element.
What jarred me the most, though, was what I can only describe as gratuitous domestic violence galore. This is a very heavy read, but also very repetitive – control-coercion-abuse, repeat. Whilst the fear of the victims is written very well, I as a reader didn’t get scared, just immensely sad. It was an emotionally exhausting read. I also questioned the purpose of writing a book of which 90% is purely various ways of abusing a woman. It bothered me.
However, I am interested in the author’s future works, as there is a lot of potential in his writing.
August 23, 2021
The House of Ashes by Stuart Neville. Thanks to @sohopress for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When Sara moves to the countryside with her husband, she has no idea about the home’s history. When an old woman comes pounding at her door, she can’t ignore the past.
This was one of those stories that has a bit of real life spookiness and paranormal spookiness. I love when the two overlap. There were multiple timelines and POV’s but it was not confusing at all. I loved how everything revealed itself a little bit at a time from the past, and it affected the current time as well.
“Was the wickedness in the soil? Maybe it had always been there, even before the house. Maybe the wicked has seeped up through the soil, like the water did through the floorboards, and maybe it spread its wickedness to them men. Maybe it’s always been there. Maybe it’s still there now.”
The House of Ashes comes out 9/7.
When Sara moves to the countryside with her husband, she has no idea about the home’s history. When an old woman comes pounding at her door, she can’t ignore the past.
This was one of those stories that has a bit of real life spookiness and paranormal spookiness. I love when the two overlap. There were multiple timelines and POV’s but it was not confusing at all. I loved how everything revealed itself a little bit at a time from the past, and it affected the current time as well.
“Was the wickedness in the soil? Maybe it had always been there, even before the house. Maybe the wicked has seeped up through the soil, like the water did through the floorboards, and maybe it spread its wickedness to them men. Maybe it’s always been there. Maybe it’s still there now.”
The House of Ashes comes out 9/7.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 419 reviews