The House on the Lake by Nuala Ellwood
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 2nd June 2020
Purchase: Amazon
(publication date: 20th February 2020)
★★★ 3.5 stars
Imagine driving several hours far from the comforts of home to the cold, draughty and remote Rowan Isle House in Yorkshire. That's exactly what Lisa did to escape the constant criticisms of her controlling husband Mark...taking with her her 3 year old son, Joe, who did nothing but cry and scream for his daddy for every one of his waking hours. But escaping Mark meant staying under the radar, which is exactly what Rowan Isle House provided. But Lisa wasn't prepared for what awaited her.
Rowan Isle House was smelly and filthy with no electricity, no heating and no plumbing. How were they to shower? Bath? Cook their meals? Or stay warm amidst the frigid conditions of Yorkshire? And Joe was having none of it. No matter what Lisa said or did to placate him, the child just screamed incessantly for his daddy. He was even doing MY head in! But Lisa did what she could, found some old cushions and blankets for them to sleep with and bought junk food from the shop in the village since she had no way of cooking anything. The house, which is decidedly creepy, sits on the edge of the village with the lake as their only water source and candles for lighting.
And then Isobel came knocking.
Isobel got the fire going in the ancient stove so Lisa could at least cook them something. She also provided them with some clean blankets, brought some groceries and soon the warmth from the stove heated the old house. Maybe it wasn't going to be so bad after all. But just who is Isobel? And why is she being so helpful? Who is she to this somewhat creepy house? And is she safe from Mark here?
One night Isobel took them to the village pub for a drink and a bite when the landlord befriended Lisa and began to regale her with the house's sordid history. But it wasn't until she came across an old leather bound diary that Lisa discovered the truth about Rowan Isle House.
In a parallel story running alongside Lisa's, beginning in 2003, we meet a young 11 year old girl known only as Soldier Number 1, as named by her father who is referred to solely as "Sarge". We don't know his name, only that he was a former soldier that had served in the Gulf war in Iraq. It obvious from the beginning that he is suffering from PTSD as he trains his daughter up to be a soldier. But the life they lead in the remote house on the lake, was anything but normal. And when the young girl, whose name we learn is Grace, meets a pretty blonde girl named Isobel when she comes to buy eggs from their stall, she catches a glimpse of life beyond the only one she has ever known.
Soon Isobel becomes her only link to the world outside of the one "Sarge" has built for them and Grace discovers what it is like to have a real friend. But what if that friendship was threatened? Then when she discovers all that her father had ever told her was a lie, Grace draws on all he had taught her to survive.
Narrated by Lisa and Soldier Number 1, with a fifteen year gap, THE HOUSE ON THE LAKE is a slow building tense thriller in which these two stories unfold until they finally are woven together with a deft hand that finally links Lisa, Soldier Number 1 and Isobel. I'm not usually one for slow builds, but this one I actually quite enjoyed.
Filled with plenty of twists, the tension is palpable as the secrets of the past that haunt the creepy house slowly come to light as those that Lisa is also hiding are gradually revealed.
An addictive and creepy thriller, THE HOUSE ON THE LAKE will soon pull you in and have you turning the pages until the very end.
Recommended for psychological thriller fans, particularly those who love a slow build.
I would like to thank #NualaEllwood, #NetGalley and #PenguinUK for an ARC of #TheHouseOnTheLake in exchange for an honest review.
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