The House Fire by Rosie Walker
Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller, Suspense
Read: 12th February 2022
Published: 6th January 2022
★★★★★ 5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Play with fire and you’ll get burned…
Who can you trust in this brand new edge-of-your-seat thriller?
A tired old seaside town hiding a series of unsolved arson attacks.
A derelict mansion in the woods with a long-buried secret.
A bundle of old love letters that mask a dark story.
When Jamie’s documentary investigation gets too close to uncovering the truth behind a series of deadly arson attacks that tormented Abbeywick in the 1980s, her family might be the ones who pay the price.
But for her younger sister Cleo, the secrets Jamie uncovers have the potential to get exactly what Cleo wants: to remove her mum’s toxic new husband from their lives, forever.
All it takes is one spark to send everything up in smoke…
MY REVIEW:
A derelict house. A toxic husband. A series of unsolved fires. And two sisters quest for the truth.
After reading, devouring and absolutely loving Rosie Walker's brilliant debut "Secrets of a Serial Killer", I was excited to delve into THE HOUSE FIRE. If she could engage me and immerse me into the story as she did the first time round, I knew I would be in for a real treat. And she didn't disappoint. Granted, this book is a little slower off the mark than her addictive pulse-racing debut, the pace soon picks up as the reader is immersed one again into the lives of one family and their on-going drama.
Opening with a spine-tingling Prologue in which a child witnesses the abuse inflicted on their mother by their father with a vow to one day make him pay. It's short, it's powerful but it's makes it point.
In the present day we meet Jamie, a budding documentary maker, filming her mother's marriage to Ant who turns the event into The Ant Show with the spotlight on him. Her younger sister Cleo sits amidst the guests with a sour look on her face. It's obvious Cleo hates Ant and the way he has taken over their mother's life and nothing will deter her from her campaign of hate.
On the way to the reception, Cleo and her friend Lucasz decide to walk there and come across the smouldering remains of a shed in the woods. Sidetracked by something far more interesting than "The Ant Show" masquerading as her mother's wedding, Cleo wanders around the shed and discovers that the house alongside which the shed stands that has also been fire-affected, is still largely in tact. And so she and Lucasz decide to investigate further by climbing into the old manor house and nosing around. After discovering old photos and letters, Cleo creates a narrative for what she thinks happened here. And in the coming days, the old manor house, alongside her best friend Lucasz, will become her refuge from the drama unfolding at home.
Now that a new way of life has begun at home with Ant moving into the role of husband and step-father, Jamie shifts her focus back to the research she has been gathering along with boyfriend Spider for the documentary they intend to make, shedding light on the spate of unsolved historic arson cases from the 80s. But the plan shifts gear when news of a recent fire has destroyed one woman's livelihood and killed her six beloved horses. Spider takes a new direction by focussing on the arson victim's grief and anger whilst Jamie is far from comfortable with it. But Spider has a gleam in his eye she's not seen before as she realises he is relishing this new angle. And the deeper she gets, the more she realises she may have bitten off more than she can chew...particularly when she receives a threatening note that has been hand delivered. The arsonist knows where she lives.
Meanwhile back at home, Cleo is doing her damnedest to out Ant for who he really is knowing full well he can't be trusted...and the scenes between Cleo and Ant are chilling to say the least. Why doesn't anyone believe her about Ant and what he's really like? Why can't they see what she sees? Or is she just seeing what she wants to see because she just wants her mother back? I really felt for Cleo as no one appeared to be listening to her or in fact believe her when the reader sees something in what she is saying. But as it is from her perspective, is that just a tainted view? Or is it the truth? The only one to believe Cleo is her best friend Lucasz, though I suspect he was beginning to feel a little more for Cleo than just friendship. He was always by her side and on her side. He listened to her and he believed her. He even accompanied her on her quests to gather information that could potentially lead to proof and the truth about Ant. She is incredibly single-minded in her quest, I'll give her that. But at what cost?
The story is told from three viewpoints - Jamie, Cleo and the arsonist - and what unfolds is a spine-tingling, mind-blowing domestic and psychological thriller that, once it picks up pace, will have you turning the pages long into the night. The historic arson cases that have remained unsolved lead both sisters on two very different journeys as each endeavour to uncover the truth - but what is the truth? Jamie has a clear direction in which she takes while Cleo's is far muddier and ambiguous. It is evident from the start that there is an undercurrent of abuse with a darker history lurking that is sometimes uncomfortable to witness. But as events unfold, it seems the truth may be closer than they think.
While the story begins as a slow-burn (excuse the pun), the tension soon builds and the pace picks up into an addictive page-turner you won't want to put down for a minute! The suspense is all-absorbing and the plot completely compelling.
The characters are all skillfully drawn - both the likeable and unlikeable. Both sisters are the main narrators as we see the story play out through their eyes respectively. With Jamie, as the older more responsible of the two, she tried to remain objective and make decisions based on less emotion than her 14 year old sister who was naturally driven by her own, sometimes over the top, emotions. Cleo had a rage inside her that the reader puts down to her age and possibly her hormones...but is she just jealous that Ant has moved in and taken away her mother's attention from her? Admittedly, it certainly appeared that way on more than one occasion and Ant really didn't help himself with his behaviour. He almost certainly loves the power that coercive control gives him...but is it all smoke and mirrors? Because after all, nothing is ever as it seems. And everyone, it seems, has their own agenda.
I read this book almost in one sitting as it is so addictive I could not put it down. The storytelling is compelling and engaging with a suspenseful edge that keeps the tension palpable throughout. But what I love most about THE HOUSE FIRE is the ending! I didn't see any of it coming. I certainly didn't figure out the arsonist until just before the reveal and I'm like scratching my head...but it was the final pages of the Epilogue that I loved the most. While I favour endings that tie up all loose ends bringing a closure to everything, I do so love creepy open-ended conclusions especially one that is as chilling as this one.
If you enjoyed Rosie's fantabulous debut "Secrets of a Serial Killer", you will love THE HOUSE FIRE. It is an addictive, edge-of-your-seat domestic and psychological thriller that will most definitely keep you guessing until the very end...and leave you pondering about it after the book is closed.
I would like to thank #RosieWalker, #Netgalley, #OneMoreChapter and #HarperCollinsUK for an ARC of #TheHouseFire in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
She also has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Lancaster University, where she learned how to pull an all-nighter to hit a deadline right at the last minute.
She lives in Edinburgh with her husband Kevin, daughter Elsie and their dog Bella.
Social Media links:
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