Lakeview House by Helen Phifer
Genre: Psychological thriller
Read: 2nd April 2022
Audio Links
Published: 8th April 2022
★★★★★ 5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Icy water laps against the wooden jetty. But the girl doesn’t notice the cold as she slips slowly under the freezing surface…
Running from a devastating relationship that almost cost her everything, Maddy Hart impulsively accepts a job as a live-in caretaker at imposing Lakeview House. She has no memories of having visited the crumbling mansion on the banks of Lake Thirlmere before, but when she arrives, something about the house feels familiar…
The more time Maddy spends in the house, the more unsettled she feels. Why does the local story about the last woman who lived here, who drowned on her wedding day, chill Maddy to the bone? By day, she clears out the dusty rooms, but in the dead of night it’s hard to explain away the eerie noises or crackly radio she hears hours after she turned it off. Slowly, Maddy begins to fear that her worst nightmare is coming true, has her past caught up with her…?
When a soaking wet wedding dress is left on Maddy’s doorstep she feels completely trapped. It is her exact measurements. Is her ex trying to send her a message? Or has Maddy’s digging uncovered an even deadlier secret? Will this perfect escape become the perfect trap?
A gripping thriller that will have you turning the pages until the final breathtaking twist. Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Lisa Gardner and Ruth Ware.
Lakeview House was previously published as What Lies Below.
MY REVIEW:
I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Helen Phifer's chilling standalone thriller LAKEVIEW HOUSE.
I'm a huge fan of Helen's Dr Beth Adams and DC Morgan Brookes series but this is the first standalone of hers I have encountered and I was excited for the opportunity to read and review it. So did it live up to my expectations?
I must say, WOW - I was impressed. LAKEVIEW HOUSE was thrilling, chilling and edge of your seat throughout. The tension builds almost from the very beginning and it does not let up at all throughout. The short snappy chapters keep that tension building and building until I thought I would burst! And the pace moves at a breakneck speed, giving you whiplash when the big reveal comes and leave you open-mouthed resembling a goldfish going "what the...?" No way! I did NOT see that coming in a million years. Hats off to Helen for hoodwinking me so completely I was bowled over and lost for words.
The story begins with a creepy prologue that we just know is going to lead somewhere equally thrilling and probably chill us to the bone. It is short and to the point, leaving no room for misinterpretation. And then we meet Maddy.
Having fled a controlling and abusive relationship, Maddy needed somewhere to lay low for a while in the hope that her ex, Connor, would soon give up looking for her. Her best friend Stella sends her a link to the perfect escape - a lakeview house in the Lake District who are in need of a live-in caretaker while renovations are undertaken on the centuries old crumbling mansion on Lake Thirlmere. Site unseen, bar the photos on the internet (not always a good idea), Maddy packs her bags into her ancient VW Beetle and makes the journey from London to Lakeview House in Cumbria.
Almost at once, Maddy falls in love with the crumbling mansion knowing that it would have some stories to tell. But the electrics leave a little to be desired and there is next to no phone signal and internet? Forget it. It's perfect, Maddy thinks. The perfect place for her to get cracking on the sequel to her first successful book she needs to have written and submitted by the looming deadline. While the sprawling house must have about thirty rooms, Maddy finds herself a bedroom overlooking the beautiful Lake Thirlmere with French doors leading onto a balcony where she promises herself she will breakfast each morning. The setting could not be more perfect.
And then, strange things start happening. Things that go bump in the night; whispers and music emanating from downstairs; a sodden wedding dress left on her doorstep; vivid dreams that are all too real that tell her something sinister happened in this very house. And then she meets Alfie, a teenager with an innocent demeanour who is younger than his years, who alludes to something called "the lake people". But as the days turn into nights, Maddy begins to question her decision to cut herself off in the middle of nowhere with no phone reception or help nearby, should something happen to her. Especially when it becomes clear that someone is trying to frighten her. But who? She doesn't know anyone really. She has only met sexy Seth, kooky Glenys and her adorable son Alfie. And Stella is the only one who knows where she is. Even Connor doesn't know...or does he?
Meanwhile back in London, Stella has made some stupidly prized decisions which has left her black and blue and fearing for Maddy's safety. She knows she must alert her friend as to the possible danger that awaits her but Maddy isn't answering her phone. Alongside Joe, Stella decides to make her own journey to the Lake District and warn Maddy...hopefully before Connor gets to her. Because Connor will stop at nothing to catch up with Maddy and teach her a lesson she will never forget.
The story unfolds through short and snappy chapters which keeps things moving at a brisk pace. For 483 pages, it is an incredibly quick read that I devoured in almost one sitting. Everything about LAKEVIEW HOUSE had me enthralled - the setting, the haunted house, the unexplained occurrences, the sexy pub owner, the deranged killer, the controlling stalker ex - it was everything and more that I could want in an atmospheric fast paced and chilling thriller. But what secrets lay below the depths as well as within the crumbling walls of Lakeview House? The hint of the paranormal lingers within the pages of this tense read leaving the reader pondering is there something else at play here? Or is with a stalker ex on her tail and a killer silently watching her, is Maddy just a little too close for comfort?
LAKEVIEW HOUSE is a creepy tale that is atmospheric and mysterious centring around an isolated decrepit old house with something of a tragic past. What more could you want in a thriller? While Maddy has no idea of the house's past, her fear radiates on the pages as Helen Phifer's influences through Stephen King filter through...particularly with references to Derry, Maine and Pennywise the clown. While it is not a horror as such it certainly has elements akin to those found in the horror genre. It is most certainly creepy at any rate.
The story continues to move quickly as I read long into the night, unable to put it down. Everything about LAKEVIEW HOUSE is addictive and engaging...and I could predict nothing. I had no idea where it was going or how it would end up. And I certainly did not see the big reveal! That knocked me for a six sideways. Some parts may not be entirely believable but this is fiction. It is to engage, entertain and enjoy. It doesn't have to be real. But the hairs on my neck were definitely standing on end due to the chill factor...and I'm not talking about the temperature.
LAKEVIEW HOUSE is a slow burn initially that picks up pace almost at once moving at a breakneck speed throughout as the story becomes much much darker and incredibly chilling. There's certainly a lot going on despite only having a handful of characters. If you like a quick read with psychological thrills and chills in an atmospheric setting and a touch of ghost story, then you are sure to love LAKEVIEW HOUSE.
Easily rated 5 stars hands down. Highly recommended as a perfect escapism read and for fans of Ruth Ware and C.L. Taylor.
Previously published as "What Lies Below".
I would like to thank #HelenPhifer, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #LakeviewHouse in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Helen lives in a small town in Cumbria. Surrounded by miles of coastline and only a short drive from the beautiful Lake District.
She has always loved writing and reading since the days she learnt how to in infant school. She loves reading books that make the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and make her afraid to go to the toilet, alone in the middle of the night. She is eternally grateful to Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert and Graham Masterton for scaring her senseless in her teenage years.
Unable to find enough of the scary stories she loves to read, she decided to write her own.
No comments:
Post a Comment