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livres_de_bloss's review against another edition
2.0
Boring. Slow. Dull. Unimaginative. Way too “military”. And totally not a ghost story.
This is the second book I’ve read by this author: both were entirely missold as ghost stories. What’s the point in lying about what the books about? You’re just going to get shite reviews from people who feel mislead? Ugh.
This is the second book I’ve read by this author: both were entirely missold as ghost stories. What’s the point in lying about what the books about? You’re just going to get shite reviews from people who feel mislead? Ugh.
thebookishhomesteader's review against another edition
3.0
Is it just me or are there a lot of modern day Agatha Christi authors? Unfortunately, this felt like another one to me and it just didn’t hold my interest like I had hoped. There were parts I liked but some pieces that felt like I’d heard it all before. Overall, it was ok. Not bad but not great either.
saltygalreads's review against another edition
5.0
Ireland 1921, after WWI and during The Troubles. The prestigious Prendeville family lives in their crumbling mansion by the sea, while the Irish rebels and the British loyalists plot their campaigns of violence and retaliation. Then an ambush by the IRA goes wrong and beautiful, heroic Maud Prendeville is killed. Her murder must be investigated and so former Army Captain Tom Harkin takes on the job of investigating the murder of his former lover and fiancee. Everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted, not even old friends. Meanwhile Tom is haunted by the horrors of trench warfare, suffering through terrible flashbacks.
The house also reveals its ghostly inhabitants to him - a long ago bride with her bouquet of rotting flowers, his dead friend and brother-in-arms Arthur Prendeville, and now Maud, sitting calmly by her bedroom window and leading him to clues. Tom struggles to put the pieces of the mystery together, clinging to the pieces of his broken mind and tortured memories while his country comes apart around him.
What an unexpectedly wonderful treat of a novel! I knew nothing about this book but the description captured my imagination when I read it. I was completely engrossed, living among the Prendevilles and navigating the deception and treachery with Tom Harkin. Everything about the story was well executed: the setting, the characters, the atmosphere and the mystery. The house itself felt like a living character with its ghosts, sadness and memories. The conclusion is quite satisfying, offering redemption and hope for Tom Harkin. I will be purchasing a hard copy of this one. A resounding five stars! Many thanks to NetGalley and Arcade Crimewise for this wonderful copy to read and review.
The house also reveals its ghostly inhabitants to him - a long ago bride with her bouquet of rotting flowers, his dead friend and brother-in-arms Arthur Prendeville, and now Maud, sitting calmly by her bedroom window and leading him to clues. Tom struggles to put the pieces of the mystery together, clinging to the pieces of his broken mind and tortured memories while his country comes apart around him.
What an unexpectedly wonderful treat of a novel! I knew nothing about this book but the description captured my imagination when I read it. I was completely engrossed, living among the Prendevilles and navigating the deception and treachery with Tom Harkin. Everything about the story was well executed: the setting, the characters, the atmosphere and the mystery. The house itself felt like a living character with its ghosts, sadness and memories. The conclusion is quite satisfying, offering redemption and hope for Tom Harkin. I will be purchasing a hard copy of this one. A resounding five stars! Many thanks to NetGalley and Arcade Crimewise for this wonderful copy to read and review.
livietess's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cat_astrophicallybookish's review against another edition
I don't think atmospheric horror is my genre. I really tried liking this book because I thought House of Ghosts was good. I think it was just too slow moving for me.
alexjmartin's review
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.75
nerwenie's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
As someone who doesn’t know much about the civil war in the 1920s I was quite lost. I didn’t get attached to any character and I struggled to finish it. It was just very boring to me. Didn’t make me care to know who killed who and what happened unfortunately.
aseel_reads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I really enjoyed the inclusion of the war flashbacks, it made the story more authentic and realistic. The mystery was pretty neat and I'm a huge fan of anything related to Irish history
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Homophobia and Incest
chanley_33's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Love a book with twists that I didn't predict.