Hi everyone, another Tuesday and another book review for you … this one is another book I picked up after seeing it recommended on someone’s blog last year. At some point, I did start making notes on which book I saw where, lol, but we’re not there yet! Ahem, … okay, so onto my review >>>

About the Book:

For fans of The Haunting of Hill House comes a dark tale of a mansion haunted by a legacy of tragedy and a family trapped by lies.

Margot and Myron Spielman move to a new town, looking for a fresh start and an escape from the long shadow of their past. But soon after they buy Rawlingswood, a foreclosed mansion rumored to be haunted, they realize they’re in for more of the same…or worse.

After a renovation fraught with injuries and setbacks, the Spielmans move in to the century-old house, and their problems quickly escalate. The home’s beautiful facade begins to crumble around them when their teenage son uncovers disturbing details of Rawlingswood’s history—a history of murder, betrayal, and financial ruin. The Spielmans’ own shameful secrets and lies become harder to hide as someone or something inside the house watches their every move.

As tensions build between the family members, the home’s dark history threatens to repeat itself. Margot and Myron must confront their own ghosts and Rawlingswood’s buried past before the house becomes their undoing.

My Review:

The supernatural element to this book caught my attention right off, and the story within its pages did not disappoint. The narrative pulled me in from page one and didn’t let me go until I’d finished the final page. D M Pulley makes for the fifth on my list of ‘top authors’ for this year, and I will be checking out her other books.

Apart from an overuse of exclamation marks in some passages and a lack of hyphenation to join words that need joining, the writing is well edited and error free. The characterisations and world building are done excellently, and I connected with each and every one. The timeline shifts around, but new chapters mark the shifts, and it is clear where you are at each point. I adored the historical elements scattered throughout this tale.

While the author writes from third-person omniscient, which reads as head-hopping, she has written it so well that the shifts of point of view flow well from one to the other, and as I read, I knew whose head (POV) I was reading from. The only other author I’ve seen do head-hopping this well is Stephen King.

The ending tied up all of the loose ends and rounded up the story nicely. An author note at the end gave some interesting insights about the history of the area and the inspiration for this tale.

My only regret is that I didn’t have the time to read this in one sitting and had to let it go for hours at a time. If you like a spooky, chilling read that will have you turning the lights on in the house, then this is the book for you. Brilliantly written. It gets a resounding five stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.

4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.

3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.

2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.

1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

If you’re interested, here are the Amazon links … UK and US.

Please note, these are not affiliate links.

©Harmony Kent 2020