When journalist Ava Brent decides to investigate the dark mystery of Overtoun Estate—a ‘thin place’, steeped in myth—she has no idea how dangerous this story will be for her.
Overtoun looms over the town, watching, waiting: the locals fearful of the strange building and the secrets it keeps. When Ava starts to ask questions, the warm welcome she first receives turns to a cold shoulder. And before she knows it, Ava is caught in the house’s grasp too.
After she discovers the history of a sick young girl who lived there, she starts to understand the sadness that shrouds it. But when she finds an ominous old message etched into a windowsill, she is forced to wonder—what horrors is the house protecting? And what will it cost her to find out?
With her own first child on the way, Ava knows she should stay away. But even as her life starts to unravel, and she receives chilling threats, the house and the bridge keep pulling her back.
Title: The thin place
Author: CD Major
Publisher: Amazon Publishing UK
Publication date: April 15, 2021
REVIEW
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I've never been much of a fan of gothic stories but the last few months I've read some really good ones and my opinion is starting to change. The thin place is a great example of a modern mystery with gothic vibes.
A thin place is the celtic term for places where the gap between heaven and earth is closer. Overtoun House and Bridge are supposed to be in one of these places. It is said that more than 500 dogs have leaped to their deaths from the bridge. After doing a story there, reporter Ava Brent feels weirdly drawn to the place and becomes pretty obsessed trying to find the truth behind the house's tragic past.
The story spans three different time frames, 1929, 1949 and the present, so there's three different POVs. Although it was not stated till the end it was not difficult to see how all the three lines would tie together, so I was not surprised by the twists.
My favorite timeline was Constance's. Although her voice sounded a little older than her years, her situation gave me chills and I'll remember that image of her looking from the window for a long time to come.
I found Ava pretty annoying and her sudden obsession with Overtoun, to the point of neglecting her own health and her family, was a bit hard to understand at first.
The atmosphere was fantastic. It was so eerie, and the menacing presence of the house was really well done. Every time Ava visited the house I got an unsettling feeling in my stomach.
I was surprised to find out on the author's note that Overtoun House and Bridge are real places, so once I finished it I immediately had to go and googled them.
Compelling gothic mystery that it's at the same time a story of mothers and daughters.
Thanks to CD Major, NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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