THE ISLAND HOUSE

 

SYNOPSIS

A DARK FAMILY SECRET

When Alice’s father dies after a tragic hit and run, his death stirs up unanswered questions about her childhood. Who was her mother, why did her father never speak of the past, and why can’t she remember anything before the age of seven?

AN ISLAND CUT OFF

But when she receives an anonymous letter containing a photograph of a refurbished gothic guesthouse surrounded by water, and an invitation to stay, old memories fight to resurface.

Alice has visited before. She is certain of it.

WHO WILL SURVIVE?

Convinced the clues to her past lie at the hotel, she checks in. But once on the island, a wild storm rages, waves crash violently into the rocks, and the house is cut off by the roaring sea.

Then two guests are found dead. And the hotel owner is missing. Will Alice ever uncover her secret past?

And will anyone leave the island alive?

Title: The Island House

Author: Amanda Brittany

Publisher: HQ Digital

Publication date: August 11, 2021

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Locked room mystery, isolated setting, gothic vibes…was The Island House written thinking of me? It has all the elements I love in a mystery!

After her father dies in a hit and run seems like Alice’s questions about her childhood and her father’s past will go forever unanswered until she receives an invitation to visit an old gothic house turned hotel which she’s sure played a part in her childhood. And you know what happens to guests who check into gothic houses in isolated islands… exactly! They start dying one (or two) at a time.

With such an engaging premise it’s no surprising I flew through it. The atmosphere was fantastic and the creepiness was present from the first page. All the hints about what was going on in the attic and the puppets added to the sense of unease. Those puppets! They were so ghoulish. Loved them!

The story is told through dual timelines, one in 2019 and one starting in the 70s and moving forward. I found both equally engaging and loved how the past timeline developed. That weird relationship was another thing that added to the frightening feel that permeated the whole story.

When I thought I had it all figured out there was a twist that made me re-read some lines because at first I thought it was a typo, but NO, it was real and it made me gasp. I did not see that coming at all! From there everything unraveled and, although absolutely bonkers, it made perfect sense in a crazy kind of way.

Great atmospheric mystery that will delight all locked room mystery lovers. I’ve now read three of Ms. Brittany’s books and loved all three so I will be reading all her old ones and will wait anxiously her next release.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.