An intriguing tale of murder and revenge written in an unusual style with the story told from two viewpoints. Clever with several twists which culminates in a satisfactory denouement. At times almost a ghost story keeps one interested. Recommended.

A cleverly written book, I really liked the two often conflicting perspectives but the whole storyline lacked pace and purpose. I was over halfway through reading and still had no idea what the point was supposed to be.
Could be a brilliant read but unfortunately falls too far short of its potential.

Thanks to netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

From the outset, this is a strange and ambitious book. The concept of characters alternating writing out their points of view doesn't really work as both sound very similar. It was the most Londony London book that ever did London but at no point does it matter that this book takes place in London. I live in London, I love London, it was completely irrelevant to this story but was brought up so often it was annoying. So much of it was implausible to the point of distraction. I also found Sydney's weird personal facts a very bizarre touch, you can always tell it's a man trying to write a woman when he feels the need to stress that she's not fat and then bring up her weight. Particularly good was that we're also told she's had 13 sexual partners, which again, is totally irrelevant and actually goes against the character's drug addled, troubled, acting persona.

It's slightly freaky only initially when you're unsure of what's going on with the cold hands in the house, but then becomes essentially misery lit and we're just told over and over about little girls being beaten and abused.

The author mentions that Jack is suspicious of Bart and Sydney's relationship but gives no grounds for any reasonable reader to think the same, or even for us to suspect anything.

I'm struggling to think of anything positive other than it was a fast read. Super disappointing and I feel a bit cheated for the time I spent reading it.

Simon Lelic has written a psychological thriller like no other I have ever read before and it is an awesome read! Truly original and so well-plotted.

Basically, this is all about the life of Sydney and her boyfriend Jack who finally manage to buy a home together. This house comes lock, stock and barrel and is stuffed with the previous occupants belongings which they intend to sort through and dispose of 'sometime'. There follows a series of happenings which are creepy and spooky in the extreme - never have I been so glad of not sleeping alone as I was when reading this!

I must admit that my heart sank when I started reading as I've never been keen on tales directly narrated to the reader by the characters. However, in this case I can see how necessary it was - well, I can now having read all the way to the end. To be completely honest it didn't take long for the writing style to take a back seat to the story. And, wow, what a story it is! I'm not going to give any spoilers but, trust me, this is one of those novels whose content will stay with you for a long, long time. It always amazes me when, with all the books which are already out there, an author can conjure up something completely original with no hint of connection to any other novel. Simon Lelic has achieved that brilliantly, and I shall definitely be watching for future releases from him.

I received an arc via NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Unfortunately I have to admit I didn't really like or enjoy this book. The style of writing wasn't to my taste, as I didn't like the alternating conversation between the two main characters. The story struggled to keep my attention and I didn't actually finish the book. Sorry, somebody else might enjoy it, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

A wonderful, gripping story, full of hidden menace that creeps closer as more pages are turned.
Told in diary form by the two main characters, Jack and Syd, the action shifts from present day to previous events, that are shocking and brutal and set up the whole story. Weird events from the discovery of a dead cat in the attic, a box with a name that is relevant but not revealed until the last few chapters, and a painting on a wall that relates to Syds troubled past, should have set alarm bells ringing very loudly, especially as an unknown person is suspected of creeping around the house overnight. Everything bad from Syds past is in the attic, the book drip feeds information, but you are so busy trying to guess the connections between seemingly random events, that clues are missed and only when you reach the last few chapters and all is falling into place, do you realise how dammed clever this book is!
Was I comfortable with the ending? Justice is good, but at any price? Revenge, yes, murder, can it be justified in that way?
This would be a brilliant read for book clubs, to debate the ending and their views upon crime and punishments. I felt fear and a chilled sense of extreme nervousness when reading this story, but absolutely enjoyed it!! Best read with the door locked and plenty of lights in the evening time. I don't give many five stars, but this deserved all of them. I have posted this review on Goodreads today.

I was drawn to request The House as the blurb led inferred it was a suspense thriller which is one of my favourite genres.

In truth after a promising start I found this book to be somewhat of a let down. I skipped through it in a couple of days but was quickly at the end feeling that not much had happened.

The main underlying focus of this book is abuse which is a harrowing subject and although dealt with well, for me this book just wasn't the page turner I'd hoped for.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Books UK and the author for the chance to review.

Well for me this was a book of two halves ,I loved the first part so much so that I took it with me to read at my local beach on a rare sunny afternoon ,and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.When I started reading it in bed later that night, I thought some one had swapped the book on my kindle for another one I didn't enjoy it at all,I couldn't get over the difference.The characters of Jack and Syd who I had previously liked started to irritate me, I wish the author had not referred to Jack as a Social Worker, he wasn't he was a housing officer and unless social services have merged with the housing dept in the time that I have stopped working as a social worker they are two completely different roles,that is my bugbear because I spent 3 years training as a Social Worker and know bugger all about being a housing officer ,although I have dealt with them on behalf of a client or two but its a different department and a different role.Sorry rant over, but it is a simple thing that to me means the research for the book was lazy.Having had my rant I still say I enjoyed the premise of the book and enjoyed the first part of it,then it took a turn for the worse and quite frankly I stopped liking Jack and Syd and became bored.I quickly lost interest in the book at this point and struggled to get to the end .I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review, and I also have to say that I really don't like giving bad reviews but I have to be honest or there is no point in me doing reviews.

I really wanted and expected this book to be just up my street but it changed over from psychological thriller to much more a study on how abuse affects into the future.
Jack and Syd were naive to think they were getting something for nothing ( or rather something for less than you would expect to pay) but then if you are desperate you can go along with anything I suppose so I could overlook that. They were very likeable and interesting characters and I was willing for things to go right...so I was naive too.
A decent read and better than The Girl Before in my opinion.

Given the title, The House, I anticipated that the main focus would be a house. And it was, at the beginning, which really raised my expectations that this was going to be a suspense-filled creepy book with hints even of the supernatural. Syd found the house advertised on the internet; the owner had suddenly moved to Australia, leaving the house fully furnished and she was immediately smitten by it. Jack wasn’t so sure – he thought it was creepy, full of junk, with an overgrown garden. But they put in a bid and were amazed when they got it a bargain price.

Jack and Syd share the narrative, explaining how they came to buy the house and their feelings as they move in and experience strange, disgusting smells and scary noises in the night. Then Jack found something nasty in the attic, which I thought must be something so evil, because he didn’t want to tell Syd what it was. He began to worry why the owner had wanted him and Syd to have the house. It’s a nightmare scenario.

But then the focus changed and the mystery of the house was absorbed into a very complex story that is difficult to write about without giving away the plot. As I read on and found out more about Jack and Syd it became clear that this book is not really about the house – it’s about their past lives and in particular about Syd’s. I think that if I had known more about that before, I wouldn’t have chosen to read the book. It’s a story about despair, domestic violence, dark secrets and the effects of the past on the present.

Even thought the main issues are not topics that I want to read about, I did find the book compelling and it drew me along. The characters are believable, so much so that I didn’t like some of them; they are not people I’d want to meet. It was not what I expected from the title or synopsis – and there is nothing supernatural about it. Having said that it is well-written in a conversational style that makes each character easily distinguishable, with a well constructed plot.

3.5 stars

Wow, what an incredible psychological thriller. The House by Simon Lelic surpassed all my expectations This book is definitely one for you to put on your reading list.

This book is told from two perspectives: Sydney and Jack, a couple who have just moved into their dream home, well Sydney's dream home. Sydney hopes that this will be their chance to settle down together and she expresses hope that this will be their 'forever house.'

What I really liked about this book is the unique way in which the story was told. The story is narrated through Sydney and Jack's thoughts and it is written in diary format. I thought this worked really well, sometimes, unless the writing is particularly gripping, when I see a big chunk of text it does have a tendency to put me off, but Simon's writing was so well written and the voices he gave Sydney and Jack were so engaging that I didn't have a problem with it with this book.

Not long after signing the paperwork and moving into their new home, Jack makes a grisly discovery in the attic which he tries to shield Sydney from. From this point on, events begin to spiral out of control and when Sydney makes friends with a girl next door called Elsie the novel really does take a darker turn. Simon pulls some excellent twists out of the bag with this one.

This is one of the best psychological thrillers that I have read. I highly recommend that everyone picks it up and reads it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy to read.

I had heard some good things about this book so before I started it, I already had a reasonably high expectation of it. I went into it enjoying it, but that gradually went down and down and down. What I'm saying is, I didn't love, or even really like this.

Mainly, it was the characters that ruined it this for me. Syd I didn't like from the get-go. I thought she was selfish and always so hypocritical. She was allowed to act one way, but as soon as Jack began acting the same way she judged him for it. Damaged characters can sometimes be a breath of fresh air and other times they can be so "oh-woe-is-me" and hate the world that they just get on my nerves. Can you guess which one Syd was? As for Jack, I began the story a fan of his. I thought he seemed sweet, but gradually he became more immature.

Whenever either one found out that the other one was "holding something back" neither one took the higher ground and tried to get to the root of the issue, they just acted like a child - "well if he's keeping a secret from me, I won't tell him what I know". Real life relationships don't work like that, and I think that's why I felt no real chemistry between the couple. Nothing about their pairing was enjoyable to read.

I didn't have as much of an issue with the plot, the premise was originally what made me want to read the book after-all. But I tell you what, I'm sick to death of the same themes running throughout mystery thriller books at the moment. (Spoilers on what I mean are going to be hidden on Goodreads). There was literally nothing about this book that was unique in anyway, apart from maybe the prose, which I thought could work really well, but in this case didn't.

In terms of the prose, this is written as though Syd and Jack are writing to each other, and then reading what the other says and writing a reply for their own chapter. There are definitely ways this could have worked in favour for the novel, but to me, it felt messy. It was probably meant to portray chaos but it didn't work. The characters just ended up babbling to each other, not finishing sentences and half finishing stories.

In the end, this one really disappointed me (could you tell?). There was none of the promised suspense and grisly drama and it ended it the most predictable way possible. What a shame.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!! Words fail me – well almost because this wouldn’t be much of a review if it had no words at all.

In short this book is scary, not altogether surprising since it features an old house in London jam-packed with the previous owner’s belongings including a collection of stuffed birds.

Told through a written letter between Sydney Baker and Jack Walsh detailing all the events and most intriguingly the secrets they’ve kept from each other. The author’s choice of this somewhat unusual writing style becomes absolutely clear but not until far later, in the meantime the freshness of the exchanges between the pair are hypnotic and make for totally compelling reading.

When you’re caught inside a dungeon, even the faintest flicker in the dark is like a promise of daylight. And if it turns out not to be, if it turns out instead to be a burning staircase… Well. You take your chances anyway.”
Now I don’t usually go in for gothic type books but if they are all as excellent as The House, I might well change my opinion. Only incrementally are the cause of the strange smells, the sounds that keep Jack on edge at night and the other events that turn their new beginning into a nightmare revealed in what I think is a masterclass of suspense writing. Yes, so far, all so textbook, albeit in the advanced section, but there is an element which really brings this book to life. The narrative in the first person is so well written, so close to actual speech that you can hear Syd and Jack talking to you it felt that real. There are moments of tenderness which alternate with phrases that capture the language those who practice defiant guilt, we hear of hard times behind the couple and hopeful times ahead and mixed amongst all of this are some genuinely funny moments as well as phrases that conjure up a whole heap of emotions behind what appears to be the throw-away lines.

Now I’ve seen enough horror films in my time to know never to go wandering about alone when there’s a suspected zombie in the vicinity, feline or otherwise. But there was no way I was going back to sleep, not until I’d at least had a quick look around. Plus, countering whatever fear I felt, I heard my dad’s voice telling me to stop behaving like a six-year-old.
About the only thing my father was afraid of was the prospect of maybe one day being called upon to express and emotion that wasn’t indignation.

There is misdirection aplenty and with a setting in a creepy house, two very dissimilar protagonists, ex-junkie Syd and the more laid back, but not entirely without issues Jack. Add to that the background of the purchase I was unsure what direction the book was going to take from the outset, but boy did I enjoy the journey.

But honestly right? The truth, the whole truth and nothing but. Honestly then, what I thought when I walked into the house was that it was somewhere Jack and I could be together until we were old. A forever house, that’s what they call it on the property shows, which when I hear it always makes me want to puke. But that didn’t stop me thinking it even so.

In case you haven’t got it, I loved this book, it is definitely one of my books of the year because not only was it compelling reading (if I’d known how compelling I would have waited for a less busy time so that I didn’t keep having to put it aside) but it had dark parts, light parts and each one was perfectly placed. The House delighted me whilst scaring me, it engaged me and inspired me to really look at the writing to try and work out what it was about it that made this book one that I’d have happily started all over again the instant I turned the last page.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Penguin who allowed me to read a copy of The House prior to publication on 17 August 2017 (psst it is currently at an absolute bargain price for pre-order for the eBook in the UK) and the author Simon Lelic for delighting me, this review is my totally gushy but absolutely unbiased thanks to them.

The central theme to this book is abuse; the ways that it inflicts mental and physical scars on a person that reverberate further and manifest in ways you never thought possible.

It is a very quick and fast paced read. The first part of the book is set out as Jack and Syd each writing a chapter explaining what has lead them to the point that they are at. I did think though that the foreshadowing was very laboured;

"I'm nervous. I'm freaking out, in fact. Soon enough you'll understand why."

and this raised my expectations that something incredibly creepy and intense was going to happen. However, the suspense and horror that I was expecting, indeed that the book blurb tells me to expect, never really materialised. Instead, I actually found this a sad and depressing read.

The titular house raised expectations that there was something evil and predatory waiting to be unleashed. Well, there is, but it's no really anything to do with the house. Indeed, Syd herself even points out later in the book that if it wasn't this house, it would have been somewhere else.

I found the characters fell a little flat for me. Jack was just too good to be true and Syd was never fully developed enough for me to really care for her. The chapter in the book that dealt with what happened to her felt gratuitous.

I also didn't like the over riding message that no-one in authority can help you if you are being abused.

Thanks go to net galley and the publishers for the arc in return for an honest review.

This book had me up all night. Interestingly presented, with two perspectives on the action leading up to the climax, and perfectly plotted throughout. Characters are well developed and the plot is gripping

This was an interesting take on a psychological thriller. The premise was unusual but what promised to be a tense thriller didn't quite deliver. While there was some tension it really didn't ramp up as it could have.

I am someone who likes to feel empathy for the lead characters and in this case I didn't really like any of them much. I appreciate that the disturbing backstories explained their behaviour but they didn't seem to have na redeeming qualities.

Jack and Syd moved into the house a year ago. Their dream home with tons of space, in the perfect location and a friendly owner who wanted a young couple to have it. But they find something grisly in the attic and they have chosen to ignore it. But now someone has just been murdered right outside their black door.

The book is written in an exchange from Jack and Syd and tells us about their background before they met, and their lives together now. There is a lot happens in this book. It gives off a creepy and mysterious vibe. I liked the references to pop culture that's thrown into the mix. The characters are believable. This is a wrist turning, gripping, tense and creepy thriller about lies, revenge, control and relationships. I was hooked from the beginning and I did not want to put this book down

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Books and the author Simon Lelic for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

The House is a great thriller with lots of twists and turns - some predicted, some out of the blue. The storyline is dark with lots of paranoia, secrets, drugs and violence.
I didn't really 'connect' with any of the characters but the storyline made me want to find out what happened next so I found it hard to put down when I needed to and couldn't wait to pick up where I left.
I don't want to say much more as I wouldn't want to ruin it but would definitely recommend if you like suspense thrillers.

Thanks Penguin UK and Netgalley for accepting my request to read this book!

When I finally got around to reading The House I did so reluctantly, after all the title didn’t exactly encourage the idea that it would be an interesting read. Luckily my first impressions were wrong.
Simon Lelic gives you everything you need to figure out the major twists in the book but they are so well hidden that I didn’t notice anything until I was rereading it for this review.
Jack and Syd have found the perfect London home, the only problem is that there are lots of other couples at the viewing who have the same thing going through their head.
Syd is head over heels in love with the house but Jack isn’t so sure. He knows Syd loves it though so he agrees to put an offer in even though their agreed mortgage doesn’t meet the asking price.
“I suppose all I’m saying is I didn’t like the place. All that junk, the building itself: it just felt wrong. The problem I had was that Syd was clearly smitten.”
When their offer is accepted because the owner wants a young couple to have it Syd is over the moon but Jack feels like it is all too good to be true. He doesn’t want to spoil it for Syd because he knows how important having a place she can call home is to Syd because of her tumultuous past.
Once they are in the house the sheen of having their own home soon begins to wear off as they begin to sort through the former owner’s junk which he left behind in the move.
Jack feels as though something isn’t quite right about the house and doesn’t quite buy the estate agents story that the previous owner had found love online and had run off to Australia or that the reason their offer was excepted over so many others was because the owner wanted a young couple to have it.
When an odd smell leads Jack to a gruesome discovery in the attic Jack realises his uneasy feelings may not be entirely unfounded.
Now it is a few months later, a body has been discovered and the police are watching the house. Jack and Syd are both having trouble sleeping. The once close couple are keeping secrets from each other and the stress of their situation is beginning to get to them both.
The House is written in the style of a journal with entries from the point of view of both Syd and Jack. One of the things I enjoyed about it the most was that the author showed the couple’s reactions to each other’s entries.
I enjoyed this writing style as it was something that I hadn’t encountered before. It was part written account, part conversation and because of this I felt that I identified with the protagonists much quicker.
I also liked the use of flashbacks to glean relevant information about the past of each of the characters and the things that happened in the months leading up to them deciding to write the journal-like entries.
Both characters are flawed and far from the perfect couple you would initially expect them to be. Syd has a lot of baggage from her upbringing, some of which she has kept from Jack. He knows that there was a history of abuse and that is why she no longer speaks to her parents but he doesn’t know everything that happened.Jack knows that she had a drug problem after she left home and that sometimes causes a bit of tension between them now especially as things in the house begin to escalate.I think Syd was my favourite character in The House because there was so much depth to her.
I felt like the character development was one of the major bonuses of the book and made it easier to understand some of the major twists because you know the background.
The House is much Darker than you would initially think and the sense of unease grows throughout. It isn’t a fast-paced book initially but I think that makes it all the more effective.
The reason I rated The House as a four and not a five is that I struggled to know what to rate it. I really enjoyed it and I didn’t want to put it down but there are times when the slow nature of the book was frustrating. Also, although I really did enjoy reading it and loved all the little twists it was one of the books that grips you while you are reading it but doesn’t keep hold once you have finished it.
Having said that, I would say that The House was a genuinely menacing read and one to watch out for.

Creepy and gripping. A book you struggle to put down.