This book is like a box of chocolates where you don’t know what you’re next going to bite into. Some of the dark treats could well be filled with poison and that last one you had....well you’re feeling a bit sick now, but you still want to eat more.

That’s the best description I can give for this book without giving anything away as it’s a book to know nothing about as you dig in, as only then you’;; get the full flavour.

Loved the alternate story told by the couple and the tenses used! Now that might sound strange and although I do love a linguistic challenge, I’d never encountered one in a novel like this. But it works. The writing style gives shock and awe in equal measure. The relationship between the two and between them and the house. Jeepers. Don’t read with the light off or even in the shade on a sunny day.

A unique tale of twists and revenge. Well developed characters with an interesting plot.

I couldn’t finish this book, I like the author’s writing and have enjoyed many of their books before but this one wasn’t one I could get into. I will try again when the author’s next book is released as I am a fan of theirs.

Personally I am finding this book really difficult to review without totally spoiling the storyline for anyone. The author has woven such an intricate web of a plot throughout that even early events have huge influence in the overall tale.
Jack and Sydney are amazed to be the winning bidders on a house which they never began to imagine they would be able to afford. Syd loves the house, despite the fact that the reason it came so cheap is because the house comes with all the previous owner’s unwanted hoarded possessions. Jack isn’t so sure and gets bad vibes when they move in, and one chapter in particular had my heart beating out of my chest and not wanting to turn off the bedroom light, wondering whether the book was maybe going to take a more supernatural turn.
From there on strange events start happening in Jack’s work life, and Syd makes an unlikely friendship with a young girl who lives nearby. At this point in the story I felt like I had a jigsaw puzzle in my hands rather than a book, with lots of seemingly unrelated things happening which really didn’t make much sense. This isn’t to say that it is badly written – completely the opposite in fact. It is so cleverly brought together in the last quarter of the book that I realised just how much information had been drip-fed along the way, but in a way that as a reader you have completely mis-used the facts to try and work out where the author is leading you.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this tale which includes murder, corruption, abuse of position, safeguarding issues to list just a few. It leaves you thinking about whether justice was done for everyone involved and whether you are comfortable with the result. I think the conclusion will divide opinion, which is why I would definitely recommend this as a book club choice as there are so many contentious issues to discuss.

I love reading books about old houses. I chose this book to read because of the title.
Jack and Syd buy an old house in London. The house was full of the previous owner’s belongings.
There were books, clothes, pictures, photos, furniture and boxes. Jack described the contents as junk. Jack thought the house was creepy but Syd was smitten.
Strange things happen, creepy and ghostly. Jack finds a dead cat in the attic and other things.
Syd befriends a young girl living in a house nearby. Meanwhile someone is watching their movements and stalking them.
This book is about secrets, family relationships, revenge and murder. It is paced quickly, with both Jack and Syd telling their versions of what led them to buy the house and what happened when they moved in.

This is the first book I have read by author Simon Lelic but I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be looking out for more of his work to read.
When Londoners Jack and Syd move into their new house it seems like they have found their dream house, it has lots of space and situated in a perfect location and the friendly owner wanted the young couple to have it. So when they made a grisly discovery in the attic, Jack and Syd chose to ignore it.
This book is very entertaining and is narrated in the alternating perspectives of Syd and Jack. The book is written as a journal / diary of Syd and Jack's thoughts and is well paced making this an excellent psychological thriller.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Penguin Books (UK) for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Jack and Sydney have just bought their first house. They were shocked when they're offer was accepted, especially considering how many people were at the viewing. But they don't question it. The only catch is that they get all of the junk that the previous owner left in the house as well, but cleaning it all away is a small price to pay for their dream home.

But when Jack finds a strange box in the attic and hears noises during the night, he starts to wonder if there's something more sinister going in the house. And when a body turns up the alley beside their house, the police start to wonder the same thing.

Telling the story from Jack and Syd's perspective through diary-style entries is interesting in theory, but unfortunately didn't work for me in practice. It just wasn't authentic enough for me. There's no way that if this was happening in real life they would end each section with a cliffhanger. I know that it's done for the benefit of the reader, to keep us reading, but it's just not practical in the universe of the book. It was too forced for me.

I think the reader is left to figure out too much themselves as well. There is a bit of a jump, in my opinion, from the first and second sections, where the explanation of what's happening starts to come through. Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention, which is entirely possible as I wasn't really engrossed in this book, but the clues given throughout the story don't add up enough to the explanation (the photo on the wall and the box Jack finds in the attic aren't explained satisfyingly enough for me).

I had an issue with the genre of The House as well, which I know is a stupid thing to say, but hear me out. When I first started reading the book I assumed it was going to be some sort of horror story. A couple moves into an older house filled with stuffed animals (the taxidermy kind, not the cute and cuddly toy kind) and starts to hear strange noises in the middle of the night. Perfect horror set-up. But it's not horror at all. It's a thriller, which I still enjoy, but not what I was hoping for so I was a little disappointed. I know I shouldn't be annoyed at something that was my own preconception, but it did annoy me.

The House isn't a bad book. It's good, not great, but good. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a thriller, but not one that will have your blood pressure rocketing from tension.

What an absolute corker - one of those books that you regret having to put down, vet for a moment. Every single part of this book is so carefully orchestrated, yet exceptionally well written, that this is one of those magically reads that I'll remember for years to come.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read THE HOUSE. When I first started reading this novel, my thoughts were that this was a supernatural thriller. A young couple moves into an old house - one they really couldn't afford - but somehow they are granted the mortgage. The house is filled with old artifacts, pictures, even stuffed birds. The young couple, Jack and Sydney, think they are fortunate, but still wonder how this could happen.
Strange things start to happen, a dead cat in the attic, a container with a child's things, and noises during the night.
This novel is told from two POV's - Jack and Sydney's. Each of them is writing their story about the house and their neighbors - about themselves and their current life situation.
This book is different, and that I did like - you can't skim this book or you will miss an important detail.
Each character is writing as if he/she is speaking and some of it is captivating. I liked this book and I didn't predict the ending. Recommend.

This book had be gripped from the first page and I couldn't put it down. It was a twisted tale of love and vulnerability and revenge and very cleverly executed and realistic believable characters

Young couple Jack and Syd think that all their dreams have come true when they are the successful bidders in the auction of an old house in London, even though deep down Jack has a few niggling doubts about some of the logistics of the purchase. The house itself, for example, which looks as if its owner had merely stepped out for a bit of shopping and never returned, with all his personal belongings still cluttering every available surface. And Jack knows for a fact that their bid cannot possible have been the highest, seeing how they had been up against some fierce competitors from much more affluent backgrounds than their meagre budget allowed. But for Syd’s sake he is content to bury those questions under the elation of moving into their “forever home” at last. With all their money swallowed up by the purchase, there is none left for re-decorating. Surrounded by the old owner’s possessions, it is difficult to feel a sense of home. When strange and scary things start happening in the house, Jack decides to dig a bit deeper and makes a disturbing discovery in the attic. Not wanting to worry Syd, who is struggling with anxiety issues, he decides to keep his misgivings to himself – until a body is found in the alleyway behind their house, and the police come knocking on their door ...

I was instantly drawn into the storyline hook, line and sinker by the unusual writing style, which initially plays out as a series of journal entries by both Jack and Syd to each other, reflecting on the events which brought them into their present predicament. And I absolutely loved both the couple’s voices! For example, Syd, who reminds herself to “think yoga” every time she feels stressed. To which Jack replies:

"What was it Syd said? Think yoga. Which doesn’t actually help me at all, because when I think yoga the only thing that comes to mind is middle aged women in leotards."

As far as including diary entries into a novel, this is THE best and most skilful way I have ever encountered, and those who have ever read my reviews would have heard my rant about diaries that read like novels. Not so in this case. Jack and Syd tell of their experiences in a way that resembles a lively dialogue around a campfire with good mates, taking every opportunity to interrupt or correct each other if they think that the other has got it wrong (quibbling like an old married couple). Their candid banter was engaging and laugh-out-funny, and I knew I was in for a lively and interesting read. As each of the pair drop little worried doubts about things going wrong in their dream home, I was intrigued and suitably goose-bumped imagining all kinds of sinister reasons behind the events.

It was about at that point that the book took a completely unexpected turn. And whilst I think that the events following were well thought out and provided that “killer twist you won’t see coming” that so many books rave about, I also think that a great opportunity was missed here. Spoiler Alert! Because suddenly the main star of the novel so far, the house, dropped into the background, and it was as if a character had gone awol. The sinister atmosphere the author had so skilfully created vanished with the disappearance of the house as its own evil and hostile entity, which was a real shame. There was so much potential here to keep up the tension and make this a spooky and terrifying read. Instead, the different mystery that unfolded lost a lot of momentum for me – and whilst the elements of childhood trauma, domestic violence and revenge are strong themes to deliver a clever and intriguing psychological suspense story based on human relationships, I did mourn for the spooky element the house had provided.

Simon Lelic surely knows how to create lively and interesting characters, and his way of introducing Jack and Syd through journal entries to each other is a winner in terms of originality – I go as far as saying that it was the cleverest way I have ever seen diary entries included into a novel! Whilst The House did not quite live up to my expectations of a spooky and sinister read, it contained all the elements of a cleverly constructed mystery with that one element so coveted in modern suspense thrillers: the “killer twist you won’t see coming”.

Hi this was a well written story and was structured differently to the normal thriller. The ending was unexpected and I enjoyed it.

What secrets can a house hold? A young couple buy their first home, but why have they been lucky enough to buy it so far under market value. A twisting and involving book that had me hooked right from the beginning. I loved the he said/she said narrative and really didn't see the final twist coming. Brilliantly unpredictable.

The House is a gripping thriller that although slow to begin with builds to a thrilling climax that had me turning the pages into the night.The story is told through the writing of Syd and Jack who buy what they think is their dream home in London,but things start to go wrong for them when Jack finds a grim discovery in the attic.To make things a whole lot worse a dead body turns up outside and their lives start to unravel pretty quickly.Syd's traumatic childhood is revealed and who is watching them from the shadows ? This is the first book i have read from Simon Lelic and won't be the last,an excellent thriller a solid 4 star read.

I admit to already being a fan of Simon Lelic's books and I haven't been disappointed with this latest one. A very well written and well plotted thriller that kept me up at night. The characters were so fully developed and the storyline moved so confidently and smoothly that one could be forgiven for not appreciating the writing skill behind this book. Can't wait for the next one!

Absolutely brilliant ...a proper page turner I loved it

The purchase of a Spooky House is the Setting for this Engaging Psychological Thriller:
A little slow at the start but give it two or three chapters and the pace steps up. As does the spookiness! It will certainly ensure that the reader checks all the downstairs doors are locked before they go to bed. And consider changing your locks. The novel features an original storyline which soon has you captivated.
Narrated in the form of a journal by Syd & Jack, a couple buy their dream house for what appears to be a bargain price. But that which appears to be too good to be true, is usually too good to be true. Once the couple move into the house they seem to lose control over their working and social lives. Where once they had an open relationship: holding back no secrets from one another they start to keep their own counsel. But who or what is behind this? Before long the couple start to have second thoughts over the wisdom of their purchase. And question their relationship. The full story unfolds as their lives start to seemingly fall apart. An inspired gripping novel. The tension mounts relentlessly as you progress. An excellent novel for all readers and not to be missed by those who enjoy James Herbert.

Great Read!
In a market saturated with psychological thrillers this one really stands out. You delve right into the minds/psyche's of the characters, so much so I even began to sympathise with some of them!
This genre is not my favourite but I want to make sure that I keep abreast of the very best and found myself enjoying this book immensely. Great main characters of Jack & Syd, the couple that buy the house and great cast of supporting characters. Enviable writing style that I feel that other authors should try to imitate and an ending that surprises and satisfies in equal measure.
Highly recommended.

A riveting read, had me gripped from the start! A very highly recommended book

This book got off to a great start - unsettling, mysterious and very readable. The author has a style of writing that I enjoyed very much and I loved the way the contrasting personalities of the two protagonists came across through their first person narration. Both characters were flawed but remained likeable through the author's deft handling of their accounts of events. However, as the story unfolded it became increasingly unbelievable and there were events that left me puzzled - although I can't say which for fear of putting spoilers in here. Not all the back story was fully explained and it felt a little hastily finished off. That said, I think the author has a great future and I would buy his next book in the hope its all like the first half of this one.