I was so pleased to be able to review this book after reviewing another of Jonathan’s books The Dark Game. I loved that one and I loved this one too.

This one works through two stories that merge together, Paul has just inherited Watermere from his uncle. Seeing it as a way out of a life he hates, he just ups and leaves his old life and moves into the grand house. Unaware that the town despises his family.

Once he arrives, he discovers his lawyer has disappeared while dropping the keys off to his house, and his house makes strange noises.

The book switches from Paul’s story to that of his uncle and his time in the house with his wife Annabel.

What I loved about this book is the slow burns, as we get to know the characters and find out the secrets that the house holds. It truly is a horror and some of the scenes were very gruesome but its what I’d expect from a horror, I want to be scared and my imagination stretched, even that way!

Also in the book is a really interesting Q and A with Jonathan Janz where he talks about his inspiration for the book and his influences for writing.

This is an excellent read and I look forward to reading all of Jonathan’s books.

When Paul inherited a large estate from his estranged uncle, the thing was that he had no idea why his family didn’t talk about him. Paul was the black sheep of family forced to go into the family business whilst all he wanted to do was become a writer. Once he moves into Watermere, his uncle’s estate, he knew it was the change he needed. As soon as he is there, he is up against prejudice and as you get further into the story, you get an understanding of why the town does not like the Carver family. To add to his problems, men are disappearing from the town.
Sheriff Sam Barlow knew Myles Carver personally and Librarian Julia Merrow had her own secrets, that she did not want anyone finding out. Inserted throughout the story was the back stories of Annabel and Myles which gave you a clear picture who and what was occurring in the house. As Paul was trying to write, his work in progress adds to the mystery of the house
Written in 3rd person POV enables you to get to know the handful of characters in fine detail as each one had their own story to tell on how Myles Carver ruined their lives. There are graphic scenes throughout this story, which adds to the sense that something evil is occurring in the house. One of my favourite scenes was what happened to Emily in the ballroom. I love reading books that have me on tenterhooks, as I am turning the pages waiting for something to figurally jump out at me and give me a fright and this book ticked the box.
This is the 2nd book I have read by this author and I am looking forward to reading more of his work

I'm not sure why, but I missed "House of Skin" when it was first released a few years back, so when Flame Tree Press resurrected it (forthcoming May 2019) and brought it back into circulation, I was quite anxious to see how I would enjoy this title, and the answer is that I got a huge kick out of it. Paul is a writer who has just moved into Watermere, a sprawling mansion that his relative, Myles Carver, owned back in the day. It doesn't take long for him to get mixed up in the mysteries of the small town and to make a dent in the radar of the town's law enforcement. Around the same time, a seedy lawyer, Ted, gets mixed up with a local woman who he thinks will be an easy extra-curricular activity unbeknownst to his wife. Things don't quite turn out that way.

As the novel continues on, we learn more about the horrible history of Myles Carver, his brother David, and his brother's wife, Annabel, who are sort of the triad at the center of all the evil. I was looking for a haunted house novel with historical aspects that would remind me of some of my favourites in the genre, and "House of Skin" fulfilled that extremely well. It's everything you would expect, and more.

One thing I admired was Janz's ability to convincingly portray the points of view of all of these different characters--their quirks, the things that go on through their heads, their actions, and how they play into the story as the novel goes on. I particularly liked his story within a story structure that I think he pulled off very well.

If you missed this novel the first time around, I definitely urge you to pick it up because it's a highly entertaining page turner from one of the horror genre's stars!