The story:
Given a photograph by her dying mother of a house that seems strangely familiar, Malorie Cavendish brings her daughter to the isolated Marsh House on the the North Norfolk coast, in the hopes a family Christmas will somehow fix her problems and give her the answers her parents withheld from her.

When she discovers the journals of Rosemary Wright in the attic of the house, written from a cell in Holloway in 1935, she is drawn to the tale the young woman has to tell. As the events of the journals unfold, Malorie feels an increasing connection to Rosemary and her dark state of mind — will a story from 30 years ago somehow contain the answers to her questions about her own life?

“The Marsh House”, by Zoë Somerville is a duel-timeline story of two women facing terrible struggles. The story begins a few days before Christmas in December 1962, with Malorie running away, with her 9-year-old daughter Franny, from the disaster her marriage has become. It quickly becomes clear that Malorie has suffered from some sort of post-natal depression and is still struggling with her mental health and connecting with her quiet and lonely daughter.

She chooses the Marsh House as an isolated bolt hole, having been given a photo of it by her dying mother with no explanation of why or how it might connect to her life. She has vague dreams that a ‘perfect family Christmas’ at the house might somehow bring her wayward and uninterested husband Tony (who sounds dreadful!) back to her. Finding the house to be far more run down than she expected, she regrets dragging her young daughter there — but with heavy snow effectively trapping them where they are, she tries to make the best of things. On an exploration of the attics, Malorie and Franny not only find Christmas decorations, but papers related to some former residents, including some intriguing journals from 30 years before…

In 1935 we meet Rosemary Wright via her discovered journals. Rosemary is writing from a cell in Holloway, and describes her journals as giving her “account of the events of the period July 1931 to August 1934”. In 1931, Rosemary is an isolated and lonely girl of 15 who has lost her mother (she is told she died of TB when Rosemary was a baby), who struggles to make friends and is ignored by her father. The only person who seems to care for her at all is an elderly woman living in a ramshackle cottage nearby, who the locals generally consider ‘a witch’. So when the glamorous Laffertys take up residence in the nearby Old Hall, Rosemary is swept up by the attention they pay her, particular 17-year-old Franklin…

This book was a real page-turner, and I sped through it in my desire to learn more about the women it portrays. It’s clear that Malorie has more in common with Rosemary than just being in the same house, but exactly how they are connected is gradually revealed as the mystery surrounding the events in the house gradually unfolds. Both Malorie and Rosemary are complex characters with struggles both from within and in how they are treated by the people around them, many of whom they should be able to rely on but can’t. The backdrop of the run up to the Second World War in the first timeline, with the encroaching shadow of Oswald Mosley and his fascist party, also adds a sense of evil and menace to the story. The marsh itself also feels like a character, with its hidden dangers and lurking depths.

Overall, this is a great read and I liked how the mental struggles of both women, and particularly Malorie’s, weren’t trivialised or suddenly cured by the end of the book. This is a story about how the past can cast long shadows and also about mothers and daughters. Well worth a read for fans of historical and psychological mysteries!

This is a very atmospheric novel. The plot was captivating and chilling. I was a huge fan of the ending. The novel felt very original

historical novel of suspense, with a dual timeline that is executed expertly. I was expecting more 'ghostly' aspects going in but happy with the direction it took after I got over this. Rosie was a little too naïve but it reflected the times, I much preferred Malorie but only from a personal viewpoint - both were written extremely well.

3.5 stars - The Marsh House is a rundown cottage on the north Norfolk coast and Malorie (the 60’s voice) is drawn to it and decides to rent it for Christmas as a bolt hole from her roving husband. She and her daughter arrive and so does the snow. It took me a little while to get into what turned out to be a very atmospheric story with its vivid descriptions of the marsh/coast and what small villages were like during the 60’s. Probably because I didn’t really like Malorie much. Rosemary (the 2nd voice from the 30’s) was far more interesting and not so insipid as her later counterpart. Nice touches of creepiness, just right for dark winter evenings. Definitely would be interested in reading more from this new to me author.

A really gripping and atmospheric book. I really liked the movement between timeframes and the stories told through the letters/diaries. Excellent, engaging writing.

Christmas 1962: Malorie is given an old photograph of a large brooding house off her dying mother. On the back is the inscription 'Marsh House'. Not knowing what this could mean, Malorie decides that she and her daughter Franny will holiday at Marsh House on the Norfolk Coast over the Christmas season. Whilst rummaging in the attic for Christmas decorations, they unearth a box of old diaries written by Rosemary, a teenage girl who lived in the house years before.

July 1930: Rosemary lives an isolated life at Marsh House with her father. That is, until a very glamorous family move in to a nearby house and Rosemary quickly becomes friends with daughter Hilda and son Franklin. They are rich, powerful and beautiful and Rosemary is soon under their spell.

The book alternates between the "present day" of 1962 and the diary entries of Rosemary thirty years earlier. As the events of the diaries start to escalate, it becomes unclear what Malorie is imagining and what is real around her in Marsh House.

I'm a big fan of dual timelines but the main issue I had with this one is that I much preferred Rosemary's storyline and I found myself rushing to get back to the diary entries. I found Malorie's character a little annoying and grating and I didn't feel as invested in her part of the storyline. Whilst I did guess the link between these two women very early on, I still enjoyed the journey to discovery. Personally, I would have liked to see more "ghostly" elements in the book and for the author to have more fully explored the blurred line between what was real and what was just part of Malorie's mind.

All in all, an enjoyable read and I think it's definitely worth picking up. As always, thank you to Netgalley, Head of Zeus publishers and the author, Zoe Somerville, for the opportunity to read and review this e-arc.

The Marsh House seeps in atmospheric brilliance. It has the uncanny ability to remind you just how boring your life is. The novel tackles relationship breakdowns from multiple angles. A mother and daughter. A house in the country. Creepy diary entries. Personally, living in a cold, damp property in the middle of winter is a dead cert no for me but the protagonist had a story to unfold.

It’s December 1963 and Malorie escapes to the country with her daughter, Franny. Her life is changing far quicker than she could have ever anticipated. Her relationship with Franny’s father, Tony has broken down. Partly due to his multiple infidelities and Malorie’s trouble with bonding with her daughter. She’s unsure if she really wanted to be a mother, rather that it was what was expected of her. As mothers across the globe know – sometimes being a mother isn’t always what we expect. We lose a bit of ourselves along the way. Malorie seems to struggle with the idea that she has bred someone a little like herself – a lonely child. So, with the lack of support from Tony, she leaves for Marsh House, with only her daughter, their dog, a packed car, and a photograph her late father gave her.

Life isn’t always a home. Sometimes, however, we can find the ghosts of our past living in the walls, find it written on a blank page, an echo of hard times. We aren’t in control of our destinies. The only two things we can be sure of are – we are born, and we die, and everything else in between is for the taking. The ending of The Marsh House made me realise that we are rarely in control of what happens to us.

The Marsh House is hauntingly atmospheric, set alongside the Norfolk coast we are drawn into a woman discovering her strengths and weaknesses whilst she discovers her past. I can’t describe fully how much I loved this novel – it felt like poetic brilliance. It’s rare to have a book in this genre that is as fully immersive, compelling and body aching read like this. Somerville knows just how to lead her readers down a maze, blindfolded and panicky. Throw in the added element of the isolating impact of the weather and it delivers on the dread with ease.

There were secrets, lies, and a sense of creeping foreboding edging closer and closer into the reader’s peripheral vision. My goodness, I loved this book!

The Marsh House is clammy and atmospheric, it draws you in and keeps you gripped. A richly woven tapestry of unfolding relationships and escapism.

I loved "The Marsh House." Telling two parallel stories set in the 1940s and 1960s in the same Norfolk house, this is a beautiful novel filled with fascinating characters, gripping scenes and haunting moments. Zoe Somerville writes wonderfully and I was hooked from beginning to end. I will be recommending this widely and can't wait to read more from this author.

The Marsh House is an atmospheric dual timeline historical fiction novel set in coastal Norfolk, which explores the lives of two women connected by the house and its secrets. Malorie rents the house in the 1960s at a tumultuous time in her life. When she finds a journal of the house's former occupant, Rosemary, who lived there in the 1930s, she is determined to reveal the secrets she uncovers.

I like the flawed and relatable characters and the intricately created historical world tinged with folklore and the supernatural. The story is complex and often poignant and keeps the reader engaged throughout.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

Just finished this fabulous new book by @zoesomervillewrites
while squirrelled under my duvet and imagining snowstorms. Such a good read. Fact and folklore are beautifully blended into an incredibly unsettling tale and once again, this is set in Norfolk.

December, 1962. Desperate to salvage something from a disastrous year, Malorie rents a remote house on the Norfolk coast for Christmas. But once there, the strained silence between her and her daughter, Franny, feels louder than ever. Digging for decorations in the attic, she comes across the notebooks of the teenaged Rosemary, who lived in the house years before. Though she knows she needs to focus on the present, Malorie finds herself inexorably drawn into the past. July, 1931. Rosemary lives in the Marsh House with her austere father, surrounded by unspoken truths and rumours. So when the glamorous Lafferty family move to the village, she succumbs easily to their charm. Dazzled by the beautiful Hilda and her dashing brother, Franklin, Rosemary fails to see the danger that lurks beneath their bright façades.

#bookstagram #books #reading #themarshhouse #zoesomerville @headofzeus #norfolk #history #norfolkhistory #murder #crime #libraries

I loved this book, atmospheric, unsettling, gothic and a great plot. Told with a dual timeline, we are with Malorie and her young daughter Frannie starting just before Christmas in 1962 and we are also in July 1930 via journals found in the attic. I really enjoyed the different voices and felt very immersed in each world.

Malorie and Frannie are in a rented house in Norfolk, right by the marsh, escaping a marriage on the rocks. When Malorie finds the journals and begins to read, she slowly becomes obsessed with what happened there in the past. As Rosemary's story slowly unfolds, we are drawn into the world of the 1930's and the glamorous Lafferty family who live in the Old Hall in the tiny village. They are a family of influence, in London for the season, returning to their remote country pile for the summers. Rosemary's father meets the Colonel and is immediately beguiled by both him and the growing British Union of Fascists, Oswald Moseley and the blackshirt movement. I loved that the Mitfords made an apperance. The historical parts are very well told, clearly lots of research. Rosemary is taken under the wing of the daughter, Hilda, and is charmed by the son, Franklin, which ultimately doesn't end well.

The two women had quite distinct voices and I also enjoyed the cold, bleak winter we experinced with Malorie, contrasting with the heat of the summer back in the thirties. The weather was a character in itself. Same village, same house, same old woman watching from the cottage on the edge of the marsh, two different experieces. There were quite a few spooky and superntural elements, used to great effect, plus the elements of witchcraft from Janey in the old cottage.

There are some common themes between the two women, mother figures and fathers, dreadful husbands, family obligations, secrets and also about the truth being revealed. As Malorie becomes more obsessed with the journals, she delves more and more into the past whilst hiding from or ignoring the present. It is certainly part suspense and part ghost story, very cleverly both.

The area of the Norfolk coast is captured beautifully, as is the period detail of both timelines. It has a wonderful sense of place and time and there is a real sense of traditional folk and the ways and traditions of the countryside. I jut loved it and found it completely absorbing, it will stay with me and I highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
This creepy tale is set around Christmas but it's far from a Christmas story! The dual timeline links two women who are in unhappy marriages with philandering husbands. Both women seem to have mental health problems following events in their lives so a great deal of unhappiness is at the centre of their thoughts and provides an undercurrent to their stories. Rosemary's story is revealed slowly to Malorie as she reads notebooks found in a room of Marsh House, an old house full of damp, scratching creatures and possibly ghosts. It's enough to set the readers' hair on end! The plot is interesting and the narrative cleverly conveys a sense of unease throughout the book until the final conclusion, an unexpected twist. If you enjoy ghostly tales you'll definitely enjoy this.

Initially the most obvious connection between the two women – Malorie and Rosemary – is the Marsh House of the title, a remote house close to marshland on the North Norfolk coast. By the time Malorie, along with her daughter Franny, arrives there it has become rather rundown and has all the features of an old, neglected building. ‘The house was quiet. Not silent, it was never completely silent: there was a constant undercurrent of creaks and whispers and rustles, as if it were being tossed about on the sea.’

The book features that oft-used narrative device: the secret journal. Although I recognise that discovery of a journal adds an air of mystery, I’m never quite sure about the choice of this over an additional first person narrative, finding it difficult to get past the artificiality of it. However I appreciate this is a reservation others may not share.

Writing from an unspecified place of confinement, Rosemary’s testimony unfolds bit by bit, gradually revealing the events that resulted in her finding herself in that situation. It’s a story of a vulnerable, naive young woman who, lacking the influence of a mother, finds herself taken advantage of in the most despicable way. It also explores the desire by some members of society to conceal things for the sake of appearances, the view of illegitimacy as a sign of moral turpitude or even a disease inherited from a degenerate mother. (Incidentally, I was puzzled by Rosemary’s lack of curiosity and inaction as regards her mother’s situation.)

Malorie becomes obsessed with Rosemary’s story, seeking to find out more about the events described and what happened to Rosemary. It also provides a form of distraction from her more immediate worries. The inhabitants of the village seen strangely unwilling to talk about Rosemary and the past history of Marsh House but eventually Malorie finds the answers she is looking for. She discovers a closer connection than she might have imagined. Although I’m not sure it will come as complete surprise to many readers, the circumstances may well do.

A standout feature of the book is the description of the local landscape, especially the bleak and deserted marshland around Marsh House which give an underlying eerie quality to the story. Being set in winter, with heavy snow blocking the roads and preventing any means of escape, adds to the feeling of claustrophobia. Additional otherworldy elements contribute to the sense of unease: the deserted (or is it) cottage across the road, the telephone that rings but which only Malorie hears, the shadowy figure she believes she glimpses – ‘the dark shadow she kept seeing… as if there was something out there that was malign, that wanted to hurt them’. I was particularly struck by mention of a sampler hanging on the wall of one of the bedrooms depicting former inhabitants of the house which made me think of the M. R. James’ ghost story ‘The Mezzotint’. But are these things the product of Malorie’s mental turmoil caused by the breakdown of her marriage, her overuse of medication, her feverish imagination or something supernatural? The occasional sections by a third narrator perhaps give a clue.

The Marsh House is described by the publisher’s as ‘part ghost story, part novel of suspense’ and it certainly delivers both those elements. It’s full of atmosphere and an absorbing read.

Thanks to Head of Zeus, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I have not been compensated for this review and am leaving it voluntarily.

This is a beautifully written tale about family relationships and the debts we owe to the past. I really enjoyed the way the two stories of Malorie and Rosemary were woven together. In particular, I enjoyed the way the author built up the tension. The book was extremely atmospheric. it happened to be raining a lot when I read this and the gloominess of my environment was the perfect background to reading this book.

The only thing I disliked were some of Malorie's choices, which I found to be less authentic than Rosemary's story. Apart from that small thing, this is a thrilling gothic tale - a perfect Fall read.

Set in 1962 and the 1930s this is a completely addictive novel. Elements of the supernatural, historical fact and family mystery are expertly woven together with suspense at the centre of the plot. The atmosphere created for both timelines is perfect, especially snow bound winter of 1962.

Trapped by the snow, Malorie is reading notebooks written by Rosemary in the 30s. She feels a real connection and wonders if there is something she must learn from them.

The characters are very well drawn and the writing really conjures up a sense of time and place. I loved it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent gothic novel, a dual timeline, and the doubt it what the MC is experience is paranormal or delusiong.
Gripping, creepy, and riveting.
I loved this story that kept me hooked and on the edge.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I was drawn to the Marsh House because I love a good ghost story and because the book is set in Norfolk, where I was born and spent my childhood. Yet as well as those two elements, it's also historical fiction with dual timelines from the 1960s and the 1930s.

The story was a bit of a slow burn initially, but once it got hold and Malorie starts to explore the notebooks of Rosemary found in the attic, I couldn't wait to continue to find out more.

It's certainly atmospheric and the landscape and weather play a key role in the plot. The Marsh House is in a remote area, giving a sense of isolation. The swirling mists and snow give us a sense of the cold and add mystery as Malorie questions the sightings of others on the marsh. As the story unravels we find out the heartbreaking impact of Rosemary's involvement with the Lafferty family who move into the area. While reading the notebooks, there's certainly a blurring of what's real and imagined for Malorie linked to her own instability and circumstances, culminating in a coming together of the current and the past.

This has a gothic feel and creepiness to it and I enjoyed how the past became entangled with the present.

I simply loved this book. In fact, a finished copy arrived through the post and I started browsing the first page then couldn’t stop reading. So I read it straight through, finishing at 2am. It’s a split timeline story, beginning with Malorie and her daughter deciding to spend Christmas in a cottage on the Norfolk coast after an argument with her boyfriend. Malorie feels like a bad mother and wants to get one thing right - an idyllic holiday cottage Christmas for her daughter. Maybe if she achieves this one thing, she can convince herself she’s not as useless as she imagines. The sense of foreboding hits the reader immediately as the weather promises snow and Malorie becomes disoriented in the fog. She skids and ends up wedged into a hedge. The Marsh House itself is damp, dark and neglected. They cannot even see the sea through the mist. Malorie begins to wonder if this is a bad idea, but finds a pair of journals in the attic while searching for Christmas decorations, and she begins to read. Written by a young woman called Rosemary, who lived in the house, the journals tell a tale of a young woman’s crush on the boy from the big house. This young woman’s story paints a picture of 1930’s rural Norfolk, becoming a young mum and her husband’s link to fascism and Oswald Moseley in particular. Malorie can’t put the journals down, but alongside the house’s strange atmosphere, they are having an effect on her sleep and her state of mind.

I felt for Malorie straight away and her sprite of a daughter. Malorie is very hard on herself and has a negative inner voice, not helped by an over critical partner at home. Here she is capable, ordering logs and a turkey, rigging up a Christmas tree with vintage ornaments from the loft, and even managing real candles in their holders. However, even when she’s barely started the journals, the locals are giving her the house’s sordid history. That whiff of fascism becomes stronger when Malorie finds leaflets in the attic and the girl in the village shop asks if she knows what happened at The Marsh House? Tales of lost cocklers cut off by the tide that can still be heard screaming in the fog don’t help her state of mind. The house itself holds some scary relics too including a weird picture of women who perhaps lived here, one with bright green eyes that bore into you. I loved how the author drip fed these little bits of information, adding to the house’s history but also to the creepy tension that keeps building. It’s Malorie’s kinship with Rosemary, the writer of the journals, that drives the story forwards. The more she understands about the writer’s life, the more confused she becomes between fantasy and reality leading to some truly terrifying visions in the night. Why does she feel so connected with someone she’s never met who lived here thirty years before? Who is the strange woman with the large dog she sees from time to time, and why does she seem to be looking after the family by leaving logs to keep them warm?

I did enjoy Rosemary’s story too, her innocent crush on ?? who comes from the family at the big house. She fantasises about what it would be like to have him like her too, to kiss her on the cheek and choose her above the more well to do girls in society. There does seem to be a part of him that is attracted to Rose, but she might also suit his purposes - a compliant country wife at home to keep the line going while he gallivants in London with Moseley’s social circle. Having read a bit about the Mitford sisters and Unity in particular, I had already known how popular fascism was in the ranks of the aristocracy and how some of our great country houses were used as meeting places for talks on appeasing Hitler. I hadn’t known of it’s hold in Norfolk and found this aspect of the book interesting. As time goes on and Rosemary is treated very badly by ?? it was clear that something terrible was going to happen, but the final revelations are truly shocking. I loved the way she delved into the complicated, emotional experience of becoming a mother. She opens up the inner world of these women, with their constant questioning of whether they’re good enough, or are they failing at this job we’re led to believe should come naturally? There is a special skill in weaving real historical events with fiction and this author is so talented and creative. She brings this area of England to life and makes the reader want to visit and search it out for themselves. The atmosphere was so evocative I spent two days with a ‘book hangover’ - unable to start another book because my emotions and senses were so embedded in Malorie’s story. I loved this so much I could have happily gone back to the first page and read it over again.

This will be part of the blog tour next month

This is the first book I've read by this author. The book is set in 2 time periods and centers around one house, and 2 main characters - Marjorie (in the 60's) and Rosemary (1930s). I enjoyed Rosemary's story more than Marjorie, who I found it difficult to connect to and frankly ended up not really caring about her story. Rosemary on the other hand was a more developed character with a stronger storyline and could have carried the book without the unwelcome interjection of Marjorie. It's may well be just a personal preference and many readers will love the 1960s storyline. For me, the dual stories felt like they were written by two different authors. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

A great gothic fiction piece with a interesting dual timeline between the 1930s and 1960s. The plot is perhaps somewhat predictable but the ghost story elements are well-written and capture a sense of atmosphere and mist amongst the marshes. There's an interesting narrative around hereditary female depression and the path to empowerment. All the traditional characters of the ghost story are present and this gives the novel a comforting and timeless feel while also including well researched historical events.