This was a compelling story with a fascinating character at its center and a great ending. The biggest of big bads. Literary horror you can’t put down!

Masterfully balancing poetic prose with horror tropes, Old Soul is equally unsettling and thought-provoking. Slow pace rewards patience, with rich characters and atmospheric tension offering a fresh perspective on horror fiction. Basically, it's that rarest of beasts - literary horror!

I want to start by thanking NetGalley and the publisher, Penguin Random, for the eARC.
Wowowowowow.
I am absolutely blown away by this book. I believe, sincerely, from the get go that it pulls you in. Within the first few chapters we are given a complex mystery in a fun past/present storytelling format.
Jake is a narrator on a mission and his cross continent journey for answers is chronicled by interesting characters. I enjoyed every word of every sentence of every paragraph of this book. It was such an interesting story told in a truly original way.
I will say there is a grammar bit that I think will irritate some readers. The entire novel doesn’t use quotation marks, I struggled with this at first but really got into the swing of it after the first few pages. If that would bother you as a reader I would say skip the book/ebook and listen on audio as this is a story worth experiencing.
Overall 4.5/5 stars. I will be returning to Susan Barker’s works.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and it delivered! It's a dark and twisted mystery around the world to learn why people who interact with an elusive chameleon of a woman meet a dark date shortly after, finding themselves reversed from left to right. At times gory and grotesque, I still couldn't wait to pick it back up and see what happened.

Though Jake is presented as the detective in this book and we're supposed to follow him, I found that he got lost in the plot in the middle and for a while I forgot he was the guiding point.

<spoiler>I liked the "Luciferian" twist to the story, it was a different method than I expected to be what was driving the violence. It did seem like it had a few holes in the methodology. I really liked that the woman wasn't any sort of mythical creature or monster but a mortal human who instead struck a deal with the devil to get what she wanted. It illustrated that fallibility of man and the peristent and timeless desire to remain young.</spoiler>

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for the ARC.

A fascinating, paranormal horror that makes the reader think twice about the people in their lives. The book follows several testimonies of people who interacted with our “creature” spanning many, many years. With each testimony, the reader learns more and finds different humanities starting to surface. But ultimately lurking under that supposed humane exterior is a creature - an old soul.

Thank you PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook. The narrators have a wide array of qualities to give to the story. Each one allowing for the experience to bloom. They are also easily understood at faster speeds.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Publishing Group, and author Susan Barker for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. “Old Soul” was published January 28, 2025!

A well-written atmospheric novel about someone trying to track down the cause of a friend's odd behavior and demise. I like the characters and the time jumping as we track down past victims allows us to see different ways the evil wheedled its way into people's lives.

While this read took me a weirdly long time (probably a me thing?) I ended up really liking it. No major mystery here, but a fascinating structure, intriguing characters, and a surprisingly thrilling and gory end made this a high 4-star for me.

This was wonderful! I loved the writing style, the characters, the world-building…everything about it was top-notch. I will definitely be recommending this book!

A slow-build horror story about a mysterious woman that kept me guessing until its end. Immersive and original, this book is full of twists and will leave you feeling unsettled. Although the story kept me interested, I did feel it could have been substantially shorter and the ending fell flat. I would try reading another book by Susan Barker in the future but overall Old Soul did not work for me.

This felt like a old school ghost story. Creepy elements, and almost reads like a short story collection. Sometimes I felt a bit lost while reading, it is definitely different than the usual.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Publishing Group for a digital advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review
3 star

What an under the radar gem! I have been recommending this to anyone who likes "vampire-lite" literature.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I’ve been struggling finding books with vamps, that aren’t…cheezy. This was eerie dashed with some horror, and rather satisfying. The ending did not let me down. Keep your mind open in regards to who the villain of the story is - I found my feelings shifting the deeper I got into the story.

Enjoying so far! Netgalley archived my copy despite the app saying I had 47 days left (?), so I will update once I've acquired a copy and finished the rest of the book

This book was incredibly unique and unsettling! It weaves together multiple stories told through a series of testimonials, with each person’s experience strange and horrifying in its own way. Alternating between 2022 and past encounters with the charismatic woman, I really enjoyed the connection between the characters as the story unfolded.

This is a slow burn, so don’t go in expecting a quick thriller, but that doesn’t make it any less frightening. Each interview offers new clues about the woman, and the mystery feels like a puzzle you’re piecing together. Although some of the interviews became repetitive after a while, the last few chapters were wild and completely unexpected!

If you’re looking for a mystery filled with supernatural elements, a malevolent force, and a mysterious woman on a quest for immortality, definitely consider reading this one!

Old Soul is about a woman's journey to basically live forever through a horrifying pact with an evil being while the people she leaves behind to devastating circumstances try to connect the dots to why these events are happening.

This is the kind of horror book that really gets under the skin in subtle ways. I loved the way this story unfolded and increasingly made me as a reader have a sense of discomfort until I was horrified at what was happening to the unsuspecting victims of evil in this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel!

I loved this book so much, but I don't even know how to put into words how it made me feel. The main story follows Jake, a teacher from London who misses a flight in Japan. Another passenger is also just a couple of minutes too late, so the two grab dinner while waiting for the next available plane. They seemingly have nothing in common, but discover one connection - they both lost loved ones who died in the same, horrific manner after meeting a mysterious woman. This launches Jake into an investigation spanning many different countries, as he tracks sightings of the woman throughout various decades and interviews others who lost friends and family just after meeting her. She never ages, and a darkness follows wherever she goes. The story is told through long chapters detailing different interviews. These chapters are also interspersed with shorter chapters following the woman in the present, as she goes on a hike with a new stranger. Old Soul is a literary horror novel, with clear inspiration from gothic fiction, westerns, and Japanese horror. It's a haunting read.

This is more of a slow burn horror novel, in which the dread quietly creeps up on you chapter by chapter. While there is body horror and gore, this is definitely not a bloody, action-packed read like some modern horror being published nowadays. It reminds me more of older horror, with a modern literary twist. It's so very bleak. I've read a lot of horror over the years, so I correctly assumed the ending pretty early on; at the same time, though, I wasn't sure if the author would actually go there. I read the law few pages with my jaw dropped and then stayed up way too late after finishing because I needed to sit and process it all. This isn't the type of story that left me crying or hiding under my covers - instead, I felt hollow, a bit like after I finished The Road or 'Salem's Lot. If that feeling is what you're looking for, then I cannot recommend this enough. If literary fiction and horror aren't for you, though, then you may want to skip this, because it's certainly not for everyone. After reading some other reviews, I'm not surprised to see that this is a divisive novel.

I loved Old Soul's atmosphere. There are no quotation marks, which I thought might bother me, but I got used to the style quickly. I can see why the author chose to omit them, because it felt like such a fever dream to read. I was immediately sucked into the woman's world, which got more nightmarish the further I delved. There's an overarching sense of foreboding throughout the novel, but each of Jake's chapters are tonally different. Every interview details a unique time period and city, each with its own rich culture. It reads like historical fiction at times. I got more invested in the book as I read. I wanted to not only learn more about the woman, but also see what new setting I would be visiting next. Before I knew it, I was thinking about the story whenever I put it down.

The writing is also beautiful. It's sharp, witty, and nuanced. I fully plan to buy a physical version of this someday, so I can mark it up. There are so many little details that connect to something later. Everything feels intentional, and the themes are strong. It touches on subjects like trauma, memory, love, the complexity of humanity, and how the desire to live can overcome everything else. This would make a great book club pick, because each interview has distinct themes and reveals a new attribute of the woman. I can't wait to reread it and make even more connections now that I have a full understanding of the plot.

The last thing that really stands out in this book is the characters. Characterization is super important to me, and wow, do the characters shine here! Even though many of the characters are only present for one chapter, they are far more memorable to me than some main characters I've read 400+ pages about in other novels. Susan Barker managed to make each character feel real and fleshed out in a very short amount of page time. I found myself constantly switching back and forth between rooting for someone, then disliking them, feeling sorry for them after that, and so on. Everyone is complicated, just like actual people. I would argue there are three main characters: Jake, the woman, and the Sculptor. Jake mostly serves to move the plot forward, but the woman and the Sculptor are very interesting. I know I'll be thinking about them - and some of the side characters - for a long time.

I don't have any major critiques. I would have liked to have learned more about Jake, but it's not all that necessary, because all the other characters are just as important as him. I also would have liked to have seen more chapters showing the woman just enjoying life, since her love of living was such a driving factor behind all of her decisions. Nonetheless, this book just works fabulously for me as it is. Like I said, though, I don't think it will be for everyone. It's got kind of a cold edge, and it takes a while to fully appreciate the story. I also don't think everyone will love how the interviews feel like individual short stories. There were so many subtle differences between them that they never seemed repetitive to me; however, if you're not a fan of short stories with similar plots, I could see the interviews getting tiring.

I adored this! I found myself reading way more slowly when I got down to the last 20%, because I wanted to savor each chapter I had left. I have too many other books on my "to-read" list to immediately pick this up again, but if I had more time, I would be rereading it right this moment. It's so good.

5 out of 5 stars!

Susan Barker’s “Old Soul” (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, $29) is a mesmerizing literary horror that blends supernatural mystery and psychological depth into a globe-trotting thriller. The novel follows Jake, a man grieving the inexplicable death of a loved one, as he discovers a chilling link to an ageless woman who preys on victims across decades. As he pieces together testimonies from others who have encountered this enigmatic figure, the novel unfolds as a slow-burn investigation into mortality, morality and the cost of survival.

Barker’s razor-sharp writing immerses readers in haunting settings that shift from Osaka, Japan, to New Mexico’s eerie Badlands. At the same time, the alternating narrative structure, weaving past accounts with present events, builds relentless anticipation, culminating in an unforgettable finale. “Old Soul” is dark, thought-provoking and wholly original — a must-read for gothic horror fans.

I don't usually like horror, but I loved this book. The pacing was really impressive - I didn't feel like twists came out of nowhere, but I also didn't feel like I was predicting too far ahead; all of the plot points and backstory just felt like it was revealing itself at just the right time, and I was there to witness it.

Viewing the story through the different diverse character testimonials was very interesting. I liked how the Japanese victim saw the monster as a Shinigami, while the Polish(? I can't remember) woman was more concerned by being taken away by the police and experimented on, and so forth. I loved this storytelling device so much that my only complaint is I wish we could have seen the story play out through more diverse cultures perspectives, as it seems disproportionately European for having spanned 300 years in my opinion.

There were a few characters I did care for, but even when I didn't care for the characters I cared a lot about their story, which is rare thing to do when reading but it was very engaging. Overall it was tense and haunting and mysterious and I loved it!

Old Soul: A Novel – Susan Barker – 2025-
This transfixing and terrifying novel of supernatural suspense, intrigue, and horror takes place over several decades. The bleak high desert Badlands of Taos, New Mexico was noted, as this spellbinding tale unfolded. Largely narrated by Jake, a gay male Londoner, and elementary school teacher, had taken time off to investigate several mysterious deaths, that included the loss of his best friend, Lena. Susan Barker is a British novelist educated at Leeds University and Manchester University, where she lecturers in Creative Writing. Old Soul is Ms. Barker’s fourth novel.

Jake was traveling when he encountered Mariko Takahara at the airport in Osaka, Japan. Mariko explained the circumstances surrounding the bewildering death of her estranged twin brother Hiroji, and the odd visit by a female stranger that occurred immediately after he died. Mariko, fearful, refused to answer the door. Mariko vanished before Jake could question her further, though she left contact information for Sigrid, Hiroji’s widow.
*Sigrid, (Berlin, Germany): confirmed the dreadful death of her husband and father of their only child. Hiroji had been photographed by a (30 something) aggressive stranger, named Damiris, who was later wanted by the police for questioning, before entirely disappearing. Before his sudden death, Hiroji seemed to be in a trance, his behavior was bizarre (as was Lena’s) the coroner’s report stated the cause death was due to a rare/odd left to right reversal of Hiroji’s internal organs.

Jake was stunned, that Lena had died from the same condition as Hiroji, though the coroner reported the cause as heart failure. Marion, a stranger, had photographed Lena and vanished without a trace after her death (2011). Jake was haunted by the circumstances surrounding Lena’s frightening alarming death, his inability to help and keep her safe, and determined bring justice for her.

*Bedwyr, (Moorlands): A recluse, living in a remote stone cottage, reported his disabled 14- year- old daughter Ceridwen, had been gone for 35 years. After Liesl had photographed his daughter, without permission, Bedwyn ordered the (30-ish) sinister stranger to leave immediately (1987). “Evil has its ways and means…” Bedwyr was charged with Ceridwen’s unexplained unnatural death and spent some time in prison before being released (2013).

*Jurgen, (Germany): A 75-year-old artist/painter, heavy drinker, reported that Romy, “masqueraded as a smoke and mirrors femme fatale”- Jurgen had seen a ghastly photograph, later confronted Romy, and was attacked by “sinister forces of evil”. Ursula Pohl, Jurgen’s close friend/muse had disappeared (1968), many thought she had defected to the West, Ursula was never seen or heard from again.

*The Badlands: (I-VI-2022) This continuing narrative was dispersed throughout the novel; all characters and events were superbly crafted. The vast “rural emptiness” and “vaporizing heat” off Highway 371 formed the desert edge of the Navajo Nation. The Native American people are highly respectful of “mother earth” and “father sky.” Individual photographs taken on the Reservation are discouraged; tribal legends include the Hoodoo where the spirts of ancient people were turned to stone by a Coyote God. In Taos, N.M., Aurora Rose, a hotel maid, psychic, tarot-card reader, influencer, wanted more traffic on her U-Tube Channel. A (30-ish) female stranger approached, and the videographer promised to make Aurora Rose famous. *With Thanks to Penguin Random House LLC via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.

I enjoyed the mystery and concept of this book. I thought the idea was original and not something I had read before. Because it was based off one woman who doesn't die and preys on people there were a lot of different characters along with one man trying to find the truth. What really steered me from not liking it more was within each chapter when characters were having conversations there were no quotations to really separate the talking from the rest of the sentence and I had to guess sometimes who was talking and if that was a conversation or just part of the story. If it had that within it, it would've been easier to follow and grabbed my interest more. It just made it hard for my brain to follow.