The House Of Lost Secrets is the fourth novel by award-winning British author, Anstey Harris. The audio version is narrated by Annabelle Dowler and Elle Newlands. Having given the eulogy for the friend she’d planned to grow old with, Joanna Wilding just wants time to grieve her losses. Her friend, yes, but also her home and her business, fallen victim to her greedy ex in an exhausting divorce.

She’s shocked to learn that Rachel Willoughby has left her their favourite place, Clachan, the Dumfries and Galloway coastal cottage surrounded by woods where they made their happiest memories. But it’s perhaps a silver lining with a cloud, because it is saturated with Rachel, and the place where Jo found her body on the weekend Rachel was to reveal something huge. But it could be the perfect spot to do that grieving…

When Jo arrives at Clachan, she’s puzzled to find another occupant: the decorator that Rachel had contracted the renovation she and Jo had been planning together for months. The privacy she’d hoped for is not possible, but somehow, she and Meg get along.

Jo is convinced she will find a clue to what Rachel was going to tell her. Since their late teens, Jo has kept a secret from her best friend, but now she finds she’s not the only one to have held something close, and she wonders if she knew her friend at all.

Harris gives the reader a stirring tale of friendship and loyalty where some of the characters look very different depending on perspective. There are twists and turns, and it features religious fervour, PTSD, sexual assault, abortion, guilt, grief, a post-mortem cover-up and the death of siblings. Her main protagonist has much to face, but grows for the experience. Moving and thought-provoking.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing Brilliance Publishing.

I love when a book transports me, using nothing but the words on my digital screen to conjure an entire world. If the contrast of digital reading creating a fully realized reality seems uncertain, then you’ll understand the visceral depth Harris has crafted in The House of Lost Secrets.

At its core, this novel is a haunting exploration of discovery and understanding, where an old house—heavy with untold stories—becomes the catalyst for unearthing the past. Told through a dual timeline, it seamlessly entwines Jo’s teenage summers at Clachan with her present-day reckoning, each chapter peeling back layers of truth, memory, and betrayal.

Just as Jo begins to trust her own recollections, the past undermines her certainty—a lingering question forming at the novel’s heart: Can you find peace in a past that refuses to apologize? The story’s tension isn’t merely about revealing secrets, but about deciding what to do with them once they surface.

Harris masterfully crafts a beautiful yet unsettling atmosphere, making The House of Lost Secrets not just a story of unraveling mystery, but of reconciliation—both with the past and with oneself

Forgot to review this book, it has been a while.. From my memories, it was a good read! I enjoyed the characters and the story. It was a good surprise!

I loved this book. Definitely wasn’t what I expected and I’ve never read anything by this author before. Sorry was beautifully woven together and that’s my favorite kind of story to dig into.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I loved the characters development, twists, and building of relationships through flashbacks. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but felt like I too was there at Clachan. It crossed over a couple genres and I think I had anticipated more of a thriller than a subtle mystery. Elegantly done, and thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Growing up, Jo Wilding always felt like a part of the Willoughby family and she felt most at home at Clachan, their Scottish cottage by the sea. As adults, Jo and Rachel still enjoy their retreats to Clachan, so Jo isn't surprised when Rachel invites her there for a weekend away. When she arrives, Jo discovers that Rachel has been keeping secrets from her, secrets that Jo needs to untangle on her own. In addition to trying to understand these secrets, Jo also needs to confront her complicated relationships with her mother and Rachel's older brother, who she fell in love with as a child. A story of grief, nostalgia, and resilience.

The main issue that I had with this book is the pacing. The last quarter of the book was a fine pace and it felt like things were moving along until the last two chapters, but the first three quarters of the book were so slow and meandering. I understand that Jo was trying to reflect on her friendship with Rachel, but there was too much reflection and a lot of overdramatic grief. The story was also told in alternating perspectives between Jo and Meg, a home decorator working on Clachan, and I don't think Meg's perspective really added anything to the story. The secrets that were revealed were also not really as groundbreaking as it seems they should have been based on the synopsis. If someone is looking for an introspective book that touches on the topic of grief, they might enjoy this one.

A compelling character-driven novel. I loved reading this story about the impact of biological and chosen family. It was inspiring to see these characters process their grief after the complicated loss of a loved one.

Jo’s haven in the Scottish wilds becomes the backdrop for a life-altering revelation when a family secret unravels, forcing her to confront a painful past. With love, betrayal, and forgiveness at the heart of it all, Jo’s journey to healing is raw and poignant. A beautifully set story about family, forgiveness, and the power of confronting the past.

She thought she knew her best friend…She was wrong.

The weatherworn cottage Clachan has always been Jo Wilding’s sanctuary, a blissful escape from her tumultuous home life. From the first summer Rachel invited her to join the Willoughby family in the wilds of Scotland, she fell in love with the sea air, sandy beach and Tristan, Rachel’s older brother…
All these years later, Clachan is where their most important occasions and conversations take place, so when Rachel organises a weekend there, Jo never suspects that this weekend will change everything. Because it turns out Rachel has been keeping a secret, a betrayal that plunges Jo into a past she’s spent years trying to forget. Left to untangle the pieces of their past alone, Jo has to decide if there is such a thing as forgiveness when there is no one left to forgive?

Eleven year old Jo is having some difficulties at home since her mum became a born again Christian, meaning all of her time is taken up by the church learning the rules and boundaries of her new religion. For Jo this means home life has become a lot stricter and there are new rules and expectations. Her friend Rachel’s family are a huge contrast, treating her to a huge warm welcome when she spends time with them at their holiday cottage, Clachan. She spends part of her summer with them as they travel to Clachan for their holiday. The place is surrounded by coastline, beautiful sandy beaches and forests where the relaxed atmosphere lets her forget about the changes at home. It was lovely to see Jo taken under the Willoughby’s wing because she so needed it. Rachel is one of those confident girls, very outgoing and relaxed. Whereas Jo often feels insecure and when there is a bump in the road she lacks resilience. Her first crush was on Rachel’s brother Tristram but it doesn’t go well and has an effect that’s long lasting.

Anstey Harris moves between those carefree summers and the present day. Jo is now in her fifties and is recovering from divorce. She decides to let her home in London for the summer and spend some time back in Scotland. It’s where Jo finds Rachel’s body, at Clachan where they were supposed to meet for a short break. Jo is bereft. She’s also confused. Rachel had called to say she needed to talk urgently and now she wants to know what Rachel had to tell her. A further shock comes when she realises Rachel has left her the home where she spent some of her happiest times. So she stays and tries to answer some of the questions that have come up about Rachel’s death. I really empathised with Jo because I had my teenage years in a similar Christian set up and it wasn’t easy. I thought the author had captured her feelings and confusion about how different the family rules were. I also thought the highland landscape was beautifully depicted and Clachan really is a respite from the world. The coastal scenery, the deep green woodland and dark starry skies are magical and I could understand why Jo felt attached to the place, especially with all the childhood memories it holds. This had everything: a great story, characters with depth and feeling and so much atmosphere.

This was a great book! Very well defined and relatable characters. I really enjoyed it! I will be looking for more from this author.

As always, Ms Harris has delivered a deliciously well written, instantly engaging novel. Her beautiful prose is an absolute delight, as are the characters that populate this gentle, emotionally fueled storyline. Loved it.

The House of Lost Secrets
by Anstey Harris

Lifelong friends, a cottage by the sea… secrets.
Friendships can be—complicated.

This is a beautifully written, complex story that felt a bit slow at times but still evoked deep feelings in me at times. The characters could have used more depth.

Published September 1, 2024
Lake Union Publishing

#arc #netgalley
#ansteyharris #lakeunionpublishing
#scotland #friendship #secrets

Unfortunately just a “meh” read for me. This story is very introspective but, while I usually like that kind of narrative, the ruminating became a bit much at some point.

I felt like some of the others that this was just average I felt the book spent to much time ruminating and not enough actually creating plot and characters. It was just boring
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

This book was really confusing to me.
It wasn't a matter of "did I like it, or not?" I knew it wasn't to my liking. However, I admire the effort put into it.
First of all, the book is great if you like introspective, poignant writing and character-driven plots. The low stars were a matter of preference.
It took me by surprise to realize that the things I hated about the book were what I admired about it.
At the beginning, I was frustrated by Jo. She didn't feel like a main character at all. She rather resembled a side character trying its hardest to fit in.
It hit me suddenly that maybe that was intentional. For most of her life, Jo was living in Rachel shadow that her identify became an extension to Rachel's.
Even her most personal relationship, her marriage, was more or less defined by Rachel's reaction to everything.
It's definitely a book to make you think, but the reading experience requires a lot of commitment.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Betrayed: Joanna hasn't spoken to her mother, Val, since she was 18. Joanna's best friend, Rachel, and Rachel's mom have been writing letters to Val, keeping her informed about everything that her daughter has been doing.

What did Rachel want to tell Joanna when she was invited to Clachan, Rachel's family home? Now, Rachel is suddenly dead.

Being betrayed by the dead can haunt the ones left living. What secrets were meant to be shared and what was meant to stay buried?

Thank you to NetGalley, for the advance copy of this wonderful book.

Just average for me. Too much ruminating and it enough plot I never felt like I got a good sense of the Wilohbees and especially not Tristan . I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I got this as a NetGalley Arc.

It's, unfortunately, a 1 star for me. I unfortunately DNF'ed this book at 44%. I just felt like the book was too descriptive for me. It's like every page had a lot of descriptions. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, but I didn't need to hear every little object or scene being told in excessive detail. I just felt like it was too repetitive. I didn't really like the characters either...I was kind of confused with the whole storyline.

If you like descriptive books, I recommend it, but...whatever floats your boat.

This was a bit different than expected based on the blurb. When I started the book the writing style was a relief compared to my previous read, however further in I found it messy. The story itself is an interesting one with unexpected turns. For my taste, it was a bit too descriptive and long. The characters did grow, but lacked depth.
I believe this book would be a good match for other readers however.