Monday, December 26, 2022

12.26.2022 - The Blackhouse

The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the sophomore novel by Carole Johnstone - 4.5 creepy stars rounded up!

Maggie MacKay has been told that she is special all her life by her mother, who claimed psychic abilities and saw them in her daughter as well.  When they visited a remote coastal village in Scotland when Maggie was very small, Maggie claimed that she was Andrew MacNeil and he had been murdered there.  This of course caused an uproar of media attention and caused Maggie to feel differently about herself as well.  As an adult, Maggie feels the pull to go back to the village to see what she can find out, but she doesn't get a warm response from the locals.  Soon she's scared and questioning everything.

This is a slow book, especially in the beginning, as it alternates chapters between Maggie in the present day and a man named Robert in the past.  The atmosphere is creepy and definitely a huge element in this story, along with myths and superstitions.  But once I got into it, I found that I couldn't put it down.  There's lots to sort out here, with many different locals to keep track of, but it's worth the effort!  Also plenty of topics - community, family,  mental health, and trying to figure out who you are.  Great read!

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