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From the author of the "dark and devious...beautifully written" (Stephen King) Mirrorland comes a richly atmospheric thriller set on an isolated Scottish island where nothing is as it seems and shocking twists lie around every corner. A remote village. A deadly secret. An outsider who knows the truth. Robert Reid moved his family to Scotland's Outer Hebrides in the 1990s, driven by hope, craving safety and community, and hiding a terrible secret. But despite his best efforts to fit in, Robert is always seen as an outsider. And as the legendary and violent Hebridean storms rage around him, he begins to unravel, believing his fate on the remote island of Kilmeray cannot be escaped. For her entire life, Maggie MacKay has sensed something was wrong with her. When Maggie was five years old, she announced that a man on Kilmeray--a place she'd never visited--had been murdered. Her unfounded claim drew media attention and turned the locals against each other, creating rifts that never mended. Nearly twenty years later, Maggie is determined to find out what really happened, and what the islanders are hiding. But when she begins to receive ominous threats, Maggie is forced to consider how much she is willing to risk to discover the horrifying truth. Unnerving, enthralling, and filled with gothic suspense, The Blackhouse is a spectacularly sinister tale readers won't soon forget.… (more)
User reviews
Take a second look at the cover. You'll see the sea and the waves at first glance.
What adds to that Gothic feeling? Well, Johnstone has set this intriguing mystery on a sparsely populated island called Kilmeray, in the Outer Hebrides. What about the inhabitants? There aren't many, less than twenty. And not overly welcoming to outsiders.
"For her entire life, Maggie MacKay has sensed something was wrong with her. When Maggie was five years old, she announced that a man on Kilmeray - a place she’d never visited - had been murdered." She returns to Kilmeray twenty years on to try and expunge the ghosts of her past and present. More goosebumps. There's another voice - that of Robert who also made his home on Kilmeray.
Get to know who's who as the book opens, as they all play a part in this imaginative, multilayered plot. Add the sea itself as a character. Johnstone's descriptions of the water, the waves, the sand, the cliffs and evoke clear mental images. I could imagine standing on the shore, but afraid to step out further as it feels like the sea has a life of it's own.
The secrecy of each character will keep the reader guessing if what's presented is the truth. Everyone has their own agendas, secrets and lies. There are many twists and turns as the narrative takes another path with every unveiled revelation.
Johnstone's plotting is dark, gritty, tangled. unexpected and oh so addictive. The mystery is the lead element, but love, loss, guilt, mental illness, redemption, a hint of the mystical and more is woven throughout. It's all just so very, very good.
Best enjoyed on a dark and stormy night with the door locked.....
I will be eagerly awaiting a third book from Johnston, who is firmly on my 'must read' list.
I enjoyed a great deal
Maggie really kept the story going for me. I wanted her to achieve her goal! I wanted to know everything. And the way the author kept me glued to the setting of this isle off Scotland…I felt like I was right there experiencing all the weather and the weird townspeople.
Need a creepy novel…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
As she grows to learn about the people who live there she realizes that many do not want her there and that they have many secrets they want to keep within their small community.
The story is told from two different perspectives, that of Maggie, our protagonist, and Robert from 25 or so years ago. As their stories start to overlap, Maggie comes to realize that some truths are best left alone.
Overall a really good read, I loved the touches of Norse and Irish mythology that were used throughout the story. I actually enjoyed this book more than her first book, Mirrorland.