Thursday 14 October 2021

Emma's Review: The House in the Woods by Zoe Miller

Reviewed by Emma Crowley 

When actress Evie Lawrence is injured in a shocking hit-and-run accident, she wants nothing more than to retreat to her woodland home in Wicklow to recover. But when she's forced to admit that she needs help, she reluctantly opens up her solitary life to allow her grand-niece Amber, practically a stranger, to move into Heronbrook to take care of her.

Evie, who has been estranged from her sister's family for many years, vows to keep Amber at a distance so her secrets - and the truth of what happened at Heronbrook years ago - stay buried.

Amber is initially preoccupied with the recent implosion of both her career and her love life, the details of which she's keeping to herself, but soon becomes very curious about the rift in her family. And when unsettling incidents begin to make Evie's secluded home feel less peaceful and more dangerously isolated, Amber starts to suspect that what happened to Evie wasn't an accident at all - and the person responsible still has Evie in their sights. But can Amber persuade Evie to confront the past and get to the truth before it's too late?

Book Links: Kindle or Paperback

Many thanks to Hachette Ireland via NetGalley for my copy of The House in the Woods to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.

The House in the Woods by Zoe Miller is a book that once you start reading it, it becomes increasingly difficult to put down. From the very first chapter you are sucked into the mystery at the centre of this brilliant story and the hold it takes over you does not relinquish its grip until the very last word. The sins of the past have a very long and strong reach right into the present and the author has done a fantastic job of creating a story that will leave you guessing until the last possible minute whilst taking you on a journey of many unexpected twists and turns. You think you have everything worked out but then the story veers in another direction so as to make you reassess everything and then your opinion changes. As a reader you are certainly kept guessing as to who could be behind the attempted killing of one the main characters Evie? Yes, I had my suspicions as to who it could be and also as to their motives but I was proven totally wrong and that’s the sign of an excellent book in this genre. Leave the reader in suspense until everything really needs to be revealed and also lead them up the garden paths so many times that they really can’t decide who the culprit is.

During the summer of 1964 at Heronbrook House something awful happened, the repercussions of which are still radiating through to the present day. Evie is 75 and an award winning actress who has retired to Heronbrook following a successful career. This place holds many memories for her ever since her family holidayed there when she and her sister Pippa were younger. Some memories are good, others not so much and the reasons for this are slowly drip fed to the reader in little titbits. I loved the dropping in of subtle clues and answers to questions at just the appropriate time. It was like we were being spoon fed information on a need to know basis which just made me want to read the book even faster in order to discover all the answers and how all the pieces slotted together. 

Evie is now in hospital after someone had attempted to kill her, that’s after she had already been knocked down by a motorbike in the lane near to her home and had suffered a broken hip as a result. Who did this and why? What secrets has Evie being keeping for so long? Is someone determined her secrets will come out into the open? Are they out for revenge? So many more questions can be asked and we don’t get the answers in rapid succession. Rather a slow uncovering of a mystery unfolds and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Suspicion falls in many corners and the resentment felt towards Evie intensifies as people’s motives are revealed. 

The book took on a haunting and unsettling feeling as so many hidden issues came to the fore. Some of the things occurring were quite unnatural and spooky in a way and I genuinely felt for the safety and well being of both Evie and Amber. The guilt weighs heavily on Evie and she is reluctant to shed any light as to why but a series of alarming and troubling events and coincidences really start to unnerve her. I thought it was pure genius to tie this in with how her character in a gangland drama series made their untimely end. We move back and forth between the past and the present. Right back to when Evie’s family first starting visiting Heronbrook during the summer holidays. A picture is built up of their life there and how Evie meets Lucien who proves to be the love of her life but will this love cause other events to unfold?

Jessica is Evie’s niece although they have never really met each other due to the family hostilities and chasm that has existed for as long as she can remember. She is married to Paul and they have two grown up children Amber and Adam. Jessica is keeping her own secrets and is fearful of having anyone finding out as she hopes she can solve them herself or just sweep everything under the carpet. A chance meeting with Evie at an event sees a small connection rekindled which is only built upon when Evie has her accident and needs someone to look after her whilst she recuperates. Amber steps into the breech. I think she was intrigued by Evie. This woman who had such a successful acting career yet she held in so much, keeping her cards close to her chest. Amber wants to know why is there this family feud and distinct lack of communication? On the other hand Amber views looking after Evie at Heronbrook as an escape for herself away from the trauma of what she has experienced at work. She feels hard done by and like she has been swindled. Something is not sitting right with her and she decides to dig a little deeper but as she slowly uncovers things and edges her way ever closer to the truth is she perhaps better leaving sleeping things lie or is she right in persisting until everything comes out in the open especially when lives are put in imminent danger?

Initially, I thought that there was a lot of characters to become accustomed to as there are quite a few that I haven’t mentioned. I was trying to see how they were connected to each other and to remember who was who and what their background was etc. I admit to being slightly confused but just for a short time and as I neared the end of the book I realised that every person mentioned had a vital role to play no matter how big or small. Don’t under estimate any characters actions or words because all are central to the plot no matter how insignificant you deem them to be whilst reading. Read between the lines and you will be richly rewarded as a complex family web of connections, secrets, lies and confidences emerges.

The books Zoe Miller now writes are vastly different from her early stories which were more geared specifically to the women’s fiction market. I love the direction her books have taken over the course of the last several years and you can tell she enjoys writing in this genre and keeping her readers entertained and guessing. The House in the Woods had a surprising twist towards the end that had me reeling in shock and it highlighted what a cleverly plotted and superbly executed book this was. Through such intense and scintillating writing Zoe Miller took the reader by the hand and on a journey that becomes unforgettable and I was happy to follow wherever she was leading her characters and this reader. The House in the Woods is a book I would definitely recommend and has only made me excited to write lots more from this talented author in the future. 

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