FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE.
When Fi Lawson arrives home to find strangers moving into her house, she is plunged into terror and confusion. She and her husband Bram have owned their home on Trinity Avenue for years and have no intention of selling. How can this other family possibly think the house is theirs? And why has Bram disappeared when she needs him most?
FOR RICHER, FOR POORER.
Bram has made a catastrophic mistake and now he is paying. Unable to see his wife, his children or his home, he has nothing left but to settle scores. As the nightmare takes grip, both Bram and Fi try to make sense of the events that led to a devastating crime. What has he hidden from her – and what has she hidden from him? And will either survive the chilling truth – that there are far worse things you can lose than your house?
TILL DEATH US DO PART.
Our House by Louise Candlish was published by Simon & Schuster on 5 April 2018. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review and for inviting me to take part on the Blog Tour.
I have one hardback copy of Our House to giveaway. Entry is simple; just fill out the competition widget at the end of this post. The competition will stay open for seven days and is open to UK ENTRIES ONLY. Good Luck!
It feels as though I've been reading Louise Candlish for ever, and when I check back on my trusty, geeky spreadsheet I find that it's ten years since I read her fabulous novel Since I Don't Have You. This author has long been one of my must-read writers, and whilst her later books; The Sudden Departure of the Frasers (reviewed on Random Things in April 2015) and The Swimming Pool (reviewed April 2016) have certainly taken a different direction, her writing continues to be quite excellent.
Our House is a very very clever story. It's one of those books that draws in the reader with an explosive and intriguing opening and continues to manipulate and trick with each chapter. I was well and truly hooked; staying up late to read a few more chapters and carrying the book around so that I could sneak in a furtive page or two every now and again.
As always, Louise Candlish's greatest strength is her character creation and depiction of family relationships. She absolutely excels in this, with characters that are recognisable, and intricately woven alliances between them.
So, that beginning; Fi Lawson arrives home after a weekend away to find a removal van outside. Louise Candlish's insight into Fi's reaction is wonderful. Of course, Fi thinks that the van is next door, or that her estranged husband Bram may have promised to store something for a mate, or he may even have invited someone to stay. That's what Bram is like; unpredictable, compulsive and quite frankly, a bit of an arse. As Fi realises that she's been clutching at straws and actually the woman in her kitchen believes that she has bought the house from Fi and Bram, the shock sinks in. As a reader, I was gripped. I had no idea where this was going and that feeling continues throughout the novel.
Our House is really cleverly structured and this just adds to the intrigue and mystery. The reader is treated to snippets as they happen in real time, along with transcripts from a Podcast called Victim where Fi relates her story. The comments after each section, written by the listeners are interesting and really echo our modern-day reality; where everything seems to be played out on Social Media and everyone is a judge.
Possibly the most interesting and revealing sections of the story are told by Bram himself, written in a letter, that begins 'this is a suicide note'. As the reader is witness to everything that Bram has done, and Fi is totally in the dark, there's often a feeling of frustration when reading her story, yet this does not lessen it in anyway, and despite the fact that we think we know everything, this author very cleverly drops some cunning curveballs that create more shock and gasp.
So, no more from me about the plot. Just buy it and read it and see for yourself, let me know what you think? Did you guess? Did that ending baffle you, and then floor and then make you realise just how incredibly clever Louise Candlish is? I bet it will.
Absolutely brilliant, I loved every page and it's safe to say that I'm still a massive fan of this author.
Our House by Louise Candlish
Louise Candlish is the bestselling author of twelve novels, including THE SUDDEN DEPARTURE OF THE FRASERS (2015) and THE SWIMMING POOL (2016). Her new thriller OUR HOUSE is published in the UK in April 2018 by Simon & Schuster. Though her stories are about people facing dark dilemmas, Louise tries to get through the day without too much drama of her own. She lives in South London with her husband and daughter and is very attached to her dog Maggie and cat Tilly.
Follow her on Twitter at @louise_candlish
Find out more at louisecandlish.com
Facebook.com/LouiseCandlishAuthor.
Author photos ©Jonny Ring; ©Joe Lord/Archant
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