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The House of the Wicked
1880: Stephen Denning is an artist arriving in Porthgarrow. It is an isolated Cornish fishing community, largely untouched by the modern, developing Victorian world, hanging onto its old traditions, superstitions and beliefs – a community that lives with a disturbing secret. So too does Denning.
He is a reluctant visitor, and though he is supposedly joining his one-time artist friend Terrance Wilkinson to form an artists’ colony it is circumstances that force him there. Denning is still haunted by the brutal death of a young woman in Brittany, and shouldering guilt for the fact that he covered up for Wilkinson when he suspects the man of having been been involved with the murder.
But Porthgarrow is haunted by its own demons and secrets. He learns about the savage murder of a woman by her husband Jowan Connoch thirteen years previously, and of Jowan’s son who has returned to Porthgarrow to uncover the truth and to clear his father’s name.
Yet it is far from over. Before long three more people are destined to die in Porthgarrow before the village gives up its sinister secrets, and Stephen Denning will learn of his own family’s mysterious involvement.
The house of the Wicked is peopled with larger than life characters – the powerful businessman Gerran Hendra and his beautiful daughter Jenna; the Reverend Biddle who collects photographs of the dead; Benjamin Croker, the journalist; and Tunny, the village wise man and healer.
From its atmospheric Gothic undertones to its shocking and unexpected end, ‘The House of the Wicked’ is D. M. Mitchell at his darkest and most imaginative best.
Some secrets will not stay buried...
He is a reluctant visitor, and though he is supposedly joining his one-time artist friend Terrance Wilkinson to form an artists’ colony it is circumstances that force him there. Denning is still haunted by the brutal death of a young woman in Brittany, and shouldering guilt for the fact that he covered up for Wilkinson when he suspects the man of having been been involved with the murder.
But Porthgarrow is haunted by its own demons and secrets. He learns about the savage murder of a woman by her husband Jowan Connoch thirteen years previously, and of Jowan’s son who has returned to Porthgarrow to uncover the truth and to clear his father’s name.
Yet it is far from over. Before long three more people are destined to die in Porthgarrow before the village gives up its sinister secrets, and Stephen Denning will learn of his own family’s mysterious involvement.
The house of the Wicked is peopled with larger than life characters – the powerful businessman Gerran Hendra and his beautiful daughter Jenna; the Reverend Biddle who collects photographs of the dead; Benjamin Croker, the journalist; and Tunny, the village wise man and healer.
From its atmospheric Gothic undertones to its shocking and unexpected end, ‘The House of the Wicked’ is D. M. Mitchell at his darkest and most imaginative best.
Some secrets will not stay buried...
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 29, 2011
109 people are currently reading
463 people want to read
About the author
D.M. Mitchell
23 books52 followersD. M. Mitchell has been compared to Ruth Rendell, Martina Cole, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Linwood Barclay, Dickens and even the Bronte sisters! This wide array of writing styles is appropriate - though Mitchell is known for his psychological thrillers, he is determined that each of them will be different, so they might be set in different eras, may be straightforward thrillers or have a supernatural or horror twist, and he avoids like the plague the standard and unimaginative serial killer format! You'll find he uses different styles of writing to suit different types of books - it also keeps him from getting bored...
D. M. Mitchell was born into a small mining community in Yorkshire, England. His career advisor said he had two options - go down the mines or become a policeman. Being scared of the dark and never having much meat on his bones, he declined both and in his early years bounced like a pinball from job to job - warehouses, cinema projectionist, market trader, salesman - you get the picture. He sort of made a success of himself and now lives in a money-pit of a cottage in a tiny village in the cream tea heart of the South West of England.
His first remembered attempt at pushing the boundaries of creative writing was during a school lesson at the age of nine. Titled simply 'Rain' his proud masterpiece began with 'It started to rain' then there followed eight pages of nothing but the words 'pitter-patter', concluding with 'and then it stopped'. It was handed over and duly reviewed by his brick wall of a teacher, whose eyebrows flickered up and down ominously, his cheeks flushing bright red, before declaring it total rubbish. He tore it up into ribbons, showered him with his first, and no doubt only tickertape ceremony, and gave him a meaty slap around the head (they could do that sort of thing in 1967). He made him write 'I will not write stupid things for eight pages' for eight pages. Thus he learnt a number of valuable early lessons - the meaning of irony, writing is very subjective, everyone's a critic, and no-one likes a smart-arse.
He persevered, his first novel appearing in 1986 and disappearing into the attic the same year. It's still up there. Many manuscripts later he used to save the piles of rejection slips to paper his bare walls. So the adage is, keep at it, in these times of economic depression you'll soon have the house fully redecorated. Nowadays, writing is the one thing he feels totally comfortable with, except perhaps for a cup of Horlicks on a cold winter's night when the rain goes pitter-patter against the window panes (there it is again...).
Characterisation is an important and noticeable aspect of all Mitchell's novels. It allows him to be whoever he wants to be when he gets fed up of being himself, which is quite often. So too is a sense of mystery and the exploration of the darker side to humanity. There are always strong elements of a complex puzzle to be solved in a D M Mitchell novel, many disparate parts ultimately coming together, tragedy and comedy sitting side by side. As in life, nothing is as it first seems. He takes a keen interest in history, a thread which runs through his writing, whether it's the 1960s or 1970s, as in 'Max' and 'Pressure Cooker', or the Victorian 1880s, as in 'The House of the Wicked'.
His favourite novelists include Barry Unsworth, Thomas Hardy, John Steinbeck and Graham Swift. Top two favourite historical books: Culloden, by John Prebble and The Face of Battle by John Keegan. He also collects first edition novels and takes a keen interest in anything old, tatty and in need of love and restoration. His wife says he needs to get out more.
He has three grown children and also enjoys photography, painting and walking the Blackdown Hills with his wife and an overly excitable Border Terrier - or is that an overly-excitable wife and a Border Terrier... One of the two.
He'd like to thank his growing legion of fans for allowing him to practice being
D. M. Mitchell was born into a small mining community in Yorkshire, England. His career advisor said he had two options - go down the mines or become a policeman. Being scared of the dark and never having much meat on his bones, he declined both and in his early years bounced like a pinball from job to job - warehouses, cinema projectionist, market trader, salesman - you get the picture. He sort of made a success of himself and now lives in a money-pit of a cottage in a tiny village in the cream tea heart of the South West of England.
His first remembered attempt at pushing the boundaries of creative writing was during a school lesson at the age of nine. Titled simply 'Rain' his proud masterpiece began with 'It started to rain' then there followed eight pages of nothing but the words 'pitter-patter', concluding with 'and then it stopped'. It was handed over and duly reviewed by his brick wall of a teacher, whose eyebrows flickered up and down ominously, his cheeks flushing bright red, before declaring it total rubbish. He tore it up into ribbons, showered him with his first, and no doubt only tickertape ceremony, and gave him a meaty slap around the head (they could do that sort of thing in 1967). He made him write 'I will not write stupid things for eight pages' for eight pages. Thus he learnt a number of valuable early lessons - the meaning of irony, writing is very subjective, everyone's a critic, and no-one likes a smart-arse.
He persevered, his first novel appearing in 1986 and disappearing into the attic the same year. It's still up there. Many manuscripts later he used to save the piles of rejection slips to paper his bare walls. So the adage is, keep at it, in these times of economic depression you'll soon have the house fully redecorated. Nowadays, writing is the one thing he feels totally comfortable with, except perhaps for a cup of Horlicks on a cold winter's night when the rain goes pitter-patter against the window panes (there it is again...).
Characterisation is an important and noticeable aspect of all Mitchell's novels. It allows him to be whoever he wants to be when he gets fed up of being himself, which is quite often. So too is a sense of mystery and the exploration of the darker side to humanity. There are always strong elements of a complex puzzle to be solved in a D M Mitchell novel, many disparate parts ultimately coming together, tragedy and comedy sitting side by side. As in life, nothing is as it first seems. He takes a keen interest in history, a thread which runs through his writing, whether it's the 1960s or 1970s, as in 'Max' and 'Pressure Cooker', or the Victorian 1880s, as in 'The House of the Wicked'.
His favourite novelists include Barry Unsworth, Thomas Hardy, John Steinbeck and Graham Swift. Top two favourite historical books: Culloden, by John Prebble and The Face of Battle by John Keegan. He also collects first edition novels and takes a keen interest in anything old, tatty and in need of love and restoration. His wife says he needs to get out more.
He has three grown children and also enjoys photography, painting and walking the Blackdown Hills with his wife and an overly excitable Border Terrier - or is that an overly-excitable wife and a Border Terrier... One of the two.
He'd like to thank his growing legion of fans for allowing him to practice being
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 7, 2014
Another Superb Mind Bender by Mitchell
I started with Blackdowne, went on to Flinder's Field, and now it's House of the Wicked. D. M. Mitchell consistently writes masterclass psychological thrillers that shift realities multiple times over the course of each novel. All these novels are excellent, finely plotted stories with devious characters that add up to some of best psychological thrillers available.
Mitchell's characters are never what they appear to be on the surface. You learn after reading his novels to expect the unexpected, especially where innocent looking characters are concerned. They turn out to be wild murderers, or evil incarnate. It is virtually impossible to guess what is coming in a Mitchell story and that along with the intricately crafted plot keeps the pages flying by. The protagonist, Steven Denning is a younger son of a wealthy London family who has taken up painting as a career. His family seems a bit too concerned with his life, but whether this is due to the family reputation or for some other reason is not clear. He meets Wilkenson at art school in France, and they end up having a rather sordid history together.
Years later Wilkenson invites Denning to Cornwall and the city of Porthgarrow to start an artist colony. The city is dominated by a pagan superstition of the God Baccun, who controls the waves, the winds, and the storms. He is said to feed off evil deeds which make him grow stronger. The town is held hostage to a myth regarding a single family.
Mitchell does a masterful job at intertwining the two story arcs of the Dennings, with Steven in the lead role, and Porthgarrow as events drive people in the town to seek the truth behind the myth. These two drive each other forward until reality turns upside down three times.
The final time reality takes a header is at the end of the novel, which was a real surprise and was one of those jaw dropping moments that just just blew me away. I can't conceive of a better ending for this story than this one.
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for an intelligent read which plays with your perceptions of people and situations, along with murder, mayhem and madness, then this is the perfect book for you. Highly Recommended!
I started with Blackdowne, went on to Flinder's Field, and now it's House of the Wicked. D. M. Mitchell consistently writes masterclass psychological thrillers that shift realities multiple times over the course of each novel. All these novels are excellent, finely plotted stories with devious characters that add up to some of best psychological thrillers available.
Mitchell's characters are never what they appear to be on the surface. You learn after reading his novels to expect the unexpected, especially where innocent looking characters are concerned. They turn out to be wild murderers, or evil incarnate. It is virtually impossible to guess what is coming in a Mitchell story and that along with the intricately crafted plot keeps the pages flying by. The protagonist, Steven Denning is a younger son of a wealthy London family who has taken up painting as a career. His family seems a bit too concerned with his life, but whether this is due to the family reputation or for some other reason is not clear. He meets Wilkenson at art school in France, and they end up having a rather sordid history together.
Years later Wilkenson invites Denning to Cornwall and the city of Porthgarrow to start an artist colony. The city is dominated by a pagan superstition of the God Baccun, who controls the waves, the winds, and the storms. He is said to feed off evil deeds which make him grow stronger. The town is held hostage to a myth regarding a single family.
Mitchell does a masterful job at intertwining the two story arcs of the Dennings, with Steven in the lead role, and Porthgarrow as events drive people in the town to seek the truth behind the myth. These two drive each other forward until reality turns upside down three times.
The final time reality takes a header is at the end of the novel, which was a real surprise and was one of those jaw dropping moments that just just blew me away. I can't conceive of a better ending for this story than this one.
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for an intelligent read which plays with your perceptions of people and situations, along with murder, mayhem and madness, then this is the perfect book for you. Highly Recommended!
September 7, 2013
Some will say the book begins slowly as the author sets the stage for the novel, however, I found it interesting and imaginative. The writing style is more classical than it is contemporary, which is good. You visually picture the characters and the landscape because they are fully drawn. It is almost as if you are there, very vivid descriptions.
The hidden secrets of the main characters --Stephen Denning and Terrance Wilkinson -- combine with the other characters to bring the whole to life. The primary location, the Cornish fishing village of Porthgarrow, is deeply enmeshed in superstition and its own secrets. Also, there are secrets that are carried by the primary characters. Evil unwinds as the novel progresses. The characters are intriguing and colorful, and they are believable. Reviewed the the author of The Children's Story, A Novel Not for Children (about good and evil).
The hidden secrets of the main characters --Stephen Denning and Terrance Wilkinson -- combine with the other characters to bring the whole to life. The primary location, the Cornish fishing village of Porthgarrow, is deeply enmeshed in superstition and its own secrets. Also, there are secrets that are carried by the primary characters. Evil unwinds as the novel progresses. The characters are intriguing and colorful, and they are believable. Reviewed the the author of The Children's Story, A Novel Not for Children (about good and evil).
February 15, 2013
It took this story some time to develop, but once it did, the payoff was worth it. The author did a good job of creating a foreboding atmosphere (SOMETHING was going to happen; that was obvious) within a solid period framework. There were some interesting twists, although I do felt that the thread with Jowan was just summarily dropped in favor of a quick wrap-up of the other storylines. Overall, though, this was a very entertaining and compelling read.
January 7, 2013
I found this to be a slow starter but was well sticking with it. Enjoyed the twists at the end
July 15, 2017
An excellent slow-burning thriller with a supernatural twist.
What I liked about this book was the fact that it wasn't overcooked. Sometimes you reach for a "Victoria" gothic novel and you end up with an utterly unconvincing parody. Not so with The House of the Wicked. It is believable and therefore it can be chilling. I loved the way local Cornish folklore was blended into the storyline without become overpowering. The story run smoothly to its surprising and sad conclusion. The characters were real people, full of faults and doubts. Their motivations made sense to me. I shall read more of D M Mitchell.
What I liked about this book was the fact that it wasn't overcooked. Sometimes you reach for a "Victoria" gothic novel and you end up with an utterly unconvincing parody. Not so with The House of the Wicked. It is believable and therefore it can be chilling. I loved the way local Cornish folklore was blended into the storyline without become overpowering. The story run smoothly to its surprising and sad conclusion. The characters were real people, full of faults and doubts. Their motivations made sense to me. I shall read more of D M Mitchell.
July 29, 2018
This was an enjoyable book. The writing is good, the story well thought through and atmospheric, but the characters are a little bit flat.
There are a lot of misplaced quote marks which are annoying, along with some pretty in-your-face typos.
There are a lot of misplaced quote marks which are annoying, along with some pretty in-your-face typos.
September 27, 2019
Rose
Wow! Quite a story! I was intrigued by this writing right from the start. The twists and turns were welcomed after reading some other books with not much substance I them. A very well written story with an unequaled twisted ending. Loved it.
Wow! Quite a story! I was intrigued by this writing right from the start. The twists and turns were welcomed after reading some other books with not much substance I them. A very well written story with an unequaled twisted ending. Loved it.
August 12, 2019
Dark mystery set in Victorian Cornwall, in a fishing village where superstition reigns.
September 9, 2020
Sorry but I couldn't get into this book at all, so afraid it's an unfinished one.
October 10, 2020
Really didn’t like this book until it got about half way the it became more interesting. Will try another by this author and see what that is like.
January 21, 2015
The book starts in 1867 with a woman who is found murdered in her home, her husband is found leaning over her with a knife in his hand, He is supposedly chased and confessed before jumping to his death,
The story jumps 13 years to Stephen Denning meeting his friend Terrance Wilkinson and been asked to come to Porthgarrow to start a artist colony.
In between the story tells you how the friends met and what subsequently happened whilst they were in France.
The village of Porthgarrow is a very primtive supicious place and helped with this by Tunny a villager who has a gift.
I have to stay I did nearly give up with this as it took ages for me to get into the story as there was a lot of ground laying with the story going between the 13 years which in parts did confuse me. But I did persevere and it I was surprised where the story went.
The story jumps 13 years to Stephen Denning meeting his friend Terrance Wilkinson and been asked to come to Porthgarrow to start a artist colony.
In between the story tells you how the friends met and what subsequently happened whilst they were in France.
The village of Porthgarrow is a very primtive supicious place and helped with this by Tunny a villager who has a gift.
I have to stay I did nearly give up with this as it took ages for me to get into the story as there was a lot of ground laying with the story going between the 13 years which in parts did confuse me. But I did persevere and it I was surprised where the story went.
August 16, 2013
This story did have a slow start, but it was well worth sticking with. The only gripe that I had was that the storyline involving Jowan Connach seemed to disappear - last seen in shackles in gaol, and then nothing about what has happened, possibly because the story of Stephen Denning then took over. But as Jowan was the catalyst for some of the events, I would have liked him to have played a part towards the end.
I did like the "twist", if you can call it that, in that, although the village believed itself to be cursed by the evil spirit of Baccan, the story actually had nothing whatsoever to do with anything supernatural...but it had everything to do with the power that superstition and fear have over gullible individuals, and how easy it is for this kind of belief to cloud the truth.
I did like the "twist", if you can call it that, in that, although the village believed itself to be cursed by the evil spirit of Baccan, the story actually had nothing whatsoever to do with anything supernatural...but it had everything to do with the power that superstition and fear have over gullible individuals, and how easy it is for this kind of belief to cloud the truth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2015
This was another unfinished ending.
I thought I had found a good new author to start reading. Unfortunately, I was wrong. This book like the last one left you shaking your head, that's it, the end??? It's bad enough when a movie doesn't have an ending, but I spent a good deal of my vacation just trying to get into this book. About midway I finally had the characters down. After that it was a decent enough story even if I figured it out early. But the end? That was not an ending. I cannot spend anymore time or money after these last two books. Onward in search of books with endings.
I thought I had found a good new author to start reading. Unfortunately, I was wrong. This book like the last one left you shaking your head, that's it, the end??? It's bad enough when a movie doesn't have an ending, but I spent a good deal of my vacation just trying to get into this book. About midway I finally had the characters down. After that it was a decent enough story even if I figured it out early. But the end? That was not an ending. I cannot spend anymore time or money after these last two books. Onward in search of books with endings.
November 12, 2013
This is a captivating thriller that takes place in the Cornwall region of Great Britain in the 1880s. A young artist is encouraged by his friend to go to the small coastal village of Porthgarrow. Porthgarrow is under a curse, or so the superstitious people of the village believe. They must appease the spirits in order to have a prosperous fishing season. This curse has caused much violence in the past. Our young man arrives and is immediately enmeshed in the mystery. This is an entertaining read, reminiscent of such 18th century thrillers such as Wuthering Heights.
December 1, 2013
I certainly enjoyed this book although I would not classify it as a psychological thriller. It was a refreshing change to read a novel written in a more classical style and found much of the descriptive prose very appealing. The author painted a clear and realistic picture of life in a Cornish fishing village in the 19th century with all its troubles, intrigue and superstitions.
November 30, 2013
I spent a lot of time reading the book thinking that I wasn't enjoying it. On the other hand, I could not put it down. I was engrossed. It took it's time growing on me, but I really enjoyed the process at the end.
August 15, 2014
I was submerged in the place, the time, and the strange society of Porthgarrow. I really enjoyed this book, but had to take one star for an end that didn't seem to fit. While I liked the end, I just don't recall anything that would have hinted at what was to come.
January 15, 2012
Just started this one and am not too sure if it's just a typical kindle freebie.........
November 7, 2012
It was OK. It seemed there were two different main plots throughout which weakened the story line.
March 9, 2013
Not thrilling or psychological at all. Story line was difficult for me to follow. Just not a great book.
August 29, 2013
I rather enjoyed this after getting to grips with the two plots. Lots of twists and turns...good sense of period and a satisfying conclusion.
February 7, 2014
Found it very slow ,not a very good book :( x
February 22, 2014
I would have rated higher had the author not used the anachronistic phrase "cut to the chase" more than once!
July 29, 2014
I enjoyed this. Some grammatical errors, but didn't take away from the story.
October 8, 2015
Some wonderful twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end.
the only thing that let this book down was one or two editing errors where there were spelling/type errors
the only thing that let this book down was one or two editing errors where there were spelling/type errors
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews