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The Cracks
A chilling and uproarious punk rock love letter to Gothic horror, in which a woman clashes with an ancient English manor, hell bent on upholding tradition. Perfect for fans of Grady Hendrix and Rachel Harrison.
Following the death of her husband, Sandra Riley is left all but jobless, penniless and about to lose her home. But an encounter with an old university friend seems to offer a lifeline. Gerry McManus was always well-to-do; now he’s risen to join the landed gentry, as his wife Joy takes possession of her aristocratic family’s remote, dilapidated but undeniably impressive stately Hautmond Hall.
Accepting Gerry’s invitation, Sandra arrives at the house intending to gather her thoughts, face her grief and plan her next move. But life at Hautmond isn’t so simple. Why is she having such dreadful dreams? Why do visitors to the house keep suffering inexplicable accidents? What’s hidden in the secret room buried deep in the lightless cellar? And who are the distant, shadowed figures she keeps glimpsing in the mirrors?
As the truth about Hautmond Hall begins to reveal itself, Sandra finds herself trapped inside a waking nightmare. And if she is going to survive, she’s going to have to put her trust in the most unlikely of places.
A love letter to the power of punk, The Cracks is an uproariously funny, and delightfully scary novel about rebellion, class and a middle finger to wealth and privilege.
A love letter to the power of punk, The Cracks is an uproariously funny, and delightfully scary novel about rebellion, class and a middle finger to wealth and privilege.
Following the death of her husband, Sandra Riley is left all but jobless, penniless and about to lose her home. But an encounter with an old university friend seems to offer a lifeline. Gerry McManus was always well-to-do; now he’s risen to join the landed gentry, as his wife Joy takes possession of her aristocratic family’s remote, dilapidated but undeniably impressive stately Hautmond Hall.
Accepting Gerry’s invitation, Sandra arrives at the house intending to gather her thoughts, face her grief and plan her next move. But life at Hautmond isn’t so simple. Why is she having such dreadful dreams? Why do visitors to the house keep suffering inexplicable accidents? What’s hidden in the secret room buried deep in the lightless cellar? And who are the distant, shadowed figures she keeps glimpsing in the mirrors?
As the truth about Hautmond Hall begins to reveal itself, Sandra finds herself trapped inside a waking nightmare. And if she is going to survive, she’s going to have to put her trust in the most unlikely of places.
A love letter to the power of punk, The Cracks is an uproariously funny, and delightfully scary novel about rebellion, class and a middle finger to wealth and privilege.
A love letter to the power of punk, The Cracks is an uproariously funny, and delightfully scary novel about rebellion, class and a middle finger to wealth and privilege.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 8, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 26, 2026
That was fantastic.
A punk rock love letter to the working class. Who are sick and tired of the flag waving xenophobes, the gentry, and the elite who preach a world where they stand on the backs of the rest of society and use us for cheap labour.
Fucking fuck the fucking fuckers.
The Cracks is a story about a woman who loses her husband, and is cast aside by the unfair world we live in. One that expects us to keep moving, and contributing when that can sometimes be almost impossible.
She is working class. But she has friends that are wealthy. Like, wealthy, wealthy. And so she goes to stay with them in their stately home.
What follows is a surreal, often comedic - darkly so at times - look at the absurdity of the rich, as well as how haunting the truth of how many of today’s gentry were afforded their wealth and status.
The Cracks is not a book I would have typically picked up, but it was superb.
It was a good time. It riled me up. The writing itself was genuinely real, didn’t feel forced and sang to me through the pages.
Take a bow T H Huddleston because this was perhaps one of my main shocks (in a good way) of 2026 so far.
4.5/5.0
A punk rock love letter to the working class. Who are sick and tired of the flag waving xenophobes, the gentry, and the elite who preach a world where they stand on the backs of the rest of society and use us for cheap labour.
Fucking fuck the fucking fuckers.
The Cracks is a story about a woman who loses her husband, and is cast aside by the unfair world we live in. One that expects us to keep moving, and contributing when that can sometimes be almost impossible.
She is working class. But she has friends that are wealthy. Like, wealthy, wealthy. And so she goes to stay with them in their stately home.
What follows is a surreal, often comedic - darkly so at times - look at the absurdity of the rich, as well as how haunting the truth of how many of today’s gentry were afforded their wealth and status.
The Cracks is not a book I would have typically picked up, but it was superb.
It was a good time. It riled me up. The writing itself was genuinely real, didn’t feel forced and sang to me through the pages.
Take a bow T H Huddleston because this was perhaps one of my main shocks (in a good way) of 2026 so far.
4.5/5.0
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Review in the September 2026 issue of Booklist and on the blog: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2026/09... (link live on 9/10/26 at 7 am eastern)
Three Words That Describe This Book: class issues, sentient and sinister haunted house, cinematic
This is a very British haunted house story. That is not a bad thing, but I do need to be clear that it explores class issues very thoroughly, specifically the British landed gentry class vs everyone else and how these old manors in the country used to be the entire town.
This is a slow burn story as well. a steady slow burn like all the best disorienting, sinister haunted house stories are. We enter with Sandra, the outsider. Her husband died (fairly young) of an illness. They were barely middle class, big punk fans, but his illness led to her not being able to work as a chef and then all she did was take care of him, but neither made money and healthcare in England (despite what we think in America is not free at all. He died and they were in debt and she lost the house they loved and were so proud to own.
Gerry, her old college boyfriend and her husband's best friend comes to the funeral and offers to let Sandra grieve and recover and get back on her feet at no cost to her by coming to live in the manor house-- Hauntmond Hall. His wife inherited it and they could use the company.
Gerry was always the rich friend and it was awkward. But she accepts.
But of course, this is a horror novel and the house is not haunted, rather, as readers learn through Sandra-- it is evil. And it has powers.
There is research into the house's history that is shared by the older hippie who is hired to renovate the house and then paid to stop as accidents happen when he and his crew try to renovate. This added to the overall fear. It makes it clear that the house is evil, has real power, and has been doing horrible things for years. Very solid world building there.
But this is a violent story, not a gothic. I need to be clear. The house causes serious accidents, even death to those who try to leave or help those trying to leave. It gets into everyone's brains and makes them slaves to the house, to keep people there, to never want to leave. This a the landed gentry literally trying to hold on to its power through the land.
There is real danger here and not everyone makes it, but the ending is a great horror ending. The history and world building make it even better.
Told with a creepy omniscient narration that works perfectly for this story. Mostly we are in Sandra's head but there are chapters to Gerry, his wife, and even their 6 year old kid. It allows the deeply insidious and sinister power at the core of the house to be portrayed with the terror it deserves.
The punk rock frame to fight the horror and nite Sandra with the townsfolk who are helping her free herself (and others) from the house was fun, but in my opinion it did not make the sporty itself better.
But the punk rock adds to the cinematic nature of this book. It would be a great movie. So many scenes I could visualize. The epilogue-- I totally could see that visually. Creepy.
Fans of sentient, sinister haunted house stories like House of Leaves by Danielewski will love this. More recently, think Slade House by Mitchell, We Live Here Now by Pinborough, and Accumulation by Pokwatka-- all three of these have a mystery angle of someone who begins to understand that the house itself has a sinister, even violent agenda and they try to figure it out and beat it. Some are more successful than others.
Three Words That Describe This Book: class issues, sentient and sinister haunted house, cinematic
This is a very British haunted house story. That is not a bad thing, but I do need to be clear that it explores class issues very thoroughly, specifically the British landed gentry class vs everyone else and how these old manors in the country used to be the entire town.
This is a slow burn story as well. a steady slow burn like all the best disorienting, sinister haunted house stories are. We enter with Sandra, the outsider. Her husband died (fairly young) of an illness. They were barely middle class, big punk fans, but his illness led to her not being able to work as a chef and then all she did was take care of him, but neither made money and healthcare in England (despite what we think in America is not free at all. He died and they were in debt and she lost the house they loved and were so proud to own.
Gerry, her old college boyfriend and her husband's best friend comes to the funeral and offers to let Sandra grieve and recover and get back on her feet at no cost to her by coming to live in the manor house-- Hauntmond Hall. His wife inherited it and they could use the company.
Gerry was always the rich friend and it was awkward. But she accepts.
But of course, this is a horror novel and the house is not haunted, rather, as readers learn through Sandra-- it is evil. And it has powers.
There is research into the house's history that is shared by the older hippie who is hired to renovate the house and then paid to stop as accidents happen when he and his crew try to renovate. This added to the overall fear. It makes it clear that the house is evil, has real power, and has been doing horrible things for years. Very solid world building there.
But this is a violent story, not a gothic. I need to be clear. The house causes serious accidents, even death to those who try to leave or help those trying to leave. It gets into everyone's brains and makes them slaves to the house, to keep people there, to never want to leave. This a the landed gentry literally trying to hold on to its power through the land.
There is real danger here and not everyone makes it, but the ending is a great horror ending. The history and world building make it even better.
Told with a creepy omniscient narration that works perfectly for this story. Mostly we are in Sandra's head but there are chapters to Gerry, his wife, and even their 6 year old kid. It allows the deeply insidious and sinister power at the core of the house to be portrayed with the terror it deserves.
The punk rock frame to fight the horror and nite Sandra with the townsfolk who are helping her free herself (and others) from the house was fun, but in my opinion it did not make the sporty itself better.
But the punk rock adds to the cinematic nature of this book. It would be a great movie. So many scenes I could visualize. The epilogue-- I totally could see that visually. Creepy.
Fans of sentient, sinister haunted house stories like House of Leaves by Danielewski will love this. More recently, think Slade House by Mitchell, We Live Here Now by Pinborough, and Accumulation by Pokwatka-- all three of these have a mystery angle of someone who begins to understand that the house itself has a sinister, even violent agenda and they try to figure it out and beat it. Some are more successful than others.
October 15, 2026
Kết hợp giữa The Shining và truyện của Edith Wharton.
The Cracks kể về Sandra, một goá phụ mới mất chồng, mất cả nhà, được một người bạn cũ Gerry mời về ở cùng gia đình anh tả ở Hautmond Hall, một căn trang viên to lớn lâu đời thuộc dòng họ nhà Joy - vợ Gerry. Khi ở đây, Sandra vô thức bị ép buộc phải làm việc như một người hầu.
Motif một căn nhà có cảm giác, tri giác được sử dụng trong cả fantasy lẫn kinh dị, thriller. Hautmond Hall là một thực thể sống, tồn tại bao đời nay và được duy trì bởi một hệ thống quyền lực của giai cấp thống trị. Hautmond Hall sống mãi nhờ sự tiếp nối truyền thống của dòng họ, áp đặt ý chí lên những người thuộc tầng lớp thấp lao động trở thành những cỗ máy làm việc nhà. Kiến trúc, lịch sử và quyền lực hoà quyện tạo thành một ý chí rất riêng, rất mạnh mẽ của căn nhà, gây ảnh hưởng tới những người sống trong đó. Ở đây, chúng ta không có Overlook hấp thụ sức mạnh của người sống để tồn tại vĩnh hằng. Chúng ta có Hautmond Hall áp đặt sức mạnh lên người khác để bắt buộc duy trì quyền lực mãi mãi của nó.
Dễ thấy sự cô lập cũng là một đặc tính tăng sức mạnh và sức ảnh hưởng của Overlook và Hautmond Hall.
Mình không thích Sandra. Mình lại càng đặc biệt ghét cách Sandra vô tình tạo điều kiện để bị Joy và Gerry lợi dụng, vô tình trở thành con rối của Hautmond Hall mà không nhận ra. Mình ghét Sandra luôn tìm cách biện hộ cho Joy và Gerry, trong khi bản thân để tự bị cô lập khỏi văn minh, cộng đồng. Sự khinh bỉ những người lao động thể hiẹn rất rõ qua cách sống thờ ơ cả ngày của Joy và thái độ hợm hĩnh trong lời nói của cô ta. Vậy mà Sandra vẫn ngu ngốc đến độ phải tỏ ra sự biết ơn vì Gerry và Joy đã cho ở nhờ nhà họ.
Truyện có idea về căn nhà ma ám khá là hay, thể hiện rất rõ cái sự xa rời thực tế của những người giàu, quý tộc. Càng đọc càng thấy đen tối, đôi khi là mình còn không chắc tác giả muốn Sandra thức tỉnh về số phận của mình. Có vẻ như việc sống trong căn nhà này trong vai trò là làm thuê là một điều cơ bản hiển nhiên đối với Sandra, như một cách cảm ơn lòng tử tế của vợ chồng Gerry với tình cảnh của mình. Hoàn cảnh của Sandra cũng tạo điều kiện thuận lợi cho việc đó xảy ra: mất nhà, vừa mất chồng, cô độc, không kiếm được việc.
Mình thích cách nhân vật cuối cùng cũng không đầu hàng số phận đã định trước cho mình và bắt đầu phản kháng. Theo sau đó là sự giúp đỡ của hàng bao thế hệ đã bị bóc lột và bị áp bức một cách bất công và đến đường cùng. Mình không đồng ý lựa chọn của Sandra để xử lý căn nhà (vô tình dẫn đến thêm nhiều cái chết vô tội), nhưng mình thích cách tác giả cho nhân vật Gerry cố gắng sửa chữa lỗi lầm sau những gì mình đã gây ra, cho dù có thể vì cái lợi ích ích kỉ của anh ta thôi.
The Cracks kể về Sandra, một goá phụ mới mất chồng, mất cả nhà, được một người bạn cũ Gerry mời về ở cùng gia đình anh tả ở Hautmond Hall, một căn trang viên to lớn lâu đời thuộc dòng họ nhà Joy - vợ Gerry. Khi ở đây, Sandra vô thức bị ép buộc phải làm việc như một người hầu.
Motif một căn nhà có cảm giác, tri giác được sử dụng trong cả fantasy lẫn kinh dị, thriller. Hautmond Hall là một thực thể sống, tồn tại bao đời nay và được duy trì bởi một hệ thống quyền lực của giai cấp thống trị. Hautmond Hall sống mãi nhờ sự tiếp nối truyền thống của dòng họ, áp đặt ý chí lên những người thuộc tầng lớp thấp lao động trở thành những cỗ máy làm việc nhà. Kiến trúc, lịch sử và quyền lực hoà quyện tạo thành một ý chí rất riêng, rất mạnh mẽ của căn nhà, gây ảnh hưởng tới những người sống trong đó. Ở đây, chúng ta không có Overlook hấp thụ sức mạnh của người sống để tồn tại vĩnh hằng. Chúng ta có Hautmond Hall áp đặt sức mạnh lên người khác để bắt buộc duy trì quyền lực mãi mãi của nó.
Dễ thấy sự cô lập cũng là một đặc tính tăng sức mạnh và sức ảnh hưởng của Overlook và Hautmond Hall.
Mình không thích Sandra. Mình lại càng đặc biệt ghét cách Sandra vô tình tạo điều kiện để bị Joy và Gerry lợi dụng, vô tình trở thành con rối của Hautmond Hall mà không nhận ra. Mình ghét Sandra luôn tìm cách biện hộ cho Joy và Gerry, trong khi bản thân để tự bị cô lập khỏi văn minh, cộng đồng. Sự khinh bỉ những người lao động thể hiẹn rất rõ qua cách sống thờ ơ cả ngày của Joy và thái độ hợm hĩnh trong lời nói của cô ta. Vậy mà Sandra vẫn ngu ngốc đến độ phải tỏ ra sự biết ơn vì Gerry và Joy đã cho ở nhờ nhà họ.
Truyện có idea về căn nhà ma ám khá là hay, thể hiện rất rõ cái sự xa rời thực tế của những người giàu, quý tộc. Càng đọc càng thấy đen tối, đôi khi là mình còn không chắc tác giả muốn Sandra thức tỉnh về số phận của mình. Có vẻ như việc sống trong căn nhà này trong vai trò là làm thuê là một điều cơ bản hiển nhiên đối với Sandra, như một cách cảm ơn lòng tử tế của vợ chồng Gerry với tình cảnh của mình. Hoàn cảnh của Sandra cũng tạo điều kiện thuận lợi cho việc đó xảy ra: mất nhà, vừa mất chồng, cô độc, không kiếm được việc.
Mình thích cách nhân vật cuối cùng cũng không đầu hàng số phận đã định trước cho mình và bắt đầu phản kháng. Theo sau đó là sự giúp đỡ của hàng bao thế hệ đã bị bóc lột và bị áp bức một cách bất công và đến đường cùng. Mình không đồng ý lựa chọn của Sandra để xử lý căn nhà (vô tình dẫn đến thêm nhiều cái chết vô tội), nhưng mình thích cách tác giả cho nhân vật Gerry cố gắng sửa chữa lỗi lầm sau những gì mình đã gây ra, cho dù có thể vì cái lợi ích ích kỉ của anh ta thôi.
October 6, 2026
In this book we start with Sandra who is recently bereaved after the death of her husband who she had spent the last few months caring for. As a consequence of which she is jobless, penniless, and way behind on her mortgage. But she has the fortune to bump into an old uni friend at the funeral and he offers her a lifeline. Gerry has recently joined the ranks of the landed gentry as his wife takes possession of the family pile - Hautmond Hall... OK so its a bit of a shed tbh, in need of some severe renovations. But it could be a temporary home for Sandra as she gets back on her feet.
But sometimes something that good has to be too good to be true... but not always as dangerous as this offer turns out to be but I will leave you to discover the warts and all grisly details for yourself. Suffice to say it's a bit of a horror story! And one with a long line of equally grisly history.
Well... this took me right back to my youth when pretty much all I read was horror - Herbert, King, and Masterton were my staple diet and this book was reminiscent of some of the books I recall from that time... Not that it wasn't unique in its own right I hasten to add... It's dark, often bleak, and at times I was wondering how on earth the author would be able to find a befitting conclusion to it all. But he did and it worked. And as well as leaving me satisfied, it also left me hankering for more of the same...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
But sometimes something that good has to be too good to be true... but not always as dangerous as this offer turns out to be but I will leave you to discover the warts and all grisly details for yourself. Suffice to say it's a bit of a horror story! And one with a long line of equally grisly history.
Well... this took me right back to my youth when pretty much all I read was horror - Herbert, King, and Masterton were my staple diet and this book was reminiscent of some of the books I recall from that time... Not that it wasn't unique in its own right I hasten to add... It's dark, often bleak, and at times I was wondering how on earth the author would be able to find a befitting conclusion to it all. But he did and it worked. And as well as leaving me satisfied, it also left me hankering for more of the same...
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a dark book. It starts out on a bleak note, gains a little bit of hope, but then vanishes down a real modern gothic rabbit hole.
I will say that I found it hard going at times, but our protagonist was stalwart - and punk - enough that I kept on reading, just to see how she'd do. And it is a battle, of dark corridors, hauntings and history overlapping on present day.
Intense, and yes - very dark!
I was kindly sent an early copy of this book but the above opinions are entirely my own
I will say that I found it hard going at times, but our protagonist was stalwart - and punk - enough that I kept on reading, just to see how she'd do. And it is a battle, of dark corridors, hauntings and history overlapping on present day.
Intense, and yes - very dark!
I was kindly sent an early copy of this book but the above opinions are entirely my own
June 28, 2026
I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.
Wow was the horror in this insidious! This was such a fascinating concept. We meet Sandra, she’s in a horrible position. Her husband has just died and she’s been caring for him for months causing her to fall behind on her mortgage. She finds herself grieving, homeless and unemployed, unable to keep a job as she’s still struggling with grief as the funeral has only just happened. She’s approached by an old university friend who offers her to stay at the stately home his wife has just inherited. She doesn’t want to, but she is desperate. There she’s met with politeness, a seeming pleasure at her presence, but something doesn’t seem quite right.
This is a slow burn horror, things happen gradually. But it’s all the more effective for this approach. It’s often the mundanity of what happens that makes it so troublesome. The gradual creeping of boundaries, the behaviour wrapped up in social niceties, manners, gratitude. However it’s rotten to the core, exploitation and manipulation seeding through the novel. It’s a riveting read! The class divide is a core part of the book and the idea of people having their ‘places’. The way it’s so easy for people to fall into difficulty and so easy for others to exploit their desperation.
Throughout though there’s a spirit of punk rebellion, little things that rage against the encroaching horror of the house. Sandra refuses to be a victim and continually pushes back, trying different things to get her life back on track. This was a really engaging, often rage inducing read!
Wow was the horror in this insidious! This was such a fascinating concept. We meet Sandra, she’s in a horrible position. Her husband has just died and she’s been caring for him for months causing her to fall behind on her mortgage. She finds herself grieving, homeless and unemployed, unable to keep a job as she’s still struggling with grief as the funeral has only just happened. She’s approached by an old university friend who offers her to stay at the stately home his wife has just inherited. She doesn’t want to, but she is desperate. There she’s met with politeness, a seeming pleasure at her presence, but something doesn’t seem quite right.
This is a slow burn horror, things happen gradually. But it’s all the more effective for this approach. It’s often the mundanity of what happens that makes it so troublesome. The gradual creeping of boundaries, the behaviour wrapped up in social niceties, manners, gratitude. However it’s rotten to the core, exploitation and manipulation seeding through the novel. It’s a riveting read! The class divide is a core part of the book and the idea of people having their ‘places’. The way it’s so easy for people to fall into difficulty and so easy for others to exploit their desperation.
Throughout though there’s a spirit of punk rebellion, little things that rage against the encroaching horror of the house. Sandra refuses to be a victim and continually pushes back, trying different things to get her life back on track. This was a really engaging, often rage inducing read!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Some houses are haunted. Others have an agenda.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Class issues, sentient and sinister haunted house, cinematic
Thank you to T. H. Huddleston, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.
The Cracks is a slow-burn British horror novel that uses classic gothic tropes to deliver a sharp, violent critique of the English landed gentry. Rather than a standard ghost story, the book centers on a sentient, deeply insidious estate that exerts a controlling, almost hypnotic pull over anyone within its perimeter, enforcing class hierarchies through sheer malevolence and bloody "accidents."
The narrative unfolds through a creepy, omniscient perspective that primarily rests with Sandra, though occasional chapters shift to other inhabitants of the estate. This multi-perspective approach allows the full extent of the house's control to surface as readers watch different minds gradually warp under its influence.
Key Characters:
1. Sandra: A former chef and working-class ex-punk processing immense grief. After spending months caring for her late husband, an agonizing period that depleted their savings and cost them their homes, she is desperate, exhausted, and vulnerable when she accepts an offer to stay at Hautmond Hall. Despite her grief, Sandra’s underlying punk defiance keeps her fighting back against the subtle and violent forces trying to submerge her.
2. Vin: Sandra’s late husband (present through her memories and motivations). A former record shop employee with a charismatic, welcoming energy, Vin was the heart of Sandra's world and the person who bonded deeply with both Sandra and Gerry during their university days.
3. Gerry McManus: Sandra’s old university friend and ex-boyfriend. Well-meaning, awkward, and comfortably wealthy, Gerry was always the "posh boy" in their trio. His offer to host Sandra at Hautmond Hall stems from genuine concern, yet his position in the upper class leaves him blind to the estate's true nature and the subtle exploitation at play.
4. Joy: Gerry’s wife, a former interior designer who inherited Hautmond Hall. Joy is eager to restore the massive country manor to its former glory through guided tours and dinner parties, wholly integrated into the traditions and social expectations the estate represents.
5. Xander: Gerry and Joy’s six-year-old son, whose young mind provides an unsettling window into how early the estate begins shaping those who live within its walls.
The true villain of the novel is Hautmond Hall itself, a "bloated pile of mortar and malevolence" that sits on the landscape like an interloper. Huddleston builds a solid historical foundation for the house through a local renovation crew and an older hippie contractor, whose research reveals a centuries-long pattern of brutal crimes and deliberate subjugation carried out in the name of nobility.
The horror operates on two levels: the slow, insidious erosion of boundaries disguised as upper-class manners and social obligations, and violent physical acts inflicted on anyone attempting to break free. Combined with a recurring motif of punk rebellion as a counterweight to conservative tradition, the story creates a distinct, visually striking atmosphere that feels ready-made for a cinematic adaptation.
While the pacing leans heavily into a quiet, steady burn before accelerating into a chaotic climax, The Cracks stands out as an intriguing exploration of power, desperation, and structural entitlement wrapped in a modern haunted house framework.
My Verdict.
Overall, The Cracks is an atmospheric and unusual blend of haunted-house horror, social commentary, and punk rebellion. The pacing occasionally tested my patience, and I would have liked the punk aspect to have been explored even further, but the concept of a sentient house determined to preserve its own hierarchy was fascinating. Sandra also made for a compelling protagonist because her battle with Hautmond becomes about far more than simply surviving something supernatural; it becomes about reclaiming control of a life that grief, poverty, and eventually the house itself have tried to take away from her.
A creepy, intelligent, and increasingly brutal horror with a wonderfully sinister central concept and an ending that makes you look at Hautmond Hall very differently.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Class issues, sentient and sinister haunted house, cinematic
Thank you to T. H. Huddleston, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.
The Cracks is a slow-burn British horror novel that uses classic gothic tropes to deliver a sharp, violent critique of the English landed gentry. Rather than a standard ghost story, the book centers on a sentient, deeply insidious estate that exerts a controlling, almost hypnotic pull over anyone within its perimeter, enforcing class hierarchies through sheer malevolence and bloody "accidents."
The narrative unfolds through a creepy, omniscient perspective that primarily rests with Sandra, though occasional chapters shift to other inhabitants of the estate. This multi-perspective approach allows the full extent of the house's control to surface as readers watch different minds gradually warp under its influence.
Key Characters:
1. Sandra: A former chef and working-class ex-punk processing immense grief. After spending months caring for her late husband, an agonizing period that depleted their savings and cost them their homes, she is desperate, exhausted, and vulnerable when she accepts an offer to stay at Hautmond Hall. Despite her grief, Sandra’s underlying punk defiance keeps her fighting back against the subtle and violent forces trying to submerge her.
2. Vin: Sandra’s late husband (present through her memories and motivations). A former record shop employee with a charismatic, welcoming energy, Vin was the heart of Sandra's world and the person who bonded deeply with both Sandra and Gerry during their university days.
3. Gerry McManus: Sandra’s old university friend and ex-boyfriend. Well-meaning, awkward, and comfortably wealthy, Gerry was always the "posh boy" in their trio. His offer to host Sandra at Hautmond Hall stems from genuine concern, yet his position in the upper class leaves him blind to the estate's true nature and the subtle exploitation at play.
4. Joy: Gerry’s wife, a former interior designer who inherited Hautmond Hall. Joy is eager to restore the massive country manor to its former glory through guided tours and dinner parties, wholly integrated into the traditions and social expectations the estate represents.
5. Xander: Gerry and Joy’s six-year-old son, whose young mind provides an unsettling window into how early the estate begins shaping those who live within its walls.
The true villain of the novel is Hautmond Hall itself, a "bloated pile of mortar and malevolence" that sits on the landscape like an interloper. Huddleston builds a solid historical foundation for the house through a local renovation crew and an older hippie contractor, whose research reveals a centuries-long pattern of brutal crimes and deliberate subjugation carried out in the name of nobility.
The horror operates on two levels: the slow, insidious erosion of boundaries disguised as upper-class manners and social obligations, and violent physical acts inflicted on anyone attempting to break free. Combined with a recurring motif of punk rebellion as a counterweight to conservative tradition, the story creates a distinct, visually striking atmosphere that feels ready-made for a cinematic adaptation.
While the pacing leans heavily into a quiet, steady burn before accelerating into a chaotic climax, The Cracks stands out as an intriguing exploration of power, desperation, and structural entitlement wrapped in a modern haunted house framework.
My Verdict.
Overall, The Cracks is an atmospheric and unusual blend of haunted-house horror, social commentary, and punk rebellion. The pacing occasionally tested my patience, and I would have liked the punk aspect to have been explored even further, but the concept of a sentient house determined to preserve its own hierarchy was fascinating. Sandra also made for a compelling protagonist because her battle with Hautmond becomes about far more than simply surviving something supernatural; it becomes about reclaiming control of a life that grief, poverty, and eventually the house itself have tried to take away from her.
A creepy, intelligent, and increasingly brutal horror with a wonderfully sinister central concept and an ending that makes you look at Hautmond Hall very differently.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Cracks is a gothic horror novel about an English stately home with its own secrets, working to uphold tradition in the modern day. Sandra's a recently widowed ex-punk without a job and about to lose her home when her old university friend Gerry offers her a sanctuary in the form of staying with them in his wife's family manor in the countryside. At first, Sandra thinks she can use this as a chance to rebuild her life, but the longer she spends there, the more strange things happen, sinister accidents and figures in mirrors, and it seems that Hautmond Hall has its own ideas about what Sandra should do.
This book is a classic 'haunted building makes people act in certain roles' story, using gothic horror to explore the British class system (as gothic horror often does). Like the fictional punk song at its centre, this is not a subtle book. The history of the house and its family is cartoonishly evil, hitting all the expected horrible landed gentry notes, and Sandra's friendship with Gerry is a take on the Brideshead-esque class difference between university friends.
The narrative starts as a slow burn, with the gothic trope of Sandra thinking she's going mad with some of the things happening, and then builds to a bloody conclusion. I like the attempt to combine old manor house gothic horror with punk rock, though the story does end up very predictable, and the punk ethos perhaps didn't quite get enough space to shine or make the book feel very different to other horror stories with old houses wanting to keep people acting in certain ways.
The Cracks is a fun take on punk gothic horror that is perhaps most for people who are like Sandra and her late husband: those whose punk ideals (or former punk ideals) sometimes brush up against being friends with people with other backgrounds and political views. I didn't find it as funny as it was marketed as being (it isn't quite as quirky and high concept as Grady Hendrix and Rachel Harrison, whose work this was compared to), but I appreciate the use of gothic tropes alongside punk ideas.
This book is a classic 'haunted building makes people act in certain roles' story, using gothic horror to explore the British class system (as gothic horror often does). Like the fictional punk song at its centre, this is not a subtle book. The history of the house and its family is cartoonishly evil, hitting all the expected horrible landed gentry notes, and Sandra's friendship with Gerry is a take on the Brideshead-esque class difference between university friends.
The narrative starts as a slow burn, with the gothic trope of Sandra thinking she's going mad with some of the things happening, and then builds to a bloody conclusion. I like the attempt to combine old manor house gothic horror with punk rock, though the story does end up very predictable, and the punk ethos perhaps didn't quite get enough space to shine or make the book feel very different to other horror stories with old houses wanting to keep people acting in certain ways.
The Cracks is a fun take on punk gothic horror that is perhaps most for people who are like Sandra and her late husband: those whose punk ideals (or former punk ideals) sometimes brush up against being friends with people with other backgrounds and political views. I didn't find it as funny as it was marketed as being (it isn't quite as quirky and high concept as Grady Hendrix and Rachel Harrison, whose work this was compared to), but I appreciate the use of gothic tropes alongside punk ideas.
Review of advance copy
Read for a super secret project!
I had a strange time with this one. There were times I was really intrigued and other times I just didn't really engage with.
For a book that wanted to highlight the class divide with a sense of punk rebellion, it felt rather quiet for the majority of the time, almost timid in its approach in moving the plot along. I'm all for slow unfoldings when It comes to story telling, but there felt like there wasn't a lot of movement a lot of the time, especially with the haunted house aspect and then it got a little out of control at the end. It reminded me of the movie The Others, in the way that is was quieter, but I would say potentially less captivating.
I definitely kept noticing the choice of word "crack" which I thought I was reading too much into at first, but perfectly expressed various happenings, leading all back to the finale with a literal and metaphorical sense.
At times The Cracks felt like an escape room of a story and the pacing was starting to pick up, but then it would drop off just as quickly. I struggled to picture a lot of the scenes, but that may be due to my lack of familiarity with the stately homes of the time.
I don't think the themes were as prevelant as they could have been. I feel like readers are going to have the wrong expections if comparing this work to the likes of Grady Hendrix and Rachel Harrison.
I think my struggles were not knowing what kind of book this would be from the blurb, followed by that same confusion about a third through the story, and then struggling with the pace and overall plot. I think it had more to give but ended up falling flat.
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!
I had a strange time with this one. There were times I was really intrigued and other times I just didn't really engage with.
For a book that wanted to highlight the class divide with a sense of punk rebellion, it felt rather quiet for the majority of the time, almost timid in its approach in moving the plot along. I'm all for slow unfoldings when It comes to story telling, but there felt like there wasn't a lot of movement a lot of the time, especially with the haunted house aspect and then it got a little out of control at the end. It reminded me of the movie The Others, in the way that is was quieter, but I would say potentially less captivating.
I definitely kept noticing the choice of word "crack" which I thought I was reading too much into at first, but perfectly expressed various happenings, leading all back to the finale with a literal and metaphorical sense.
At times The Cracks felt like an escape room of a story and the pacing was starting to pick up, but then it would drop off just as quickly. I struggled to picture a lot of the scenes, but that may be due to my lack of familiarity with the stately homes of the time.
I don't think the themes were as prevelant as they could have been. I feel like readers are going to have the wrong expections if comparing this work to the likes of Grady Hendrix and Rachel Harrison.
I think my struggles were not knowing what kind of book this would be from the blurb, followed by that same confusion about a third through the story, and then struggling with the pace and overall plot. I think it had more to give but ended up falling flat.
Pick it up, give it a go & enjoy!
October 13, 2026
The Cracks sounds like a wonderfully unsettling gothic horror story, blending grief, class tension, and supernatural mystery in a way that makes Hautmond Hall feel like a character in its own right. Sandra's situation makes the story especially compelling because she arrives at the house already struggling with loss and financial uncertainty, hoping for a fresh start, only to find herself caught in something far more disturbing.
I love the contrast between the grand, decaying estate and the secrets hidden behind its impressive appearance. The strange dreams, unexplained accidents, shadowy figures, and mysterious cellar create an atmosphere filled with dread and unanswered questions. What makes the premise even more intriguing is the suggestion that Sandra's nightmare is connected to generations of people who came before her. It sounds like a gripping read for anyone who enjoys gothic horror with psychological depth, social commentary, and a dark exploration of power and desperation.
I love the contrast between the grand, decaying estate and the secrets hidden behind its impressive appearance. The strange dreams, unexplained accidents, shadowy figures, and mysterious cellar create an atmosphere filled with dread and unanswered questions. What makes the premise even more intriguing is the suggestion that Sandra's nightmare is connected to generations of people who came before her. It sounds like a gripping read for anyone who enjoys gothic horror with psychological depth, social commentary, and a dark exploration of power and desperation.
Review of advance copy
I enjoyed the heck out of this! The Cracks isn't perfect, but it is very relatable and timely. The ending certainly gave me pause in its reckless speed and plotting, but it also felt inevitable. It is a very dark story about how the different classes coexist and power dynamics that fester and rot. I expected a bit more punk, maybe if this was a second story in a series, where the beloved Viv had passed on, this would have landed better. But I did enjoy a realistic look at the opportunistic nature of the charitable wealthy, the transactional nature of care in a certain cut throat class, bred to be that way. I also really enjoyed the fox.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I didn't know where it was going and then when it happened, it was the perfect sort of shock I should have predicted! From my blurb:
"The Cracks is an insidious piece of creeping class horror that effortlessly drags you toward the inevitable. You live in the world, you should know where it's going, but you won't until you reach this book's wicked conclusion."
"The Cracks is an insidious piece of creeping class horror that effortlessly drags you toward the inevitable. You live in the world, you should know where it's going, but you won't until you reach this book's wicked conclusion."
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
2.5
Review of advance copy
3.5 Stars.
Review submitted to Library Journal for potential professional publication.
Review submitted to Library Journal for potential professional publication.
October 9, 2026
Good page turner and characters but one of the worst endings I’ve ever read.
November 4, 2026
Very creepy and violent ghost story. Loved what it has to say about class.
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