6 Rocabarra Terrace: An unsettling psychological thriller that builds to a supernatural climax

by CC Gilmartin

Genres: Fiction

357 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 16, 2026

Reviews

[Sue Wallace]

6 Rocabarra Terrace by CC Gilmartin.
This was a good read. It took me a few chapters to get into this book. I loved the cover. That's why I signed up for this tour. I wasn't sure how I felt about the characters. I didn't not like them but I didn't love them. I liked the writing style and the story. I did like the setting. very eerie and dark. I did like the ending. different.

[Stacy Bradley]

This book hooks you in. Wanting to follow her through it want answers like her and her son wanted answers going through the grief. At the start it is a lityle slow build up but ur soon in a fast pace with the little time jumps on her past and her present and seeing it from other character pov its full of emotions and psychologicaly thrilling but its also traumatic and heart wrentching read.

[AMY (cosycaffeinatedchapters)]

The story starts from Mairi's pov as she travels back to Glasgow when she finds out her son is dead. Throughout the book there are a lot of characters that we meet but I think this works well with all the different secrets and situations. There are a lot of likeable and relatable characters and even the not so nice people had their purpose. I enjoyed finding out the bigger picture, such as Mairi's past and how things worked out for Joseph without his mum around. Generational secrets always intrigues me but this was portrayed really well in this story.

This is a dark, deeply gripping psychological thriller with a paranormal element. Definitely worth a read! I'd like to read more by this authour. 6 Rocabarra Terrace kept me constantly engaged and intrigued throughout.

[Meg Hall]

6 Rocabarra Terrace is a dark, atmospheric psychological thriller with a poetic writing style. It weaves between the past and the present.

The story follows Mairi, who returns to her childhood remote Scottish island, after a tragic call about the son she had abandoned years ago. She ends up heading to Glasgow to clear out his room, in a crumbling creepy Victorian townhouse, whilst unraveling the mystery of her past and why her son left the island, and what had happened to him.

The highlight of the book is definitely the stunning island setting and its fascinating history which contrasts with her current life in London.

The story takes its time getting started, keeping the focus purely on the psychological mystery and a very dark, brooding atmosphere. Because the characters are kept quite mysterious, it really lets the eerie themes take the centre stage. It keeps you turning the pages to find out why Mairi left her son, and what his struggles were.

The real action is saved for the finale!

After a big build-up, the story takes a massive turn into spooky horror. Although there are mentions throughout, the macabre increases and the drama intensifies, with ghosts and other supernatural elements.

The story finishes with an open-ending that will leave you thinking about the mystery, long after reading.

It is a great pick if you fancy a twisty, eerie mystery with a supernatural ending.

[Amanda Felton]

Thank you to LBT for having me on this book review tour and for my gifted copy of this epub.

First the cover of this book is just pure creepy vibe and just is so well done. Really draws you into this book. I mean it did got me. I saw the cover and I was like yep I need this book in my life. lol.

So glad I had the opportunity to read this book was definitely so good. I mean the book stats out pretty strong with Mairi our main character having to travel to Glasgow because she finds out her son is dead like can imagine I know I couldn’t as a parent. Nope. I would be done for. I love how this part is told from Mairi point of view but we have others that come into play and I liked that. It adds so much depth to the book. I seriously couldn’t get enough.

I mean I love a good thriller like this. One that has secrets and generational connections and depth and just creepy and the wow or the umm what. I did that a lot in this book. Out loud. My family looked at me like I was crazy. O I am peeps lol.

So many layers and add in the dark setting holy cow. I was kinda creeped out at points. Doesn’t take much but I live in the middle of nowhere on 10 acres lol

Overall I loved this book. The writing was so well done and I couldn’t put this down. Read way into the night.

I can’t wait to check out more from this author !!

[Charlotte]

📆 dual timeline.
👀 multi POV
🐢 -🐇 fast-paced
💬 "These words are my inheritance. They are mine and they have always been within me."

This is one of those books that's left me feeling rather unsettled, but in a good way because that shows how good the supernatural element is. What started as a story about about the grief and guilt felt by a woman grieving the death of the son she abandoned as a baby, soon became something much darker and more intense.

The jumping between past and present added to the overall air of confusion, and I have to admit that at times I wasn't entirely sure if the characters were actually real. I kept thinking that bits didn't add up, the timelines didn't make sense, and then they did. It both made total sense and has left me feeling slightly confused and on edge. I love a book that has a lasting effect like that!

As a Mother my heart broke for Mairi, she's living every parents worst nightmare. And at the same time I was so angry with her for abandoning her baby. Being an unmarried mother in 2006 was perfectly acceptable, I should know, I had my second child that year. But of course there was more to Mairi’s story than I first thought, and whilst I'll still never understand walking away from a child, my heart broke for her.

I definitely recommend this dark, supernatural thriller and hope Gilmartin writes more of this genre in future.

[Courtney Kniffen]

Genre: Psychological thriller | Supernatural
Pages: 357
Rating: 5 stars

Wow! Holy bananas! This book has so much to unpack. One part of me is thinking how great this book is and the other part of me is saying WTF just happened!? The story starts out with our main character, Mairi, returning "home" for the death of her son. She is determined to find out how and why he died, so she returns to 6 Rocabarra Terrace, which to me give Amityville Horror house vibes. The twists, the turns, the mic drops...just brilliant! The timings for each shoe hitting the floor were impeccable and perfect. I love that we get flashbacks to not only Mairi's life before the chaos, but we get backstories on Joseph, Mairi's mom, and Mairi's grandmother as well. What a wicked storyline it was and I loved every single page of it. The cover gave me an eerie feeling that had me convinced this was going to be a great read and I was not disappointed. I plan to read more from this author ASAP.

[Melissa]

6 Rocabarra Terrace is weird, creepy, crazy, all the things that make a supernatural psychological thriller fun! I like the shifting between past and present as the story unfolds for each generation of Mairi’s family and more and more pieces are revealed. If you’re like me, then the story being told this way draws you in deeper and makes closing the book (or e-reader) difficult because you need to know. Next thing you know, it’s in the middle of the night, and you’re finally done, feeling satisfied with how the story played out and that you got the answers you sought, but you have to go to work in just a few hours. Such is the life of a reader! That is what this book was like for me, and hopefully, it’s how it is for you as well. 5 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Daisy Hollands]

Oh my the atmospheric tension caused by this book. Yes it most definitely is a psychological thriller but it’s in no way action packed. The drama unfolds slowly and seeps from the house and the hearts of the characters and lodges itself in the brains and bones of the reader. It is one of those stories that really gets under your skin. The emotional pull and heartbreak for Mairi and the turmoil of her searching for answers while weighed down with guilt and shame. There is an air of confusion with the timelines and storylines and that just adds to the buildup of tension. Parts of the story are cold, even colder than the Scottish winter setting. A remarkable book. I loved it and the story has stayed with me. Highly recommended.

[Lauren Flewett]

6 Rocobarra Terrace is told from main character Mairi’s point of view and is mostly present day with flashes of the past woven in.

I found this a bit of a slow burn but I do not read many books with a supernatural element, this was an interesting mix of supernatural and psychological thriller. The wintery Scottish December setting certainly added to the atmosphere for this book.

This is a standalone work from CC Gilmartin and my first read by these authors. I look forward to exploring more of their books.

[Kathryn]

An atmospheric read that is creepy and suspenseful. 

Mairi receives a phone call to say her son has passed away. She left him as a baby, but now feels the need to return home once more. 

Meanwhile, there are flashbacks to Mairi's past and chapters from the perspective of other characters. 
The mood of the book is dark and foreboding, as is the building of 6 Rocabarra Terrace. 

I really liked this book and found it creepy and chilling. I loved the mix of the supernatural and the psychological, it added to the confusion of what was really happening.

[Christine Harman]

A new stand alone psychological thriller from C C Gilmartin. Mairi heads back to Scotland when she hears of her sons death. We follow Mairi as she pieces together the last days of his life. This is a complicated, compelling tale of betrayal and abandonment. With strong supernatural elements the narrative leads us back and forth to the beginning of Joseph's existence, the reason for Mairi leaving and the subsequent events. Totally addictive, the story has a melancholy feeling which transports you to the streets of Glasgow. It gave me a feeling of stories like Murder in the Rue Morgue. Highly recommended.

[Kerry Garrick]

This is a very intriguing thriller with a paranormal twist. The paranormal element makes for an interesting read.

I really enjoyed following Mairi on her journey of uncovering the truth behind her sons death.

I did find it quite slow paced, and really struggled to work out what was going on. But as the events at 6 Rocabarra Terrace unfolded, it all slotted into place.

[Alice]

I already knew I liked the author’s writing having enjoyed the first three books in the Colin Buxton series. While 6 Rocabarra Terrace has a different tone and delves into a slightly different genre, the same writing style had me hooked to the story.

On the surface, this book appears to be a story about family dynamics, facing past horrors and coming to terms with family secrets. But as you delve deeper in, there are more and more layers to this story. Just like with the endless twisting corridors of the mysterious 6 Rocabarra Terrace, there’s always more to discover about this hurting family. What seems like just a family drama actually has a dark paranormal undertone.

I found the story dark, the setting just adding to this. The whole story is atmospheric and my reading became faster and faster as I wanted to uncover the secrets of this building and the family. There are quite a lot of characters and the perspective of the narrative changes between chapters. But I quickly became settled into how everyone is connected.

Overall, an evocative, edge of your seat read.

[Becca Smith]

I was drawn in not only by the book's unsettling cover, but by the emotional story you'll uncover as you read. Despite a slow start, I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and by the end, I was completely hooked.

The descriptions of this dark setting are beautifully written and the plot builds a lot of tension.

Grab this one if you're looking for a suspenseful and emotional story with supernatural elements!