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While You Sleep
It begins, they say, with a woman screaming . . .
On a remote Scottish island, the McBride house stands guard over its secrets. A century ago, a young widow and her son died mysteriously there; just last year a local boy, visiting for a dare, disappeared without a trace.
For Zoe Adams, newly arrived from America, the house offers a refuge from her failing marriage. But her peaceful retreat is disrupted by strange and disturbing nighttime intrusions; unknown voices; a constant sense of being watched.
The locals want her to believe that these incidents are echoes of the McBrides’ dark past. Zoe is convinced the danger is closer at hand, and all too real—but can she uncover the truth before she is silenced?
On a remote Scottish island, the McBride house stands guard over its secrets. A century ago, a young widow and her son died mysteriously there; just last year a local boy, visiting for a dare, disappeared without a trace.
For Zoe Adams, newly arrived from America, the house offers a refuge from her failing marriage. But her peaceful retreat is disrupted by strange and disturbing nighttime intrusions; unknown voices; a constant sense of being watched.
The locals want her to believe that these incidents are echoes of the McBrides’ dark past. Zoe is convinced the danger is closer at hand, and all too real—but can she uncover the truth before she is silenced?
393 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2018
122 people are currently reading
3213 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Merritt
12 books124 followers(Also writes under the pseudonym S.J. Parris)
Stephanie Merritt (born 1974 in Surrey) to Jim and Rita Merritt is a critic and feature writer for various publications including The Times, the Daily Telegraph, the New Statesman, Zembla and Die Welt. She has also been Deputy Literary Editor and a staff writer at The Observer.
Merritt graduated in English from Queens' College, Cambridge in 1996. Prior to this, she attended Godalming College in Surrey.
She is the author of two novels, Gaveston (Faber & Faber) which won a Betty Trask Award of £4,000 from the Society of Authors in 2002 [2:], and Real (2005), for which she is currently writing a screenplay. She has also written a memoir, The Devil Within, published by Vermilion is 2008, which discusses her experiences living with depression.
Meritt has appeared regularly as a critic and panellist on BBC Radio 4 and BBC7, has been a judge for the BBC and Channel 4 new comedy awards as well as the Perrier Award, and appeared as interviewer and author at various literary festivals, as well as the National Theatre and the English National Opera.
Stephanie Merritt (born 1974 in Surrey) to Jim and Rita Merritt is a critic and feature writer for various publications including The Times, the Daily Telegraph, the New Statesman, Zembla and Die Welt. She has also been Deputy Literary Editor and a staff writer at The Observer.
Merritt graduated in English from Queens' College, Cambridge in 1996. Prior to this, she attended Godalming College in Surrey.
She is the author of two novels, Gaveston (Faber & Faber) which won a Betty Trask Award of £4,000 from the Society of Authors in 2002 [2:], and Real (2005), for which she is currently writing a screenplay. She has also written a memoir, The Devil Within, published by Vermilion is 2008, which discusses her experiences living with depression.
Meritt has appeared regularly as a critic and panellist on BBC Radio 4 and BBC7, has been a judge for the BBC and Channel 4 new comedy awards as well as the Perrier Award, and appeared as interviewer and author at various literary festivals, as well as the National Theatre and the English National Opera.
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December 22, 2017
* I was invited to read 'While You Sleep' ( a psychological thriller/ ghost story ) by the publisher and have given an unbiased review in exchange*
Standing in splendid isolation on a remote Scottish island, the McBride house may have been brought into the 21st century in terms of its renovation, but its secrets go back centuries.
Artist, Zoe Adams has travelled from her home in America, to rent the McBride house, primarily because of its isolation - she's seeking refuge from a failing marriage, and also hopes that the peace and solitude will help her come to terms with a tragic event a year earlier, which contributed to the breakdown of her relationship.
Before she even has a chance to settle in, strange noises and visions, together with other unexplained events leave Zoe questioning her sanity. She does her best to see rational explanations to these events but others on the island are only too happy to tell her about the deaths and hauntings associated with the house. This is an island of superstitions and myths, but can Zoe discover the truth from the myths? She enlists the help of schoolteacher Edward and bookshop owner Charles to help unravel McBride's secrets before the house has an impact on her life in a most sinister way!
It might just be me, ( because I have to be honest, when it comes to ghost stories / the supernatural, I'm a bit of a wimp ), but I certainly found this to be a really creepy, spine tingling read! Initially Zoe manages to find an explanation for all the eerie events, but there came a time when I thought " What the heck girl! get yourself out of there! I would have been out of that house faster than a ferret up a trouser leg!
Wonderfully descriptive, the author creates the perfect atmosphere with characters that suited this isolated part of the world particularly well ( though I didn't actually like too many of the characters ) As the storyline progresses the tension increases at an alarming pace, with some neat little twists along the way, making it increasingly difficult to put down. As for the ending, I loved it, and it featured one of the characters that I did like!
Standing in splendid isolation on a remote Scottish island, the McBride house may have been brought into the 21st century in terms of its renovation, but its secrets go back centuries.
Artist, Zoe Adams has travelled from her home in America, to rent the McBride house, primarily because of its isolation - she's seeking refuge from a failing marriage, and also hopes that the peace and solitude will help her come to terms with a tragic event a year earlier, which contributed to the breakdown of her relationship.
Before she even has a chance to settle in, strange noises and visions, together with other unexplained events leave Zoe questioning her sanity. She does her best to see rational explanations to these events but others on the island are only too happy to tell her about the deaths and hauntings associated with the house. This is an island of superstitions and myths, but can Zoe discover the truth from the myths? She enlists the help of schoolteacher Edward and bookshop owner Charles to help unravel McBride's secrets before the house has an impact on her life in a most sinister way!
It might just be me, ( because I have to be honest, when it comes to ghost stories / the supernatural, I'm a bit of a wimp ), but I certainly found this to be a really creepy, spine tingling read! Initially Zoe manages to find an explanation for all the eerie events, but there came a time when I thought " What the heck girl! get yourself out of there! I would have been out of that house faster than a ferret up a trouser leg!
Wonderfully descriptive, the author creates the perfect atmosphere with characters that suited this isolated part of the world particularly well ( though I didn't actually like too many of the characters ) As the storyline progresses the tension increases at an alarming pace, with some neat little twists along the way, making it increasingly difficult to put down. As for the ending, I loved it, and it featured one of the characters that I did like!
April 20, 2023
It begins, they say, with a woman screaming. You can’t tell at first if it’s pleasure or pain, or that tricky place where the two meet; you’re almost embarrassed to hear it, but if you listen closer it comes to sound more like anguish, a lament torn from the heart: like an animal cry of loss, or defiance, or fury, carried across the cove from cliff to cliff on the salt wind.While You Sleep is described on the back cover of the ARE I read as “a modern-day ghost story,” adding that it is “a page-turning, chillingly erotic Hitchcockian thriller” and so on. And I must admit that much of that is true. Modern day ghost story? Sure. There be spectres here. Page turning? Yep again. I typically split my reading between downstairs books, that I read on, or at my desktop and upstairs books, usually fiction that I read in bed before going (or trying, anyway, to go) to sleep. I definitely looked forward to bed time on the days when I was reading this book. Down near the bottom of that back page is a quote from Gregg Hurwitz, the author of Orphan X, calling it “A sumptuously written contemporary Gothic thriller.” It made me realize that, for all the thousands of books I have read in my life, I was not particularly clear on just what it meant for a book to be considered a Gothic. So, I cranked up the internet machine and had a look around.
“Everyone who comes here is trying to escape from something.”
Stephanie Merritt - image from The Times
There is Gothic fiction, but there also appear be sub-categories, romance and horror, that make it all very confusing for me. My early diving down that rabbit hole led to far too many side passages, German Gothic fiction, Russian Gothic fiction. I might enjoy a lit class in such things, but cannot really squeeze it all in for the purposes of a single review. First, there is some space between Gothic Romance and Gothic Horror, with plenty of overlap as well. Think Wuthering Heights vs Dracula. Turns out there are many characteristics in the sundry lists of specifics that overlap, adding to the distill-it-all-down challenge. I am adding links to some of the sources I found in EXTRA STUFF. But I found one site in particular that seemed to have done the job for me, and, hopefully will for you.
Generic Gothic novel image – from Literary Hub
I am using intel from an article on the elements of the Gothic Novel from Virtual Salt to frame this look at the book. Let’s begin with…
1 - The setting of a gothic is usually a castle or an old mansion. Although recently renovated, the considerable McBride House sits on a high, sea-facing cliff, has been around for a long time, even has roots in the pre-christian era, so definitely, check. Such places are usually endowed with secret passages, trap doors, and/or other architectural surprises. There is some of that here, so double-check. Zoe Adams is a forty-something Yank looking for a room of her own on the other side of the pond, and settles on a rather out-of-the way Scottish island. Her husband was not exactly thrilled on learning of her plans.
From Futurism.media
2 - Gothic novels have an atmosphere of mystery or suspense, threatening feelings, characters see glimpses of this or that fleeting image, a person, a ghost, something. Oh, yeah, Zoe gets glimpses in abundance. Visual, auditory, olfactory. The book opens with a mystery. Two boys checking out the house on a balmy night hear screaming, one runs toward the action, the other passes. Then more screaming, this time a boy’s. Scratch one kid? That’s the contemporary mystery, a year before Zoe makes landfall. But wait, there’s more. The house has a history. Seems back in 1860 one Tamhas McBride built the house, and married the current owner’s great-great aunt, Ailsa. They got up to some interesting antics there, which I will not spoil, but let’s just say spells and sexuality figured. And where spells and sexuality in 19th century doings occur, scandal cannot be far behind. Isolation is a part of this. Slightly tougher to manage in a 21st century setting. But don’t worry, the power supply to the McBride place is dodgy enough that we can expect the odd blackout or three, and there is no broadband. A lovely moor lies between the house and town, several miles distant, so, yeah, she’s gonna be stuck alone there at some point, in the dark, and unable to reach anyone.
image from Futurism
3 – There is often an ancient prophecy or legend associated with the spooky house. More the latter here, as the place is reputed by locals to be the goto place to bring a date if you wanna get lucky. Something about it gets the juices flowing. Things have been seen appearing in windows from time to time. Zoe is befriended by a local character of an older gentleman, Dr. Charles Joseph, who runs a local bookstore and is a font of local history and lore. Seems Ailsa McBride was a bit of an oddity in the area, maybe too confident, maybe too modern for a remote Scottish island. Some thought her a witch, some thought the house had seen doings with the dark one, himself. Sweet dreams.
image from Futurism
4 – Omens, portents and visions are regular elements of gothics. Dreams as well. Well, boy-o-boy are there dreams. Maybe some part of Ailsa is still around, as Zoe has particularly vivid dreams in the McBride house, of a very sexual nature. Sounds like way more excitement than she had ever had at home. But are the dreams really hers? Or is someone or something having those experiences, but using her body for them? Extra alarming is that she tends to wake up in a different room from where she had fallen asleep, and the soreness sure feels real.
Henry Fuseli, The Nightmare, 1781, oil on canvas, 180 × 250 cm (Detroit Institute of Arts)
5 – Gothics manifest supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events. Inanimate objects moving about, statue heads turning, that sort of thing. In addition to the extreme sleeptime disturbances above, in a less extreme mode, there is a repeating song, Ailein Duinn, a haunting lament from the 18th century about a woman whose seafaring fiancée went down with his ship before they could be wed, and her desire to join him beneath the waves. Zoe is introduced to this song when she hears it performed at a (the) local pub, on arriving at the island. Her landlord meets her boat and drags her straight to The Stag. The tune is new to her, but keeps repeating through the story, and even when it is sung in Gaelic she is able to understand the words. It should be noted that the luckless bride-to-be of the song is named Annag, (Annie), the name being used here for a dodgy young barmaid.
Illustration from Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
6 – High, overwrought emotion
Life was not wonderful for Zoe in the States. She desperately needs to get away from something, needs to sort things out, figure out her next moves. There is even mention of meds at one point. The things that keep going bump and grind in the night are not exactly soothing. So, overwrought? Fuh realz.
7 - Women in distress - in this case both a living and maybe a dead woman.
8 – Women threatened by a powerful, tyrannical male
Ailsa’s story includes a totally tyrannical husband. Zoe’s hubs back in Connecticut may be less than the perfect husband, and he has particular faults, but I am not sure tyrannical would be a good descriptor. And there is a third male personage who appears to wield considerable power.
From BBC News piece on The Castle of Otronto
The Virtual Salt layout of Gothic novel characteristics goes on to list a bunch of common tropes they call the metonymy of gloom and horror
-----Wind, particularly howling - gee, ya think? Cliffside house at the shore. It will definitely be a dark and stormy night.
-----Rain, especially blowing - see above
-----Doors grating on rusty hinges – If those are here, I missed them - ya can’t have everything
-----Sighs, moans, howls, eerie sounds - yep
-----approaching footsteps - could I have missed them?
-----lights in abandoned rooms - and locked rooms that are suddenly unlocked
-----character strapped in a room - Oh, yeah
-----Ruins of buildings - there are certainly some ancient elements in the McBride crib
-----Thunder and Lightning - see wind and rain above
-----Clanking chains - no, not really
-----gusts of wind blowing out lights - I think this one skipped as well
-----doors suddenly slamming shut - there may have been one or two
-----baying of distant dogs – sure wish I’d had this list when I started reading, so I could tick off each as it popped up, but my porous memory fails me. Just not sure about the baying.
-----crazed slaughter - well, I’m not telling what may have gone on back in the 1860s, but it sure looks like it was something dark. Back here in the 21st, we are aware of at least one presumed death (body was never found) and there may or may not be more in store, crazed or otherwise.
There is more from Virtual Salt, but I am stopping here. I recommend checking out the site, if the subject is of any interest.
Image from Jane Godman Author, an article, Setting in the Gothic Novel
A few more items of info and observations on the book. There is a bit of a romantic element in the 21st. Sounded possible. I liked the internal dialogue Zoe engages in around that. Danger manifests in the 21st in the presence of two dark characters, a crude, seemingly predatory mechanic sort, and the young barmaid, who takes an instant dislike to Zoe. Serious cause for making sure your doors are locked, and staying away from any dark places. On the other side there is the young teacher, who seems a good, supportive sort, and best of all, Dr Charles Joseph, the local historian, who appeared to me in the image of Brian Cox, full of knowledge and secrets. Of course, can we believe anything anyone says in this place?
Image from Hiveminer.com - Haus by coyote86
There were a few items that bugged me. During a blackout, Zoe is able to retrieve messages from her landline answering machine. Yeah, I know some of them had battery backup, but, well, it bugged me. In gothics set in an earlier age there was a fair bit of swooning. Fainting has gone out of fashion, but it was necessary to the plot for Zoe to drop consciousness here and there, so she kept falling asleep. I nap too. It happens. But it seemed a bit too convenient here.
Finally. Gothics are not my usual fare. I take issue with the formulaic-ness of this particular specimen of the genre, but I guess writers use formulae for a reason. They work. I was engaged, and entertained, although I cannot say that reading this caused me any lost zzzzs. Zoe was appealing in her lostness, and hope for better. There is a nice twist at the end that I did not see coming, although in retrospect, I probably should have. Consider disbelief suspended. A fun read. I would definitely advise taking this with you to that summer retreat by the ocean, or better, after the summer people have gone, and you can have some space to yourself, October, maybe, like the setting of this book. Make sure the doors are locked, and that you have plenty of batteries. And don’t worry about that creaking noise. I’m sure it is just your imagination.
You should know this one
Review posted – April 19, 2019
Published
-----March 5, 2019 (Pegasus Books) – this is the one I read
-----March 8, 2018 (HarperCollins)
==========In the summer of 2019 GR reduced the allowable review size by 25%, from 20,000 to 15,000 characters. In order to accommodate the text beyond that I have moved it to the comments section directly below.
December 29, 2023
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Zoe Adams needs to get away from her regular life. Recently separated from her husband, she wants solitude and rest, in order to get back on track.
With this goal in mind, she rents a newly renovated home on a remote Scottish island.
It doesn't take long after arriving at the McBride house, however, for her to discover that some places hold long memories and she is definitely not going to be getting the relaxation she was hoping for.
Soon Zoe begins researching the history of the house and what she uncovers is far from comforting.
Ailsa McBride, the original owner, was reportedly a witch who murdered her own child. In fact, just the previous year, a boy mysteriously disappeared from the grounds.
Constantly on edge, Zoe sleeps fitfully and begins having visions and visitations from the past.
She can scarcely make it through a few hours at the property without something going awry.
Befriending a few men in the village, she begins to discover long-held island secrets and in turn, finds herself a hot topic for the island rumor mill.
The number of different leads and exposed secrets in this left me spinning. The lore of the island and overall atmosphere was excellently portrayed. I enjoyed the melding of past and present and the characters were well fleshed out.
At times, bordering on erotic, this was an unexpected twist of a classic ghost story with the incorporation of an incubus; something I had never read about previously and certainly was not expecting.
Although this was a slow burn, there was definitely enough intrigue to keep me turning the pages.
The last 10% dropped my rating down a half star. I wasn't sold on the way the story ended. It seemed to wrap-up a little too neatly after the strong, slow build-up.
Overall, I was impressed by Merritt's writing. If you are a Reader that enjoys a bit of sexy times with your Horror, or Mystery stories, you will definitely want to check this one out.
Also, haunted house fans, this is worth a read.
I won't lie, there were moments when I was absolutely freaked out while reading this.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Pegasus Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.
I always appreciate the opportunity!
Zoe Adams needs to get away from her regular life. Recently separated from her husband, she wants solitude and rest, in order to get back on track.
With this goal in mind, she rents a newly renovated home on a remote Scottish island.
It doesn't take long after arriving at the McBride house, however, for her to discover that some places hold long memories and she is definitely not going to be getting the relaxation she was hoping for.
Soon Zoe begins researching the history of the house and what she uncovers is far from comforting.
Ailsa McBride, the original owner, was reportedly a witch who murdered her own child. In fact, just the previous year, a boy mysteriously disappeared from the grounds.
Constantly on edge, Zoe sleeps fitfully and begins having visions and visitations from the past.
She can scarcely make it through a few hours at the property without something going awry.
Befriending a few men in the village, she begins to discover long-held island secrets and in turn, finds herself a hot topic for the island rumor mill.
The number of different leads and exposed secrets in this left me spinning. The lore of the island and overall atmosphere was excellently portrayed. I enjoyed the melding of past and present and the characters were well fleshed out.
At times, bordering on erotic, this was an unexpected twist of a classic ghost story with the incorporation of an incubus; something I had never read about previously and certainly was not expecting.
Although this was a slow burn, there was definitely enough intrigue to keep me turning the pages.
The last 10% dropped my rating down a half star. I wasn't sold on the way the story ended. It seemed to wrap-up a little too neatly after the strong, slow build-up.
Overall, I was impressed by Merritt's writing. If you are a Reader that enjoys a bit of sexy times with your Horror, or Mystery stories, you will definitely want to check this one out.
Also, haunted house fans, this is worth a read.
I won't lie, there were moments when I was absolutely freaked out while reading this.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Pegasus Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.
I always appreciate the opportunity!
March 16, 2019
It begins with a woman screaming......
Zoe Adams has rented the McBride house on a remote Scottish Island. The house is steeped in local gossip, legend, secrets and mystery. A century ago, a young woman and her child died there. More recently a local boy disappeared after going to the house on a dare.
Zoe beings to hear music, a woman's voice, feelings of being watched, and a nighttime visitor. Soon she beings to make friends with some locals and begins to hear more about the home's dark history and the story of the young woman who died there.
I found this to be an enjoyable ghost story which reminded me at times of the movie "The Entity" (okay, now that you are done looking that up, back to the review). Many would have demanded their money back and been on the first plane back home! But Zoe is determined to stay and get to the bottom of things. She goes about doing so with two local men who seem to have a lot of knowledge of the house and the legend surrounding it.
So, what exactly is going on at Hill House...oops...I meant McBride House? (I really want to call it a Manor!) Just what do the locals know? What are they trying to keep secret (if anything), will Zoe find out the truth? What happened to the missing boy? What really happened to the woman and her son?
I enjoyed this book and found it to feel very atmospheric. This book had a nice Gothic feel to it. There are several things going on in this book and I found it was easy to keep track of all of them. I did want a little more backstory on some i.e. the dead woman's husband, the nighttime visitor, etc. Being a ghost story, I did want a ghost (any ghost) to come out toward the end and let one character have it in a major way, but it didn't happen. Ghosts don't always do what you want them to do! I found this book to be entertaining, fun and a little on the creepy side. but not too creepy. I want a ghost story that will have me hiding under the sheets with a flashlight. But still, this was enjoyable, with tension, strange occurrences, things that go *bump* in the night, and a wonderful setting.
Zoe Adams has rented the McBride house on a remote Scottish Island. The house is steeped in local gossip, legend, secrets and mystery. A century ago, a young woman and her child died there. More recently a local boy disappeared after going to the house on a dare.
Zoe beings to hear music, a woman's voice, feelings of being watched, and a nighttime visitor. Soon she beings to make friends with some locals and begins to hear more about the home's dark history and the story of the young woman who died there.
I found this to be an enjoyable ghost story which reminded me at times of the movie "The Entity" (okay, now that you are done looking that up, back to the review). Many would have demanded their money back and been on the first plane back home! But Zoe is determined to stay and get to the bottom of things. She goes about doing so with two local men who seem to have a lot of knowledge of the house and the legend surrounding it.
So, what exactly is going on at Hill House...oops...I meant McBride House? (I really want to call it a Manor!) Just what do the locals know? What are they trying to keep secret (if anything), will Zoe find out the truth? What happened to the missing boy? What really happened to the woman and her son?
I enjoyed this book and found it to feel very atmospheric. This book had a nice Gothic feel to it. There are several things going on in this book and I found it was easy to keep track of all of them. I did want a little more backstory on some i.e. the dead woman's husband, the nighttime visitor, etc. Being a ghost story, I did want a ghost (any ghost) to come out toward the end and let one character have it in a major way, but it didn't happen. Ghosts don't always do what you want them to do! I found this book to be entertaining, fun and a little on the creepy side. but not too creepy. I want a ghost story that will have me hiding under the sheets with a flashlight. But still, this was enjoyable, with tension, strange occurrences, things that go *bump* in the night, and a wonderful setting.
February 13, 2018
Stephanie Merritt writes a disturbing and eerie ghost story and an unsettlingly intense thriller set on an isolated Scottish island. Vulnerable American Zoe Adams escapes a troubling marriage, whilst simultaneously seeking artistic inspiration for her painting. She rents the remote McBride house, a place mired in rumour and superstitious folklore, where long ago a widow and her son died, and more recently where a young boy mysteriously disappeared. Initially Zoe is sceptical about the supernatural tales, but when almost immediately strange events begin to occur, she begins to worry about her mental state. With the help of bookseller, Charles and schoolteacher, Edward, she sets out to find out the secrets of McBride house. This is a compelling gothic story, with a number of twists, including demon lovers, weird singing, an old diary, amidst a background of atmospheric inclement weather. An ideal and entertaining read for those times when what is required are spine chilling thrills! Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.
September 6, 2019
While You Sleep by Stephanie Merritt is a psychological thriller that was a slow burn, although the prose sounded good @ did have me in by the prologue it withered out by about half way, i nearly DNF but wanted to know how it ended.
Zoe Adams moves from America to a little town in the pituresque country of Scotland after a failed marriage, she sees an add in the local paper advertising for a new tenant to occupy the Macbride house which Kaye & mick Drummond own. When Zoe moves in she hears screams at night which seem to fade as she gets closer, but she tells Mick & he just wipes it off.
Then she decides to see The Proffessor Charles Joseph who knows the history of the Macbride home, what she finds out is that the house has a tragic past, she tells the townsfolk of her feelings about the home but they just fob her off.
Will the tragic past of the Macbride house fill her head with demons of the past or will Zoe find out the truth?
MY THOUGHTS
This was a slow burn the characters were well writtenbut the pacing was just plod plod it was supposed to be creepy but i just didnt feel it, it was just an average read that goes clip clop clip clop was nothing outstanding unfortunately hense the 3 stars.
Zoe Adams moves from America to a little town in the pituresque country of Scotland after a failed marriage, she sees an add in the local paper advertising for a new tenant to occupy the Macbride house which Kaye & mick Drummond own. When Zoe moves in she hears screams at night which seem to fade as she gets closer, but she tells Mick & he just wipes it off.
Then she decides to see The Proffessor Charles Joseph who knows the history of the Macbride home, what she finds out is that the house has a tragic past, she tells the townsfolk of her feelings about the home but they just fob her off.
Will the tragic past of the Macbride house fill her head with demons of the past or will Zoe find out the truth?
MY THOUGHTS
This was a slow burn the characters were well writtenbut the pacing was just plod plod it was supposed to be creepy but i just didnt feel it, it was just an average read that goes clip clop clip clop was nothing outstanding unfortunately hense the 3 stars.
March 17, 2018
Zoe travels to a small Scottish Island where she has rented a remote house because she craves peace and quiet as she has recently left her husband. It's clear when she arrives on the Island that the house has a strange and disturbing history. On her first night she has a terrifying dream and can hear strange noises and thinks she is seeing visions. This thriller/ghost story is not my usual genre but I really enjoyed this book and found it addictive. It was very atmospheric and gave me the shivers.
I will definitely be looking for more of Stephanie Merritt books. I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
I will definitely be looking for more of Stephanie Merritt books. I would like to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2019
If it hadn’t of been for the explicit sex scenes in this story, which for me cheapened it, this would easily have been a four if not a five star read.
I thought the author wrote it really well and being set on an isolated and atmospheric Scottish Island -my favourite novel location -it really added to the aura of the story. There were some very scary and edgy moments in the tale that were very palpable but sadly I didn’t feel the need for such graphic, fifty shades of grey style scenes. I’m sure considering the nature of the premise involving an incubus (feel free to google) we could have imagined a lot of the happenings and in my personal opinion were unnecessary. I know of a few older neighbours who would have loved to have read this but feel it would be a inappropriate book and therefore it is missing out on potential readers. Don’t get me wrong, this is an intriguing story that does keep you guessing till the end and the characters, although Zoe the main protagonist was rather unlikeable, did have some endearing qualities, including Charles who I thought was a true enigma and young Robbie who was invaluable to the plot.
A two star read based on my personal opinion but overall if you’re happy to read explicit scenes this is easily a four or a five star book.
I thought the author wrote it really well and being set on an isolated and atmospheric Scottish Island -my favourite novel location -it really added to the aura of the story. There were some very scary and edgy moments in the tale that were very palpable but sadly I didn’t feel the need for such graphic, fifty shades of grey style scenes. I’m sure considering the nature of the premise involving an incubus (feel free to google) we could have imagined a lot of the happenings and in my personal opinion were unnecessary. I know of a few older neighbours who would have loved to have read this but feel it would be a inappropriate book and therefore it is missing out on potential readers. Don’t get me wrong, this is an intriguing story that does keep you guessing till the end and the characters, although Zoe the main protagonist was rather unlikeable, did have some endearing qualities, including Charles who I thought was a true enigma and young Robbie who was invaluable to the plot.
A two star read based on my personal opinion but overall if you’re happy to read explicit scenes this is easily a four or a five star book.
January 13, 2019
I decided to listen to the audiobook version of this since I couldn't wait to see if I would get approved for it on NetGalley.
And, I absolutely loved the book! It's such an engrossing tale and I was captivated by the story right from the start. The only drawback was that the book had to end and I wanted more!
Full review to come!
And, I absolutely loved the book! It's such an engrossing tale and I was captivated by the story right from the start. The only drawback was that the book had to end and I wanted more!
Full review to come!
January 12, 2018
Fragile Zoe escapes her marital woes by fleeing half way around the world from her native America to the seclusion of a remote Scottish island. There, she attempts to make beautiful but isolated McBride House her home - but dark secrets and a tragic past lie within its turreted walls. A past which will not sleep - and an evil which will not die...
'It's pretty far-fetched', states a character in Stephanie Merritt's thriller/chiller, While You Sleep. He's not wrong. This is the stuff of monumental preposterousness, a tale of sexy occult nonsense and things which go bump in the night (in more ways than one). Nothing - and no one - is as it or they seem on Merritt's unnamed Scottish island, replete with crashing waves and barren moorland. There's much scope for atmospherics, given the location, but sadly Merritt doesn't capitalise on this, relying instead on cliche. The locals are superstitious and bumpkinish, rendering the island a sort of McRoyston Vasey; meanwhile, all the expected haunted house tropes are present and correct - there's even a violent thunderstorm crashing about and illuminating things oh-so-scarily as the tale reaches its climax (oh, and there's plenty of ooer missus double entendre chucked in, too, which feels decidedly odd).
Merritt's characters are a little thin and rely heavily on stereotype - the tweedy academic, the sleazy mechanic, the erratic American, the Hugh Grantish young teacher with the floppy fringe. Zoe is the most pleasing, flawed yet feisty but flaky with it; Dougie, however, will make you feel like you need to scrub yourself with wire wool. Ugh.
The erotica here feels a little jarring, shoehorned in to appeal to the Fifty Shades crowd - it's somewhat assaulty in nature, too, and leaves a nasty taste. Particularly unsavoury is the way in which it segues into the abuse of an underage girl - unsettling in all the wrong ways.
Despite its flaws, While You Sleep has some redeeming features. The pace is whip-cracking, and there are one or two pleasing twists (although some are so bizarre the reader feels a little insulted). There are a few genuinely chilling moments, too, but sadly not enough to sustain the tale. It's a book which isn't quite sure what it wants to be - thriller, horror, supernatural chiller, erotica, magic realism? I'm not sure that it 'reinvents the [thriller] genre' as the blurb proclaims, but it certainly defies categorisation. That very unusualness is a virtue, making it stand out from myriad formulaic thrillers. However, there's much lacking - true atmosphere, and originality within what's undoubtedly a very original idea - and the overall result feels a little messy and overdone.
While You Sleep is entertaining enough, but don't expect too much.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
'It's pretty far-fetched', states a character in Stephanie Merritt's thriller/chiller, While You Sleep. He's not wrong. This is the stuff of monumental preposterousness, a tale of sexy occult nonsense and things which go bump in the night (in more ways than one). Nothing - and no one - is as it or they seem on Merritt's unnamed Scottish island, replete with crashing waves and barren moorland. There's much scope for atmospherics, given the location, but sadly Merritt doesn't capitalise on this, relying instead on cliche. The locals are superstitious and bumpkinish, rendering the island a sort of McRoyston Vasey; meanwhile, all the expected haunted house tropes are present and correct - there's even a violent thunderstorm crashing about and illuminating things oh-so-scarily as the tale reaches its climax (oh, and there's plenty of ooer missus double entendre chucked in, too, which feels decidedly odd).
Merritt's characters are a little thin and rely heavily on stereotype - the tweedy academic, the sleazy mechanic, the erratic American, the Hugh Grantish young teacher with the floppy fringe. Zoe is the most pleasing, flawed yet feisty but flaky with it; Dougie, however, will make you feel like you need to scrub yourself with wire wool. Ugh.
The erotica here feels a little jarring, shoehorned in to appeal to the Fifty Shades crowd - it's somewhat assaulty in nature, too, and leaves a nasty taste. Particularly unsavoury is the way in which it segues into the abuse of an underage girl - unsettling in all the wrong ways.
Despite its flaws, While You Sleep has some redeeming features. The pace is whip-cracking, and there are one or two pleasing twists (although some are so bizarre the reader feels a little insulted). There are a few genuinely chilling moments, too, but sadly not enough to sustain the tale. It's a book which isn't quite sure what it wants to be - thriller, horror, supernatural chiller, erotica, magic realism? I'm not sure that it 'reinvents the [thriller] genre' as the blurb proclaims, but it certainly defies categorisation. That very unusualness is a virtue, making it stand out from myriad formulaic thrillers. However, there's much lacking - true atmosphere, and originality within what's undoubtedly a very original idea - and the overall result feels a little messy and overdone.
While You Sleep is entertaining enough, but don't expect too much.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 22, 2019
“Even in sunshine there was a bleakness to the island’s beauty that had whispered to her.”
While You Sleep is a book dripping in beautifully written atmosphere and eerie goings-on and features a protagonist who isn’t entirely reliable or likable.
Zoe arrives at a remote island to rent a recently renovated home in Scotland. She’s running from her life, for – reasons, and needs some alone time. The neighbors are welcoming and a little smothering even though she does her best to keep them at arm’s length. She quickly learns that the house where she is staying has a spooky reputation and her attempts to investigate upset some of the locals. When odd events start occurring inside the house; sex dreams, a man who may or not be there, strange voices and other haunting events, no one wants to take her seriously with the exception of an old bookseller and a young teacher who is attracted to her.
So that’s the set up. What follows is a very slow burn but the pace is pretty steady and even. Zoe and her crew of two attempt to figure out exactly what is happening at the house and dig up what has happened in the past. This may or may not have something to do with a long deceased woman, her dead son and possible experimentation with the occult. There are many descriptive passages of sexy times past and present because there also may or not be an incubus involved here somewhere. This may or may not be your cup of tea, coffee or bourbon but I didn’t mind it. More of it wouldn’t have hurt me any either.
Secrets and hints hide in every nook and cranny of this house and its surrounding cliffs. I figured out a few and a few I didn’t see coming at all (a particularly juicy and scandalous one at that). I admit I was disappointed when I guessed at a big one because I don’t think I’m very good at this kind thing but that one was so obvious to me. The characterization is strong and detailed and even though I personally didn’t like Zoe very much (and that never changed); she’s, ummm, imperfect to put it nicely and comes off as self-involved, angry at the wrong people and scatter-brained, I was involved enough with the other characters and their welfare that it wasn’t a stumbling block for me. You can’t like everyone, right? I also NEEDED to know all the secrets and most of them were answered in the end. There’s a pretty big one left dangling though which was a wee bit frustrating after all of the build-up.
I’d give this book a 3.75 on a scale of 1-5. It’s better than average and kept luring me back in whenever I had to put it down to live my life.
I received an ARC from Pegasus Books, thanks for sharing!
While You Sleep is a book dripping in beautifully written atmosphere and eerie goings-on and features a protagonist who isn’t entirely reliable or likable.
Zoe arrives at a remote island to rent a recently renovated home in Scotland. She’s running from her life, for – reasons, and needs some alone time. The neighbors are welcoming and a little smothering even though she does her best to keep them at arm’s length. She quickly learns that the house where she is staying has a spooky reputation and her attempts to investigate upset some of the locals. When odd events start occurring inside the house; sex dreams, a man who may or not be there, strange voices and other haunting events, no one wants to take her seriously with the exception of an old bookseller and a young teacher who is attracted to her.
So that’s the set up. What follows is a very slow burn but the pace is pretty steady and even. Zoe and her crew of two attempt to figure out exactly what is happening at the house and dig up what has happened in the past. This may or may not have something to do with a long deceased woman, her dead son and possible experimentation with the occult. There are many descriptive passages of sexy times past and present because there also may or not be an incubus involved here somewhere. This may or may not be your cup of tea, coffee or bourbon but I didn’t mind it. More of it wouldn’t have hurt me any either.
Secrets and hints hide in every nook and cranny of this house and its surrounding cliffs. I figured out a few and a few I didn’t see coming at all (a particularly juicy and scandalous one at that). I admit I was disappointed when I guessed at a big one because I don’t think I’m very good at this kind thing but that one was so obvious to me. The characterization is strong and detailed and even though I personally didn’t like Zoe very much (and that never changed); she’s, ummm, imperfect to put it nicely and comes off as self-involved, angry at the wrong people and scatter-brained, I was involved enough with the other characters and their welfare that it wasn’t a stumbling block for me. You can’t like everyone, right? I also NEEDED to know all the secrets and most of them were answered in the end. There’s a pretty big one left dangling though which was a wee bit frustrating after all of the build-up.
I’d give this book a 3.75 on a scale of 1-5. It’s better than average and kept luring me back in whenever I had to put it down to live my life.
I received an ARC from Pegasus Books, thanks for sharing!
April 3, 2019
3.5 Stars. Review to follow.
December 18, 2017
The Wicker Man meets Anne Rice's The Witching Hour
Gorgeously Gothic and packed with atmosphere as an American artist takes up residence in a haunted house on a tiny, remote Scottish island. What plays out has been seen many times before: eerie singing in the night, erotic dreams of a demon lover, lost children, obsession and a diary from the past.
Merritt may not be doing anything very original here, but she delivers her tale with fluency and panache.
Thanks to HarperCollins for ARCs via NetGalley and Amazon Vine.
Gorgeously Gothic and packed with atmosphere as an American artist takes up residence in a haunted house on a tiny, remote Scottish island. What plays out has been seen many times before: eerie singing in the night, erotic dreams of a demon lover, lost children, obsession and a diary from the past.
Merritt may not be doing anything very original here, but she delivers her tale with fluency and panache.
Thanks to HarperCollins for ARCs via NetGalley and Amazon Vine.
February 26, 2018
Confession: I read this book because “It begins, they say, with a woman screaming…” – now that’s a sure-fire way to get my attention, who is this woman and why is she screaming!? While You Sleep is marketed as a psychological thriller, it’s paranormal heavy and contains a good mystery.
As the blurb indicates, this novel has a haunted house vibe to it, and Zoe is about to get caught in the midst of it. Zoe is an “outsider” and is very much treated like one by some of the locals, and this made me warm to her character quickly because I felt she needed an ally. What I really liked about this novel was, not only was Zoe about to get entangled in this town’s history, but she arrived with secrets of her own. And you don’t even realise the knock-on effect of her own secrets until Merritt decides to fill you in.
What I didn’t expect, when I picked up this novel, was it to have such a heavy gothic romance element, there were no plot holes discovered but the way some of these encounters were written was not to my liking. That’s purely a personal preference but I’m not a fan of these explicit encounters, not that they were too graphic in detail, rather, just not my cup of [reading] tea.
The paranormal elements in this book didn’t unsettle me completely, but I’d be lying if I said they didn’t make me wary, didn’t make me extremely grateful that I don’t live in a remote location. For me, the majority of the thrills came from Zoe, not only staying on a remote island, but living so far from her neighbours, knowing if anything went wrong, help was at least twenty minutes away, and that’s if she’s even able to summon help in the first place.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel, but it didn’t keep me engaged throughout; I did find it a bit long-winded, in the sense that things felt a bit stagnant in the middle and I was left waiting for the grand finale for too long. And I’ll hold my hands up, I did skim-read a few pages. But, when the finale came, it was very good – a twist I didn’t see coming that allowed me to see how clever this story was plotted.
I did really enjoy the setting of this novel, the remote location and use of Scottish dialect – reading words such as “cannae” out loud is a must! Stephanie Merritt is best known for her historical fiction books, writing the Giordano Bruno series, as S. J. Parris. Her knowledge and experience of writing historical fiction is evident in this novel, so if you often read historical fiction but want to branch into psychological thrillers, this may be the book for you.
*My thanks to the publisher for granting me access to a digital copy of this title via Netgalley*
As the blurb indicates, this novel has a haunted house vibe to it, and Zoe is about to get caught in the midst of it. Zoe is an “outsider” and is very much treated like one by some of the locals, and this made me warm to her character quickly because I felt she needed an ally. What I really liked about this novel was, not only was Zoe about to get entangled in this town’s history, but she arrived with secrets of her own. And you don’t even realise the knock-on effect of her own secrets until Merritt decides to fill you in.
What I didn’t expect, when I picked up this novel, was it to have such a heavy gothic romance element, there were no plot holes discovered but the way some of these encounters were written was not to my liking. That’s purely a personal preference but I’m not a fan of these explicit encounters, not that they were too graphic in detail, rather, just not my cup of [reading] tea.
The paranormal elements in this book didn’t unsettle me completely, but I’d be lying if I said they didn’t make me wary, didn’t make me extremely grateful that I don’t live in a remote location. For me, the majority of the thrills came from Zoe, not only staying on a remote island, but living so far from her neighbours, knowing if anything went wrong, help was at least twenty minutes away, and that’s if she’s even able to summon help in the first place.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel, but it didn’t keep me engaged throughout; I did find it a bit long-winded, in the sense that things felt a bit stagnant in the middle and I was left waiting for the grand finale for too long. And I’ll hold my hands up, I did skim-read a few pages. But, when the finale came, it was very good – a twist I didn’t see coming that allowed me to see how clever this story was plotted.
I did really enjoy the setting of this novel, the remote location and use of Scottish dialect – reading words such as “cannae” out loud is a must! Stephanie Merritt is best known for her historical fiction books, writing the Giordano Bruno series, as S. J. Parris. Her knowledge and experience of writing historical fiction is evident in this novel, so if you often read historical fiction but want to branch into psychological thrillers, this may be the book for you.
*My thanks to the publisher for granting me access to a digital copy of this title via Netgalley*
Read
August 3, 2018Yet more ghosts!
Lots of strange goings-on in a creepy haunted house, set on the wild and remote coast of a wild and remote Scottish island. A sexy ghostly psychological thriller. Not really my usual, I have to say, although there was a certain compulsion to find out how all the various threads would get tied up at the end. (A little jiggery-pokery necessary, plus a rather convenient and unlikely death).
My daughter gave me this, which made me wonder what induced her to pick it out. Then I found the culprit (I imagine: with two young children, she doesn't get out to bookshops much): this review at the Guardian which claims that "Merritt’s book hits a midpoint between Broadchurch and Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall", both of which I very much like, yes. But a mixture of the two? Incongruous.
Lots of strange goings-on in a creepy haunted house, set on the wild and remote coast of a wild and remote Scottish island. A sexy ghostly psychological thriller. Not really my usual, I have to say, although there was a certain compulsion to find out how all the various threads would get tied up at the end. (A little jiggery-pokery necessary, plus a rather convenient and unlikely death).
My daughter gave me this, which made me wonder what induced her to pick it out. Then I found the culprit (I imagine: with two young children, she doesn't get out to bookshops much): this review at the Guardian which claims that "Merritt’s book hits a midpoint between Broadchurch and Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall", both of which I very much like, yes. But a mixture of the two? Incongruous.
July 30, 2018
I am not actually sure if I 'liked' the book but it was so well written I have chosen to give it 4 stars. The story is dark and I found somewhat depressing (others that gave a reviews said that it was creepy or scary). For me it was the powerful way that the author used her words that kept me turning the pages and thinking about what I have just read...
March 31, 2018
Only gave an extra star because I did actually finish it, more fool me. Last few pages were just hogwash, setting it up as the first book in a series, I wouldn't be surprised. Count me out.
Read
December 9, 2020DNF - I draw the line at scenes involving an incubus (demon) and our protagonist. No demonic books, please, for this reader. Not for me. Thought it would be a psychological suspense, with a bit of ghostly vision.
March 14, 2018
This review and more is also on my blog: https://umutreviews.wordpress.com/201...
While You Sleep is set on a remote Scottish island, which is already enough to send shivers down your spine. Our main character, Zoe Adams, arrives at the McBride house in the middle of nowhere to escape from her failing marriage and stay alone for a while to put things together. From the moment she enters this “haunted” house, her stay becomes uncomfortable with some strange intrusions. Phones get disconnected, lights go off, voices coming out of nowhere…McBride House has its own secrets as a young widow and her son died mysteriously there. If not enough, a local boy also disappeared from there last year.
Our story starts from here, and Zoe, starts to unlock the mystery behind the events.
The best part of this book was the end. I really didn’t expect bomb after bomb at the last 50 pages of the book. It started quite intriguing, slowed down after a while and kept an average pace till the very end. When I was used to this average pace and accepted there wouldn’t be big news, it was like a splash of cold water waking me up.
It was not the most original idea every out there when it comes to gothic thrillers, but it was well written. The story line was built well, as well as the characters. There were lots of surprises, but again, you need to wait for them!
I really liked the atmospheric descriptions, I could picture the house, the island, the remoteness of the setting. Zoe’s feelings were very well expressed, and at times I felt really scared being thankful I wasn’t in that house!
If anything, again, this book was too long at 400 pages. It could be much sharper, which would increase the pace and improve the unnecessary dragging in the middle. This is a trend going on now, I hardly see books under 400 pages. But, especially with thrillers, length makes you lose interest unless you keep giving something to hang on to the reader constantly.
All in all, I enjoyed my time reading this psychological thriller paying a short visit to the Scottish landscape. If you like this type of thrillers, I would also recommend Silent Companions by Laura Purcell.
I gave this book 3.75 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you!
While You Sleep is set on a remote Scottish island, which is already enough to send shivers down your spine. Our main character, Zoe Adams, arrives at the McBride house in the middle of nowhere to escape from her failing marriage and stay alone for a while to put things together. From the moment she enters this “haunted” house, her stay becomes uncomfortable with some strange intrusions. Phones get disconnected, lights go off, voices coming out of nowhere…McBride House has its own secrets as a young widow and her son died mysteriously there. If not enough, a local boy also disappeared from there last year.
Our story starts from here, and Zoe, starts to unlock the mystery behind the events.
The best part of this book was the end. I really didn’t expect bomb after bomb at the last 50 pages of the book. It started quite intriguing, slowed down after a while and kept an average pace till the very end. When I was used to this average pace and accepted there wouldn’t be big news, it was like a splash of cold water waking me up.
It was not the most original idea every out there when it comes to gothic thrillers, but it was well written. The story line was built well, as well as the characters. There were lots of surprises, but again, you need to wait for them!
I really liked the atmospheric descriptions, I could picture the house, the island, the remoteness of the setting. Zoe’s feelings were very well expressed, and at times I felt really scared being thankful I wasn’t in that house!
If anything, again, this book was too long at 400 pages. It could be much sharper, which would increase the pace and improve the unnecessary dragging in the middle. This is a trend going on now, I hardly see books under 400 pages. But, especially with thrillers, length makes you lose interest unless you keep giving something to hang on to the reader constantly.
All in all, I enjoyed my time reading this psychological thriller paying a short visit to the Scottish landscape. If you like this type of thrillers, I would also recommend Silent Companions by Laura Purcell.
I gave this book 3.75 stars rounded up to 4. Thank you!
August 14, 2019
I probably should have read the description better. If I had, rather than doing it when I was 82% of the way through the book I think I would have been turned off by the description of this being erotic.
While You Sleep was too slow paced for me. I found parts of the book dragging as I waited for some sort of resemblance to the chilling ghost-story I had been promised. Sadly it never materialized for me. That combined with the irritating protagonist. A woman who constantly needs rescuing by the males nearby and yet when they offer help scoffs at them for presuming that she, a woman, needs a man.
Not for me.
While You Sleep was too slow paced for me. I found parts of the book dragging as I waited for some sort of resemblance to the chilling ghost-story I had been promised. Sadly it never materialized for me. That combined with the irritating protagonist. A woman who constantly needs rescuing by the males nearby and yet when they offer help scoffs at them for presuming that she, a woman, needs a man.
Not for me.
January 1, 2019
I joked on Twitter that this book has a pretty simple hook: Sex Ghost. I don't want to underplay it because there is more sex than you'd expect and it's a scarier book than I expected, too. Sex Ghost is the main event here and if that sounds up your alley, you will probably have a lovely time with this book.
As a pretty regular horror reader, this book didn't quite deliver the way I'd hoped. It was so promising in the early chapters! I loved the Scottish setting, it's well-drawn and complete, pulling you in with a promise of windy, creaky, old houses on cliffs drama. But after those first few chapters I got really frustrated really fast. It's okay to have a character who is self-destructive, who keeps putting herself back in a dangerous situation over and over again, but you have to earn it. You have to make it make sense to your reader. And here, I often felt like watching a bad horror movie where you can't believe the stupid girl is going right back to the place where she's most likely to get killed. And then she does it over and over again. Eventually, it turns out, there are some reasons for this, but because they're used as twists rather than character development, they don't work.
I just finished another book that had some "is it real or am I crazy" stuff. It's a tricky trope, it has the potential to be gross about mental health. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I've seen it done well (in horror in particular, look at something like THE DROWNING GIRL by Caitlin Kiernan) and in those situations you have to be up front about it and not use it like a pawn on a chessboard of your plot. Here it was clear something else was up with our protagonist, but it was also being withheld from us without good reason. So it was easy to get annoyed with her and mad at her while still not really knowing much about her at all. Luckily Sex Ghost was sexy and scary enough to keep me around until the end.
I liked half the ending, and the other half (as you can probably guess) felt unearned and unsatisfying. It felt like we could've made it not a twist but a built-in part of the plot and that the whole book would have actually worked *better* if we'd had this information all along. There was so much more drama to the story that we hadn't known about, and it would have been more interesting if we had instead of getting it tossed in as a last minute twist.
But it's an atmospheric book that is well-plotted. If you can let yourself follow along with our protagonist even though she makes bizarre and inexplicable decisions just so you can get more Sex Ghost, well I wouldn't blame you.
As a pretty regular horror reader, this book didn't quite deliver the way I'd hoped. It was so promising in the early chapters! I loved the Scottish setting, it's well-drawn and complete, pulling you in with a promise of windy, creaky, old houses on cliffs drama. But after those first few chapters I got really frustrated really fast. It's okay to have a character who is self-destructive, who keeps putting herself back in a dangerous situation over and over again, but you have to earn it. You have to make it make sense to your reader. And here, I often felt like watching a bad horror movie where you can't believe the stupid girl is going right back to the place where she's most likely to get killed. And then she does it over and over again. Eventually, it turns out, there are some reasons for this, but because they're used as twists rather than character development, they don't work.
I just finished another book that had some "is it real or am I crazy" stuff. It's a tricky trope, it has the potential to be gross about mental health. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I've seen it done well (in horror in particular, look at something like THE DROWNING GIRL by Caitlin Kiernan) and in those situations you have to be up front about it and not use it like a pawn on a chessboard of your plot. Here it was clear something else was up with our protagonist, but it was also being withheld from us without good reason. So it was easy to get annoyed with her and mad at her while still not really knowing much about her at all. Luckily Sex Ghost was sexy and scary enough to keep me around until the end.
I liked half the ending, and the other half (as you can probably guess) felt unearned and unsatisfying. It felt like we could've made it not a twist but a built-in part of the plot and that the whole book would have actually worked *better* if we'd had this information all along. There was so much more drama to the story that we hadn't known about, and it would have been more interesting if we had instead of getting it tossed in as a last minute twist.
But it's an atmospheric book that is well-plotted. If you can let yourself follow along with our protagonist even though she makes bizarre and inexplicable decisions just so you can get more Sex Ghost, well I wouldn't blame you.
July 20, 2019
This was sold as a psychological thriller... Not sure I agree.. but then again, what makes a story psychological? And what makes it a haunting? 🤔😱.
This may sound silly, but Il chance it... I felt the cover was too modern! Almost as if the author is trying to attract a different type of reader?! Il be honest, If I had of known that this was actualy, a ghost story I probably would have left it on the shelf. I love a horror on the screen, but rarely as a book form. BUT...Im glad I got sucked in, because the writing here is superb. Some lovely discriptive writing. I really felt all the emotions and the chills!
Iv never felt scared from reading before, not to this extent anyhow.
There was something quite refreshing when actual shadows became faces in windows, and noises became real screams, and cold shivers became real breath on the neck!👹 usualy In stories theres hints of these spooky things, but here, it happens! And it's freaky. So read this if you dare!😜
So there's a house on a remote Scottish Island, its been there for centuries. So many stories fly around the Island about it, stories of Evil, possesion, even witches 😈.
Now for the 1st time in decades, its being rented out. Zoe has come for some peace and quiet from her manic life in the states, she has no idea what awaits her at the McBride's house. And we as readers, have no idea how bad its going to get!!
Dark, mysterious and weirdly intimate!
Sometimes it felt a bit coincedential, always someone on hand to help Zoe out! Like, where did the islanders appear from all the time!?🙄 to think it was far out from everywhere, they seemed to get to her pretty fast.
Charles... is he actually alive at the end?? Does he exist at all? Spose this is where the psychological element shows its head. After everything they go through... was there a need for Edward to die like that?
I was shocked by what happened to young Annag (barmaid) at the house! But felt that it was just shrugged off and not explored enough or appropriately.
I didn't have an issue with the erotic scenes...but couldn't help but imagine it was actualy charles all along. But this would point to assault and he seemed too good for that. He might of hypnotized Zoe from the moment they met?! It would explain her 'dreams' and her knowing so much about Ailsa Mcbride.
Once I got over the fact it wasn't what I usualy call a psychological thriller, I enjoyed it (sometimes with a pounding heart and my husband by my side 😂)
This may sound silly, but Il chance it... I felt the cover was too modern! Almost as if the author is trying to attract a different type of reader?! Il be honest, If I had of known that this was actualy, a ghost story I probably would have left it on the shelf. I love a horror on the screen, but rarely as a book form. BUT...Im glad I got sucked in, because the writing here is superb. Some lovely discriptive writing. I really felt all the emotions and the chills!
Iv never felt scared from reading before, not to this extent anyhow.
There was something quite refreshing when actual shadows became faces in windows, and noises became real screams, and cold shivers became real breath on the neck!👹 usualy In stories theres hints of these spooky things, but here, it happens! And it's freaky. So read this if you dare!😜
So there's a house on a remote Scottish Island, its been there for centuries. So many stories fly around the Island about it, stories of Evil, possesion, even witches 😈.
Now for the 1st time in decades, its being rented out. Zoe has come for some peace and quiet from her manic life in the states, she has no idea what awaits her at the McBride's house. And we as readers, have no idea how bad its going to get!!
Dark, mysterious and weirdly intimate!
Sometimes it felt a bit coincedential, always someone on hand to help Zoe out! Like, where did the islanders appear from all the time!?🙄 to think it was far out from everywhere, they seemed to get to her pretty fast.
Charles... is he actually alive at the end?? Does he exist at all? Spose this is where the psychological element shows its head. After everything they go through... was there a need for Edward to die like that?
I was shocked by what happened to young Annag (barmaid) at the house! But felt that it was just shrugged off and not explored enough or appropriately.
I didn't have an issue with the erotic scenes...but couldn't help but imagine it was actualy charles all along. But this would point to assault and he seemed too good for that. He might of hypnotized Zoe from the moment they met?! It would explain her 'dreams' and her knowing so much about Ailsa Mcbride.
Once I got over the fact it wasn't what I usualy call a psychological thriller, I enjoyed it (sometimes with a pounding heart and my husband by my side 😂)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 11, 2019I'm not into the lack of consent, even from a ghost. It's a DNF, but I would consider a different style book by this author because she is very talented. Not reviewing or rating because I elected to stop reading at 26%.
January 24, 2019
Just finished and will write more of a review later. Do know this is not only spooky as hell but could also be titled "Fifty Shades of a Grey Ghost."
Update 1/24/19: I don't have much more to add except this spooky gothic ghost story with an excellent atmospheric setting on a Scottish isle will keep you on the edge of your couch and may also make you blush a little. One twist was fairly easy to figure out but a couple of others may surprise you. And the ending will have you saying "What just happened??"
The author's alter ego is S. J. Parris, so fans of her historical novels may enjoy this contemporary gothic. If readers don't mind the steamy scenes, I recommend it for those who like Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and Wendy Webb's gothic ghost stories.
Thanks to W. W. Norton for the advance reading copy.
Update 1/24/19: I don't have much more to add except this spooky gothic ghost story with an excellent atmospheric setting on a Scottish isle will keep you on the edge of your couch and may also make you blush a little. One twist was fairly easy to figure out but a couple of others may surprise you. And the ending will have you saying "What just happened??"
The author's alter ego is S. J. Parris, so fans of her historical novels may enjoy this contemporary gothic. If readers don't mind the steamy scenes, I recommend it for those who like Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and Wendy Webb's gothic ghost stories.
Thanks to W. W. Norton for the advance reading copy.
January 3, 2018
Zoe Adams needs to get away from her past for a bit. She flees her troubled marriage and rents an old house on a remote Scottish island. The house has quite the history and none of it good.
Zoe can tell there are stories about the place that her landlord does not want her to hear. As strange things begin to happen she wonders if the house is really cursed or that her mind is playing tricks on her.
The story is fairly slow paced but intense at the same time. It's hard to know who to trust and who not to, but that's good because it keeps you guessing. For the last 100 pages of the book I had to binge read as it was hard to put down.
Zoe can tell there are stories about the place that her landlord does not want her to hear. As strange things begin to happen she wonders if the house is really cursed or that her mind is playing tricks on her.
The story is fairly slow paced but intense at the same time. It's hard to know who to trust and who not to, but that's good because it keeps you guessing. For the last 100 pages of the book I had to binge read as it was hard to put down.
February 16, 2018
I wouldn't want to read this book if I was home alone, I found it quite disturbing and hauntingly chilling. It is a long time since I have read anything quite so spooky and I loved it. It's hard to distinguish between what is real and what is imagined. The setting is an old house set at the top of cliffs on a remote Scottish island, you can almost hear the wind whistling and howling with the waves crashing against the rocks,not the type of place for a woman to be staying alone. I thought the book was very well written and I shall certainly read more from this author.Thank you for the ARC
January 13, 2022
Well that was weirdly erotic...
I was looking for a Gothic ghost story. This book did have a wonderful Gothic setting and atmosphere. The prose were beautiful and reminiscent of Kate Morton. The characters were well written and had depth. But the sex scenes were unexpected and killed the spooky vibe of the story for me.
This wasn't for me but if you don't mind supernatural erotica, give this book a read.
I was looking for a Gothic ghost story. This book did have a wonderful Gothic setting and atmosphere. The prose were beautiful and reminiscent of Kate Morton. The characters were well written and had depth. But the sex scenes were unexpected and killed the spooky vibe of the story for me.
This wasn't for me but if you don't mind supernatural erotica, give this book a read.
October 28, 2018
I had high hopes for this book. It sounded good and the cover drew me in....... I hated it. This book put me in a reading slump where I just couldn't be bothered to pick it up knowing how much I wasn't enjoying it. I slipped over loads of pages again and again and just gave up. I don't usually give up on books but couldn't get into this one
January 26, 2019
DNF’d early. After the 2nd sex scene with the “ghost”, I had enough. Who enjoys being raped by a ghost???
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April 14, 2019DNF
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