The House by the Sea

by Louise Douglas

When Edie’s mother-in-law, Anna DeLuca, dies, she is relieved. Edie blames Anna for the accident that destroyed her family. So, when her will lures Edie to Sicily and the long-abandoned Villa della Madonna del Mare, she sees through Anna’s games.

Suspecting Anna is meddling from beyond the grave to try to reunite her and her ex-husband Joe, Edie is determined to leave Italy as soon as possible. But before she can, the villa starts to shed its mysterious secrets.

Who are the girls beside Anna in her childhood photos, and why has one of them been scratched out? Why does someone, or something, want them to leave the past untouched? The villa is a place where old ghosts feel at home, but does their legacy need to be laid to rest before Edie and Joe can move on…

Bestselling author Louise Douglas returns with a captivating, chilling and unforgettable tale of betrayal, jealousy and the mysteries hidden in every family history.

Praise for Louise Douglas:

‘Kept me guessing until the last few pages and the explosive ending took my breath away.' C.L. Taylor, author of The Accident on Your Beautiful Lies

‘Beautifully written, chillingly atmospheric and utterly compelling, The Secret by the Lake is Louise Douglas at her brilliant best’ Tammy Cohen, author of The Broken

‘A master of her craft, Louise Douglas ratchets up the tension in this haunting and exquisitely written tale of buried secrets and past tragedy.’ Amanda Jennings, author of Sworn Secret

‘A clammy, atmospheric and suspenseful novel, it builds in tension all the way through to the startling final pages.’ Sunday Express, S Magazine

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Italy, Romance

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 13, 2020

About the author

Hello and thank you for visiting my profile page. I write contemporary Gothic novels which are usually inspired by places close to where I live in the Mendips, close to Bristol in the UK, or by places I've visited, especially Italy and Sicily. The House by the Sea won the Jackie Collins Romantic Suspense Award in 2021. The Love of My Life, my first book, was longlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year Award. My second book, Missing You, won the RNA Readers' Choice Award, and my third, The Secrets Between Us was a 2012 Richard and Judy Summer Read.

The next book, The Room in the Attic is due to be published in October 2021 and is a ghost story set in a Victorian asylum-turned-boarding school on Dartmoor.

If you'd like to connect, you'll find me on Facebook Louise Amy Douglas or Twitter: @LouiseDouglas3.

Reviews

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2/5✨

What made me pick up this book??
➡ I was intrigued by the title ,synopsis and the atmospheric cover.
I decided to read it.
250 pages in the book and nothing developed to the point where one cared or was hungry to learn more.

I was on verge of dnfing it but I somehow let myself get enchanted by the beauty of Sicily and the villa .

By the time I completed it I was angry with myself for wasting my time for this predictable read!!!

why I disliked the book?
• Limited vocabulary ( lack of ideas and story line was major drawback of the book which somehow hampered my enjoyment )
• predictable read ( it was so predictable like the one who is acting weird and strange from the starting is the killer....the most obvious turn of events)
• rushed and labored ( the book was 320 pages long ....around 250 pages nothing much happened....and last 50 pages were so rushed....like omg first twist. ..you turn the page...omg second twist....I hated it)
• lightweight character development ( the author miserably failed to portray the story and characters as Gothic which I thought she intended to do)

Why I even bothered to give it 2.5 stars?
• description of Sicily ( I instantly fell in love with the town and villa...it was for the love of this island and villa I decided to read it )
• enthralling and haunting ( at times I felt like it should have been a horror book rather than a mystery. ...it's haunting events were really really good but when it comes to mystery events this book lacked potential with most obvious turns of events)

Overall this book was a starter w/o main course( I am hungry byeee)

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edie has been separated from Joe for ten years following the death of their six year old son Daniel, for which she blames her mother in law Anna DeLuca who has just died. Anna leaves her family villa in Sicily to both Joe and Edie and very reluctantly and with a heavy heart, she travels to Sicily to meet Joe to sort out the legalities. The story that unfolds is told by Edie and has a multitude of elements to it with plenty of atmosphere, some chills, violence and intriguing twists.

There is a lot I like about this book. First of all the villa in the Sicily setting is fabulous. The villa is very old, it’s beautiful, neglected and a bit eerie in its current state but could be stunning if restored to its former glory. I like the initial tension between Joe and Edie which softens as their joint desire grows to rebuild the house and use it in some money making way. There are ghostly, creepy elements to the story and some of the events that occur are macabre and sinister. There is a very intriguing puzzle about Anna as Edie realises that she is not what she thought and it is interesting seeing how Edie’s initial hatred of Anna softens and leads to understanding and acceptance. This means too that Edie can heal, she’s been burdened with grief, loss and hatred which she is able to cast off once the secrets, lies, cruelties and jealousies are revealed towards the end of the book and the truth about Anna and events at the villa emerges. I questioned whether Edie is a reliable narrator as she has so much venom towards Anna but I realise that at her heart is a woman who is true and honest. Joe is a very likeable character and it is heart warming to see how he awakens too in the vibrant Sicilian setting. The characters are well portrayed although some are far from likeable.

However, I have some reservations about the finale which seems overloaded with drama as we lurch from one incident to the next with barely a pause for breath. It’s certainly action packed and you couldn’t describe it as bland!

Overall, it’s a good, enjoyable, easy read that keeps you interested throughout.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

[Lori Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Douglas’s The Room in the Attic and this just did not measure up. I was very annoyed by Edie and really could’ve cared less what happened to her. The plot was predictable and it ended exactly the way I was expecting.

Narration was very good, which earned it .5 star. 3.5 stars.

[Melike · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

A very enjoyable read with some gothic elements that were utterly chilling and captivating.

Edie travels to Italy after her mother-in-law Anna DeLuca dies and leaves Edie and her ex-husband Joe the long-abandoned family villa in Sicily. Edie has no intention to stay any longer than a few days because she still hates Anna and blames her for the loss of her son, Daniel when he was a six-year-old. However, as the ghosts and secrets of Anna’s past become unraveled, Edie’s heart starts to soften and healing begins for both her and Joe. The story is told with great detail, the author’s writing is descriptive and lyrical which helped transport me to Sicily to the villa along the sea. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it highly.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had read this book at any other time I don't think I would have liked it so much (for reasons I'll mention below but you might want to skip for spoilery reasons) but I was feeling mushy and the story was quite moving and the beauty of Sicily was captivating.... I forgave it it's flaws and settled in for a mystery(ish) love-in!
This was an enjoyable read for me.

Slightly spoilery spoilers of fun below...
*
*
*
*
*
The story is very predictable (but I think you would know this from reading the blurb) so this isn't that much of a problem.
The book is disproportionate in terms of story; the first 2 thirds are slowly, slowly with a good amount of mystery and then the author presses fast forward and rushes through the (numerous) conclusions and repercussions.
The main character is difficult to like; I just had to bear in mind that she has lost a child but even then her behaviour throughout is inconsistent...same with the ex-husband...I mean you have to either just go with it or stop reading as this relationship is unfathomable haha!
There could have been so much more character development here that would have improved the reading experience.

[Natalia R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edie hates her former mother-in-law, Anna De Luca and blames her for the death of her six-year-old son. So when Anna dies and leaves her villa in Sicily, Italy to Edie and her ex-husband Joe, she suspects that this is Anna's way of trying to reunite them. Edie is determined to go to Italy, sell the villa as quickly as possible and go back to her life of grief and bitterness in England. But when she arrives, she immediately falls in love with the 200-year-old villa and its mysterious secrets. Who are the girls beside Anna in her childhood photos and why has one of them been scratched out? The locals think that the villa is haunted and brings bad luck to anyone who lives in it, are they right or is something more sinister going on in the little town of Porta Sarina?

The House by the Sea by Louise Douglas is an emotional and gripping story that has a little bit of everything- mystery, ghosts, and romance. The story is beautifully written and flows perfectly. The author's vivid descriptions instantly transported me to the Italian countryside and the foreboding atmosphere had me on the edge of my seat. I really liked Edie's character development. When we first meet Edie, she's overcome with grief and has nothing but hatred for Anna and Joe and blames them for Daniel's death. But as she learns more about Anna's past and spends more time with Joe, she finds the courage to admit to herself that Anna is not to blame for Daniel's death and that she wasn't a bad person. It was wonderful to see Edie come out of her shell and find peace and acceptance. Throughout the story, I was definitely questioning whether or not Edie was a reliable narrator, but even then I was still rooting for her to have a happy ending. The author did a brilliant job of building the tension and suspense, and I enjoyed watching the mystery unravel.
I definitely recommend this book and will not hesitate to read more by this author.

I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rating

When Edie receives a phone call telling her that her late mother-in-law (Anna) has passed away and left a Villa to her and her ex-husband(Jo), she is far from happy. Edie blames Anna for the death of her son (Daniel) and for destroying her marriage and life. Edie can't wait for the whole affair to be over with and sell the Villa and return to her life. Little does Eddie know that the Villa holds secrets and ghosts that don't want her to leave.

**This is a slow burn mystery/drama. I really enjoyed Emma Powell's narration, but the story overall was mediocre.**

[Crystal Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be sure to visit my Favorites Shelf for the books I found most entertaining.

The House by the Sea is my first Louise Douglas novel. I came across this book while surfing on Kindle Unlimited. I was immediately drawn to the cover. Then after reading the synopsis, I decided to begin right away even though I had other books on the go. Once I started, I didn't want to stop. Right away, I felt connected to Edie and Joe. You can feel their pain—so raw. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Villa and the Italian countryside. I was never bored while reading.

[Laur · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just could not connect to this book... part of it was subject matter (at times it felt like it was leaning towards the horror genre with ghostly elements), but the actual story pace was slow and predictable. Repetitive content encouraged me to start skimming. Character development was flat. I generally enjoy reading anything Sicily, but even Sicily couldn't pull me out of this.

[Anbukarasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story with love, crime, parenting, a description of Italy (Sicily) ....

the story is narrated by a woman of her

a. love for her dead son
b. her perception about her dead mother in law
c. her thoughts about her husband

and the changes in them after 10 years when she comes back close to them for a legal procedure

her solving some mysteries and returning to her good life back ....

[Mahayana Dugast · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story but for some reason [it must be me...] I didn't manage to care about the characters for it to be as good as it could have been, I don't know why.

[Amy Ingalls · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't know what it wanted to be. Murder mystery? Gothic horror? Ghost story? Family tragedy? It was odd. The character development was pretty flat as well. I mean, one of the main plot points of the book is two grieving parents who are brought back together after a decade. My heart should have went out to these parents, but it didn't. I didn't really feel any emotional connection to them at all. Which is bad. I mean, who doesn't feel sad that someone's 6-year-old died? I just felt mostly annoyed. Edie mentions Daniel (her son) and how she hates Anna, her mother-in-law so many times. Honestly, it would have made a good drinking game. Oh, she said, "Daniel," drink up. I can't even begin to say I know what it is like to lose a child, but Edie needed some therapy. Seriously. She is left this beautiful villa in Sicily, and can't enjoy it because it would give her dead mother-in-law satisfaction? But all of a sudden wants to live there forever with her ex-husband? Because her son is there, at the Villa, where he had never been in real life (he had never even been to Italy). Yep, makes sense that his spirit would be there.

Edie and Joe finding their way back together, processing anger, guilt, grief-- that could have been a great book. This one, unfortunately, just skimmed the surface of all of those emotions.

But hey, there are ghosts. And somebody terrorizing them at the villa. And domestic violence. And an old family mystery to solve. And a murder (also old). And nuns. So even though I didn't get the book I would have liked to read, there sure is a lot of other stuff that may appeal to you.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A multifaceted mystery that pulled me in with the first chapter. I was drawn to the cover, and the prose tempted me with its quiet mystery. There was something in the background which played hide and go seek with me, a puzzle I needed to solve.

Edie and Joe had lost their son Daniel ten year ago, and mother-in-law Anna was blamed for it. Upon her death, Anna had left Edie a painting where one of the faces was scratched out. It was up to Edie to get to the truth of the face behind.

My first book by author Louise Douglas, I was hit by the emotions of a grieving mother who had not moved on, right from chapter 1. Every page I turned hushed me to go about slowly, reading every word. There was a hint of timelessness in the house left behind, daring me to discover its secrets.

The house was captivating in its descriptions, I was awed by the words chosen by the author. The writing flowed like a gentle brook stepping over the stones, yet giving me powerful imagery. Louise Douglas is a brilliant writer whose lines captured the poet in my soul. I wished I had better words to describe it.

The story did become suspenseful when someone tried to sabotage their restoration. It pulled at my senses. It was lovely to see Edie coming out of her shell, I liked how her grief was transformed. There was an aura of peace around her, except for the troublemakers.

Haunting descriptions, lyrical prose, and characters which touched my heart along with the underlying mystery made this a beautiful read.

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

An utter hodge bodge of a book! Was it romance, was it a mystery, was it a ghost story who knows?

I disliked the main character Edie, she was self-centred throughout the story and made a very dislikeable narrator.

The villa and gardens' history would have made a much better plot and would have offered a much more enjoyable story!

[Jennifer (Jaye) (Hope everyone had a great Christmas, trying to reply to comments and keep being asked to log back in!!!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Buried Secrets*

Edie and Joe have been divorced for 10 years, their marriage ended when a devastating tragedy happened to them. Edie blame for the tragedy firmly with her ex Mother-in-law. When her mother in law passes she leaves the rather run down family villa to Edie and Joe. This means travelling to Italy, the least favourite thing for them both is being in each other’s company.

Edie is desperately hoping to sort out the paperwork and sell the property so she can leave Italy as soon as possible. She also suspects her ex mother-in-law is trying to manipulate her and Joe with the hope they reunite. That is the last thing on both their minds, so selling seems the best option

Interestingly enough the house is carrying lots of secrets and what takes Edie & Joe by surprise is that they never properly talked about their loss and they end up on a journey of discovery. As strange things start happening at the villa, someone is desperate to buy it, this person is wanting to cover up a very dark secret, a secret that stemmed from passion and jealousy.

Will the villa be sold? Can Joe and Edie ever be civil? Why are there childhood photos of Joe’s mother with three girls and one face scratched out?

There is drama, old rivalries, violence and there are some tender moments that I absolutely loved, very engaging in a subtle way

[Tea Jovanović · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with Louise Douglas' writing with her debut novel "The Love of My Life"... Her books are always full of emotions... how people cope with their loss of beloved persons, good plots... This novel got the award and deserved it! I am glad that, after 10 years break, I am again her proud Serbian editor...

"Kuća pored mora" u divnom prevodu Milice Cvetković biće objavljena kod Stele... Posle deset godina pauza evo ponovo prilike da se uživa u knjigama Luize Daglas... Ova knjiga je i nagrađena... Daglasova sjajna dočarava čitaocu emocije junaka suočenih s gubitkom bližnjih... Recimo da njene knjige izazivaju emocije kao i knjige Nikolasa Sparksa...

[Erin Ludeau · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8 stars. I guess I’ll round up to 3.

Well, I wouldn’t go with “captivating” or “chilling” to describe this book (as is in the description here). It’s more of a story of growth and acceptance. It wasn’t what I expected, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. I was in the mood for grit-your-teeth-thriller, so I’m left a little underwhelmed. However, I do need a villa in the Italian countryside now, so there’s that.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

three very slow stars

A big portion of the books I’ve read in the past year have been so slow! Let’s hope my 2021 reads have a bit more action and excitement.

I think this book would make a good beach-read when you’re already relaxed and taking things slow but it’s definitely not a book you want to pick up if you want to kill some time.

[Nat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not good. First off, it's a weird mash-up of gothic horror mystery with a romance. Not saying that can't be done, but it doesn't work here. Our main character, Edie, is totally cuckoo for cocoa puffs the whole way through, so it's hard to feel much of anything except annoyance towards her. The basic plot is that she has to go to Sicily to sort out her inheritance of an old house from her ex-MIL (Anna) who she detested, with her husband (Joe) who she also detests, because she blames them both for the death of her 6-year-old son a decade ago. Leaving aside how strange it is to leave property to your kid's ex-wife, Edie is full of so much hate for Anna that she refuses to even enjoy the scenery because she suspects Anna is looking down on her smugly and she refuses to give her the satisfaction. Not exactly... a normal reaction?

In fact, none of Edie's reactions are normal. Her son Daniel died a decade ago, but she still mentions him in like every single page, sees random strangers out in public and thinks they're him, hears his voice, sees his ghost, etc. Not that I'm saying that a parent who's lost a child would just bounce back, but if you're still grieving every day and it's been 10 years, you should get some therapy. She winds up not wanting to sell the house because she senses Daniel's ghost there even though he didn't die there or even in that country so that doesn't really make any sense. She also spends a lot of time being jealous of Joe hanging out with a old friend who had a crush on him like 30 years ago, even though the friend is married and pregnant, and Edie has been divorced for 10 years and the last they spoke, she told Joe she wished he was dead. Honestly Edie is just a terrible person and none of the things she does makes any sense. She's filled with all this anger and cruelty to Joe and Anna and then in the end she realizes it wasn't their fault actually, which just means she was horrible to them for a decade for no reason.

The actual mystery has nothing to do with Joe or Edie and is about something that happened to Anna when she was a teenager, like 50 years ago. All it does is show us that Edie is god-awful at putting together clues, since the whole thing is super obvious as soon as it gets introduced (This is my best friend Gina. I'm in love with someone who's name starts with G and my traditional father thinks it's a perversion. My friend Gina has disappeared. Also, my parents are digging a really big hole for a new pool in the backyard. Four completely unrelated facts, right?) and show that she was super cruel to someone who had a ton of tragedy and abuse in her past. Good thing she only learned how to forgive after Anna was already dead and couldn't appreciate it, right? The perpetrator is super obvious (the one person acting weird and suspicious...) and the mystery has basically no bearing on the present day so it feels like it's just thrown in randomly. The book was so slow and I waited forever for a good twist, and it wasn't even that interesting or satisfying.

Repetitive, flat, boring, annoying characters, tropey, a totally predictable mystery, etc. I didn't hate it entirely, but I got bored with it quickly and the end couldn't come fast enough. It could have been better if the characters had some more depth but as it is the whole thing fell very flat.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book entirely consumed me from its opening pages until I reluctantly reached the final page – the best of story-telling, fascinating characters, a location I felt I’d been inhabiting for as long as I read, and an atmosphere that entirely chills you to the bone.

Edie is a particularly compelling character – initially spiky, clearly damaged by her recent experience – and a clear and consistent voice that carries the narrative, forced back together with ex-husband Joe to settle his mother’s estate in Sicily. Their exchanges are brittle and raw, with a legacy of damage and hurt from the recent accident – until they reach the Villa della Madonna del Mare, barely habitable but a location where some particular magic happens. It’s a place for repair and healing, where the echoes of the past are close to the surface, and it’s absolutely enthralling to see the characters draw closer as their edges begin to soften.

We find out more – with exquisite slowness – about the accident that changed their lives, and the reasons why Edie holds such hatred in her heart for Anna, her mother-in-law. The emotional impact of the whole story is immense: it takes a while for both Edie and Joe to become wholly sympathetic, but their every contact – with those ragged and bleeding edges – is something you feel, and it really hurts.

The author’s descriptions are simply wonderful – particularly the lush wilderness of the villa’s garden, with its hidden secrets to be discovered, but also the surrounding countryside with its contrasts of wasteland and beauty. And the sea – sometimes an instrument of healing as they dive from the landing stage, sometimes viscous and unwelcoming. Present day Sicily – the real world outside the villa’s gates – is well handled too: the local characters and their stories, and that constant edge of suppressed violence that I remember feeling when I spent time there.

The villa itself becomes another character, with its ghosts and memories – deeply atmospheric, the secrets of the past always close to the surface. There’s a mystery about a missing valuable painting, and then there are a few disturbing incidents – some maybe sabotage, some just downright creepy – that make Edie and Joe feel they are unwelcome there. And then there are all those hidden family secrets, a long history of betrayal and jealousy… their impact on the present, and their part in the healing journey.

I really loved this book – it’s an enthralling story, haunting in its every detail, so beautifully written. The character development is quite exceptional – and the whole book had an unforgettable impact. Highly, highly recommended.

[Fedra · Rating 3 out of 5]

An eerie story set in Cicily during Summer? Yes please!

9 Things to consider (no spoilers):
1. The MC, Edie, is a woman - I was a few pages late to understand that. It's only natural to me, for Edie to be previously married to Joe.

2. The two of them (Edie and Joe, now divorsed for many years) inherit a beautiful villa in Cicily, so they go there during Summer.

3. Villa della Madonna del Mare is described in every detail and there is an atmospheric scenery. It's nice but...

4. ...well, too many details for my taste.

5. I couldn't care for the MC. I just couldn't get in her shoes because she was thinking and acting weird. I mean, like crazy weird.

6. I found this to be slow paced. I get that this is often good for a thriller, someone could call it "slow burn". But it was tiredsome for me that nothing was actually happening most of the time.

7. At the end, the story got a rhythm, a pulse of it's own. But that end was after 80%. Then it did get better and more interesting.

8. The plot twist was nice, but it wasn't really a surprise.

9. Some (minor) things are left unanswered.

That cover though... ❤

2.5 stars

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the charming Italian villa is the best thing about the book, you know you're in trouble.

I think another old house reeled me in ~ they get me every time!
So basically I loved reading about the house and the gardens but could NOT get excited about the main characters at all. They had a sad history which the protagonist brought up ad nauseam. Talk about holding onto anger! Her ex husband seemed a tad bit more likeable but he never got fleshed out fully.

So many predictable elements to the story. I'm a terrible guesser at "who dunnit's" but even I knew a third of the way in who the sinister culprit was.

Wish I could have liked it better. I'm going to be generous here and round up to 3 stars but really wavering over clicking two. Maybe it would be better on the beach??

[Michelle Ule · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the daughter of a Sicilian immigrant who has visited the island three times, I picked up this book to remember that sun-kissed land.

Instead, I got yet another novel in which the Mafia plays a role and, yet again, we have a British couple, albeit with a Sicilian heritage, trying to restore a rotting mansion and running into problems with the locals.

Attention folks. There's a lot more to Sicily than the Mafia.

I also got really tired of the heroine's attitude. I'm happy she finally saw her mother-in-law wasn't really responsible, but I nearly gave up many times.

[ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The House in the title is a villa in Sicily that has belonged to the same family for two centuries. When the family matriarch dies, the heirs - her son and his ex wife - arrive at the villa only to assess its value for a quick sale. Due to a tragedy that killed their young son, the couple has divorced and become estranged. Will the magic of the place result in reunion and healing? Do bears sh!t in the woods? This was a decent read, but not a rave for me. It made me want to visit Sicily in a big way, though.

[Chrissie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to admit to being bored to the point of glazing over after a short while into this book. The repetition, and in depth describing, particularly of food how many tomatoes did Edie slice? - was unnecessary, and added nothing. I do not like to not finish a book, so I persevered, but the "revelations" were predictable early on. Others may have enjoyed it, but it was not for me!

[Littlebookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasantly engaging read, though not my favourite from Douglas. Like all her books it is very atmospheric, Douglas always excels in creating a sense of foreboding and tension that builds slowly in her books, and this is no exception.

The story follow Edie as following the death of her ex mother-in-law Anna, she travels to Sicily. Anna has left Edie and her ex-husband Joe the De Luca family villa, and whilst at first Edie simply wants a quick sale and nothing more to do with the place or her ex-husband, the villa's charm slowly begins to draw her in, its ghosts seeming to call to her. Yet just as Edie and Joe seem to be laying past demons to rest and tentatively looking to their future, their hopes and dreams are threatened, sinister events at play.

A slowly unfolding tale, which is character driven, both Edie and Joe still struggling with their grief over the death of their son Daniel a decade before. This tragic event led to their estrangement, Edie having spent the last ten years clinging to her resentment and anger as a crutch, with Anna always the most to blame in her eyes. The book is in many ways an exploration of grief and the healing process, as Edie and Joe, both damaged individuals, slowly get their lives back on track.

Given the subject matter, the book can feel quite sombre in tone at times, and to begin with Edie's internal thought processes and bitter views can be a little repetitive and annoying at times, even though given everything she has been through I could appreciate her point of view. Still it took a while to warm to her as the central character.

The villa itself makes for an enchanting setting, and it was lovely to watch it come slowly back to life, and Douglas evokes a great sense of atmosphere about the place. Tied in to the present day story is a sub-plot connected to Anna's past which Edie slowly pieces together as well as the mystery as to who is behind the sinister threats that Edie and Joe start receiving, all these threads coming together in the climactic ending.

I perhaps would have liked to delve more into the past sub-plot, as we only really are told this through diary entries, and perhaps it would have been more engaging to have some chapters set in the past and told from Anna's point of view. It also might have helped the pacing of the story as in parts I found it a tad to slow, with entire chapters going by with very little happening. That said, the last few chapters where the action suddenly kicks off, was a little too melodramatic for my own tastes. Still for the most part this was an engaging read.

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 *

I’ve never read any of Louise Douglas’ books before so wasn’t sure what to expect but was drawn in from page one. I like her writing style & short but eventful chapters which make for a really quick read.

Ex husband & wife Joe & Edie reluctantly find themselves thrown together (albeit on the beautiful island of Sicily) in order to sort out the property which belonged to Joe’s recently deceased mother, Anna. The plan is to empty it & sell it on immediately but a series of unexplained happenings & events stall their plans & start to change their minds & even history begins to have its say in what happens next....

This book has a little bit of everything; romance, intrigue, mystery, drama but there were also a few holes which slightly irritated me (Martha & Fitz seem to no longer exist- what happened to Edie’s job? How did Anna’s feelings change so completely?) Also the last fifth of the book felt rather too manic & crazy at times. But...an enjoyable read & gorgeous setting.

[Squeaky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio on hoopla, a wonderful current/modern day novel, that places a divorced couple back at a summer Italian estate. Some grieving and some mending, and a mystery. Enjoyed!

[Elusive · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 'The House by the Sea', Edie is reunited with her ex-husband Joe due to his deceased mother Anna's will that leaves her villa to them. As she continues to grapple with her little boy Daniel's untimely demise which she blames on Anna, she senses other presences and discovers a secret from the past.

The enchanting cover and intriguing storyline drew me. Whilst I liked the setting and the possibility of ghosts roaming the premises, I found the writing wanting. The content became repetitive quickly, revolving around Edie's thoughts of Daniel, feeling of closeness to him in the villa and hatred towards Anna.

Although there was enough emotional turmoil to go around, there was no depth to any of it, be it Joe and Edie's shared grief, their estranged relationship or her inability to forgive Anna. The subplot featuring Joe's long-time friend Valentina seemed tacked on and pointless. All conflicts and issues were resolved easily.

I was expecting something along the lines of Edie looking through Anna's belongings and piecing details together to uncover something shocking but nope. This bit only came towards the end, like an afterthought and since the characters were bland and one-dimensional, the revelation was impactless.

Overall, 'The House by the Sea' was mostly dry as dust as it fell flat emotionally and lacked interesting, layered characters. Perhaps if the focus had been tightened on Anna's past, it would have been slightly more palatable.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this story. I loved the detailed descriptions of Sicily and the characteristics of the local people in the small village. The story itself follows an estranged couple, Edie and Joe, who, although separated, both inherit Joe’s mother, Anna’s, villa in Italy. There are lots of family secrets hidden throughout which kept the pages turning quickly! I loved the short chapters. I’ll definitely be reading more by this author.