The Big House

by Larche Davies

Lucy is 15. She and her teenage friends are waiting to give evidence in criminal trials against a fanatical religious sect that worships the Magnifico and disposes of detractors by lethal injection.

Their lives are in danger and they are sent out of London for their own safety, and placed in a foster house in Wales where the Magnifico has no followers. The foster mother seems kind, but they are unable to trust anyone but themselves. Their experience of the world outside the confines of the sect is extremely limited and they have to rely on their wits and resilience to battle through dark times. Although they are careful never to divulge anything that might help the Magnifico to track them down, his agents have their ways and means.

A sequel to The Father's House.

353 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2019

Reviews

[Ayesha Tariq Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Big House is a great story. I too read it as a stand-alone and not as part of the series. However, not reading the other book makes no difference at all.
The story follows 4 kids who belonged to two different families but have integrated to become a family all-together, after suffering family problems revolving around a religious sect. They are in need of protection, and thus, move to a 'safe house' in a new area far from home.
While they try to start a 'normal' different life, they are being searched for and once discovered, the story takes a lot of twists and turns until the very end. The unity these teenagers show in the face of uncertainty is greatly inspiring.
Overall, the story was a quick read, has no complexity to confuse, and is a straight-forward but action and dramatic paced write. I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

Thanking NetGalley and Larche Davies for a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evidently The Big House by Larche Davies is a sequel to her first book, The Fathers House. I did not realize that while reading this book although upon reaching the last chapter it was clearly written with at least one more book to come.

I found it to be a quick read, I read it in one day, it took perhaps 4 hours in total. It seems to be written as a YA but I think adults will find it interesting as well. It is about four children, three of whom are teenagers who have escaped from a cult. Two of the children grew up together in a communal setting while the other two sound as if they are more recently connected with each other and who grew up alone. They are expected to testify against the cult, have been on the run and now will be hidden away together until after the trials.

There is some action as the cultists obviously do not want the children to testify and are prepared to stop them by any means necessary.

I won't give away any details but what is it with books that everyone is special in some particular way, no one is ordinary and things have a way of working out, often in some spectacular fashion? I guess since it doesn't happen in real life, it my as well happen in print. That is where it lost me... As much as I may want everything to work out well, especially for characters I like or feel bad for, everything can't be peachy for everyone. The odds are against it and real life just isn't that tidy.

[Justkeepreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cleverly written book. That is refreshing and new and grabs your attention from the beginning. A well written book. With great characters and character development. A refreshingly new storyline and it will have you gripped throughout.

[Tegwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a book! This was a truly gripping story which I didn't want to end. I had already read the first volume The Father's House and this was even better. I now can't wait for volume three. I was literally shouting out at the end of some chapters. The suspense is thrilling.

[Pam Devine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me gripped from the get go. Trying to distinguish who were the bad guys and who were the good guys was more tricky than I thought at first. A good few unexpected twists and turns for good measure too. I'll be looking out for the author in the future.

[Sue Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work of fiction is definitely written in a style aimed at a younger audience. Principally about 4 young people who have escaped (I presume a tale told in a previous novel?) from a form of cult. This religious order is one of extremes including multiple deaths do it is potentially a frightening read for a child rather than resilient teen. I enjoyed the read for what it was, but was pleased to finish it and move on to something with more depth.

[Aria Harlow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with this book, at first I thought it was because I hadn't read the first in the series but I dont think that is it, I think it is actually that I felt nothing for the characters and so I didn't care what happened to them.
THe premise was good and i did finish it although it felt like a bit of a struggle i just was glad it was finished which is a shame

[Mickey · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

I tried really hard to get into this book but I just couldn't. I can't even put my finger on why I wasn't enjoying it but after 3 days trying to read this, I've given up. I got to 40% and just could not continue.

[L.S.]

DNF

[Maria Thermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Larche Davies' second installment of her YA thriller sees 15-year-old Lucy, her small brother Paul, half-siblings Dorothy (17) and David (15), being hunted once again by the Magnifico's terrible sect. About to give evidence in the first of the cases being made against the murderous sect, the children are being hidden away by the police's witness protection programme in various parts of the country, but somehow the sect always manages to track the children down.

The Big House title refers to the refuge they eventually find in Miss Clement's house in a small seaside resort in Wales. During the course of the book the Big House turns from a temporary shelter into a real home where love, not fear reigns. Anyone who has read the first book will know that the children have seen more horrors in their short lives than most adults could even imagine. Growing up in different places with house mothers trained not to show emotion and not to allow the children any comforts, the four children gradually free themselves from the religion that nearly cost them their lives at the end of Book One (“The Father's House”, Matador/Troubador Publishing, ISBN 978-1-78462-366-1). Their Magnifico-fathers also made them live in big houses, but the Magnifico's houses never felt like homes and the communes the children were forced to live in were deadly to anyone who refused to obey and conform.

Disturbing to the point of making one's flesh crawl with the horrors such religious fanaticism inflicts on innocent young people, the book takes the reader through a world where nobody can be trusted. The four children can only rely on their own wits and judgment to make it through to the next hour, let alone the next day. The vast organisation that runs the sect in the name of the 'Magnifico' has so much money and influence it can virtually infiltrate every state-run organisation and find a way to bribe or blackmail most people. The character of Isobel Drax will not leave the reader's mind for a very long time, she has been portrayed in such a chilling way. She is one of fiction's most horrific monsters.

Plot, structure, pace and characterisation are all faultless. At the end we get a glimpse of a possible third adventure as a bonus. My only criticism is that the author clearly has never worked in a hotel...as somebody who was put through the horrors of housekeeping and hotel kitchen duties during her student days, I know only too well that even 17-year-old Dorothy couldn't possible stay awake at the end of an exhausting 10-hour day!

The Big House is a highly entertaining read. Every page serves as a chilling reminder, how precious children are and how much we should all, collectively, enable them to have the future lives they want for themselves.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I didn't realise this book was a sequel and in my opinion that didn't matter. I easily read and, thoroughly enjoyed this novel as a stand alone book although I must confess I'm quite eager to read the first and I have my fingers and toes crossed for a third in the series. The book opens with four children ( two sets of bothers and sisters) whom have been raised and recently escaped from a cult, being sent to Wales to hide prior to providing evidence at the ensuring trials of the cult leaders. The plot follows this move along with the new situations the children then find themselves in and what they do to accept and thrive in them. A brilliantly positive book with a great cast of characters driven by the children themselves. I enjoyed every aspect of this read and it really made me nostalgic for novels of my childhood such as the Famous Five etc all be it with more mature characters and subject matter. A brilliant read for both YA and adults alike. Thankyou to Netgalley for this advanced copy.

[Daisy Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Big House was an enjoyable read, and to an extent it had the feel of a YA novel. Four young people have escaped from a religious sect that keeps children locked up in communes, and disposes of them by lethal injection when they have become surplus to requirements. Dorothy, David, Lucy and Paul have made a vow never to be separated and to keep one another safe at all costs. Plenty of thrills and suspense, this was a book that was never dull. Dealing with the issue of trust and reconnecting with the outside world, it developed beautifully into a tale of courage and resilience against the odds. Ultimately, the feel good ending was saved from being too saccharine by the fact that one of the Magnifico's minions was still at large. There is potential for this story to continue and I would be interested in reading the continuing saga if there was to be another book. Whilst the sect and their manner of disposal was brutal, this was an easy read and I devoured it in one sitting. For fans of suspense and thrills and spills I don't hesitate to recommend it.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy & her brother Paul, along with Dorothy & David are in hiding. They are about to give evidence in a trial against a fanatical religious sect. They have been brought up in this environment, away from the worls normal teenagers experience.

They are brought to a foster home in Wales. This house is owned by two eccentric sisters. Miss Marilyn is an academic who has little time for them & the other sister is a fanatical cook, who none the less manages to provide some sort stable environment for the four of them.

Always on the lookout for members of the sect the four begin to experience a slightly more normal life. However members of the sect are determined to keep their secrets & are not afraid to remove anyone who challenges this.

I didn't realise that this was part of a trilogy. I thoroughly enjoyed it as a stand alone & I think I will keep it that way- although there is always the possibility that my curiosity will get the better of me when book three appears!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for letting me read & review this book

[Rachel (atimetothrill)]

No rating. I have DNF'd this at 32%. I just cannot get into this. I realized pretty quickly that this is actually a sequel to The Father's House but that didn't really bug me as you can figure out right away what has happened to these kids. I couldn't stand any of the characters (the kids were fine), especially the "bad guys" - and the tone and writing style were pretty juvenile (it says on Netgalley that this is adult but here on Goodreads it says it is YA). Overall this just is not for me.

Thank you to Troubador Publishing for a free digital galley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled with this book, I could not connect with any of the characters and there was no introduction to the backstory, you are just thrown into the middle of a narrative without knowing why these children are hiding out or who the people are that are looking for them. I see from other reviews that there is a previous book which may help but this one just was not for me. The most interesting character was the most wicked!
Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my opinion but I think this is best read in order written.

[Christine Rennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC, which I have enjoyed reading.
The book, The Big House by Larche Davies is about four children, who have escaped a cult and after different trials, that the two older ones appear as witnesses, set out to rebuild their lives.
I read this book as a stand alone book and not as part of the series, it is a young adult book and is a fascinating story about how the four children from two families come together to become one strong unit.
Recommended.

[Henriette · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to read this book, even though it is really different from what I would normally read. I liked the story line based on the blurb, but simply could not get into it with all the dystopian stuff going on. Had it been set in current times, not the future or some parallel universe, then I probably would have enjoyed it.

I gave up reading this book quite quickly.

[Tomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Big House was a fun and quick read. The story follows 4 siblings who escape a cult, that are put into protective custody because they are standing trial as key witnesses to testify against "Magnifico", the cult leader.

I had no idea this was a series, I read as a stand-alone. This is a rare YA Novel, that's a mystery thriller that keeps the reader engaged with the story.

This is my honest opinion. Rating 3.5

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't quite get into this. Its not a bad read but just wasn't for me. Perhaps this is petty but the name "Magnifico" just sounded so childish to me and I couldn't take it seriously. Perhaps it would have helped if I had read the prior books in the series.

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

[Kat M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good mystery, it was well written with great characters and a great plot. I really felt the danger and was on the edge of my seat reading it.