What do you think?
Rate this book
The Secrets of Mill House
When a baby is kidnapped in broad daylight with no witnesses, an otherwise sleepy suburb is rocked by scandal and ten-year-old Flora Lanyon is terrified.
Decades later, Flora takes a job as a live-in carer for elderly couple, Agnes and Abraham, moving into the decrepit watermill where they live.
As strange and unexplainable occurrences start to happen, Flora grows increasingly suspicious. What dark secrets are hiding in the house? Is Flora safe there? And can she unearth the truth before the past catches up with the present?
Decades later, Flora takes a job as a live-in carer for elderly couple, Agnes and Abraham, moving into the decrepit watermill where they live.
As strange and unexplainable occurrences start to happen, Flora grows increasingly suspicious. What dark secrets are hiding in the house? Is Flora safe there? And can she unearth the truth before the past catches up with the present?
384 pages, Paperback
First published September 28, 2023
93 people are currently reading
591 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
November 20, 2023
This was an anticipated book for me. I don’t read many “scary jumpy” books but this one looked liked it would at least creep me out.
Nope.
Not once did I jump or get scared, not even mildly biting my nails or anything I’m sad to say.
The “flashbacks” had my brain fuddled.
It soon was apparent that my relationship with this book was over, however, the trier I am I still went on trying to read it because I’ve liked a previous book by her.
I listened to the ending.
That’s it folks!
I will give her another go with another one and go from there.
The authors who blurbed on the cover said Twisting, etc etc, I didn’t find that unfortunately to be the case for me.
Nope.
Not once did I jump or get scared, not even mildly biting my nails or anything I’m sad to say.
The “flashbacks” had my brain fuddled.
It soon was apparent that my relationship with this book was over, however, the trier I am I still went on trying to read it because I’ve liked a previous book by her.
I listened to the ending.
That’s it folks!
I will give her another go with another one and go from there.
The authors who blurbed on the cover said Twisting, etc etc, I didn’t find that unfortunately to be the case for me.
January 14, 2025
EXCERPT: The woman drew nearer. His pulse quickened as she came to a halt outside the shop just a few feet from the car, slapping on the brake of the pram with her foot. She paused to take a final puff of her roll-up, then ground it out with the toe of her platform shoe on the pavement, just below the shop window. He heard the jangle of the entrance bell as the door closed behind her.
This was even better than he'd anticipated. But time was of the essence.
Quickly, he got out of the car and strode towards the shop, his heart thudding. The pram was battered, the hood worn with age; a cigarette burn on the cover. His eyes narrowed as he scanned around anxiously, ensuring no one had seen him, then leaned in to inspect the sleeping infant, unhooking the lip of the brown canvas apron. He caught his breath. Reaching in with trembling hands, he seized his chance.
ABOUT 'THE SECRETS OF MILL HOUSE': A missing child. A broken community. A horrifying secret.
When a baby is kidnapped in broad daylight with no witnesses, an otherwise sleepy suburb is rocked to the core and ten-year-old Flora Lanyon is left terrified.
Decades later, Flora takes a job as a live-in carer for elderly couple, Agnes and Abraham, moving into the decrepit watermill where they live. As strange and inexplicable occurrences start to happen, Flora grows increasingly suspicious.
What dark secrets are hiding in the house? Is Flora safe there? And can she unearth the truth before the past catches up with the present?
MY THOUGHTS: The Secrets of Mill House by Anne Wyn Clark is a mystery/family drama which embraces the topics of child abduction, and child, sexual and elder abuse. There are no vivid descriptions of the abuse.
Anne Wyn Clark mysteries are slow-burn and The Secrets of Mill House is no exception. The timeline is dual, moving backwards and forwards between the past and the present until, at the denouement, the timelines collide. There are one or two surprises in the plotline, and a few places where I could easily see what was going to happen, but I was kept interested throughout.
The true strength of this novel, however, lies in the characters. The men at Mill House, Abraham and Hector are, each in their own way, creepy. Agnes is a sweetie but confused a lot of the time. Flora is quite a difficult character to read. I don't know if I liked her or not. I was disappointed in her at one point in the story and I am sure she knew more than she was letting on about one event that occurred. I did admire her doggedness and determination.
The ending is bittersweet and I felt was quite fitting. All the loose ends are tied up nicely. I found this to be an enjoyable, but not particularly memorable read.
⭐⭐⭐.7
#TheSecretsofMillHouse #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: E.A. Clark also writes under the name Anne Wyn Clark
E.A. Clark lives in the Midlands with her husband and son, plus a rather temperamental cat, a rabbit and a chinchilla. She has three (now grown-up) children and five grandchildren. She is particularly partial to Italian food, decent red wine (or any coloured wine come to that …) and cake – and has been known to over-indulge in each on occasions.
She has a penchant for visiting old graveyards and speculating on the demise of those entombed beneath. Whilst she has written short stories and poetry for many years, a lifelong fascination with all things paranormal has culminated in her first novel for adults, Lay Me to Rest. The setting is inspired by her love of Wales, owing to her father’s Celtic roots.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books UK via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Secrets of Mill House by Anne Wy Clark for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
The Secrets of Mill House was published September 2023.
I combined reading with listening to The Secrets of Mill House, well narrated by Becky Wright.
This was even better than he'd anticipated. But time was of the essence.
Quickly, he got out of the car and strode towards the shop, his heart thudding. The pram was battered, the hood worn with age; a cigarette burn on the cover. His eyes narrowed as he scanned around anxiously, ensuring no one had seen him, then leaned in to inspect the sleeping infant, unhooking the lip of the brown canvas apron. He caught his breath. Reaching in with trembling hands, he seized his chance.
ABOUT 'THE SECRETS OF MILL HOUSE': A missing child. A broken community. A horrifying secret.
When a baby is kidnapped in broad daylight with no witnesses, an otherwise sleepy suburb is rocked to the core and ten-year-old Flora Lanyon is left terrified.
Decades later, Flora takes a job as a live-in carer for elderly couple, Agnes and Abraham, moving into the decrepit watermill where they live. As strange and inexplicable occurrences start to happen, Flora grows increasingly suspicious.
What dark secrets are hiding in the house? Is Flora safe there? And can she unearth the truth before the past catches up with the present?
MY THOUGHTS: The Secrets of Mill House by Anne Wyn Clark is a mystery/family drama which embraces the topics of child abduction, and child, sexual and elder abuse. There are no vivid descriptions of the abuse.
Anne Wyn Clark mysteries are slow-burn and The Secrets of Mill House is no exception. The timeline is dual, moving backwards and forwards between the past and the present until, at the denouement, the timelines collide. There are one or two surprises in the plotline, and a few places where I could easily see what was going to happen, but I was kept interested throughout.
The true strength of this novel, however, lies in the characters. The men at Mill House, Abraham and Hector are, each in their own way, creepy. Agnes is a sweetie but confused a lot of the time. Flora is quite a difficult character to read. I don't know if I liked her or not. I was disappointed in her at one point in the story and I am sure she knew more than she was letting on about one event that occurred. I did admire her doggedness and determination.
The ending is bittersweet and I felt was quite fitting. All the loose ends are tied up nicely. I found this to be an enjoyable, but not particularly memorable read.
⭐⭐⭐.7
#TheSecretsofMillHouse #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: E.A. Clark also writes under the name Anne Wyn Clark
E.A. Clark lives in the Midlands with her husband and son, plus a rather temperamental cat, a rabbit and a chinchilla. She has three (now grown-up) children and five grandchildren. She is particularly partial to Italian food, decent red wine (or any coloured wine come to that …) and cake – and has been known to over-indulge in each on occasions.
She has a penchant for visiting old graveyards and speculating on the demise of those entombed beneath. Whilst she has written short stories and poetry for many years, a lifelong fascination with all things paranormal has culminated in her first novel for adults, Lay Me to Rest. The setting is inspired by her love of Wales, owing to her father’s Celtic roots.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books UK via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Secrets of Mill House by Anne Wy Clark for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
The Secrets of Mill House was published September 2023.
I combined reading with listening to The Secrets of Mill House, well narrated by Becky Wright.
August 27, 2023
"The Secrets of Mill House" by Anne Wyn Clark is a slow-burn thriller with some very dark undertones (and triggers). It is more a family drama than a thriller, but it does have a mystery in its heart.
The book follows the life of Flora as a child and as an adult. When she was ten years old, a baby was kidnapped from her neighborhood. Flora was an only child and lonely at that. She didn't have an easy life and her only friend was Iola, a girl who had a drunken woman as a mother. Decades later, Flora takes a job as a live-in carer in a creepy watermill place. Her only companion is her cat, Rufus. She takes care of an old lady, Agnes, and tries to stay away from her husband Abraham, and their son, Hector, who is not all there. Pretty soon, Flora realizes something odd is going on. However, Flora has her own agenda, and the more she digs, the more she gets in over her head.
Overall, I liked the book. It had an interesting locale, a chilling atmosphere, and interesting themes such as loss, bereavement, and physical and verbal abuse. The book moves between dual timelines, past and present, until the two connect.
The book brought all the characters to vivid life. The author did a good job capturing the personalities of the all characters, even the minor ones. Hector with his weird hobby gave me the chills, as well as his father's odd conduct.
Flora was a likable heroine. I felt so much emotion from her that I felt as if I knew her. She has some deep emotional baggage right from the beginning of the novel, and I felt invested in her. She deserved better.
While I liked the gothic atmosphere and the premise, the book was very slow-paced and wandering at times, and it took me longer than usual to finish it. I loved the beginning, thought the middle dragged a bit, and was absorbed in the last third of the book. Some developments caught me by surprise, while others I guessed. The ending is bittersweet and wasn't to my liking. The author did tie up all the loose ends.
I think that a tighter plot would have improved the book, but I still found it a worthwhile read and recommend it. I rate the book 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* Review in my Blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2023...
The book follows the life of Flora as a child and as an adult. When she was ten years old, a baby was kidnapped from her neighborhood. Flora was an only child and lonely at that. She didn't have an easy life and her only friend was Iola, a girl who had a drunken woman as a mother. Decades later, Flora takes a job as a live-in carer in a creepy watermill place. Her only companion is her cat, Rufus. She takes care of an old lady, Agnes, and tries to stay away from her husband Abraham, and their son, Hector, who is not all there. Pretty soon, Flora realizes something odd is going on. However, Flora has her own agenda, and the more she digs, the more she gets in over her head.
Overall, I liked the book. It had an interesting locale, a chilling atmosphere, and interesting themes such as loss, bereavement, and physical and verbal abuse. The book moves between dual timelines, past and present, until the two connect.
The book brought all the characters to vivid life. The author did a good job capturing the personalities of the all characters, even the minor ones. Hector with his weird hobby gave me the chills, as well as his father's odd conduct.
Flora was a likable heroine. I felt so much emotion from her that I felt as if I knew her. She has some deep emotional baggage right from the beginning of the novel, and I felt invested in her. She deserved better.
While I liked the gothic atmosphere and the premise, the book was very slow-paced and wandering at times, and it took me longer than usual to finish it. I loved the beginning, thought the middle dragged a bit, and was absorbed in the last third of the book. Some developments caught me by surprise, while others I guessed. The ending is bittersweet and wasn't to my liking. The author did tie up all the loose ends.
I think that a tighter plot would have improved the book, but I still found it a worthwhile read and recommend it. I rate the book 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* Review in my Blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2023...
May 31, 2024
I had no expectations for this book but really enjoyed it!
The dual timelines kept the narrative exciting with many chilling developments. The plot was fairly predictable but well executed, even if the ending was somewhat bittersweet.
The dual timelines kept the narrative exciting with many chilling developments. The plot was fairly predictable but well executed, even if the ending was somewhat bittersweet.
January 3, 2024
3 Rounded up to 3.5 stars. Didn't like the ending but was a good story overall Well written
December 11, 2025
**Has a House with Secrets**
That was...disturbing. I was a little concerned before I read it because it was described as a "chilling, stay-up-all-night thriller..." But I found it more disturbing than creepy. And definitely not what I would describe as a thriller. The description also compared it to a Stephen King novel. I've never read Stephen King (because I don't like thrillers), but from what I've heard about his novels, this was nothing like them.
But it was well-written and mildly intriguing and the disturbing stuff didn't come up until the end (otherwise I may not have finished it).
That was...disturbing. I was a little concerned before I read it because it was described as a "chilling, stay-up-all-night thriller..." But I found it more disturbing than creepy. And definitely not what I would describe as a thriller. The description also compared it to a Stephen King novel. I've never read Stephen King (because I don't like thrillers), but from what I've heard about his novels, this was nothing like them.
But it was well-written and mildly intriguing and the disturbing stuff didn't come up until the end (otherwise I may not have finished it).
December 16, 2023
Really griping and the ending was very unexpected
March 3, 2024
I was transported to the atmospheric land of this thrilling tale. It is a hauntingly realistic plot that gave me chilling goosebumps. The twists take you on a ride that you will never forget!
October 16, 2023
The Secrets of Mill House.
Hmmm didn’t float my boat this one, though I felt it should have from the blurb. The story follows the lifeline of Flora, with chapters flitting between the past and present. There are lots of times when I expected the story to pick up and get more gritty (as it is described as a thriller), only for it to fizzle out into a slow paced drama again.
What could potentially have been a real page turner (with underlying harsh themes of baby kidnap, physical abuse, poverty & neglect, and murder) turned out to be a bit of a predictable wet fish which took 250 of its 350 ish pages to actually get going. A sorry 2 ⭐️
Hmmm didn’t float my boat this one, though I felt it should have from the blurb. The story follows the lifeline of Flora, with chapters flitting between the past and present. There are lots of times when I expected the story to pick up and get more gritty (as it is described as a thriller), only for it to fizzle out into a slow paced drama again.
What could potentially have been a real page turner (with underlying harsh themes of baby kidnap, physical abuse, poverty & neglect, and murder) turned out to be a bit of a predictable wet fish which took 250 of its 350 ish pages to actually get going. A sorry 2 ⭐️
November 3, 2023
I never really understood this book, I don’t think I do now that I have finished it! It was very well written can’t fault the author on that.
It did all tie in at the end, however it was a bit confusing at times. I don’t really like books that go from past to present in every chapter, that’s what makes a book confusing.
It could have been a better story line and shouldn’t have dragged on so long!
It did all tie in at the end, however it was a bit confusing at times. I don’t really like books that go from past to present in every chapter, that’s what makes a book confusing.
It could have been a better story line and shouldn’t have dragged on so long!
September 21, 2023
It's entertaining and there's some interesting twists but it's also a bit too predictable and I wasn't a fan of the solution.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
January 7, 2025
Sad story on so many levels.
I was gutted that Flora died.
I was gutted that Flora died.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2023
Never read a book by this author but I will be looking to read others. Beautiful writing, gripping, twisty and dark story! Really enjoyed. Slightly predictable in places but otherwise excellent.
February 21, 2024
A lovely book, fast paced and an easy read. I'd already guessed a couple of the twists early on, but the story was so engrossing, the writing so clever it didn't matter. I normally struggle with a book when I've guessed the plot however it was too good to put down! The end was a shock, and very sad, something I didn't see coming.
October 23, 2023
3.75⭐️
Review originally posted on my Instagram @emmaisreadingabook
Thank you so much to @avonbooksuk for my copy of @eaclarkauthor ‘s book, #TheSecretsofMillHouse. I was immediately drawn in by the description of this, particularly as I love a book with narrative set in different time periods that all tie up in the end (niche, I know).
Flora is in her late thirties when her mother, who had been ill for sometime, dies. Flora immediately leaves her home and becomes a carer for an elderly woman, Agnes. Her husband, Abraham is STRANGE The vibes from him are weird from the start, and even stranger from their son Hector. The story moves between this part of Flora’s life, and her childhood, especially her friend Iola who she is now searching for at the Mill House.
I mostly preferred the story of adult Flora and her experiences at the house, and I felt the pace dipped a bit in the middle, but the ending had me racing though it- I was desperate to find out what happened!
I will now be keeping an eye out for more Anne Wyn Clark books!
Review originally posted on my Instagram @emmaisreadingabook
Thank you so much to @avonbooksuk for my copy of @eaclarkauthor ‘s book, #TheSecretsofMillHouse. I was immediately drawn in by the description of this, particularly as I love a book with narrative set in different time periods that all tie up in the end (niche, I know).
Flora is in her late thirties when her mother, who had been ill for sometime, dies. Flora immediately leaves her home and becomes a carer for an elderly woman, Agnes. Her husband, Abraham is STRANGE The vibes from him are weird from the start, and even stranger from their son Hector. The story moves between this part of Flora’s life, and her childhood, especially her friend Iola who she is now searching for at the Mill House.
I mostly preferred the story of adult Flora and her experiences at the house, and I felt the pace dipped a bit in the middle, but the ending had me racing though it- I was desperate to find out what happened!
I will now be keeping an eye out for more Anne Wyn Clark books!
December 8, 2023
The Secrets of Mill House is a multi-layered story that became more and more intriguing as it went on. It begins in the 1970s with a kidnapped baby in Flora Lanyon's small community, a shocking event that she never forgets. Flora had a tough start to life with loss and abuse sadly forming a large part of it. Years later, in 2001, she is drawn for various reasons to a job at a watermill, looking after Agnes Homity, but with the sinister presence of Abraham Homity and the couple's son, Hector, Flora quickly wonders if she's made a big mistake even setting foot in Mill House.
It's actually really hard to talk about all the different strands of this book without ending up going into too much detail. There is such a lot going on and I really liked that about it, as Flora made more and more discoveries about the past and about the Homity family. Alongside the 2001 story we follow Flora as she grows up, and we witness some of the events that eventually lead her to Mill House.
I loved the eerie setting of the watermill. Not only are there some strange things going on there but the idea of the wheel and the water surging around it gave me the creeps. The story itself is quite disturbing at times and full of twists and turns. There were no big surprises for me but I enjoyed finding out if what I thought had happened was correct.
I was reminded of some of Lesley's Pearse's more recent books when I read this one so if you like those then you'll like The Secrets of Mill House. I certainly did. It's atmospheric and unsettling and it kept me gripped.
It's actually really hard to talk about all the different strands of this book without ending up going into too much detail. There is such a lot going on and I really liked that about it, as Flora made more and more discoveries about the past and about the Homity family. Alongside the 2001 story we follow Flora as she grows up, and we witness some of the events that eventually lead her to Mill House.
I loved the eerie setting of the watermill. Not only are there some strange things going on there but the idea of the wheel and the water surging around it gave me the creeps. The story itself is quite disturbing at times and full of twists and turns. There were no big surprises for me but I enjoyed finding out if what I thought had happened was correct.
I was reminded of some of Lesley's Pearse's more recent books when I read this one so if you like those then you'll like The Secrets of Mill House. I certainly did. It's atmospheric and unsettling and it kept me gripped.
February 13, 2024
A good little story, I enjoyed it but I predicted early on what had happened. Contains some really freaky bits.
September 18, 2023
AD-PR PRODUCT
Thank you so much Avon books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
After a baby is stolen from it’s pram in broad daylight, it leaves everyone, including ten year old Flora on edge.
Decades later, Flora gets a job as a live in carer at Mill House. Strange things begin to happen while Flora is there. Is she safe? Should she leave? Or should she see and investigate.
It was so lovely reading a book where the main character was called Flora. It is unusual to come across it and it is my Grandma’s name!
Apart from an excellent named character, I thought this was an easy gripping read. I am particularly fond of thriller books set in houses in remote locations! I liked all the different characters and how the story explores different relationships between all the characters.
I would have liked to have seen some more twists and meat on the bones of the story. This being said, sometimes thrillers can get a bit silly with over the top twists and an easy thriller is just what is needed!
Thank you so much Avon books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
After a baby is stolen from it’s pram in broad daylight, it leaves everyone, including ten year old Flora on edge.
Decades later, Flora gets a job as a live in carer at Mill House. Strange things begin to happen while Flora is there. Is she safe? Should she leave? Or should she see and investigate.
It was so lovely reading a book where the main character was called Flora. It is unusual to come across it and it is my Grandma’s name!
Apart from an excellent named character, I thought this was an easy gripping read. I am particularly fond of thriller books set in houses in remote locations! I liked all the different characters and how the story explores different relationships between all the characters.
I would have liked to have seen some more twists and meat on the bones of the story. This being said, sometimes thrillers can get a bit silly with over the top twists and an easy thriller is just what is needed!
December 1, 2024
Excellent story !!!!
October 9, 2023
Although a bit of a slow burn, I really liked this dark and chilly story. Told on a dual timeline with Flora as a young child when a baby goes missing to Flora as an adult working in a household as a live in carer, i really liked the gothic atmosphere and although not scary as such it did have a sense of eeriness especially with the creepy Mill House including the strangeness of the residents of the house. As the timelines connect there was some predictably but there were a couple of surprises too.
A very good atmospheric read for the cold and dark nights that are approaching
A very good atmospheric read for the cold and dark nights that are approaching
January 19, 2024
Twists and turns. Some red herrings. Flora is an interesting main character looking for a long lost friend. I was holding on to every chapter to figure what led Flora to this house and what she was going to find along the way!
Read
August 26, 2023This was a predictable thriller. The writing was good, but I knew where the story was going. With that being said, I did enjoy the book.
January 13, 2024
Utterly brilliant, I picked this book up by chance and wow! Totally drew me in from beginning to end.
April 10, 2024
Don’t bother. Predictable, slow and I rolled my eyes so many times it’s untrue!
October 1, 2024
Brilliant
This book had me totally gripped very early on. A great almost additive read. A proper page turner
Loved it
This book had me totally gripped very early on. A great almost additive read. A proper page turner
Loved it
October 10, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and although some elements were predictable, it still kept me interested and wanting to finish it. 🤩
October 17, 2023
Sadly, I made it a little more than halfway through this novel before I final gave up and just accepted the fact that it was not for me.
To begin with, I never felt any sense of dread, or anticipation while reading this, even though parts of the story took place in an atmosphere that was meant to be foreboding. I'm not sure if this was due to the alternating timelines, or the fact that I felt as though the plot points were way too convenient to be even remotely believable. Adding to this, most of the novel seemed to drag on to the point that I became bored waiting for something to happen. And when something did happen? Most of the time it seemed to just.... fizzle out leading me to wonder just what the point was of including it at all.
Overall, while this one didn't work for me and I couldn't finish it, if the synopsis intrigues you then I think you should give it a shot as what didn't work for me may just work for you.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
September 20, 2023
when a baby is kidnapped in broad daylight with no witnesses, an otherwise sleepy suburb is rocked by a scandal and ten-year-old Flora Lanyon is terrified. Decades later, Flora takes a job as a live-in carer for an elderly couple, Agnes and Abraham, moving into the decrepit watermill where they live. As strange and unexplainable occurrences start to happen, Flora grows increasingly suspicious. What dark secrets are they hiding in the house? Is Flora safe there? And can she unearth the truth before the past catches up with the present.
This is quite a predictable read. Flora didn't have an easy life. She only had one friend, Lola. The atmosphere could be chilling. Abraham's conduct is quite odd, and his son Hector has a weird hobby. There was a bit of a gothic feel to this story. This is a quick and easy book to read. There's not a lot of twists, and I wasn't keen on how the story ended.
I would like to thank Netgalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #AnneWynClark for my ARC of #TheSecretsOfMillHouse in exchange for an honest review.
This is quite a predictable read. Flora didn't have an easy life. She only had one friend, Lola. The atmosphere could be chilling. Abraham's conduct is quite odd, and his son Hector has a weird hobby. There was a bit of a gothic feel to this story. This is a quick and easy book to read. There's not a lot of twists, and I wasn't keen on how the story ended.
I would like to thank Netgalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #AnneWynClark for my ARC of #TheSecretsOfMillHouse in exchange for an honest review.
January 30, 2025
this was very enjoyable for such a long time, but ultimately i was not all that shocked by the ending even though it felt like i was supposed to be? i’m honestly not even totally sure what the twists were supposed to be, because i feel like the author was trying to present an unreliable narrator, and while they did do this it just left things feeling a bit disjointed and confusing rather than craftily put together.
also it was kinda grinding my gears that there was a lot of telling rather than showing. i got a bit sick of reading basic descriptions of what the room looked like, where the furniture was, and what colour it was. it could’ve been built into the momentum of the scene but instead felt more like an info dump. overall an interesting enough read that i got through it without too much of a slog, but definitely not racing to recommend to anyone and was still a letdown.
also it was kinda grinding my gears that there was a lot of telling rather than showing. i got a bit sick of reading basic descriptions of what the room looked like, where the furniture was, and what colour it was. it could’ve been built into the momentum of the scene but instead felt more like an info dump. overall an interesting enough read that i got through it without too much of a slog, but definitely not racing to recommend to anyone and was still a letdown.
October 23, 2025
For a book publicised as a thriller, was not very thrilling.
We mainly follow Floora in 2 timelines, from when she was a kid into her teenage years; and in the current present, when she took a job as a carer with an underlying motive.
The subjects such as child neglect child abuse, both physical and psychological, child kidnapping; mental health, dementia, etc.; plus the creepy atmosphere of the mill, had everything to be a great novel. However, the writing read more as a drama, it didn't inspire any feelings of dread, of what's going to happen next.
The ending was quite predictable and it was as expected, no gasp of surprise, and the fact that the destiny of our main character was as is in the book, was quite of a let down. Overall, not a great read unless you're into a more dramatic type of thriller.
We mainly follow Floora in 2 timelines, from when she was a kid into her teenage years; and in the current present, when she took a job as a carer with an underlying motive.
The subjects such as child neglect child abuse, both physical and psychological, child kidnapping; mental health, dementia, etc.; plus the creepy atmosphere of the mill, had everything to be a great novel. However, the writing read more as a drama, it didn't inspire any feelings of dread, of what's going to happen next.
The ending was quite predictable and it was as expected, no gasp of surprise, and the fact that the destiny of our main character was as is in the book, was quite of a let down. Overall, not a great read unless you're into a more dramatic type of thriller.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews