The House on Rectory Lane by Stuart James
Published by Bloodhound Books
Publication Date 27April 2020
Mystery/Thriller
My thanks to Sarah Hardy for the opportunity to read and review this book as part of the blog tour.
Published by Bloodhound Books
Publication Date 27April 2020
Mystery/Thriller
My thanks to Sarah Hardy for the opportunity to read and review this book as part of the blog tour.
Book Description:
Jake and Kate live in London but after an altercation with a stranger who threatens Jake with a knife, they take their son and move to a house in the woods.
It’s their dream home, or so they think until people in the village warn them they shouldn’t have come.
Their neighbours are strange and when Kate sees a face at the window, the family realise they might be in danger.
When they find a tape hidden in the loft of the house, a video recording of the previous family who once lived there, it chills them to the bone.
They soon realise that the family living there before them have disappeared and they too could now be next.
It’s their dream home, or so they think until people in the village warn them they shouldn’t have come.
Their neighbours are strange and when Kate sees a face at the window, the family realise they might be in danger.
When they find a tape hidden in the loft of the house, a video recording of the previous family who once lived there, it chills them to the bone.
They soon realise that the family living there before them have disappeared and they too could now be next.
What is the mystery surrounding the house on Rectory Lane?
Jake and Kate are about to find out…
My Thoughts:
Wow! This book hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the final page!
The scene is set in the prologue with a couple running for their lives - who they are or what they are running from we don't know, but you can feel their fear emanating off the pages. Then we are taken miles away into the hustle and chaos of North London, where Jake has a heart stopping moment when a man steps out out in front of his car then proceeds to threaten him with a knife. This is the point Jake decides he's had enough of city living; he doesn't want his child to grow up in an area like this. He wants fresh air, the countryside and a friendly village location where his family can become part of the community. Discussing what happened with wife Kate means that she doesn't take much persuading that a better life can be found away from the capital and within weeks they find themselves moving in to The Rectory in Ramsbury. The house was available straightaway at a bargain basement price leading Jake to feel it was just meant to be and quickly puts his signature to the paperwork before someone else snaps up the property. However, as the old saying goes "if it looks too good to be true, it probably is" and it's not long before Jake and Kate find this out to their peril. With mysterious men lurking out of the shadows and faces at the window it's not long before the couple get a very sinister feeling about the house and its surroundings.
I don't think I have ever read another book where my heart has raced all the way through. There are so many suspicious happenings and characters I honestly did not want to leave the story at any point. You just know something is off but it's as if you get a glimpse of the answers in your peripheral vision but when you turn to look properly there's nothing there. The neighbours are either overly friendly or issuing warnings to get out of the house and move as far away as possible - who to listen to? It's very late in the book before things start to become clear but the pages are so action-packed that the story is only drawn out sufficiently to add more layers of intrigue and shocking events.
I didn't think Stuart could shock me any more than he did with his recent book Apartment 6 but for me this one worked even better - I honestly had no idea of the reason things were happening or indeed who was involved. If you like a good head-scratcher of a novel this will suit you down to the ground and I would be interested to know other readers' thoughts. Definitely a book club or buddy read as there are plenty of aspects of the story to discuss.
Once again, my thanks to Sarah Hardy of BOTBS publicity for the opportunity to share my thoughts on the blog tour.
About the Author:
I have always loved scary stories, especially ones that shocked me, left me terrified, looking under my bed or in the wardrobe before going to sleep.
There was just a fantastic buzz whenever I watched or read something that took my breathe away.
I remember going to my nan’s house in Ireland as a youngster with my mother and sister, on the West Coast, staying in a cottage, surrounded by miles of fields and my family sitting around the table in the kitchen at night telling ghost stories. Going out and exploring derelict farmhouses in the middle of nowhere. I remember clearly the field at the end of the road was supposed to be haunted by headless nuns.
My cousins often remind me of the great times we had, frightening each other and running for our lives whenever we’d see something that didn’t look right.
This is why I love nothing more than to tell a story.
There was just a fantastic buzz whenever I watched or read something that took my breathe away.
I remember going to my nan’s house in Ireland as a youngster with my mother and sister, on the West Coast, staying in a cottage, surrounded by miles of fields and my family sitting around the table in the kitchen at night telling ghost stories. Going out and exploring derelict farmhouses in the middle of nowhere. I remember clearly the field at the end of the road was supposed to be haunted by headless nuns.
My cousins often remind me of the great times we had, frightening each other and running for our lives whenever we’d see something that didn’t look right.
This is why I love nothing more than to tell a story.
I started writing two years ago, penning The House On Rectory Lane.
I got the idea from something that has often seemed scary to me. I know that a terrifying story has to be something that you’re frightened of doing, something that makes the hairs stand on the back of your neck, something that fills you with dread, yet also with excitement.
To me, the thought of going to a house in the middle of nowhere, upping and leaving a busy town and moving to the country is something that scares lots of people and me: the seclusion, the quiet, the darkness.
That’s what inspired me to write my first novel.
I got the idea from something that has often seemed scary to me. I know that a terrifying story has to be something that you’re frightened of doing, something that makes the hairs stand on the back of your neck, something that fills you with dread, yet also with excitement.
To me, the thought of going to a house in the middle of nowhere, upping and leaving a busy town and moving to the country is something that scares lots of people and me: the seclusion, the quiet, the darkness.
That’s what inspired me to write my first novel.
My second thriller is called Turn The Other Way.
I have multiple stories running, past and present. A family who want answers from the surgeon responsible for their daughter’s death.
A young woman looking for her parents after they go missing from a party.
A couple driving home and hearing screams for help from the back of the van in front of them.
A serial killer on the loose in North London, dragging victims off the street.
I have multiple stories running, past and present. A family who want answers from the surgeon responsible for their daughter’s death.
A young woman looking for her parents after they go missing from a party.
A couple driving home and hearing screams for help from the back of the van in front of them.
A serial killer on the loose in North London, dragging victims off the street.
I’m so grateful when people not only read my thrillers but also take the time to get in touch and leave a review. To me, that is the greatest feeling, hearing from people that have enjoyed my work. I know then that I’m doing something right.
My third thriller, Apartment Six, was published in January of this year.
My third thriller, Apartment Six, was published in January of this year.
I’m 45, married and have two beautiful children. Currently, I’m a full-time plumber but would love nothing more than to make a living from my writing.
I hope I write stories and people continue to enjoy them for years to come. That would be completely amazing and a dream come true.
Social Media Links:I hope I write stories and people continue to enjoy them for years to come. That would be completely amazing and a dream come true.
Website: stuartjamesthrillers.com
Twitter: @StuartJames73
Thanks so much for being part of the blog tour today Sandie x
ReplyDeleteThank you for the opportunity to review as part of the tour. I love this author's work!
ReplyDelete