Review: The Dead House

5 stars. Wrestled with the rating for this one, because I think it should maybe really only be 4, but I did establish that a book will get an extra star automatically if it scares me or creeps me out. Also, I was reading this (literally) when I went into labor and had a whole baby, so I think The Dead House will always have a special place in my heart. 

Mike is an established artist’s agent living in the hustle and bustle of London when he encounters the art of young Maggie Turner. Talented and somewhat troubled, Maggie and Mike form a close friendship and he helps her escape an abusive situation; she lands in an isolated old cottage in Ireland. When he visits her, he sees why the change of pace is healthy: the Irish countryside is beautiful and inspiring as the cottage is quaint. Like everywhere, though, the area is absolutely soaked in bad history, and when an ouija board is broken out, someone - or something - really malevolent emerges.

I was fond of this immediately because it utilizes one of my favorite tropes: the ghost story being told as a story after the fact. In this way plus a few others did The Dead House remind me of two bangers: The Fisherman and The Woman in Black. I also find Irish horror specifically - and this as an excellent example - to be really folkloric and beautiful and punctuated by moments of dark brutality. 

Not everyone will find it so satisfying. This is a quieter piece of horror that is a bit light on scares. The author - or the narrator, I can’t tell because it’s my first of his that I’ve read - is quite wordy, and at many points I wondered if leaving in all the extra exposition was intentional or meant to be quirky or lend an extra layer of realism to the narrative. At the end of the day I didn’t mind it. And yes, reading this late at night / early in the morning in the darkness of the nursery during feedings did manage to spook me - the séance scene is super well-done. So, extra star.

I’m really glad I took a chance on this one. It was really interesting to explore how horror reflects Irish culture and generational trauma and the power of the landscape. And to my newborn: happy birthday and welcome to the world, where there are so many wonderful books out there waiting to entertain you, believe it or not, more than my boobs ever will.

I insist you read this on a cabin trip, by the fire, during a thunderstorm or a snowstorm or under a blanket, with a glass of whiskey and somewhere to tuck your toes.

The Dead House on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads