Kate Alice Marshall
YA Paranormal Thriller
Helen Vaughan doesn’t know why she and her mother left their ancestral home at Harrowstone Hall, called Harrow, or why they haven’t spoken to their extended family since. So when her grandfather dies, she’s shocked to learn that he has left everything—the house, the grounds, and the money—to her. The inheritance comes with one condition: she must stay on the grounds of Harrow for one full year, or she’ll be left with nothing.
There is more at stake than money. For as long as she can remember, Harrow has haunted Helen’s dreams—and now those dreams have become a waking nightmare. Helen knows that if she is going to survive the year, she needs to uncover the secrets of Harrow. Why is the house built like a labyrinth? What is digging the holes that appear in the woods each night? And why does the house itself seem to be making her sick?
With each twisted revelation, Helen questions what she knows about Harrow, her family, and even herself. She no longer wonders if she wants to leave…but if she can.
-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.
Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.
My Opinion
(4 / 5) I am not one who normally loves contemporary paranormal. However, Kate Alice Marshall has recently become a favorite thriller writer of mine. PRH Audio offers its influencers access to all their backlist titles (released 2022), So color me happy and bring on my TBR!
Helen has been uprooted from her childhood home and all of her family members. Her mom is intent on keeping her away but the mystery as to why, confuses Helen. Then, when her grandfather dies, she finds herself the inheriting heir of her grandfather’s wealthy estate. The catch? She must stay on the grounds for an entire year. Helen’s journey through the year at Harrow House unfolds with a perfect blend of exploits and unanswered questions.
As someone not inclined toward contemporary paranormal, I was pleasantly surprised by Marshall’s ability to craft a story that defies my genre preferences. The atmospheric and creepy vibes were expertly balanced to be unsettling without being overly scary.
The story was a bit fantastical, but let’s be honest, so are ghosts. So the enjoyment was high in a genre I did not expect and Marshall still stands at the top of my favorite thriller authors.
The story concludes with a wrap-up that is satisfying and a fitting conclusion to Helen’s journey. It’s a testament to Kate Alice Marshall’s ability to captivate readers across genres, including me. With its atmospheric creepiness, unanswered mysteries, and a touch of the supernatural, this book is a fabulous deviation from the norm.
AUDIO REVIEW: I loved it! Megan Trout had just enough of a spooky voice that complimented the story beautifully. The added raspy voice for the background ghost voices was eerily perfect for the story.
General content summary: F words= 8, language, grandparent/parent death, funeral, child ghost with no face, ghosts, child death (previous, heart problems), multiple missing girls, alcohol (underage), f/f attraction and flirting (kisses), corpse (blood, gruesomely killed, few details), many bones found, human sacrifice (few details), bullet to the heart, stabbings (few details), poisoning deaths,
Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio for the ALC!
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