THE SUICIDE HOUSE
BY CHARLIE DONLEA


This one is a story that takes place at Westmont Prep School in Peppermill, Indianna. It boasts that all graduates are destined for top Universities. It also has two on site counselling services. On the Summer Solstice on June 21, 2019, the longest day of the year a senior challenges five students named Gwen, Gavin, Theo, Danielle and Bridget to meet in the woods after dark. They are tasked with each of them finding a hidden key and then going into an old abandoned Teacher's living quarters and saying Man in the Mirror while gazing into the mirror summoning good luck for them in their Senior year and making them have a heightened status if they succeed. The five of them are joined by a sort of tag along called Tanner and it includes Andrew Gross who hides the keys and makes the pledges swear to secrecy. After all five of them successfully complete their oaths they go outside and find Andrew Gross dead in a pool of blood and Tanner dead and impaled face first through the spikes at the top of the steel gate. Only Gwen stays with the two dead boys until the police arrive. The other four run back through the woods to the dorms. The police find Tanner's DNA and an unidentified second source of DNA on Gwen's clothing.

The mystery becomes the question of whose DNA that couldn't be identified did that unknown source belong to? Also the five of them lied to the police about what really happened? Why do three of them commit suicide after the fact by throwing themselves in front of an oncoming train at the site of the two murdered boys? Rory Moore and Lane Philip's are brought into the investigation as forensic pathologists to figure out what happened and why three of the Junior's who took part in the pledge committed suicide by train. I really liked the way Rory restored antique dolls as a way to process what may have happened. She is brilliant but suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This was very well paced and I was never bored and fairly entertained rather than being scared for a novel marketed as a thriller. I feel almost like I was reading a different book than some of the other reviewer's who said that this was really creepy. There isn't any gratuitous violence and it really wasn't graphic which I appreciated.I would rate this a 3.5 star rounded up. I still would recommend it but as more of a mystery. I have left out a lot of the plot and some key character's so as not to spoil it for those who plan to read it. Charlie Donlea , no doubt is a talented author that kept me fully engaged.

Publication Date: July 28, 2020

Thank you to Net Galley, Charlie Donlea and Kensington Publishing for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheSuicideHouse #CharlieDonlea #KensingttonBooksPublishing #NetGalley

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of The Suicide House in exchange for my honest review.

I have really enjoyed my time with Charlie Donelea's books. Donlea's first book in this series, Some Choose Darkness, was outstanding so I had high expectations for The Suicide House. While I didn't like this book as much as I loved the first, it was a fun ride and one that I would take over and over again.

The Suicide House had a lot of different characters which was one of the downfalls of this novel. I liked the characters that I met but because I spent so little time with them, I didn't really feel much of a connection. I didn't really care if they "lived" or "died. It can be hard delving into a book with characters that you don't care much about.

Lane and Rory are one of my most favorite investigative teams and because there were so many characters in this book, I felt like I didn't spend as much time with them as I would have liked. While I LOVE a good drama at a ritzy and guarded boarding school, I wish the working and personal relationship of some of the coolest investigators out there could have been more drawn out.

Overall, this was a great addition to a great series. I hope the next one gives us more time with Lane and Rory.

As someone that works in education, I'm a sucker for a campus thriller. Boarding school, university, doesn't matter-- I want to read it. That's why I leaped at the chance to read and review this one. What I didn't know at the time was that this is the second book about forensic reconstructionist Rory Moore and her criminal psychologist boo Lane Phillips. That said, the book functions as a standalone. I didn't feel too out of the loop picking up The Suicide House without having read the book before it.

Westmont Preparatory School is a boarding school that caters to a variety of student clientele-- everyone from the elite to "troubled teens" with affluent parents willing to throw money at their children's education in hopes that a structured prep program will keep them out of juvie. While the school should be a peaceful hideaway in the middle of an idyllic setting, darkness has swept across the campus. A teacher is thought to have murdered two students in cold blood on the periphery of the school's grounds. Not long after, three students committed suicide in rapid succession. While the murder case was quickly closed, something isn't sitting right with the true crime community. As a result, the case has become fodder for YouTubers and podcasters alike. When Lane and Rory get pulled into the case, they become too curious to walk away (despite very compelling reasons to do so).

I'd give this book a solid 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads. One thing I particularly enjoyed about this book is that one of the characters that happens to be living with a mental illness is one of the good guys. That's a breath of fresh air for a thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An intriguing story, a twisted and dark murder, characters that keep your gripped and a podcast that I wish was real. Donlea is a great author and her story will keep you turning the pages. Like a good thriller set aside a few hours because you will be HOOKED

Another great thriller that I read this week! Having the podcast part and host in it is something new, at least for me, and I find it quite original (it would be great on audiobook). The book had some lower and slower moments, during the middle of it mostly, but overall it was definitely a book I’m glad I read and heard about thanks to NetGalley, because otherwise, I’m not sure how or when I would have hear about it. One last thing, the school mystery was very intriguing and a bit creepy... I like that!

“The Suicide House" is a hit podcast that focuses on the grisly murders of two students at an elite school. Westmont Preparatory School is an elite boarding school where the "secret" society is a known secret. It is tradition. Stunts hope to be chosen to be initiated into the secret society, to go to the hidden cottage in the woods, and survive the Man in the Mirror. A year later the tradition becomes a nightmare as students are dead, a teacher has been blamed and the horrors continue.

"Something was going on with those kids last year, and it's carried over to today."


Pod casts, diary entries, a killer, and Rory Moore and Lane Phillips all rolled up in this book about murder, secrets, mysteries, questions, fear, and suspense. There is a lot going on in this book. There are many characters, several mysteries and subplots going on. I almost took out pen and paper to help me keep track of everything. Sometimes less is more.

But at the end of the day (or the end of the book, depending on how you want to look at it), I enjoyed this book. I really enjoy Rory and how she looks at the world and picks up on things that others miss. She is an intriguing character and I was happy to become reacquainted with her. But I wanted more of her and Lane. They are a great pair and an interesting duo; this is where more would have been better.

Donlea had a lot going on in this book and I believe that he is using this book as a stepping stone to his next book in this series (I am making an assumption/hoping/wishing/ putting it out into the universe that there will be another book).

I am always extremely excited when I see that Donlea has a new book out. I love his writing and how he brings his story-lines full circle. This one took a little bit of work. I would recommend that those who have not read Some Choose Darkness first. Because (a) It is Awesome (b) it introduces you to Rory and Lane and (c) it showcases Donlea's masterful storytelling and how he builds suspense. (d) it's the perfect segue into this book! Plus, Some Choose Darkness is mentioned several times in this book!

In this book, I felt there was too much going on but still enjoyed it and the resolution.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was my first book by Charlie Donlea, and it won't be my last!

I really enjoyed the main storyline behind the "suicide house" deaths. The prep school atmosphere is well-developed, with its nuances, cliques, and policies adding layered conflict to an already-suspenseful tale. As Rory, Lane, and others endeavor to solve the mystery, a lot of moving parts make it a difficult one to sort out. The end did surprise me since so many viable perpetrators existed.

At times, I felt like there was almost too much going on--too many POVs, subplots, time periods, and characters--which made the book hard to follow. Also, while THE SUICIDE HOUSE is billed as a standalone, it's clear that Rory has appeared in a previous title as well. Overly detailed explanations of her hobby, while interesting, took me out of the action.

Overall, unique elements make this book stand out, and I recommend it to fans of the genre.

Secrets and murders, and ghosts!

For the most part, I enjoyed this murder mystery. It kept me engaged. My only complaint was with the ending which came together a bit too quickly and I had some remaining questions. I subtracted a star for that ending, but I suspect that most readers will appreciate the way things tied up. If you love good suspenseful thriller, you will enjoy this read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to receive this arc in exchange of an honest review.

“Veniam solum, relinquatis et” ‘Detective Ott said, his head craned back as he looked up at the building ‘Arrive alone, leave together.”

First off, how have I never read this author before! The Suicide House by Charlie Donlea introduced me to a whole cast of characters that are so richly portrayed and so intriguing, imagine my joy when I found out I could read more about their stories!

The Suicide House is a multifaceted story with a fairly large cast of characters yet I never felt confused or had to jump back to see who was who, for me, this is a wonderous thing! I love a story that plays out like a movie in my head, when each character is real and emotive with a story so vividly described that I become emotionally invested in both the characters and the story.

The plot is so tight and the twists so very twisty with red herrings that kept the story moving forward at a rapid pace. There was a grisly murder scene at Westmont Prep a year ago, supposedly an open shut case when the main suspect, a teacher, tried to commit suicide but the detective on the case, Detective Ott has never been quite satisfied with the case’s conclusion and when a popular podcaster decides to look into a rash of student suicides that occur at the prep school over the following year, Lane Phillips a famous forensic psychologist and criminal profiler along with his girlfriend Rory are invited to have a look. While I enjoyed all the characters, I absolutely loved Rory, a Forensic Reconstructionist with a slew of quirks that make her perfect for cold cases.

“Most people avoided confusion and chaos. Rory was drawn to it. The mysterious and unexplained intrigued her, and she could no more ignore them than a moth could resist a light source.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and will be reading more by Charlie Donlea in the future. A great big thank you to Kensington Books, Charlie Donlea & NetGalley for providing me with this DRC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the story here and the characters of Rory and Lane but I had a hard time getting past some of the writing. Things like repetitively mentioning how Rory has obsessions and deals with them, and not fully researching small details like saying one of the characters went to the University of New York. I'm from NY there's no such thing. How hard is it to find out about the SUNY system or used University at Buffalo or NYU. These are just two examples of when I felt let down by the writing.
But again I did like the story, the idea of a prep school with many secrets and a quirky detective duo.

Of course I decided to read this right after another book with an eerily similar plot twist, but it didn't ruin anything for me. In fact, this was definitely the better of the 2 novels. This is actually the first I've read by this author and I'll definitely be reading more. The author cares about each one of his characters and it shows. There were quite a few characters to keep track of, which took me a bit of time, but they were all interesting and unique. The killer in this was definitely not stereotypical, though I still was about to figure it out fairly early on. The thing that I wasn't such a big fan of was the flashback scenes. The entire book you keep going back a year and then forward. I think it would have been better to just show everything all at once at the beginning. Overall, definitely a good read and one that I'd recommend for a good, quick, fun read.

This was my first book by this author, but won’t be my last. It was creepy and mysterious. Rory and Lane head to Westmont Prep school to see if they can figure out why students, involved in a previous attack/murder, are committing suicide. Something feels off to Rory and she must figure it out. I really like her personality with all the quirks.. This book had me hooked from the beginning.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Charlie Donlea has created a superb and engrossing read with The Suicide House. A true page-turner in the vein of Donna Tartt!

I love a prep school mystery! The Suicide House by Charlie Donlea is exactly the kind of creepy, secret society story that fans of mysteries/thrillers will devour. This is my first time reading a book from this author, it won’t be my last.

Synopsis:

Inside the walls of Indiana’s elite Westmont Preparatory High School, expectations run high and rules are strictly enforced. But in the woods beyond the manicured campus and playing fields sits an abandoned boarding house that is infamous among Westmont’s students as a late-night hangout. Here, only one rule applies: don’t let your candle go out—unless you want the Man in the Mirror to find you. . . .

One year ago, two students were killed there in a grisly slaughter. The case has since become the focus of a hit podcast, The Suicide House. Though a teacher was convicted of the murders, mysteries and questions remain. The most urgent among them is why so many students who survived that horrific night have returned to the boarding house—to kill themselves.

Rory, an expert in reconstructing cold cases, is working on The Suicide House podcast with Lane, recreating the night of the killings in order to find answers that have eluded the school, the town, and the police. But the more they learn about the troubled students, the chillingly stoic culprit, and a dangerous game gone tragically wrong, the more convinced they become that something sinister is still happening. Inside Westmont Prep, the game hasn’t ended. It thrives on secrecy and silence. And for its players, there may be no way to win—or to survive. . . .

This was an intense read with multiple POVs in alternating chapters and flashbacks. It took some effort to concentrate and keep it all straight in my mind but it was well worth the mental strain!

Goodreads is running a GIVEAWAY for this book here. Coming out on July 28, pre-order here.

Five stars for an extremely difficult-to-solve mystery, five stars for the return of Rory Moore, five stars for the return of another surprise character, five stars for always having a plethora of women both good and bad, weak and strong.

Charlie Donlea again goes back-and-forth in time to tell this story, and because we're now in the Time of Corona, it was sometimes difficult for me to keep track of where we were. But the book should (in "normal times") hold your complete attention, and if you can just read through in a few days you should have no difficulties. There's a complicated, well-woven plot with a solid red herring thrown in, and no major holes that I noticed.

I love a great story, a gruesome murder, and interesting characters, but I *really* love the game of guessing Who Done It. In this book I was so sure I had guessed the twist, I was SO SURE I had at least narrowed it down to two characters... I mean I was POSITIVE I had figured it out early... but nope, the rug was pulled out from under me again and Charlie Donlea surprised me with a very creepy, terrifying culprit. And Donlea avoids the "Culprit confesses all at the end" by just stirring the confession into the story from the beginning. Splendid!!

If you've never read a Charlie Donlea book, know that even with reappearing characters each book stands on its own and can be read in any order. A special thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I've honestly given 5 stars to all but one of Charlie Donlea's books, and I look forward anxiously for his next one!!

In the case of “The Suicide House” by Charlie Donlea all I can say is wow. We are brought back into the lives of Rory Moore and Lane Phillips. They are drawn to the elite Westmont Preparatory HS where a year ago two students were brutally killed by a teacher. But something does not feel right and Rory, who reconstructs cold cases, gets to work. But could the “game” be too much for even her this time?

This is my third book by Donlea and I am hooked. A definite read. I received an ARC through Net Galley and this is my honest review.

DNF-just couldn't get into the characters. The plot and the author sucked me in, but I got halfway in and realized that I just didn't care to finish it ha. I think it would be great for others, just not for me.

Rory is a very complex character with a talent to solve cold cases. When her romantic interest leaves for Indiana on a mission to investigate murders and suicides at a Preparatory High School; Rory follows him. Very action packed pages some with gruesome scenes. Any Charlie Donlea novel is worth the read for the skill and action that the author tells. "A copy of this book was provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

Now THAT was a thriller. A fantastically fast paced, creepy, disturbing, twist filled, compelling thriller. This would be the perfect horror read for an eerie October night, and despite the fact that I didn’t read it in Autumn, I still got the spooky, spine-spine chilling vibes and felt like it was an Autumn night while I was reading.

If you plan on reading this book (and you really really should) then prepare a cup of coffee/tea, or perhaps a snack beforehand, because once you start reading you won’t want to stop until you get the answers to the many mysteries that haunt this book. Settle in and prepare to be equal parts freaked out and mystified!

Seriously, this book has all of the elements needed to make an amazing, edge of your seat thriller/horror story.

A boarding school with dark secrets. A secret society within the school. (What is a boarding school without a secret society, right?) A creepy as hell game played by the students of the school/members of the secret society, called “The Man in the Mirror.” I mean, does the name of the game alone not make your spine tingle just a little? A mysterious, abandoned boarding house deep in the woods of the school grounds, where the society members would go in order to meet and play the ghoulish, macabre game. (And seriously? An abandoned house in the woods? Was anybody else thinking of the beyond creepy house in The Blair Witch Project? Because I was every time the house was ventured to/mentioned in the story.) Disturbing journal entries throughout the story hinting at a very dark history and disturbed individual. Grisly murders at the abandoned house connected to the society, but with a much bigger web than first thought. And suicides (or are they?), all of which take place on a set of train tracks right near the abandoned house in the woods. Seriously, all of the above ingredients made for a fast paced and horrifying reading experience because there is just so much creepiness going on.

The very start of the story is ominous and goosebumps inducing and immediately captures your attention. A student enters the woods in the middle of the night, makes his way to an abandoned boarding house, and horrifying hijinks ensue. A dark, disturbing history is revealed in a private journal entry. And police are called to the scene of a gruesome murder scene at the abandoned boarding house. And that’s all within the prologue! I was immediately gripped, and knew I was in for one hell of a thrill ride. (And a very chilling one at that!)

This book is layered with mystery upon mystery; Mysteries which intertwine, and weave a twisting, harrowing tale. And the deeper you delve, the more sinister it all is.

A large cast of characters are introduced to the story, the mystery of the boarding house murders and suicides is bigger than anyone ever imagined, and there are just so many twists and questions, leaving you to wonder just what the hell is happening, how everything, including all of the characters, are connected together and how its all going to play out.

There are many characters and POVs in this story, and it was a little hard to keep track of who was who at the very start, but that soon fell away the more the characters became involved in the story, and the more that was revealed about them and their relevance to what was happening.

The main characters in the story consist of: A man who runs a popular podcast focused on the tragic happenings at the boarding school. A detective, who was called to the scene of the murders. An investigate journalist who has been following the grisly happenings at the school. A criminal profiler and his partner, who specializes in solving cold cases. They were a very interesting pair, as well as unique and fascinating individuals in their own right, and definitely added more depth to the story. There are also other smaller POV’s thrown into the story, but the characters are still of relevance and so, even if they aren’t one of the main POVs, their perspectives only add to the story instead of taking away from it and are not at all an unnecessary distraction that takes away from the story in any way.

The disturbing journal entries continue throughout the story as well, making you wonder who the author of the journal is, and what part they play in the overall, blood drenched mystery that is happening.

This book. Is. Creepy. As. Hell.

The only thing that was a bit disappointing was the ending, although not terribly so. The build up and the reveals were excellent, but after all of it unfolds, it feels a bit rushed. BUT. It was still a good ending and wrap up over all despite it being just a bit rushed.

This book is a gruesome, harrowing story that will keep you fully engaged and entertained (not to mention horrified) during your entire reading experience. It certainly was all of the above for me, and is also a tale that will stick with me even though i’ve already solved the macabre mystery within.

Definitely recommend, although not for the faint of heart. But if you enjoy creepy thriller novels, then this is definitely the book for you!

This was my first book by Charlie Donlea, but certainly won’t be my last.

A year ago, two students were killed at Westmont Prep. The case has since become the focus of a hit podcast, The Suicide House. Though a teacher was convicted of the murders, mysteries and questions remain. The most urgent among them is why so many students who survived that horrific night have returned to the boarding house to kill themselves. I’ve been listening to true crime & supernatural podcasts so i was hooked with this one. The characters are quirky, my fave is Rory! It’s twisty, suspenseful and creepy everything I expected it to be!