The Blackhouse is a bit of a convoluted novel about a 5 year old girl who believes she’s the reincarnation of a murdered man.

The novel has alternating timelines and a pretty big cast of characters.

Was a bit too much for me.

Definitely not not recommending, just want quite the right book for me!

Two people who never met, never connected in any way, yet feel the same blackness thirty years apart. Told in two voices, Robert and Maggie, the story unfolds as a darkness blends into their lives. Maggie was 5 yrs old when she claimed to be Robert, a man murdered on a Scottish island on the other side of the world. it could never be explained how she knew Robert's life but neither was she believed.

The first piece of the story is Robert's. How he came to be hiding on the island and how what he most feared came to past. The second piece is Maggie's. As an adult, she will travel to this island to explain to herself what could have happened to Robert that would push his memories into a 5 yr old in another hemisphere.

This is a very slow burner. Carole Johnstone takes the time and effort to build an atmosphere of darkness and disbelief into a thriller. It was not an easy read, it demands attention. So yes, it's a great story, no, most readers will not stick with it to find out.

The description alone had me hooked and the book itself didn’t disappoint, really great read, very gripping and well plotted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner as well as the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #Scribner #CaroleJohnstone #TheBlackhouse #Bookreview #Horror #Thriller #Books #Fiction

Title: The Blackhouse
Author: Carole Johnstone
Format: eBook
Publisher: Scribner
Publication Date: January 3, 2023
Themes: Familial strife, creepy kids, paranormal, psychic, weather

Maggie has always known she was different. As a five year old, she sees a man murdered by drowning in a place she’s never visited. As a result, the townies of this remote place in Scotland turn against one another. Twenty years later, Maggie is determined to find out the truth of what happened. Will she solve a murder? What are the townsfolk hiding? Do we want to know?

This author is a very talented writer. Her use of imagery causes the images to leap directly into the reader’s head, or at least this reader’s head. I was transported to a dark and stormy place. Truly a delicious setting for this creepy tale. The characters are believable and well developed. The tight knit community gave me almost Wickerman feelings. Ms. Johnstone is truly gifted.

As much as I enjoyed mentally visiting Scotland, I did feel this book was way, way too slow. I love a good slow burn but there is a fine line between slow burn and dead in the water (pun intended). Unfortunately, this one ends up in the water for me. I found a lot to love about this but I felt that it could use some serious editing. I felt there were several plot holes and way too much narrative. By the end, I had a lot of trouble caring what the outcome of the story was, even though I wanted to.
All in all, I really like this author and will continue to read her work. I’m glad I read this one but I liked her previous novel, Mirrorland, better. Someone who loves slow pacing and atmospheric vibes will find something to like here. This one wasn’t my favorite.

This book was eerie in the best way! Set on a remote Scottish island, The Blackhouse pulls you into its haunting atmosphere right away. The mix of mystery, folklore, and unsettling secrets kept me turning pages late into the night. The island itself felt like a living, breathing character, and the twists were so well done—I didn’t see them coming!

If you love dark, atmospheric thrillers with a touch of the supernatural, this is a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone is a dark, gothic thriller set in the Outer Hebrides, where twenty-five year old Maggie MacKay is visiting the village of Blairmore. When Maggie was a young girl, she claims that she used to be a man named Andrew who was murdered there and his murder was never solved. Now Maggie is back in order to get answers about Andrew and her presence there is met with concern and fear by those living in Blairmore. We also have a storyline about Robert Reid who lives in the Outer Hebrides with his wife and son and is trying to escape his past but is constantly treated like the outsider that he is.

I decided to go into this book blindly. I didn't really love Mirrorland, but decided to try another Johnstone novel out to see if it was just me the first time. But The Blackhouse also was a hard one for me to finish. I didn't realize from the blurb that this was a reincarnation story. I also thought that Maggie and Will's relationship was a little weird once that twist came to light. All in all, this book was incredibly slow throughout. It took me so long to finish because I didn't feel the desire to return to the village or the characters. On a positive note, the book was super dark and atmospheric and the setting was very intriguing. Everything about the island seemed super creepy.

I think that this book was just too slow for me and the storyline wasn't one that I enjoyed very much. I'm not sure that Carole Johnstone's novels are for me. But I seem to be an outlier, so if you enjoy dark, gothic, atmospheric thrillers then you should definitely try this one.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

My initial thought was it’s an odd police procedural that starts with the detective’s childhood. But that would be The Blackhouse, which takes place on The Isle of Lewis, the northernmost island of the Hebrides. Fin Macleod grew up there, but left 18 years ago for Edinburgh. Now he’s being sent back to investigate a murder; one that resembles a murder he was investigating in Edinburgh.
But as I came to find out, this really isn’t a police procedural. It’s much more drama than mystery. More of the story is spent on Fin’s youth than the present day. The tale switches back and forth between past and present, the past seen through Fin’s eyes and the present told as 3rd person. The murder victim was the young classroom bully. Fin is facing the same people he grew up with, including his best friend and ex-girlfriend. Some of the twists weren’t surprises, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t totally entranced by the way the ending played out.
It’s a small, close community, with a heavy emphasis on a stern Church of Scotland faith. May does a great job of describing the place and its people. It was easy for me to picture each scene as it played out.
This is the first in a trilogy and I’ll be curious to see if the next in the series takes place more in the present.
Peter Forbes was a great narrator, even though I occasionally struggled to keep the names straight.

As someone who's always been drawn to atmospheric settings and gothic mysteries, "The Blackhouse" by Carole Johnstone was an immediate draw for me. The isolated Scottish island setting, with its windswept landscapes and brooding secrets, felt like the perfect backdrop for a dark and twisty tale.

The story centers on Maggie, a woman returning to the island of her childhood after a traumatic incident that forced her to leave. As she delves into the secrets of the island's past, she uncovers a web of lies and long-held grudges that threaten to consume her.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was the sense of unease that permeates the narrative. The descriptions of the landscape and the weather are so vivid that I could almost feel the chilling wind and the dampness seeping into my bones. This atmospheric writing, combined with the slow-burning suspense, kept me turning the pages late into the night.

Maggie is a compelling and complex character, haunted by her past and struggling to find her place in the present. Her determination to uncover the truth, even as it puts her in danger, is both admirable and unsettling. The supporting cast of characters, from the enigmatic locals to the enigmatic figures from Maggie's past, add layers of intrigue to the story.

While I found the overall plot to be engaging, there were a few moments where the pacing felt a bit slow. However, the final reveal was worth the wait, offering a satisfying and unexpected twist that left me thinking about the book long after I finished it.

As a reader who appreciates a good gothic mystery with a strong sense of place, "The Blackhouse" delivered on all fronts. The atmospheric setting, compelling characters, and slow-burning suspense made for a truly immersive reading experience. While the pacing may not be for everyone, those who enjoy dark and twisty tales with a touch of the supernatural will likely find this book to be a haunting and satisfying read.

BOOK REVIEW ALERT – Review, Recommendation, Rating & Opinion are my own.


This book is a gripping psychological thriller set on the remote Scottish island of Kilmeray. The story follows Maggie MacKay, who, driven by fragmented childhood memories and dreams, returns to the island to uncover the truth about a murder she believes she witnessed years ago. As she delves deeper into the island’s dark secrets, Maggie confronts not only the islanders’ hostility but also her own buried traumas, leading to a chilling climax. The plot is intricately layered, with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end. The narrative alternates between past and present, gradually unveiling the mystery of Maggie’s past and the murder she seeks to solve. The pacing is deliberate yet compelling, allowing readers to immerse themselves fully in the eerie atmosphere of Kilmeray.

Rating – 4.0/5 Stars
Recommendation – High

This read is a compelling and atmospheric psychological thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Carole Johnstone’s deft storytelling, combined with a richly drawn setting and complex characters, makes for a riveting read. Fans of suspenseful mysteries and dark psychological dramas will find much to appreciate in this haunting tale.

Carole Johnstone’s writing is atmospheric and immersive. Her prose is lyrical yet precise, effectively capturing the mood and tone of the story. The alternating timelines are handled seamlessly, and the gradual revelation of clues is expertly paced. Johnstone’s ability to create a palpable sense of suspense and unease is one of the novel’s standout features.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions contained within are my own.

My enjoyment of a thriller depends on a lot of things. Pacing, believability, whether or not I can get behind any of the characters, even if they aren’t necessarily the best people. One thing that is at the top of the list, though, is atmosphere. If the author manages to strike that perfect balance of eerie and thrilling, I’m going to be on board. Thankfully, The Blackhouse manages to accomplish this feat!

In this novel, we are immersed in two timelines. In the first, we’re following Maggie, a young woman returning to a town that made her famous in her youth. When she was five, she declared she was the reincarnation of a man that was murdered in the sleepy Scottish town and, as you might imagine, that did not go over well. Our second timeline follows Robert, who has just moved his family out to the Scottish isles and, as it happens, turns out to be the man young Maggie claimed was murdered. As the story unfolds, lies are uncovered and the lives of both Maggie and Robert are laid bare.

Now, as I mentioned earlier, the biggest thing this book has going for it is atmosphere. When I think “atmospheric read”, this book jumps to the forefront of my mind! Johnstone does a masterful job of relaying the bleakness of the setting, the feeling of isolation and desperation, and it elevates the story to another level. I would suggest reading this book during the colder months because it will feel like you’ve fallen into the story with the author’s writing.

One thing that didn’t work quite so well for me was the alternating timeline. And that’s mainly because I did not care about Robert at all. Maggie was a compelling character with layers that are interesting to peel away. Robert? I’m not going to say he wasn’t a complicated character, but the core of his complications was daddy issues and he did NOT LET YOU FORGET IT. It felt like every one of his chapters boiled down to him blaming his father (and himself) for everything that had ever happened to him. Like… we get it, we truly do. I found Maggie’s chapters far more intriguing and like they moved the plot along a lot quicker as opposed to Robert’s chapters. I’m not saying they were bad, but they definitely made the book drag for me.

Even with the timeline switches, though, this book really drew me in. I was invested in the mystery of this town and what had happened when Maggie was young and back in the past with Robert. Johnstone really has a way of pulling you into a book, even if you don’t get on with one of her main characters, haha. Again, I attribute part of that the the atmospheric writing, but there’s something about how she structures her stories that just makes you want to keep reading. There were many a nights I had to force myself to stop because it was 2 in the morning and I had to work the next day, heh.

Overall, though I wasn’t a fan of the timeline switches, this was still a well-constructed and compelling thriller. The atmospheric writing and eerie setting made me feel like I had fallen into the story and the plot kept me guessing until the end. It was slightly spooky, had great writing, and was just my kind of thriller!

In this richly atmospheric slow burn mystery, a woman returns to the Scottish Isle she was drawn to as a child. That is when she was convinced she was a murder victim named Robert Reid… Now after the loss of her mother she returns to the Isle to see if there was anything to her childhood claims and try and find justice for Robert and some clarity for herself. In a tiny community, some people aren’t so thrilled at an outsider digging up old secrets. This is told through dual perspectives, oscillating between the past and present- between Maggie and a local farmer- Andrew. This is the definition of a slow burn, so if you don’t like slower character driven mysteries this won’t be for you. They aren’t totally for me so it took me a long time to really get into it, but I absolutely blazed through the final third. I didn’t love the overall plot, but I really loved the main character. She was complicated but really compelling. The atmosphere is so incredible, I could read a whole book just describing the beaches of coastal Scotland. The isolation and how that can increase latent mental illness is a huge theme, and I really liked how Johnstone explored that. Not everything worked for me plot-wise but there’s a lot here to love.

This slow-burn thriller is so twisty and sparing with its details that it's hard to write anything without giving a piece away. The last thing I want to do is ruin someone's experience by talking too much, so I'll very carefully give this review a shot.

Maggie shows up on the small Scottish isle of Kilmeray after her mother dies, dreading being recognized from a memorable childhood visit in the 1990s. On that last fateful trip, she pronounced for any and all to hear that her name was Andrew MacNeil, and she'd been murdered. Her mother was eager to capitalize on the psychic gifts of her daughter, a legacy that made her proud. Towing a documentarian along, she paraded Maggie around the island, looking for evidence of Maggie's past life. At the time, the islanders were not only annoyed at the disruption but also firm that no such person existed. Now, Maggie's determined to gain some closure and find out if there are any secrets the island didn't give up 20 years ago.

Beyond commenting that there are definitely plenty of secrets to uncover, I honestly don't want to say anything else about the plot. There are twists on twists, and the ones I didn't see coming left me SHOOKETH. Sometimes, the surprises were little swerves that kept the mystery compelling, and other times they were big revelations that changed the whole landscape of the story. Either way, it makes for an unputdownable book.

I think the author captures several things well. For one, I think this is a rare thriller where mental health is done right-- it's not an excuse or explanation for evil or confusion. And it's not a reason to distrust or demean a character's perspective. Maggie's bipolar, and this is a source of worry for her in terms of managing her symptoms but not something that's leveraged to make a reader label her "crazy" or find her inherently unreliable. I also think the author captures the high stakes within an insular community, lending intensity to relationships for better or for worse. Finally, the power of the sea and storms that have ravaged the island in the past are a looming feature. This natural danger has taken many lives and livelihoods, and it adds another layer to the human threats of the story.

As someone who's strangely picky about thrillers, I recommend this to readers who like atmospheric suspense stories that rely on the multifaceted nature of people to keep unveiling secret after secret. Thanks to Scribner for my copy to read and review!

Atmospheric and twisted, however the pacing occasionally drags and the plot twists feel forced. The strength lies in the setting and the feeling that everyone has secrets and something to hide.
Many thanks to Scribner and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I think I would have liked this book more if not for the insta-love relationship that came out of nowhere. I understand why the relationship was developed, but I felt it could have been handled better and the conclusion for the relationship left me feeling confused. I did appreciate the constant question of whether or not the main character was actually possessed by the spirit of the man who was murdered, and the atmosphere was well done as well.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

DNF around 30%. I like the idea of this but it’s just a bit too slow moving for me. I was not looking forward to picking this one up each night.

Oh, boy. This was a struggle to get through. There were some interesting moments; the demon at her mother’s funeral was crazy scary. Unfortunately, that was early in the book and that energy never showed again. There is such a thing as too many plot twists. At the end there it got ridiculous. And the who-is-who realization—-so ick. Thank you to NetGalley for a digital copy.

The Blackhouse has one of the coolest covers I've ever seen and this was definitely an, "The cover is stunning so now I want to read it".

This was a very chilling read that I ended p really enjoying! It's a slow burn and at parts it did drag but I'm glad I kept going because it was unique and had me guessing until the very end!

The Black House by Carole Johnstone is a richly atmospheric mystery that draws you into the Scottish island of Kilmeray.
The story is engaging, and I found myself becoming immersed in the tale and the mystery, and without giving away any spoilers the ending managed to be mysterious and revelatory at the same time.
"When she was five years old, Maggie announced that a man on the remote island of Kilmeray in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides—a place she’d never visited—was murdered. Her unfounded claim drew media attention and turned the locals against each other, creating rifts that never mended." Maggie returns and slowly unravels the mystery of whether she is the reincarnation of the man who was murdered all those years ago.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #Scribner, and #CaroleJohnstone for the ARC of the wonderful #TheBlackhouse.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.