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.

This was a slightly subpar read that won't stick out in my head months after reading. Certainly a step down from Mirrorland.

A Wonderful, Eerie and Entrancing Novel!

Maggie Mackay is a young woman still in mourning from her mother's passing while trying to get her life together again after suffering a trauma so shocking that it has taken her a great while to overcome. Maggie has decided to go back to the extremely, small island village in Scotland where she had visited at five years of age claiming a man unknown to her or her mother had been murdered twenty-five years ago, and the villagers didn't take kindly to that sordid news by outsiders especially a small child along with a television crew bringing questions and shame to the peaceful community.

Maggie just wants to understand what really happened all those years ago and to find out if there really had been a murder or if the man had ever, even existed. Initially, she doesn't reveal her real identity but it does comes out rather quickly and Maggie gets shunned by the majority of the islanders yet isn't prepared to find a possible romance with a farmer who seems very supportive of Maggie although he doesn't have a clue about Maggie's uncomfortable and mysterious past. Maggie only wants to stay a very short time so she can't possibly get involved with someone who lives on the island.

Soon, Maggie begins getting threatening and frightening messages and objects left at her beautiful rental cottage while she knows someone wants to scare her away yet she doesn't know why unless there is so much more to the unknown and unsolved murder than she could never have foreseen and as eerie occurrences continue to frighten her Maggie only gets more resolved to solve the mysteries of her past and of this man she has somehow been connected to all of her life.


This was a beautifully written and haunting story of an unhappy young woman trying to find answers to her past while unwittingly putting her own life in danger. I absolutely loved this book and all the characters within the mysterious and extremely atmospheric Scottish island settings. The exceptional telling of the scenery and the Scot dialect of the island had me mesmerized page after page visualizing the story as if I was watching it play out on film. This was a book that was so unique and also impossible to know how the story would play out. I was entranced because the writing was excellent and breathtaking at times and I was so enmeshed with this novel that I didn't want the story to come down end! Carole Johnstone has another new fan!


I highly recommend this dark mystery with a hint of the paranormal to all readers who enjoy books that are beautifully written!

I want to thank the publisher "Scribner" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating of 4 1/2 HAUNTING AND RIVETING 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone is a gripping and atmospheric thriller that transports the reader to a remote and mysterious Scottish island. The story follows Maggie Mackay, a journalist who returns to Kilmeray, the place where she made a shocking claim as a child that a man was murdered there. Maggie is determined to uncover the truth behind her childhood memory, but she soon realizes that the islanders are hiding more than she bargained for. As she digs deeper into the dark secrets of Kilmeray, she also faces the stormy weather, the hostile locals, and the danger that lurks around every corner.

Johnstone masterfully creates a sense of dread and suspense throughout the novel, using the bleak and isolated setting of Kilmeray as a backdrop for the twisted and unpredictable plot. The author explores themes of identity, family, guilt, and redemption, as Maggie confronts her own past and the consequences of her actions. The characters are well-drawn and complex, each with their own motives and secrets. The Blackhouse is a haunting and captivating read that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

The Blackhouse literally starts on a dark and stormy night and really doesn't let you go easily. The story of young woman who as a child was pushed by her mother to believe she was the reincarnation of a man who was murdered in a small coastal village in Ireland, returns to try and close the chapter of the ghosts that haunt her life.
As she grows to learn about the people who live there she realizes that many do not want her there and that they have many secrets they want to keep within their small community.
The story is told from two different perspectives, that of Maggie, our protagonist, and Robert from 25 or so years ago. As their stories start to overlap, Maggie comes to realize that some truths are best left alone.
Overall a really good read, I loved the touches of Norse and Irish mythology that were used throughout the story. I actually enjoyed this book more than her first book, Mirrorland.

I am here for all of the secluded mystery location books that are coming across my shelf lately! The Blackhouse is full of mystery, mood, and ....murder? I had a hard time with the dual timelines, which is a personal difficulty of mine and not because of Johnstone's writing. This book kept me engaged throughout and still guessing near the end.

4/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with access to this e-arc.

This was such an entertaining gothic mystery. I still need to read her debut, but I will definitely pick it up. I loved the atmosphere, the little romance, and the weirdness of the story.

Loved this book. Very atmospheric, with complex characters. Carole Johnstone is a must-read authors for those who love thrillers and mysteries.

Engaging and atmospheric. A recommended purchase for collections where gothic thrillers are popular.

In the 1990s, Robert Reid made a life-altering move with his family to the windswept landscapes of Scotland's Outer Hebrides, driven by hope and a yearning for safety, all the while harboring a dark secret. Despite his best efforts to assimilate into the tight-knit community, Robert remains an outsider, forever marked by his otherness. As the relentless and fearsome storms of the Hebrides rage around him, he begins to unravel, haunted by the belief that his destiny on the remote isle of Kilmeray is an inescapable one.

Maggie MacKay has carried a sense of wrongness with her throughout her entire life. At the tender age of five, Maggie made an astounding declaration: a murder had occurred on Kilmeray, a place she had never visited. Her unfounded revelation sent shockwaves, attracting media attention, and fracturing the local community in divisions that time could not heal.

Nearly two decades later, Maggie is unwavering in her determination to uncover the truth behind that fateful incident and the deep-seated secrets held by the islanders. As she delves deeper into the mystery, ominous threats start to loom over her, compelling Maggie to confront the perilous limits of her quest for the horrifying truth. The narrative unfolds with intricate layers across two distinct timelines—one set in the 1990s, the other in the present. Amidst the complexity of the plot, numerous characters populate both past and present. Yet, the story is primarily presented through the perspectives of two protagonists, Maggie and Robert.

Carole Johnstone skillfully crafts a tale in "The Blackhouse" that maintains a deliberate, measured pace, creating an immersive, atmospheric experience for the reader. The elements of the tempestuous sea, the isolated farmlands, and the enigmatic blackhouse resonate with a vivid, palpable presence. In this windswept and storm-battered island, cut off from the outside world by nature's wrath, tension simmers, and mysteries fester. As the plot unfolds, the menace doesn't emanate solely from the unpredictable seas but also from the villagers who seem to be playing a sinister game of cat and mouse with Maggie.

"The Blackhouse" is a mystifying and chilling thriller woven with hints of the supernatural, superstition, delusion, and mythology.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a little while to get to this book and now I'm regretting it! It was absolutely fantastic! A bit eerie, a lot jaw-dropping! Unreliable characters (which happen to be my favorite kind) and so many twists and turns!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick. Our library purchased and our patrons have been checking out and and enjoying the book. I see it is a popular book club choice as well we hope to have more oppurtinies to support authors like them

After reading Mirrorland by this author I’m no longer interested in The Blackhouse. Her writing style just isn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love a good slow burn thriller - this one was a tad too slow for me at times but I loved how the author really created the atmosphere of this novel through her very skilled writing.

This novel featured two timelines - which I am a sucker for - I love a good dual timeline thriller. This book kept my interest and definitely kept me wanting to read and find out what was going on, but I was wishing for a bit more of a propulsive thriller with this one.

A fun book though to read on a great spooky, chilly night and I would be interested to read other books by this author because her writing really was wonderful.

Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

Unfortunately, this book was not the right fit for me. I usually love a mystery thriller (and can usually get invested in a paranormal plotline if it fits) but I just felt that the book was way too slow to really get into. I put the book down over and over again, and it felt like a chore getting through it instead of a fun way to spend my time.

I loved the atmosphere that the author brought us into, but the characters were really lacking in my opinion. I loved the dual POV but their storylines never really progressed or got very deep into their personalities or growth.

Whew, I'm out of breath after finishing this one. I don't read many mystery/thriller books these days but I made an exception for this one and I'm glad I did. Great lead characters, great side characters, great world-building...I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This took me waaaaaay too long to get through. I love gothic and horror books, but this was a tough one. The suspense did really build up in the end, but it ended up being a little bit of a let down. I enjoyed the plot and characters though!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

This was an enjoyable read that kept my attention the entire time. I enjoyed the premise of the book and the character development. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.