This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

The first thing that every reader needs to know about The Blackhouse is that it is about mental illness and child abuse. There is nothing light or happy about this book, and you need to go into it knowing that.

In a small village on a Hebrides island in Scottland, we first meet Maggie, she is trying to slip into a village that she once visited as a child. Back then she said she was Andrew, a man who was murdered in the village. The villagers deny that anyone of that name ever live there. We find out that Maggie is bi-polar and has just left the hospital after suffering a psychotic break during her mother's memorial. Maggie says she is writing a story about the old case, and is quickly recognized in the village, leaving her mostly ostracized.

We are then introduced to Robert, who lived outside the village with his wife and son. Robert is trying to build a life as a farmer despite his family legacy of working the water. Robert is haunted by something in his past, and seems to try and alienate everyone around him.

The story goes from there with Maggie questioning if she ever was Andrew or if all the 'abilities' her mother claimed she had, were real or not. She struggles with her bi-polar disorder, her need to take medication, and her fears for her future. We watch Maggie bounce back and forth between theories numerous times as she tries to 'solve' the murder and find happiness with a local man, who is, frankly, too good to be true. Robert slowly unravels, becoming more and more paranoid and withdrawn, clashing with almost everyone in the village thereby further isolating himself.

The biggest drawback to this book is that Maggie has numerous revelations about what happened in the past, how she is perceiving it now, and how she should live her life. Back and forth, back and forth. It becomes tedious, and by the time she has her last revelation at the very end of the book, all I did was roll my eyes.

Robert's story is much, much darker. More of it should have been shown in the book, instead of being told to Maggie by an old islander at the end. It felt like the author hadn't decided Robert's story until the last couple of chapters, and then she wrapped it up in a bow and presented it to us.

In the end, the most important thing to know is that there is a lot of mental illness, child abuse and neglect, and violence in this book. It is not a mystery.

As a child, Maggie told everyone she was Andrew MacNeil, a man who was murdered on a remote island in the Outer Hebrides. Or was he? After her mother's death, Maggie returns to the small villiage to uncover the truth of her past.

Carole Johnstone's The Blackhouse is a rich, slow-burn thriller, split between two narrators: Maggie and the man she believes she was. The ghosts of the possibly murdered man and the small child who disappeared the same night hang over the town; they all have secrets and no one seems very forthcoming. When dead birds start appearing at her cottage, Maggie starts racing to find the truth.

The first half of the novel is deliciously slow, building tension before the final reveal. Using traditional gothic elements, Johnstone creates an atmospheric story, propelled by the supernatural and reader's desire to learn more.

The conclusion felt like a different book. The various threads Johnstone established throughout are brought together, but it is rushed, leaving some of the threads hanging. Without revealing too much, some of the resolutions are a bit short of satisfying in their execution; they come together, but are not entirely related to the larger plot or remain at a distance.

I wanted to enjoy this one but felt the overall mystery, plot and characters hard to relate to. I can totally see the potential here though, I might just not be the target audience.

A haunting tale of suspense.

Maggie, a young woman struggling with bipolar disorder and who has recently lost her mother, arrives on Kilmery, a small island off the west coast of Scotland. She does not receive a warm welcome from the locals; they soon recognize her as the child who arrived on the island twenty years earlier with her mother and a film crew, claiming to be the reincarnation of a man named Andrew who had lived there…and who said that Andrew had been murdered.

Maggie is driven to find the truth about Andrew and her childhood insistence that she was linked to him. Does she have actual psychic gifts, as her mother had always claimed? Or was it a product of being bipolar? As she asks pursues the truth and stirs up bad memories for the townspeople, both her sanity and her life may be at risk.

Carole Johnstone weaves together the clannish nature of a small isolated community, Nordic mythology and superstitions, and the eerie backdrop of an island scoured by harsh weather and with many secrets to keep. As I read, I felt clearly the menace that surrounded Maggie both internally and externally. The descriptions of the locale added to the overall bleak atmosphere of the book. I was kept guessing right up until the end. A well-written dark mystery, and definitely worth the read….but perhaps not if you’re alone in a small house on a dark winter’s night.

Johnstone immerses readers in Scottish culture and scares with her excellent writing.
Thank you for the Advanced review copy I read this book as fast as I could.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc. This review is wholly my own.

An atmospheric novel at its best. You can fully immerse yourself in this one and get all the feels: creepy, thrilling, scary, claustrophobic, nightmarish, gothic - this is a fantastic creepy read that is also unique in its story.

The writing is great, but the book was paced a little slow, but don't give up on it. It picks up and you won't want to put it down.

I am not a fan of jumping between two different time periods, but it wasn't so bad in The Blackhouse.

I definitely recommend picking this one up in January 2023 when it hits the shelves.

The best part of this novel is the setting of an island in the Outer Hebrides. The author conveys not only its wild, sometimes cruel beauty but also its otherworldliness as a "thin place" between reality and the magical world. There is also an interesting theme about mental health and its relationship to the supernatural. The story winds up being a bit convoluted, but it ends on an intriguing note (is reincarnation possible?). Recommended for all libraries.

I read this novel while on holiday in Scotland and it was such a thrill to recognize the area in which the novel takes place but beyond that this is a great thriller. It starts off well and keeps momentum up throughout the entire book. I really did not predict how it would turn out and I loved the central mystery. Excellent and original plot. I can't wait to read Johnstone's next book.

I love books set in cold ,desolate locations so this one peaked my interest from the beginning. While the story was complicated because of the dual timelines, the character development and overall ambiance of the story kept me engaged.

Not usually a slow burn type of reader but I enjoyed this story very atmospheric thanks NetGalley for the ARC

This book pulled me in and didn’t let go until the very end!

Set in a small fishing town in Scotland, Maggie goes back to this little village to figure out what really happened to Robert Reid in the 1990s. The catch? Maggie believes that he was murdered, and that she’s Robert reincarnated. Dead birds, rough and rocky beaches, and strange and secretive townspeople come together in this amazing gothic mystery. The plot twist at the end left me flabbergasted, and I can’t wait to read more by this author!

The Blackhouse was deliciously dark. Reading this was like standing in the middle of a forest as a dark, windy storm descended. I could smell, taste, feel the sea that was an ever present entity in this thriller. It was its own character. I fell in love with the setting just as much as I fell in love with Carole Johnstone’s writing all over again. This will be a fantastic spooky season read.

I think going into books blind is my new favorite thing because this book surprised me. It was so creepy and uncomfortable yet at the same time its entertaining and chilling. I am so grateful to have been able to read this ARC but I am deff going to buy this book when it comes out. I love it.

This was absolutely not my usual read. The premise was amazing though and I just had to check it out. My issue is that I know nothing about Scotland and very little about Norse mythology. This was book was brilliant so I spent a whole lot of time looking up terms so I could picture it. I learned a lot.,
I also loved the story.
This is a very twisty and delightful story.
The end though - how could you do that to me?

An interesting mystery novel with a fresh twist: the protagonist believes she's the reincarnation of a murdered man. The setting of the Outer Hebrides is always atmospheric and perfect for dramatic mystery novels like this one. It made for a menacing backdrop as the protagonist struggled with the threats and obstacles thrown in her path by the people of the island. The cast of characters was well balanced with a variety or personality types, and most of them were well developed.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the writing style. I found the narration a little choppy and hard to follow, and too often bogged down by the protagonist's somewhat repetitive thoughts and feelings. That said, the overall plot was solid, so I still thought this was a decent mystery.

“The Blackhouse” by Carole Johnstone is a gothic, supernatural thriller set on the coast of Scotland. The story is told in two time periods and by two narrators: Maggie and Andrew. I had a hard time putting this one down. The setting is a character in itself.
The ending was a tiny bit disappointing, but all in all, a great read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! It had everything I love in a mystery from an isolated setting deep in the Scottish Hebrides to a slightly unreliable narrator. The remote island where the action takes place created a virtual "closed room" type atmosphere. The story kept my interest and kept me guessing until the very end. The shift between the two time frames was well integrated and instilled more ominous tension to the story. If I had any criticism, it would be that the female protagonist sometimes seemed to weak and indecisive and a bit repetitive. Her inability to move forward did not take much away from what was overall a great story.

Wow. This was a very, very good book. So many twists and turns I never saw coming. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. It was bittersweet to finish because of just how powerful the story really is. Definitely recommend!!

A gothic and atmospheric story taking place on a the remote isle of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides.

Maggie MacKay has returned 20 years later to the island and is immediately recognized as the 5 year old who pronounced murder many years ago. Her mother, a filmmaker and entourage filmed this moment and it tore the island in two. Many years later, following the death of her mother, Maggie is determined to get to the bottom of the claim and the story. It is certainly not easy to make inroads in the small community and secrets seem to nip at her heels everywhere she turns.

In the 1990's Robert Reid moved to the island. His story is interspersed with Maggies and it is not until the end of the book that the ties become apparent. If you like gothic tales, deja vu, reincarnation and Norse myths, The Blackhouse is for you!
#Scribner #TheBlackhouse #CaroleJohnstone