The blackhouse was a slow-burning suspenseful mystery. Maggie goes to do a deep dive into her past and discovers that some secrets shouldn't be discovered.

A dark and gritty thriller this one is a slow burn but worth it for the mysterious ending.

I enjoyed Carole Jonstone's 'Mirrorland" so much that I was sure this would be another 5 star for me. Unfortunately, I found this story much to slow and bogged down with descriptions to be another favorite.. I find her writing so beautiful and am again impressed with her ability to plot our a mystery and keep you guessing. My biggest complaint for this story aside from the slow pacing, was the amount of characters. I made it all the way to the end of the story still confused about some characters and their names/purpose. I will keep reading from the author even though this wasn't a huge hit for me, she is an undeniable talent.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the sophomore novel by Carole Johnstone - 4.5 creepy stars rounded up!

Maggie MacKay has been told that she is special all her life by her mother, who claimed psychic abilities and saw them in her daughter as well. When they visited a remote coastal village in Scotland when Maggie was very small, Maggie claimed that she was Andrew MacNeil and he had been murdered there. This of course caused an uproar of media attention and caused Maggie to feel differently about herself as well. As an adult, Maggie feels the pull to go back to the village to see what she can find out, but she doesn't get a warm response from the locals. Soon she's scared and questioning everything.

This is a slow book, especially in the beginning, as it alternates chapters between Maggie in the present day and a man named Robert in the past. The atmosphere is creepy and definitely a huge element in this story, along with myths and superstitions. But once I got into it, I found that I couldn't put it down. There's lots to sort out here, with many different locals to keep track of, but it's worth the effort! Also plenty of topics - community, family, mental health, and trying to figure out who you are. Great read!

Thanks to #netgalley and #scribner for the advance copy for review. The opinions expressed are my own.
3..5 rounded up
Set on a small remote island off the coast of Scotland, the story is very evocative of a harsh land, harsh weather, the loneliness and challenges of living in such miserable circumstances. An atmospheric, almost Gothic, vibe is evident throughout the story.

The story is told in 2 timelines - present day which is over half the story, and 25 years in the past - and primarily from the perspective of Maggie, a very unreliable narrator, who is trying to deal with her mental health issues and come to terms with her relationship with her dead mom so she returns to this remote island hoping to resolve some vague, uncomfortable memories. As a child she had a vision of a man murdered in this village - she's back to figure out if that is true. As she meets the residents of the village, she picks up a secret here, a hint of something hidden there, a slip of the tongue - all making the story hard to follow.

There are characters with secrets who tell lies (so WHO is the unreliable narrator???); there's a little unexpected romance; there's an old cottage on a cliff; Maggie is working to overcome her fears as villagers encourage her to leave the past in the past. A lot of suspense is built up as Maggie endures hidden threats and villagers who won't talk to her because she's trying to bring up bad memories.

For me, there were too many characters, villagers, that had tangential connection to the main mystery, but kept popping up. I could not keep track of them or what their relationships were; I found that incredibly annoying. Combine all those characters with Maggie's unreliable narration and I was lost more than once. Also, there are LOTS of Scottish words and names for a bay, a beach, a house, a tool, etc. There is some Norse folklore and more unusual words. That slowed my reading and my visualization of the area - are they on a beach or a valley or a mountain? Couldn't tell by the name. Just like in many fantasy stories, I have a hard time wrapping my head around a collection of letters that is supposedly a word, but I can't pronounce it in my head. Every time I encounter it, I try again to sound it out. Sigh.

Ultimately, it's a suspenseful, interesting book with a really unexpected unreliable narrator. A story of loss, of vast secrets, of discovering that truth may not be all it's cracked up to be, and how parental behavior can have lasting results.

3.5 rounded
Atmosphere atmosphere atmosphere!!!
Chilling, dark and broody and full of suspense. Throughout this book I imagined myself on the rocky shores of the Atlantic in the Outer Hebrides, deep inside a howling downpour, where this story takes place.

In the late 90s, unprompted five year old Maggie Anderson announces she was a man named Andrew MacNeil in a previous life, and that she was murdered on the island of Kilmeray. Her mother takes her to the island with a film crew to try to prove Maggie’s claims and find out the truth. However, the escapade fails.

20 years later, after her mother’s death, breaking up with her fiancé, and her own struggles with mental illness, Maggie returns to Kilmeray to try to find the truth again so she can start her life anew.

On the island she faces a wall of close knit, tight lipped villagers, harsh weather, her own demons, and a stalker. Was Maggie Andrew MacNeil and was he murdered? What are the villagers hiding? Will Maggie ever find her true self and happiness?

I found the start slow and some of the ending long winded, but the interesting tale, small twists here and there, and the ATMOSPHERE made up for it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC. All views are my own.

5 year old Maggie believes she is the reincarnation of Andrew O’Neil. She believes he was murdered and she was born. She returns 20 years later for proof. She gets more than she bargained for. Spooky things keep happening, and Maggie is afraid that her medical condition is partially to blame. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for my review.

"A remote village. A deadly secret. An outsider who knows the truth.

Robert Reid moved his family to Scotland's Outer Hebrides in the 1990s, driven by hope, craving safety and community, and hiding a terrible secret. But despite his best efforts to fit in, Robert is always seen as an outsider. And as the legendary and violent Hebridean storms rage around him, he begins to unravel, believing his fate on the remote island of Kilmeray cannot be escaped.

For her entire life, Maggie MacKay has sensed something was wrong with her. When Maggie was five years old, she announced that a man on Kilmeray - a place she'd never visited - had been murdered. Her unfounded claim drew media attention and turned the locals against each other, creating rifts that never mended.

Nearly twenty years later, Maggie is determined to find out what really happened, and what the islanders are hiding. But when she begins to receive ominous threats, Maggie is forced to consider how much she is willing to risk to discover the horrifying truth.

Unnerving, enthralling, and filled with Gothic suspense, The Blackhouse is a spectacularly sinister tale readers won't soon forget."

Because I know you're like me and need to know if she did know about a man on Kilmeray being murdered!

A digital ARC of this book was provided to me by NetGalley and Scribner. The opinions are my own and freely given.

Maggie goes back to the Isle of Kilmeray, where at the age of 5 she causes a big scene with some wild accusations. Now she is investigating her claims by telling the locals she is writing a story. Many of the locals who were there the first time she was there are not happy with her reopening old wounds.

I had a very hard time following the characters. I couldn't remember who some of them were husband, wife, daughter. These chapters are very long. The story is from Maggie's POV but there are chapters that are from Robert's POV years ago. These chapters, although I know they were setting up the story, didn't hold my attention. I didn't have a problem with Maggie, she had a few unresolved issues. But as much as I tried to like Charlie, I had a hard time because it always seemed like he was lying or hiding something. I really didn't care for any of the islanders. For what this book was, I think it was a good story, but a little too long. You really don't find out anything until about 75% of the way through it. It isn't a "happy" ending so much as a resolution of Maggie's feelings towards herself. I didn't feel the epilogue really finished or wrapped up the story. Thank you NetGalley, Scribner and Carole Johnstone.

2.7 Stars
One Liner: Atmospheric, but the rest doesn’t live up

Robert Reid moved to the Outer Hebrides in Scotland with his wife and son. He is an outsider and has a terrible secret to hide. Though Robert craves the security of a village community, his own fears prevent him from becoming one of the villagers. Soon, things go out of his control, and he has to pay the price.
Maggie MacKay was five when she declared that she was a dead man from the remote island of Kilmeray. She claims that he didn’t drown but was murdered by one of the villagers. Two decades later, Maggie goes back to the village to find out what really happened in the past. It’s not easy, as the locals don’t want to talk to her, and someone is determined to drive her out. What’s more, Maggie is still a nervous wreck and doesn’t know what to believe.
Can Maggie find the truth? What will it do to her?
The story comes from the first-person POV of Maggie and Robert in a dual timeline.

What I Like:
The story is set in a fictional village (based on a real setting) in Scotland. The rugged cliffs, crashing Atlantic waves, and scattered homes come alive on the pages.
The mood is dark, brooding, sinister, and uncomfortable almost throughout. It also has triggers (see at the end), which add to the mood (but also ruin the setting).
Charlie is a wonderfully layered character and vital to the plot’s progress. He is one of the most well-written side characters I’ve read.
Maggie’s mother is another intriguing character in the book. She is a passive yet constant presence in the book. But… (continued in the next section)
The theme of the small community sticking together and the conflicts between the villagers are well done. It establishes the strength and weaknesses of being a local community.

What Didn’t Work for Me:
The pacing is slow. While this is expected in the beginning, the narrative never really picks up speed. I resorted to speed-reading once I began to lose interest.
Maggie and Robert are the voices of the book. Yet, both failed to make me feel anything for them. Maggie was a tad better, but Robert’s arc was left unexplored, with a few aspects being repeated throughout the book. If a reader likes a side character more than the MCs, it is rather telling.
Maggie suffers from mental illness and is recovering from a breakdown. Yet, she jumps into insta-lust-love with Sexy Will, the local farmer. Will is actually a kind-hearted guy, but the focus isn’t on his attributes. I’m not sure how romance made the book better. Friendship would have worked just the same (or even better).
Kelly is a bright, cheerful character, possibly someone to lighten up the dark mood. However, she only managed to annoy me most of the time.
The book also relies on Norse mythology, but only to the extent of pushing a character over the edge of sanity. I didn’t particularly like this. There’s a lot more to pagan cultures than superstitions, sacrifices, or dark magic.
Finally, the ending; there’s a twist (or several), but the final one dilutes what the plot has been building until then. I don’t fall into the majority category that likes the ending. For me, it looks like a final twist to surprise the readers and a convenient way to conclude the plot.

To summarize, The Blackhouse is a slow atmospheric novel with a strong setting. Read the other reviews before you decide.
Thank you, NetGalley and Scribner, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

A remote village. A deadly secret. An outsider who knows the truth.

Maggie has gone her entire life feeling like something is wrong. When she was just five years old she announced she was a man who had been murdered on Kilmeray. She’d never been there, but she was certain she was him. After going there with her mom and being chased out of town, she’s back twenty years later. As more pieces of the puzzle come to light, could Maggie be telling the truth? Is she really reincarnated?

What worked for me: The setting. I want to go to Scotland after reading this one. The author did a fantastic, wonderful job of describing it. I also enjoyed the main character, and really felt I connected with her.

What didn’t work for me: The pacing. It was super slow and drawn out. Also, while I get this is a book set in Scotland, the number of new terms to me was egregious. I spent have the time googling some of them, and some I’m still unsure what they are. I even went as far as asking my Scottish friend. There were also a ton of characters. It’s based in a small town, and it seemed everyone in town was in the book.

Overall, if you’re looking for an atmospheric slow burn of a book then this one would work for you and its out January 3rd, which I’m told is very soon. I’d like to extend my thanks to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, Scribner, and @netgalley for my e-arc in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my review. I am a bit new to Gothic thrillers, but I have decided I very much enjoy them. This is definitely one of those wonderful atmospheric and spooky gothic thrillers. A young girl imagined she had been a man in a past life and was murdered by someone still living on the island. All grown up, that woman is back on the island. I have never read anything like this book. This book was so interesting and kept me invested the entire time. I can’t wait to read more by this author. Thank you again to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my review.

Maggie Mackay has been haunted her entire life. No matter what she does, she can’t shake the sense that something is wrong with her. (She is bipolar but that's neither here nor there.)
When she was 5 years old, without proof, Maggie announced that someone in the remote village of Blairmore in the Outer Hebrides had murdered a local man, sparking a media storm. Her mother dragged her to the island w/ a documentary filmmaker, however, the locals were never forthcoming and made it out to be a hoax.
Now, Maggie is determined to discover what really happened and what the villagers are hiding. (Because of course they're hiding something!) But everyone has secrets, and some are better left alone.
I enjoyed this novel, except for the ending, which I won't give away. I just found it very unsatisfying. Yes, all the loose ends are tied up but I needed Maggie and Will to be together. But I get why they couldn't. I'm just left a bit bereft for them.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-arc.*

The setting was really the only good thing about the book and it wasn't good enough to carry the story. It was slow and boring and I didn't care about anything going on and I think the synopsis should have mentioned the possible reincarnation part of the plot.

I struggle with slow books, even ones that are well written. I felt as if I were on the island and could not get off as everyone and their brother made an appearance. Maggie came to town; she’s welcomed by some, and she’s greeted with hostility by others. The pub is the meeting/social spot for all but will the villagers be social when she begins asking questions?

Maggie and her mother visited Scotland’s Outer Hebrides after a young Maggie said she was Andrew MacNeil, a dead man. Nothing ever came of this visit, but the villagers remembered. People living in small town/villages always remember!

Twenty years later, Maggie comes back to Outer Hebrides looking for answers. Why do I hear Jack Nicholson shouting "You can't handle the truth!"? But the truth is what she seeks. But there are those with secrets, who can't handle Maggie learning them.

This book is told in two timelines (the 1990's and the present) with the POV of Maggie and Robert.

The atmosphere in this book was spectacular. I thought the author did a fantastic job of setting the stage and I felt as if I had been transported there. But sadly, I struggled with the slowness of the book, and I found that I just didn't love this book. While there were parts that I enjoyed, the rest just bogged things down for me. Others are enjoying this book more than I did, so please read their reviews.

Well written and atmospheric.

I read and absolutely loved this author's dark debut "Mirrorland" and was thrilled to receive an ARC of her sophomore book "The Blackhouse".

Set in a small Irish island, this highly atmospheric novel immerses its audience in a whodunnit mystery with an unreliable narrator, a non-linear timeline and supernatural undertones.

Our protagonist, Maggie, grew up with a mother who was convinced that both she and Maggie were special/gifted. At a young age, Maggie was convinced that she lived a past life as a man named Andrew MacNeil who was murdered. Rather than try to dissuade her, Maggie's mom brought her to the island where Maggie said he died with a producer in hopes of cashing in on the story. The islanders were not welcoming of the intrusion or accusations and Maggie and her mom left empty handed.

Years later Maggie has been sorting through memories of the past trying to make sense of her life. She's also working to overcome severe mental health issues which were exacerbated upon her mother's death. Unable to let go of Andrew without knowing the truth, Maggie decides to return to the island and conduct her own investigation.

The author did a phenomenal job introducing the readers to island life. She carefully created a mentally ill character with realistic attributes- I believe she conducted a fair amount of research to nail this character.

Maggie's investigation had a fair amount of questioning people who did not want to volunteer information which gave us more of a slow burn... at times a little too slow. All in all I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to Carole Johnstone's next novel!

Review to be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookstagram and Barnes and Noble.

This was an exciting book and thought it was well written. The author did a great job with the characters. 4 star read!

The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A huge thank you to @netgalley and @scribnerbooks for the eARC. This one is coming out in January.

This was a slow-burn gothic thriller set on an island in Scotland. The dichotomies in the themes kept the story going - insider or outsider, well or unwell, truth or lie, there or not there, her or him.

The pace was slow. However, I was interested enough that I never thought about putting the book down. I wanted to see where this was going, and the payoff was big. The ending was worth all the build up.

This was also another novel where the setting doubled as a character. The world the author crafted brought the reader right into the creepy, atmospheric island. Sometimes the Norse descriptions pulled me out of the book, but overall I was right there on that island.

Lastly, the characters were aplenty, which required patience at the beginning. Our main character could be considered an unreliable narrator. The island community were both welcoming and unwelcoming. I wanted more connection with the characters including the main character. I never really felt like I knew them, but I still enjoyed the read.

Overall, stay with this slow-paced gothic thriller for a great payoff. It’s complicated, dark, and atmospheric with sprinklings of paranormal.

I'll admit up front that I struggled with this atmospheric twisty novel in the beginning because I had a hard time keeping the residents of Kilmeray straight. Maggie, who as a child declared that she was Andrew Reid, who was murdered, has come back to the island to get answers. She's struggled, a lot, with her mental health, especially since the death of her mother. In chapters that pop up periodically, Robert, a sheep farmer on the island with a tragic past, tells his story, one which also seems to incorporate madness. Maggie doesn't understand why the residents of the island are so spooked by her nor does she understand why someone has left mummified ravens outside the door of the Blockhouse, which she's renting. She finds first attraction and then more (it gets steamy) with Will, the stepson of Euan, who owns most of the island. The secrets unfold slowly as Maggie digs for answers about her own past. It's incredibly atmospheric (and creepy in spots) with the weather, appropriately, serving as an additional character. There are multiple surprises (no spoilers) at the end- I suspected one but not the others (always a good sign). Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. The patient reader will be well rewarded.

The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone is a very slow burn story about Maggie MacKay and Robert Reid. When Maggie is five years old, she announces that she is a man named Andrew MacNeil and that she was murdered in a small village on an island in the Outer Hebrides. Her mother takes her to the island along with a documentary film maker to investigate Maggie’s claims. Now Maggie is an adult whose mother has just passed, and she is wondering what is real and what isn’t, as she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I will say I found the first two-thirds of the story very slow but interesting enough to keep reading to see what happens. The last third of the book had me flying through pages to find out. The ending was a bit odd for me, so I am only giving this book three stars as it was entertaining enough to read but overall felt a little bit flat to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scriber for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

What the heck was this book suppose to be about? I read the whole thing and I am still not sure what the plot was. I thought this book was pretty boring too. Also, did not really get to the thriller part of this book until like 80% of the book. I did enjoy the setting of this book. But yeah this one was just not for me. The main character thought she was another person the whole time. It was just so weird. This was a bad thriller. Unsure why it has a lot of good ratings. I would not suggest this one.