After a bit of a slow start for the first quarter, maybe, this picked up and had me hooked. It had me guessing and changing my mind trying to figure out what really happened years ago at the red house. The suspense was kept level throughout but the last few pages with the twists - I gasped!! Will definitely be reading more from Roz in the future. Really good!!

This book has an eye catching red and white cover which unsurprisingly fits well with the story.

Celestine Flowers was five years old when her parents and younger brother were killed. She said it was her older brother, Joseph, who did it. Shortly after the murder, Joseph has a car accident and ends up in a coma.
Twenty years later, Celestine has moved away and is now known as Eve. When her granny asks her to come back to the Red House, long buried secrets are revealed.

This story is mostly told from Eve’s point of view but some parts are told from the brother’s or father’s point of view. The story is dual timeline, revisiting the days leading up to the murder and what happened afterwards.

Initially, I wasn’t gripped by the story. However, about 1/4 of the way in I became more interested in what was going on. Some parts dragged for me and I thought it could have been better paced. The setting of the Red House is quite well described and it’s definitely quite eerie at times.

I didn’t like any of the characters much and I wonder if this is why I didn’t get into the story.

There are a few big twists which I didn’t guess.

Overall, I didn’t mind the book and would probably read more from this author.

The Red House is a thriller that has some good twists and turns but never really gets going. I feel there are too many gaps in the story that don’t get closed along the way. It was ok for a holiday read but not taxing in any way.

As a huge fan of suspense/thriller/crime novels, the synopsis of The Red House really appealed to me.

A family murdered by their teenage son, their young daughter fleeing into the night, the killer crashing his car and ending up in coma, and a video game hiding the secrets of what really happened.

The setting in the eerie marshes added atmosphere but there was a lot of repetition in the writing (how many times were we told the marsh water was red due to the slaughterhouse or that eels lived in the pool - it seemed like it was mentioned from every person’s perspective and hindered the flow).

Some of the twists and plot devices also seemed far to convenient and unlikely…particularly the final ‘twist’ which I saw coming a mile away after the previous ones.

The inclusion of prosopagnosia was interesting but equally frustrating….everyone relying on one girls recollection of an event and yet no one has figured out/she hasn’t told anyone about her condition (not her grandmother who she lived with? Or perhaps the police?). It felt like an unnecessary complication to a potentially interesting plot.

Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me.

The Red House by Roz Watkins is a twisty crime novel that will have you second guessing yourself all the way through. Brilliantly done with the creepiest of settings. Step foot in The Red House and find out what slithers beneath. The well-placed chapters provided depth, leading you down the slippery slope to the end.

This double timeline story had me absorbed from the start. A tragic family murder, the answers are only to be found within a hidden level of a video game made the night of the murders and a surviving son that is in a coma. Set in marshlands, the surviving daughter strives to unlock the mystery of her family tragedy as the clock starts ticking again. One to read for any psychological thriller fans. Many thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins HQ stories for this ARC

An excellent read! Engaging style of writing keeps the interest right up to the very last page. Totally unseen twists make this a 'must read'!! Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. Highly recommended.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
The Red House
By Roz Watkins

Fab! Fab! Fab! I have never read a book like this one! storyline was brilliantly written - a thriller with so many twists in it - actually loved every second.

Wow - so hard to sum up on a short review but I’ll give it a bash!! The story follows Eve, the little sister of Joseph Flowers, who has lain in a coma since he shot and killed his parents and little brother. Eve was only 5 years old and that tragic night has shaped her life. When Eve’s Grandma passes away, Eve’s life is shaken to the core and she begins a mission to uncover the events of that tragic night with the help of her friends Marcus and Serena.

I really felt like a knew the characters in this book which is always the sign of a great author! Loved the twists and the story. Just a great read!!!

Absolutely have to read this!

Excellent!!! I absolutely loved this book!!!

The Red House by Roz Watkins is an atmospheric thriller set around The Red House, the location of a family tragedy. Joseph Flowers murdered his Mum, Dad and younger brother. All witnessed by his younger sister Eve, age 5.

With all this action in the first chapter it immediately entices you in. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next at every turn. The storyline was so intense, with excellent suspense, mystery and brilliant twists. I could not put it down.

Eve is the main protagonist, and is a likeable character, with understandable issues! The author has created a sympathetic character in her, and I enjoyed seeing her relationships with others develop, and finding out whether everything was as it seemed.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I'm so glad I picked it up. This book is going to be a big hit!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

An excellent crime thriller. It was all absorbing and brilliantly written with so many different layers. What a real page turner. The descriptions were full of atmosphere and throughout I had the impression of being in the centre of the story.
The protagonist was seen from a young five year old where her life changed forever. Growing up under so much deception from everyone it became a challenge to know who to trust or not. Each time I thought I had worked out where the story was heading it took me to another level. Even at the end there was a great surprise.
This story has continued to preoccupy my thoughts for quite some time after I finished reading. Really great to read.

'The red house' is so called because of its history of having a slaughter house in its grounds and a marsh which supposedly fills with blood. Twenty years ago Joseph murders his parents and baby brother, his sister Cellestine (aged 5)goes to hide with Joseph's snakes. Joseph takes his dad's car and crashes it into a tree ending up in a negative state, with no knowledge of the horrors he's caused. Cellestine is now called Eve and living away from her past, but her gran asks her to visit the red house and she's feels she has no choice. Joseph has been looked after in the house by his gran and carers coming in to help. Eve learns that her gran has cancer and not long to live, she makes her promise to look after Joseph at home, but Eve isn't sure she's up to it and after talking to her uncle Gregory and aunt Della ( who she stayed with in the aftermath) they put him in a home.
Eve begins to look into the history of why her brother would want to murder her family and it soon becomes clear that he might have locked in syndrome and can communicate using his eyes. Lots of secrets come crashing in and everything Eve thought she knew about her family gets turned upside down!!

Many thanks NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book. It's th he first I've read by Roz Watkins but will be looking out for more in th he future! Loved the writing style and th he surprising twists and turns which you won't see coming!!

As the only survivor of a family tragedy, Eve (formally Celestine) if forced to confront her past…. 20 years previously, Eve’a brother Joseph shot their parents and baby brother and Eve buried the past.

As we follow Eve’s life and uncover her memories, the reader is taken through a very dark tale and although Eve is a very likeable character, this is not an easy read. There are red herrings throughout which meant that at the end, I was surprised.

A tricky read but one which I’m very glad I finished and I’ll be looking out for Watkins’ next offering because I enjoy being challenged in my reading.

A twisty and thrilling rollercoaster from beginning to end, where the reader - and the main character - doesn’t know who to trust. An unexpected ending which was skilfully hidden although the answer was there throughout. Clever!

The first thing I must say and have wrote on my previous reviews is that I believe books should have trigger warning the same as TV shows and films. My warnings for this book has animal abuse and child abuse (both brief and not graphic) and mental health issues. I generally try to avoid books where either animals or children are harmed so would always like to know this in advance.

I really struggle to get into the story, I found the pace extremely slow and like a previous reviewer mentioned I couldn't quite understand why Eve kept her health issue a secret, her life would've been so much easier if she had. After persisting, I found my interest piqued when it was looking like Eves brother was actually innocent of the murders he was accused of. Towards the end there are a couple of extremely clever twist that you literally work out along with Eve and then 1 final twist that will completely throw you. 3.5 stars for the story but for those clever twists which alot of thrillers promise but do not deliver, I give 4 solid stars.
Thank you #NetGalley for the copy of #TheRedHouse

I had a lot of trouble getting into this book and i started it and put it down 3 or 4 times before just forcing myself on.

It is so slow to start but then at about 20% through it picks up and becomes really good, what a page turner as Eve and Serena and Nate try to access the hidden level in Joseph's computer game and piece together what really happened on the night of the murders of Eve and Joseph's mother, father and baby brother.

I raced eagerly through to find out what happened and then, after we found out, what seemed to be a very unlikely document appeared and i was very disappointed at how unlikely it all was but then the author pull an absolute masterstroke which I didnt see coming for an instant and the document is explained brilliantly.

Quite near the end i guessed part of the solution but there is a huge and amazing final twist that I did not see coming at all, whew! I actually exclaimed aloud when I realised what was unfolding and the book is worth reading for this superb (and slightly chilling) twist alone.

On a slightly negative note, I can't see why Eve was always so reluctant to reveal her debilitating condition and also, I found the pace of the book a bit uneven going from very slow to perfect the slowing again slightly before the fantastic ending.

3 stars for execution but 4 stars for the story!

First book by this author that I've read.
Found it a pretty easy read with a few twists along the way a couple of which I saw coming but a big one near the end that I most certainly didn't.
Would probably read more by Roz Watkins if this is typical of her writing style and story telling.

thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this captivating book.

Having just finished reading The Red House by Roz Watkins, I can confidently say that it is my favorite book of 2023 so far. This gripping and enthralling story had me hooked from the first page, and I devoured it in just two evenings. The author's ability to keep me engaged and turning the pages was truly impressive.

One of the aspects I loved about this book was the multiple perspectives from which the story was told. The inclusion of Joseph's point of view, despite his supposedly vegetative state, added a layer of intrigue that heightened my curiosity.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Red House and would wholeheartedly recommend it. The combination of gripping storytelling, well-developed characters, and unexpected turns make it a must-read. I eagerly await more works from Roz Watkins in the future.

This is the first book I have read from this author and will probably not be my last.

This is a well written thriller i did read it in a day and it is a page turner with plenty of twists, and a cracker of an ending that you probably will not see coming.

There is plenty of red herrings and deceit and everyone has their own secrets

Thank you Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

The Red House is a hugely enjoyable page-turner. I liked the short chapters and multiple points of view, and I thought the descriptions of the Red House were particularly well executed. As for that final, unexpected twist. . . wow!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Twenty years ago, Joseph Flowers murdered his parents and younger brother in cold blood, before spending the night at his friend's house as if nothing had happened, then crashing his car into a tree. Since that night Joseph has been in a coma, and the family farm has become known as the Red House. The place where the walls were covered in blood. The only person to escape the massacre was Joseph's five-year-old sister Eve. Now living her life with a new identity, she finally feels like it she's put her horrific life behind her.

I didn't know who I could trust whilst reading this book. There were some really good twists and turns. Eve is a sympathetic protagonist. She's been a survivor since she was five years old. she witnesses a horrific event where most of her family were killed. Her older brother Joseph was accused of being the killer, but he crashed his car and has been in a coma for twenty years. Eve is forced to investigate what really happen that night. She also becomes a target for someone from her past. The story is told from several points of view. There's a lot of characters to keep track of. This first half of this book is quite atmospheric.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HQ and the author #RozWatkins for my ARC of #TheRedHouse in exchange for an honest review.