There’s something deliciously eerie about a crumbling estate, a mysterious inheritance, and a protagonist who slowly realizes the house she’s entered may not be as empty—or innocent—as it seems. The Secrets of Blackthorn House by Marie McWilliams gave me exactly the kind of gothic chills I crave, wrapped in atmosphere so thick you could practically feel the fog settling in your bones.

From the moment I started reading, I was pulled into the brooding isolation of Blackthorn House. The setting is a character in its own right—decaying, watchful, and full of things that creak when no one’s around. I’ve always loved haunted house stories, but this one felt personal. The fear wasn’t just in the shadows, but in the unraveling of memory, trust, and identity.

The main character’s journey into her own family’s hidden past is filled with just the right amount of slow-burn suspense. McWilliams builds dread expertly—not with jump scares, but with unanswered questions, quiet discoveries, and the creeping sense that the truth might be worse than any ghost. I found myself turning pages faster and faster, needing to know how everything connected, even as part of me wanted to stop and hide under a blanket.

There are whispers of classic gothic fiction here—think Rebecca meets The Haunting of Hill House—but McWilliams gives it a modern edge. The story wrestles with legacy, trauma, and what it means to belong to a place that’s trying to keep its secrets buried. And yes, there are twists. Satisfying ones. The kind that make you want to go back and reread just to catch what you missed the first time.

If you love crumbling manors, family curses, locked doors, and heroines who dig too deep—The Secrets of Blackthorn House is calling your name. Just be warned: some doors, once opened, can’t be closed again.

A literary gothic masterpiece! Beautifully horrifying. This was my first time reading Marie McWilliams and she definitively has a new fan. Blackthorn House was reminiscent of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca when she arrived at Manderley but quickly turned a very dark and creepy corner. The writing was mesmerizing and beautifully dark, making your heart race with fear and absolutely impossible to put down.
So glad I picked this one on NetGalley!

This was such a deliciously gothic read, I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. Had my hairs standing up at times and me on the edge of my seat at others. I was utterly enchanting by the writing and didn't want it to finish. I will definitely be reading more by the author