This book was fun to read. Excellent pace, fun characters, real people, and a twisty ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sometimes a mystery isn't - but this one gives you some clues, some turns you didn't see coming, and a cast of characters that fill the story with humor, likable people, and scary situations. A great mix.
I highly recommend this book to mystery lovers of all ages. Additionally, if you aspire to be a writer, you will enjoy the plot, character-building, world-building, and heartless villains. Ms. Gentill's cast of characters is fascinating. I could identify with a couple of them. And off we went to solve the mystery of murder most foul!

I have known Haiti to be a poor country, but it was always an abstract knowledge. Ben Fountain brought the plight of Haiti to the forefront. His description of the ordinary life of ordinary people living in Haiti was heartbreaking. His descriptive writing and vast knowledge of their history, poverty, and fear were intense. The problems they faced while just trying to survive made me cringe.

Mr. Fountain presented their fear as a palpable, living thing. I was blown away by his prose and presentation. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone interested in history in the making as we follow the lives of the Haitian people and their leaders. An intense read.

I love horror novels, so this was right up my alley. However, this book sits apart from the usual horror stories. The people in it. There is true horror in the inhabitants of the house that Hal and his wife, Katherine purchased. The couple hoped to enjoy their long-sought-after dream of owning their own home. The house of their dreams. But their dream soon turned into a nightmare of unexpected terror.

As the tale continues, we learn that along with a changing home, the people therein also change. The couple, Hal and Katherine, are not who we thought they were. The house is not the dream they thought it would be. And the inhabitants are totally unexpected.

And the writing is not as I expected. While the horror is well described and presented, and the apparitions are certainly frightening, the humor and pathos are unexpected. Katherine is a unique individual with a quirky understanding of her circumstances. Hal and Katherine's daughter, Margaret, is not like most people and could be as off-putting as anyone you have ever encountered.

And that, fellow reader, makes for a frightening, fascinating, fun read. Be prepared for the unexpected and enjoy the ride.

This tale of control and cancel culture comes at a time when we are experiencing both. In this alternative history England has capitulated to the Germans without a shot being fired. The English government handed Germany the power to change English culture. In an attempt to control the British citizens, the German Protectorate set about eliminating everything England stood for.

Freedom was restricted by creating a caste system, discriminating against women, and limiting resources. Control, control, control. And it worked for years. But Great Britain is known for its tenacity and stiff upper lip attitude.

Sometimes control slips.

I loved the concept of this book; the characters were strong and the behaviors of the main characters were believable. The world building was compelling in its description of what would happen in a completely controlled society. I did find the book a bit overlong with some repetition that slowed the buildup of the story. But all in all, I would recommend it.