The Blackhouse

A Novel

De: Carole Johnstone

Narrado por: Joe McFadden, Eilidh Beaton

From the author of the “dark and devious...beautifully written” (Stephen King) Mirrorland comes an “atmospheric, thrilling, and utterly captivating” (Booklist) gothic tale set on a remote Scottish island where the locals are hiding a deadly secret.

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. And maybe something is…

When she was five years old, Maggie announced that a man on the remote island of Kilmeray in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides—a place she’d never visited—was murdered. Her unfounded claim drew media attention and turned the locals against each other, creating rifts that never mended.

Now, nearly twenty years later, Maggie is determined to discover what really happened, and what the villagers are hiding. But everyone has secrets, and some are deadly. As she gets closer to the horrifying truth, the island’s legendary and violent storms begin to rage again and Maggie’s own life is in danger…

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

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Eilidh Beaton performs the majority of this intense goth mystery. When Maggie was a little girl, she believed she was the reincarnation of a murdered man named Andrew. Years later, she travels to Kilmeray in the Outer Hebrides to investigate Andrew's life and death. Beaton clearly signals Maggie's struggles with bipolar disorder and her grief over her mother's recent death, as well as the islanders' various reactions to her probes into the past, especially a terrible storm that killed two residents. Beaton's well-done accents and pronunciation of Gaelic words help transport listeners to the remote island. Joe McFadden convincingly performs the sections told by one of the storm's victims, a troubled man whose failing sheep farm and unresolved childhood issues led to his mental unraveling."

Is it deviant?

A slow burning novel about moral relativism and the dangers of small communities. Just not as good as Mirrorland, but if you like a slow ramp up and picturesque landscape it might do it for you.

Turns I never seen coming!

Amazing Book! I couldn't stop thinking about it. The way the author describes thoughts, feelings, ...smell of the sea. Amazing!

Book Club Favorites introduced me to this title and so glad I listened to it.

Kept me guessing throughout. I found the ending sad but satisfying. I don’t know if I’m more or less inclined to believe in Norse mythology. I loved the Scottish setting and want to visit this fictional island. What a great story.

Disappointing Ending

The eerie setting and moody writing gave me high hopes that the mystery/thriller would pay off. Ultimately it felt contrived and which was disappointing because the ending was so weak. Almost every “reveal” comes from one characters unbelievable exposition. The female narrator was wonderful. However I felt that the male narrator was reading the story as fast as he could in one take.

So disappointing!

I really enjoyed Mirrorland and was very much looking forward to this book-I even preordered it. Unfortunately, The Blackhouse was a disappointment. There is little to no suspense and the tone is unrelieved dreariness. Even the supernatural elements were anemic. I will think twice before reading another book by this author.

I hoped for suspense...

but there was none. I found myself fast forwarding through most of the recording.