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Title: House of Spines
Author: Michael J. Malone
Narrator: David Elliot
Format: Unabridged
Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
Language: English
Release date: 12-07-17
Publisher: Audible Studios
Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 3 votes
Genres: Mysteries & Thrillers, Suspense
Publisher's Summary:
Ran McGhie's world has been turned upside down. A young, lonely and frustrated writer, and suffering from mental health problems, he discovers that his long-dead mother was related to one of Glasgow's oldest merchant families.
Not only that, but Ran has inherited Newton Hall, a vast mansion that belonged to his great-uncle, who appears to have been watching from afar as his estranged great-nephew has grown up. Entering his newfound home, he finds that Great-Uncle Fitzpatrick has turned it into a temple to the written word - the perfect place for poet Ran. But everything is not as it seems. As he explores the Hall's endless corridors, Ran's grasp on reality appears to be loosening. And then he comes across an ancient lift; and in that lift a mirror. And in the mirror...the reflection of a woman....
A terrifying psychological thriller with more than a hint of the Gothic, House of Spines is a love letter to the power of books and an exploration of how lust and betrayal can be deadly.
Members Reviews:
A Fine Cocktail of Contemporary & Gothic Twists
In House of spines Michael Malone achieves a heady mix of contemporary and more traditional Gothic themes. Ranald McGee is a struggling young writer with a dark and troubled past. He carries with him enormous mental baggage as a result and even everyday life can be a challenge to him. Only medication can keep him on an even keel now. A death in a family he doesnt know existed then pitches him into a complex inheritance with yes, you guessed it, a creepy old house with a sinister past at the heart of it. What follows is then a complete mind funk of events as Ran struggles to separate what might be real from whats supernatural from what is merely a product of his over-heated brain.
I enjoyed the characters and they were voiced very well by David Elliot who is a new narrator to me, in fact this appears to be his Audible debut. Be warned Im a sucker for a Celtic accent but Id certainly be happy to listen to more from him.
I think if a mix of family drama, psychological thriller, Gothic supernatural and even a light touch of romance is up your street then this is a book to have on your list. The only caution Id make is that if you are looking for a book to deliver just one of those things this might frustrate as it does mix the genres to an extent.
Captivating read
Would you listen to House of Spines again? Why?
Yes I would because the narration was excellent and the story was gripping
What other book might you compare House of Spines to, and why?
I would have to compare it to several books and yet none. It is a gentle mix of gothic supernatural tales set in a victorian mansion but included psychological and thriller elements too. House on the Hill meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
What about David Elliots performance did you like?
Loved his accent, his pace.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
A man with a troubled past finds refuge-or does he?
Any additional comments?
This book ticked all of the boxes for me. I love supernatural stories and equally love stories about someone changing their life, moving to a new place etc. It had some things to say about mental illness and loneliness too. I loved it. On a personal note it is really a local story for me as a Glaswegian who used to live in Bearsden, although it was perhaps a Bearsden from thirty years ago when it was more like a village.