The House by Simon Lelic

At first you can be forgiven for thinking that this is a supernatural tale, a haunted house; the opening pieces certainly give that impression.  With the first half of the book told in almost journal like entries by the proud owners of this London terrace Jack and Syd as they struggle to come to terms with the strangeness of their new home.  From the thrill of buying the property to the peculiarities of both the neighbourhood and their new home, it soon becomes clear that this is a thriller and a very disturbing one - deliciously so.

Simon Lelic's writing does not disappoint, I found myself becoming rapidly absorbed by these, not altogether likeable, characters.  There is a certain claustrophobia to becoming encaptured by their personalities as they detail what has led them to this point in time; their upbringings, their partnership, the House and that murder.  As things begin to unravel for Jack and Syd it is the little details that become important and just as you think you have a grip of what is happening the tide turns and suddenly nothing is what you thought as you plunge from their carefully crafted explanations of everything that has led to this point into the nightmare that is now and the fall out from the murder.

I was genuinely gripped by this story and although the twist at the end was not really that big a surprise it was the reactions to it that were.  The sense that no matter what they would go on, they would endure, they would start their lives anew.  Masterful story telling that encourages you to switch a few brain cells on and engage with the characters and the scenarios rather than just get dragged along for the ride.