Hare House
Sally Hinchcliffe Pages: 310 Published: 2022
The book: A woman arrives in a remote part of Scotland to start a new life in a small cottage rented from the owner of a local mansion called Hare House. She has left behind a life in London that she does not want to talk about. The family who owns Hare House appears to have secrets too. Strange things happen, and rumors of witchcraft abound. What is really going on at Hare House? What secrets are being hidden? Is there witchcraft at work?
You might like it because: Hinchcliffe has crafted a sinister tale with many twists and turns. Her wonderful descriptions of the Scottish countryside add to the brooding atmospheric feel of the book. It’s hard to determine what’s fact or delusion, and so the reader will be kept guessing all the way to the end.
What did other people say?
“Hare House is a marvelously nasty piece of distinctly Scottish gothic.” – The Times (U.K.)
“This deliciously chilly tale dodges the expected outcome and maintains a delicate balance between psychology and witchcraft right to its disturbing end.” The Guardian (U.K.)
How quickly will you get into the book? The very first paragraph pulled me in and I had to know what happened next.
You might not like it because: The story moves forward very slowly. The narrator is unreliable so it’s hard to know what is really happening, even when you get to the end. Some readers may not have patience for the slow pace and lack of clarity.
What might you read next?
You could read one of the most famous Scottish gothic novels ever written, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Alternatively, read Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. In this story, a young woman, at the request of a cousin, heads off to a house in the Mexican countryside where the family there has many dark secrets.
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