Monday, September 24, 2018

House of Echoes


The House of Echoes by Brenden Duffy, 384 pages

House of Echoes book cover
Caroline and Ben Tierney need a change. Ben is struggling to write his next novel, Caroline is trying to cope with her recent diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and Charlie is being bullied at school. They think they’ve found the perfect opportunity when Ben’s grandmother leaves them an estate in Swannhaven, a village in upper state New York, in her will. However, they discover that Swannhaven is not the idyllic small town they had envisioned.

Duffy provides a fresh take on a classic trope by exploring local history rather than limiting the scope of the novel to the house itself. This is quite a feat as the community dates to 1776, when a famine strikes that sets in motion consequences that would be felt for generations to come. This history is brought to life through the use of letters and newspaper articles. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good gothic horror novel.

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