The House on Rye Lane

By: Susan Allott

Narrated by: Tom Babbage, Tim Bruce, Coral Sinclair

‘Beautifully written and entirely gripping’ CHRIS WHITAKER

‘An evocative, haunting literary thriller’ ERIN KELLY

'A terrific spine chiller’ TELEGRAPH

'A sinister tale, beautifully told' THE SUN

They thought they’d found their dream home. They were wrong.

Maxine has bought a huge Georgian townhouse on the edge of Peckham Rye – but already the doubts are creeping in.

Why are the neighbours so evasive about the previous owner’s death?

Is her partner Seb all he seems to be?

And are there more secrets hiding in this house’s dark corners?

The House on Rye Lane is a tense, taut, utterly unnerving novel about the many ways the crimes of the past can haunt the present.

(P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

'Terrific' SUNDAY TIMES

'A sinister tale, beautifully told' THE SUN

‘Had me captivated from beginning to end. A haunting thriller that flawlessly weaves the past with the present. Tense, engrossing and unputdownable’ LOUISE HARE

‘Beautifully written, and so intricately plotted with utterly compelling characterisation and narratives that draw you relentlessly through the story to the shattering climax. An absolute gem of a literary thriller’ PHILIPPA EAST

'A terrific spine chiller’ TELEGRAPH

‘A brilliant, dark, intricate story with a huge sting in the tale. I absolutely loved it' JENNIE GODFREY

‘A House of Usher for the 21st Century: unnerving, unsettling and increasingly hard to put down’ PHILIP GRAY

‘A haunting and hypnotic story that creeped me out and then made me cry. Tautly written and subtle – what a book! Loved it’ FIONA MITCHELL

‘What a read! Twisty, turny, beautifully written, just brilliant’ FRANCES QUINN

‘A highly accomplished literary thriller… Allott is establishing herself as one of the most talented new writers around’ TREVOR WOOD

‘Such a cleverly crafted, suspenseful and moving novel, I absolutely loved it’ ZOË SOMERVILLE, author or The Night of the Flood

‘Utterly compelling…. will live with me for years to come. At times this thriller made me think of Sarah Waters, at times Belinda Bauer – it is gripping, intelligent and deliciously dark’ FRANCESCA JAKOBI

‘A wonderfully atmospheric, darkly brooding novel which had me transfixed from the first page to the last… a novel to lose yourself in, to savour, and one which will linger, disturbing and magnificent in equal measure, long after it is finished.’ LOUISE FEIN

‘Spooky, gothic splendour – this book will creep under your skin and keep you enthralled to the very last page… Stunning prose, drenched in atmosphere… the best book I’ve read in ages’ ELENI KYRIACOU

Original, Brilliant, Unforgettable

An incredibly well written multiple timeline tale with thoroughly developed characters.
There are many layers to the story and the people in it.
I found this book to be haunting, suspenseful, and deeply moving in a way that mysteries rarely are.
This is a truly wonderful story, with characters so well drawn that you feel like you are right there with them from the first chapter to the last.
It’s also entirely unexpected, over and over again it will surprise you.
Most definitely worth a credit.
Brilliantly narrated and exceptionally crafted. A truly great book.

Past Mid Present Story Incredibly Written

This author is truly gifted in providing a lot of insightful interesting background and information without it seeming like it’s a bullet point lecture. As she conveyed in her comments at the end, weaving fact with fiction isn’t always easy. I’m fascinated by historical elements and events. The back and forth chapters added to the intensity of what was about to happen in each time period. The fact that they are all related to a certain extent keeps the intrigue and suspense on high levels. Definitely a book to review based on so much more than a beginning and an ending. Really enjoyed listening!

Narration by all was excellent. It seemed like all the characters were given their own unique voice and emotional ranges were conveyed perfectly!!