The House of Ashes

By: Stuart Neville

Narrated by: Caroline Lennon

Outside a Northern-Irish village stands a farmhouse with a grim history of violence half a century ago. Now its new tenant, a young woman trapped in a troubled marriage, must confront that legacy in this haunting new stand-alone from Stuart Neville, king of Belfast noir.

Sara Keane's husband, Damien, has uprooted them from England and moved them to his native Northern Ireland for a "fresh start" in the wake of her nervous breakdown. But three sleepless nights into their new life, Sara understands it's not an entirely fresh start after all: Damien's new boss is his ex-con father, whose contracting business is run with violence and tinged by paramilitary association. Sara, who knows no one in Northern Ireland, is jobless, carless, friendless - all but a prisoner in her own house.

And then there's the house itself: When a blood-soaked old woman beats on the door, insisting the house is hers before being bundled back to her care facility, Sara begins to understand the house has a terrible history her husband and his father never intended for her to discover.

©2021 Stuart Neville (P)2021 Recorded Books

Now I want everything Stuart Neville!

Nothing I disliked. Such a treat to find a truly gifted author these days. I want to listen to more now to see if he’s a cookie cutter” or not. Ashes, however, was superb. Not for you if you are looking for infused political woke commentary ( which seems to be so prevalent) or a particularly happy story.

Deep

Spoiler alert: I am going to give this story a happy ending in my head.
And trigger warning: there is spousal abuse and beyond.
This is the first Stuart Neville novel I have read. I did like it, it’s harsh, but gave me an insight to a situation I have been Blessed to never have experienced and I understand the fear women feel more now. I look forward to reading more of his novels.
The reading of the novel was disjointed at first, but I came to realize the dramatic effect of “let that soak in” between sentences.

Took my breath away

Only Stuart Neville could write a ghost story this savage, heartbreaking and beautiful. I’m not usually a fan of the genre, but in this case the supernatural elements are secondary to the character development and the full tale of sorrow and redemption. Caroline Lennon gives a brilliant performance. Unforgettable.

Will remain with you

This story of hard, evil men is not new but told and narrated in a remarkable manner. I grew up in Northern / North of Ireland in the 60s and 70s and was totally absorbed in the story. Some not from the area won’t understand all the geographical and cultural references but those don’t diminish the story. It’s raw, tragic but with some rays of hope. I experienced similar emotions reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I’ve read all of Stuart Neville’s books - not for the faint hearted but this is one of his best.

Wow! Just wow!

I have absolutely loved every single one of Stuart Neville’s books, but this by far is his very best work yet.
Absolutely spellbinding, from beginning to end.
Caroline Lennon was the perfect narrator for this book as well. I wish I could give it 10 stars.

Excellent book!

I listen to 200+ audiobooks a year and this is one of the best books I’ve listened to in a long time! Excellent character development. The book moves along through two different characters viewpoint and this allows pieces of the plot to move along and leaving you wanting more. I could barely turn this book.

Interesting

This is a very interesting story, but trigger warning about spouse abuse. The reader drove me crazy. Between each sentence she stops. It’s like listening to a second grader learning to read.

At least it was free

I could not make it past the early chapters: Sara moves like a robot through her kitchen. She must clean stains. The coffee pot must be warmed first. Someone knocks. Only horrible news arrives in the early morning. Fear! Clean stains. And on and on.
Listening to this was painful. No one thinks or acts the way this woman does. This writing style could be an interesting way to reveal Sara's problems but finishing the book would have a been a real chore. Not for me. The reader was great, though.

Tedious pseudo ghost story

On and on and on. Ghost story? Maybe. Maybe not. Wish I’d known beforehand. No current, just a lazy drift, the kind that doesn’t churn and depletes the water of oxygen.

Mis-classified genre

This book belongs in the horror genre, not mysteries or thrillers. It is dark and depressing with a touch of the supernatural, so if you’re looking for a good Irish crime drama, you might be disappointed, as I was.