Book Review: The House at Midnight

Author: Lucie Whitehouse
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London
ISBN: 978 0 7475 9625 7
Pages: 374
First published in 2008

A psychological thriller, the story is horrifying and tragic in its own way. It doesn't take you into paranormal world, but makes you dance high and low onto the dirty secrets of human minds and hearts. After the suicide of his uncle, Lucas Heathfield inherits the Stoneborough Manor, which he imagines to be a place where he and his close friends can spend weekends far away from chaos and noise of London city.

From the beginning, the house haunts their relationships and effects their emotions in a strange way, especially on Lucas, who leaves his job and shifts to the house permanently with friend Danny, a wild child who becomes responsible for shattered group of friends. Lucas obsesses himself with alcohol, drugs and cine films of his uncle and his friends thirty years earlier. With these cine films escapes the dark secrets of high sexual emotions, love and tensions of his family, very similar to his own group. The group meets at a final dinner party at the house, which changes their lives forever, ruining friendships.

From all the characters, the house is the biggest character, changing colors with every dramatic twist in the story. In the beginning, it becomes the point of admiration for its art, paintings and charismatic character of its owner Patrick, but as the events in the story unfolds it becomes a lusty ghost trying to cast spell on each of them while becoming a reason of shattering friendships, family relations and innocent trust at the end.

The House at Midnight is a thriller, moving in its own pace, compelling the reader to accompany it. It gyrates around sinister desires, emotions and passions of failed and existing relationships . Author creates an atmosphere which pulls the reader into it, makes him a part of the group, experiencing the evil leer of the house. An irresistible page turner!

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