The House in the Water by Victoria Darke

I’m delighted to be sharing Elena’s review for The House in the Water by Victoria Darke.

The House in the Water by Victoria Darke

• Category : Historical Fiction
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CTDVD1JJ
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Boldwood Books (27 May 2024)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 3002 KB
• Amazon | Goodreads

The House in the Water Summary

A secluded house. A lost notebook. A wartime secret.

1942: Young Irish nurse Ellen arrives at May Day House, tasked with helping the men there rehabilitate. But there’s something strange about the house, surrounded by water, on its own island in the Thames. And then there are the men: traumatised by their experiences of war, and subject to troubling methods in a desperate race to get them back to duty. As Ellen gets drawn into the world of May Day House, she starts to realise this will be no place to hide away from her own troubles…

2013: Philip and Meredith are the proud new owners of May Day House. Following a string of tragedies, the couple have moved to the area in search of a new start. But all is not what it seems in the riverside community. As their plans for the rundown house meet resistance from the neighbours, Meredith finds herself slowly unravelling: she hears voices on the water, sees figures where there can be no one there. When she finds an old notebook from the war, she seeks solace in the stories about the former patients of the island.

But will shadows from the past threaten her future happiness – and even her life?

The House in the Water Review

Meredith and her husband Philip have just bought a house on May Day island in the Thames. The property has fallen into disrepair and they are excited to begin work on their dream. There is a lot to do as it has been uninhabited for years. They are daunted but happy to start over.

During the war the property was a psychiatric hospital for soldiers affected by the war and the story alternates between two viewpoints, both Meredith’s and psychiatric nurse Ellen. She is a competent and dedicated nurse who feels compassion for her patients. She cannot help but fall in love with one of them, Harry, and a heartbreaking love story ensues.

Meredith finds a notebook with Ellen’s letters in it and quickly becomes engrossed in the sad tale of her life and love story. All while experiencing strange occurrences in the house and mysterious voices. This coupled with their neighbours’ hostility towards Meredith and Philip makes their dream difficult and Meredith begins to feel as though she is losing her mind.

This is such an enjoyable read. I didn’t even realise there are islands on the Thames and I found the history of May Day island fascinating. I was saddened by some of the psychiatric practices of the time and the poor soldiers that had to endure them.

I enjoyed both timelines and in particular the supernatural essence of Meredith’s. It was mysterious and atmospheric.

The House in the Water made me feel a range of emotions: sadness, pity, fear, hope and happiness.

About the Author

Victoria began her working life as a broadcast journalist at the BBC, before moving into the freelance world. She’s worked for outlets including the Telegraph, Time Out and Al Jazeera, and spent six-years living and working in Qatar. Nowadays she balances novel writing with lecturing in journalism at Kingston University.

Victoria is the author of three novels writing as Victoria Scott – Patience, Grace and The Women Who Wouldn’t Leave. Patience, her debut, was the Booksellers’ Association Book of the Month.

Her first book for Boldwood will be a dual timeline historic suspense novel, writing as Victoria Darke. The House In The Water will be published in May 2024.

She lives on an island in the Thames with her husband and two children and a cat called Alice.

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