REVIEW
What a mesmerising Gothic timeslip mystery! I was completely surprised at every turn reading The House in the Water by Victoria Darke. I did not know what to expect so it kept me guessing and unsettled. I could not put it down once I started, as it pushed my curiosity level to the max! I was eating my lunch with one hand and flicking through the digital pages as fast as my eyes could follow the words with the other! Be prepared to set aside some time to read this one and keep your pets close!
The dilapidated May Day House is full of mystery and carries its own stories from the past. A diary is found on the premises that sheds light on the activities carried out there during World War II. Every time Meredith sits down to read it, we are ushered back to 1942 where we learn that it has been used as a hospital for traumatised soldiers who are sent there to rehabilitate. Here we learn of the psychiatric practices that have been performed and they are as traumatic as the experience of war. These doctors are carrying on with old practices that some might say are questionable whereas a doctor in Egypt is approaching the mentally wounded with new techniques.
I had great empathy for the young Irish nurse Ellen who came through a horrifying ordeal during the war. In some ways you could say she suffered from PTSD as a result, especially when the war planes made appearance. Despite her fear of being confined, she was courageous in many ways. When she is stationed at May Day House after previously being with the more advanced doctor, she becomes very uncomfortable watching the various treatment approaches. Particularly in one of the patients who has seen some horrific things at war. She becomes close to him and her personal attachment soon affects her ability to take commands. She is uneasy about their use of truth serum and electric shock therapy (ECT). When a man’s safety is threatened by the treatment, she takes matters into her own hands and contacts the doctor in her previous military posting.
I was gripped by ghosts and unsuspecting villains in the 2013 timeline. Held great concern for Meredith, the trusting heroine, who has had her own share of grief and loss. I must admit I was nervous about her pilot husband (as we are meant to be) who is away a lot, of course, due to his job. As a result, she finds herself alone often on the island dealing with some very scary events. Suspicions run high through the story and you wonder, as Meredith, who can be trusted. There is a great cast of supporting characters that had my emotions running all over the place as I followed their seen and unseen activities.
I always enjoy a dual timeline and, in this case, loved both equally. They run perfectly along-side each other in a complimentary fashion. The build-up to the climax was nail-biting and the truth revealed was shocking! But everything came together in a perfect seamless ending.
This is definitely a spellbinding and unsettling tale with a dash of romance set in WW2 and 2013 that might haunt your dreams and leave you with a lot to think about! I enjoyed The House in the Water and feel Ms Darke has delivered a riveting read. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for a review copy.
