The House of Ashes by Stuart Neville

Sara and her husband Damien relocate to Ireland, moving into a farmhouse undergoing renovation that has been bought for them by Damien's father. The farmhouse is called "The Ashes" because of all the ash trees surrounding it. Early one morning, only a couple of days after moving in, an old woman turns up claiming the house is hers.

We then have two parallel stories. The old woman, Mary, lived at the farmhouse as a child. Slowly we discover the harrowing story of Mary's upbringing. Sixty years ago the farm was owned by a father and his two sons. These men kidnapped at least three women and kept them locked in the farmhouse. The women lived in squalor, doing all of the cooking and cleaning, beaten if they did anything wrong. They were forced to sleep with the men and as a result became pregnant, Mary was the only child to survive.

Alongside Mary's story we discover that Sara's home life is equally harrowing. Sara's story is one of coercive control and emotional abuse. Her husband slowly isolates her from all her friends, controls her finances and monitors her phone. 

Stuart Neville shows that abuse isn't simply physical, it can be far more subtle, Damien's constant reminders to his wife that everything he does is for her benefit and that he loves her make your skin crawl. As for Mary's story, I was shocked as it dawned on me that sixty years isn't actually that long ago. 

This is a griping read, you simply want to know what happens to all the characters. The interwoven stories move with pace and you are willing on the female characters on.

The House of Ashes will be published by Zaffre Books (Bonnier Books UK) on 3rd February 2022. Many thanks to Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for an early review copy