The House Hunt by C. M. Ewan

 

Lucy and Sam have remodeled their London home and are hoping to sell it and relocate out of the city. A potential buyer has a viewing while Sam is at work. The estate agent is running late, so when the potential buyer shows up Lucy reluctantly agrees to let him view the house. Lucy is very apprehensive throughout the viewing and before long her fears become real.

We all know that home is the one place we should feel safe and protected, unfortunately, this isn't the case for Lucy. Suffering from paranoia, and constantly feeling as if she's being watched, means that she doesn't even feel comfortable in her own home. C. M. Ewan uses this to great effect to set the opening scene in The House Hunt. When the prospective buyer, Donovan, turns up you fully understand Lucy's apprehension about allowing a complete stranger into her home. Donovan should have been accompanied by an estate agent, Bethany. who, unfortunately, is running late. When Donovan explains he's pressed for time and Lucy realises that there are lots of other properties nearby up for sale she warily agrees to start the viewing, assuming Bethany will arrive shortly. 

We are given a sense of Donovan's character early on. Well-dressed, attractive, wealthy enough to be able to afford a property in London and compassionate; nothing that should cause alarm. As he tours the property he makes positive comments and asks all the right questions. However, you can feel the tension coming off the page as Lucy's neuroses make the viewing uncomfortable for her. Little by little you realise that something isn't quite right. Donovan begins to make some strange comments, he's wearing gloves, and when he views the basement he claims not to have heard Lucy shouting to him.

Along with her paranoia, Lucy is also claustrophobic, hence her unwillingness to enter the basement. The claustrophobia stems from an assault that took place a couple of years ago, an assault that her mind is blocking. Luckily, her boyfriend is a psychology lecturer and is helping her overcome the trauma.

The longer the viewing goes on, the more uncomfortable Lucy feels. I was getting palpitations as I was reading, dreading what was going to happen, feeling a growing sense of menace. The sense of relief when Bethany finally arrives is unbelievable but there is still a niggle at the back of your mind. Is this some kind of game? An experiment? Is Bethany involved in it? C. M. Ewan then throws in the first of many twists, leading to a terror-filled situation.

You are holding your breath, willing Lucy to summon the strength to overcome her phobias and simply survive until her boyfriend is able to get home and rescue her. 

The House Hunt by C. M. Ewan will be published on 31st August 2023 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a review copy.