The Short Straw by Holly Seddon

 

During a storm, sisters Nina, Lizzie and Aisa run out of petrol close to the tiny village where they spent their early childhood. They decide to take shelter in the abandoned Moirthwaite Manor, a place that holds mixed emotions for the women. As they struggle to find help strange things begin to happen in the old house.

The Short Straw by Holly Seddon has got to be one of the creepiest books I've read in a long time, to the point where I really didn't want to read on late at night. The author signals early on that the story will have an ominous tone; the dead of night, a storm, an abandoned manor house miles from anywhere; many of the elements needed to give a sense of menace.

The sisters are well-fleshed out. The eldest is Nina, she's the responsible one, the one who looks after everyone else, the one who makes the decisions. Middle sister Lizzie doesn't like to assert herself, she worries a lot and is more than happy to let others make decisions for her. The youngest sister, Aisa, is a rebel, she knows no fear and refuses to put down roots. Unfortunately, the relationship between the sisters is strained. They have little contact with each other so have no idea of the different pressures and decisions each is facing in life.

Alongside the story of the sisters sheltering from the storm is the story of their mother who worked as a maid and then housekeeper at Moirthwaite Manor when it was occupied. It is this storyline that gives you possible clues to the strange things that are now happening in the abandoned house. The drip feeding of elements of the past, together with current events make for perfect pacing, slowly teasing out the eerie and menacing threat. As I read I desperately wanted to know more but the coward in me was apprehensive about turning the page. If you like your thrillers with a side order of fear then this is the book for you. 

The Short Straw by Holly Seddon will be published on 14th September 2023 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for a review copy.