A really different and clever way of writing a thriller. I love dual timeline stories and using a video game to solve the mystery was so unusual it really kept me reading. I’ve spent most of last night and all afternoon reading this. Please go buy it!

“The Red House” by Roz Watkins is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the complexities of family secrets and the lengths one will go to uncover the truth. The story unfolds around the tragic past of the Flowers family, where twenty years ago, Joseph Flowers was found guilty in the court of public opinion for the brutal murder of his parents and younger brother. The family’s farm, henceforth known as the Red House, became a symbol of the gruesome night, with its walls stained in blood. Joseph, however, has been in a coma since the incident, leaving many questions unanswered.

Eve, the sole survivor and Joseph’s five-year-old sister at the time, has lived her life under a new identity, trying to leave the horrors behind. But when faced with the decision of whether to continue life-support for her comatose brother, Eve is drawn back into the past she’s fought hard to forget. As she seeks the truth about that fateful night, Eve must confront the possibility that the stories she’s been told about her family—and her own innocence—might not be what they seem. Eve’s condition of face blindness adds a layer of mystery, challenging her reliability as a narrator and witness.

The novel is compelling in its weaving of the past and present, revealing secrets and lies layer by layer. The ending was shocking and satisfying, and didn’t feel like a twist just for twist’s sake.

Eve is the only witness to her family’s murders, she claimed she saw her brother. Years later she questions what she saw, was it Joseph or someone else? This is a quick read, suspenseful and twisty! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Firstly, the author did a brilliant job at building atmosphere. It was creepy and mysterious and fit perfectly with the story. The first half of the book was fast paced and kept me engaged, however, the second half didn’t. I found myself confused because there was so much going on. I also found it hard to connect to the characters. Overall, not for me, but I’m sure this book will find its right reader.

I liked this book a lot. It really sucked me in. One of those stories I just had to stay up late to finish. The clever twists and turned had my mind racing right up until the end.

What I liked most about The Red House is that you didn’t know who you could trust. Even the main character, Eve, who comes across extremely sympathetic. Although the book’s blurb already questions her memory, I was surprised at the exact part she had to play. Joseph is another character I couldn’t help empathise towards – even if he is the supposed murderer. There is something about reading the thoughts of a man in a coma that has you thinking otherwise about the “facts”. However, what I liked most about all the characters is that they don’t seem to be how they are first presented. There was a lot of character development in this book.

The setting of The Red House was great, too. The description of the house itself was unnerving, with the overall creepiness the author projected through words invoking goosebumps. Overall, one of my best reads of the year, so far

Joseph has been lying in a coma since apparently killing his parents 20 years before. Eve his surviving sister lives a hidden life hiding from the horror she witnessed that night. However, Eve must rethink what happened that night one her Grandmother dies and not all is as it seems. Has the real killer been walking free all this time and will Eve be able to escape again?

I love crime thriller novels and read a lot of them but The Red House really captured my attention. The different character view points, the characters themselves and the story left me gripped with suspense0. I definitely didn't predict the twists and turns and I was hooked until the very last page. A gripping and twisty crime thriller which won't disappoint!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this - will definitely be recommending and looking forward to the next one by this author!

The Red House is an intriguing and compelling mystery thriller. Eve is a believable and sympathetic character with quite a droll manner who has tried to build a life away from the brutal events of her childhood. The descriptions of the red house itself and surrounding swamp area brought to life the creepy location that I think I would certainly want to avoid.

The story itself is cleverly told between two timelines and multiple narrators and builds up first of all questions and then gradually answers about what happened the night Eve’s family died. Some of the situations and events described are heartbreaking and as the book progresses I found myself unsure who to feel sorry for and who to trust.

The story comes together well and although I felt there was a slight loss of pace in the middle part of the book, this is a minor quibble and the revelations build rapidly towards the shocking conclusion with twists-a-go-go at the end! I would recommend The Red House to all mystery thriller lovers.

Joseph Flowers murdered his parents and younger brother in cold blood. Since then, Joseph has been in a coma, and his former home became known as the Red House. Besides Joseph, the only person to escape the horror is Joseph's sister. Flash forward 20 years, and his sister is trying to live a normal life with a new identity until being thrown head-first back into the mystery to solve the case.

This book is a must-read for anyone who's looking for atmospheric, vivid imagery combined with surprising twists and turns. I really enjoyed the plot's premise and the unpredictability of the story. On paper, this contains all the tropes I love: a spooky house, a feisty heroine and an intriguing mystery.

I did, however, find the build-up a little bit slow and unnecessarily convoluted towards the middle and end; a faster pace would've kept me hooked all the way through.

Thanks to NetGalley for the much-appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

A very unusual story of strange family living in a house on a marsh. They have snakes and a pond full of eels, so I was rather uncomfortable with that part as I am not keen on anything snake-like.
The mystery of who killed Eve's parents remains throughout the story as she tries to exonerate her brother who is now in a vegetative state.
This is a well written if slightly horrific story which will hold your interest throughout.
I enjoyed it.

Five year old Eve witnessed her family murder. After twenty years some events made her rethink what happened in her childhood and question her memories.
The book is good mystery with a number of expected and unexpected twists.

A twisty and fast paced read that gripped me all the way through. I couldn't put it down I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through

A torrent of suspense and intrigue sweeps you away in this thrilling narrative, leaving you unable to put it down until the end.

Eve is trying to live a life following a traumatic event in childhood when her brother murdered their family. Only he was injured following it and is in a coma. Did he commit the murders though. A game he designed might hold the clue but no one can find the hidden level. Maybe its down to Eve to finally face the truth of what happened that night.

Wow what a twist filled ride this was. Its just one twist after another. I figured out one part but the ending especially really threw me. It was brilliant though. Just when you think you know, you realise you've been tricked. I love stories that catch me out like this. The plot is a slow burn but it just keeps building until you're desperate for the next page. Eve is very likeable but almost the only one really, you have to feel for her so much given all she's been through. A brilliant twist thrilled story.

A shocking crime that shatters a family and with an obvious culprit............or is e a bit too convenient? Utterly gripping, fast paced and packed with twists and turns, I really enjoyed this story. I like the balance of the crime with the impact on those left behind in a multitude of ways and the storyline on locked in syndrome was fascinating.

At first I couldn't get to grips with this book as it was so slow and had lots of characters. But it started to build up and got better as the story went on. I enjoyed it in the end. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This was a real page turner and had me guessing right until the end. Cleverly written storyline with an unexpected twist to finish with. A brilliant thriller from the first page until the last. Look forward to reading more from Roz Watkins.

This was such a twisty, chilling thriller that kept me guessing literally until the very end! This was pretty dark at times and I felt massively for the main character, Eve, who went through so much in her life.

This was incredibly well written and so cleverly plotted, there were so many twists I did not see coming but the one right towards the end was really shocking!
I’d definitely recommend this if you enjoy thrillers with good plot twists.
Thank you so much to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a great book. It started more slowly and didn't feel like it was the thriller I was expecting over the first couple of chapters - although I have to say even then I did still enjoy the writing style and felt carried along by the story. The story then ramps up properly to become an excellent thriller. If Joseph didn't kill his family then who did? And is his little sister (formerly known as Celestine) now in danger? I thought the writer did an excellent job of drawing together the threads of Celestine's history and links to the other protagonists in the book. I did not expect that creepy, unsettling ending!

5 Stars from me

I greatly enjoyed this dark thriller. It had some many layers to it and I was thoroughly engaged throughout.

As well as a twisty and gripping main storyline, I loved the setting, it was deeply atmospheric and uncomfortable. The red marshes, the little folly, the game element - all added to a super clever and absorbing read.

Chuck in a few moral dilemmas and Roz Watkins has created an excellent thriller that kept me guessing for a good long while.

Thoroughly enjoyed and definitely recommend.