It's initially somewhat disappointing.
I found this a hard book to read, so much so that twice I almost gave up on it. The fundamental story in it is good, but there was, for me, a lot of padding that didn't contribute much to that story. It was over thirty per cent of the way into it that the title item appeared despite the very significant role it has in the story. I persevered with the book to its surprising conclusion, one that I was not expecting at all.
Some readers find the details of post World War Two Ghent and Belgium in general of interest, as well as the interactions and tensions between the two population groups found there. As a whole piece though it just didn't work for me

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

This is a great read. Adelais is a very sympathetic character and i enjoyed her story and was invested in her success. The minor characters such as Sebastien and Saskia are well drawn and the events are largely believable. I liked the descriptions of Ghent, I could just imagine it in the post war period. I could also just picture the bar at the docks. The book also touches very lightly on the issue of collaboration with the Nazis,

Uncle Cornelis, the man who first gives Adelais her freedom with the gift of the adapted tricycle, is well drawn too, the loving and affable uncle who, as we gradually realise, has more to him than we realise. As the book progresses we learn the reasons for Adelais' mother's religious fervour and her father's alcoholism.

Inspector DeSmet has a touch of the Inspector Javert about him but I suppose the thing most of the characters have in common is that they all have secrets and are not quite what they seem on the surface. The final meetings in the House with the Nine Locks is exciting and tense and surprising. The very end of the book is not entirely as I would have wanted but it ends on a note of hope for Sebastian.

I really enjoyed this book, set in Belgium in the post-war period.

It charts the coming of age of Adelaide who is struggling to survive in a world because of her disability and her dysfunctional parents. That is thrown upside down with the arrival of her uncle’s will.

In parallel is the investigation of Major Smets, following the trail of a master forger of 500 franc notes. Will he catch up with the perpetrator or will they get away with it?

Set in post-war Flanders, The House with Nine Locks is a gripping tale of resilience, ambition, and the moral dilemmas that accompany the pursuit of freedom. This historical fiction takes readers into the 1950s, painting a vivid picture of a region still grappling with the aftermath of World War II.

Adelais de Wolf is a young woman weighed down by family tragedy. Her mother is consumed by religious fervour, her father lost to drink, and her own leg bears the scars of polio. When her beloved uncle dies, Adelais unexpectedly inherits a dilapidated house in a rundown area of Ghent. But this house holds more than bricks and mortar—it contains secrets that could offer her a chance at independence and prosperity.

Determined to escape her oppressive circumstances, Adelais takes bold steps, even venturing outside the bounds of the law. Her ingenuity and daring transform her fortunes, but success comes at a price. The crimes she believed to be victimless turn out to have deeper repercussions, and she soon finds herself the target of Major de Smet, a relentless detective with a penchant for cruelty and an unyielding memory.

The story unfolds as a tense game of cat and mouse between Adelais and de Smet. While her rise is inspiring, her moral compromises and the detective’s menacing presence raise the stakes. Adelais’s pursuit of freedom becomes a question of whether the cost is too great to bear.

One of the strengths of this book is its setting. The cultural nuances of Flanders, straddling France and Holland, and the lingering effects of World War II add richness to the narrative. As someone unfamiliar with this part of the world, I found the backdrop fascinating and a refreshing departure from more familiar historical settings.

Adelais herself is a compelling protagonist. Her resilience, particularly in navigating life with a disability and a fractured family, makes her an easy character to root for. Her journey is layered with moments of vulnerability and moral ambiguity, yet her overarching desire for freedom remains deeply relatable.

Major de Smet, while integral to the story, felt somewhat stereotypical as the “menacing detective.” His character occasionally veered into trope territory, which slightly detracted from the overall tension.

I went into this book knowing little about the plot, and I’m glad I did. The slow unraveling of the mystery and the story’s twists were all the more satisfying. I would recommend avoiding spoilers to fully appreciate the narrative’s surprises.

The House with Nine Locks is an atmospheric and thought-provoking story, blending mystery and historical fiction with themes of independence and moral complexity. It’s a rewarding read, particularly for those looking to explore lesser-known historical settings and the human stories within them.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Original and captivating, 'The House with Nine Locks' is a variation on the 'heist' novel where you find yourself rooting for the criminals no matter how law abiding you are in real life. It's set in 1950s Belgium, a country still overshadowed by the Nazi occupation and war. The main character is Adelais, who inherits a money counterfeiting business from her favourite uncle. After a difficult childhood with an alcoholic father, troubled mother and a serious disability due to polio, ill-gotten wealth gives her the chance to build a better life. But hot on her trail is Major de Smets, a heartless policeman who makes Javert look liberal, and who will stop at nothing to catch the counterfeiter.

It's a really nicely written book, one of those that you enjoy from the first page. I loved the characters, particularly Adelais, which is very important in a novel about someone on the wrong side of the law. It is impossible not to sympathise with her, and admire her resourcefulness and determination. I did want Adelais to succeed - not necessarily as a criminal, but in life generally. She is a character that you feel deserves happiness, even though it seems unlikely she will achieve it (or sustain it).

The plot is good particularly once Adelais enters adulthood and begins her illegal activities. I wasn't sure how the story was going to turn out, and I didn't expect everything that happened. The setting was also good - Belgium being an interesting country with its mixture of cultures, and the 1950s always one of my favourite eras for literature settings. Long enough ago to be able to romanticise, not so long ago it feels alien.

I'd highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a well written, original story. 'Cosy crime' fans will enjoy it, even though it's a cosy criminal rather than a cosy detective in this case.

Set in 1950s and 1960s Belgium, The House with Nine Locks is mainly about Adelais whom we meet as a 9 year old girl. She lives with her parents and looks forward to sporadic visits from her generous Uncle Cornelis. Unbeknown to Adelais, her undle is a master forger of bank notes, an enterprise her parents seem to be mixed up in.

Eventually, Adelais is introduced to this criminal world and proves herself adept as a forgerer. On her tail is De Smet, a poloceman with a single-minded focus on catching her. We also meet Adelais friend Saskia and her first love, Sebastian. Its a pacy novel with twists and turns, most of which are believable, although I wasn't quite convinced by the actions of De Smet at the end of the novel. I did find it a little too long. if shorter would have been a real page-turner. but it is a solid, enjoyable novel.

This book was interesting! I wasn’t expecting much for
It I wanted a light read after a very heavy and emotional one. It was an interesting plot, keep me hooked all way down. I loved the main character Adelais and such a resilient and growing character. A solid good read for me

'It's a fairytale...Little Red Riding Hood...You think you know who you're dealing with. You think it's your old grandma. But it isn't...it's the big bad wolf'.

Adelais de Wolf, only child, left with a limp after suffering polio as a child, living in post WW2 Belgium. It's a rather grey, humdrum existence but the one shining light is her Uncle Cornelius. He believes in her, he adores her, he thinks they're kindred spirits. However, some unexplained rift causes her to not only lose contact with Cornelius, it also seems to push her parents away from her and away from each other. Life looks very bleak indeed, until a mysterious inheritance looks to change her fortunes but in a house with nine locks, nothing is very straightforward, '...once you know something, you can't go back to not knowing it. And sometimes you wish you could'.

This story has so many layers to it. It is historical fiction, a coming of age, a romance, a mystery and a cat-and-mouse thriller. Written with the same patience and skill as the very crimes being committed, this dual POV book keeps you wondering which way it will turn next. With such complexity, many will find it well worth a read.

'When a break comes your way, you grab it with both hands, even if you don't know where it will take you'.

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for this ARC.

What a ride this was! I will start by saying that this was a book which intrigued me but which I may not have picked up in a bookstore. I know nothing about post war Belgium but I was hooked by the crime/detective element of this story.

Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I was drawn in by the relationships, the police investigation, Adelais’ heartbreaks and the sheer NEED to know what happened next.

Some of the twists and turns, I saw coming… but then they diverted into a tangent I never would have guessed! A really addictive read!

Absolutely brilliant. very readable and an excellent story. A masterful blend of suspense and mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The novel's intricate plot revolves around a seemingly impenetrable house with nine locks, each holding a secret that unravels the deeper you delve into the story.

Gray's writing is both engaging and atmospheric, painting vivid scenes that draw you into the eerie and enigmatic world he has created. The characters are well-developed, each with their own unique backstory and motivations that add depth to the narrative. The protagonist's journey to uncover the truth behind the house's secrets is filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end.

One of the standout aspects of the book is its pacing. Gray expertly balances moments of high tension with quieter, more introspective scenes, allowing readers to catch their breath before plunging back into the action. The dialogue is sharp and realistic, further immersing you in the story.

I really enjoyed reading this one! I found the plot so intriguing and the way it all came together was so clever.
Keeping track of events and characters was a bit confusing at first but it does all soon make sense so if you find that, just keep going!
Adelais is such a likeable main character and her character development throughout the book was just incredible.

This was an interesting story. And I mean that in a good way. Unique characters, and unique story. I haven't read anything like this in quite a while. I would urge you to go into this blind as it's full of surprises and shocks. It's very sad and graphic in places but moving too. neatly ended but I didn't mind. I will write more of a review once I digest it all.

This is an excellent book. It is well written, the story is engaging, and the main character is likeable, albeit tempted to engage in fraudulent behaviour, which will change your view of her. But that makes for some interesting reading.

Without spoiling much of the plot: It's not so much about a house with nine locks, but about a young girl, Adelais, who rescues a young boy, Sebastian, and slowly but surely falls in love with him - and maybe the boy loves her too. Yes? One can only hope. They share a dream and though the odds are against them they make a promise to each other. Meanwhile, sinister grown-up things keep happening in the background. This changes as soon as the girl inherits a house with nine locks, grows up a little and is told by another girl to be realistic about her chances with Sebastian. That's when she gets more involved in the grown-up stuff, and even becomes the driving factor behind it. Her decisions are in some way relatable if highly illegal. And by the end of the book, our innocent girl isn't as innocent anymore. The ending is perhaps a bit too conveniently wrapped up.

I highly recommend this book to people who like well-paced stories that slowly pick up steam like an old-timey train.

Thanks for the advance copy!

Although different in tone and theme from Two Storm Wood, this is another accomplished historical novel from Philip Gray. This time we're in 1950s Belgium with a bright and intrepid 9-year-old girl, who is bemused to see the deterioration in the behaviour of her previously 'normal' parents. We follow this protagonist as she grows into a resourceful woman and gradually learns what the parents are up to. We also hear from two police detectives investigating a workplace death and a high-level fraud.
Ideal for fans of sweeping and literary stories.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
Upon publication, I will post this review on my blog.

With only a cat as a witness, the death of a man will take some investigating..

I loved this book the family of Adelais de Wolf is one that comes with it's issues.

This is a story told with some realism and I loved the writing style of this author. It is rich in descriptive and narrative and with some historical facts it was an enjoyable read.