A mixture of literary fiction and slow burn thriller. The characters are very well written but the whole thing seemed to lack any urgency for me. I even considered giving up and I did skim through some. Just an ok book for me.

The Glass House is less of a ‘whodunnit’ and more of a ‘whydunnit’ that’ll draw you in from the first page. This captivating blend of thriller and historical fiction may embrace the art of the slow burn, but it pulsates with atmospheric raw emotion and heart-wrenching intensity.

Set over a dual timeline from the 1960s to 1999, our story, which traverses Galway, Dublin, Florence and London, weaves the past and present together as our central characters review their own histories, unravelling layer after layer.

At the heart of the story are sisters Aisling and Stella, who grew up entrapped in their striking modernist house, an isolated imposing glass and steel structure, in rural Galway.

Their formative years are shaped by their warm-hearted housekeeper, Siobhán, while their enigmatic father, Richard Acklehurst, a celebrated social commentator and philosopher, casts a long shadow over their lives. Known for his lavish parties that attract guests from across Europe, Acklehurst’s connections to controversial figures leave an indelible mark on his family, making life with him both enthralling and challenging. Yet everything shifts dramatically during a fateful evening in 1963.

But these sisters lived in a house full of secrets, and when they return to their home in 1999, after Acklehurst’s remains are disturbed and graffiti daubed in several places, they have no choice but to confront and unveil the past.

With a deeply gothic ambience, the novel envelops you in a chilling sense of impending doom, set against a backdrop of wintry landscapes, an eerie house, and unexpected visitors. The Glass House is a darkly haunting tale filled with disturbing undertones of evil and poignant revelations. Recommended.

Also, let’s take a moment to appreciate that gorgeously eye-catching book cover!

Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read via NetGalley; as always, this is an honest review.

I really enjoyed this read. It was very character driven and I really liked following the sisters lives after the death of their father. It is quite a sad book but I think it shows the reality of life.

3.5 stars

The Glass House is Irish writer Rachel Donohue’s third book. I read and didn’t love The Temple House Vanishing so I went into this one with a certain amount of trepidation but I need not have, it’s a very enjoyable novel.

It’s less thriller and more suspenseful historical fiction, with a dual timeline of 1963 and 1999. Sisters Aisling and Stella were raised in a modernist glass house in Co Galway by their father Richard Acklehurst, a renowned commentator and philosopher. Acklehurst hosts glittering parties at their mansion with guests travelling from all over Europe to attend, and on one such night in 1963, everything changes forever.

In 1999, Acklehurst’s remains have been disturbed and graffiti daubed in several places, forcing the sisters to return home and confront their family’s dark past.

Moving between Galway, Dublin, Florence and London, this is a story of family secrets and buried trauma, which always rises to the surface despite best efforts to suppress it. It’s wrapped up in rather lovely prose that kept me turning pages. I wasn’t as engaged by the 1999 timeline and the detective angle but enjoyed the story as a whole nonetheless. An atmospheric wintry read. There are some disturbing themes here so drop me a DM if you’d like content warnings. 3.5/5⭐️

*Many thanks to @gillhessltd @corvusbooks for the #gifted advance copy. I love the cover, it’s so eye-catching.

This a very well written, dark and disturbing read. It is one of those cleverly written books that gives you hints and nudges but it is what isn’t said that is just as important at times. The writing and story just guides you as you start to think about is before you. The characters and their relationships are incredibly well written with great depth and feeling. This is one of those books where the story and characters will live on in my mind long after the final pages have been read.

An intriguing, atmospheric mystery novel from the author of The Temple House Vanishing. Set in Galway and Dublin, the novel focuses on a pair of sisters and their friends, under the shadow of a famous philosopher father with repugnant views who apparently died in a fall. The time is mainly the 1960s, narrated by one of the sisters, Aisling, but there is a criminal investigation element in the 1990s written in the third person. I found the latter much less compelling and if it wasn't for an essential part of the sisters' history being addressed, I could have dispensed with it because the writing style was not as interesting.

There is a gothic feeling to the book, with its isolated Irish setting, windswept house, strange visitors and the feeling of doom. It's about family secrets, loss, memories and guilt. Quite a sad, dark read which is moving and lyrical. I'd recommend it.

Wow! What a book. I was not expecting this. It is quite dark in places and very shocking and troubling at times. As a trigger alert, it deals with child abuse/incest and drug addiction. It was sombre and sobering as well as uplifting. A recommended read.

Irish literature seems to be having a moment right now and this book is a welcome and moving addition. It is the story of the two daughters of a philosopher with ideas harking back to the evil of the nazis in Germany - a master race, eugenics, white supremacy………..but Richard Acklehurst has a legion of devoted followers and a belief in his own rightness that makes him a difficult man for his daughters to live with. As the girls grow up they realise in very different ways the evil in their father, and they deal with it in very different ways too, but their battles with his supporters continue to shape their lives. The story explores some pretty troubling issues, but Rachel Donohue’s writing is as fluid and skilled as ever, her characters always believable (if not always likeable) and her sense of place takes the reader to the Glass House of the title in all its ostentatious glory and troubling undertones of evil.

I found this book to be a bit of a disturbing read but quite well written. The characters were okay but I thought the plot a little thin. I did like the way the relationships changed over time but still stayed true to their roots. It will probably be a popular read but it lacked something for me as I seemed to be one step ahead of the plot for most of the time.

I found this to be an okay read, Donohue has written an atmospheric, tragic read and I enjoyed immersing myself into their dark world. At the same time, not a lot happens and I found the read to be laborious and hard going at times.
I liked the main characters of Aisling, Stella, Jonathan and Naoishe, they are very likeable and they have a haunting story to tell. The other characters serve their purpose well.
This book was okay it was just lacking something for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for an advance copy.

Glass House starts with the mysterious death of Richard Aklehurst in 1963, a controversial figure known for his radical theories and ties to Oswald Mosley. In 1999, his grave is desecrated, and his daughters, Aisling and Stella, return to confront the dark secrets of their past. While the book delves into themes of the sins of the past, I felt it lost momentum toward the end. Overall though its an engaging read and I would definitely read more from this author.

This book just wasn't for me. I found it very hard to relate to the characters or get a sense of them or what the story was about. I DNF'd at 50% as I just wasn't interested enough and there was nothing to keep me reading. At 50%, I was still waiting for something to happen and found myself bored as I had no idea what the plot of the story was.

I am absolutely not the right person for this book. I am a fan of fast paced thrillers, this was too much of a slow burning mystery and was more literary fiction than I am used to. I really did struggle with this one.. definitely not the right fit.

I wasn’t expecting for a book writing about a terrible man’s crimes to be so touched at the atmosphere his death leaves.

Donohue is an artist and deals with every subject sensitively and yet show us the joy of freedom beautifully.

Read it for the historical thrill and read it for the beautiful story telling.

I loved this book, it was so interesting and moving. The characters were relatable and deeply effected by the world they found them selves so effected by. Thank you for access..

4 - 5 stars

Galway, 1963.
In a modernist steel and glass mansion in Galway, lives notorious and controversial right wing philosopher Richard Acklehurst and his teenage daughters, Aisling and Stella. People from all parts of Europe make their way to The Glass House to seek him out, to hear his views; it’s as if he’s holding court. On New Year’s Eve 1963, a planned glittering party is cancelled due to wild and snowy weather, and during that subzero night, Acklehurst has a fall outside and freezes to death. Fast forward to 1999, when his defiled body is shockingly dug up from its abandoned graveyard site and the area is daubed in graffiti. The two sisters returned to Galway where past and present collide and where they may finally confront their dark family history. The story alternates between 1963 and 1999 and is principally from the perspective of Aisling.

I really enjoy the author’s previous two books and now it’s three for three as this one enthrals me from beginning to end. First of all, Rachel Donohue writes beautifully. It’s often understated , in a less is more fashion and she writes with sensitivity for her characters and readers. There are some powerful images that really stand out amongst the prose. The plot is excellent and we are definitely taken on a rollercoaster ride with Aisling and Stella, with plenty of shocking discoveries and disclosures, secrets that will make their way out with time, lies (some of which are for the ‘right’ reasons) and with justifiable vengeance. It’s riddled with tension and suspenseful moments making it a hard novel to put aside.

The characterisation is exemplary, indeed, it is a character driven mystery thriller. At the centre of the Galway universe is Richard who is a complex man. Initially, he seems to have some light in his personality but then you see he has a pitch black dark and rotten soul. His daughters are in his shadow and witnessing their interactions with him, their battles for survival, how they unravel and the impact he has over their lives even after death, is truly fascinating. These are very good character studies, none of them are run of the mill people and how they interact with each other is gripping.

The novel is dark, it’s emotional, sad and thought provoking and builds to a good ending. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Atlantic Books, Corvus for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Moving and totally gripping! I loved the duel timeline and how deeply you got to know the characters! Very well written.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for my ARC

I was absolutely gripped by this book. I loved the sense of two very different time periods, and I found the main protagonists very interesting characters. The monstrous father and his vile ways are dealt with in a very sensitive and non-sensational way, which makes the ending of the book much more powerful. This is an excellent, well-written book, and I would highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this read. It was very character driven and I found I really liked following the sisters lives after the death of their father. It is quite a sad book but I think it shows the reality of life for some people.

I found this an absolutely fascinating read. The two sisters lives and their secrets unfolding were shocking but the support they gave each other was commendable.