Lie of the Land

This is a 'read now' book on netgalley which I rarely look at, preferring to request books instead. My (now I realise incorrect) opinion is that the read now books generally lack quality and are to be avoided.

However, this book drew me in. The synopsis sounded intriguing and, at only 176 pages, my thoughts were that if it was rubbish, I wasn't wasting much time on it.

And how pleased I was to be surprised by the quality of this book, it really gripped me and Hadley-Price is a very gifted, poetic, lyrical writer who gave this novel a great sense of foreboding..

I was very surprised but this book is a 5 star for me

The book is atmospheric and writing is poetic. The characters were mysterious. Rory and Jemma buy their own house in the grimy midlands. The house seems to be eerie, compelling and dark. There is something just so unsettling about it. While all the unexpected happenings and accidents surrounds them. The neighbour is mysterious too. The ending was so unexpected and unsettling.

Thanks to the Author and Netgalley.

Creepy, atmospheric and gripping! I really enjoyed this book although at times I struggled with the writing style. I would definitely recommend it though as the story is brilliant. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC

I found this absorbing, mysterious and foreboding throughout. The use of the future tense, eg. Jemma will say, etc. was intriguing, as though she was going to tell the whole story to someone in the future - at a trial, maybe? The strange sounds and smells added a touch of horror, as did the house which was crumbling, cold and damp, despite having had work done to it. The neighbours were weird and drew Jemma and Rory into their clutches. Jemma remains inscrutable and out of it, living in her own head most of the time. The ending is ambiguous and unsatisfying, though, so not five stars.

This was a really good book that gripped me from the beginning. I would definitely recommend this book to others. I believe it would be a must on library shelves. I look forward to more from this author.

Lie of the Land is domestic fiction with a thriller edge and just a sprinkle of horror set in the UK's Black Country. Jemma and Rory have recently started a relationship and bought a fixer-upper in the Midlands. Jemma is ready for neither. Hadley-Pryce takes you gently by the hand and leads you into a bleak, unsettling place where everyone and everything is just a bit…off.

Overall, this is a deeply unsettling fever dream of a novel. It's a quick read, but you won't relax the entire time. The brisk pace keeps you engaged, making it a domestic horror that delves into the awful feeling of being absorbed into another person's life.

The narrative voice takes some getting used to with its constant "Jemma will tell you" and "Jemma will say." It sets up a distrust of our main characters, and their actions don't do much to change that over the course of the novel. Of course, the secondary characters don't seem especially trustworthy, either. You'll be constantly off balance and questioning.

Regarding the characters, Hadley-Pryce did a fantastic job populating her bleak landscape with people ranging from "the worst" to "seems fine, but is probably the worst." The true horror is that these characters are entirely believable. I found myself identifying with some and being repulsed by others.

I won't spoil the ending for you. Still, if you're not okay with a certain
amount of ambiguity, you'll likely be disappointed by this one. I actually went back and reread the last 30-ish pages to make sure I hadn't missed anything. There's definitely more going on than meets the eye, but there are no neat, easy answers at the end of this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Salt Publishing for the ARC.

Oh my, What an extraordinary book and what brilliant prose. A gem!

To be honest, the fact that it was published by Salt was enough to make me want to read it, even though I hadn't read the blurb; I've been reading their exceptional publications for years (The Lighthouse, Alison Moore, Looking Out of Broken Windows, Storm Warning, Vanesse Gebbie, The Method, Tom Vowler, An Account of the Decline of The Great Auk, According to One Who Saw It, Jessie Greengrass) to name a few of my favourite award-winning publications, as well as their Best British Short Stories collections) - and I say this will definitely be another winner!!

Jemma is a family lawyer who meets Rory in a bar. She decides to make a move on him - Rory is then still engaged to Sophie - they end up having a relationship, with tragic consequences.
The novel explores how people gravitate towards one another,- and the warning that you shouldn't waste good things on others that they won't appreciate; and it gives us a glimpse of the different stages of a relationship between men and women.
Being in a relationship at the same is a threat of "loss of individuality, a loss of one's own existence and identity"

The strength of the story lies mainly in the almost hypnotic narrative technique, - almost like a stream of consciousness, with an interior dialogue, giving you the characters’ thoughts as they happen.

Once settled, Jemma wonders what possessed her, 'who in their right mind would want to live in a nowhere place like this...[ red ], and we witness things falling apart quite quickly. (‘the slipping of two hands..’) ‘Trying to work out what was real and what was not, this strange dance we have to do to keep going, to keep living..’.[ red].

This dark and haunting, almost hallucinatory story, 'I feel like we've been drugged or something...' 'It was like waking up from a dream or a nightmare. [red.], a world, where real and imagined realities collide in a non-linear plot, was hard to put down, and felt more like a dream, reflecting a state of mind. The hallucinatory and hypnotic style of writing reminded me of that of Anna Kavan, one of my favourite authors.

The style of writing forces the reader to be an observer, you can almost feel the unease, the jokes that go wrong, the bleakness and the dark, poignant, otherworldly, atmosphere. It hangs over the setting like a thick cake, almost like a character on its own; the coldness and damp of the house under construction, with its austere atmosphere and strange noises, versus the warmly styled home of Catherine and Ed, and the almost erotic charge that seems to exist between Jemma and Catherine.
And what happened to the girl, and Jemma’s earring? Surely Rory saw it too?

Beautiful, beautiful! Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.

This very short read is a domestic thriller about a couple whi purchase a creepy old house with dodgy neighbours.

For a book with 'few' pages it is filled drama, well written and the plot is intriguing. I was thinking one thing that might happen then totally unexpected something else did.

I actually wish it was a full sized novel.. its brilliant ..

Throughly amazing, excellent, spell binding, creepy and torturous. The story reads with a third person telling it which only heightens the drama. If your requirements are to be utterly terrified and perpelxed pick this out, you wont be disappointed. Unwaveringly good.

This book was a pleasant surprise.
It is way more dramatic, eerie and unsettling than I could hoped for.
I have some reservations concerning the conclusion....but all in all, this is a cool mystery/horror read for October.

This was a different kind of read for me and it did take me a few chapters to really settle I got the book but once I did I was gripped. Rory and Jemma’s coming together while Rory still had a partner is the start then the couple buy a fixer upper house in the Midlands.
The neighbours and the lives of Rory and Jemma come together in a sinister shocking way and the outcome isn’t what I was expecting.
Good story line dealing with toxic relationship issues so possible triggers for some but I found it enthralling.

If you're looking for an unsettling read, look no further. This is one of the most unsettling books I've ever read.

Jemma and Rory buy a house together. Their relationship hasn't had the best start, based as it is on his infidelity with tragic consequences for his ex fiancee.. The house is a doer upper. Rory can't resist it with its cheap price and promise of a good profit but Jemma is not so sure. It is a character in its own right with its creaking and sighing and mysterious noises. Next door their neighbours live in luxury. Jemma dislikes Ed (whom Rory seems unduly influenced by) while Catherine is a more attractive figure.

The style of writing is unusual with its use of the future tense, 'Jemma will say, Jemma will tell you'. I enjoyed this but I wouldn't want to read this tense as a matter of course. It did however fit very well with the enigmatic nature of the novel.

If you like clear cut endings you probably won't take to this but if you enjoy thinking about a book long after you've read it then this is ideal. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Lie of the Land is a gripping dark domestic literary thriller set against the backdrop of the gritty Black Country in the Midlands, UK. The story follows Rory and Jemma, who embark on a relationship despite Rory already having a girlfriend. Before long, they find themselves purchasing their first home together, a dilapidated property in a less-than-inviting neighbourhood.

The house, aptly named ‘The Rocks,’ is a run-down fixer-upper that immediately leaves Jemma feeling reluctant and uneasy, as she grapples with her feelings of commitment. From the outset, it becomes clear that the house holds an unsettling charm, almost as if it has a sinister presence of its own. The situation takes a darker turn when a horrific accident involving their new neighbours forces both Jemma and Rory to confront their inner demons.

The themes of toxic relationships, secrets, and deceit are expertly woven throughout the narrative, amplified by a judgmental voice that drives the plot towards its chilling resolution. The atmospheric writing is undeniably poetic, enveloping the reader in the eerie, compelling world that Jemma and Rory inhabit.

As unexpected events unfold, the sense of unease grows, not just within the house but in the neighbourhood as well, where even the neighbours harbour their mysteries. The ending is both surprising and unsettling, leaving readers reflecting on the dark undercurrents of relationships and the haunting nature of the environment.

Overall, Lie of the Land is a masterfully crafted thriller that explores the complexities of love, fear, and the unseen forces that shape our lives, making it a captivating read from start to finish.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

This was a real page turner. I was intrigued from the beginning and liked the style it was written in. The author was masterful at setting the scene and introducing you to the characters.
It kept you guessing throughout and built up the suspense beautifully. A sense of mystery was maintained until the end of the book.
I would recommend this book to others and read more from this author.

Lie of the Land had me gripped and kept me guessing; the story is dark., the writing is poetic and draws you in. Without wishing to spoil anything, I found the ending did not satisfy in the way the reader would want it to - there lacks an explanation, which I actually didn't mind as I felt it was in keeping with the story as a whole.