Oh my god!!! What a strange, twisted story with weird characters in a spooky setting??!! There is such a dark, brooding energy underlying the entire narrative that captivates the readers from the get-go.
The story begins in a small town located on the Pacific Northwest corner of the USA, quite near to the famous Yell University. Even though it’s at the doorstep of an Ivy League institution, the town is filled with silent streets and quiet houses. Most of the people come there to spend the holidays, and therefore, the town remains empty for the better part of the year. Still, Eve and Charlie decide to move there as it’s the only house falling in their budget range.
It’s true that Eve has her apprehensions about relocating to such a remote part of the country, far removed from her familiar settings and friends, but reluctantly, she agrees to Charlie’s plan. They are struggling financially; therefore, finding a vintage Victorian property within a limited budget looks like a dream come true. While Charlie is busy setting up her work, Eve is focused on unpacking to settle down in their new home.
And then come the visitors, literally out of nowhere. Thomas Faust and his wife Paige Faust, accompanied by their three children- Kai, Newton, and Jenny come knocking on the door of Eve and Charlie with the pretext that Thomas used to live there as a kid. Therefore, he is eager to show his family the childhood home in which he had spent his early years. But no sooner than these unwanted visitors enter their home, Eve starts getting an ominous feeling. It begins with the sudden change in the weather, followed by the spooky vibe emanating from the vast basement, to the suspicious behaviour of their immediate neighbour.
Things start to unravel immediately, and so does Eve’s mind. She develops doubts about the strange people in their home, especially Thomas Faust, and eventually about her partner, Charlie. But in between that, she starts to sink into the deeper recesses of her mind. It’s as much a psychological thriller as a supernatural mystery novel.
When readers start seeing things from Eve’s perspective, no wonder we also lose our grip on reality. The author has done a commendable job here by weaving such a complex timeline in an unexpected plot twist, thereby making us question what we see and hear from Eve’s eyes. At the end of it, you might be left scratching your head, thinking what the facts are, what has happened with Eve and Charlie, and what is the reality of that mysterious house.
With limited main characters but with clearly unlimited imagination, the author has built the central plot intriguing enough. I would say it’s a fascinating read to launch you on a mentally stimulating experience. Indeed, go for it!!