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The House on Rye Lane

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The House on Rye Lane

By: Susan Allott
Narrated by: Tom Babbage, Tim Bruce, Coral Sinclair
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About this listen

‘Beautifully written and entirely gripping’ CHRIS WHITAKER

‘An evocative, haunting literary thriller’ ERIN KELLY

'A terrific spine chiller’ TELEGRAPH

'A sinister tale, beautifully told' THE SUN

They thought they’d found their dream home. They were wrong.

Maxine has bought a huge Georgian townhouse on the edge of Peckham Rye – but already the doubts are creeping in.

Why are the neighbours so evasive about the previous owner’s death?

Is her partner Seb all he seems to be?

And are there more secrets hiding in this house’s dark corners?

The House on Rye Lane is a tense, taut, utterly unnerving novel about the many ways the crimes of the past can haunt the present.

©2024 Susan Allott (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Domestic Thrillers Genre Fiction Historical Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Scary Fiction

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Critic reviews

'Terrific' SUNDAY TIMES

'A sinister tale, beautifully told' THE SUN

‘Had me captivated from beginning to end. A haunting thriller that flawlessly weaves the past with the present. Tense, engrossing and unputdownable’ LOUISE HARE

‘Beautifully written, and so intricately plotted with utterly compelling characterisation and narratives that draw you relentlessly through the story to the shattering climax. An absolute gem of a literary thriller’ PHILIPPA EAST

'A terrific spine chiller’ TELEGRAPH

‘A brilliant, dark, intricate story with a huge sting in the tale. I absolutely loved it' JENNIE GODFREY

‘A House of Usher for the 21st Century: unnerving, unsettling and increasingly hard to put down’ PHILIP GRAY

‘A haunting and hypnotic story that creeped me out and then made me cry. Tautly written and subtle – what a book! Loved it’ FIONA MITCHELL

‘What a read! Twisty, turny, beautifully written, just brilliant’ FRANCES QUINN

‘A highly accomplished literary thriller… Allott is establishing herself as one of the most talented new writers around’ TREVOR WOOD

‘Such a cleverly crafted, suspenseful and moving novel, I absolutely loved it’ ZOË SOMERVILLE, author or The Night of the Flood

‘Utterly compelling…. will live with me for years to come. At times this thriller made me think of Sarah Waters, at times Belinda Bauer – it is gripping, intelligent and deliciously dark’ FRANCESCA JAKOBI

‘A wonderfully atmospheric, darkly brooding novel which had me transfixed from the first page to the last… a novel to lose yourself in, to savour, and one which will linger, disturbing and magnificent in equal measure, long after it is finished.’ LOUISE FEIN

‘Spooky, gothic splendour – this book will creep under your skin and keep you enthralled to the very last page… Stunning prose, drenched in atmosphere… the best book I’ve read in ages’ ELENI KYRIACOU

All stars
Most relevant
I used to live in Peckham, just off Rye Lane, and I found this novel richly evocative of that time and place.

It's also a really gripping, well-written thriller! The twists and turns keep you guessing right up to the very end; no sooner have your formed an opinion as to who the baddie is, than an unexpected event causes you to revise completely.

I totally recommend it to anyone who likes crime dramas but doesn't want them to be predictable.

As many undercurrents as the river itself!

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Overall, not bad and not very good. Steady story and ok characters. Nothing outstanding, good or bad. Dull?

Ok

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Really good read, loved the surprising twists! Not to mention the narration was phenomenal. Highly recommend. H

Great read

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All good. Story, narration, everything.
I finished this book very quickly. It was entirely engrossing and super to listen to whilst working.

A really good listen.

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"It’s all gone wrong since we’ve moved here," – Is perhaps the sentence that sums up this absolute masterclass in Gothic fiction by Susan Allott.

In 1843, mysterious circumstances surround Horatio’s beloved wife's death, and we get a beautiful historical glimpse into Peckham's pre-urban days. In 1994 Cookie's family is in turmoil due to gambling debts. Cookie’s innocence against the dark desperation of his parents is raw and it makes you want to just squeeze his little body. – This timeline is my personal favourite for its gradual intricate unveiling of a twist I did not see coming!
In 2008 Maxine and Seb, lured by a bargain Georgian townhouse, feel a growing strain on their relationship in the backdrop of the 2008 financial crash, - the impending disaster is slow, sublime, and unpredictable.

Across all three timelines the looming House on Rye Lane creeks and moans, creating a constant haunting soundtrack to a stunning prose. And the river Peck runs its eerie eternal run – sometimes dirty, sometimes waterless -but always so real, you can feel the cold dampness weighing down on your skin.

The House on Rye Lane is about relationships, the intricacies of connections, the impact of lies, and the ties that “bind us beyond breath” as they say where I come from.
Allott’s characters are so beautifully relatable even when you feel you don’t really want to relate to them.

I loved Allott’s first book The Silence and I am beginning to sense that she will make her mark as a Master of atmosphere.

Sublime!

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