The House of Ashes

by Stuart Neville

Soho Press

A chilling story of Northern Irish murders sixty years buried and the ghosts that haunt their graves. 

Sara Keane’s husband, Damien, has uprooted them from England and moved them to his native Northern Ireland for a “fresh start” in the wake of her nervous breakdown. Sara, who knows no one in Northern Ireland, is jobless, carless, friendless—all but a prisoner in her own house. When a blood-soaked old woman beats on the door, insisting the house is hers before being bundled back to her care facility, Sara begins to understand the house has a terrible history her husband never intended for her to discover. As the two women form a bond over their shared traumas, Sara finds the strength to stand up to her abuser, and Mary—silent for six decades—is finally ready to tell her story . . .

Through the counterpoint voices—one modern Englishwoman, one Northern Irish farmgirl speaking from half a century earlier—Stuart Neville offers a chilling and gorgeous portrait of violence and resilience in this truly haunting narrative.

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Praise for House of Ashes:

"[A] gut-wrenching novel of psychological suspense with ghostly undertones...
This unforgettable tale of servitude and subservience, domestic abuse, and
toxic masculinity builds to a resolution offering redemptions and heartfelt
solace. Neville has outdone himself." 
Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“[THE HOUSE OF ASHES] will keep you turning the pages.” 
Kirkus

"Spellbinding . . . Neville hooks his reader with the opening sequences of his
story, mystery, and horror emerging prominently. The multi-narrative structure
that plays out is effective and gripping. Impressive just begins to describe
Neville’s latest offering." 
Seattle Book Review

“Featuring supernatural and even gothic elements in a book fueled by female resilience,
this is a huge departure for Neville, a risk that pays off quite handsomely . . .
A story that is as moving and inspiring as it is terrifying.” 
BookReporter.com