Saturday 18 June 2022

The House of Secrets - K.T. Galloway - Annie O'Malley Book 4

The House of Secrets
Annie O'Malley Book 4
A.W.E. Publishing
ISBN 9781915197030
ASIN B09P7CFZNX


This was a different story compared to the rest in the series. I have some mixed feelings about it, but we will get to that later in the review. I have now read the first four stories in this series and have the fifth on pre-order. The other stories in this series are British Crime Procedural novels, mysteries - thrillers. This one is more ghost story and misadventure.

Over the last few years I have read many crime or thriller novels. I love the DCI Kett novels from Alex Smith and the DCI Will Blake novels from J.E. Mayhew. Alex Smith had recommended Mayhew and I ripped through that series, so when he recommended this series I had to give it a try. 

Annie O’Malley is a psychotherapist and former police officer. And not only does she have baggage from her stunted police career, but even more from experiences when she was young. Now she has been drawn back, back into a world she had left behind, back to a world she was glad was behind her. Back to her own childhood and her sister who is still missing. In this one O’Malley and Swift are on vacation but a sort of working vacation. They are following a clue from a serial killer about O’Malley’s long lost sister.

The description of the book is:

“The past does not sleep soundly.

Annie O’Malley has been signed off work and forced to take a holiday. With a lead on her missing sister, Annie travels north with DI Swift and together they rent a small cottage in the village where Mim was last spotted.

Only, the village has a dark history of its own.

The cottage was home to a family who haven’t been seen in over twenty years. Their things still packed away in the basement, awaiting their return. It's a macabre destination for the dark tourist, and the rest of the village isn't much more welcoming.

When Annie is awoken by strange noises, her belongings moved or missing, she tries to talk to the small community about what happened twenty years ago. But the villagers don’t want to talk. In fact, they don’t want Annie and Swift there at all.

As their aggression mounts, Annie wonders if the cottage is haunted by the ghosts of the family, or the secrets of the living?.”

When the people in the town think they are ghost hunters investigating the legends all is good. As soon as Annie starts asking about her sister things sour. And the more she seeks answers the more hostile things become. There are also strange things happening, stuff going missing and reappearing later, stuff in the cottage being moved. And even apparently a visitor from beyond.

As a story this was a fun read. As an O’Malley and Swift story it really did not fit. I had a really hard time picturing Swift being afraid of a ghost especially to the point of sleeping on a couch. It felt out of character. That being said it was a fun read, and to find out if they find any information about O’Malley’s sister Mim you will need to read the story. 

A good read, like I said feels a bit off for the characters and series, but really leaves you wanting the next volume The Uninvited Guest.

Books by K.T. Galloway:
Annie O’Malley Series:
 





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