The House at Midnight

I bought this book because I thought it was a mystery and haunted house story it was neither. The end was predictable and just abruptly ended. I struggled to finish it.

I spotted this book on the New Release shelves and the title caught my eye, as only the spine was visible. I immediately liked the cover and reading the description knew immediately that the book was coming home with me (at least for the 14 day borrowing period). I found The House at Midnight to be a strong first effort for debut novelist Lucie Whitehouse. The book is decidedly modern but at times felt wonderfully gothic, with the bits and pieces of romance scattered in, as well as the dark atmosphere surrounding the imposing Stoneborough Manor. The house itself is a major character in the book; after all, don't forget the title. In fact, I found Ms. Whitehouse's descriptions of the manor to be some of the most powerful in the book. Her descriptions are so smooth, so eloquent and yet so mysterious that I could easily envision the house in my mind, in all its finery and unquiet. I also found the group of friends to be firmly fleshed out and relatable. I cared about them and I cared what happened to them. The weak links to the book, in my opinion, were just two. First, I felt the book did teeter on the edge of full out creepiness without going there. I wished Ms. Whitehouse had made the house just a bit more sinister, without reverting to camp. Secondly, I found the ending to be a disappointment. After sitting on the edge of my seat throughout a great portion of the book, the ending was so uninspired, almost lacking in emotion, and so brusque, that it felt as though Ms. Whitehouse abruptly got up from her keyboard and decided she was done with the book. All in all, though, I would recommend this book if you are a gothic or mystery fan. It's well worth the effort and I found it more enjoyable and pleasing than what may be considered a counterpart, The Thirteenth Tale.

I picked this book up cheap at a discount books warehouse, where the quality (of story) is very hit or miss (and more often it's a miss). This one was a definite hit. I would have been quite happy to have paid full price. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and found myself often thinking about the characters and story during my work day and wondering what would happen next, then grabbing it almost as soon as I walked in the door. Surely the mark of a good book. I'm a little surprised at some of the reviews - I'd have thought for sure this book would have rated at least at the 4 star mark. I will concede that the title and premise may be a little misleading. I was expecting more of a horror or thriller and that's not how I would have classified this book - at least not in the classic sense. It's definitely more driven by the characters and their dynamics, the house of the title being almost another character. As with any novel, at least for me, you need to be able to relate to the character/s on some level, to be able to immerse yourself in the story and allow it to carry you. In this instance, the characters are on the cusp of 30 and just starting to realise it's nearly time to grow up. They are still holding on to their college days of drinking and partying, just doing it now on a more intimate scale (if somewhat grander due to the inheritance of one of the key players). The excesses aren't excessive. I, for one, was fully immersed. It felt real to me and I could absolutely relate, particularly to the protagonist and some of her questionable choices. It's good to see characters 'being real' - we don't always walk the moral high ground and we all (yes, all) make mistakes. They just hopefully don't have such dire consequences. I felt the author had a natural, real, unpretentious style which was a pleasure to read. I liked her 'voice' and will definitely be keeping my eye out for any future offerings. I was actually quite surprised this was her first - it felt much more accomplished. Highly recommended.

A magnificent debut by Lucie Whitehouse, The House at Midnight will keep you up long into the night turning the pages. A modern gothic splashed with romance and suspense, this novel will wrap its dark magic around you. On a bitterly cold winters night, New Year's Eve, seven friends from college meet at Stoneborough, a grand manor in the English countryside. Lucas Heathfield recently inherited the manor after the shocking, tragic death of his Uncle Patrick. Hoping the manor will become their escape from London to relax, he invites all of his friends to make themselves at home there every weekend. Danny, Rachel, Martha and Michael, plus Rachel's new boyfriend Greg, feel nothing sinister about the place like Jo does. Joanna is the narrator of the story, a junior reporter at the Putney Gazette. She's had a crush on Lucas for years throughout college, but knows they are only friends. Lucas finds himself making small passes at Joanna in the dark shadows of the manor. Much to her surprise, he reveals that he's loved her for years , and she is only too happy to respond. Soon, Danny gets fired and Lucas gives up his job, and becomes obsessed by old films showing his mother, father and uncle enjoying Stoneborough Manor. Danny gets fired, and as Lucas's best friend, soon moves into the manor with Lucas. Jo feels her dreams are being destroyed by Danny's increased influence on Lucas, who is still struggling to absorb Patrick's death. Joanna is distraught after Danny accuses her of only being after Lucas for his money, and becomes frustrated when Lucas seems oblivious to Danny's attacks. She retreats, not devious enough to outmatch Danny's malice. Jo's uneasiness sharpens when she accidentally sees Greg and Rachel together. When their mutual attraction results in a fiery embrace, it is the beginning of the end for the group. An inseparable companion, Stoneborough emits the misery of its inhabitants as though absorbing their pain. Well-plotted, finely honed characters give way to a shattering conclusion of violence. Newcomer Lucie Whitehouse has written a tense and captivating story that will linger long after the final, shocking pages. Armchair Interviews says: Excellent storytelling.

What happens when you drop a group of elitist (read: self-indulgent) Oxford post-graduates in a sprawling, three-storied stone manor in the English countryside, and supply them with copious amounts of expensive liquor and a smorgasbord of sordid secrets? According to Lucie Whitehouse, complete chaos. If you, dear reader, are a fan of characters who betray each other at every step, ongoing relationship melodrama and salacious plot twists piled on at the end, then Lucie Whitehouse's creepy and deliciously macabre debut, THE HOUSE AT MIDNIGHT, is just the novel for you. The story begins as Joanna --- the book's earnest but somewhat vapid narrator --- and her college chums are driving up from London for a mini reunion of sorts to celebrate New Year's Eve with their friend, Lucas, who recently inherited his uncle's posh estate after his mother died, his father disappeared and was presumed dead, and his uncle committed suicide. As soon as they arrive, a fire is lit, drinks are poured, and the crew gets down to the business of reacquainting themselves and reminiscing about the good old days. From the start, it's clear that the friends shoulder their fair share of baggage. Lucas and Joanna are best friends but realize their feelings for each other might be of the romantic sort. When they finally get together, all seems glorious and happy-go-lucky until Lucas's precocious and pompous childhood pal, Danny, finds out --- and gets jealous. Is he a homosexual? Not exactly (despite his fling with well-intentioned Michael). But that still doesn't prevent him from threatening Joanna, telling her to keep her paws in check --- or else. Then there's Martha, Joanna's straight-laced and responsible roommate who falls for Danny, knowing full well that he's a womanizer and a cheat. (But the sex is good, so why not?) And Rachel, the fashion maven who brings along her new boyfriend, hunky Greg, who gets along swimmingly with the others --- especially Joanna. Michael, who also slept with Danny, rounds out the group, until Diana shows up. But that's not until later. Over the next few hundred pages, the friends travel back and forth from London to Oxfordshire, spending weekends in the lap of luxury while generally driving themselves crazy and acting like spoiled children. One minute, Lucas is a sensible young man with a career. The next, he quits his job and moves with Danny to live in Stoneborough Manor full-time. The two dabble in writing novels and playing movie director, but who are they kidding? They'd much rather slack off and get boozy. Meanwhile, Joanna is having second thoughts about her relationship with the changed Lucas. So it isn't surprising when she's caught kissing Greg in the moonlight. All hell breaks loose upon that discovery (including Rachel's disappearance from the rest of the book), and the group's fragile equilibrium irreparably shatters --- especially after the surprise appearance of the aforementioned Diana, Lucas's other childhood acquaintanc

After years of friendship, seven college pals gather for a New Year's Eve celebration at Stoneborough, the country manse Lucas Heathfield has inherited from his tragically dead uncle, Patrick, leaving Lucas all his worldly goods. Driving the rustic roads to the intimidating, three-storey edifice, Joanna is unsettled by the property, the others excited on this latest adventure. Looming in the darkness, the house is intimidating indeed; from that first night, Joanna senses something amiss, although she is sidetracked by Lucas' sudden show of affection after ten years of friendship. Tentative at the best of times, Joanna is riddled with shyness and self-doubt, frequent asthma attacks a symbol of the distress she experiences over the next year. But anything seems possible on this night, Lucas' love, a gathering of like-minded people, even the arrogance of the group's most outrageous member, Danny, who basks in the reflected splendor of his friend's recent acquisitions and good, if painful fortune. Building a deeper relationship with Lucas, Joanna is shocked when confronted by unexpected complications, another's not-so-subtle sabotage, a tug-of-war for his attention to which the pivotal person, Lucas, remains oblivious. When Danny and Lucas move into Stoneborough full time, far from London and Joanna, she finds her dreams dashed by Danny's increased influence on Lucas, who is still struggling to absorb Patrick's death. What unfolds in the following chapters ratchets up the emotional tension and wipes the innocent façade from a group who once thought their alliances unbreakable. The growing angst of the main characters is spot on, provocative, Whitehouse deftly capturing the ambivalence of a triangulated relationship, Lucas oblivious to Danny's motives and Joanna's frustration and helplessness, Lucas a vulnerable and unwitting pawn in a deadly serious game. The house, while retaining the vague menace of the past, is the perfect venue for a clever, grasping friend, as Lucas tries to live up to his uncle's high ideals. Joanna is outmatched, never devious enough to out step hidden malice. Shadowed with ill intentions, Stoneborough exhales the unhappiness of its tenants as though absorbing the pain of its inhabitants. Played out in a gothic atmosphere, the author captures the power of conflicting desires, the house's valuable paintings bearing silent witness to the unraveling of Lucas' hopes for a lasting relationship with the woman he loves and the friend who directly benefits from his unstinting generosity. Reeling from the treachery of another and her own emotional confusion, Joanna can only retreat. This beautifully plotted, finely nuanced story reveals the ultimate destruction of a twisted passion, relationships sundered, the stunned friends left to reflect on a collision course that ends in shattering violence. Luan Gaines/ 2008.