The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone - Book Review

The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone

Publication Date: 3rd Jan 2023

Genre: Mystery/ Thriller, Gothic (?) 

2.7 Stars 

One Liner: Atmospheric, but the rest doesn’t live up  

Robert Reid moved to the Outer Hebrides in Scotland with his wife and son. He is an outsider and has a terrible secret to hide. Though Robert craves the security of a village community, his own fears prevent him from becoming one of the villagers. Soon, things go out of his control, and he has to pay the price. 

Maggie MacKay was five when she declared that she was a dead man from the remote island of Kilmeray. She claims that he didn’t drown but was murdered by one of the villagers. Two decades later, Maggie goes back to the village to find out what really happened in the past. It’s not easy, as the locals don’t want to talk to her, and someone is determined to drive her out. What’s more, Maggie is still a nervous wreck and doesn’t know what to believe. 

Can Maggie find the truth? What will it do to her? 

The story comes from the first-person POV of Maggie and Robert in a dual timeline. 

What I Like: 

The story is set in a fictional village (based on a real setting) in Scotland. The rugged cliffs, crashing Atlantic waves, and scattered homes come alive on the pages. 

The mood is dark, brooding, sinister, and uncomfortable almost throughout. It also has triggers (see at the end), which add to the mood (but also ruin the setting). 

Charlie is a wonderfully layered character and vital to the plot’s progress. He is one of the most well-written side characters I’ve read. 

Maggie’s mother is another intriguing character in the book. She is a passive yet constant presence in the book. But… (continued in the next section)

The theme of the small community sticking together and the conflicts between the villagers are well done. It establishes the strength and weaknesses of being a local community. 

What Didn’t Work for Me: 

The pacing is slow. While this is expected in the beginning, the narrative never really picks up speed. I resorted to speed-reading once I began to lose interest. 

Maggie and Robert are the voices of the book. Yet, both failed to make me feel anything for them. Maggie was a tad better, but Robert’s arc was left unexplored, with a few aspects being repeated throughout the book. If a reader likes a side character more than the MCs, it is rather telling. 

Maggie suffers from mental illness and is recovering from a breakdown. Yet, she jumps into insta-lust-love with Sexy Will, the local farmer. Will is actually a kind-hearted guy, but the focus isn’t on his attributes. I’m not sure how romance made the book better. Friendship would have worked just the same (or even better). 

Kelly is a bright, cheerful character, possibly someone to lighten up the dark mood. However, she only managed to annoy me most of the time. 

The book also relies on Norse mythology, but only to the extent of pushing a character over the edge of sanity. I didn’t particularly like this. There’s a lot more to pagan cultures than superstitions, sacrifices, or dark magic. 

Finally, the ending; there’s a twist (or several), but the final one dilutes what the plot has been building until then. I don’t fall into the majority category that likes the ending. For me, it looks like a final twist to surprise the readers and a convenient way to conclude the plot.  

To summarize, The Blackhouse is a slow atmospheric novel with a strong setting. Read the other reviews before you decide. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Scribner, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #TheBlackhouse 

TW: Mental illness, manipulation by a parent, murder of a child, attempted suicide, death of animals, infidelity.