Some real monsters are worse than any you can imagine…

A thirty-something London couple, Daniel Sullivan and Laura Mackenzie, have decided to go on one last big trip before settling down and having a family.  They have an adventurous time in Europe travelling with only their backpacks.

Then, whilst in Romania, they board a train. Daniel has ‘cheaped out‘ and bought tickets that did not include any sleeping accommodations – even though they are both bone weary.  They meet another young Romanian couple on the train called Ion and Alina. The couple tell them that there is a ‘sleeper’ compartment empty and that they should try to have a quick rest before resuming their travels. They do, and whilst they are sleeping, they are robbed of their money, their passports, their train tickets, and Laura’s phone.  Although their new friend Alina, translates on their behalf, the security guards evict them and Alina from the train in the middle of nowhere.

Distraught, they walk along the tracks to find some help.  After a while, Alina needs a bathroom break and goes into the woods for privacy. When she doesn’t return, Daniel and Laura follow her.  They find an ancient, disturbing house in the forest.  They hear a baby crying…  Immediately, Daniel feels that this is a bad place.  He was to be proved correct… 

When they escape from the house, they run to the nearest town where they seek help from the police.  The help is not forthcoming. Feeling that the police are sinister and quite likely corrupt they escape the town, leaving their backpacks behind.

Three months pass and Daniel and Laura are back in London.  They are now separated and both are suffering from PTSD.  What happened to them at that eerie and foreboding house? What happened to Alina? Neither of them will talk about their experiences in Romania. They feel denial of the events that took place there is the only way they can cope…

Then things take a bizarre turn. Laura feels she is being followed. Daniel’s flat is broken into. They feel like they are being watched.  Laura’s psyche begins to deteriorate. Daniel seeks the help of a therapist and he confides in his best friend Jake. Before long, even these avenues of support are removed…

The reader is now feverishly wondering – What happened in that sinister forest house?

How and Why did the evil follow them home?

The characters and setting were vividly described. The short chapters ensured that the reader feels like the already fast paced narrative was even faster.

Although the subject matter was at times quite disturbing, the author dealt with the topics in a skillful and well paced manner.

With a killer plot twist at the end of the book, this suspense-filled novel should appeal to even the most ardent thriller fans. A real page-turner and a perfect, creepy October read.

I received a digital copy of this novel from Thomas and Mercer via NetGalley for review purposes.

Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers in which scary things happen to ordinary people and is inspired by writers such as Stephen King, Ira Levin, Ruth Rendell and Linwood Barclay.

His first solo novel, The Magpies (2013), reached the No.1 spot on Amazon UK and has sold 300,000 copies to date. This was followed by What You Wish For(2014), Because She Loves Me (2014; also a No.1 bestseller in the UK) and Follow You Home (2015).

He also co-writes with Louise Voss. Their novels are: Killing Cupid (2011); Catch Your Death (2011); All Fall Down (2012); Forward Slash and a series featuring Detective Inspector Patrick Lennon, starting with From the Cradle(2014) and The Blissfully Dead (2015). Read more about Voss & Edwards.

Mark grew up on the south coast of England and starting writing in his twenties while working in a number of dead-end jobs. He lived in Tokyo for a year before returning to the UK and starting a career in marketing. He now writes full-time and lives in the West Midlands, England, with his wife, their three children and a ginger cat, Billie, who was named after an actress from Doctor Who.

When he’s not writing or looking after children, Mark reads a lot, devours TV box sets and spends far too much time on Twitter and Facebook, where he loves chatting with readers. He also wishes he had more time to do the activity he loves most: karaoke.