The Hidden Girl by Louise Millar

Hannah and Will are moving to an old estate in Suffolk.  They want to adopt a child since they cannot have their own and Hannah wants to make new start away from the old disappointments.  Will wants to make Hannah happy, so he agrees.  He will still work in London but he'll commute.  

Atria Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 26th, so you can get a copy soon.

Will heads off for work and snow begins to fall.  Suddenly Hannah is stuck in this big old house alone.  She's not a fearful type but, when the boiler doesn't work and she doesn't have any electricity, it's gets awfully cold and inconvenient.  There's also the issue of all the improvements she wants to do before the visit from the lady from the adoption agency.  She had a big list and all kinds of assignments, but it's all for naught without her husband there.

She does find an apparently mentally handicapped woman that is excellent at yard work and she will work outside.  She's the daughter of the couple next door, so she's close.  And she finds a man that is helpful.  He finds someone to fix her boiler, comes over and helps move some furniture and spackles some holes and paints.  She's thankful for his help.  She has trouble trying to find a place to get WiFi to talk to her husband.  He's relieved to have some time away from the house and deadlines.  However, that leads to other problems. Will likes to have a few drinks.  He also suddenly notices how pretty another woman renting an office in the building is.  He's not a strong man, and I feared he would do something stupid.

On the other hand, Hannah is strong enough, but things are happening that she can't control.  She hears people in the house.  She and Will find things damaged but have no idea who might have done it.  When she tries to prove existence of the woman who did yard work, the couple denies having a child and claims not to know her.  The nice man who helps her tells Will he and Hannah had sex numerous times.  She's real close to losing both Will and her sanity.

This has the flavor of a gothic romance novel without the romance.  Will and Hannah are so far apart not only in person but in life that you aren't sure if they will recover or not.  Hannah's threats become life threatening.  The author has done a good job of thinking this story out and making all the pieces come together.  There's an underlying horror in these pages, and it's a good read.

Accidents Happen by Louise Millar

She knows someone has been in her house, touching her things, eating her food.  Her in-laws think she's losing her mind from grief; they threaten to take her child away.  She needs to get over her phobia now!

Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this ebook for review (thank you).  It will be published on the 25th of June, so check with your local bookstore for a copy then.

Kate has had a lot of sadness in her life.  First her parents died on her wedding day, then her husband is murdered.  She's waiting for the next blow and getting more and more paranoid by the day.  The bad part is that it is affecting her child.  She won't let him do anything that isn't controlled.  She's even rigged up a metal cage in their bedroom area so no one can break in at night.

When her mother-in-law threatens to take her son away from her, she knows she must get hold of herself and try to fight the phobia away.  She meets a man named Jago who is determined to help her conquer her fear.  She's developing an interest in him romantically, so she enjoys being "trained" by him to meet her fears.

This story is a real mind-bender.   It's creepy, the murder's reasons are steeped in insanity, and it's also believable.  Something like this could happen.  It kept me on the edge of my seat.  I had to finish this story in one night or I wouldn't be able to sleep.  Of course, then I still couldn't go right to sleep.  That's what a good book will do to you.

Why don't you get a copy and see if you think Kate is crazy?  

Happy reading.