The House of Ashes

Could a house be evil or is it just the people that live there? There are two stories happening within the book. Mary Jackson grew up in this house without knowing the outside world. When a fire happens, she is deemed incapable of caring for herself and is moved to a care home. Francie Keane bought his son, Damien, and daughter-in-law, Sara, a house – Mary’s house.

One morning, Sara is in the kitchen when an old woman bangs on the window and starts yelling at her. Mary believes it is still her home and wants Sara to leave. Damien hears the fuss and takes Mary back to the care home. This experience upsets Sara and makes her question everything.They had moved to the house in Northern Ireland from England after she had a mental breakdown, quit her job as a social worker, and left her family and friends. Damien is her husband, or should I say keeper. He has a strong emotional hold over her and she feels helpless until she meets Mary.

This book is disturbing but I could not stop reading it. Some people do not realize that domestic violence does not have to be physical as in Sara’s case. Mary’s story about growing up in the house is horrific to say the least but I am sure this type of thing happens all the time. The book is written in third person point of view from multiple perspectives. The characters are very developed, and the story is fast paced. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys mysteries and survivor stories.