Review - the Red House by Roz Watkins

The Red House by Roz Watkins

Publisher: HQ Stories
Release date: 22 June 2023

Back cover blurb: IT WAS THE CRIME THAT SHOCKED A NATION. The Flowers were the perfect family. Until the day fifteen-year-old Joseph shot dead his parents and baby brother whilst his younger sister Eve hid. The family home became known as ‘The Red House’, the place where the walls were covered in blood. THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD THE KILLER. No one knows why Joseph murdered his family: the following day he crashed his car and has been in a coma for two decades. Eve’s always known he did it; she saw the crime, after all. WHAT IF THEY WERE WRONG? But how reliable a witness is a five-year-old? Now an adult, Eve is forced to re-examine her memories when disturbing new evidence about the case comes to light. Because if Joseph didn’t do it, then the killer’s still out there – and they’re coming back for the girl who escaped…

The Red House is notorious. The scene of a crime that shocked the nation twenty years ago.

Celestine was just five years old when she witnessed the shooting of her parents and baby brother. The crime was committed by her older brother, Joseph, who fled the scene and crashed his car, himself ending up in a coma, where he's been ever since.

Now known as Eve, when her Grandmother calls her with some terrible news, she is forced to make a decision that she doesn't want to make. But she loves her Grandmother, and she loved her Brother once. Didn't she?

Eve reluctantly agrees to become her Brother's legal guardian. In truth she isn't sure that she wants anything to do with him, but she promised her Grandmother ... Her remaining family think that she should remove all of the resources that are keeping him alive, and she almost agrees.

But after moving Joseph in to specialist care, Eve realises that he is conscious, and knows that she cannot consent to his death. Having gleaned some new information, Eve understands that she must ask the Police to reopen their investigation.

Of course they are reluctant to do so. Especially as it such a cut and dry case.

Or was it?

Does Eve really know what happened that night? She was only five years old after all. Hardly a reliable witness.

One thing is for certain, that she must get to the bottom of it, if she's ever to gain closure and allow herself to live a normal life.

Honestly, I thought I had it sussed until the very end, which made me want to start reading it again immediately to see what clues I'd missed.

A brilliantly written (and very original) thriller. I can't wait for the authors next!

The Red House is available to pre-order now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publisher who approved my request in exchange for an honest review.