Two Bloggers One Book - An Accidental Buddy Read

Stormi and I had our monthly buddy read all planned out at the beginning of the month but we were both sucked in by a new title and ended up reading it at the same time without really planning to do so.  Therefore, we decided to share our thoughts with you on this one and save the other one for later.

Once you read my review, make sure to check out Stormi's @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!  However, I don't think either of us enjoyed this month's feature.

TITLE: The Boy at the Keyhole

AUTHOR: Stephen Giles

PUBLISHER: Hanover Square Press

PUBLISHING DATE: September 4, 2018

FROM GOODREADS: An electrifying debut in the vein of Shirley Jackson and Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, about a British boy who, after his mother is abruptly called away to America, begins to suspect that perhaps she did not leave, but was murdered—by the housekeeper who cares for him in the family's isolated country estate.

Nine-year-old Samuel lives alone in a once great estate in Surrey with the family’s housekeeper, Ruth. His father is dead and his mother has been abroad for five months, purportedly tending to her late husband’s faltering business. She left in a hurry one night while Samuel was sleeping and did not say goodbye.

Beyond her sporadic postcards, Samuel hears nothing from his mother. He misses her dearly and maps her journey in an atlas he finds in her study. Samuel’s life is otherwise regulated by Ruth, who runs the house with an iron fist. Only she and Samuel know how brutally she enforces order.

As rumors in town begin to swirl, Samuel wonders whether something more sinister is afoot. Perhaps his mother did not leave, but was murdered—by Ruth.

Channeling the masterful suspense of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca and the haunting, claustrophobic atmosphere of the works of Shirley Jackson, The Boy at the Keyhole is an electrifying debut about the precarious dance between truth and perception, and the shocking acts that occur amid tightly knit quarters.

MY THOUGHTS:  I think the above synopsis details the book pretty well. Samuel's mother left over 4 months ago setting sail for America in an attempt to save her deceased husband's business.  Samuel is stuck staying with Ruth, the housekeeper, who is not the nicest person in the world.  Fueled by his friend's overactive imagination, Samuel starts to suspect Ruth has done something to his mother preventing her from returning (unless it would be in ghostly form - hey, that might have been more interesting!).  Samuel tries to unravel the mystery of what happened to his mother but what he learns may be more terrible than he ever imagined.

So first of all.  This book is classified as an adult thriller.  I usually don't get hung up on genres and age recommendations but I think the publishing company missed the boat and should have geared this toward YA or MG.  Also, I honestly couldn't stand anyone in this book.  Samuel is a spoiled brat and Ruth is crotchety and mean.  They both kind of deserve each other and if the mom did in fact skip the country, she may have had the right idea and just may be the smartest one in the book.  The ending was disappointing and overall I was just glad it was over.

This is a relatively short read and I had high expectations for a Gothic atmospheric tale.  Glad I was able to grab this one from the library and didn't spend good money on it.  And one final caution - without including any specific spoilers, I will leave you with a closing picture.  If you don't want to risk learning too much STOP READING NOW!

If you love bunnies - step away from the book!

RATING: 2 PAWS