Random Things Tour - Hearthstone Cottage

I want to send my thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours, Flame Tree Press and Frazer Lee for a chance to read Lee's newest release, Hearthstone Cottage.  Make sure you check out everyone's reviews.

TITLE: Hearthstone Cottage

AUTHOR: Frazer Lee

PUBLISHER: Flame Tree Press

PUBLISHING DATE: October 24, 2019

FROM GOODREADS:  Mike Carter and his girlfriend Helen, along with their friends Alex and Kay, travel to a remote loch side cottage for a post-graduation holiday. But their celebrations are short-lived when they hit and kill a stag on the road. Alex s sister Meggie awaits them in the cottage, adding to the tension when her dog, Oscar, goes missing. Mike becomes haunted by a disturbing presence in the cottage, and is hunted by threatening figures in the highland fog. Reeling from a shock revelation, Mike begins to lose his grip on his sanity. As the dark secrets of the past conspire to destroy the bonds of friendship, Mike must uncover the terrifying truth dwelling within the walls of Hearthstone Cottage.

MY THOUGHTS: So Mike, Helen, Kay and Alex are celebrating their recent university graduation but spending a few weeks at Hearthstone Cottage, a remote residence owned by Alex's family.  When they arrive, they find Alex's sister Meggie already there and since she has no real intention of leaving, she joins in with the group but the strain she adds to the group is evident from the start.  Meggie's dog soon goes missing, Mike learns so new from his girlfriend that sends his life into a spin, and this is just the tip of the iceberg in Lee's newest novel.

Let me start my letting you know what I liked about the novel.  I really enjoyed the location and how eerie the cottage, as well as the nearby town, is right from the start.  I also like the idea of some best friends having a last hurrah before they start adulting. Mike was not really a likable character and I felt he needed to grow up the most of all the main players, but it didn't effect the book because it was enjoyable watching him spiral out of control.  Lee's writing was also very atmospheric.  The countryside is desolate and moody and was an ideal backdrop for his tale.  However be wary for  Hearthstone Cottage is a bit of a slow burn which might turn some people off, but not me.

I enjoyed the plot for the most part until I didn't.  However, I don't really want to dwell on those aspects.  Let's just say something happened.  Yes, Oscar the dog goes missing, and I was prepared for that.  But then something else happened which honestly effected me so strongly that I couldn't continue.  Yet, I really wanted to.  I'm still kind of curious about how the book ends.  And maybe someday I'll continue on.  I don't want my lack of finishing to reflect negatively on Hearthstone Cottage.  I will definitely be picking up Lee's work again.  I think he is a great addition to the horror genre.  Because of these issues, I'm not giving the book a rating.  I think plenty of people will really enjoy this horror novel and hope that despite my rambling, my visitors will be able to tell that on the whole, I had very few problems with the book.  The only thing is the one I did was major.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

ANIMAL CRUELTY TRIGGER:  Multiple dog deaths.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Frazer Lee is a novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker. His screenplay credits include the acclaimed horror/thriller feature Panic Button,and multi-award winning short films On Edge, Red Lines, Simone and The Stay. Frazer’s screenwriting and story consultant engagements have included commissions for Movie Mogul, The Asylum, Mediente, eMotion,and Vanquish Alliance Entertainment. 

His film and television directing credits include the multi award-winning shorts On Edge and Red Lines,and the promo campaign for the Discovery Channel series True Horror With Anthony Head. His new short film The Stay had its World Premiere at World Horror Con Atlanta USA 2015. Frazer was named one of the Top 12 UK directors in MySpace.com’s Movie Mash-up contest by a panel including representatives from 20th Century Fox, Vertigo Films and Film Four. 

Frazer’s novel The Lamplighters was a Bram Stoker Award® Finalist for ‘Superior Achievement in a First Novel’. 

Frazer is Head of Creative Writing at Brunel University London and is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers. His guest speaking engagements have included The London Screenwriters Festival and The Guerilla Filmmakers Masterclass. Frazer Lee lives with his family in Buckinghamshire, England just across the cemetery from the actual Hammer House of Horror.