"But something held her in the dark, like someone was there, pinning her to the spot. The feeling grew stronger. Not just a feeling, a presence. There was someone here, she thought, the same someone who'd watched her in the bath. Someone who wanted her, who wouldn't let her go."
This novel was sent to me by the publisher some time ago for review, but I've been so busy writing my own books that I haven't really had a chance to get to it until now. All I knew going into it, was that it's a spooky book, so as the weather has taken a turn for the worse and the rain is pattering against the windows, I though it would be the ideal book to curl up with by the fire. As a result, I have spent a happy couple of days immersed in the ghost story of The Toll House.
The book has a duel timeline narrative, the chapters alternating between past and present, telling the tale of Kelda and her son, Dylan, who go to live in the old toll house and soon find themselves haunted by shadowy figures on the stairs, after uncovering a rather gruesome death mask hidden within the plaster work. The writing has an ominous tone throughout, though I have to say that it isn't the spookiest ghost story I've ever read. I would have liked more descriptive passages about the toll house itself, as this is usual in most gothic novels of haunted houses. This one though, was more character driven.
I liked the characters for the most part, although Dylan did get on my nerves, largely because he is meant to be seven years old, but he reads as being much younger, I would say no more than five. I felt that he was portrayed as being overly young for his age. Then again, I don't have kids, so what do I know? He might be spot on! He just struck me as being a tad too infantile, which I found quite irritating.
Apart from that, this is a cracking read. It has a chilling build up to the denouement and a few surprises in the plot that I greatly appreciated, especially in reference to the death mask itself. I didn't see that twist coming at all! The Toll House is one of those gothic novels where you think you know exactly what is going on, only to discover that everything you've been lead to believe is untrue. It's as if you don't realize you're reading a mystery, until the mystery unravels and the truth is revealed, so it has an excellent use of red herrings. Hats off to the author for that.
The story is nicely told, but I wasn't exactly scared by it. It had some eerie moments and the ending is satisfying. If you enjoy books such as The Haunting Season, The Whistling, or The Ghost Woods, then you might like The Toll House. It has certainly engaged my attention for the past two days and was the perfect read for such a dreich rainy day, so if you are looking for a new ghost story to dive into, I recommend this one. Enjoy!
Blessed Be
Marie x
AD; This novel was sent to me by the publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK, for the purposes of review. It is available now across all formats - digital, audio and hard copy.
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