Immi is sofa-surfing after the breakup of her relationship, and desperate to find accommodation of her own. but in central London, on a teacher's salary, it looks like her options are limited. That is, until she finds the ad for The Dye Factory. 

An experiment in communal living, The Dye Factory is a luxurious warehouse with a rooftop terrace, yoga classes, complimentary groceries and - best of all - subsidised rent. 

When Immi's application is successful, it seems all her problems have been solved. But it's not long before she realises the The Dye Factory isn't quite the idyllic haven it appears. When pranks take a sinister turn, the residents are shaken. Someone, it seems, is out to scare them, or worse - and every resident seems to have a motive. Immi needs to figure out who it is before it's too late...

Really enjoyed this original and well written thriller with a unique premise and well-rounded characters. I read a lot of psychological/domestic thrillers so it was nice to read one with a new twist on an old format. The final twist was a little bit on the telenovela side of high drama for me, but I liked how everything was revealed, and I felt satisfied with the ending. 

Will definitely read more from this author - 4 out of 5 stars from me. 

NB: I was provided with a free ARC copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is quite an interesting book - seven housemates, seven secrets, all living in a utopian community hub. Our two main characters, Immi and Dex, are the newest residents in a community co-living arrangement, where the situation seems almost too good to be true. But as time rolls on and Immi and Dex get to know their new housemates, it turns out that all is not what it seems.
I quite enjoyed this book. I read a large part of it on a plane home, and was certainly engrossed in it. I don't think it quite hit the spot for me, though, and there were a number of reasons why. I think the first was that there's actually a surprisingly large cast of characters, and it was difficult at times to keep track. On top of that, nobody in the house is actually all that likeable, which made me less keen to find out what was actually going on. Hanna, the mysterious housekeeper who lives in the basement, was underused, I felt, as she added a real degree of sinister undertones to the whole urban experiment.
Overall, while I enjoyed the book, something about it was just a little off. The pacing wasn't quite right, things weren't revealed with enough frequency to keep me entertained, and certainly the ending felt terribly rushed. I was disappointed by the escalation in the final pages, as it felt out of step with what had preceded it.
Certainly enjoyable, weird, and creepy, I don't think this one will be particularly memorable, but there was nothing really wrong with it either.

This book would make a good movie... Seven people in a large building, each with their own secrets. There is death, betrayal and a little love. I personally could never ever live in a community like that, where other people decide what you can and can't do or eat or drink or whatever. I could relate to Immi when she was trying so hard the first weeks to fit in, so she could stay because she really needed a place. The other characters were all a bit one-dimensional to me but the tension builds up nicely and there are a few surprises. The last chapter could have been left out, if you asked me.

Thanks to Netgally for this digital review copy.

It took no effort to get sucked right in, but be warned, it’s not a book that will make you feel warm inside, in fact the author made sure the plot left you with a weird sense of unease. I wasn’t sure how it would end, and the suspense made it a quick page-turner. The storyline was definitely unique as I don’t believe I have come across another thriller with a similar premise, making it all the more fun to read.

Right as we meet Immy, one of the protagonists, we’re introduced to a housing commune who live in a swanky warehouse ‘The Factory’. The residents are conducting interviews for their new housemate or ‘dyer’ as they refer to each other based on the initial purpose of the building during the Victorian times. As Immy is about to make her way in for the interview, swayed by the affordable rent and grandeur, she is rudely introduced to another candidate, Dax, who becomes the other main character. Both Immy and Dax are hiding personal secrets, all whilst trying to play a role of the ideal dyer during the three month trial run. However, the longer they stay, the more they start to suspect that The Factory is not all that it seems.

This book had me hooked from the start. And interesting concept where you are suspicious of everyone. I’d highly recommend this to anyone. I flew through it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books for this advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review. When something seems too good to be true it usually is. Gripping thriller, had me hooked.

A house share and all seems far to good to be true and for Immi soon after she moves in she is concerned that this may not be the delightful new house share she was expecting. Things start to happen and for Immi at first these seem be simple pranks but then things become a whole lot more threatening so who is behind it all has she got herself into something much more controlling and who can she trust !!
A gripping story that held my interest throughout, well crafted with interesting characters it was a quick and very enjoyable read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book has an interesting concept - a house share with a difference and the majority of it is set in the swanky new house which is run along the lines of a community. It's well written and has a good pace but for me the dual narration didn't work. The protagonist is Immi and there are also chapters from Dex, both new to the house, but the voices are the same and so I kept having to check back as I assumed Immi was narrating as I was swept up in her story - she's a good character as are all the characters in the book..

I'd read more from this author as she's a good storyteller.

Absolutely loved this book from start to finish!! Makes you suspicious of everyone and everything. Absolute amazing read!

Fun thriller .interesting community and controlling dynamics
I wouldn't fancy it .
Would look at another of this authors to c wat she comes up with next but wasn't overly gripped ..did like the idea and did feel concern for our characters just wasn't as involved as would have liked to have been .three stars as idea bit different
Fun quick read but not much more to it

I absolutely loved the idea of this book, it seemed so fresh and new particularly given the set-up of The Factory. The two main characters Immi and Dex are so relateable and a joy to get to know. The pace was brilliant, the ending was shocking and I could really see this being developed into a movie or TV show, it would be incredible. My first Kate Helm book, but certainly not my last!

Imogen (Immi) is in desperate need of accommodation and like many is struggling to find the finances for London rental so puts her doubts aside to stay at a too good to be true sounding house share. You can understand why Immi overlooks anything about the set up that makes her apprehensive such is her financial straits however there is no denying things just aren’t right but it’s impossible to establish who or what is the cause of the issues that keep arising. Overall this is a good solid read however I think it’s the very fact the house share is too good to be true that makes the story slightly lose credibility. The characters are very intriguing though and the secrets they hide hard to guess at.

Joining an exclusive house share sounds perfect in ines and the premise of the book sounded similar to me. It is typical of these type of books where things are hinted at but then revealed gradually as the reader progresses. The style encourages you to keep reading and I would look forward to reading further books by this author.

Seven housemates. Seven lies. Would you join . . . The House Share?

Immi thinks she has the perfect house in shared accommodation, in Central London, and paying next to nothing!

However, all is not it seems when pranks begin to be played on her and she becomes scared in her own house!

This book was so original. I have not read anything like this recently and it was so nice to read the thriller that escaped the usual pattern of a lot of thrillers out there at the moment.

Kate Helm's previous novel stepped away from the norm as well and I think she is an author to watch with her creativity and original ideas!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Was not sure what to expect with this book but thought it was a great read, good characters and had me guessing right to the end.

If something seems too good to be true , the chances are it is . When Immi gets the chance to move into the factory a modern type of communal living she jumps at the chance . She would never be able to afford such luxury on a teachers salary , but along with newcomer Dex they soon find out that all is not at it seems . All of the other residents have secrets they would do anything to protect . This didn't grab me and I found myself skimming large parts of the book , an interesting premise but just not for me

I loved this book! Once I started it I could not put it down, I was hooked! An original concept, quite different from anything else I have read lately, so many twists and turns, it really did keep me guessing till the end! Definitely worth a read.

If something seems too good to be true. . .

When Immi and Dex both turn up at The Factory, a 'community based house share' neither expect to be selected but both are given 3 month's trial to make sure they are the right fit. Both have secrets they are trying to run away from and at first it seems idyllic but there soon turns out to be a murky undercurrent and people's true colours start to show.

It starts with small pranks but soon the bodies start piling up. Who is responsible and what is The Factory really all about?

This book got its claws into me from very early on. Keeps you guessing all the way to the end and I did keep swapping my opinion on who was responsible. The ending tied things up nicely as well.

Recommended

Review by Chris C
Firstly thank you to Kate Helm and Net gallery for allowing me to read and review this, I loved it
Immi, living and working in London sleeping on a friends sofa is desperate for a place to live. She answers an add for a house share in a converted Victorian factory, pay what you can afford, alcohol on tap, sounds too good to be true, but when your desperate...... You don’t look for negatives, and at first it’s everything Immi dreamed of. Everyone has secrets, but when things start to unravel secrets come out, Kate Helm builds the tension and kept me gripped throughout. I didn’t guess the ending. I really enjoyed this book and would give it 10/10 definitely recommend it.

Before I review The House Share I’d first like to focus on the email I received when I was approved for this book. Whoever put that acceptance together needs a raise! Even though I’ve got a pile of books to review I had to read this one first just based on that email.

Now onto the book...

I loved this! I’ve never described a thriller as juicy before but this is a juicy book! Dark, thrilling and far too many suspicious characters to count! I got to the end and had no idea who was the antagonist was which is always a plus! The storyline is incredibly fresh, I’ve read plenty of “flatmate” books but nothing like this!

Absolutely wonderful and I can’t recommend enough!

5/5