Lie of the Land was a really interesting concept for a book, and one that I had high hopes for. Set in the Black Country (and as someone who has many roots in the Black Country, this was really cool) it really managed to capture the desolate nature that is prevalent in some parts of this area. I found the story gripping, and at times genuinely really unnerving and creepy. I love stories with an unreliable narrator, and I definitely didn't know who to trust in this book, they all seem like terrible people.
I appreciate what the author was trying to do with the narrative style, although I admit it felt jarring as a reader at times every time a sentence opened with "she'll say...". It made the unreliable concept feel a little too heavy handed for my personal taste.
I am also disappointed with the ending of this book, as it just seemed to end rather abruptly with no questions answered. Was it all in her head? Was any of it real? Did someone actually die? I don't mind loose endings, especially with creepy books, but I wanted something to at least have a resolution, rather than everything just falling flat.

Overall this book was honestly one of the creepiest I've read, but I just wanted a little bit more resolution and the narrative style just didn't quite hit the tone with me. Rated 2.5 stars (rounded up to 3)

Really, really didn't like this one at all. The writing was awkward and disjointed. There wasn't a single character who wasn't an asshole. And I'm not sure what was happening to be honest.

I hated the whole "she'd say", or "she'd tell you" way of writing. And the sentences were so so meandering. "She'll tell how, yes, it was freezing, the air was, and it was quiet, and there was an odd feeling there, as if where she stood had been transplanted there, into that place from another time, and she'll say she had a sudden urge to be the same as all the rest of them, to get rid of the weeds and mess, to renovate this place, live the suburban life, and just...be the same, settle down."
THAT IS ONE SENTENCE, and it doesn't really have a point.

The saving grace was that at least it was short, and I was able to read it in one sitting, because I don't think I would have come back to it if I'd put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC, but this one wasn't for me.

Hauntingly beautiful, mesmerizing, harrowing and poetic. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite reads this year!

Where the storyline is relatively simple (young couple buys a fixer-upper that turns out to be a money pit), the undercurrents that flow through the book is pulling the reader in different directions. Is it the buildup to domestic abuse? Is it about a young woman who is slowly descending into madness? Are the neighbors just plain sociopaths, or is her husband a murderer? There are many interpretation possible, and none lead to the seemingly happy ending that is proposed by the author. What really happend is left to the imagination of the reader, and I must have a twisted mind, because I've rarely felt so uneasy and fearful by a fictional story. At a certain moment (right after the "accident"), I even had to stop reading to collect my thoughts, but I was strangely pulled back to the unusual, addictive prose.

And talking about the prose: yes it is unusual. The way we read Jemma's thoughts can feel irritating at first, but I quickly got used to it and it absolutely adds another layer of strangeness to this already nightmarish narrative. And at the same time it is poetic, lyrical, just perfect to render the bleak atmosphere of the Black Country setting and the uncanny cast of characters.

I can only strongly recommend this book, which is an absolute gem. Bravo !

My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, Salt Publishing and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lie of the Land.

Lie of the Land.

I've got to be perfectly honest here; I'm not exactly sure about what I've just read. This book is like the literary equivalent of 'no thoughts just vibes', and didn't really give me the mysterious thriller I was hoping for...more like a constant feeling of 'eh?!' with barely any clue on what was going on from page to page.

The narration style and lack of chapters being properly laid out didn't do it for me, and any hope of tension being built simply didn't happen. It felt dirgy, like wading through treacle, and barely anything of note occurred. Then when things did occur it was so outlandish and not fitting with the tone of the book it was what I imagine a psychotic break feels like. Perhaps that's actually the point of the book and I've accidentally experienced it as intended.

I'm usually quite good at suspending disbelief with fictional novels, but Lie of the Land felt like when you're being talked at by your least favourite co-worker and it all merges into a drone you're not interested in. Sure you'll pick up some details, but do you care about them? No. Do you want to keep listening? No.

Thankfully it was quite a short read, so there's a plus point. Definitely not one for me, and I'm not sure who the target audience would even be for this. Just an utterly bizarre reading experience being on the receiving end of a boring stranger's stream of consciousness.

A couple, Rory and Jemma, have bought ‘The Rocks’, a dilapidated, almost derelict house. Rory is very enthusiastic and can see real potential and money to be made from it once it’s fixed up. Jemma, however, is less convinced, both about the house and their relationship but she goes along with it.
They met at a club and he told her that it was ‘already taken’. Rory had a fiancée called Sophie and she tried to warn Jemma off. But now that she’s got him as she likes a challenge, she isn’t so keen and has a
‘terrifying vision of him and her still together in five, ten, twenty years time.’
But she also sees the house as a chance to make some real money. However, the house has cold spots, an unpredictable boiler and a strong smell of damp. They meet their neighbours, Ed and Cath, and on returning home, a door slams and a voice says
‘you shouldn’t be here.’
and then Jemma finds a young girl in the back garden on a cold night…
‘The Lie of the Land’ is written as if someone’s telling you the story in an almost aggressive, confrontational tone was as in ‘she’ll tell you’ or ‘she’ll say’ which took a bit of getting used to.
Neither Rory nor Jemma were particularly likeable characters and it was hard to feel sympathetic towards them. The business with the child was never resolved properly and the supernatural element seemed to just fade away.
In some ways it was a strange novel as there were several elements in it, none of which came together; supernatural overtones, crime, toxic relationships and a hint of ‘The Stepford Wives’ which didn’t entirely work as a whole. What was the point of Sophie? Why does Rory kill the bird in the loft?
At the end, Rory and Jemma were trapped; by the house, by the neighbours and their own choices and inertia.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

I've got to be honest, I'm not even sure what I've just read. The story seems to follow a couple - Rory and Jemma - who had a one night stand following which they end up in a relationship destroying the life of Rory's fiancee.

I think the tone of the book was supposed to be one of tension ramping up but it simply felt bleak throughout and didnt really go anywhere.

However it was the style that I found most irritating. I hoped that the "Jemma would say..." "Jemma would tell you ..." way the majority of the sentences began would fizzle out but it continues throughout the book. It is almost as if someone is writing a secondhand report for a criminal case. Whatever it was supposed to be simply annoyed me. It wrecked any kind of fluidity of the narrative. It jarred my reading experience and I almost quit reading several times.

I gave it 2 stars because I finished it, the story could have been interesting had it actually gone anywhere but it ultimately gave me a headache. Not for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Salt Publishing for the advance review copy.

I really didn't enjoy this book. A young couple buy a house that needs a lot of work. Strange things start to happen, which are never explained and the ending gives no closure at all to the story. Plus, I found the characters were not very likeable.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Thanks for allowing me to read this Net Galley
Unfortunately I really struggled with this book.
I tried so hard to understand the authors narrative but there was just a repetitive narrative of a particular word that just was not working for me and I found it so off putting to then get into the story.
It gave creepy elements but was a slow burn

You can feel the darkness of Lie of the Land by Kerry Hadley-Price coming off the page. Jemma and Rory have just moved into a new home somewhere in the Black Country. It needs work - a lot of work. Their relationship seems a little fragile, and everything is very slightly off kilter.

We begin to understand that there is tragedy in Jemma's life, although exactly what has happened only reveals itself slowly.

Then they meet the neighbours and things become even stranger. Next door's house is lovely, and its occupants just a little too much. Meanwhile despite working on their own house, nothing really seems to improve. The cold and wet seep in. And the couple's relationship isn't a great deal better.

Then something happens, and you're hit sideways.

This is a dark and brooding book, best read in those short days and long nights of winter. It's unsettling and very original. I liked it.

This is NOT your typical thriller or horror. This is quite an unusual book both in terms of the story and the writing.
The book is written in a specific way. There are odd repetitions and not everyone will like them, but these repetitions have a purpose. The language is poetic and sublime as if the author writes the story on your latte's milky foam.
The story is delicate, slow, and somehow blurry. The reader can't be sure if all the strange things are hallucinations or dreams or if they are real. Jemma, the female protagonist, drinks a lot of alcohol, so maybe this is a story about visions of a drunk woman. Nothing is clear here, there are no sharp edges, only blurs. Add to it darkness, an old house, weird neighbors, and falling snow, you get an atmospheric novel with eerie vibes. The author creates the mood in this book effortlessly, which is a rare skill.
In the end, the reader is left with more questions than answers, but this does not diminish the joy of reading this book. Highly recommended for those who like slow lyrical prose, and eerie and unsettling vibes. Perfect for the Halloween season.

I always enjoy an unsettling story, even more when a creepy house is involved, and I was therefore looking forward to this one, particularly when I discovered the author teaches, and has a PhD in, creative writing.
However, although its always interesting to read different ways of telling a tale I really struggled with having a narrator, and the constant use of "she'll say" and "she'll tell" really grated making it difficult to stay concentrated on the story. Then it just ended.
Thank you to netgalley and Salt publishing for an advance copy of this book.
2.5 rounded up to 3 stars

This is a dark and sometimes unsettling book about a young woman named Jemma and her boyfriend Rory. They buy their first home together in the Black Country in the Midlands, England. The Victorian home needs a lot of work, and Jemma is not a fan of it. Rory is keen to invest in the house and make it a home.

Their relationship is fairly new, and they are still learning things about one another, including Rory’s previous relationship with Sophie. He was with Sophie when he met Jemma, which brings up many issues for them.

When they move in, they discover that the house is hiding many secrets, and when something happens to the next-door neighbours, they begin to doubt and rethink everything.

Although the dark and spooky atmosphere is a good read, the style of writing made it very difficult for me to get into. The ‘Jemma will say this’ and ‘Jemma will tell how’ writing throughout the book is an unusual way of writing, and it took me out of the story more than encouraged me to continue reading.

If you don’t mind this type of writing, then this is a good, spooky read.

The Rocks’ is a run-down, ‘doer-upper’ and right from the off, Jemma is reluctant and unhappy, far from ready for commitment. But there is something about the house that is both compelling and sinister, and the situation takes a darker turn when a terrible accident happens involving their new next door neighbours, forcing both Jemma and Rory to tackle their inner demons.

There is something wonderful in the way this book is written. It’s different but utterly gripping, impossible to put down. The descriptions and characters live in the pages superbly. I loved it.

I enjoyed this book even though I struggled with the writing style at times, specifically the use of “she said”.
The book is creepy and gripping, set in an area I am familiar with.

A very different book, with an unusual writing style, and the story leaves the reader unsettled throughout. This novel is for folks who like psychological insights and don't need a true beginning, middle and end to a story where it's all tied up neatly at the end. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those readers. I felt the potential wasn't reached, and research on a number of topics in the book could have been more effective. 2.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I was excited to read this book - the premise of a dark, suspenseful storyline intrigued me. However I really disliked the author's 'narrative' style of writing. I tried so hard to ignore the continual 'she'll say this', 'she'll say that' but it just irritated me to the point that I found it a chore to keep reading.
The setting of the novel, a dilapidated house in the Black Country with curious neighbours, worked well to convey a sense of foreboding. There was something very unsettling about it, and I can't fault the author's ability to create a feeling of unease. As the story progresses, questions arise that never seem to be fully answered, and the ending left me feeling disappointed.
I am sure that many people will enjoy this novel but sadly it wasn't for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Sadly, this book wasn't for me - maybe because I found the narrator's constant use of 'she'll say/she'll tell you' grating so didn't concentrate on the storyline thus wasn't sure where it was going or what the book was trying to do. I wasn't sure of the purpose of the narrator or how they linked to the 'plot'.
For me there were too many unanswered questions to the little mysteries thrown into the narrative.

Lie of the Land is an atmospheric novel that explores the darkness simmering beneath the surface of a deteriorating relationship. The story dives into the complexities of guilt, suspicion, and buried secrets, with an eerie tension that keeps the reader intrigued. Hadley-Pryce’s prose is dense and unconventional, which, while stylistically bold, sometimes feels difficult to follow and may disrupt the narrative’s flow.

The protagonists move into a run-down house becomes a metaphor for their crumbling relationship, as the novel builds tension around the secrets each character is hiding, the strain of their financial situation, and the isolation they feel in this unfamiliar, unsettling rural environment. Some aspects were very reminiscent to my first purchase of a property, the underwhelming excitement of owning land and overwhelming burden of making it your own.

While the novel’s mystery elements are compelling, there are points that feel inadequately researched, particularly regarding how the media would handle details around suicide attempts. This oversight can be jarring and pulls the reader out of the story, especially for those familiar with these topics.

Overall, Lie of the Land is an intriguing but challenging read, suited to those who appreciate psychologically rich stories and don’t mind an unconventional, sometimes disorienting narrative style.

This was a real page turner. I was intrigued from the beginning and liked the style it was written in. The author was masterful at setting the scene and introducing you to the characters.
It kept you guessing throughout and built up the suspense beautifully. A sense of mystery was maintained until the end of the book.
I would recommend this book to others and read more from this author.

Lie of the Land had me gripped and kept me guessing; the story is dark., the writing is poetic and draws you in. Without wishing to spoil anything, I found the ending did not satisfy in the way the reader would want it to - there lacks an explanation, which I actually didn't mind as I felt it was in keeping with the story as a whole.