There is so much brilliant about this book: it's a slow burn, it's got wonderful characters, it's beautifully told and it has a hauntingly brilliant cover. I can't wait to see what's next from this author because this is a banging debut!

In Zoë Apostolides’s debut modern gothic novel, ‘The Homecoming’, Elver House is the kind of place where the dread is invisible, hidden in peeling wallpaper, and in corridors that lead nowhere. Into this once-grand Northumberland estate, now fraying at the edges, enters Ellen, a young ghostwriter assigned to record the life of the elusive Miss Carey. Her job seems straightforward. Ellen has to interview Miss Carey for a week before heading back to London, where she has a comfortable life and turn the notes into a memoir. But Ellen quickly discovers that Elver House holds more than meets the eye. Miss Carey is shadowed by a past she cannot escape, and Ellen, uncertain in her own life, begins to see how those shadows blur into her present.

There are layers of familiar gothic tropes - an imposing house, a woman tethered to her past, whispers of the supernatural. I practically flew through the pages, consumed by the terrific atmosphere and setting that Apostolides conjures up.

Ellen’s interviews with Miss Carey are haunted not just by literal ghosts but by the cultural scripts women inherit, and the obligations that strip away friendships, autonomy, even identity. The result is a ghost story where the scariest forces are not always paranormal but social and emotional. But while Ellen’s is a great sub-story and explores such deeply relevant themes, it just doesn’t sit well with the main story. It feels disjointed and at times punctures the buildup. Ellen is an engaging protagonist, no doubt. Apostolides draws her with an attention to detail expressing the loneliness of city life, the sting of a friendship lost to the demands of family, and the push and pull of her strained relationship with her mother though these threads feel underdeveloped.

If the plotting sometimes falters, Apostolides more than makes up for it with the brilliant setting. She is excellent at conjuring unease. She understands how to stretch a scene so that tension builds almost imperceptibly until the reader feels trapped alongside Ellen, waiting for something to break. Even when the novel’s eventual twist can be guessed early, the journey there has its rewards in mood and style.
For a debut novel, The Homecoming is very well-written and is extremely engaging. Never mind the plot-related drawbacks. If you like creepy, psychological horror just pick this up and prepare to get lost in a modern Northanger Abbey.

Thanks to NetGalley and Salt Publishing for the ARC.

The Homecoming tells the story of Ellen, a ghost writer, who is tasked with writing a memoir of Ms Carey, the sole heir to the Elver House. Over the course of an unsettling week staying at Elver House, Ellen interviews Ms Carey.

I found the writing to be very well done. Atmospheric and eerie, perfectly setting up this gothic-esque story. The dialogue between characters read very naturally. I liked the eel motifs and the cover design is so pretty! However, overall this book did not capture my attention in the ways I anticipated. I found some parts of Ellen's internal monologue to be cumbersome and unnecessary. This book has a secondary storyline interlaced through it. While the storyline itself was fine, I found the transition from the main narrative to the secondary story quite jarring, especially in the beginning of the book. I think these issues could have been avoided with a bit more editing.

While I did not enjoy it, this was a good debut novel. If you are a fan of gothic-themed books that are a commentary on womens role in society I would definitely pick this up. The author has a very promising voice!

Zoe Apostolides’ novel The Homecoming is an eerie, atmospheric experience. The protagonist, Ellen, is a ghost writer, heading to Northumberland to interview an elderly woman so she can create a memoir from her reminiscences. Even before she arrives at the remote country station, the reader knows that this experience was a life changing one. She is writing from a point some time after the events in the book, and is addressing a person who is very important to her - the exact relationship becomes clear as the novel progresses. This relationship really elevates the book, connecting the themes (of femininity, the role of women in society, of motherhood and loss), that emerge as Ellen interviews Miss Carey. The author writes beautifully about nature, creating a landscape that is both inviting and ominous. Elver House itself is a character in itself - looming, isolated and foreboding. To delve further into the plot would lead rapidly into spoiler territory, so I’m just going to recommend you go on this page-turning, sensory journey to Elver House. (And maybe don’t read it after dark!)

Zoë Apostolides’s debut novel, The Homecoming, is a gothic tale that masterfully blends a strong sense of place with a classic horror atmosphere. It follows Ellen, a ghostwriter sent to a remote manor in Northumberland to write the autobiography of 87-year-old Catherine Carey. What appears to be a simple assignment quickly becomes something much more complex, challenging, and creepy.

Full review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2025/08/19/the-homecoming-zoe-apostolides/

Good writing at first but the story quickly becomes obvious. Did not care for the personal relationship blurbs scattered throughout, these felt messy and oddly placed. Just overall too obvious to me and felt a bit like a letdown at the end.

A sad and tender debut from indie legends Salt, who this year have broadened their catalogue with a number of horror-tinged literary works.

The Homecoming is pitched as a folk-horror mystery ‘about isolation, memory, spirits and secrets, and intergenerational friendship.’ It follows Ellen, a ghost-writer hired to record the memoirs of Miss Carey, an elderly woman who has spent her entire life in Elver House, a crumbling Northumberland manor cut off from the nearby village. The ghost-writing framework lends the novel a subtly epistolary quality, raising questions about the reliability of certain perspectives.

Ellen quickly discovers that Miss Carey’s story is not easily told. Her memories are fragmented, her grasp on time and identity slippery, and the house itself seems to carry as much history as its inhabitant. As Ellen attempts to draw out Miss Carey’s past, she finds herself uncovering far more than she expected about the woman, the house, and the shadows that bind them both.

I warmed to this book pretty quickly, enjoying the style and atmosphere of Apostolides’ prose: evocative, atmospheric, and attentive to detail: the descriptions of Elver House, the recurring slippery imagery of elvers in the estate’s river, and the layered conversation between two women of starkly different generations. There is also a parallel relationship between Ellen and her friend who is a new, first time mother, opening space for subtle reflections on motherhood and care.

The Homecoming is a quiet, atmospheric experience. This is not a novel of jump scares or overt hauntings, but a lingering reflection on what it means to be isolated, to grow older, and to reflect on the tragedies of the past. Some readers may find the ‘mystery’ less compelling, since its direction is apparent fairly early on. I’m not convinced that the surprise is the point here, there is satisfaction to be found in the journey and in watching the pieces fall into place.

If you are drawn to haunting landscapes, intergenerational stories, and folk horror, The Homecoming is well worth your time.

There’s a certain sense of melancholia throughout the whole book that was very beautiful.

The cover is eye catching and unique and I think other authors would’ve made it more ordinary and similar to other books like this one. I like that it’s different!

The ending changes everything for the reader taking the book from a lonely story to a classic masterpiece.

I will continue to read more from the author. Thank you to NetGalley, Zoe Apostolides, and Salt Publishing. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.

Sooo eerie and interesting. The vibes of this book are so eerie, and to me, the atmosphere really sends you through with this low grade feeling of unease right from the start.

This book, friends. This. Book. I finished it just days ago, and I’m already longing to read it again. HOMECOMING by Zoe Apostolides sort of took my breath away.

Ellen is a ghostwriter, hired to interview people and write their memories. Ordinary people, mostly - not celebrities and royals. She is assigned to write the memoirs of a very old woman who lives in a secluded estate by herself. The manor has fallen to ruin, the subject kind but fragile, a wisp of a woman. The process is…well, unusual.

Of course, because this is a ghost story at its heart, there is so much more here - and I will leave it there for you all.

This is a book about the weight of loneliness, about connection, and about what parts of ourselves we leave behind. It is brilliant, haunting, and frankly - it’s beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

Look no further if you want a creepy, atmospheric read that gives you the chills!! I was utterly engrossed in this from start to finish - and to think this is the authors' debut novel!! Fabulous stuff!!

Ellen is sent to ghost write the memoir of an elderly woman, living alone in a secluded house off the beaten track up north. It's quite a journey to get there, and the reaction of the locals when she tells them is rather guarded to say the least!

And then we are introduced to Miss Carey, whose home she will be staying in and writing down her story. Except that Miss Carey has memory issues, meaning a lot of free time for Ellen to explore the local area and to see some rather strange things that make her think she might be losing her mind! There is a real sense of WTF is going on, not only for Ellen but you as a reader as the creepy vibes continue and you start to learn more about the stories and legends relating to the house, the area and the past and I really loved the whole setting and atmosphere that the characters and location really set.

As Miss Carey shares her memories with Ellen, we get a real sense of the painful past that she endured, and Ellen really starts to feel for this woman and it plays on her mind too when the job is finished and she returns back to her normal life to complete the assignment. A really absorbing read and I can't wait to read more from this author in the future!!

I wouldn't necessarily call this a horror or thriller, but it is a deeply moving ghost story in a spooky old house. I really loved the striking imagery of eels throughout and the metaphor of their life cycle. The author does a great job exploring different kinds of "ghosts" and hauntings - ghosts of a previous life, of a lost friendship. As someone who is childfree, the grief of losing friends to different life stages hit hard. The incorporation of modern elements like cell phones and email surprised me, but felt fresh in a gothic novel and was very well-done. Definitely recommend if you love ghost stories and gothic fiction.

Thanks to the Salt Publishing and Netgalley for the eARC!

This is another gothic, and though I wouldn’t categorize it as horror Apostolides writes such delicate, suspenseful tension that it makes me nauseous waiting to see what happens, even if the stakes are low.

I love the interwoven stories balancing between Ellen’s work and her personal life. The primary narrative stands on its own, but I really enjoyed the contrast between different versions of womanhood, and the solidarity between them.

I love the interwoven stories balancing between Ellen’s work and her personal life. The primary narrative stands on its own, but I really enjoyed the contrast between different versions of womanhood, and the solidarity between them.

loved the idea behind this book, which is what drew me in. We have a ghost writer staying at and interviewing a lady in a haunted mansion called Elver House in the English countryside. As I've been a ghost writer, love books about old houses, and have a fascination for elvers (baby eels), this seemed like it was written just for me.

t's a fast, enjoyable read as we try to determine why the lady who lives at Elver House wants Ellen to write her autobiography. The problem is that the lady is losing her memory and has lived a very isolated life, so it takes Ellen days to draw the story out from her. Still, it seems like something is missing. This is one of those books that doesn't reveal its secrets until the end and has a sense of place comes alive in your mind.

This book was slow-paced which is exactly what I want in gothic fiction to build atmosphere and mystery. The ending was obvious but again, I just don't think big shocking reveals work with gothic novels so I wasn't mad about it.

I wasn't that bothered about the subplot with Ellen and her friend but the book would have been even shorter without it so I get why it was there. Apostolides descriptions of Elver House and Ellen's time in London were really vivid and engaging. Great debut!

An atmospheric and haunting gothic mystery that also manages to weave in a look at the expectations placed on women in domestic spaces, The Homecoming isn’t exactly surprising in its twist, but is very enjoyable nonetheless.

I'd call this a Gothic mystery, as it has almost all the tropes: run-down secluded manor house, woman main character, creepy but not horrific scenes, and a social critique. All the best Gothic stories have some grander theme woven in, though this one addresses it head-on rather than through allegory or more subtle means.

I really enjoyed this book. I can't say I love it, but that's only because the twist was super obvious to me, to the effect that the reveal felt too drawn out. I guessed it around 30 percent and knew at 45, though a tagline on the blurb that I didn’t read kind of spoils it. If we're supposed to know the twist early on, the fact that Ellen does not is a choice I’m not sure works.

Yet, that's not to say the book isn't enjoyable even knowing the twist. It's immensely interesting because the main character is likable, Ms. Carey's memories give it a historical fiction feel at times, and the house is so atmospheric. It does move at a rather slow pace, and I could have used a few more flashbacks from Ms. Carey to really cement the central theme of the book, but I found myself unable to put it down. It takes on the feel of a classic Gothic story at times due to its languid pace. It’s more The Woman in White vs Starling House.

The house, as I said, is great - it’s grand yet falling down, with interesting grounds. The elvers were cool - I didn’t really know what those were, and the idea of their migration as a sort of homecoming fit well with the overall theme. The initial scenes of the novel are downright scary and really drew me into the story. If the author wanted to try a full-on horror novel, I’m sure she’d write a great one.

The writing, for being first person (which I’m very picky about), was well done. The book has a few interesting second-person lines, which tie into the theme and make the novel feel like a long letter at times. This was fun.

The main theme of the book is motherhood, specifically the role of women if/once they become mothers, which is an important topic. Unfortunately, I found the approached was a bit too heavy-handed. Despite the second-person lines here and there, there isn’t enough about it until the end, it sort of falls flat/feels unfinished, and we could have gotten more with Ms. Carey's life to broaden this topic/make comparisons.

Still, a solid 4-star read and impressive for a debut.

The Homecoming had such a good start! An interesting plot that reminded me of Evelyn Hugo mixed with the gothic vibes of a old mansion & a mysterious old lady. The eel symbolism added an interesting twist, but I feel like it didn't serve as much of a purpose as it could've. The story has great potential and as a debut novel, it's wonderful! My only grievance with the book was that there was so much build up for it to just fall flat and left me hoping for something more!

The Homecoming was beautifully written and the pacing was perfect. There were also a lot of fun facts sprinkled in that made it interesting. The vibes were a mix between The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and the movie A Cure for Wellness,

While I enjoyed the story, I was disappointed because it was not something I would call horror and the ending wasn’t very surprising. I think there were a ton of missed opportunities here that would have made this a 5-star read.

I really enjoyed this. It wasn't quite what I expected, but enjoyable regardless. I found this to be a nice gothic story about grief in various forms, relationships and societal expectations. The two stories running side by side, Ellen's relationship with the character only named as "you" and the history of Catherine Carey of Elver House. There was a reveal near the end that was kind of easily predicted by the way the story was going but I don't think that really changed much about how I felt about it. It was a compelling and easily consumable read and I will be looking forward to more from the author.

Wow what a great book!

The writing really was fantastic, so atmospheric, usually I don’t like a slow burn but the pacing worked really well for me. The build up of quiet dread and tension throughout the time in the house was really well done. I was able to guess where the story was going, but this didn’t spoil my experience.

Thank you NetGalley and Salt Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.