Member Review
Review by
Janine R, Reviewer
Title & Author: Buyer Beware by Catherine Ryan Howard
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Mystery / Domestic Thriller
Release Date: 16 July
Publisher: Random House UK | Bantam
“Would you buy a house with a dark history?”
“If these walls could talk, they’d scream.”
That basically sums up my entire reading experience with this book.
Set around the infamous 1 Delaney Row in Ireland, this leans more mystery than full throttle thriller, but the tension quietly builds with every timeline, reveal & suspicious character. Between Ellie in the present day, Erin, Hannah & the unbearable Jason, I was constantly trying to figure out who could actually be trusted & how all the narratives tied back to the house itself.
The short chapters made this easily bingeable & I loved details like the neighbours’ WhatsApp group, which added a touch of realism. The pacing does slow slightly at times because of the multiple POVs, timelines & locations, but it also adds to the creeping unease & layered mystery surrounding the house.
What really kept me hooked was the atmosphere the author created & the way the secrets unravelled piece by piece, all circling around the question: what price would you pay for a happily ever after?
While the ending felt a little more rushed than I wanted, I still flew through this & had such a good time with it. I’d recommend it to readers who love domestic mysteries, morally messy characters & slow burn suspense that keeps you guessing.
The article referenced at the start about stigmatised properties also sent me down a Google rabbit hole afterwards, which made the story even creepier.
Content warnings: emotional abuse/manipulation, violence & trauma themes.
Thank you to the author and Random House UK | Bantam for the ARC.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Mystery / Domestic Thriller
Release Date: 16 July
Publisher: Random House UK | Bantam
“Would you buy a house with a dark history?”
“If these walls could talk, they’d scream.”
That basically sums up my entire reading experience with this book.
Set around the infamous 1 Delaney Row in Ireland, this leans more mystery than full throttle thriller, but the tension quietly builds with every timeline, reveal & suspicious character. Between Ellie in the present day, Erin, Hannah & the unbearable Jason, I was constantly trying to figure out who could actually be trusted & how all the narratives tied back to the house itself.
The short chapters made this easily bingeable & I loved details like the neighbours’ WhatsApp group, which added a touch of realism. The pacing does slow slightly at times because of the multiple POVs, timelines & locations, but it also adds to the creeping unease & layered mystery surrounding the house.
What really kept me hooked was the atmosphere the author created & the way the secrets unravelled piece by piece, all circling around the question: what price would you pay for a happily ever after?
While the ending felt a little more rushed than I wanted, I still flew through this & had such a good time with it. I’d recommend it to readers who love domestic mysteries, morally messy characters & slow burn suspense that keeps you guessing.
The article referenced at the start about stigmatised properties also sent me down a Google rabbit hole afterwards, which made the story even creepier.
Content warnings: emotional abuse/manipulation, violence & trauma themes.
Thank you to the author and Random House UK | Bantam for the ARC.
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