The Dream House
The perfect home. The perfect nightmare?
For years, exhausted nurse Seren Carter and her partner Matt dreamed of a fresh start, a sanctuary away from the grind. Netherham House is everything they imagined and more: grand rooms, sprawling grounds, and the promise of a life finally free from worry. It's a reward, a dream come true.
But dreams can quickly curdle into dread. From the moment they move in, an unsettling chill settles over their new haven. Intimidating events begin to unfold, each one designed to fray their nerves, while the estate’s reclusive tenant - a man with a disturbing past - refuses to leave.
Someone knows the house's dark history. Someone is orchestrating a terrifying campaign, threatening to unravel Seren's sanity and drive her out. But they have severely underestimated her. Seren Carter isn't just fighting for a house; she's fighting for her mind, and she will stop at nothing to survive.
- Seren - Matt’s girlfriend, oncology nurse, 32
- Matt - Seren’s boyfriend
- Ozzy - Seren and Matt’s cat
- Iona - Seren's friend, Hamish’s wife
- Hamish - Iona’s husband
- Ruby (Natasha) - Seren’s friend, nurse
- Jenny - Works for MCN
- Jo - Seren’s sister
- Charlie - Seren’s patient
- Henry - Seren’s tenant, 70
- Mrs. Talbot (Mary) - Seren and Matt’s neighbor, Henry’s sister
- Eliza - Previous owner of Tower House, 90
- James - Previous owner of Tower House, 93
- Andrew - Previous gamekeeper of Tower House
- Malcolm - Seren and Matt’s neighbor
- One of Seren’s favorite patients, Charlie, gives her flowers.
- Seren wins a brand new home and £200,000 from a company called MCN.
- Seren agrees to split it with Matt 50/50 because she used his credit card to enter the contest.
- Matt and Seren get engaged.
- Seren takes a sabbatical from work.
- Seren and Matt move into the new home and learn that the cottage on the property is being rented out to Henry.
- Henry was a gardener and gamekeeper for a previous resident.
- Matt keeps dropping hints that such a large house will take a lot of upkeep and that they should sell it and buy something smaller.
- Matt serves Henry a notice of eviction.
- Someone dumps animal guts on Seren and Matt’s doorstep.
- Seren and Matt learn that previous owners Eliza and James were poisoned in the house.
- Police found search history on Eliza’s computer about how to make poison, so they determined it was a murder-suicide.
- Henry is Eliza’s son. When Henry was six, James found out he was not Henry’s biological father, and from that day forward James was very cold towards Henry.
- It was Mary who inherited the estate and allowed Henry to stay in the cottage after James and Eliza died.
- Someone shaves a strip of hair off Ozzy’s back.
- Seren gets security footage from Malcolm that shows a teenager depositing the animal guts on their doorstep.
- Seren tracks down the teenager, who tells her Matt paid him to do it, making her realize that Matt was trying to get her to sell the house so he could pocket his half of the cash from its sale.
- Feeling betrayed, Seren confides in Henry, who admits he suspected Matt was the one who shaved Ozzy.
- Henry tells Seren that when James was on his deathbed, Eliza told Henry that she was going to get James to write Henry into his will to inherit half of the estate along with Mary. Mary overheard the conversation, and Henry saw her in the house the next day leading him to believe that Mary poisoned their parents.
- Henry reveals that Mrs. Talbot is Mary.
- Seren and Matt have a housewarming party.
- Matt sneaks off during the party and Seren finds him doing coke and making out with Natasha.
- Seren breaks up with Matt, so he chokes her. She fights back and shoves him, causing him to fall off the roof.
- Seren moves into the cottage while renting out half of the main house and letting Henry live in the other half.
- Mary moves away.
- Seren discovers that Charlie is the founder of MCN and that he suffered a cancer relapse, so she visits him before he passes away.
- Seren ends her friendship with Ruby, whose real name is Natasha.
- Seren starts dating Malcolm.
The story centers around an isolated home in the countryside, providing a perfectly remote backdrop for the events that follow. The core of the narrative unfolds mostly through Seren’s perspective, with a handful of chapters from Henry stepping in to provide crucial context. Seren makes for a fantastic main character. She is a genuinely good person, which makes her very easy to root for as she settles into her new home. Henry's role as the tenant living in the cottage on the property adds an engaging dynamic between them as the plot develops.
This book has short chapters and a steady, medium pace, which kept things moving smoothly without feeling rushed. Even though the direction of the story was predictable, it was still a highly entertaining and easy read. The character development is strong across the board. While Seren and Henry are the only narrators, the rest of the main cast is given just as much depth by the time the author delivers a satisfying ending that brings the story to a solid close.
If you like isolated atmospheric settings, character-driven suspense, and dual perspectives, then you will enjoy this book.
- Eliza - Dead - Poisoned by Mary
- James - Dead - Poisoned by Mary
- Matt - Dead - Shoved off a roof by Seren
- Charlie - Dead - Cancer
- Seren - Alive - Dating Malcolm
- Henry - Alive - Living in the house and maintaining his friendship with Seren
- Child abuse
- Murder
- Suicide
- Drug use
- Cancer
ISBN: 9781662542312
Publication Date: October 16, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
