(Review shared with dp Digital Publishing)
The Attic Room by Linda Huber is a psychological thriller that expertly builds tension as the book progresses. Nina and her daughter, Naomi, are on the island of Arran, running the B&B set up by Nina’s late mother. They are still reeling from the loss of Nina’s mother, Claire, when Nina receives an unexpected phone call telling her that her father, who is in a hospice, has asked for her to be contacted. Nina isn’t aware that her father is still alive, believing he died when she was very young. Following his subsequent death, John Moore leaves his house to Nina. She returns to Bedford, to her early childhood home, to attempt to settle the estate with the solicitor and is soon drawn into a world of unsaid secrets and crimes.
I give this book a rating of 5 stars. I was invested in this book from the beginning. The author draws the reader straight into the action, where Nina is a very likeable and believable character. There was great character setting and development, especially of the protagonist. The story is told from the perspectives of Nina and her mum, Claire, throughout the book. This gives added elements to the writing and helps to build the tension. There were moments when reading this book that I gasped out loud, which is always a good sign that I am fully immersed in the story.
I really liked the style of the writing, where sentences had been beautifully crafted using interesting vocabulary, adding to the enjoyment of reading it.
Some of my favourite quotes from the book were:
“ Nina knew no one grieved in a straight line."
“…to the shoppers up on Princes Street, a colourful mass of well-wrapped-up bargain hunters doing the January sales.”
“a desolate-by product of Claire’s lie”.
In summary, if you enjoy reading a fast-paced, tense psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns, then you will love this book. I will definitely recommend this book to friends and family.