Halfway House

by Helen Fitzgerald

They’re the housemates from Hell…

When her disastrous Australian love affair ends, Lou O’Dowd heads to Edinburgh for a fresh start, moving in with her cousin, and preparing for the only job she can find … working at a halfway house for very high-risk offenders.

Two killers, a celebrity paedophile and a paranoid coke dealer – all out on parole and all sharing their outwardly elegant Edinburgh townhouse with rookie night-worker Lou…

And instead of finding some meaning and purpose to her life, she finds herself trapped in a terrifying game of cat and mouse where she stands to lose everything – including her life.

Slick, darkly funny and nerve-janglingly tense, Halfway House is both a breathtaking thriller and an unapologetic reminder never to corner a desperate woman…

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Scotland, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

276 pages, Paperback

Published June 22, 2023

About the author

Helen FitzGerald is the second youngest of thirteen children. She grew up in the small town of Kilmore, Victoria, Australia, and studied English and History at the University of Melbourne. Via India and London, Helen came to Glasgow University where she completed a Diploma and Masters in Social Work. She works part time as a criminal justice social worker in Glasgow. She's married to screenwriter Sergio Casci, and they have two children.

Follow her on twitter @fitzhelen

Reviews

[Karly · Rating 1 out of 5]

My Rating: 1⭐️ synopsis was the most interesting part!!!

GoodReads Synopsis

Meet the roommates from hell. On her first shift at the halfway house for violent offenders in Edinburgh - the only job she could get - rebounding Australian expat Lou is taken hostage.

For nine hours, the only people who can help her are the residents. But who can Lou trust? The mum-and-dad-killer, the elderly legless rockstar paedophile, the stammering suicide chat room guy or the Armani-suited conman?

Well… I took a chance on this one. I was hoping for dark humour and a bit of thrills… I got neither.

Lou was the perfect rendition of an unlikeable character, she is selfish, up herself, a terrible friend and completely unaware of her own bad behaviour… and when it looks like shes going to become aware she compartmentalises it into a box in her head labelled… YOLO!!!

This would all be fine except there is no real reason for her to behave like this… shes shit to her parents and just blames them when in fact they are lovely. She is shit to her friends… when shes the one that dogs them…and shes a horn bag that gets herself into all kinds of trouble that she basically brings on herself.

There are no learn your lesson moments in this book and the author basically explains her behaviour away by telling us a million times that Lou is only 23… oh sorry I didn't realise that at 23 you could just do whatever you wanted to whoever you wanted and go f*ck the consequences.

We find out early on that Lou has a married man for a boyfriend who she is essentially sleeping with for the good life… but when that goes pear shaped and shes alienated everyone in her life who disagrees with her life choices shes decides to take the worlds worst job on the other side of the world on a whim.

Immediately she starts banging a strangers which is sure to go well… right??? Anyway… I am not going to ruin the whole story for you but you can see a theme here… Lou does not think before she acts but hang on… shes 23 so why should she… YOLO remember. Obviously there are people out there like Lou but honestly they are not nice people just as Lou is not and reading a story full of self centred behaviour grates on you after a while.

The story has the potential to be something pretty good… the synopsis could really go wild… and sure it does go a bit wild… but it goes weird wild!! Its not funny like it promises and its not thrilling at all… putting it into the thriller category is just plain wrong.

It labours on and on… we go through the motions with Lou and her one dimensional life until we finally get to some action and then it’s gang busters weird…. I dunno it just felt hard to get through. It was a fairly short book and it should have been a quick fun read but I just didn’t enjoy it.

The ending…ugh the ending was the worst bit and that is saying something… I really couldn’t stand how it all came to a close I just thought really … all that for … this!!!

I am not going to harp on and on… I think this had potential, I think the author can write fine I just wish it was interesting…

Overall, this wasn’t for me… I don’t have anyone I can think of to say go and give this a try… I just think for all my GR friends this will be bland and a meh event. I might give the authors more popular book a try as it does have good reviews… but we shall see.

Thank you to Affirm Press, NetGalley and the author for an ARC in exchange for my true and honest opinion.

[Damo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Halfway House is a dark comedy that uses the setting of an Edinburgh hostel with a difference as the location for a sharp, though slightly offbeat story. A young Australian woman decides she needs to put a failed relationship behind her and decides a job working the night shift in a halfway house for dangerous offenders out on bail is the perfect opportunity.

Lou O’Dowd is far from perfect, in fact she’s quite adept at making the perfectly wrong decision at the exact wrong time. But it’s her imperfections that drive the story and keep things entertaining. From early in the piece it’s made abundantly clear that Lou is not prone to taking the expected option and it’s precisely the reason why she’s travelled halfway around the world to work in a questionable job that will inevitably place her in danger.

Before she reaches the job, she makes contact with her actor cousin Becks and moves into her flat…along with just about every wannabe actor/entertainer looking for a place to doss. It’s a chaotic environment as her introduction to her new city and when combined with an alcohol-affected jetlag of epic proportions it’s a wonder she stops at only screwing the first eligible man she meets.

Working the night shift in a townhouse with residents who are convicted killers, paedophiles, thieves and drug dealers is always going to bring problems. Lou’s the kind of person who believes she can meet those problems head on, the fact she’s working in a specialist position with no training or experience provides us with a great hint of where things might lead. But she’s already shown she’s reckless and at the first dropping of her guard things spiral crazily out of control.

Halfway House is graced (or doomed) by an eclectic mix of unwholesome wrong-uns who should never have been released. This random mish-mash of human detritus are wonderfully conceived for their weirdness and, together, they create the distinct impression that they’re about to unleash.

For her part, Lou’s a very complicated character and not in a good way. You want to be on her side but she makes it very difficult. She’s selfish and judgemental, unapologetic in her attitudes and is terribly prone to lousy decision making.

This is a black comedy that may leave you feeling slightly uncomfortable and it winds up developing into a screwball comedy as bad situations become maddeningly worse. If you’re happy enough to enjoy high farce as events spiral out of control with seemingly no chance of redemption then this is going to hit the mark.

Personally, I enjoyed the madness and embraced the strangeness of the characters, the themes are dark but it all remained consistently entertaining.

My thanks to Affirm Press via NetGalley for a digital ARC which allowed me to read, enjoy and review this book.

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m quite the fan of Helen Fitzgerald , being one of those writers where you never quite know what to expect next from her books. From nerve shredding psychological thrillers to darkly funny dysfunctional families and all manner of madness in between, you just need to embrace the danger and enjoy the ride! I can wholeheartedly confirm that Halfway House is yet another rollercoaster of a novel which will amuse, repulse and delight you in equal measure…

I shudder to think how Fitzgerald initially decided on this plot, with her wide-eyed, slightly naive and self-obsessed protagonist uprooting herself from Australia to Edinburgh following a dodgy job interview and embarking on life in a strange city, and living in a completely chaotic house with pretty much standing room only. Oh. And then let’s put her as a night worker amongst offenders with little or no practical guidance, and see how the hell she gets on. It is, depending on your viewpoint, bananas/mental/completely bonkers/twisted genius [delete as appropriate]. The plot is insane, as you can probably surmise already, but once you embrace the utter weirdness of it, and the at times, deliciously inappropriate events, you find yourself just going with the flow.

The characterisation is absolutely brilliant throughout, from the infuriating Lou, led by her nether parts mostly, her brain sometimes, and pleasingly little moments of kick-assedness that really endear herself to the reader. She does have a lovely innocence at times, especially noticeable with her rose-tinted view of Edinburgh and how her life is going to pan out, but then she quickly reverts to this kind of dislikeable egoist again, keeping the reader on the back foot. Dossing down in her cousin Becks’ home for stray travellers, there are a parade of weird and wonderful individuals with an artistic bent, performing at the Edinburgh Festival. (If there is any justice in the world, someone will at some point produce Sylvia Plath- The Musical and I will be totally there for it.) Then there are the inhabitants of the halfway house itself, which sort of defy description as Fitzgerald does it so well. Suffice to say they are devious, arch manipulators, and creepy as hell, with one being the most treacherous of all. No spoilers here. Yes, they are weird and dangerous, but the way that the author extracts the humour from Lou’s interactions with them, is an absolute delight, even when events turn full on dark and murderous….

To misquote Kurtz from Heart Of Darkness: “The humour! The humour!” so much so that reading this on my commute caused one lady to edge away from our shared seat while I snorted unattractively with laughter. You just can’t beat a bit of inappropriate humour though can you? Something that Fitzgerald delivers in spades. The humour is the darkest shade of black, and if you are easily offended, I would gently suggest this is not the book for you, as the whole’ twisted killers and a pervert in a house share with more triggers than an NRA convention’, would probably blow your tiny mind.

Me? I loved it.

I lapped it up.

Although you are sometimes inwardly squirming at the smorgasbord of perversion, and feeling like a bit of a sick puppy for laughing, laugh you will. Proper belly laughs too.

I’m all for writing that unsettles, entertains and makes look at the world with a slightly skewed point of view, and this is what Fitzgerald achieves so well with Halfway House. With the blackest of humour, a cornucopia of weird and wonderful characters, the sometimes cartoonish nature of its violence, a superb setting, and a totally crazy plotline, this book is an absolute blast from start to finish. You will come out questioning the characters’ mentality, and quite possibly you’re own for embracing the madness quite so readily, but Fitzgerald almost makes it reassuringly normal as you get sucked in to it. I mean have you seen the real world recently?

A total must read.

[Neale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lou had been living it easy in Melbourne. An affair with a wealthy older man enabled Lou to live in a luxurious apartment with no financial problems whatsoever. However, with the affair over, two weeks of searching for a job with nothing but rejections from employers sees Lou literally dancing for joy when she lands the job of a night-care worker on the other side of the world in Scotland. The job involves looking after five infamous criminals on parole in a Halfway House. Although woefully underqualified, Lou is excited to move to Edinburgh, blissfully unaware of the danger this job will put her in.

All five of the criminals have done more than four years in prison and are considered very-high-risk-offenders. There is the paedophile who is incarcerated for his own protection from the hating public. The “flasher”. The drug dealer who is constantly fearing retribution from the brothers he owes money. Then there is Timothy, who Lou is sleeping with. He was convicted of murdering both his parents and is addicted to gambling. He assures Lou he is innocent.

With the prologue and the collection of criminal characters that inhabit the house, it’s no spoiler to say that the novel builds up to a cataclysmic climax.

It is hard to place this novel into a genre. More of a thriller than a crime novel.

What made this an enjoyable read for me was the main character. Lou is extremely egotistical, self-centered, she uses everybody, stepping on anybody to help her get her way.

Fitzgerald manages to infuse, what is quite a dark narrative, with many nuances of humour. However, I feel it is a dark type of humour that may polarize readers. You will probably love it or hate it.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't lie - Lou O'Dowd takes a little bit of warming to. She's a very ... different character. I don't think there is any particular malicious intent behind her behaviour, but some of her decisions are a little, well, suspect, and her actions ... misguided at best, or possibly downright stupid. I'm still undecided. She's certainly memorable, perhaps not in a Mary from Worst Case Scenario kind of way, but for moments of comedy gold and an ability to put her foot well and truly in it, she can hold her own.

Fresh off the plane from Melbourne, although even that journey takes an unforgettable turn, Lou moves in with her cousin, Becks, in a shared flat in Edinburgh and strike up a new career and an overnight support worker in a home for high-risk offenders. It's a bold and quite dramatic move for someone whose former resume highlights include waitress and 'kept woman' or, more accurately, mistress. It's the failure of that particular 'career' that sees her undertaking such a dramatic move, one built on a romantic notion of Edinburgh that has been formed largely from fictional sources. Needless to say that we learn very quickly that Lou is not the kind of person who is going to make a lasting career as a support worker, and a chance meeting with stranger, Timothy, at a matinee of her cousin's play really sets her off on a very poor footing. None of us know just how poor, at least not immediately, but it soon becomes all too clear and paves the way for a disaster of Helen Fitzgerald's understated (just kidding - I mean epic) proportions.

This is a darkly comedic book. Everything about Lou screams walking disaster and her view on life had me rolling my eyes one minute and chuckling to myself the next. I don't think anyone can quite pull together a story in the way that Helen Fitzgerald can, a perfect blend of sarcasm, astute observations, of both character and place, and old fashioned tension that sees a seemingly innocuous situation escalate to a huge drama. Although to say that anything about working at the halfway house of the books title could be called innocuous would be a gross understatement on my part. It is a home for sex-offenders and murderers. The most hated, and, bizarrely, loved, in society and the five men who are about to give Lou the biggest headache of her so far relatively short life. Not as much as the headache of resident,Doug, but that's another story - or a large part of this one - and you'll have to read to find out exactly what.

I loved the opening to the book. The author's ability to create comedic intrigue has not dimmed and whilst not creating the best impression of Lou, it did make me wonder just what the heck was yet to come. There is a lot of time spent in setting up Lou's story, of introducing us to the people who comes to inform her short but eventful few days in Edinburgh. But its all a key part of what happens, and the people who flit in and out of Lou's home, Beck's being the kind of person to 'adopt' life's (or at least Edinburgh Festival's) waifs and strays, all come to inform and drive the frustration that colours Lou's first shifts on the job.

I actually really enjoyed meeting all these characters, all perfectly fleshed out, nuanced, varied in personality and larger than life, in the way that the author always manages to make feel weirdly authentic. Even the ex-offenders are all unique, some perhaps informed by stereotype but, I am sure given Helen Fitzgerald's personal resume, probably very much in line with the kinds of offenders she has met and managed over her career. Their offences are varied and each, in their turn, manages to create a kind of threat and tension which is not purely driven by their former crimes. Lou's colleagues are a mixed bunch too with Polly being as antagonistic and troublesome to Lou as any of the halfway houses' residents. It all left me with a kind of wry smile though, and Lou's perspective and constant internal monologue had me chuckling throughout.

It's actually strange to sit back and realise that the wholes tory only actually takes us through Lou's first three nights on shift, although the final night, possibly her final night ever, is catastrophically entertaining, if not for Lou, then certainly for readers. You can tell a lot about a character by how they react in a crisis, and Lou definitely reacts. Not as unexpected as you might think, given that what happens is essentially what we have been building too from those very early pages, and the hints have been dropped in less that subtle terms by the author all throughout the book. Let's just say that Lou is a product of her upbringing and leave it at that.

The ending? Perfectly fitting. In a strange kind of way everything comes full circle. Fast, addictive, with brilliantly diverse characters and a rich vein of dark humour, I tore through this book in a single sitting. A long overdue book a master of satire. Fans of the author are going to love it. Most heartily recommended.

[Yvonne (the putrid Shelf) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this hilarious. But loved the characterisation

[Anneliese Steinhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

So halfway through the book it was one of the best books I had ever read. Then it got to the end of the book and it went down hill fast. I’m actually that disappointed and to me the ending was pretty messed up. I was expecting a happy ending like what the book seemed to be going towards. (Yes I know I should have expected it, but still)
However the book was still pretty good. I do still rate it 4/5 stars.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Affirm Press for sending us a copy to read and review.
A witty and intelligently written narrative that’s easily devoured in one sitting.
Aussie Lou is twenty three years old and her love life comes to an end.
Looking for a job, without much luck, she applies for a position in a halfway house in Edinburgh for high risk serious offenders, near her cousin Becks.
Taking the job, the only one she can find, off she goes to the other side of the world.
During her first week she is taken hostage for nine hours.
That’s when the danger begins…….
A book full of secrets, lies, chaos and lots of melodrama.
It’s funny at times, sad, happy, relatable and astute.
I don’t think Lou made any good decisions, wasn’t very likeable but that made her all the more interesting.
Helen uses her own background for much of the research, which makes the story authentic.
This is one of those books that you need to persevere because it does rev up and will reward you but you may be confused at the beginning, I was.
A terrific book with much to enjoy.

[Elise a.k.a. PAPERNERD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a mediocre read - had high hopes, but did not satisfy.

To say the least:
Too many words, going round and round...and not much excitement.

Could have skipped this read, honestly !

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5
Weird

[Bill Kupersmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first of Fitzgerald’s stories was The Devil’s Staircase and I’ve been huge fan ever since. Delightfully, once again our main character is an Ozzie expat committing mayhem without even trying. Twenty-three year old Lou, an army brat whose dad has taught her survival skills, loses her cushy existence as the mistress when not-very-demanding older lover’s wife insisted he end the relationship, and takes the only job in the UK she can qualify for online, to be the night attendant in a halfway house for ex-prisoners released on licence in Edinburgh. She arrives for the Festival, and whilst attending a performance of her cousin’s production, Plath: The Musical (plausibly yet totally-off-the-wallishly so beyond the fringe) Lou finds herself having al-fresco sex with an attractive young aristocrat named Tim who proves to be one of her charges, having as a teenager murdered his parents. She will also encounter a legless former rockstar called Lunch Box, who is trying to be cured of paedophilia. (He has finally been treated to be attracted to 17-year-olds, but finds them too old to offer a longer-termed relationship.) The entire story is in hilariously bad taste, with lots of R rated dialogue. Because the Kindle edition was delayed in America, I listened to the Audibile version. Nicolette Chin’s narration was absolutely delightful, giving us a rich variety of Aussie, posh, and demotic Scots voices. This book is a hoot!

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Halfway House by Helen Fitzgerald published with Orenda Books January 18th and is described as a ‘twisty, shocking and darkly funny thriller’. A few pages into Halfway House and I knew that I was embarking on an absolutely offbeat and entertaining novel. On turning the final page I immediately thought, movie. The BBC adaptation of The Cry by Helen Fitzgerald (2013) was described in 2019 by Luke Buckmaster for The Guardian as ‘a production that’s thrillingly impressive across the board – with a great script, great acting, classy cinematography (from Sam Chiplin) and a philosophically chewy premise.’ So definitely one to keep an eye on, as this novel might also follow in the same fashion!

Initially Lou O’Dowd is not a particularly likeable character. She is a self-obsessed, reckless and thoughtless twenty-something year old who, following a relationship breakup, decides on radical action. With an imaginative idea of what Scotland and, in particular, Edinburgh looks like, Lou packs her bags and embarks on a journey, leaving Australia and all her emotional baggage behind her. Her cousin is already there, so accommodation is not an issue, and she has completed a successful online interview for a job, so in Lou’s eyes the world is good.

Her new job does carry a certain element of risk but Lou is enticed by the freedom it allows her, giving her time off to explore Edinburgh and beyond. She fanaticises about short trips to Ireland and mainland Europe, all within easy reach from her new base, but Lou’s plans don’t exactly turn out as she had hoped.

Lou’s new job is on the night-shift at a halfway house for offenders. She is quite flippant about her role and sees it as something very manageable. The residents will be asleep, or at least back in their rooms, so all she has to do is be alert and monitor the situation, reporting any unusual behaviour or activities. As a rookie in the job, Lou makes mistakes, plenty of them, and within a very short time her inexperience lands her in the most bizarre situation.

Lou has the kind of personality that, while very wilful and outrageous, is also strangely appealing. Lou doesn’t care too much about decorum and standards to be upheld. She lives freely, very much dancing to her own tune. When put in a rather dramatic and dangerous situation, that most of us would cower at, Lou is unapologetically gutsy and literally takes no prisoners. Taking on such a tough job in the first place with insufficient experience was always a risk but Lou O’Dowd does it in her own unique way, with some disastrous, yet also weirdly humorous, outcomes.

Halfway House is an obscure, bonkers and riotous experience that is the norm when you pick up a Helen Fitzgerald novel. Expect the unexpected and the downright crazy and you are in for quite a ride. The perfect book to dive into for any reader looking to step outside of their comfort zone a little and into the dark mind of Helen Fitzgerald.

[Zelda FeatzReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get ready for a gripping, darkly humorous thriller that takes you on a wild ride through the shadowy corridors of a halfway house for high-risk offenders in Edinburgh. This tale is masterclass in suspense, combining elements of psychological tension, dark humour and a vivid atmospheric setting.
The book kicks off with Lou O’Dowd, a resilient woman seeking a fresh start after a failed love affair in Australia. Her decision to move in with her cousin in Edinburgh and take a job at a halfway house sets the stage for a series of chilling events. The author’s portrayal of the housemates, described as the “housemates from hell” adds a layer of complexity to the story. The eclectic mix of characters, including two killers, a celebrity paedophile and a paranoid coke dealer, creates an unpredictable and tense atmosphere. Lou’s journey unfold against the backdrop of an outwardly elegant Edinburgh townhouse, which serves as an ironic setting for the gritty realities within. The contrast of the sophisticated exterior and the dangerous inhabitants with adds a compelling layer to the story, heightening the sense of unease and unpredictability. All while you share Lou’s sense of awe at her beautiful surroundings.
The writing is slick and darkly funny, infusing the story with a unique blend of tension and humour. The author navigates the delicate balance between thriller and humour, creating a tale that keeps you on the edge of your seat while offering moments of sharp wit. The pacing is relentless, with each chapter unveiling new twists and turns that propel the story forward.
What sets this book apart is its unapologetic exploration of the challenges faces by the protagonist. Lou finds herself in a risky game of cat and mouse, trapped in a world where danger lurks around every corner. The novel digs into themes od desperation, survival and lengths to which individuals with go when pushed to their limits, Lou’s character is resilient and string, making her a compelling protagonist. However, I found it hard to feel sorry for her, she made decisions that were guaranteed to result in a bad ending.
This book delivers on multiple fronts – suspense, dark humour and an atmospheric setting. The author’s detailed descriptions of Edinburgh leave you picturing the setting and longing to visit. The author crafted a tale that is both nerve-rackingly tense and darkly funny. If you appreciate a thriller that defies genre conventions, offering a fresh and exhilarating take on the psychological suspense genre, then this is the book for you.
https://featzreviews.com/halfway-hous...

[Priya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a little too wierd for my liking! I read a lot of thrillers and can appreciate dark humour and unlikeable characters but this one took it a little too far!
Lou, the main character, is unrepentant and selfish, as she moves from one clandestine love affair to taking up a job in Edinburgh, far away from her loving parents in Australia. The job is of a night shift worker in a halfway house that provides shelter to offenders who have committed serious enough offences to spend time in jail. The characters in this place are described in a way that's meant to be funny but given their criminality, the humour is a bit gross.
There is no one I really cared about in this story and Lou is just insufferable with her snarky opinions on everyone and all her wrong decisions. If this was meant to read like a coming of age story, it definitely didn't.
The concept sounds unique which is why I read it. It needed to be handled a little better.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Halfway House is the first book by Helen Fitzgerald that I have read to date, and I think it was a good choice. The premise certainly appealed to me, and the dark humour satisfied my dark side.

With the possible exception of the protagonist's mother, there aren't many likeable characters. Our protagonist, Lou, is 23 years old and unbelievably selfish. She treats her family and friends abominably, casting them aside when they are no longer of use to her. She makes endless bad decisions, and then wonders how it all went so wrong. I really wanted to shake some sense into her, as she bumbled along from one disaster to another. I just knew things weren't going to end well for her.
I genuinely liked Tim, even when I realised all was not as it seemed with him, and he wasn't as innocent as he purported.
The fact that I wanted to shake (and slap) Lou, and mother Tim, shows how engaging this book was. The tension towards the end had me on the edge of my seat.

Despite the despicable characters, I enjoyed this book immensely.
Thanks to Orenda Books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what a crazy ride!
Lou is certainly rebeling against something. As she jumps from one improper relationship to another she seems to not care about who is hurt. Ultimately it seems she is sabotaging herself along the way. As she repeatedly pulls towards and pushes away those closest to her, she seems so lost.
As for going halfway across the world to take up that job!!! WTF... Who would do that? How is that even a job for someone like Lou with no experience? So many questions.
I read this in two sittings and it kept me riveted

[Helen Young · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this too hard to read, from the unlikeable protagonist to the abundance of unneeded characters, I found it confusing and unappealing. I’m disappointed because the premise is great, but maybe it’s just me, perhaps another time I’ll find it more palatable.

[Jacki van de Schoor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley, Orenda Books and Helen Fitzgerald for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the premise for this story, but for me it fell a bit short.
I liked it, but I felt it was lacking at the same time.

The main character Lou wasn't very likable. Tim was charismatic and interesting though.
I felt like it needed to be fleshed out a little more, it was a bit rushed, especially nearer the end.
I found the time line changes a bit unnecessary too, especially as they stopped abruptly and we didn't find out anything more about the aftermath including the interview she was doing at the start of the book.

Overall it was still a good read, but I don't think it was very memorable.

3 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Vicky Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recieved an advanced reader digital copy of this book im exchange for an honest review. Lou has moved from Australia to Edinburgh and found herself a job working in a Halfway House for dangerous offenders out on parole. What started out as an escape from an affair back home quickly becomes a cat and mouse game, with Lou desperately trying to find who she can trust before it is too late. I really enjoyed this book and the twist and turns really shocked me. I did wish I knew a little more after the ending but I guess good stories always leave us wanting more. My one irritation was a characters name kept switching from Stacey/stace to Tracey/trace but this could just be with it being an ARC copy. Overall thoroughly enjoyed this one had a great pace too and would definitely recommend to others.

[Nikki Almond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I must’ve read a completely different book to the last person who left a review… This is a great read - entertaining, fast-paced, unique and quietly funny. Sure, the main character is far from perfect, but who wants that? Her imperfections and misguided decisions keep the storyline moving and I genuinely liked her and identified with her by the end - maybe I’m just a terrible person too..? Either way, highly recommended 😊
Thanks to the author and to Netgalley for the ARC copy.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

What did I just read.
Dark and darkly funny.
Helen Fitzgerald just doesn’t disappoint.
Characters you love to hate. Plus root for at times.
Don’t go in expecting a thriller like you’ve read before. Go in expecting nothing coz it’s a head twister. Excellent

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Lou O'Dowd's relationship with a married man ends badly, she is desperate for a new start. Her sketchy employment history makes it difficult to find an appealing job where she lives in Melbourne, Australia, so she hits on the idea of joining her cousin in Edinburgh for a Scottish adventure - and blags her way into a job covering the night shift in a halfway house for serious offenders on parole, which she is sure will give her the purpose she is searching for.

However, Lou is completely unprepared for the reality that shatters her illusions on the very first night of her new job - for within the walls of the impressive Edinburgh townhouse that serves as the halfway house lurk two murderers, a celebrity paedophile, a sex pest, and a neurotic drug-dealer, who are much more of a handful than she anticipated. The fresh start among the 'castles' of Scotland that Lou was looking for soon descends into chaos, and unexpected dangers threaten not just her own life, but the lives of her loved ones too...

I was first introduced to the work of Helen Fitzgerald in a thrilling baptism of fire through her book Worst Case Scenario about a Scottish social worker on the edge, so I knew I was in for quite a ride with Halfway House - and I was not disappointed!

This brand new, darkly comic thriller delves into a bevy of similar themes - which is not surprising given Fitzgerald's background in social work - this time through the experiences of Aussie ex-pat Lou, whose eyes are well and truly opened about the reality of working with serious offenders who are out on licence in the community. The story begins with a delicious prologue in which Lou is branded as #TheImpaler which makes it clear from the outset that events are going to get pretty hairy for her, and then rewinds to two months earlier to unfurl in all its unnerving glory.

Lou is a tricky protagonist to like, and her ability to make good choices is hampered by her selfishness, her tendency towards being a fantasist, and a decidedly off-kilter moral compass. However, I did find myself warming to her as Fitzgerald reveals how and why Lou finds making meaningful connections difficult, and there are lovely little glimmers of the Lou inside that occasionally shine through the utter mess she gets into, revealing the kind of person she could be given different circumstances. Eventually, I was totally on her side through every breathtaking move and counter move for survival she became embroiled in within the walls of that horrifying halfway house, which I thought was beautifully managed by Fitzgerald.

For a book of under 300 pages, this little gem is packed with insight, observations, and subtle commentary about so many themes, particularly the more unsettling aspects of the world of social work. You find yourself pondering on a knotty mass of issues about reintegration of serious offenders back into society, especially addicts and those convicted of sexual and manipulative crimes; and I cannot help but feel some of the more bizarre approaches to modifying behaviour to within more acceptable bounds that Fitzgerald pokes fun at are uncomfortably based on truth. She also takes some intriguing sideswipes at the kinds of people attracted to working in this environment, and what their motivations might be. And I am really impressed at how she incorporates the media frenzy around high-profile crimes, and the way they are reported in this story - and the unintended consequences of the information you share on social media. There are some lovely bits about family too - including the curious, often transient, bonds of found family.

It seems odd to describe this one as a 'caper', given the subject matter, but this book is packed to the rafters with disconcerting situations steeped in pitch black humour in Fitzgerald's characteristic vein. Once you start reading, you cannot stop until all the surreal twists and turns work themselves out in a frantic, headlong journey towards the incongruous conclusion... which definitely makes this a 'caper' in my book. Highly recommended if you enjoy an offbeat style that makes you laugh at the darker side of life. I absorbed it in one tasty bite!

[Karen Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody does pitch-black comedy thrillers quite like Helen Fitzgerald. Perhaps the most striking feature of her books is that she never plays safe with her lead characters. Sure enough, Lou O'Dowd might not be the sort of person you'd choose to be your best friend and I expect some of her life choices will have her labelled as unlikeable; however, for all her flaws, I absolutely loved her.
In Worst Case Scenario, Helen Fitzgerald used her own experience as a criminal justice social worker to write a brilliantly memorable novel about a middle-aged probation officer. She returns to a similar world in Halfway House but while Mary had seen it all, Lou is only 23, and manages to secure a job as a night-worker in a halfway house for high risk offenders in Edinburgh, thanks partly to a reference from her former sugar daddy's wife recommending her for 'demeaning care tasks in a dangerous setting.' The prologue has already revealed an intriguing young woman who is the focus of a Sixty Minutes documentary and the target of numerous opinions and hashtags. The main storyline then skips back to explain what brought her to this point.
Two months earlier she left Melbourne and the penthouse and allowance from her married ex-lover, Alan to start afresh. It's a rapid change in fortune then from her hungover arrival in the city, which finds her unable to stomach her first taste of chips with curry sauce and a can of Irn Bru, to her worldwide notoriety. Despite her many faults – she's selfish, unreliable and a liar – there is something rather vulnerable about Lou. She is utterly chaotic yet driven to almost compulsively clean up after others and the self-deprecating first-person narrative reveals a young woman whose nomadic childhood as an army brat saw her discard friends more quickly than she made them. She is determined to start again in Edinburgh and reconnects with her kind-hearted but somewhat sanctimonious cousin, Becks.
The halfway house of the title is home of sorts to an unsettling group of hardened criminals but the flat she shares with Becks is also a place which becomes filled with transient individuals as her cousin offers a bed to several of her fellow festival performers. Despite her best intentions, she understandably struggles living among strangers so far from home but she doesn't lose her eye for an opportunity and soon meets the recklessly charming Tim who shares her penchant for wild nights and daring outdoor sex. It's clear that Lou flirts with risk but it's also horribly obvious that she is out of her depth in the five-bed men's unit. She soon discovers it is not a well-run establishment and is barely shown the ropes before her first shock. As she learns more about the men who currently reside in the unit, she makes several bad judgement calls which eventually result in a night that spirals dramatically out of control.
Halfway House is a really funny book but it is also extremely dark; the men in the house are genuinely awful people. Helen Fitzgerald ably treads a difficult line perfectly here; she manages to describe these rather pathetic individuals with some empathy without ever minimising their horrific crimes or the impact of them, while also casting a sharp look at the way the public and media consume and glamourise violent crime.
It's not surprising that Lou should end up in desperate trouble and the compellingly exciting conclusion is a fitting ending to this winning combination of nail-biting tension, irreverent black humour and real heart. Halfway House is Helen Fitzgerald at her most irresistible, I read it in a day and highly recommend it.

[Veronika Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not at all what I was expecting. And Lou O’Dowd is not the heroine I was expecting either. To someone of my generation (I could almost be her grandmother), her behaviour, her language, her life choices, were shocking to my gentler sensibilities (I jest). I am used to reading gory crime thrillers, but the sex scenes (I’ll replace this word Amazon) are still a mystery to me.

We first meet 23-year-old Lou living in a posh apartment, paid for by her sugar daddy. She gets a generous allowance as well, and all she has to do is see him twice a week for a few hours and have sex (that word again), while he shouts ‘Don’t move, don’t move,’ at her. What’s that all about?

After breaking up from him, she looks for a job, but isn’t having much luck. ‘Kept woman’ isn’t that good as work experience on her CV, neither is ‘pretending to be dead for a closet necrophiliac’. But then this job comes up across the world in Edinburgh, where her cousin Becks lives, and she can start straight away and live with her cousin (and all the out-of-work actors and performers who come and go). I think Becks is madder than she is, but at least her heart is in the right place.

The job involves being the night carer at a halfway house for offenders out on licence, but we are not talking about possession of a class A, mugging or burglary, these men are the real deal – two murderers, an ex-rockstar paedophile, a flasher/frotter (Google it)/ sex offender, and a paranoid drug dealer. After the first night learning on the job, she will be alone with them. What?! I don’t see much risk assessment going on here. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.

So off she goes to Scotland, even partying on the plane (not sleeping like sensible people) and arrives in Edinburgh totally exhausted. She has promised to go and see Becks’ new play Plath: The Musical and even though she sleeps through it (I said she would be exhausted), she meets the handsome Tim.

She starts her job and it’s exactly what one would imagine – risky, boring and downright dangerous. First rule of the house – never talk about the inmates to ANYONE. Second rule of the house – never fall asleep on the job. Or feed them after midnight (if we are into film references). Even with drugged hot chocolate.

Halfway House is darkly funny (very dark), shocking, hilarious at times, sad at others. I’m not sure I felt sorry for Lou at any point, her disasters are almost all of her own making, but I did warm to Becks, in spite of her chaotic lifestyle. Did I warm to Tim? You’ll have to make up your own mind.

The ending descends into total madness, but it was the most entertaining part of the book.

Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The enticing prologue of Halfway House features a snippet from an interview on Sixty Minutes with Lou, otherwise know as 'Hashtag ; The Impaler', among others.

We are then taken back two months earlier as we meet Lou during an online interview. She's applied for a job in Edinburgh as a carer in a house for serious offenders, a long way away from her home in Australia. Lou's life is in turmoil. She's been a kept women, in a fancy apartment, with a monthly allowance from her sugar daddy Alan, but that all went wrong, and she's now using a reference from Alan's wife to try to secure a job that will take her far away.

Lou gets the job, and after an eventful flight from Australia, she arrives in Scotland. She's going to share a flat with her cousin Becks - a girl who annoys her really, but she tries to keep sweet. Becks is currently acting in a production of Plath - The Musical and Lou sits next to a handsome man in the audience. It's not too long before they discover they both like the same things in life; mainly risky outdoor sex and drugs.

When Lou begins work, it's really not what she expected. There's little management, lots of danger and a totally unexpected surprise in one of the bedrooms. How on earth will she manage this?

Lou manages in her own unique Lou way. She's not a particularly likeable person, I don't even think she likes herself. She's selfish, totally self absorbed, a little obsessed with cleaning, and will use anyone to get what she wants. Despite this, she's a brilliantly created character and the reader can't help but have her back, even when she makes decisions that make you want to scream out loud.

Helen Fitzgerald has worked in social work, in Scotland, for many years and her own experience shines through in her characters and settings. She's able to create men who have done the most heinous of crimes, who the reader can relate to. She doesn't underestimate them, she doesn't make light of what they've done, but we see more of them than just their convictions.

It's a startling story, full of surprises, clever twists and wild black humour. One moment you will laugh, the next you will hold your breath in anticipation. It's a story packed with despicable people who do awful things, but it is brilliantly executed, with style and insight.

Helen Fitzgerald is an outstanding author and I think Halfway House is her best novel to date. Highly recommended.

[KathVBtn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, apologies to @orendabooks @randomthingstours for not being able to tell what day of the week it was, this should have been posted yesterday. I blame the post-Christmas cheese fog!

But wow, what a book to kick me into the New Year with a start. Helen Fitzgerald is a new author to me but not to the hordes of fans out there - and I'm joining them after reading #HalfwayHouse which publishes later this month.

Lou O'Dowd is bored of her life in Australia and after breaking up with her married older lover, applies for a job in Edinburgh in a bid to shake things up. She's turned down for quite a few jobs but when she spots a post for a support worker in a hostel for highly dangerous criminals who have been released from prison, she goes for it and is accepted.
Lou flies across the world to start her new life, living in a chaotic house share with her over-generous cousin, who can't help but invite other people to move in with them if they are struggling where they are.

Lou settles in to begin her new life; and on her first night out, meets the handsome charismatic stranger Tim. Sparks fly and the two start a passionate relationship. She even meets his family, who give her the seal of approval.

Lou starts her job at the hostel, meeting a unique cast of unsavoury characters, five awful criminals, all of whom have had Netflix series or podcasts made about them.

They are all skilled at using people to get their own way, will Lou be smart enough to keep out of danger or will she get sucked into their murky world?

I was hooked from the start of the story and I'm not sure I remembered to breathe until the end. Helen Fitzgerald has created such a cast of unlikeable self-obsessed people, who are all fascinating to read about and hope you never meet in real life. Even Lou is just in search of what makes her feel good, happy to break friendships or leave her family rather than telling the truth about things.

This is such a perfect book for Orenda books to publish, it fits the quirky story-telling brief that they meet so well, oddball characters making rash decisions that invariably come back to bite them!

[Lynsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Halfway House’ is a dark and humourous book that really does send shivers down your spine! I will read anything that Helen Fitzgerald reads and was excited to see that she was setting a book in Scotland this time round. Not a biased Scot at all! I picked this up one night when I couldn't sleep and the next thing I was aware of was finishing the book and it being 4.30 in the morning! It kept me hooked from the start to the finish, it was a real page-turner.

Lou O’Dowd is fed up of life in Australia and decides to head to Edinburgh to stay with her cousin who is performing at the Fringe. She manages to land a job as a night worker at a halfway house for released prisoners. These aren't your normal burglars and petty thieves, these are men who have committed the worse crimes possible. And it's her responsibility to look after them on the night shift. They aren't allowed visitors, no drugs, no phones and no internet for some of them. What could go wrong?

Helen has created a banging character in Lou as omg I freaking hated this girl. From living off a sugar daddy back in Australia, having no real connections, being irresponsible, carrying on as if she wasn't in a serious situation… I just hated her from start to finish.! I just kept shouting at her in my mind ‘what are you doing?!’ You can tell that Helen had great fun writing this character as she is quite a character. The offenders are also perfectly drawn as they really do make your skin crawl and we have a great variety - paedophiles, double murderers, someone who has encouraged people to die and a chronic flasher! All horrible and brilliantly portrayed. Then there is the staff - wish we had more glimpses of these as I think there was potential to make them even worse.

Lou manages to stumble from one disaster to another and there is no question that this is going to end up horribly. Will she learn from the experience is the main question and I'm torn on that one. I honestly flew through this one and had to know the ending as it was like a train hurtling to a clifftop edge!

Let me know if you pick this one up!

[Marles Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a book that doesn’t meet back cover descriptors. And I must say I liked that it didn’t because it kept me on my toes, where I could not anticipate where the story was taking anyone, especially the protagonist, Lou. Lou seemed to fall into one drama from another without a breath, where each drama seems to snowball into the next at breakneck speed. She is young, a little lost but also knows what she needs to do to survive. And when she moved from Australian to Edinburgh to take up a support worker role with some pretty interesting residents, her character is pushed to newly defined limits. It seemed like Lou was very adaptable; each new situation was scary or horrific, yet she seemed to muddle her way through – was this realistic? Not sure? Was it plausible? Maybe. Was it entertaining. Oh yes! Did I want to slap sense into her? On. Every. Page.

The whole idea of a halfway house was applicable to Lou as it was the residents. It was the space that she ran to test her own ability to live her own life. Could she make it outside of her comforts of finds and family to live on her own? Was she ready to ‘adult’? Was she ready to trust her own senses and thoughts?
Lous seemed to have no limits to her character. You can tell that Helen must have been smiling and smirking as she created Lou because she had no boundaries, and there was nothing to morally centre her character. The staff at the house were equally culpable for their actions, and often inaction. A reflection of burnout in the mental health field. The live-in offenders made my skin crawl; lecherous, creepy, unstable, untrusting liars, murderers and the like – remorse factor zero. It was ground zero for the perfect storm that implodes and takes out everyone at the same time. Lou’s entry into this workspace that was like single match to the overflowing lighter fluid.
I read Ash Mountain in 2021, and was back for Halfway House – it was unlike this book. All the more reason to read this and check out Helen Fitzgerald’s work!

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

A darkly humorous novel set in EDINBURGH

3.5*



The publicity blurb describes Halfway House as a thriller. It isn’t… The characters are just too outrageous and unbelievable to make it so. Plus there are no real or unexpected thrills. It is, though, a good and darkly humorous read. Lou, twenty one years old, travels to Edinburgh from Melbourne following the end of an affair with a married man. She is in desperate need of work and an income, and the only job she can find is as ‘night manager’ at a hallway house for high risk offenders being assimilated back into the community. The inmates (or ‘residents’ as the system likes to call them) are a scary bunch. Amongst others Lou has two killers, a celebrity paedophile, and a paranoid coke dealer to cope with. One of the killers is also a seriously addicted gambler who builds up large debts. What could possibly go wrong? The answer is almost everything… Lou has an unseemly affair with the killer/gambler – who she believes is innocent of killing his parents until she discovers he is not. One of the sex offenders is upskirting passing women on a night out and masturbating as he watches them through a basement window. The coke dealer starts using his stock (in large quantities and with disastrous outcomes) rather than selling it…

Although the story is very darkly funny, it is also pretty disturbing. And, as I said, it is not a thriller. Even in this day and age, I find it hard to believe that such a disparate bunch of unreformed criminals who had served their time would be allowed to come and go freely from accommodation such as the halfway house. Yes, everyone should be offered a second chance, but not at the expense of the wider community. Any reforming educational programmes they had experienced the inside had clearly not worked.

Halfway House is an entertaining read that I bowled though quite nicely. But i doubt it is one I shall come back to very often in my thoughts.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lou O'Dowd, 23, is looking to escape her life in Melbourne, Australia after a car crash of a relationship ended, and where better to become a new person than on the other side of the world? She sails through a Zoom-chat interview and is offered the role - as a night-shift support worker in a halfway house dealing with serious criminals.
Her cousin, Becks, is already in the city (starring in a Fringe production of Plath! The Musical) and the introduction to Scotland's capital in August is priceless, neatly skewering so many cliches firmly with a knowing smile.
This is a slow burn of a novel for quite a while, giving us plenty about Lou and her family early on - her army dad moving the family from base to base; Lou forever saying goodbye to friends and having to make new ones. The picture painted is of someone who is the life and soul of the party on the surface, but barely holding on underneath, and choosing physical intensity over emotional intimacy. We can all relate to that to some degree, and definitely have sympathy, but Lou is also so frequently unlikeable with it to frustrate our good intentions (though very much leavened with some wonderful humour, often of the ultra-black kind).
On her first night in the new job there's a lot to learn about the routine and the residents - and now the tension really starts to build, slowly and quietly, until the moment where one of the residents has what we might call A Bad Night and suddenly Lou needs to recall all the advice her dad ever gave her about what to do in an emergency. And it's at this point we get The Full Fitzgerald Experience as Lou fights for her life and all that tension is released in a burst of imagination, pain and chaos.
Take a gamble on Halfway House - Helen Fitzgerald is a safe bet for those in search of an entertaining, character-driven and nuanced read.