Solace House

By Will Maclean

Book Overview

You are about to enter a place of strange genius, possible madness, and timeless love . . .

"The Secret History meets The Haunting of Hill House . . . rich, thoughtful, terrifying."--Nicholas Binge, author of Dissolution

An addictive and brilliant puzzle box of a novel following a group of university students who discover an astonishing secret while clearing out a neglected Victorian mansion

For Alex Lane's wealthy university friends, the summer break stretches out before them, full of promise and fabulous plans. But for Alex, broke as usual, going home is not an option. So when the university offers him an unusual summer job clearing out a dilapidated Victorian mansion, Solace House, he jumps at the chance.

Alex joins an unlikely crew of students, from stoner Clive to uptight, short-tempered Helen, and the extremely peculiar Adam. Alex is particularly drawn to mercurial, red-headed Ella, and as the students begin sorting through piles of old newspapers and magazines, dusty antiques, and esoteric junk, Alex and Ella become enthralled by the elaborate and eerie journals of the house's former owner, Edwin Flayne. In these diaries, Flayne details his obsession with his missing mother and his belief in a mysterious realm lying parallel to ours, along with coded instructions on how it might be reached.

As the students gradually uncover the house's secrets, the rift between those who want to delve further and those who believe they've already gone too far grows ever wider.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080216868X
• ISBN13: 9780802168689
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.0" x 6.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

The Weirdest Hoarder House

This novel starts off with us meeting Alex, just finishing up his first year at college. With no where to go he stays on campus long after everyone leaves, knowing that SOMETHING will work itself out for him. And it does. He lands a cushy gig working for the university itself, clearing out an old hospital with a group of other students that is planned to be used for future student housing. Later, the crew is tasked with clearing out the mansion that belonged to the owner of the grounds. A monumental task it will be, as this man was a long time hoarder. Discovering odd pictures and journals amidst the junk, the book delves into a bit of cosmic horror. I wanted to be right there with them clearing this old estate and exploring the beautiful grounds it occupies! An amazing novel peppered throughout with poetry (exceedingly clever poetry, I might add). I only gave it 4 out of 5 stars because the final part took me out of the immersion a bit, though it did toss me right back in. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the eARC.

Mind melting.

Go into it blindly, but know that the slow start is worth it. (200 pages in I was ready to DNF. So glad I kept reading!) Don’t be tempted to skim as even small interactions might matter. Loved piecing this together. So satisfying in the end. Highly recommend for an eerie autumn read.