By: Kate Helm
ASIN: B0B6256STR
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Narrators: Jonathan Andrew Hume and Imogen Wilde
Publication Date: 08/16/2022
Format: Audiobook
My Rating: 3 Stars 🎧
Immi thinks she has found the perfect new home in central London: a shared warehouse with luxury accommodation, a rooftop terrace, and daily yoga, all with a surprisingly affordable price tag. The Dye Factory is a co-living community, designed to combat the loneliness of big city life.
But soon after she moves into her new haven, Immi realizes that it's not quite as idyllic as it appears. No one seems to know who is behind this multi-million-pound urban experiment. And her housemates may be hiding a dangerous secret.
Then, as a series of pranks escalates into something much darker, Immi is left questioning whether, in this group of strangers, she can ever really be safe...
#PsychologicalThrillers #WomenSleuths #CrimeThrillers #KateHelm #TheHouseShare #audiobook #jdcmustreadbooks #mystery #aug2022books #dreamscapemedia
My Review
Creepy. Unsettling. Disturbing.
THE HOUSE SHARE by Kate Helm. When you're sharing a house with seven murder suspects, you can't lock the danger out...
A locked-in mystery.
Seven Housemates.
Seven Lies.
Set in London, The Dye Factory seems to be a brilliant idea for a co-living community to Immi Sutton, a teacher who has been on her friend's sofa and wants her own place.
The rent is reasonable and affordable; you only need to be under age 35. There are numerous perks, including housekeeping, daily yoga, rooftop terrace, booze, and communal food.
There happened to be two openings for two studios. The board of whatever has to vote you in. Everyone is on a probationary trial period.
Immi has gone through a traumatic experience and is hiding secrets. She was a favorite character out of the bunch.
Dex Shepherd is another new tenant. A photographer and wants to move out of the run-down motel where he is currently living. He also has a past he is hiding.
Both are thrilled to be moving in. Dex also pretends he has an alcohol problem since the people at the factory seem to like people who want to improve themselves. Dex and Immi wind up hooking up, which is taboo at The Factory. They try and hide their affair, but someone knows.
Lucas is charming but not a likable character and uses manipulation. Camille has also gone through a traumatic experience. Bernice is the queen B of the factory. She has her demons and plays a big part in the twist. Not much from Veronica but from the start and events later. Jamie, a former Dyer, —a bad person. Ashleigh promotes calmness in the house share. She has her secrets. Hanna holds authority and seems to know everyone's secrets. She is the fixer and a manipulator.
Each resident is very different from the other at first glance; they are happy in life, but they all seem to be hiding things from each other. Soon after that, strange things begin happening at The Factory. There are pranks, but it escalates into something more sinister.
Is it someone inside The Factory or outside? Who owns The Factory, and is there a hidden agenda?
With a cult-like vibe, each tenant is assigned a buddy they meet with weekly to foster a sense of community. From the POVs of Immi and Dex, which switches to the mysterious guilty party.
There were not a lot of likable characters and tons of mind games while everyone was trying to buy themselves time while desperate to stay and get away. The management/ownership is controlling and has no privacy. They are connected by threats and events. Communal living is supposed to be the future. Something happened at the factory between the walls before the two arrived. Why did they have an opening?
Unreliable Narrators. Manipulation. Sex. Lies. Toxic. Control.
Everyone is lying and holding secrets. There is also a crazy serial killer among them. Plus, the death of animals. The entire story felt a little disjointed and did not live up to the hype. The book becomes a bit far-fetched sometimes; however, if you can suspend your disbelief, you may enjoy the ride based on secrets and skeletons in the closet - weird and wacky.
While this sounded like a good book, nice cover, and I enjoyed the author's book, The Secrets You Hide (9/6/22), this one was not for me. For purpose of reviewing the audiobook: The overall story 2 Stars. The audiobook performance is 4 Stars. Rounding to 3 stars. Sure this will please a specific type of reader.
I purchased and listened to the audiobook narrated by Jonathan Andrew Hume and Imogen Wilde by Dreamscape Media. The narrators did a great job.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Aug 16, 2022
My Rating: 3 Stars
When you're sharing a house with seven murder suspects, you can't lock the danger out...
Listen to this spine-tingling #psychologicalthriller in audio! Narrated by Imogen Wilde & Jonathan Andrew Hume. @dreamscapemedia
About the Author
Kate Helm was born in Lancashire, and worked as a journalist covering courts and crime, before becoming a BBC reporter and producer in news and current affairs. She also wrote documentary and drama scripts, including the BBC1 programme: Angel of Death: The Story of Beverly Allitt. Kate Helm is a pseudonym for author Kate Harrison whose non-fiction and novels have been sold in 20 territories and sold over 800,000 copies. Kate lives in Brighton, this is her first book under the name Kate Helm and her debut adult crime novel. http://kate-harrison.com/ @KateWritesBooks
