The Marsh House, Zoe Somerville

I was drawn to the Marsh House because I love a good ghost story and because the book is set in Norfolk, where I was born and spent my childhood. Yet as well as those two elements, it's also historical fiction with dual timelines from the 1960s and the 1930s.

The story was a bit of a slow burn initially, but once it got hold and Malorie starts to explore the notebooks of Rosemary found in the attic, I couldn't wait to continue to find out more. 

It's certainly atmospheric and the landscape and weather play a key role in the plot. The Marsh House is in a remote area, giving a sense of isolation. The swirling mists and snow give us a sense of the cold and add mystery as Malorie questions the sightings of others on the marsh. As the story unravels we find out the heartbreaking impact of Rosemary's involvement with the Lafferty family who move into the area. While reading the notebooks, there's certainly a blurring of what's real and imagined for Malorie linked to her own instability and circumstances, culminating in a coming together of the current and the past.

This has a gothic feel and creepiness to it and  I enjoyed how the past became entangled with the present.