“Some of the most disturbing examples of horror are those closest to home. The Upstairs Room is another such exercise in terror.”
Eleanor, Richard and their two young daughters recently stretched themselves to the limit to buy their dream home, a four-bedroom Victorian townhouse in East London. But the cracks are already starting to show. Eleanor is unnerved by the eerie atmosphere in the house and becomes convinced it is making her ill. Whilst Richard remains preoccupied with Zoe, their mercurial twenty-seven-year-old lodger, Eleanor becomes determined to unravel the mystery of the house’s previous owners – including Emily, whose name is written hundreds of times on the walls of the upstairs room..
Why We’re Excited About This Book:
Horror comes in all shapes and forms, but some of the most disturbing examples are those closest to home, as in novels such as Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist and IT. The Upstairs Room is another such exercise in terror in the home, set in the claustrophobic streets of East London and featuring familiar yet welcome tropes such as a mysterious attic room, a mystery ailment and the temptations of an alluring young woman.
Murray-Brownes first novel may not have the most original of premises, but with good horror fiction it’s not only the ingredients but what you do with them, and we’re interested in seeing how this turns out.
The Upstairs Room is out on 27 July 2017 and is available from Amazon.
RICHARD COSGROVE