Takes a while to build up & never quite gets there

I am not entirely sure how I feel about the book. Even the fact that I had zero expectations from it before turning page 1 has done very little to make this a halfway decent read.

To the writer's credit, she's done a great job of creating two extremely unlikeable characters in the 2 protagonists, brother and sister John and Marion. The only reason I rooted for Marion over John is because the former is not outrightly despicable. But that's about it. Marion starts off as a meek, subdued person, picked on in life and lacking self-esteem. However, she soon devolves into a dark character, not worthy of the happy ending she's been given.

My other issue with this book is that there's very little that falls into the realm of suspense. Even if Marion is unbelievably oblivious to her brother's perversions and the 'visitors' who stay in the cellar, the reader knows. And we've already imagined the horrors they're going through, even though only a few pages towards the end is dedicated to it. There is no real thrill or suspense or a massive reveal that leaves you agape.

Finally, I wish the book was paced better. It's too slow, taking a painful amount of time building up tension and painting a dark atmosphere. It picks up speed in the second half (actually the last 1/3 of the book) and I wish it had kept that same speed throughout.

Regarding the quality of narration, I think Emma Gregory has done justice to the book. She manages to breathe life into Marion's lifeless character and infuses a sense of menace that makes the reader feel a bit nervous as they proceed from chapter to chapter.

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