This is a fabulous book that is the perfect blend of supernatural, family, relationships and mystery. There are no clunky boring parts at all and you are constantly turning pages to see how the characters are going to solve their problems--and their problems are big, of the life and death variety. I highly recommend this great read for fans of literature, Stephen King fans, and anyone who loves a good ghost story.

What sacrifices would you make to keep your family together? What stories would you tell yourself to keep things the way they were? And if you had to, would you be able to let them go?Michael's wife, Sarah, is pregnant when he has to leave for a business trip where means of communication are precarious at best. Near the end of his trip he gets a call that there's been an emergency and Sarah's gone to hospital.On Michael's trip home, he imagines all kind of horrible scenarios, fearing the worst.

For me, this book is a allegory for grief and loss. As Elizabeth Bishop writes in her poem "The Art of Losing," our lives are riddled with loss, yet we go on. She writes, "it's not disaster," though her final line belies this, reveals that loss always feels disastrous. Maruyama ingeniously captures what happens when one who loses is stuck in the disaster of loss through the tale of Michael who returns home to his dead wife and child though they remain vividly alive to him. Maruyama's deftness wi...

When I saw Harrowgate while stalking NetGalley, I knew I had to have it. I mean, just look at that synopsis. It sounds creepy, thrilling, dark, everything my little heart desires in a book. And it was all those things, for about 15% of the book. You're pretty much given all the secrets immediately. Within a few pages, you know what the creepy part is, who the villain is, and the story pretty much deflates like a suicidal balloon.Page after page it was the same routine. The same things happen, th...

An engaging postmodern Gothic novel full of strong, memorable characters.The story revolves around a young couple and their child, but features a strong supporting cast of characters. We get to meet the psychologist down the hall, the overbearing "doula", the needy mothers of Harrowgate (and elsewhere). We meet the oppressive in-laws with their overbearing social requirements. We meet the off-beat mother who is comfortable in her boots. All the components of Gothic literature reside in this mode...

A horror story that is really a tale of love and loss, Harrowgate surprised me with its deep emotional impact and sheer hypnotic pull.As Harrowgate opens, geologist Michael is rushing home to his pregnant wife Sarah. He'd been out in the field on a remote assignment, and after receiving a cryptic message about an emergency, it has taken him close to two weeks to navigate the Jeep rides and multiple airplane transfers that finally bring him to his New York apartment building. Unable to reach his

The name of this novel was chosen with care as it is indeed a harrowing tale that is deeply disturbing. For me, it began with a vague sense of dread that segued into a living nightmare. It had a twisted surprise early on, then another as the story progressed. I am purposely keeping this review short as I do not want to chance giving anything away. Hard to shake off the chill even now. It was superb. This was a first-reads giveaway, thank you. Well done!

POSSIBLE SPOILERSThis one grabbed me quickly, and kept me turning pages — and that's about the highest praise I can give any book. It's well-written and the sense of increasing dread never lets up. The characters and their feelings for each other are captured beautifully.... Really one of the better books I've picked up this year. HOWEVER.... the suspense kept building and building, and all these intriguing questions kept piling up: Who or what is Greta? What does she want? Why does time move so...

Originally posted on The Lucid Pen Harrowgate is not so much a horror as it is a tale of loss and love in macabre form. A third of the way through the novel I had this feeling of dread--one that wasn't from the story itself but from the fear that something I had already figured out was going to be the surprise ending, but thankfully that "plot twist" wasn't all of the story's core. The only bone I have to pick with the novel is the very obvious set-up to a (supposedly) shocking turn of events ha...

Kate Maruyama's Harrowgate came out of left field late in the year to rock my top ten of 2013. Harrowing (pun intended) yet can't-put-it-down compelling, Maruyama's debut defies genre, a unique family romance that both spooked me and pulled at my heartstrings, romantic and repellent at the same time. I'd love to say more, but you'll be glad I didn't. Harrowgate winks at some familiar tropes -- happy couple in spooky New York apartment? Check. Meddling older woman with special teas? Check. Howeve...

Harrowgage is a debut novel by Kate Maruyama. The story revolves around a married couple, Michael and Sarah who are excited to welcome their first child together. However, Sarah gives birth while Michael is away on an excursion and comes back to New York to find his wife behaving oddly with their new son Tim who she does not want him to touch. Also, Sarah has gotten a new friend called Greta who comes and goes as she pleases and seems to have an undisguised hostility towards Michael.I don't want...

Love is a motherfucker, and what we humans do for it is the clincher for all worst case scenarios. How far would you go to keep a loved one? People stay in the unhealthiest relationships, the most dysfunctional situation, and the living hells of their own creation, all in the name of love. But when outside forces cause undue mayhem in your love life, what would you do? Would you die for someone? Would you stretch your beliefs way past reality and hold on for dear life to their very soul? It's a

This book promised something and failed to deliver. I was promised a frightening paranormal story centered around a man and the strange happenings of his wife and newborn son. What I got was a lot of scenes on repeat that felt like the author was just padding her word count and a villain who was so non-threatening I rolled my eyes.Michael rushes home after a very vague phone call that his wife is in labor, and hasn't heard anything since. For some reason, his cell phone never works. Not on the p...

This book opens with a creepy, New York City apartment building, and a general Rosemary's Baby kind of atmosphere. Michael, a geologist, hurriedly returns home after belatedly receiving word that his wife, Sarah, has gone into labor with their son, Tim. Upon his arrival, Sarah seems different - doing her best to cut him off from the outside world, wrapping this new family in isolation in their apartment. The only intrusion that she reacts calmly to is that of the mysterious new doula, Greta. Des...

Loved this book! This is the type of book that pulls you in right from the beginning and I devoured this book in two days. It had the things I expected: suspense, menace, dread, moments of surprise, but so much more that I didn't expect. I didn't expect love and family and deeper questions to surface. The writing allows you to feel deeply invested in the characters, as people, without ever taking away from the drama and suspense of the story. It isn't some typical horror book that wraps itself u...

For me, this is first a family story. It is about love. The question that kept me reading wasn't what creepy things were happening (though I loved that part too), but how a loving family handles all the creepy stuff that they face. Once I started this book, I couldn't stop turning the pages. Kate Maruyama has crafted a wonderful, ghostly world here, where even a cup of tea is scary. I would definitely recommend it. Though I admit that after finishing this book, I hugged my son extra tightly befo...

First of all let me start by saying that I received this book for free through the GoodReads First Reads program.We start the story by being introduced to Michael who is coming home from a business trip and anxiously riding in a cab while trying to get home to his wife and their newborn son who was born while he was away. The only problem is that Michael cannot get in contact with anyone to see how they are doing. When he finally does reach his apartment he finds his wife changed a bit which he

This was unexpectedly lovely. Haunting, you could fairly say.Michael is out of reach - like, in Alaska - when his wife goes into labor too soon. He rushes home to her & their newborn son.But things aren’t as they should be. And Greta, a doula, is ... around.The story unfolds over a week. A week that lasts a lifetime. Enjoy this for its creepiness. But be prepared for its tenderness.3 ✅4 #currentlyreading24 to go for #spookyreadathon

Although this book does dark and disturbing very well I really did not enjoy reading it. On the positive side Maruyama has a good handle on writing suspense and mystery. The plot and its various twists definitely have the potential for keeping the reader on the edge of their seats. If this plot was in the hands of another writer it could possibly be an amazing tale.The big issue however was that it was not written by someone else. I found the writing to be extremely clunky and heavy handed. Sent...