Eleanor and Richard have moved into an old Victorian house in London, perfect for doing up and making their own. The previous owners wanted a quick sale, and Richard and Eleanor's offer was immediately accepted. They take on a lodger, Zoe, for their basement flat to help with the mortgage. But then Eleanor soon becomes aware that something is not right in the house, especially upstairs in one of the bedrooms. All the walls have the name 'Emily' scrawled all over them, the room feels airless, and a terrible smell of rot is permeating through the house. Soon Eleanor becomes sick with headaches, which only disappear when she leaves the house, and one their two small children starts acting strangely. Eleanor tries to find ways to convince Richard that something is not right, but will he listen before it's too late?
Now, if that had been the whole story, I would've enjoyed it more, but instead I had to wade through Zoe's personal background, her work, her relationships, all of which had absolutely nothing to do with the story apart from adding a bad vibe to the house. Richard is incredibly annoying, not only because he steadfastly refuses to accept Eleanor's complaints about the house, but he has a weird fetish for going into Zoe's room when she's not there, which I never understood. And would anyone actually buy a house which gives them the creeps, and had a room with a child's name scrawled over the walls, and scratches on the door? There was too much in this book that annoyed me for me to enjoy it.
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