Red House Redemption
When the field becomes unsafe for her and her pups, Nettle leaves her colony and burrow to take Hush and Wisp to live with her brother in The Red House. A structure whispered about in fear from her fellow cousins and one that every mouse has been told to stay far away from for generations. Even with these dire warnings, Nettle would rather take her chances with her brother in this imposing structure than be in the open and vulnerable to the unseen predator that is picking her cousins off one by one. Upon arrival Sorrel welcomes his sister and her pups with open arms and acquaints her with the home and its human inhabitants, particularly the human child Sorrel has lovingly nicknamed Birdsong. But no sooner are Nettle and her pups settled, strange happenings begin to occur. With a violent twitch, hallways shift and sinister predator maws appear and chase the mice back to their larder which seems to be the only safe haven. When the human inhabitants begin to be stalked by a strange Tall Man that has his sights on terrorizing and manipulating Birdsong, Nettle’s mothering instinct kicks in. Accompanied by Sorrel and a mysterious old mouse with no scent, the siblings set out to find the origin of this evil entity and banish it from their home for good.
The Twitching House is the newest book from the master of all things strange, Ben Farthing. Being the first release after last year’s I Found the Boogeyman Under My Brother’s Crib, Farthing takes a slightly different direction with this stand alone title. Instead of a fictional boogeyman, Farthing takes inspiration from the classic Watership Down, introducing the reader to Nettle and Sorrel, field mouse siblings who overcome adversity both natural and supernatural to protect their human home and its inhabitants from a very real evil demonic entity who is seeking to pervert and ruin the family. With the narrative focusing mainly on the animal inhabitants of the Red House, the humans and human surroundings are written from the eyes of the creatures which provides an intriguing insight into how our world must look and feel to the pets and other animals who share it with us. Written with very human-like qualities and emotions, the further I got into the story, the easier it was for me to forget that the main characters were tiny mice and not humans. With The Twitching House, Farthing continues to be the innovator of the non-spaces within the physical realm; but this time the other dimension appears to be the pits of hell itself with its many denizens and the sinister and aptly named Tall Man coming to call nightly on the already terrorized family. And while this is not the first book where Farthing has created areas out of the ether, and I’m sure it will not be his last, with each new story, the author reveals another dimension of his storytelling that was previously not disclosed before. The Twitching House is not only a horror novel, but it is a touching triumph of a mother’s love and protection for not only her pups, but also the human child in danger. Even in the crosshairs of an unknown entity, there is great courage and tenacity that will give you goosebumps and maybe even have you shedding a tear.
For fans of vivid gory horror with a human element and unique characters that enhance the narrative Ben Farthing’s The Twitching House is a quick engaging read.
Full disclosure – I was provided an advanced reader’s copy of this book by the author or their representative but have voluntarily provided a review. All opinions are my own. The Twitching House is scheduled for an April 15, 2025 release
Jennly Reads 