Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Darkwater House
AUTHOR: Samuel King
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
RELEASE DATE: September 29, 2020
LENGTH: 150 Pages
BLURB:
When Toby meets his sexy neighbor Sean, he embarks on a new romance, but there’s also a haunting and a murder mystery to deal with.
There’s romance waiting for Toby at Darkwater House. Set on the edge of London’s beautiful Hampstead Heath, what better place for love to blossom with a stunningly handsome stranger?
But as Toby explores a passionate relationship with his dream man, dark forces are stirring within the walls of Darkwater House. There’s an angry spirit haunting the corridors and Albert the creepy landlord might be a killer.
As passion grows between Toby and his new neighbor Sean, they also work at unearthing the secrets of Darkwater House, looking for the evidence that will convict Albert, finally lay the angry ghost to rest and allow their love story to deepen.
REVIEW:
Waking in his ex’s bed with no knowledge of how he got there was the kick Toby needed to get his life in order. During a train journey, the freelance journalist encountered Albert Darkwater – the owner of Darkwater House. A month later as part of his new beginning, Toby moved into the special yet spooky dwelling. There he meets Sean, who is also a man in the doldrums.
The story is entirely told from Toby’s viewpoint and is set in London. In the opening chapters, I found it great to read a story that contained places, tv programs, and other things that I recognized. The scene-setting is good, then again, some of that could be due to my familiarity with the city.
Toby is one of those characters who I found difficult to connect with. I get that, sex sells, and many men are sexually motivated/frequently thinking of sex, but Toby is a walking erection. Toby’s best relationship is with his fist. From cover to cover, every few pages, Toby is unzipping and having a wank, thinking about sex, or having sex. Between these times Toby mainly drinks red wine and swears he isn’t an alcoholic. But I’m sure he has or is in denial at having a problem. In the opening chapters, I found these habits consistent with a person who needs a change of life, but the theme did not stop. There was always a reason for one or the other. When I realized these features were constant, I lost some of my enthusiasm for Toby’s journey in the story. By the end, I was sure Toby could look at the yellow pages and have a reason to get hard. Willpower is also not a strong part of Toby’s persona. At times, he changed his mind so quickly it gave me whiplash. For me, his only redeemable characteristic is his ability to forgive.
Darkwater House is billed as a ghost story/murder mystery, which features, Albert, the creepy landlord – it is how the blurb advertises him. I thought Albert and the paranormal elements were beautifully written. I wanted more of this. Instead, they took backstage to Toby hooking his dick out every few minutes. Everything about Albert goes against the way a reader is supposed to love the good guy, yet I found myself liking the way Albert was written more than Toby.
I have given Darkwater House 2.5 hearts – a mediocre book – because whether a reader wants to delve into this story will depend on what they are in the mood for. Personally, I felt that all elements of the story lacked depth. It was more sex and drink than a murder mystery. Had it contained more of the ghostly elements suggested in the blurb, it would have quickly ramped up the marks. I feel a little bit mean, but if I marked the story differently, it wouldn’t be my honest opinion.
I have seen that other reviews have scored this novel higher, so I guess it’s a case of what you’re in the mood for and what presses your buttons. I picked up Darkwater House because the blurb was inviting. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be my bag. Therefore, I suppose I wasn’t in the right mindset to appreciate the story. But if you’re looking for an easy read comprising of mainly red wine and wanking then – go for it
RATING: 
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