Reviews The House That Jack Built by Mickie Newton

Written by Guy Adams

Published 2009 by BBC BOOKS

ISBN 978-1-846-07739-5

One of the many things I love about the Torchwood novels is that they're not just sci-fi, but very often horror as well and this excellent novel by Guy Adams most certainly doesn't disappoint in that area.

It's a simple story; young couple, Rob and Julia, live in a tiny flat. Julia's aunt dies. She inherits very old creepy house. Said young couple move into said creepy house. Creepy house tries to kill them and anyone who gets close.

As you can tell by my brief, but succinct description, this is no fairy tale. Even the Brothers Grimm would turn tail and run away screaming like frightened school girls.

This story is full of horror, no obvious aliens, but certainly gore, betrayal, love, sex, more gore and croquet mallets...did I mention gore?

But in all that, we still have the Torchwood team, or what is left of it; Jack, Gwen and Ianto. We still have all the madness and humour and Ianto's wonderful sarcastic quips. It is a beautifully told story that captures the essence of each of our heroes. But most of all it gives us more background to our main heroes past, the dashing Captain Jack Harkness, "He is dashing, you have to give him that."  Though this isn’t necessarily one of his best moments, given he was having an affair with two people, Alison and Miles, who were due to marry one another. But there's more to this than just an affair because, at that time (around when Jack joined Torchwood), Jack also owned the house the present young couple, Rob and Julia, have now moved into, Jackson Leaves.

This book is also different to other Torchwood novels I have read thus far as you see everything unfold from all perspectives of each of the characters, other than Jack's past lovers. An incident happens, and you get to see it from each perspective of those involved in said incident. It would be easy to think you will be reading repeats of the same moment. But you don't, that's not the case. The author literally looks at how that person is feeling and seeing. What is going through their mind and how this whole incident is affecting them from a personal point of view. The only repeating you may read is the account of some aspects of what is happening at the time.

We're also introduced to new, or rather temporary member of the team. An apparent Doctor, who is also alien, is fetched in by Jack to examine some bodies. Alexander is incredibly mysterious, rude and untrustworthy, even by Jack, who seems to have known him for some time.

And even as a reader/bystander, you need to keep your wits about you as it's easy to find yourself lost in the house and story. You too can completely lose track of time, even what time you are in.

It's a fast paced story, full of wonderful creepiness and ghosts. Tall tales and apparent love with some added gore. Yes I know I mentioned gore before, but some things are worth repeating.

Did I mention a scary fat man? No?  Well you better read the book then :)