I’ve always loved reading books set in mysterious houses. A great mystery is filled with ambiance, and some of my favorite novels are ones where the setting sets the tone for the book. When I was writing my new novel The House on Biscayne Bay, I wanted to honor the rich tradition of suspenseful novels set at enigmatic estates while also exploring the fascinating history and architecture of South Florida.
In designing Marbrisa, a home filled with secrets and a deadly history, I thought about what I loved most about these novels and the places that define them. These houses create the perfect setting to transport the reader to a time and place where anything feels possible as the reader finds themself walking down eerie hallways, navigating treacherous mazes, and wondering what hidden dangers—and secrets—lurk behind every corner. If you’re like me and you love reading about mysterious homes, I’ve created a list of some of my favorite novels featuring grand estates that are filled with secrets. Whether you’re in the mood to travel to a contemporary gothic estate in the Scottish Highlands or a haunted mansion in Mexico, these larger-than-life houses will immerse you in their atmospheric settings.
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
Heatherbrae House in the Scottish Highlands is the setting of Ruth Ware’s The Turn of the Key. When Rowan Caine accepts a position as a live-in nanny at the grand estate, she thinks she’s found the perfect place to work. But her idyllic job soon becomes a nightmare that ultimately ends in death. Brimming with tension and forcing the reader to question everything right alongside Rowan, The Turn of the Key is a twisty and chilling delight.
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
In Home Before Dark, Baneberry Hall is a home with a dark history and legacy that rivals that of The Amityville Horror. When Maggie Holt returns to the Victorian mansion where she lived as a child with her parents, her goal is to renovate the estate so that she can sell it. But as secrets from the past come back with a vengeance, Maggie is thrust into the ultimate fight for survival. Riley Sager’s thrilling novel is a page-turner that will keep readers guessing until the very end.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Set in 1950s Mexico, Mexican Gothic is a gripping gothic thriller. In High Place, Silvia Moreno-Garcia has created a terrifying mansion where the impossible becomes possible. Alongside the heroine Noemí, readers are thrust into the dangerous machinations of a secretive family where you no longer know who you can trust. As High Place comes alive, Noemí must navigate an insidious threat determined to consume her.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
An abandoned mansion in a trendy neighborhood in London is the setting for Lisa Jewell’s page-turning thriller about the rise and fall of an enigmatic family. Jewell invites readers to 16 Cheyne Walk where they’re instantly immersed in the lives of the home’s inhabitants—and their mysterious guests. Told in alternating timelines, The Family Upstairs is a domestic thriller and family saga ripe with twists and turns that will leave readers guessing until the very end.
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
A rapidly gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood filled with historic brownstones is the setting for Alyssa Cole’s taut thriller When No One is Watching, pitched as Rear Window meets Get Out. As Cole’s heroine Sydney Green begins exploring the history of her neighborhood and the impact that racism and greed are having on its residents, she’s plunged into a sinister reality that threatens her life and that of those around her. Readers will be gripped as the novel races toward its stunning conclusion.
The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen
Rhys Bowen has a knack for immersing her readers in the fascinating life of her effervescent heroine Lady Georgiana as she traverses 1930s Europe solving mysteries. In The Last Mrs. Summers Georgie’s adventures take her to Trewoma Hall, a gothic estate in Cornwall. When a member of the household is murdered, Georgie must put her legendary sleuthing talents to the test as she uncovers the secrets of Trewoma Hall.
The Missing Years by Lexie Elliott
When Alicia Calder inherits half of a manor house in the Scottish Highlands, she’s transported back in time to face her childhood secrets. Her father disappeared twenty-seven years ago, and alongside the half-sister who is practically a stranger to her, Alicia is forced to confront both the house’s past and her own. There’s something treacherous about the home and the surrounding grounds, and this atmospheric thriller will keep readers guessing until the end.
The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa Matlin
Sarah Slade buys Black Wood House, a Victorian home with a deadly past, with the intent to renovate the home and post about it on her blog. But as soon as she starts the renovations, it seems like the house is fighting back as mysterious and threatening events begin to take over Sarah’s life threatening all she holds dear. This twisty, unpredictable novel will have you questioning everything you think you know about Black Wood House.
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
In The Hacienda, a young woman named Beatriz travels to Hacienda San Isidro hoping to find sanctuary from her troubles following the Mexican War of Independence. But a dangerous presence is haunting the remote hacienda and Beatriz must rely on the assistance of a priest to help her survive. This gothic, page-turning read will keep you up late at night as it brings the supernatural to life.
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