Books

An Ordinary House

Rachel Sargeant

The Outside-people say we're safe now.

But one of us wants to go back.

Back to that house and the darkness it held.

Police raid an ordinary house in a quiet street and find a traumatised teenager held captive with his family. Outside-people call him a survivor, but he doesn't know what to believe. His memories don't match what his siblings and the press say about his home.

As he struggles to make sense of his new world, he must find and face the truth.

With one of his siblings set on revenge, should he forget his family, or turn from victim to killer?

'An Ordinary House is a thought-provoking and complex thriller that delves into the darkest aspects of human nature without losing sight of hope. Readers will find themselves thinking about these characters long after the final page' Sarah A. Denzil

‘An exceptional psychological thriller. Unlike anything I have ever read - I devoured it’ Ruth Gilligan

‍‘An incredible book, with one of the most unique, compelling voices I’ve ever read’ Charlotte Bigland

‘Dark, gripping and imaginative, An Ordinary House explores the kindness and cruelties of ordinary people. Starling delivers a deeply unsettling read that spans the worst and best of humanity, the horror and the hope, and these extremes won’t let you put it down. A truly psychological thriller’ Jo Furniss

‘Timely, topical and beautifully structured - An Ordinary House is an extraordinary story’ Rob Gittens

'I raced through An Ordinary House, compelled by this darkly powerful story of a young boy imprisoned by the man he knows only as ‘Prof’. Starling depicts the psychological effects of trauma with sensitivity and skill. A tense, utterly gripping and unforgettable novel of survival in the face of unthinkable cruelty, and the complex nature of resilience and revenge' Nicola Blackwell

'An Ordinary House' is an extraordinary book, which challenges and expands the definition of the psychological thriller. A story about survival against all the odds and the capacity of the human brain to protect itself and absorb countless shocks and mistreatments, it is also a gripping and immersive read. As a character in the novel says 'Time for a twist?' you will not see the ending coming. Highly recommended' Julie Anderson, author of Plague and The Midnight Man

'Timely, topical and beautifully structured — An Ordinary House is an extraordinary story' Rob Gittins, top TV screenwriter and crime fiction author

‘A dark, evocative and shocking page-turner that had me in its grip from the very first page. Smart, current and jaw-dropping in places, An Ordinary House is impossible to put down’ LC North, author of The Ugly Truth

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Rachel Sargeant

Territories & Rights

UK Hera

Dramatic Rights Available

World English
World English Audio