Evie Meyer and her son Alfie flee from her abusive partner Seth to spend New Year with her half-brother Luke at their late father’s summer home on the Suffolk Coast, only to find Seahurst abandoned and Luke missing.
Evie searches for her brother, filled with a deepening dread that something is very wrong at Seahurst and their father’s death may not have been suicide after all.
As Seahurst’s ancient and sinister secrets unfurl around her, Evie fears the souls of the dead will soon claim another terrible revenge.
Seahurst, S A Harris’s follow-up to the deliciously dark Haverscroft is another sinister slice of contemporary gothic set against the backdrop of the wide-open winter skies of the Suffolk coast.
Having left her abusive partner Seth back in Totonto, Evie Meyer is hoping that a New Year’s break at the clifftop summer home built by her late father might provide a sanctuary for her and her son, Alfie. When she arrives at Seahurst, however, she finds the door open, the property semi-abandoned, and her half-brother Luke missing.
As Evie reacquaints herself with old friends, she is continually reminded of Seahurst’s dark history. Nestled in the shadows of a crumbling monastery, the house is beset by strange smell, odd noises, and fleeting glimpses of something dark and foreboding. And as the search for Luke gathers pace, Evie can’t help but be reminded of their father’s apparent suicide, and her mother’s reluctance to have anything to do wit the place. Although several thousand miles from Seth, Seahurst is far from the sanctuary that Evie imagined and might even prove deadly.
As with Haverscroft, the star of Seahurst is the setting. Lashed by winter storms and situated in an isolated clifftop position, Seahurst has all the menace and gloom needed in a haunted house. S A Harris is fantastic at conveying a sense of place and, as the story progresses, you’ll find yourself jumping at even the faintest of bumps in the night.
I was slightly less convinced by the characters. Although Evie grew on me as the book progressed, I found her somewhat insipid at the start of the novel, especially in comparison to some of the (many) side-characters. This is possibly because there are quite a few characters introduced within the first couple of chapters and, although their personal stories and struggles are interesting, I found myself struggling at times to work out the connections between them all, or how they factored into Evie’s life and her backstory. This did become easier as the book progressed and S A Harris does an excellent job of wrapping up all the various strands by the end of the story but even I can’t help feeling that there were a couple of subplots that, although interesting, were not entirely necessary.
I also found some of the decisions taken by Evie – and several of the other characters – slightly nonsensical at times. If I was expecting my brother to meet me at the airport then, when he failed to show, turned up at his house to find the door open and my brother nowhere to be found, I’d probably at least consider phoning the police!
That all said, I do think S A Harris does a good job of portraying Evie’s vulnerability. Seth’s abuse has isolated Evie from her family and her friends, so it makes sense that she doesn’t always feel that she can rely upon them to help her, and that she would believe them when they tell her that Luke has been prone to wandering off unannounced recently.
Evie’s relationship with Alfie is also really well portrayed. Alfie comes across as a typical teenager, fiercely protective of his mum but also testing boundaries in their relationship. Evie, meanwhile, is understandably hyper-focused upon protecting her son from the dangers – both physical and supernatural – that surround them, and is also pre-occupied with hiding the truth about her past from Alfie, whilst also hiding the truth about her present from her old friends.
As in Haverscroft, S A Harris does a fantastic job of weaving the supernatural into a contemporary setting, offering plenty of strange occurrences and sinister warning signs without ever tipping the balance into melodrama. For those who like their spooks a little more subtle, the tension ratchets up as the book progresses so that, by the final pages, you’re on the edge-of-your-seat waiting to find out how Evie and Alfie will navigate the various dangers and challenges they face.
Although there were times when I felt that Seahurst could have been a little more streamlined in its storytelling, I found it just as enjoyable and page-turning a read as its predecessor. Whilst there is a lot going on in the book, the chills are still nicely integrated, the suspense expertly managed, and the atmosphere adeptly conveyed. The additional exploration of relationship dynamics and emotional turmoil, although complex, does add a parallel level of tension to proceedings, whilst the links between past evils and present threats are well drawn. Overall Seahurst is a worthy successor to Harris’s debut and marks her out as a go-to writer for anyone who enjoys contemporary ghost stories and thrilling chill-fests.
Seahurst by S. A. Harris is published by Salt Publishing and is available now from all good booksellers and online retailers including Hive, Waterstones, Bookshop.org, and Wordery.
If you can, please support a local indie bookshop by ordering from them either in person or online! Some of my favourites include Booka Bookshop, The Big Green Bookshop, Sam Read Booksellers, Book-ish, Scarthin Books, and Berts Books.
My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review and Helen Richardson from Helen Richardson PR for organising and inviting me onto this blog tour. The tour continues until 31 May 2023 so please do check out the other stops for more reviews and content!
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