I like hares, just as I like owls. There is a wildness and otherness about them. Consequently there is lots of folklore about them and links with witchcraft and shapeshifting. This gathers together quite a few gothic and witchcraft tropes. It is set in Scotland, in Dumfries and Galloway. There are also a few dour Scots tropes and plenty of weather: rain, wind, snow and the like. Hinchcliffe does capture the landscape quite well. The themes are typical of this genre; mental illness, symbols of witchcraft, hares (inevitably), clay dolls, sprigs of Rowan, ancestral curses and the like. Someone also seems to be wandering about the place writing Exodus 22:18 (Thou shalt not permit a witch to live). I didn’t sympathize with any of the main characters and the side characters were hard to tell apart. Too many plot points were never explained, and the book seemed to feed into stereotypes without challenging them in any way. I don’t need my books to promote good morals and I usually enjoy an unreliable narrator, but I at least was hoping she would be challenged on her extremely problematic views in some way by anyone at all in the text and she really wasn’t. The welcome gifts were very much appreciated and we had a fab week as it was very near to the care home we had booked for my mother. Plenty of pots and pans although couldn't find a cheese grater

Both bedrooms are set upstairs, the first of which is the stunning master bedroom. This generous room is home to a gorgeous king-size cast iron bed which lends gravity and character. Plenty of space to stretch out and relax. There's another wall-mounted TV in here if you enjoy a spot of morning telly in your PJs. Bespoke roman blinds give an elegant cosy ambiance. Bedroom two is a lovely twin room featuring two beds and a TV. Both rooms enjoy far reaching views across open countryside. Two and a half stars because at least it kept me reading till the end, but I can’t say I really enjoyed this book. It was billed as a modern gothic novel about an unnamed British woman who rents a cottage in Scotland after a mysterious incident causes her to lose her longtime teaching job. She meets the family who owns the grounds and shortly after her arrival, strange things start happening at the cottage and the main estate house. As the story goes on, you learn more about what made the woman lose her job as well as the mysterious past of the people who own the property. Sounds promising, right? Hare House is hiding something sinister and damned and as winter slowly starts to tighten its hold it brings with it more than just snow which soon blankets everything it touches in a muffled silence and the dark, twisted history of madness, grief and loss begins to emerge all around to once again haunt those who still dwell on these grounds.

Reviews & Ratings

Not all these questions are answered and I did feel a bit conflicted at the end. I wasn’t totally sure what had actually happened or why, but I think perhaps that is the point. This book very much leaves you on edge, questioning your own thoughts and feelings and seeing shadows where there are none.

Take a look at this gorgeous two-bedroom holiday home surrounded by open countryside on the cusp of the North York Moors National Park. This immaculate property boasts generous accommodation, beautiful interiors and lots of picture-postcard towns and villages within easy reach. Perfect for couples and small families yearning for a luxury escape to the country.

About the location

village which was registered for protestant worship in 1802. (fn. 107) Apparently later disbanded, the Too late, I recalled myself,” she tells the increasingly sceptical reader. “A reaction, of course, was what she wanted, what they always wanted.” That’s without even getting to the delicious intrigue Hinchcliffe cooks up around the tragic Hendersons, or how the book uses landscape. There are particular scenes and descriptions I can’t stop thinking about: the countryside surrounding the house, particularly when snow falls and an eerie quiet is tangible; the narrator’s feelings of freedom and release as she learns to cycle; the bare, shadowy gloom of Hare House, too big and too old for its inhabitants. I kept waiting for the narrative to falter, kept wondering if there’d be some development that would change the way I felt about it – but it is note-perfect all the way to the bravura ending, which made me almost squeal with glee. Striking up a friendship with her landlord, Grant, and his younger sister, Cass, she begins to suspect that all might not be quite as it seems at Hare House. And as autumn turns to winter, and a heavy snowfall traps the inhabitants of the estate within its walls, tensions rise to fever pitch.

God, I just loved this book. I know it’s impossible, but I wish everything I read could make me feel like this: alive with excitement about what fiction can do, half-certain it was written specifically for me, and immediately desperate to read it all over again. We walked through a landscape bleached with frost, the earth standing hard and frozen. Ice crept everywhere. Even the streams had begun to freeze, ice fingering out from their edges, tombing them over. Yet the cold left me feeling alive, as if we were indeed the only things out there that were still living, the only things moving in the whole landscape.’’ Exceptionally comfortable beds. Warm, very well equipped kitchen. Very comfortable stay. Would definitely return. My difficulties with this were partly linked to the fact that the tension between the psychological and the supernatural wasn’t resolved in a way I found particularly convincing, and partly to the representation of older and/or single women which seemed quite stereotypical. Although, to be fair, none of the characters came off that well overall: the dog was quite endearing but unfortunately failed to make it to the end. The central female character was especially problematic, self-deluding and manipulative which seemed to be attributed to her being lonely, single and on the verge of middle age: she reminded me of a younger version of Barbara in Zoe Heller’s Notes of a Scandal a novel I found intensely annoying but a lot of other people seemed to enjoy. So, I think it’s likely I just wasn’t a good fit for Hare House and I imagine that readers who enjoy these kinds of stories - rather than get trapped in them against their better judgement - will find it well worth their time. It’s not at all a bad piece of writing, and it’s often quite a gripping and eerie one. It’s just a little too open-ended, a little too conventional and a little too culturally conservative for my taste. Great location close to shops, pubs and restaurants - loved the quirky rooms but mind low doorways."This is an odd book. I can't say I enjoyed it, but i couldn't put it down - I needed to know the ending. And although it has everything I usual love - Scotland, witchcraft, a gothic house, hares... this left me quite cold. Outside is a small gravelled terrace area, but to be honest you are just as likely to pop up the street to one of the local cool cafes to save on your washing up!! The family bathroom is also upstairs, a stylish sleek room which has a luxury hotel feel. There's a bath for those who love a long hot soak on holiday and a shower overhead. Although, I'm not seeing the same gap in information that a few other reviewers have stated. I think it was made fairly clear what happened at the narrator's school and why she moved to Scotland. There's clearly something mysterious going on with the narrator, and having more focus on that might have answered some of those questions I was left with. Everything we needed was there and you are so close to shops, pubs and restaurants we really couldn’t have asked for more.

She still holds the record for being the oldest female gold medal winner at the Olympic Games and Great Britain did not win another women’s archery medal at the Olympics until 2004. Head 2 miles north and discover the beautiful market town of Stokesley. Hosting a market every Friday on its handsome cobbled square, this charming Georgian town offers a host of independent shops, cafes and restaurants to try. There's also a nine-hole golf course and swimming pool. The neighbouring village of Great Ayton (5 miles away) is also worth a visit, an idyllic Yorkshire village set beside a meandering river, and once the boyhood home of Captain James Cook.With over 10,000 sq. ft of flexible accommodation, the house was configured and built for family living and entertaining. From handmade blinds to beautiful soft furnishings, the interiors of this home are designed to maximise comfort and relaxation, giving a real homely feel throughout. The impressive lounge is at the heart of the home, a spacious area boasting two comfortable sofas and a traditional wood burner nestling within the fireplace creating warmth and welcome. Next door is the sleek kitchen/diner, which comes complete with all the mod cons you'll need, and dinner can be served at the reclaimed oak table. Upstairs is home to both bedrooms, the first of which is a stunning master bedroom; home to a king-size cast iron bed which lends character to the restful space. The second is a lovely twin bedroom, with both rooms offering far-reaching views across the rolling countryside. There's a family bathroom complete with a bath so you can enjoy a long hot soak following a day of sightseeing. There's a secondary WC located on the ground floor. Set across three floors and stylishly updated for families and small groups, this gem of a holiday home is the perfect spot to make the most of Chipping Norton. Cottage is in an excellent position right in the centre of town and really easy to get everywhere using Chipping Norton as your base."