The Underhistory
9781800812048
Viper
Paperback
384pp
Viper
196x128x26
Kaaron Warren Viper FKM|FFS|FH Paperback 2025
Eerie, atmospheric, full of suspense and surprises, this is a brilliantly constructed, suspenseful gothic tale
Guardian
The most intriguing horror novel of the year so far… Reads like Shirley Jackson or Catriona Ward at their most gothically playful. It's a wholly unique intellectual exercise and a deeply compelling page-turner
Esquire
A gothic-tinged tale of supernatural horror and Scheherazade-like storytelling, with all the suspense and menace of page-turning crime fiction
Sydney Morning Herald
An original take on the secrets that houses keep, with every page drenched in foreboding. The Underhistory has all the hallmarks of a contemporary gothic classic
Erin Kelly, author of HE SAID/SHE SAID
A heartfelt and chilling gothic tragedy. Unbearably creepy, original and devastating
Chris Whitaker, author of WE BEGIN AT THE END
An inventive, layered haunted house novel, where ghosts reside amid the dust and each room holds its own message for the unwary visitor. Kaaron Warren is one of a kind
Alison Littlewood, author of A COLD SEASON
What an absolutely brilliant book this is! Superbly written, completely unique. Haunting, smart, and provoking
L.V. Matthews, author of THE TWINS
A unique jewel box of a book – tense locked room thriller meets haunted house gothic, pulled off with immense skill
Lizzy Barber, author of OUT OF HER DEPTH
A remarkable tour de force of a novel from a master storyteller. The structure of the novel is innovative and the tension never flags, while Pera is an extraordinary and satisfyingly ambiguous narrator. Startlingly good
Leonora Nattrass, author of BLUE WATER
Eerie, menacing, and totally original
Philippa East, author of LITTLE WHITE LIES
A fascinating and unnerving character study of a house and its sole survivor. A sinister, tense, and satisfying read, I absolutely loved it
Carole Johnstone, author of MIRRORLAND
Strange, sinister and marvellously written. A box of Gothic delights
Anna Mazzola, author of THE CLOCKWORK GIRL
A vivid gallery of melancholy, joy, and horror. This book is infused with a love of places and objects, the stories they carry, and the stories they inspire. A vibrant heroine, loathsome villains, and a compelling setting make The Underhistory a haunting treasure, written by a master of her craft
Daniel O’Malley, author of THE ROOK
Hauntingly creepy, this twisty, layered thriller will upend your expectations and spin you deep into a house of dark secrets. I utterly lost track of right and wrong, and was gunning all the way for my new favourite heroine
Rachael Blok, author of THE SCORCHED EARTH
Warren wraps the reader in a fabric embroidered with tragedy and story, loss and memory. She enchants us with whimsy and lures us with hope, anchoring the past to the present with ordinary objects. The Underhistory is a triumph, intricately woven and mesmerisingly told
Sulari Gentill, author of PAVING THE NEW ROAD
Suspenseful, evocative, dark and original. Highly recommended
Diane Jeffrey, author of THE SILENT FRIEND
A wonderfully weird and creepy journey through a haunted house, peppered with moments of proper darkness
Tariq Ashkanani, author of WELCOME TO COOPER
Hauntingly dark and beautifully written, The Underhistory keeps you on edge throughout. There are moments of humour interspersed with tragedy and fear. A brilliant read with a wonderful protagonist
Guy Morpuss, author of FIVE MINDS
Sinuous, slippery, and wrong foots you at every turn. I've never read anything like it
Tim Glister, author of A LOYAL TRAITOR
An original – gorgeously written, and honestly, the tension of where it was going kept me on the edge of my seat
Ellen Datlow, author of BLOOD RED, SNOW WHITE
Unusual, clever, poetic, haunting and utterly thrilling
Louise Swanson, author of END OF STORY
Totally unique, I haven't read anything like this for a long time, not since the heady days of Iain Banks' unpredictably dark novels. The sinister suspense that builds up as elderly Pera takes us on a tour of her ghostly family home is masterful. This book will stay with me for a long time
Jo Furniss, author of DEAD MILE