Release date: April 23, 2024
Publisher: Angry Robot Books
Pages: 416
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis

What would guilt make you do?

Hadleigh Keene died on the road leading away from Hollyhock Asylum. The reasons are unknown. Her sister Morgan blames herself. A year later with the case still unsolved, Morgan creates a false identity, that of a troubled housewife named Charlotte Turner, and goes inside.

Morgan quickly discovers that Hollyhock is… not right. She is shaken by the hospital’s peculiar routines and is soon beset by strange episodes. All the while, the persona of Charlotte takes on a life of its own, becoming stronger with each passing day. As her identity begins unraveling, Morgan finds herself tracing Hadleigh’s footsteps and peering into the places they lead.

Review

The Redemption of Morgan Bright is a dark and twisted horror tale that had me on the edge of my seat. It was tense, eerie and unforgettable. The story follows Morgan Bright, a young woman struggling with the mysterious death of her sister Hadleigh. All that she knows is Hadleigh died near to the place she was admitted to for treatment – Hollyhock Asylum. Determined to uncover the truth about her sister’s death, Morgan invents a false identity – housewife Charlotte Turner – and gets herself admitted. What she discovers within Hollyhock’s walls is darker and stranger than she ever thought possible, but will she be able to escape in one piece?

This is one of those books where I went in relatively blind, became completely hooked from the beginning and ended up staying up to the early hours of the morning because I had to know how it ended. This is a brilliant mix of horror and mystery, there were lots of twists and shocking moments and I honestly did not know how it was going to end. I really enjoyed the writing style, I thought the interview style chapters and text message conversations were a great way to add another dimension to the story. This is my first book from Chris Panatier but it absolutely will not be the last. Even though I finished The Redemption of Morgan Bright some time ago, I still find myself thinking about this haunting story.

This story is full to the brim with atmosphere and there are some incredibly eerie and disturbing moments in this tale. There are also a few pretty gruesome scenes that will definitely stick with you. I loved the way the story constantly makes you question what is real and who is telling the truth. Our unreliable narrator Morgan is a fascinating character and Panatier does a terrific job of bringing her to life. The Redemption of Morgan Bright is a multi-layered story, one that will have you turning pages long into the night. If you’re looking for a psychological horror that is completely unlike anything you’ve read before, this is one you absolutely do not what to miss.