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In 1978, Dr. Helen Hildreth is far past retirement age but still brilliant and deeply committed to her work as a psychiatrist at a small facility in the country in Vermont. She lives next to the facility with her two grandchildren, whom she homeschools and dotes on. Occasionally, Dr. Hildreth will have a patient stay with them for a short time. But when she brings Iris, a mute and skittish girl, to live there, she hopes it will be permanent, a new sister for Violet and Eric. She instructs them to make her feel at home and do all they can to help her be comfortable and come out of her shell. The two do so, including inducting her into their Monster Club, where they discuss different types of monsters that exist, how to recognize them, and how to defeat them. Eventually, Iris begins to talk and open up to the two children.
In 2019, Lizzy Shelley is the host of a popular podcast, Monsters Among Us, and she travels around the country to collect and share stories of monster sightings. When she hears about a missing teen girl, taken from Vermont, she knows she has to go there and investigate. She knows exactly who has taken her, as well as other teen girls who have disappeared from various places. And she knows it’s time to put a stop to the monster responsible: her own sister.
The Children on the Hill is inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I’ve read maybe four of Jennifer McMahon’s novels (such as The Night Sister), and this one is the best yet. I could not put it down; I read it in one sitting. It has layers of secrets and mystery, and the reveals are biggies. The denouement of the suspenseful hunt is … well, I can’t say much. I didn’t expect it. I highly recommend this to anyone in the mood for horror, suspense, thrills, and psychological twists and turns.
(If you’re in the mood for some similar thrillers that feature psychology, check out The Secrets of Us or The Silent Patient.)
Rated: Moderate. Profanity includes 2 uses of strong language, around 25 instances of moderate profanity, about 15 uses of mild language, and 6 instances of the name of Deity in vain. Sexual content is minimal. Violence includes references to abuse of various kinds, arson leading to deaths, and at least one implied murder.
*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
