#BlogTour: The Intruder by P.S Hogan @TransworldBooks @HJ_Barnes #TheIntruder

I’m very excited to be kicking of the blog tour for The Intruder, which is truly one of the most unique and fascinating reads I have read.  It is definitely one that will stay with me.

The Intruder is available in ebook on the 1st February and paperback on the 31st May 2018.  You can pre-order both here.

Book Blurb:

He has the key to hundreds of houses.
Maybe even to yours.

A gripping, sinister, deeply unsettling novel from the most sociopathic narrator of 2018. Meet Mr Heming…

William Heming is an estate agent. He’s kept a copy of every key to every house he’s ever sold. Sometimes he visits them. He lets himself in when the owners are out. But what will happen if he gets caught?

What will he do next?

My Review:

Wow what an unusual and creepy book this was.  I really enjoyed reading it and it was definitely a book that kept me up at night, both trying to read more and through some weird dreams that I had after reading it.

I think the thing that most struck me about this book is that this could actually happen.  How many people change their locks on moving into a new house, how many old owners of a house keep the key to their old houses and how many estate agents get rid of the keys they are given?  I’d hope the answer is none or if they do they just keep them in a draw or a bag forgotten but it has definitely given me food for thought .  Having just moved house myself I will be asking my husband if we can change our locks at the earliest opportunity.  I think this shows great skill by the author in creating such an creepy and sinister story that it has gotten under my skin in this way and made me think about it long after I have finished reading.

William is a very strange though fascinating character to read about.  His obsession of going into unoccupied houses and spying on people’s lives is very creepy, particularly when you learn how confident he is about doing it.  The fact that he has a routine of what he does whilst he is in someone’s home, including having something to eat and drink, is very calculated.  It sent a chill up my spine imagining him casually sitting there and someone doing similar in our house without my knowledge.  It was very interesting to learn about what he was able to glean about people’s lives from their possessions and what they leave lying about the house.

One thing I did like abut William was the rough justice he dishes out to those who have wronged him in some way.  Some of the things he does are inspired and very funny, helping to break some of the tension and creepy atmosphere.  The incident with the do poo was brilliant and i wish I could do something similar to inconsiderate dog owners!

The book does start of slow as we learn more about William and his childhood but I felt that this is necessary as we are able to establish from it what type of person William is and what makes him tick.  I felt the slow pace also helped to contribute to the creepy, slimy atmosphere throughout the book and complimented William’s character. The story soon picks up though and I found myself riveted as I wondered what William would do next and if he would get caught.  I often found myself holding my breath as he explored people’s houses, wondering if this was the time he’d be discovered.

This is the first book by PS Hogan that I have read and I look forward to reading more from him.  If you like creepy, sinister and gripping books then you will enjoy The Intruder.

Thank you to Rosie Margesson, Hayley Barnes and Transworld books for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

About The Author:

P. S Hogan was born in Yorkshire.  he is married with four children and has been a journalist and columnist on the Observer for over 20 years.

Follow The Blog Tour:

If you liked the sound of this book from my review, do follow the blog tour and see what these fabulous bloggers are saying!