A review of "Don't Look Back" (audiobook) by Ben Cheetham

Don’t Look Back starts off and ends up a fairly standard gothic thriller. Adam and Ella win a contest to become the caretakers of a mansion in Cornwall. They are grateful for this chance because one of their twin sons has died, and the remaining three family members all seem a bit lost. Even before they move into the house, they know something mysterious is going on. The original owner hanged himself, there’s (of course) a locked door to a room that is off-limits, and some years previously, another family went missing within its walls. The current owner swears it’s haunted by her dead mother. Once the new family moves in, the house seems to have an effect on all three: Adam writes more, Ella appears happier, and Henry (the surviving son) becomes brave and gets his appetite back. Slowly, however, things descend into darkness, and no one knows whether to blame the supernatural or more mundane forces.

First off, the narrator did an excellent job. Ralph Lister set a tone that supported the plot, and I could not fault his dialogue, even when doing women’s voices. I enjoyed the accent, which also helped carry the narration.

I also enjoyed Cheetham’s plot for the most part. It follows a lot of standard gothic tropes, and as a result was a very comfortable listen. There was nothing really shocking, surprising, or particularly revolutionary, but the read satisfied. The ending left me wanting more, but this is the beginning of a series, with House of Mirrors being next. I will probably check it out of the library because I am interested in seeing where this is going. In general, I enjoyed my time with this audiobook and would happily read more of Cheetham’s work if given the opportunity.

I received this audiobook free from NetGalley.

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