A House Without Windows

by Stevie Turner

This is an alternate-cover edition for B00HUH6R7Q.

Dr Beth Nichols thinks she has been held captive by Edwin Evans for probably 8 or 9 years now. Amidst her grief she often thinks back to happier times with her fiancée Liam; theirs was the greatest romance of all. She lies awake at night, looks up at the light bulb that is never switched off, and prays that he is still out there somewhere searching for her..........

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Dark, Abuse

155 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 2014

About the author

Stevie Turner is a British author of suspense, paranormal, women's fiction family dramas, and darkly humorous novels. She has also branched out into the world of audio books, screenplays, and translations. Her third novel 'A House Without Windows' gained the attention of a New York media production company in December 2017, and her screenplay 'For the Sake of a Child' won Silver in the 2017 Depth of Field International Film Festival. Her novella 'Finding David' was a quarter-finalist in the 2019 ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Story Competition. https://writers.coverfly.com/profile/...

Her novella 'Scam!' won the Electric Eclectic Novella Fiction Prize for 2020:
https://electriceclecticsblog.wordpre... Her novel 'His Ladyship' made the finals and Longlist of the 2021 Page Turner Award, and her book 'Falling' reached the finals of the 2022 Page Turner Award. Her latest novel 'Tina's Diary: 1997' also reached the finals of the 2023 Page Turner Writing Award.

To quote reader Roberta Baden-Powell: 'I'm looking forward to reading your new book and find your books the best so far. The style you write in has given me a new perspective and a renewed inspiration in reading once again.'

Stevie can be contacted at the following email address: [email protected] You can also find her website at www.stevieturner.uk and her blog at www.steviet3.wordpress.com

Don't forget to sign up to Stevie's mailing list for new publications, events and giveaways! http://eepurl.com/dvNklL

Reviews

[Bookangels12 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read and reviewed by Evil Witch

How would you like to be a happy engaged woman one moment and a prisoner of someone the next? Would you like to be a young pregnant doctor who hasn’t even told her fiancee that she is pregnant, suddenly prisoner in a basement with no windows? I know I wouldn’t.
However, if you like mystery this book is for you. Imagine having to give birth in a basement with no one to help you. Imagine having to protect your child from your captor and to do this you had to do unimaginable things.

There is no way to tell you all that happens in this story without giving too much away. I can only say READ THIS NOW. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED .

6 out of 5 stars

[Arlena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: A House Without Windows
Author: Stevie Turner
Publisher: S.T.
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Review:

"A House Without Windows" by Stevie Turner....

What is this novel about?

"Newly-pregnant Dr Beth Nichols had no idea she was being stalked by ex-patient Edwin Evans as she made her way home one evening after a late shift. After being anaesthetized she woke up in Edwin’s basement, held against her will, and eventually giving birth there without medical help.

The story is written from different perspectives; from Beth’s 9 year old daughter Amy who is born in captivity, from Beth herself, now pregnant with Edwin’s baby, from her fiancée Liam, and 16 years later from her son Joss and his father Edwin.

When Beth escapes, the Press get hold of the story and Beth and Amy have their photo in the newspaper. Liam (who has made another life for himself back in his homeland of Canada with his new partner Patty and their son Toby) is shocked to see the photo, thinking Beth had been murdered years before.

Liam must make the difficult choice of either meeting up with Beth again and getting to know his daughter, or staying where he is in Toronto.

The story then runs ahead to the point where Joss finds out who his real father is, now a patient in a secure mental hospital. Joss wants to get to know him, and makes a journey against his mother’s wishes to see his real father. However, the much-anticipated meeting does not go quite to plan; Edwin still seems obsessed with Beth, and Joss feels unloved and unwanted. He makes the mistake of telling Edwin where the family are living, and when Edwin is eventually released he comes looking to claim Beth back again, the only woman he has ever loved."

What I got from the read....

Wow, this was really some read that this author presented involving some many characters with such

a story that in the end was well blended together giving the reader a well written read. It is my understanding that there was a real story taken from events that had happened in Lambeth London dealing with three women that had been held captive for thirty some years. This author in his novel "A House Without Windows" really did some research to give the readers a inside version of what happened to Dr. Beth Nichols, her daughter and son, Joss, her former boyfriend Liam and Edwin Evans. Be prepared for a read that is full of complexed emotions, physical and psychological issues as this author details a little of it all. "A House Without Windows" will be hard to put down once you start reading it because it will keep your attention from the start to the finish. I don't want to give any of this story away other than to say pick up this good read to see how this author brings this story line all out. Believe me, it will be some read. If you a in for a good drama, thriller, and mystery then I would recommend this novel to you.

[Rave Reviews Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must take a deep breath before I begin this review. I will share with you why, I must take this pause. Only a couple of days ago I finished reading another book (see below, 11/20/14) and it was awesome. Straight off the heels of that read, I pick this one up and I didn’t put it down until I’d completed the ENTIRE read! This book, A HOUSE WITHOUT WINDOWS, has been on my TBR list for a very long time. Now, I have to honestly say, I hate it took me so long to get to it. Authors come to me for reviews because they KNOW that they will get only honest ones. That’s evident, because every book you see sitting in my que, does not make it onto this page. Some don’t even make it onto Amazon, as the review I might give, would hurt them so much more than me not posting a review at all. So, I don’t know what you’ve heard before, but let me tell you the “truth” about A HOUSE WITHOUT WINDOWS.

When I began this read, the first thought that came to mind was the Ariel Castro kidnappings. As I watched that horrid story unfold back in early 2013, I felt the same tightening in my chest with every page turned in this book. It was unreal! Why? Because this story about a kidnapped young woman and her daughter who were held hostage for almost a decade, in a tiny room without any windows or sight of the outside world, was beautifully crafted and so well-told. While driving, I found myself "still" thinking about this book, wondering how a writer could tell such a tale, in the most marvelous of ways, without having experienced the actual pain.

Readers have asked me the same question about my own novel, Daydream’s Daughter, Nightmare’s Friend, wondering if any of it were true. As my novel is all fiction, and if this one is all fiction, too, Stevie Turner is a writer for the ages! To be able to create a story of this magnitude, the author has to be extremely gifted and talented! This author is! Someone asked me to tell them what I found wrong with the book, if anything.

Well, I did come across a couple of punctuation hiccups that were so small, I don’t feel the need to share it while raving about this FAN-TABULOUS BOOK! And RAVING about it, is what I plan to do for a very long time! RRBC members often email me and ask "Nonnie, what’s a good book to read?" I always respond with "Any that are sitting on NONNIE’S "RAVE" REVIEWS page." Isn’t that where this one is sitting? Well, I guess you better go get the book so you can RAVE about it yourself! Books like this make me want to read nothing but INDIE books all the time! Kudos to the author!

[Bridgett · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you liked the book Room you'll probably like A House Without Windows, as they both offer a child's perspective of the story as it unfolds. I found both books to be tedious to read. The main character's daughter, Amy, offers a perspective which was nothing more than a retelling of a book she was reading. I found myself skipping over those parts, as they added nothing to the story at all.

And the dialogue...ye Gods, it was awful! Whether it was the spoken word or the e-mails written between Liam and Beth...it screamed of a 14 year old's version of what adults would say in this situation. It didn't seem legitimate to me at all.

"Oh darling, let's get married and live happily ever after!"
"Okay, darling, I never stopped loving you. XOXO"
"Don't worry about my current wife, my darling, she's not important...I only have eyes for you."
"Oh, but my darling, I'm too scared to go on the boat!"
"Don't worry, my beautiful darling, I'll keep you safe with my big, strong, manly arms." (Insert kisses and Amy's demand that they stop with the gross kissing.)

These aren't direct sentences from the story, but I swear you could plug them in and they'd fit seamlessly. I found myself rolling my eyes continuously.

This book was definitely NOT for me. The characters weren't fleshed out at all and seemed incredibly one-dimensional. The entire story felt to me like a middle school writing assignment...a 14 year attempting to write about a serious topic, with virtually no knowledge of that topic at all. It was so very bad.

[Bill Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first half of this book when Beth is kidnapped and held prisoner for 8 years is very cleverly written and the inclusion of the references to Enid Blyton's writing was very imaginative. Once I started reading I couldn't put the book down and you really feel the emotions of Beth and her daughter, held prisoner in a small room with no hope of escape. I loved the descriptions of Beth's daily life and how she tried to educate and bring up a child in impossible circumstances.
The second half of the book jumps to the future and to avoid spoilers I will just say it is a great read. The characters, especially the evil kidnapper are very vivid and realistic.
All in all, a well written and suspenseful story that grips you from the first few pages.

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be reading a lot of books with a kidnapping/captive/captor theme at the moment, not by choice, but it makes for interesting comparisons. So I was keen to see how this one stacked up.

Dr Beth Nichols thinks she has been held captive by Edwin Evans for probably 8 or 9 years now. Amidst her grief she often thinks back to happier times with her fiancée Liam; theirs was the greatest romance of all. She lays awake at night, looks up at the light bulb that is never switched off, and prays that he is still out there somewhere searching for her..

But Beth is not alone for her whole time in captivity, she gives birth to a child in this horrible place, a daughter who is stuck in this horrific situation with her mother. Her young daughter has to hear and see things no young girl should hear her mother being subjected to and escapes into reading a book that their captor gave her as if it was the only thing the child needed to grow up happy and healthy.

I am not going to share more about the plot as I think it would spoil it for other readers to know where it heads and where it ends and some reviews have already spoilt that enough.

I liked the concept and the overall outline of the plot was good, but lacked a little in elements of tension and chills for the reader, especially in comparison to other books I have read with a similar plot recently such as The Second Captive.

I felt Beth was a well written character, doing her best with coping in a horrific situation, however I struggled with her daughter as a character, I can't quite put my finger on it but I don't think she was fleshed out enough and could have been a character to really add a lot to the book.

The pace picks up as the book goes on and I got my desperately desired moments of tension for a little while. It's a readable book, I read it really quickly but overall I just felt it lacked a little sophistication and depth, if that had been there it could have been a 4 star book from me. I think when tackling complex plots that are very character focused you really need to be gritty and not be afraid to cross some lines. I would have expected more darkness if this was a real life situation.

So some positives and some constructive criticism, I would be keen to read more from this author over time to see how he grows as a writer as there is potential there I believe for more to please the reader.

I voted for this book amongst others to read and review as part of the Goodreads E-Miners group, it was read and reviewed as the chosen book of the month.

[Louise White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A House Without Windows by Stevie Turner is a tale of obsession, horror and suspense that had me hooked from the first page. Written from several POV's the author managed to capture the characters perfectly. I was especially moved by the child, Amy's POV during her period of captivity and the strength of Beth during her ordeal and again during the final confrontation with her abductor. The story spans more than twenty years of Beth's life and despite the harrowing and realistic trauma that the family suffer, their love and commitment to each other is beautifully heartbreaking. I would recommend to all readers who enjoy suspense, drama and an optimistic conclusion.

[Queen Spades · Rating 5 out of 5]

A more detailed review will be hosted on TRB April 7th.

The color scheme of the book cover was done wonderfully. The light bulb was a symbol of the torment Beth and Amy went through and the blend of the illumination and the shade of green gave it a creepy ambiance. Simple yet very effective.

This book could have easily been divided into a series based on the varying conflicts in the book and the character dynamics. However, the author opted to divide this into different parts. For me, the different parts told by different characters in the story really helped me to connect with them and explore each one's dichotomy.

My favorite character was youthful Amy. She was smart, candid, and very brave. Quite a few moments I was in tears and cheered for her to have a wonderful outcome. My feelings for Liam and Joss were conflicted but their flaws made them highly realistic. I love this author's flair for giving her characters complexity and her ability to have your emotions ride a variety of waves: encouragement, anger, despair--the whole gambit!

The author also took her time with describing various locations. I felt like I was learning geography and going on a vacation at the same time. The balance between dialogue, conflict, humor, and narrative was sharp and did not miss a beat. Pace never became sluggish during times of back story and that can be tricky with a work that deals with so much emotional, physical, and psychological topics.

I first started reading Stevie's work with The Porn Detective and continued on with The Pilates Class. Stevie has continued to impress. Just when you think she is at her peak, a "you haven't seen anything yet" moment arises.

This is what A House Without Windows is for me. It has solidified this author as a permanent mainstay in my collection--both electronically and hopefully at some point, in paper form.

I highly recommend this fine work.

[Chris Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stevie Turner follows up The Porn Detective and The Pilates Class with a study of lives affected by abduction. When Dr Beth Nichols is released from a basement after ten years of captivity she and her children are not the only ones forced to reassess 'life on the outside' as they adjust to freedom.

The story is told from the point of view of a number of characters, but rather than create a tangled plot of interweaving stories Stevie Turner breaks the book up into a separate section for each character, allowing the various personal experiences to be told in a concise and direct way. Lives and characters cross and intermingle, with the climax of the story bringing together every strand and storyline.

Based on the events surrounding a real life case in Lambeth, London, in which three women were held captive for thirty years, A House Without Windows presents some harrowing details early on when Beth and her daughter Amy are still imprisoned. The novel allows time to explore the various emotional reactions, from Beth's former boyfriend Liam, to her son Joss, and even those of the original captor Edwin Evans.

The subject matter is a potential minefield if handled badly, but A House Without Windows avoids cliche and melodrama to deliver a story of devotion overcoming obsession.

[Nicole Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not really good at writing reviews this is fairly new to me. When I started this book the first thing that came to mind was the Ariel Castro kidnapping. Just reading what these two characters went through day by day was very emotional, at times I felt myself tearing up and couldn't imagine how Beth kept her sanity to be locked up in a room for almost ten years and the poor child who was born to not know anything of the outside world. I felt for these characters. I really enjoyed how the author wrote from everyone's point of view.

[Matt Lengren · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book opens with chapters from the perspective of a young girl born in captivity; I spent the rest of the time it took me to read the book trying to convince myself that the author wasn't in fact an 8/9-year-old in captivity (such was the lack of depth in vocabulary and emotive dialogue). I could not identify any indication that the author has had any prior exposure to words or prose more mature than that of Green Eggs and Ham or something of its ilk.

Character development is seemingly non-existent; occurrence of meaningful character interaction even more obviously scarce.

1/5.

[Nicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only did I love this book but I wish it could have been expanded to 3 parts, Beth & Liam, Amy, and then Joss. Normally I try to avoid books with a childs POV but here for each of the characters their voices came across as natural and emotionally authentic. From the beginning, while I would have liked to read a lead up to the kidnapping the fact that we're observing through Amy's eyes & heart made events on & off page so much more... Given the horrid circumstances Beth and Amys sense of family and the way Amy slowly became aware of what truly surrounded them & how both coped without bitterness or hatred was amazing. I really only wish for more details. More of Amy adjusting to her life and how she compared it to the house without windows. More of Beth & Liam from her recovery to their relationship, and Joss. Early Joss to fatherhood? :-) While those few extras would have been lovely I enjoyed this story just the way it is & look forward to reading it again along with this author's future books. Many thanks to the author and to eBook Miner!

[Maari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started out a bit slow, but gained momentum as I dug into it. There were a few times, that I caught myself holding my breath, & I thought the intensity was more so because I was able to see things from each person's perspective, instead of just an observance from a certain character alone. Well done, Stevie! I will definitely be looking for more from you!

[Brian O'Hare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Tense, Engrossing Read

As a general rule, I tend to review and critique books in relation to the extent they have succeeded in satisfying their target readership. Stevie Turner’s A House Without Windows gave me pause in this regard. Traces of Enid Blyton’s influence can be detected here and there throughout the book, together, of course, with the detailed references early in the book to Blyton’s Island of Adventure in Amy’s diary. For this reason, I wondered if the book was targeted at young adults. But then a very adult blackness appears, together with themes that are distinctly adult and quite disturbing. The book to me, therefore, seems to defy categorisation.

However, regardless of whom Turner is aiming her story at, I can assure any prospective readers that she has a very engaging writing style that will keep you engrossed. Other reviewers have summarised the story, perhaps in too much detail, so I will confine myself to a few remarks about the book’s effectiveness.

Turner’s initial premise, the abduction of a young woman about to be married by an obsessive stalker, raises enough creepy anticipation to keep any reader absorbed. The characters of Beth and her abductor are well drawn, and the stages of Beth’s captivity will tend to wear out the reader’s teeth, so constantly are they gritted as the nastiness of Beth’s plight continues.

Turner deals effectively with the abduction and the imprisonment. Like any writer, she also had a plot which she intended to follow and, judging from the denouement, it is clear that the somewhat hasty disappearance of Amy from the story and the introduction of Joss’s tale were key elements of that plot.

However, and this is probably me writing my own story and not allowing Turner to write hers, I understand that there are certain essential stages in a child’s life when interaction with the world, socialisation with people and with peers, and other aspects of psychological development, are allowed to happen. Amy missed out on these opportunities and I rather expected the adult Amy to be a much darker character, riddled with neuroses and psychoses, and not the balanced young lady she turned out to be. Of course, since such a plot thread was not necessary to the story, the author chose to ignore it.

Nonetheless, fans of Turner’s other books and, indeed, new fans, will love A House without Windows. It has its moments of taut and nail-biting suspense, calm pockets of romance, and more than its share of interesting characters. I heartily recommend this book not only to readers of the suspense genre but to readers of any other genre who will definitely enjoy it as well.

[Michael Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mundane Made Significant - Brilliant!

Stevie Turner's writing sparkles in A House Without Windows. The author succeeds at smothering the shocking story of a years-long kidnap in prose that takes the reader gently into the maelstrom of mental illness and leads the reader to the reality of a bright young woman's nightmare experience. Ordinarily this type of story would frighten me, but Turner deadens the shock with the mundane. Often seen through the eyes of a child born in the cellar prison, who knows no other experience and must live life vicariously through descriptions in a single book, the strength of the kidnapped woman takes center stage not the sordidness of her years-long ordeal.
Masterfully written with an unexpectedly positive tone, especially considering the scenario presented, the author adds cultural nuance using right-on-the-mark language and expressions in the mouths of children on both sides of the 'big pond'. Having lived in both the UK and Canada, this reader can attest to the author's careful attention to detail. The 'Beaches' in Toronto feels and looks as real as the train station in Croydon. Remarkable tension builds in the ordinary if being imprisoned in a cellar could be by any stretch of the imagination considered mundane. Suspense, carefully stitched into the plausible reactions of a son wanting to meet his estranged father despite the fact that the older man is suffering from delusions in a mental institution, carries the reader forward with trepidation to an unexpected ending.
A House Without Windows goes one layer deeper though. Not only a human drama, the story displays the underside of a penal system infatuated by its own good intentions. Despite frightening his parole 'cum' social worker with empty cold eyes above smiling lips, the kidnapper wheedles his way back on the street again and bides his time to strike again. Remarkably, this social realism doesn't bog down a beautifully crafted story, instead the reader is left to judge or not on his own. In the same way that English character triumphed over Hitler, Stevie Turner enlivens and celebrates the strength of the human spirit particularly in the person of the protagonist but all of her people ring true.

[T.L. Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, as many have said, this starts off through the eyes of Amy (a little girl), and it was really quite sweet reading her take on her otherwise horrific confinement. She leads into the story nicely, and paves the way for her mother's part of the story to come in smoothly. Hearing about Amy's house really does bring sense to the book's title.

It is a really dark subject matter, but one that is very sympathetically handled. I think it will give people insight into how these situations can occur and the aftermath as well; it's a long slow road to recovery. You expect Beth to live happily ever after once she escapes, but she actually sets her own prison as she tries to come to terms with all that's happened.

It really is a bumpy ride of a book; just as you think a happy bit is approaching obstacles get dropped in the way.

I read one reviewer say Joss' thoughts of having a happy family with his father were unrealistic.
Actually, it's not as far fetched as face value. Many children with step/foster/adoptive parents feel alienated as Joss clearly does, and reaches out towards the hope of feeling that elusive sense of belonging. Sure, as an adult you can condemn this notion as ridiculous, of course it won't work. But the child going through it doesn't have the same perspective. Their judgement is clouded. It's why there's strict protocols around getting in touch with birth parents; all parties need to be prepared.

I really read through this book quickly, and didn't want to put it down. I felt a connection with the characters, and cared what happened to them. No, I needed to know what happened to them!

Good story well told. Yay; thanks for helping raise the profile of us indie authors. Proof that we can produce good work!

[Zoe Saadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review and I must admit I felt privileged to read this novel.
House Without Windows is a very original work, based on real cases of abduction, I suppose. Told from multiple points of view - from Beth herself, through her children to even the abductor himself - this novel made an amazingly rich read that was very difficult to put down. The characters were complex, imperfect, realistic. The scenery - wonderfully real. The psychological issues it faced were brave, with no cliches or unnecessary melodrama. Highly recommended.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I didn't know what to expect with the title and the way Stevie Turner writes allowed me to ease into the horror gently. I felt as if I had woke up into a dark room without knowing where I was. The writer brought me right into the story and I felt like it was me being imprisoned. A good writer can make you feel like you are in the story. I was held hostage all the way through. And so I was happy to learn that everything turned out for the best while getting into the mind of a mad man. Stevie you did a superb job with this one. I'm sorry it took me so long to get to it. Fantastic Job!

[Jesper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read, and well worth picking up.

It's not super long, but the events - especially early on - take quite a while to get through, because you can spend hours reflecting on each page, simply because the situation is so mindboggling. Especially the girl Amy's perspective is truly a story of Plato's thought-experiment with the men in the cave. It just makes your mind reel when you start thinking about her perception of reality and the world itself.

Quite happy that I strumbled across this gem, I must say.

[Natasja Hellenthal · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing novel! The characters are so realistic and especially given the fact that these sort of abductions truly happen made it all the more a gripping heartfelt read. Well written and skilfully. This is a must read for fans of emotional psychological drama/thrillers.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow – I am in the minority on this book. I cannot figure out why people loved it. First, let me just say this is absolutely not a psychological thriller. It is neither a thriller (it's actually really slow) nor is it psychological in any capacity.
I really disliked Joss in general and found him to be surly without reason. Also, I felt that the dialogue was contrived and unrealistic. Lastly, don't listen to the audiobook. The narrator does a fine job throughout most of it but her "Canadian accent" was atrocious and very distracting.


Spoiler (ish) ahead: the whole idea that Amy, who was born in a room with no windows and lived without seeing sunlight for a decade (and who only ever saw her mother and brief glimpses of this other man), could come out and completely adjust and not be deficient in some capacity was just unrealistic. I'm no MD but it just seemed medically unbelievable.
Also, the ending was a joke. It seemed so unrealistic that the justice system wouldn't have warned Beth about his release seems ridiculous... I know this took place in England, not America, but I can't imagine they would have such different laws to protect victims.

[Aleesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from the first moment I started reading it. It is thought provoking. I couldn't stop reading it. I wanted to know what happened next. Telling the story on behalf of each of the main characters was very moving. I felt heartbroken at Amy's story and how she had never seen the sky or the light of day or even had a bath. That Beth was a doctor and that she had been held prisoner for 10 years. I was glad that in the end everything worked out for Beth, Amy and Joss.

[Angel Sefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating novel about lives affected by abduction
This is an interesting story that describes the suffering of Beth—a young woman abducted while pregnant—and her eight-year-old daughter Amy—who was born in captivity and has never experienced the outside world. The well-developed characters, the vivid descriptions, and the nice handling of using multiple points of view were very intriguing.

[Bernie Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story of kidnap and abuse that was similar to Room but with more insight into different POVs and the aftermath. Would like to read more by this author. Easily 5 stars.

[P.J. Fiala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unusual and Suspensful Unusual Suspense/Romance story, the characters felt real to me. I see why is was rated Readers' Favorite 5 star award winner. Wonderful book by Stevie Turner.

[Beem Weeks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Beth Nichols, recently engaged to Liam Darrah and having just learned she is pregnant, is snatched out of her life and world by a former patient named Edwin Evans. For the next ten years the unspeakable takes place on a daily basis in the basement dungeon to which her captor has banished the helpless woman. After Beth gives birth, she must find a way to keep her young daughter safe from the monster who believes the child is his. But when Beth becomes pregnant again, her life—and that of her daughter—is about to change in ways even she couldn’t have seen coming.

There’s a sadness running through the narrative voice of 9-year-old Amy, the child born into captivity. She’s never seen a real bird or the sea or the sun and moon. Young Amy has never set foot outside of the basement cell into which she was born. This is the only life the child has ever known, sharing that tiny scrap of space with her mother.

The story subject is one familiar to anybody following the news: Three girls held captive in a house of horrors in Cleveland, Ohio; young Jaycee Dugard stolen away from family and friends, abused for eighteen years by a madman; Elizabeth Smart, taken from her own bedroom in the middle of the night, a prisoner for nine months. There are plenty of others, with names we’ve heard and many more we’ll never know.

In A House Without Windows, author Stevie Turner has put forth a solid read filled with tight prose, vivid descriptions, and realistic narrative voices. The story, told by multiple POV characters, comes together via thoughts, memories, letters, and diary entries. I found it to be a compelling story that held my attention all the way through. The only downside: Readers don’t really get a look inside of Edwin Evan’s head. I would have loved to see what this man was thinking, what made him tick, what made him choose such a dark path to travel upon. But still, this is a book that I can recommend to anybody who enjoys the spirit of indie authored stories.

[Joy Lo-Bamijoko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in just two days. I was so carried away with it, that I had to finish it, and I did. I had to know how the story ended. What a sad, sad experience Beth was subjected to, and Amy too. This was an extraordinarily vivid story about the fear, agony, and deprivation abduction inflicts on those who experience it.

One day Beth was a young, happy, and carefree doctor with everything going well for her. Then abduction hit her. How can this happen? Yet we hear that these things are still happening as we speak. Fully grown women, not just only children anymore, are being abducted every day, and imprisoned for decades against their will. Who knows how many more are languishing in dark holes hidden away from prying eyes, and from the public. Who knows how many of them will never be found.

Beth and Amy’s story is sad, and unnerving. It is hard to take. It is even harder to think that the perpetrator is unrepentant and spoiling for revenge. Edwin believed that he was the wronged party after all he put Beth and her daughter through. People that mad should never be allowed to see the light of day. This was a hard story to read, very interesting though, as I already said. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. A must read!

[Christoph Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A House without Windows" by Stevie Turner is a very powerful and intense thrikker about a woman held in captivity with her daughter. Told from mutliple perspectives the story has several dimensions, which I particularly liked. A great read, I was given this book by the author ine xcahnge for an unbiased review.

[Deborah McClatchey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Stevie Turner has written a brilliant novel that will keep you turning the reader pages. Well-written characters that you will not soon forget. I was hooked by the first chapter. If you love action, suspense, horror, you don’t want to miss this one!! I give the author high marks and looking forward to reading more from her.

[Frank Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inevitably this book invites comparison with the award winning Room. Both were suggested by real life situations in which a woman was abducted and held captive for a number of years during which she gave birth to one or more children.

I have to say that Turner's imagining of such a scenario is very different – and none the worse for that. This is true both in the way the child's behaviour in captivity is portrayed and in events subsequent to the escape. Rather cleverly Turner allows the child, Amy, to acquire an Enid Blyton story book and her understanding of life outside the 'house without windows' is framed by the adventures of the fictional children.

It is difficult to discuss the two thirds of the book that covers the period after the escape without introducing spoilers. Suffice to say it involves a convincing portrayal of the love between two people who succeed in overcoming the extraordinary circumstances that have the potential to blight their lives.

There is, too, a look at the effect on a teenager of discovering that his biological father is an evil man whose obsession with his captive has not been dimmed by the passage of more than a quarter century. I love the way that Turner portrays English family life, her characters are always believable and reveal extraordinary resilience in the face of adversity.

As a male reader I was conscious throughout that this is a novel that is more likely to appeal to a female readership. That is not to say that this is anything like 'Chick Lit', it's premise and the events that ensue are much too serious for such a categorisation. I'd have no hesitation in recommending it to all my women friends and relatives.