Abr Books

’There’s something wrong here, something rotten at the core. They’ve all been driven mad by it and maybe I have too.’

On the edge of town sits Briarlee House, home to eccentric playwright Dallas Bentley and his horde of bickering drama students. The Bentleys have always been the subject of local gossip, but whether they’re a devil-worshipping cult or simply antisocial hippies, nobody can agree.

This is where failing medical student Caz finds himself staying for the summer. When they’re not knocking each other’s heads into walls, or throwing spiteful barbs around the dinner table, the Bentleys spend their days rehearsing a play that Caz has somehow landed himself a role in. Life with his new friends is certainly never dull.

But as summer drags on, Caz starts to suspect the Bentleys are hiding something. Lara always seems to know what’s on his mind, Val takes creepy photographs, and Ronan is at the centre of an infamous town tragedy. Then there’s Courtney, the girl the Bentleys won’t talk about, whose diary mysteriously ends up in Caz’s possession. As his life outside of Briarlee falls apart, and the Bentleys’ dubious morals weigh on his conscience, Caz questions everything. What are the Bentleys hiding, what happened to Courtney, and most importantly, what will happen to him if he digs too deep?

WELCOME TO THE MAD HOUSE.