I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
House of Splinters by Laura Purcell Published by Blackstone Publishing on February 10 2026
Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 350
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Laura Purcell delivers another chilling haunted house tale in this atmospheric and terrifying ghost story.
“Their procession had a sick, decayed sort of grandeur to it. This was what it was, Belinda thought, to be master of The Bridge. A throne of rotten fruit and ashes.”
House of Splinters is a companion novel to The Silent Companions and takes place about a hundred years prior to the main events in that book. You do not need to read The Silent Companions first, but it’s definitely worth picking up at some point. There are lots of crossover elements, like the journals of Anne Bainbridge, and both books revolve around a cursed house called the Bridge, passed down through several generations of Bainbridges. And of course, the “silent companions” in the title of the first book are the creepy wooden representations of real people that have a mind of their own, and once again the reader is thrown into this house where the companions—one of the most nightmare-inducing creations I’ve ever come across—are impossible to get rid of.
We follow Belinda and Wilfred Bainbridge, who have just inherited the Bridge after Wilfred’s father was found dead in the house. They have a son named Freddy, and Belinda is pregnant with her second child. Despite the sad circumstances, Wildred is secretly thrilled to have inherited the family home, which is sitting on a vast swath of land. Belinda was reluctant to leave the city, where she had carved out a place for herself in society, but she loves her husband and is willing to start fresh. Her beloved ladies maid Sawyer accompanies them as well, acting as nursemaid until Belinda can hire more help.
But when they arrive, Belinda begins to notice odd things about the house. Freddy seems to “know” things he shouldn’t, and his normally cheerful personality is changing. Belinda keeps hearing an odd scraping sound coming from another floor. The house itself is dark and imposing, and a huge wall in the entryway houses a terrifying array of antique and deadly weapons. And when they open the door to an old schoolroom in the nursery, it’s full of silent companions—creepy, lifelike representations of people made out of wood. Belinda is concerned when Freddy starts talking to them, and he goes into a rage when Wilfred insists on getting rid of the companions.
And then, out of the blue, Wilfred’s estranged younger brother Nathan appears on their doorstep. Nathan wants to make amends for something that happened between the brothers years ago, but Wilfred knows his presence can only mean trouble. As Nathan insinuates himself into the Bridge, Belinda’s unease grows. Wilfred and Nathan are hiding a terrible secret, and there’s talk of a curse hanging over the house. When Belinda finds the journals of Anne Bainbridge, an ancestor accused of witchcraft over a century ago, the pieces begin to fall into place. No one is safe in the Bridge, and Belinda must figure out a way to get her children to safety.
House of Splinters is a complex, layered story with a lot going on, and for this reason I liked it slightly less than The Silent Companions. It’s just a little too crowded in places, and sometimes a simpler story is better. But still, Laura Purcell is an excellent writer who nails the Gothic vibe perfectly. Almost every element casts a shadow over the characters—if you’re looking for an upbeat story with a happy ending, you’re definitely in the wrong place! First, there’s the neighboring town of Fayford, a group of superstitious townsfolk who are not happy with the plans Wilfred has for their land. Wilfred has also discovered that his father mismanaged the property, and nearly all of the wealth he thought he had inherited is gone.
Belinda’s pregnancy is also fraught with tension, and once her baby is born—in the house with a very unpleasant male doctor assisting—the anxiety ramps up even higher. Freddy refuses to leave the baby’s side, saying that she needs protection. But it’s the silent companions that make this story so unforgettable. Hovering just out of sight, the wood monstrosities seem to move on their own, turning up in unexpected places. Belinda thinks she sees one’s eyes move, and several characters wake up in the middle of the night, only to find a silent companion leering over them. Even worse, they resemble specific people, Bainbridge ancestors who have died under horrible circumstances. These scenes were truly frightening, and I remember being horrified when I discovered that silent companions are a real thing!
I also loved how the title, specifically the word “splinters,” plays out in the story. House of Splinters is not for the faint of heart—expect trigger warnings like graphic violence, death of a child and animal cruelty (there is a dog in the story who survives, but barely). Many of the characters are hiding terrible secrets, and we see most of these unfold from Belinda’s point of view.
Despite all the danger and doom and gloom, I found Belinda to be the shining beacon of hope in this story. Although women had no power during this time period, Belinda was lucky enough to marry a good man, so she was better off than many women. Once she realizes that the Bridge is dangerous place to live, she tries to find a way out, although it’s much harder than it sounds. Belinda’s determination gave me hope, and I loved the way she bucked tradition and took matters into her own hands to become a fierce protector of her children.
Readers who love gothic horror, family secrets and unexpected jump scares won’t want to miss House of Splinters.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
Huh, I didn’t know about dummy boards/silent companions at all either! Thanks for the link!
They are fascinating yet so disturbing!
Gothic horror, you say? You’ve certainly got my attention! It’s also good to know you don’t have to read The Silent Companions to be able to read this one.
Gothic horror is so irresistible right?
Somehow I missed this one. I’ll probably check it out on audio. I tend to do better with audio when a book has a lot going on because I can listen for longer stretches than I can when I’m sitting down to read. Thanks for review!
I could see the audio being really good. I hope you get to check it out!
Both this one and Silent Companions sound good. I checked out the silent companions link lol…creepy!
They are super creepy, and one of the few things that has honestly scared me in a book.
I own a copy of Silent Companions and now it looks like I need to dig it off my shelves. This sounds wonderful and just what I need might in my February lineup. So glad you enjoyed it and I wasn’t even aware it was a sequel!
You definitely need to read it!
That house does sound very creepy. I love novels with that Gothic vibe, but I’m not sure about this one. Maybe I’ll check out Silent Companions instead.
This was pretty hairy in places…
Oh I didn’t realize this is a companion novel, good to know. I really want to try books by this author because one of my friends really likes her books! ahh a creepy/malicious doctor attending a pregnant woman is something that I hate seeing in stories because it’s so terrifying but it does create a lot of tension which makes sense for horror. and oh gosh poor dog. I guess I’ve been duly warned lol.
The way they treated women back then was awful! But it definitely added to the atmosphere.
Im glad you enjoyed this one too and was very excited to check out this review when I spotted it. I agree that Purcell really nails the gothic atmosphere and think the ‘splinters’ scenes are chilling. Also the usage of the weapons wall is one that lingers in my mind to this day. Like you I slightly preferred The Silent Companions but for me thats because I found one element of the ending a little too easy. It was great to see that the author could still throw twists into the same setting though.
There are several unforgettable scenes in this book!
Sounds like a great read! Love the cover as well. Great review!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2026/01/17/arc-review-the-darkness-greeted-her-by-christina-ferko/
I love the cover too!
She really is the queen of gothic. This was a really good story and companion to the original story. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
Lynn 😀
I thought it fit in nicely with the Silent Companions.
The silent companions brought back memories of my favorite Doctor Who episode, Blink, that introduced the weeping angels. If they’re anything alike in how freaky that are then there’s a good chance I might enjoy this book. 🙂
I’m not familiar with the weeping angels, but they sound very creepy!
Great review, Tammy! Getting the Gothic vibe just right can be a challenge.
Thank you! She is a master at the vibe:-)
The article you shared is really interesting!! And this is an amazing review!!
Adding this one to my TBR! I won’t be reading this book during nighttime hours!
This one almost slipped through my net! Gotta remember to fit this in next month because I am dying to read Laura Purcell again.