My Father's House

My Father's House by Ulf Kvensler
8/5/25; 368 pages
Hanover Square Press

My Father's House by Ulf Kvensler is a highly recommended Scandinavian psychological thriller.

Isak works as a home health care giver in a small town in Småland and lives with his girlfriend, Maddy. Over a decade earlier, when Isak was six-years-old, he lost his mother and sister in a house fire. His father never came for him but his grandfather Anders adopted him. He has had no real contact with his father since then beyond one strange encounter. Now his father, an internationally known artist, is dying so he contacted Isak. He wants Isak to visit him at his remote island retreat and alludes to Isak inheriting his fortune.

Once there, it will be clear to readers that Isak's father immediately begins to manipulate him, creates odd scenarios, may be drugging him, and plays endless mind games.It is well-written and will hold your attention. The atmosphere created at his father's palatial home is creepy and there are supernatural elements all over. Isak is having nightmares and his anxiety is running high. His father keeps dangling an inheritance as bait to keep his control over Isak. Maddie seems to be siding with his father.

Isak is portrayed as a complicated, fully realized character, while the other characters are more caricatures of a type of person. While reading, I was getting a bit frustrated that Isak didn't just walk away from his father, a psychopath, and maybe clue-in that something was up with Maddie, which will be clear to readers. I also could have done without the supernatural elements and personally skimmed that bit. 

My Father's House will be a good choice for readers who enjoy dark psychological thrillers. Thanks to Hanover Square Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.