House of Sand cover art

House of Sand

A Dark Psychological Thriller

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House of Sand

By: Michael J. Sanford
Narrated by: Michael Robbins
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About this listen

I want to watch you burn.

Consumed by hate, I've done the unthinkable. And it's turned me into a hero. Now, I must decide how far I'll go to keep my secret safe.

I won't let you know the truth.

But the sounds that echo in my head...are only growing louder.

Attempted murder gives a man his family back. It's everything he's ever wanted, but he can't forget what he did. And the longer he holds the secret, the more control he loses to the darkness whispering in his ear. It craves violence and can't be silenced forever. The line between truth and lies is disappearing. And with it, the difference between right and wrong.

Warning: Strong adult language and graphic violence.

©2017 Michael J. Sanford (P)2018 Michael J. Sanford Psychological Thriller & Suspense Thriller Fiction Suspense

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This is a compelling listen. I felt at times that I was going as mad as our protagonist. It was genuinely heartbreaking to be there as he sank further and further into complete lunacy. Mr Sanford has composed Hamlet for the modern age. After all, there is much discussion as to whether Hamlet's madness is real or feigned, and at times, it seems as if our hero/villain is very much in control of his actions. Ultimately, what is real, what is imagined, who is real or imagined. A deeply disturbing tale that I can only hope will give those people who want sufferers of depression or mental illness to 'pull themselves together', pause for thought. A difficult, and I'm sure some would say controversial, book to hear but the message is well worth listening to.

Controversial and compelling

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A book in three parts, tracing a father's decent into madness. Powerfully written in the first person, the reader is inside the head of the main protagonist, who is already troubled, depressed and delusional. He is unemployed, having been fired from his previous job as a paramedic and is having little success in finding a new job: he always seems to mess up any application. His wife works full time but they are in financial difficulties with the house likely to be repossessed soon. She is getting both desperate and resentful that her husband isn't taking on more of the responsibilities. And they have an eight years old daughter.

Part one really introduces us to the family and to the strange sound repetition resounding around in the lead protagonist's head. He also has time drop outs, forgetting appointments and generally losing parts of his day; until his house burns down, he wakes in the hospital and is hailed an hero. Suddenly he has everything he had always wanted: admiration and the love of his family. But then everything starts to go wrong again.

This first section is totally compelling. But the following two parts, charting his further disintegration descends into a mixture of madness and horror where truth and reality meld together both for the man himself and the reader. Although still well written, it moves out of the realm of psychological and almost into the paranormal, jumping between places and ideas in an alarmingly disconcerting way to the final denouement at the end of the book. For this reader, it detracted from the original successes established earlier. Still a can't put down read but not fulfilling the excellence of the opening sections.

The soundtrack is cleverly done, with odd repetitive noises and phrases invading the background, mimicking those in the protagonist's head. But it is narrator, Michael Robbins, who truly makes the story come alive with his excellent interpretation of the husband struggling with his moods and confusions. His pace perfect, gentle, pleasing voice catches all the nuances of his situation as well as giving individual voice to all other characters. His was a really good and unsettling performance.

I am pleased to have listened to this book and have to thank the rights holder of House of Sand for freely gifting me a complimentary copy, at my request, via Audiobook Boom. The work was vivid, imprinting heavily in my mind as well as being thought provoking, frightening in it's earlier implications and, as such, rather sad. How well do we ever know anyone, even ourselves? However, the latter part, for me, pushed just that little bit too far, became too confusing and thus lessened the overall impact. Removing the larger part of section two would have improved this. Would I recommend it as it stands? Possibly, but only to someone who likes violence and blood mixed with over the top unreality included with their psychological thrills.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick...

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