BOOK REVIEW: THE HOUSE OF DROUGHT BY DENNIS MOMBAUER

26/7/2022

It succeeds in being creepy at times and manages to make you genuinely care about the children.

The House of Drought by Dennis Mombauer

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stelliform Press (11 July 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 122 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1777091780
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1777091781

A Book Review by David Watkins

A haunted house for the climate change era

This Sri Lanka set novella presents a view of a country I know very little about. By itself, this is interesting enough to get my attention but factor in well drawn characters, an intriguing mystery and good writing and we have a winner.

The core of the novella has Bernhard Zimmerkrug (consistently mispronounced by the locals) trying to film a documentary about the impact of climate change on the local communities. He stumbles across a deserted mansion and looks into its history.

To say more would veer into spoiler territory, but briefly he finds missing children, absent uncles and stories about the Sap Mother and the Dry House.

There are frequent time jumps, usually at the start of each act, but these are never confusing because of the skill of the author. The story takes on a rhythm of its own and we soon reach the somewhat inevitable climax.

I would have liked to know more about the Sap Mother as details are on little vague throughout the novella. Her infrequent appearances are used to build tension, but I was still unsure of her purpose by the end. What exactly is she? An old witch? Something more ancient? She’s described as a spirit of the forest, but what does that mean?

Furthermore, this is described as ‘a haunted house for the climate change era’, but the house isn’t haunted in the traditional sense – there are no ghosts – and the cause of the events in the house are not solely down to climate change (or at least not to this reader).

I also had a problem with the ending, as there seems to be a rather obvious solution to Bernhard’s predicament. To say more would break my rule on spoilers, but feel free to ask me about it on Twitter, or in the comments below.

However, none of these flaws detract from a well-constructed, well told story. It succeeds in being creepy at times and manages to make you genuinely care about the children.

Overall, I really enjoyed this snapshot of a culture I know next to nothing about. Recommended.

The House of Drought
by Dennis Mombauer

“Mombauer’s eerie, disorienting debut novella explores the haunting consequences of climate change and colonial greed. … At once climate fiction and gothic horror, Mombauer’s mosaic tale manages to convey a powerful message without ever feeling preachy, painting a picture of a house that is more than just haunted. Readers will be captivated.”
— Publishers Weekly

“An eerie blend of myth and ghost story; the kind of haunting read that will linger with you long after the last page.”
— A.C. Wise, Bram Stoker Award Finalist

A HAUNTED HOUSE FOR THE CLIMATE CHANGE ERA.

On the island of Sri Lanka, at a colonial mansion between the forest and the paddy fields, a caretaker arrives with four children in tow after pledging to keep them safe. When violent thugs storm the house demanding that Ushu repay his debt, young Jasmit and the other children hide in an upstairs bathroom where a running tap opens a gateway to escape. But the Dry House is not the only force at work in the place where the forest and the estate meet-something else stirs in the trees, something ancient, something that demands retribution.

The Sap Mother bides her time, watching and learning from the house's inhabitants. She burrows beneath the foundations of the Dry House, hungry for atonement. Pulled between these warring powers, Jasmit must choose between saving those trapped in the mansion's bulging stomachs and preparing the house for when the Mother emerges again.

David Watkins

David Watkins lives in Devon in the UK with his wife, two sons, dog, cat and two turtles. He is unsure of his place in the pecking order: probably somewhere between the cat and the turtles.

He has currently released three novels: The Original's Return, The Original's Retribution and The Devil's Inn. Each book is well rated and reviewed on Amazon and beyond.

His most recent release is Rhitta Gawr, part of the Short Sharp Shocks series.
Coming this summer... The Exeter Incident from D&T Publishing.

Read more here: author.to/DavidWatkins