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House Beneath the Bridge

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Is it possible to infect a place with evil? Are some atrocities so awful that the land itself becomes contaminated? And what would happened if you found yourself trapped in such a place?

What begins with a car crash on an ancient bridge ends with the ultimate sacrifice. Follow the survivors of a horrific accident as they try to understand their fates and find rescue. A rescue that should have already come.

Tom and Sophie Sumner have been married for ten years. They won't make it to eleven. Infidelity and neglect have torn their relationship apart and they part ways today. Sophie is going home to the village she grew up in. Cottontree. If there's any chance of Tom persuading her to give their marriage one last chance, it's now.

But Cottontree is a place with a much darker past than anybody knows, and the Sumners are about to have much bigger problems than their marriage.

196 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 29, 2017

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About the author

Iain Rob Wright

90 books1,565 followers
One of Horror's most respected authors, Iain Rob Wright is the writer of more than forty books, many of them bestsellers. A previous Kindle All-Star and a mainstay in the horror charts, he is a prolific producer of unique and original stories. From his apocalyptic saga The Gates to his claustrophobic revenge thriller ASBO, Iain writes across a broad spectrum of sub genres, creating both beloved series and standalone titles.

With work available in several languages and in audio, Iain Rob Wright is one of the fastest rising stars in horror, but when not writing he is a dedicated family man. Father to Jack and Molly, and husband to Sally, he is often seen sharing his family memories with his fans on Facebook.

To get 6 of his books for free (no strings), just visit: www.iainrobwright.com

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5 stars
347 (37%)
4 stars
292 (31%)
3 stars
201 (21%)
2 stars
67 (7%)
1 star
22 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
Profile Image for Peter.
3,263 reviews555 followers
March 31, 2020
The book starts very promising with a witch burning at the stake and a curse spoken towards the whole community. Then the contemporary story sets in with a couple living in divorce and a builder having an accident. Did they survive or die after crashing into each other on the bridge? What about the car with new girls? All the casualties get interwined in a fight between the real witch, the woman wrongly accused being one, Father Cotton (the blind monk) and a mysterious house beneath the bridge. The ingredients read fine but the tale flows on like a video game. To me the writing is up to date, the language modern, you'll find elements of horror (the blind monk, the toads) but I got absolutely no feeling of a horror novel. It reads well, there is a story line but to me it wasn't frightening at all. It could also have been a travel report. Don't get me wrong. The author can write, no doubt about it. But to me the atmosphere of a creepy horror novel was missing completely. Maybe it's more for young adults as a target group or I am too old for this kind of modern horror...
Profile Image for Marie.
1,009 reviews335 followers
Read
September 19, 2023
Dreaded DNF

Normally I like reading books by this author but this one is not doing it for me. I cannot seem to get my head space into the book. The story starts out good but then it kind of meanders around with a twist into a bizarre fantasy which I wasn't expecting with this story.

I was thinking it was going to be all horror and maybe have a haunting woven into the storyline but it unfortunately went off the rails for me. The characters in this story just seem blah for some reason and after trying to read it up to the 35% mark and I am still not feeling much of nothing for any of the characters. The beginning of the story was great and spooky but it has lost its polish the more I have read of the story. I still have a few books by this author which I will step back into at some point. With any book that I don't finish there will be no star rating.
Profile Image for William Bitner Jr..
543 reviews27 followers
March 5, 2018
House Beneath the Bridge
By Iain Rob Wright

Genre - Horror/Dark Fantasy
Pages - 194
Publication Date - Independently Published January 8, 2018
Format - Paperback
Stars - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

In “House Beneath the Bridge” Iain Rob Wright has taken a different road rather than the one usually traveled. Iain has a unique writing style, and if you are a fan of his work you can pick that out almost immediately. While still maintaining that skillful style he went and took us in a whole new direction this time and it was masterfully executed. I love horror and fantasy, as well as a good versus evil storyline. Iain gives us all that and so much more with this writing. Imaginative, unique and original are a few adjectives to describe what this read is. Suspense, drama, thrills, supernatural elements along with intrigue and so many twists and turns that you will have a hard time staying on the road just as the characters in this tale did. And throw in an evil demon toad (Chordaxis), and an alternate parallel existence and you have a journey worth taking. You can really tell Iain had a good time writing this yarn and that’s why I’m such a big fan...that love of writing always shines through in his work. If you haven’t read any of Iain’s work I recommend that you do so immediately as this one gets high grades in all categories.

Iain Rob Wright is one of the UK’s most successful horror and suspense writers, with numerous novels and short stories to his credit, including the critically acclaimed “The Final Winter” and the disturbing bestseller “ASBO” to name a few. I have read all his work and am a huge fan of all his work.

From the back cover: Is it possible to infect a place with evil? Are some atrocities so awful that the land itself becomes contaminated? And what would happened if you found yourself trapped in such a place?

What begins with a car crash on an ancient bridge ends with the ultimate sacrifice. Follow the survivors of a horrific accident as they try to understand their fates and find rescue. A rescue that should have already come.

Tom and Sophie Sumner have been married for ten years. They won't make it to eleven. Infidelity and neglect have torn their relationship apart and they part ways today. Sophie is going home to the village she grew up in. Cottontree. If there's any chance of Tom persuading her to give their marriage one last chance, it's now.

But Cottontree is a place with a much darker past than anybody knows, and the Sumners are about to have much bigger problems than their marriage.
Profile Image for Samantha.
54 reviews21 followers
August 18, 2023
??????? there was a topic that i absolutely hated it made me feel so sick but the beginning gave me literal nightmares so it is a 3 star
Profile Image for J.C. Brennan.
Author 5 books331 followers
February 22, 2018
An accident sends seven people into another realm. A dominion where things are not always as they seem and demons lurk in the shadows waiting to snatch their souls.
If you enjoy suspense and drama with a little dash of horror on the side, you will want to dive into this read and follow Tom, Mia, Father Cottonwood, and the others on their quest to get back to the real world.
Iain Rob Wright stories pull the reader in the pages to entice their imagination. As the story unfolds, builds, and develops it entertains and invites the reader to leave their world behind, if only for a short while. Great story one I would recommend to my friends who love horror or just a good damn story.
Profile Image for angela.
66 reviews2 followers
May 21, 2020
Nope

Language is so overdone. Unrealistic and over dramatic. It’s pure literary cheese. Could not even get past the first two pages. Someone on trial and in fear for their life is not going to indulge in flowery prose. Fear robs most people of their words regardless of how verbose they may be.
It read like the script from a seventh grade play.
Profile Image for Lauren.
37 reviews3 followers
June 1, 2018
The one liners made this worse than the worst B-Horror movie ever. Barely finished.
Profile Image for John Hosmer.
26 reviews1 follower
April 4, 2018
There were some really great moments in this book and I felt the premise could have set it up to be so much scarier than it ended up being.

By the end, I was just getting tired of the cheesy, cliche one-liners characters kept dishing out, I was constantly rolling my eyes and waiting for the book to end. I think more character development would’ve been helpful as well -it was hard for me to care about what happened with anyone.

It was a unique idea and it had strands of creepiness, but ultimately I didn’t really enjoy this very much.
521 reviews10 followers
December 20, 2017
Iain Rob Wright is an awesome writer. this book was terrific. very different and the ending blew me away. did not see that coming.

keep them coming!
Profile Image for Jennifer Tooker.
391 reviews10 followers
May 28, 2018

Full disclosure, I was provided with a copy of this book by the author, however, have voluntarily chosen to write a review. All opinions are my own.

What lies beneath

The House Beneath the Bridge is the newest full-length novel by horror author Iain Rob Wright and is a bit of a departure from his other books. While still very much in the horror genre, Wright has opted to craft a story that is not currently related to any of his previous offerings or set in any of his established worlds. The story primarily follows Sophie and Tom, an estranged couple on their way to Sophie’s childhood home in the village of Cottontree. After a freak accident on the entrance bridge sends them and the other accident victims plunging down the banks to the riverbed below, Sophie and Tom must put aside their differences and past hurts as they attempt to escape back to the roadway. That won’t be easy, however, as they are stalked by a terrifying entity known as “The Blind Monk”. The longer they remain in the realm under the bridge, the more they learn about a centuries-old betrayal and an evil more terrifying than they have ever encountered.

The premise of this story seems simple; a curse placed on a village a century ago has ensnared unsuspecting victims in the current time, but there is nothing simple with this story. Encompassing elements of witchcraft, idol worship, faith and love, The House Beneath the Bridge represents a textbook struggle between good and evil that is worthy of a big screen production. The problem is, as it usually always is with themes such as these, is that it gets really difficult to tell which side is which. The Blind Monk, as he is known, is an imposing and utterly ghastly creature while Emily Tanner comes off as the picture of innocence. Parts of this book for me were very difficult to read, but rather than turn me off the story, it only served to further depict the hell in which the characters have landed. As a Christian, I usually shy away from anything blatantly blasphemous or demonic, but Wright tends to broach these subjects in a way that is less shock for shock’s sake and more to illustrate the storyline. Even with that being said, there were a few times that I literally covered my eyes while reading certain parts of this book as the imagery was very unsettling. The conclusion of the story for me was unexpected, but not unwelcome and had me fighting back a tear. It’s been a few weeks since I finished the book and I’m still finding myself contemplating the final chapter. If you are not squeamish about your horror and are looking for a read that will keep you guessing and possibly give you nightmares, you would love The House Beneath the Bridge.

August 24, 2019
Wow

What started out confusing and crap , turned into something I just couldn't put down, I was intrigued as to what would happen next , the twist at the end was both expected and unexpected at the same time, well worth the read but be preformed the initial confusion.
Profile Image for Emma Parfitt.
53 reviews15 followers
September 3, 2023
This is the second book I have read by this author and I wasn’t disappointed!
The book starts off strong with an innocent woman being burned at the stake in front of the village for murder and witchcraft.
We then get introduced to the main characters who are all involved in a car crash. From then on things get wild!
No spoilers here so I’ll leave you to read the book for yourself!
A great read and will definitely seek more books by this author
Profile Image for Kerry Cahill.
152 reviews5 followers
January 9, 2018
Good, enjoyable read.

I liked the idea of this book, it's almost fantasy like... in a horror, adventure and ghoulish kind of way. Witches and warlocks, heaven and hell, a bit of everything really... it's almost endearing. It starts with a bang, and ends up in a life or death situation... who or what would you choose?
82 reviews
January 23, 2018
Brilliant!!

Been a big fan of Iain's since I read 'Final Winter' a few years ago and have read most, if not all, of his work since.
This yet another quirky yet thoroughly enjoyable twisted horror story, I enjoyed this so much I finished it in two sittings, it would have been one but life got in the way😒

Thoroughly enjoyable and can't wait for his next novel.
Profile Image for TE.
240 reviews3 followers
February 9, 2018
I've read other books by this author that I really liked but House Beneath the Bridge just wasn't for me. It was well written and others might enjoy it -- but for me, it was just too graphic.

For those who want to know: This one is an 18+ read. Everything about it is graphic: language, violence, gore and necrophilia.
Profile Image for lina.
209 reviews14 followers
September 22, 2020
Again a masterpiece

What can I say I've always loved Iain Rob Wright. I can see why his books are very popular in England. I love how the demon in the story was very evil and his minions to. But I won't give spoilers because you got to have your own opinion in matters of books. 5 hell dimensions out of 5
Profile Image for malinda.
86 reviews5 followers
June 10, 2019
Unfortunately,I don't write reviews for a lot off the books I read. Only because I read so many books a week that writing a review for each and every one would be a daunting job, but when I come across an Author that continually amazes me and pulls me completely into a new world of their making,I feel I owe them the respect,thanks,and time to make my opinion known. Ian Rob Wright is one off those authors. I read a variety of genres,mostly suspense, thrillers and horror and Mr. Weight knocks it out of the park EVERY time! I first stumbled upon his work with the novel Housemates and that was the start of a beautiful relationship. The House Beneath the Bridge had actually been sitting in my queue for at least a year waiting to be read b/c the book description didn't quite five me high hopes of it being something I'd enjoy...Wow,to realize the amazing story I deprived myself of for so long. Yes,the strong supernatural content is something that will usually lose my interest quickly,but I never should have doubted this Author.It was definitely another masterpiece..it was gripping,literally had me gripping my kindle so hard, I thought it would snap in half and it was such a creative and original plot. I read it in one sitting(as I often do with almost every book of his I read). I love that his books are full of creepiness and are super dark without being a "cheap" thrill like sho many horror books are these days. It has an intelligent and intriguing plot while delivering all the fun you want from a horror. I'm always good at predicting endings pretty accurately,as a lot of avid readers are,but the VERY end of this book was a complete surprise for me and one that made the book all the more better...No one else could've created a more perfect ending for this book. I feel as strongly about the previous books I've read by Ian Wright and can't wait to finish this review and discover the next amazing journey he has in store for me!
Profile Image for Jeff D..
86 reviews
December 2, 2020
Could have been a 4 perhaps 4.5 star type book if not for the editing and mistakes. There were a few minor errors ( character referred to as different character) which is no biggie. Bigger problems : Sophie referring to the Oak tree as the Hickory tree with a different backstory which would have made sense for the Oak tree, Gwen killing Emily but author never mentions with what ( spear? scissors? Stick?) and a few others. Kind of ruined it once you picked up on it. Also - the entire storyline is based on Christian theology ( monks, churches, etc) but Mia saves the day with a prayer to Allah - which is a perfect opportunity to mention how faith is faith etc etc but author doesn't even acknowledge this in anyway- goes right back to christian theology. Liked it but could have been so much better - had plenty of plot twists.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Melissa.
49 reviews1 follower
February 12, 2023
I have read three books by this author and every one has been a hit for me. I needed this book after reading 'The Devil Crept in" which almost put me in a reading slump. Iain Rob Wright has such a special way of writing most horrible/disturbing scenes while also infusing them with humanity, love, and compassion.

Even though the book did not have what some would consider a good ending- the ending fit the theme- and the ending gave hope and highlighted the power of love- that love is eternal. Iain's writing style has a way of sucking you in. Of creating a whole world in front of your eyes. He makes you feel and care for the characters. Even the ones that are classified as "evil". This was close to a 5 star read for me. Its a book I will defiantly read again and I simply could not put it down. Read it in a few hours! Mr. Wright did it again!
46 reviews
April 22, 2020
Absolutely amazing!! Definitely could not put it down! Read it within a few hours!!! The ending of Tom Stan with his wife was just the best ending ever with going back to life he was not going to have her if he stayed he had her and a little cottage that was left for them At the hand of the priest Mr. Cottonwood was just beautiful given all they went through... definitely some fabulous twists and turns that I didn't see it coming and that is rare... with exception to I felt like the priest would come back in some form or manner... I am so glad he did... again amazingly written flawless flowed very easily and extremely captivating! Definitely love this author and look forward to reading more books of his I have another one ready in my queue!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Mylene.
297 reviews1 follower
July 29, 2018
Should be made into a movie

Wow! That was a fun read. It was such a unique story and that is key to a great tale. I loved the story so much, I gave a synopsis to my non-reading husband at the halfway point and he couldn’t wait for me to finish so I could tell him what happened next. If you want a consistent author who tells amazing tales (and has recurring minor/major characters that show up in his other novels) then you need to read Iain’s books. Can’t wait for the next one.
Profile Image for Lisa.
260 reviews12 followers
Read
March 10, 2020
Mr. Wright has...

...a VERY warped imagination.
Several parts of this book completely freaked me out and truly left me wondering about his mental status LOL!
Then again, I also wonder about King and Saul's, so what did that tell you?

This was a GREAT BOOK & I don't give compliments easily. It even left room for a sequel. I just found "Mr. Wright" and this is the second of his horror books I've read. I'm going to keep reading and hope they stay consistently eerie and he stays consistently warped!
20 reviews
August 15, 2023
Wow! What a whirlwind!

In all my readings of Iain Wright's novels, this is definitely one of my favourites. There were a surprising amount of twists and turns, you never knew which way they were coming from and his detailed gore really shocked me in a good way.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and characters and thought this was going to be a simple occult horror but it was way more than that. It had a deep sadness, love and perfect ending.

I enjoyed the balance of the occult and supernatural.

A must read if there ever was one!
506 reviews3 followers
February 26, 2020
TOTALLY AWESOME READ!!

As always, Iain writes books, that you can't put down, until the very end!! And...a VERY surprising ENDING, it was!! A Master at horror stories, this one will leave the reader in awe at the end! A town, a bridge that disappears leave stunned people, who were driving across, then end up in an entirely different time and space. Will they survive....guess you'll have to read to find out....lol
Profile Image for Silviah Colombara.
111 reviews2 followers
March 12, 2020
Not bad. I will definetely read something else from Iain Rob Wright.

Liked the idea of the accident that transports the characters in a world that looks very much like Hell. I was expecting the entire story to last just for one moment after the accident itself and was not disappointed.

The only disappointing thing was Tom's choice at the end.. But I was kind of expecting it, since he is a man without any courage...

Overall a nice read.
9 reviews
June 14, 2020
Just finished my 2nd time reading . Super book but I’m impartial to IRW books anyway. He never lest me down and is a great escape from modern day. This book is full of horrors and amazing twists and turns. Has you rooting for both good and evil at the same time. A dark chilling ride that leaves you hoping it’s not something true. Characters are well rounded with just enough backgrounds and sometimes from prior books. You can’t go wrong with this author.
Profile Image for Jo Bembridge.
1 review
May 31, 2021
I had high hopes for this novel. I'm afraid it fell short in many key areas.
The characters were very one dimensional. I built no empathy or liking for any of them.
With horrific injuries and dire happenings around them, the silly characters continued to wise-crack and take everything in their stride.
No deep dive into what might have happened to them, and they became super heroes!
Very six-form literature class effort. Pretty terrible throughout.
Profile Image for Krisaundra.
215 reviews12 followers
February 3, 2018
Disappointed

I've read quite a few books by this author but this is the first time I've not been able to leave a positive review. For anyone who isn't familiar with his work and didn't enjoy this book I highly recommend checking out one of his many other books. Until now I have really enjoyed reading other books by this very talented writer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews

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