The Inciting Discovery
"I WILL SAVE THEM FROM THE ATTIC."
Speaker: Debbie Hunter (as a child) | Context: Mia discovers this sentence carved into the skirting board of the room they plan to use as a nursery in Chapter 10.
Analysis: This quote serves as the catalyst for the entire plot, setting Mia on a path that leads to the horrifying discovery in the attic. The childlike handwriting juxtaposed with the sinister message immediately establishes the theme of The Past Haunting the Present. The irony is that the author, Debbie Hunter, is also the killer, making this quote a piece of tragic foreshadowing of Debbie's warped perception of her actions as acts of "saving." This discovery propels the narrative forward while hinting at the dark secrets buried within the Hunter family.
The Ultimate Manipulation
"I want you to leave Finn... Part of the condition of you moving away is that you leave my grandson behind."
Speaker: Debbie Hunter | Context: After months of feigning support, Debbie confronts Mia, offering her money to abandon her marriage and her son, Sonny, in Chapter 37.
Analysis: This quote reveals Debbie's mastery of Manipulation and Control, stripping away her facade of a caring mother-in-law to reveal a cold, calculating monster. It's a cruel power play designed to exploit Mia's vulnerability and postpartum struggles. The statement showcases the depths of her possessiveness and moral depravity, as she is willing to buy a child and destroy a marriage to maintain her grip on her family. This moment defines Debbie's character, highlighting her willingness to go to any lengths to control those around her.
The Tragic Misdirection
"One person’s death can mean another person’s rebirth... Please tell them that I am sorry for what I’ve done."
Speaker: Dave Hunter | Context: In the warehouse, surrounded by suitcases, Dave Hunter says these final words to Mia right before taking his own life in Chapter 50.
Analysis: This quote is a masterful piece of misdirection that cements the reader's belief in Dave's guilt. His words are deliberately ambiguous; while Mia and the reader interpret them as a confession to the murders, he is actually apologizing for a lifetime of enabling Debbie and is sacrificing himself to protect her. This moment is the tragic culmination of Dave's character arc, a man so ensnared by Family Secrets and Lies that his only escape is death. The dramatic irony is profound, as his suicide ensures the real killer remains free and his own legacy is forever tarnished.
The Final, Shocking Twist
"I’m not going to manipulate him like I let Debbie manipulate me... Not until he’s much older than he is now. Not until he is ready."
Speaker: Finn Hunter | Context: In his final internal monologue in the Epilogue, Finn Hunter reflects on raising Sonny after revealing he has killed both George and Lorna.
Analysis: This chilling final line completely upends the reader's understanding of the story and its resolution. It reveals that Finn, far from being a victim of his mother's machinations, has become a monster in his own right. The quote is the devastating conclusion to the novel's exploration of Nature vs. Nurture, suggesting that Debbie's twisted "nurture" has created an even more cold and efficient killer. The cycle of violence is not broken but passed down to the next generation, ending the book on a note of absolute horror and despair.
Thematic Quotes
Family Secrets and Lies
The Facade of Honesty
"We’ve always been 100 per cent honest with one another, but today I hold back on sharing what I’m really thinking – that we’ve made a bloody huge mistake and we are so far out of our comfort zone that we can’t even see it from where we’re standing now."
Speaker: Mia | Context: Mia reflects on her and Finn's relationship as they first arrive at the dilapidated house in Chapter 1.
Analysis: This early quote establishes the theme of secrets from the very beginning. Mia's internal monologue reveals that the foundation of her marriage to Finn is already compromised by a lack of true honesty. It serves as powerful foreshadowing for the monumental secrets that will later be revealed, from Finn's affair and secret child to the murderous history of his entire family. The house itself becomes a physical manifestation of the secrets they are keeping from each other—a project built on a lie.
The Pact of Silence
"This family only works when we are united. We cannot let her interfere with that."
Speaker: Debbie Hunter | Context: Debbie Hunter says this to Dave Hunter after learning that Mia has discovered his connection to the missing children from the past in Chapter 31.
Analysis: This line perfectly encapsulates the toxic ethos of the Hunter family. Debbie's use of the word "works" implies that their family is a machine that functions only through the maintenance of secrets and a united front against outsiders like Mia. It highlights Debbie's role as the enforcer of this pact, demanding absolute loyalty from Dave to protect their dark history. The quote underscores the theme that their unity is not built on love or trust, but on a shared, desperate need to conceal the truth.
Nature vs. Nurture
A Killer's Justification
"I am not like them yet I am them. I kill as they killed but not for the same reason. I kill to save others, not punish them."
Speaker: Debbie Hunter | Context: In one of her narrated chapters, Debbie Hunter reflects on her murderous impulses and her relationship with her own killer parents in Chapter 18.
Analysis: This quote is a chilling insight into the warped psychology of Debbie Hunter. She acknowledges the "nature" aspect of her murderous tendencies, inherited from her parents, but justifies her actions through a twisted sense of "nurture," believing she is a savior rather than a predator. This self-deception is central to her character, allowing her to commit heinous acts under the guise of compassion. It powerfully illustrates the theme by showing how a horrific upbringing can create a monster who rationalizes their evil as a form of righteousness.
The Cycle Continues
"What kind of mother teaches their son how to kill?"
Speaker: Finn Hunter | Context: Finn Hunter confronts Debbie Hunter in the psychiatric hospital, finally holding her accountable for his twisted upbringing in Chapter 69.
Analysis: This rhetorical question marks a pivotal moment where Finn seems to reject the horrific "nurture" he received from Debbie. It appears to be a moment of moral clarity, where he condemns her for manipulating him into becoming an accomplice to her crimes. However, the tragic irony, revealed in the Epilogue, is that while he verbally rejects her methods, he has fully internalized her lessons. This quote is essential because it represents a false dawn, making the final reveal that he plans to do the same to Sonny all the more shocking.
Character-Defining Quotes
Mia
"Well I’m glad I’ve got broken bloody ovaries because that means she’ll never get to sink her claws into a grandchild."
Speaker: Mia | Context: Mia lashes out at Finn after Debbie Hunter makes a cruel comment about their inability to have children in Chapter 3.
Analysis: This quote captures the fiery, wounded, and defiant nature of Mia before the trauma of the house grinds her down. It reveals the depth of her pain regarding her infertility struggles, but also her fierce recognition of Debbie's manipulative nature, which she correctly identifies as "claws." It's a moment of raw, unfiltered emotion that defines her initial character: a fighter who is deeply hurt by her mother-in-law's cruelty but is not yet broken by it.
Finn Hunter
"What the fuck have we just done? What the actual fuck?"
Speaker: Finn Hunter | Context: Finn Hunter's internal reaction upon seeing the dilapidated house he and Mia have just purchased at auction in Chapter 2.
Analysis: This quote perfectly defines the persona Finn presents to the world and the reader for most of the novel. It portrays him as a pragmatic, slightly anxious, and relatable everyman overwhelmed by a massive undertaking. This initial characterization is crucial as it creates a stark and horrifying contrast with the cold, calculating killer he is revealed to be in the Epilogue. The line serves as a brilliant piece of character-based misdirection, making his ultimate transformation all the more shocking.
Debbie Hunter
"You can come out now."
Speaker: Debbie Hunter (as a child) | Context: A young Debbie Hunter speaks these words in a "sing-song inflection" to the narrator (her younger self) immediately after her parents have murdered someone in the locked room in the Prologue.
Analysis: Delivered with cheerful innocence in the immediate aftermath of a murder, this line is the perfect encapsulation of Debbie Hunter's character. It demonstrates the profound normalization of horror in her childhood, where murder is followed by a call to come out and play. This chilling juxtaposition of tone and context defines her as a monster forged in trauma, one who hides her depravity behind a deceptively maternal and ordinary facade.
Dave Hunter
"For all her faults, I could never be without this woman. She came into my life at a time when I needed someone to be on my side, and she has never left. I would die for her, without hesitation."
Speaker: Dave Hunter | Context: Dave Hunter reflects on his deep, unwavering loyalty to Debbie Hunter late one night in Chapter 4.
Analysis: This quote is the key to understanding the entirety of Dave Hunter's motivations. His life is defined by a twisted, all-consuming loyalty to the woman who "saved" him when he was a boy. This devotion blinds him to her evil and compels him to be her silent accomplice, cleaning up her messes and ultimately sacrificing his own life and reputation to protect her. The line is both a declaration of love and a tragic prophecy that he fulfills in the most dramatic way possible.
Opening and Closing Lines
Opening Line
"I pluck up the courage to make my move and begin my ascent of the staircase. I know this route well so I avoid every creaky floorboard."
Speaker: Debbie Hunter (as a child) | Location: Prologue
Analysis: The novel's opening line immediately immerses the reader in an atmosphere of secrecy and dread. The phrase "I know this route well" suggests a horrifying familiarity with the act of sneaking up on a scene of violence. It establishes a tone of suspense and hints at a childhood where stealth and silence are survival skills. This sets the stage perfectly for a story steeped in hidden horrors and dark family secrets, where the most terrifying things happen behind closed doors.
Closing Line
"Not until he’s much older than he is now. Not until he is ready."
Speaker: Finn Hunter | Location: Epilogue
Analysis: The book's final line is a gut-punch that delivers the ultimate twist. After a narrative that seems to conclude with the exposure of the killer, this sentence reveals that the evil has not been vanquished but has merely been passed down a generation. It confirms that Finn has fully embraced his mother's murderous legacy and intends to groom his own son, Sonny, in the same way. This horrifying revelation about the continuation of the cycle ensures the story ends not with resolution, but with a lingering and profound sense of terror.