Title: Newbourne Park
Author: Jennifer Thorne
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication date: September 29, 2026
Length: 368 pages
Genre: Horror
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGallety
Rating:
From the USA Today bestselling author of Diavola comes a darkly funny, blood-soaked horror novel about the terrifying seduction of unlimited power.
After years of caring for her dying mother, Martha Shaw feels empty, exhausted, and far older than her twenty-six years. So when her brother invites her to a weekend getaway at the opulent, two-hundred-acre country estate where his friend works, Martha reluctantly agrees. After all, what’s the harm? The owners and all their staff will be gone. Security cameras will be off. The house will be theirs. For the first time in years, Martha might actually have fun.
And it is fun, taking advantage of the historic mega-mansion and its vast grounds. Martha begins to feel human again. But when night falls, the rightful master of Newbourne Park returns—and she’s not alone. Suddenly, being caught trespassing is the least of their worries, because what steps out into the moonlight is something vicious. And hungry.
What began as a lark becomes a bloody battle for survival, where greed and morality collide—and a woman must choose to bow, break, or bite back.
Have you read books where you went in knowing only the bare basics, and had a sharply defined moment where you thought, “Oh, so THAT’s what this book is about!”? That was my reading experience with Newbourne Park, and I have to say, I loved experiencing it that way. So, with that in mind, I’m going to be as general as I can when talking about this book… although I suspect most reviews will tell you straight away that this is a [insert theme here!] story.
What the brief bits of the blurb I’d paid attention to told me, and what I’ll share here, is this: Martha Shaw has spent years caring for her dying mother in their cottage in a working-class village. Martha was expected to rise above her station; as a child, her mother took her and her brother on outings to visit great houses and estates, and Martha’s intelligence and gift for learning earned her a place in a prestigious school and an offer to study medicine at Oxford. Her shining future collapsed when her mother became ill, and now, months after her mother’s death, Martha finds herself lonely, depressed, and with not much going for her.
But as Martha tells us in the first few pages:
You’ll likely hate me by the end of this — but oh, my darlings, I could not care less.
Doesn’t sound like the woman I’ve described so far, does it? Clearly, something changes.
Martha’s brother insists on getting her out of the house once a week for pub nights, and convinces her to join him, his girlfriend, and his best friend Tommy on a weekend adventure. Tommy is a footman at a lavish estate, and the owners and staff will all be away. With even the security cameras disarmed for the weekend, it’s a rare opportunity to sneak onto the grounds and live like the rich folks do for a few days. Reluctantly, Martha agrees to go along, and feels drawn by Newbourne the moment she enters the estate.
At first, it’s a crazy risk that pays off. Yes, they’re trespassing, and of course, Tommy could be fired and they could all be arrested if caught… but Newbourne Park is beautiful and isolated, and its luxuries are too much to resist. But on their second day there, unexpected deliveries and arrivals interrupt the trespassers’ country getaway… and things take a turn toward violence and extreme danger.
And that’s only in the opening chapters!
Author Jennifer Thorne creates an unforgettable story out of familiar elements, showing Martha’s evolution into a person of power — both through elements outside of her control and through her own deliberate decisions. The descriptions of what she experiences at Newbourne are blood-soaked and scary, and yet, there are social elements that are downright funny as we see Martha skewering expectations and forcing her way into a world where she’d more naturally be excluded.
The horror elements are well-drawn, imbuing certain tropes with new twists as well as providing startling and often entertaining character moments. I loved seeing what becomes of Martha, how she changes from mousy and beaten-down into someone to be reckoned with, and what she’s willing to do in order to make sure her place at Newbourne is secure.
The pacing in Newbourne Park is fabulous, giving space for the personal moments and interactions while also keeping the sense of menace going full-tilt, and with scenes of violent action interspersed so the readers never lose sight of just what’s going on here.
Jennifer Thorne’s 2022 novel Lute remains my favorite of her books… but Newbourne Park is a close second! This author is incredibly talented, with a flair for compelling, complicated characters and vivid storytelling. I’m already eager to hear what she’ll be writing next!
Meanwhile, if my vague description of Newbourne Park has piqued your interest in any way… absolutely make a point of checking out the book! I couldn’t put it down. For horror fans, it’s a must-read.
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