The House on Buzzards Bay

A psychological suspense thriller of old secrets, uncanny disturbances and one unforgettable beach house

Dwyer Murphy author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Bedford Square Publishers

Publishing:6th Nov '25

£9.99

This title is due to be published on 6th November, and will be despatched as soon as possible.

The House on Buzzards Bay cover

When a group of old college friends reunites for a summer vacation at a beach house in coastal Massachusetts, a sudden disappearance and the arrival of a seductive stranger threaten to unearth the darkest secrets of their relationships.

'A masterful psychological thriller...It’s a devilish twist on the traditional locked-room mystery.' Publishers Weekly Starred Review

'A delicious, brooding heart-stopper of a book.' - Tea Obreht, author of The Tiger's Wife

As they hurtle into midlife, Jim and his closest college friends get together to rekindle the bonds of their friendship in his family’s beautiful, generations-old vacation home along Buzzards Bay. But what begins as a restorative seaside escape takes a darker turn when Bruce, an aloof but successful writer, disappears from the house without a trace.

Meanwhile, a series of mysterious break-ins besets the town, which is the site of an old Spiritualist campground turned idyllic fishing village. After a series of uncanny disturbances at the house, Jim can’t help but feel that someone — or something — is watching them. And with the arrival of a strange, seductive guest at their home, the group begins to question the very nature of their experiences — along with their already precarious ties with one other.

In The House on Buzzards Bay, Dwyer Murphy returns with a chilling, atmospheric page-turner that explores the bonds of friendship, the growing accumulation of life's responsibilities, and whether our youthful dreams can endure the complexities of adulthood.

'Terrific characterization, an intricate plot and stylish writing to boot' Publishers Weekly on The Stolen Coast


'Murphy’s evocative novel is a noir thriller filtered through the prism of middle-aged friends dealing with the emotional weight of adulthood' The Washington Post


'Dwyer Murphy expertly crafts a sense of dread in this psychological thriller, and the last pages will have you shocked' Town & Country


'It’s not just the superb writing but also the structure of the story, which grabs the reader from the opening paragraphs and keeps them constantly on their toes, trying to figure out what’s going on, and becoming increasingly concerned for the safety of these beautifully constructed characters. Murphy outdoes himself here, spectacularly' Booklist


'Another top-notch effort by Murphy, one of the most distinctive of young crime-oriented novelists' Kirkus Reviews


'CrimeReads editor-in-chief Murphy (The Stolen Coast) charts the complex relationships between a group of longtime friends in this masterful psychological thriller... It’s a devilish twist on the traditional locked-room mystery' Publishers Weekly


'A classic New England literary mystery pitched somewhere between The Secret History, If We Were Villains, and L’Avventura, with all of Dwyer's economy and wit. I loved it' Adrian McKinty, New York Times bestselling author of The Island


'A delicious, brooding heart-stopper of a book.” Téa Obreht, New York Times bestselling author of Inland

ISBN: 9781835013137

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

256 pages