Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

Title: Haunted Ever After (Boneyard Key #1)

Author: Jen DeLuca

Publisher: Berkley 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 326

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 5 (although not really until the end)

Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning. 

Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she's catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order.

As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don't get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie's worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing…and Nick's afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

I was excited to see a new book from Jen DeLuca. I mostly loved her Well Met series and was hoping for some more swoony romance. This series is a bit different. We get a spooky setting of the haunted Florida town of Boneyard Key and the mystery of a potentially harmful ghost. Intertwined we get the story of Cassie’s attempt to find a home and Nick’s attempt to find happiness. I enjoyed their story, but at times, it felt like not enough. I wanted more emotion, more spookiness, more mystery, and definitely more steamy scenes. I will read the next book (maybe about Theo and Sophie?), but won’t be holding my breath for this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

Title: The Book of Cold Cases

Author: Simone St. James

Publisher: Berkley 2022

Genre: Mystery, Horror

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall TBR; Unread Shelf

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

Another absolute win from St. James. I really loved The Sun Down Hotel and really hoped that this one would be another winner. It was! We get a decades old murder cases, a heroine with past trauma, an intriguing possible villain, and a creepy creepy locale (in this case a house stuck in time). I dove in and read this book in just about three days. I was obsessed with figuring out the details of the murders and understand Shea’s present and potential future. St. James keeps up the suspense all throughout the novel, not letting up until the story concludes. Her writing creates those visual scenes in my head that I want in a paranormal thriller. I cannot wait to discuss this later this month at book club.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Title: Anya’s Ghost

Author: Vera Brosgol

Publisher: First Second 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel Fantasy

Pages: 224

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part . . .

Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who's been dead for a century.

Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend―even a ghost―is just what she needs.

Or so she thinks.

Interesting… I had no idea what this graphic novel was actually about until after I started reading it. I was pleasantly surprised by this strange story involving a girl and a ghost she found in a hole. We follow Anya as she navigates balancing life at home and at school as she attempts to create her own identity; And then things start to change, and not really for the better. I sped through this one and really fell for Anya’s struggles. She finds her fitting in the end, but it is a journey.

Next up on the TBR pile:

In Love with a Haunted House by Kate Goldman

Title: In Love with a Haunted House

Author: Kate Goldman

Publisher: 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 130

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

The last thing Mallory Clark wants to do is move back home. She has no choice, though, since the company she worked for in Chicago has just downsized her, and everybody else. To make matters worse her fiancé has broken their engagement, and her heart, leaving her hurting and scarred. When her mother tells her that the house she always coveted as a child, the once-famed Gray Oaks Manor, is not only on the market but selling for a song, it seems to Mallory that the best thing she could possibly do would be to put Chicago, and everything and everyone in it, behind her. Arriving back home she runs into gorgeous and mysterious Blake Hunter. Blake is new to town and like her he is interested in buying the crumbling old Victorian on the edge of the historic downtown center, although his reasons are his own. Blake is instantly intrigued by the flame-haired beauty with the fiery temper and the vulnerable expression in her eyes. He can feel the attraction between them and knows it is mutual, but he also knows that the last thing on earth he needs is to get involved with a woman determined to take away a house he has to have.

Big caveat: I realize that this is more like a short story than a novel, so my review might be a bit unfair. But I still stand by my thoughts on this one.

I really really really wanted to love this story. I love the set-up of a woman returning to her hometown and attempting to buy the gothic mansion next door. I love the arrival of a long-lost grandson to stake a claim on the mansion. I love love love the idea of them getting together and working out how to deal with their attraction to each other and the house over the course of the story. I disliked how rushed this all feels. And I really dislike the weird interludes from the ghost. This seems like more of an initial story treatment than something that you actually publish.

Next up on the TBR pile:

House of Secrets by Darcy Coates

Title: House of Secrets (Ghosts and Shadows #2)

Author: Darcy Coates

Publisher: Black Owl Books 2016

Genre: Horror

Pages: 246

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Sophie and Joseph’s escape from Northwood is short-lived. The beast survived, and attached itself to Joseph’s young cousin, Elise.

Garrett writes to beg for their help. Joseph and Sophie travel to meet him at Kensington, a long-abandoned mansion that overlooks a dead town.

The house offers a small hope: its original owner had dedicated her life to researching the monster that possesses Elise. Garrett hopes to find a way to kill the creature without harming his daughter.

But Kensington is a dangerous building. Once the carriage leaves, they’re trapped inside the collapsing walls and forced to confront the horrors within.

Shrouded figures stalk them. Whispers echo through the night. Unmarked graves dot the property.

And the dead are not as restful as they seem…

And now the sequel! Right away we know that the Grimlock was not vanquished and Sophie and Joseph are pulled back into the horrors fo the Argenton family. We change settings, but not the horror. We still get all the creepy gothic vibes and horrifying happenings. Kensington and Ms. Bishop were great perfect additions to the larger storyline. The pages flew by with me desperate to find out what happens next. Perfect reading for this season! And now I am going to have to put more Darcy Coates books onto my TBR.

Ghosts and Shadows

• #1 House of Shadows

• #2 House of Secrets

Next up on the TBR pile:

House of Shadows by Darcy Coates

Title: House of Shadows (Ghosts and Shadows #1)

Author: Darcy Coates

Publisher: Black Owl Books 2015

Genre: Horror

Pages: 294

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Sophie’s world is shattered when disaster bankrupts her family. She’s still reeling from the news when she’s offered an unexpected solution: Mr Argenton, a wealthy stranger, asks for her hand in marriage.

Marrying Mr Argenton will restore her family’s fortunes and save them from scandal, but condemns Sophie to a life in Northwood, a vast and unnaturally dark mansion situated hours from civilisation.

Sophie struggles to adjust to her new position as mistress over the desolate house. Mr Argenton’s relatives are cold, and Mr Argenton himself is keeping secrets. Even worse, the house is more than it seems.

The piano plays in the middle of the night. Blood drips from the ceiling. Sophie is pulled towards the terrifying truth: Northwood’s ancient halls are haunted. The malevolent spirits—produced by grisly deaths—resent her intrusion into their home.

Trapped in Northwood and desperate for an escape, Sophie’s fate is further complicated as she finds herself drawn to the tall, dark-eyed man she married. She suspects her feelings are returned, but Mr Argenton is hiding something... and his secrets are so dangerous that they might just be unforgivable.

Now this is the haunted house story that I wanted to read (especially after the disappointing book from yesterday)! Right away we now that there’s something creepy going on with Mr. Argenton. I knew where the story was going to go next, but I was there for every page. This gave me Crimson Peak vibes, perfect for this month. Once Sophie arrives at Northwood, the terrors begin to surface and do not let up until the very end. I was thoroughly creeped out by the odd doings that occur. That was exactly the feeling I was hoping to manifest. So incredibly good! I loved Sophie and Joseph and their budding relationship. We get a very Jane Eyre style romance perfect for this mystery. This book ends with a conclusion, but there is a sequel and I had to pick it up next!

Ghosts and Shadows

• #1 House of Shadows

• #2 House of Secrets

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

Title: The Drowning Kind

Author: Jennifer McMahon

Publisher: Gallery Press 2021

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 285

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister’s things, she learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family and the property. And as she dives deeper into the research herself, she discovers that the land holds a far darker past than she could have ever imagined.

In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the water is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.

I’m not usually one for thrillers, but the premise of this one intrigued me. Plus, two of the hosts of my favorite bookish podcast, Currently Reading, really enjoyed this one. I had to pick it up and I ended up loving it! I get very annoyed when books are labeled as supernatural thrillers but then don’t have any actual ghosts. This one has actual ghosts and it made my heart happy. Right away we are plunged into the very creepy setting og Sparrow Crest and the springs right off the patio. You just know that something tragic is going to happen (and has happened many times before) and it does. From there, we follow Jax as she attempt to unravel the mystery and deal with her own future. We also get the story of how Ethel came to know of the springs and how it affected her life in the late 1920s. I actually liked both story lines, probably because I liked both women. I wanted to see how they were connected and what actually lived at the bottom of the springs. The book did not disappoint. This reminded me of The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James. I got the same kind of creepy creepy vibes. I might have to pick up McMahon’s previous book soon.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

Title: The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall

Author: Katie Alender

Publisher: Point 2015

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - August

Delia's new house isn't just a house. Long ago, it was the Piven Institute for the Care and Correction of Troubled Females -- an insane asylum nicknamed "Hysteria Hall." However, many of the inmates were not insane, just defiant and strong willed. Kind of like Delia herself.

But the house still wants to keep "troubled" girls locked away. So, in the most horrifying way, Delia becomes trapped. And that's when she learns that the house is also haunted.

Ghost girls wander the hallways in their old-fashioned nightgowns. A handsome ghost boy named Theo roams the grounds. Delia learns that all the spirits are unsettled and full of dark secrets. The house, too, harbors shocking truths within its walls -- truths that only Delia can uncover, and that may set her free.

And she'll need to act quickly -- before the house's power overtakes everything she loves.

This was a surprisingly fun ghost adventure story. I’m not sure why I ended up picking this up, but I sped read through this one in only a few days. I was immediately drawn in by the setting. I’m a sucker fo ra haunted former asylum or school. I liked Delia, but the other characters were the ones that kept me reading. I loved Theo and Eliza and Florence and even Maria. I couldn’t wait to uncover the mystery of who was controlling the ghosts. The last 30 pages were a rollicking good time. This was very fun and a good weekend’s read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

Title: Midnight Riot (Rivers of London #1)

Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Publisher: Del Rey 2011

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 322

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme

Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he’ll face is a paper cut. But Peter’s prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter’s ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny. Now, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

Been on my TBR list for years, I finally picked it up and was pleasantly surprised by this police crime / fantasy novel. I really enjoyed diving into Peter Grant’s life and revelations to the world beyond. I loved the mythology of the city and the various inhabitants. I want to learn more of what’s going on under the surface. I want to learn more about Nightingale and Molly (although I have my suspicions as to what they are). I really enjoyed the murder mystery in this volume and can’t wait to see what happens in the second book. Great urban fantasy!

Rivers of London

• #1 Midnight Riot

• #2 Moon Over Soho

• #3 Whispers Under Ground

• #4 Broken Homes

• #5 Foxglove Summer

• #6 The Hanging Tree

• #7 Lies Sleeping

• #8 False Value

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Ninth House

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 480

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. In fact, by age twenty, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most prestigious universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. Their eight windowless “tombs” are the well-known haunts of the rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street’s biggest players. But their occult activities are more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive. They tamper with forbidden magic. They raise the dead. And, sometimes, they prey on the living.

I picked this as my BOTM selection for November and I’m finally getting around to reading it. The first few chapters were a bit slow (don’t love starting the book near the end of the story and then flashing back), but once I was in, I loved this book so much. This is right up my alley with dark fantasy full of murder, ghosts, and the occult. I loved the premise of the book and then really grew to love the characters. Alex is not an easy character to love, but by the end of the book, you understand her and are rooting for her to succeed. Dawes was a huge surprise for me. I loved how she became more and more a part of the story as the chapters sped. by. I had hoped to see more of Darlington, but obviously we will circle back to him in the next book. I loved setting the book on Yale’s campus. Apparently I really enjoy books set at schools or at college. New Haven adds such great atmosphere to the story. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series! Definitely a keeper for my shelf.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Title: The Woman in Black

Author: Susan Hill

Publisher: 1983

Genre: Horror

Pages: 163

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Horror; Monthly Keyword - Woman; Horror

Arthur Kipps is an up-and-coming London solicitor who is sent to Crythin Gifford—a faraway town in the windswept salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway—to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of a client, Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. Mrs. Drablow’s house stands at the end of the causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but Kipps is unaware of the tragic secrets that lie hidden behind its sheltered windows. The routine business trip he anticipated quickly takes a horrifying turn when he finds himself haunted by a series of mysterious sounds and images—a rocking chair in a deserted nursery, the eerie sound of a pony and trap, a child’s scream in the fog, and, most terrifying of all, a ghostly woman dressed all in black. Psychologically terrifying and deliciously eerie, The Woman in Black is a remarkable thriller of the first rate.

Finally got around to reading this one. I had seen the movie version featuring Daniel Radcliffe, but found it wanting. Too many ridiculous scenes. Thankfully the book was much better than the movie. We get a novella in the style of a traditional gothic story featuring lots of atmosphere, a creepy house, and towns people with secrets. I definitely got chills during the scene where Arthur hears the pony and wagon lose the path. Creepy creepy! I would have a liked to have had a few more appearances by the woman in black. But overall, a very enjoyable ghost story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Secrets of the Greek Revival by Eva Pohler

Title: Secrets of the Greek Revival (Mystery House #1)

Author: Eva Pohler

Publisher: Green Press 2015

Genre: Horror

Pages: 331

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Women Authors; Horror

Ellen and her two best friends share a mid-life crisis by hatching a plan to renovate an 1860's Greek revival in the nearby historic district of San Antonio. Although Ellen isn’t one to believe in ghosts, she comes face to face with something inexplicable in the attic. Her ghost-enthusiast friends convince her that they must help the spirit find closure, and as they dig deeper into the past, they uncover a shocking history that someone in the neighborhood doesn’t want exposed. But Ellen and her friends don't give up easily. They realize they've been called to give voice to the invisible women who suffered behind the walls of the house for decades.

This book, hmmm… It wasn’t what I was expecting. That disconnect probably caused a massive reduction in stars for me. I went in thinking this was going to be a horror book full of ghosts and long-kept secrets. And we only get long-kept secrets. Plus there needs to be some serious content warnings due to sexual assault. I was turned off my the descriptions of those. If this is the style of the series, I’m not going to continue reading these.

The Mystery House:

• #1 Secrets of the Greek Revival

• #2 The Case of the Abandoned Warehouse

• #3 French Quarter Clues

• #4 The Hidden Tunnel

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ghostland by Colin Dickey

Title: Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Place

Author: Colin Dickey

Publisher: Penguin Books 2016

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Nonfiction Bingo - Spirituality (haha!)

Colin Dickey is on the trail of America's ghosts. Crammed into old houses and hotels, abandoned prisons and empty hospitals, the spirits that linger continue to capture our collective imagination, but why? His own fascination piqued by a house hunt in Los Angeles that revealed derelict foreclosures and "zombie homes," Dickey embarks on a journey across the continental United States to decode and unpack the American history repressed in our most famous haunted places. Some have established reputations as "the most haunted mansion in America," or "the most haunted prison"; others, like the haunted Indian burial grounds in West Virginia, evoke memories from the past our collective nation tries to forget.     
 

I was expecting a book of collected ghost stories from around the United States. What I got was a beautifully told history of the somewhat unsavory parts of our history told through connections to ghost stories. I loved how Dickey connected ghost stories based in hotels to the uncanniness of hotel as domicile and yet not. I loved the discussion of the ghost towns of the west. I loved the chapter on the Winchester Mystery House and (partly because I’ve been there). Each chapter took a pretty well-known haunting story and turned it on its head connecting the underlying fears we have. I savored every page of this one. I liked it so much that it’s going on my permanent shelf.

Next up on the TBR pile:

MoM #23: ParaNorman

Title: ParaNorman

Year Released/Rating: 2012 PG

Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Directed By: Chris Butler, Sam Fell

Written By: Chris Butler

Genre: Animation, Adventure

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Trivia:

• During the last few weeks leading up to the film's release, Laika sent 49 packages to 49 people (including Neil Gaiman and Kevin Smith). Each package consisted of a wooden crate from "Blithe Hollow" full of "grave dirt" which recipients had to dig through to unearth a coffin. Inside the coffin was one of the seven cursed zombies, complete with background information and name.
• Save for Judge Hopkins, the seven cursed zombies are not referred to by name, but they did have names: the aforementioned Judge Hopkins, Eben Hardwick, Thaddeus Blackton, Lemuel Spalding, Amelia Wilcot, Goodie Temper, and Wile London.
• The story is set in the town of Blithe Hollow, whose name is a mash-up of two other ghost stories: Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit and Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Summary: A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.

Review: 

How did I miss this movie?  This is the cutest, most inventive animated film that I've seen in a long time.  I love the style, the storyline, the characters.  I loved everything about it.  I must caution that it is not for the faint of heart.  It may be animated, but it's rated PG for a reason.  There are some great scares in this one.  Plus you get witches, zombies, and ghosts.  What more could you ask for?

Best Bits: 

• Norman Babcock: I'd like to be alone.
• Neil: So do I! Let's do this together!
• Neil: Don't make me throw this hummus... it's spicy!
• Mr. Prenderghast: Pssstttt, you know who I am?  Neil: The weird stinky old bum who lives up the hill?  Mr. Prenderghast: [Points at Norman] I was asking him!
• Courtney: Mom, tell the Zombie to stop saying stuff about me!
• Neil: Can you see my dog, Bub? He was hit by an animal rescue van. Tragic and ironic.