Review: THE SIREN AND THE SPECTER by Jonathan Janz

If you're desiring a Haunted House tale that will electrify, terrify, and provoke deeper levels of thinking, don't look away. THE SIREN AND THE SPECTER enthralls, intrigues, and frightens, even the most jaded or uninterested. While you're gleefully shaking and shivering along with the various characters, you'll also be appalled at certain other characters, pondering deeply on the nature of good and evil, and considering how it is that "good" citizens can ignore, overlook, or even collude with evil. (I give you Nazi Germany as one example, European witch hunts--including England and Scotland--as another. Edmund Burke: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.") This novel contains so many ramifications I'm not likely to ever dislodge it from my mind.

I thought this book was overall okay, however it was not as scary as I thought it was going to be since it was centered around 'the most haunted house in America.' There was honestly only two or three creepy/supernatural things that happened in the entire book. I recently just read a YA book centered around a powerful ghost and it was like three times as scary as this horror book for adults. My second major point is that there was almost too much 'supernatural' things going on at once. It was like a frenzy, so much was happening but at the same time nothing was.

A major thing that took away some of my enjoyment of the book was that there were far too many powerful ghosts and they didn't mesh well together. There was Judson, the leering things that he controlled, there was possessed little girls, crazy Judson worshippers, Anna, and the Native American siren. That is far too many minor evil creatures to keep track of. Of course it could have worked but the way that the ending came together, it was far too confusing and felt so messy that I wasn't even nervous or excited for the big ending scene. I think Judson and Anna should have been the main focus as spirits, after that it was just far too messy and confusing.

I understand that this was an adult book but I just felt uncomfortable with the whole Shelley family issue. I don't know why the focus had to be so sexual. At first I thought there was a connection between Judson and the young woman he raped on the land, and that's why Honey was so sexually driven. But I don't think that was the case, so maybe it was just the author's way of showing how disturbing the whole situation on the peninsula is, but still, it was just awkward to read and I personally don't think it added much.

I found the main character, David, to be quite annoying too. He was as many characters in the book suggested, arrogant and selfish. I thought he was too pretentious and I found myself not caring what happened to him. In fact, since he was so irritating I wanted the ghosts to get him. His inner dialogue was also massive and so time consuming to read that most of the time I just skimmed over it because he wasn't saying anything important anyway.

I also found it confusing that the author kept calling them ghouls, when a ghoul is more like a zombie creature than an evil spirit. Also I found one page where 'Anne' is written instead of 'Anna' (in chapter 30).

So overall, I thought this book was okay. I think the title is misleading because the siren was such a minor part of the story, I think she should have just been cut out all together, however I do like the cover art. This was a very odd story and some points were frightening but it could have been a lot better.

Holy moly! This was downright creepy. Having the story set in Virginia brought the terror a bit closer to home. A well crafted supernatural tale.

There are a never-ending supply of haunted house novels on the market and at first glance it might be easy to discard Jonathan Janz’s “The Siren and the Specter” as ‘another one of those’. Don’t be put off though, although the novel starts in very familiar haunted house territory it had enough bobs, sneaks, and twists to keep me interested. I’m very hard to please when it comes to this stuff, but quickly realised there was a lot going on under the surface. It’s an entertainingly atmospheric novel, which is paced well, drip feeding some excellent plot twists which slowly move it away from being ‘just another haunted house novel’.

The novel is seen from the point of view from a celebrated sceptic of the supernatural, David Crane, an academic who has written numerous books debunking the phenomenon of haunted houses. In the opening stages we find out David has agreed to spend a month in the Alexander House, which has recently been bought by one of his oldest friends and his wife. The house has the reputation of being “the most haunted house in Virginia” which the couple hope to turn into local tourist attraction. If a supernatural debunker like David was to write about what he experienced during his month residency it would only help their cause, they of course, are banking on something happening. The problem is David doesn’t believe in ghosts, but his old friend is certain the supernatural rumours are based on fact not superstition.

The first very strong and page-turning element of “The Siren and the Spectre” was for a good 75% it leads you on a merry dance of whether something supernatural is going on at all. It could be that someone is trying to con David? He certainly feels a dark and oppressive in the house, and consciously avoids going upstairs, but he puts this down to his imagination. This is all very well balanced. The scenes with David and the house on their own are really well played and there are some clever jumpy moments. But is the house haunted? This review is going to avoid spoilers so you’re going to have to read the book for yourself to find out. However, this is not ambiguous ‘make your own mind up horror’ that seems to be popular these days, once Jonathan Janz lets the story spin into over-drive around 75% he really lets it all hang out. And it’s great stuff.

David Crane was a particularly well drawn lead character who possibly became more unlikable as the book progresses. We find out, over the years, he has been a real shark with women and has led a particularly self-centred life. There is long-standing antagonism with his old friend Chris over an ex-girlfriend who committed suicide after she was dumped by David over two decades earlier. What’s this got to do with a haunted house novel? As I said, the book has several layers which make the story somewhat deeper than a ghost story and this is where the twists lie.

Strangely enough, some of the most unsettling scenes have got nothing to do with ghosts, and I’m not sure whether this was deliberate or not. The Alexander House sits on a secluded bank of the Rappahannock river and there are only a few neighbours including a truly dysfunctional couple who openly watch hardcore pornography in front of their two young children, along with lots of other unpleasant antics. This is another story-thread which is cleverly filtered into the main plot which involve the local police. David is the stranger in this rural area and so suspicion is turns towards him in plot developments which don’t involve the supernatural.

Whether the supernatural is at work or not, David’s past certainly comes back to bite him in the backside in the shape of a couple of plot shifts in the second half of the novel. Along the way there are some good support characters, most of which are not window-dressing, bringing extra flavour to the plot. Alexander House was a fine creation and the novel also throws in a full back-story dating back to a 1700s land baron and his sadistic, murdering, son.

You could argue that “The Siren and the Spectre” is much more restrained than many of Janz’s other novels, but the strait-jacket certainly comes off in the final 25%. As I said to begin with there are lots of haunted house novels on the market and this offering is well worth having a look at. At a foundation level this is a haunted house story, but its real strength are the convincing plot layers the author adds on top of that age-old plot. Recommended.

[Review will be posted on Reader Voracious Blog on

"The forest was not intended for exploring. More like a barrier to keep outsiders away."

It's 7:33 p.m. on a balmy summer evening in Northern California. I am about 25% into this book when the narrative creeps me out so thoroughly that I turned on every single light in my apartment (and it doesn't get dark for another hour). For the remainder of the book I am captivated by the terrifying story and oscillate between abject horror of both the human and spiritual variety. Honestly I think I have like 8 highlights in my eARC that just have "NOPE" as a comment.

As is usual with my horror/thriller reviews this will be a bit shorter in the interest of not spoiling this intricately plotted story. But I do want to say that this book is not for the faint of heart. I'm a lover of horror and find that it is difficult for me to be scared/surprised, but this one is absolutely haunting. The Siren and the Specter handles difficult topics that will not be for every reader. While I do not want to dissuade anyone from reading, I'd recommend checking my content warnings and the context spoiler at the bottom of my review to determine if this is the right book for you.

David Caine has been invited to an old friend to stay in "the most haunted house in Virginia" with the hopes that he would write a book about his experiences. The Alexander House has a long and haunted past, and one that interestingly intersects with his career as he's following in the footsteps of essentially his professional idol Weir; who disappeared while investigating this very house. Books written about the event David largely debunks as hogwash that painted a skeptic as a converted believer, and there is definitely the hope that he can clear his idol's name. The history of the house and region are revealed slowly though a historical record of sorts and found the pacing for that information to be perfect.

David's a renowned skeptic and absolutely hilarious. His quick wit and sarcastic banter with his inner monologue and other characters provides much needed comic relief and cuts the tension that builds as this story unfolds. Similarly I found the other characters to be well developed, each with their own unique personality.

There are a lot of threads here: the horror of the MC's past, the horror of the Shelbys and their abuseful neglect, the horrors inside the Alexander House and the terror that Judson Alexander sowed hundreds of years in the past. Janz is an incredibly talented writer that can build and maintain suspense with amazing imagery and description. This is a well plotted story that I enjoyed even though parts of it made me uncomfortable. A big theme of this book is complacency and standing up to evil.

"Evil can only triumph when good people allow it to."

There were a couple of plot points that didn't really make sense to me though. I was bothered by the Sheriff's actions with the Shelbys; while as a person she likely would have wanted to stand up like that she seems to be a Letter-of-the-Law kind of person and unlikely to succumb to this instinct. I also was bothered with everyone placing blame for the suicide of a woman he loved 22 years ago. Yes he was a dick but he didn't do anything, and unless his recollection of what happened that night was marred by time (which I don't think is the case as he appears to be reliable) it doesn't line up with the idea of driving someone to suicide. I can understand personally feeling guilty but not necessarily everyone else holding him accountable. This is just my opinion though!

Overall I really enjoyed this book: it was spooky, haunting, chilling, and honestly just horrifying. I liked the combination of the past and present, as well as the juxtaposition of supernatural horrors with horrible freaking people. This book won't be for everyone but it is a great addition to the horror genre. I look forward to reading more from this author (and this new fiction imprint)!

cw: use of slurs (addressed), suicide, child neglect (present) and abuse (MC's past) inferred child molestation, intense sexual imagery, sexual assault. Context for these warnings matters here, which can be seen on my GR review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2499351189

Many thanks to the publisher for providing me an electronic advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read lots of horror stories. And most of them don’t give me what I expect. But this book did just that. I was scared and I was excited. The plot kept me interested, I read well into the night, because I couldn’t put it down. Because I had to find out what will happen next.

David Caine arrives in the Alexander House to prove the house is not haunted and to write a book about it. He is not a Believer. Because the is no such thing as ghosts, right? He has a past, a very disturbing one. And he meets some sick people too. I was disgusted by some of the happenings, but I understand the need of those things. Happened for a reason. Everything happens for a reason in the book. Every conversation has a meaning.

The thing I like about the story is that it doesn’t just want to scare you, but it shows what people are willing to do to achieve something good or something evil. What some people are willing to do to save another persons life.

David Caine is a well known author who debunks legendary haunted houses. After publishing nine books on the subject, he isn't too concerned about the 10th project, The Alexander House. At the request of an old college friend who owns the house, David agrees to live in it for a month. Area residents and his friend's wife think the property is really haunted, but David knows that isn't possible. He firmly believes that supernatural things do not exist. Or does he? He isn't inside the house for a single day before he starts seeing and hearing things. And it will get much, much worse before it's over.

This book gave me the heebie jeebies! Very creepy! I love haunted house stories, so I added to the suspense by reading this book while sitting on my front porch at night. Pitch dark except the light from my Ipad. Took me 3 evening reading sessions to finish....and I loved every minute of it!

Just a warning.....there are some graphic depictions of sex and some adult situations in this book. It's not for kids or teens under 16 or so. Some of the characters are despicable and completely unlikable...be prepared. For readers who like horror novels with a bit of grit and violence....this one's for you. Totally creepy....and a bit demented. Great read!

I would not spend a single night in The Alexander House. Not a single night. Nope. No way. Not only no....hell no.

Great story!

I will definitely be reading more by this author! :)

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Flame Tree Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Jonathan Janz has always delivered the goods, but this time he has surpassed himself and most other writers of Horror fiction with an unforgettable and totally engrossing story of generations of evil and the power it wields. This will be one of those books that horror aficionados will talk about in years to come. So good, it sets the bar high for the genre. Just exceptional in every way.

This book, for me had a major willie factor! I'd started reading this 2 or 3 times, and just couldn't get into it. This morning, around 2:00 a.m., I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so I figured I should probably read something boring. Hence, this review! This story wasn't boring. This dang story kept me awake, in the dark, to the measly light of my kindle. I wasn't going to sleep! What spectres might bedevil me if I fell asleep? Nope, I'll just read until the sun comes up! I can't say that I liked the people in this book, but watching them develop was interesting. Of course, there were a few that I couldn't wait to see them meet their gruesome ends. Mwahaha! "So satisfying!" If it weren't for the humor, which was at times a needed relief, then I'd have spent the morning hours with a major case of the wee nudgins! Not a good thing. Loved the story. My thanks to Flame Tree Press, Mr. Janz, and Netgalley.

This was my first time reading a Jonathan Janz book, it was everything I wanted in a haunted house/ghost story. I couldnt put it down once I started am definitely going to have read his previous work.

Thanks to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for this advanced ARC.

This is scary!

Although I read a ton of horror novels, scary is a word I rarely use to describe them. Gruesome. Suspenseful. Even chilling. But not scary.

But this? This is scary. It’s a chill down the spine look over your shoulder read.

In The Siren and the Specter, Jonathan Janz brings back the haunted house novel with a vengeance! The terrifying atmosphere here is palpable and, as I was reading it, every little sound made me jump.

This was actually my first novel by Janz. If he can do, it certainly won’t be my last.

5 well deserved stars. He actually scared me.

Easily one of the top 5 haunted house/ghost stories I've ever read, The Siren and The Specter has everything you could ever want in a gripping, hard-to-put-down, tight, frightening novel.
David Caine, a well-known author and college professor who specializes in debunking the supernatural, is invited to spend a month in a haunted house by a friend who's hoping to turn it into a bed & breakfast.
From the moment of his arrival, tension begins--but vaguely...at first. So vaguely and questionably that the reader is drawn completely into the atmosphere, interplay of characters, and overall mood of the book without even being aware they're reading. THAT, to my way of thinking, is the mark of superior achievement in horror.
Characterizations are textbook perfect; from the most minor of participants to the major players, your mind's eye fleshes them out instantly. Very few of the characters are painted as pure good or evil; they're real and entirely believable (even those you wouldn't want to admit are believable).
The most refreshing thing about this novel is that every sub-plot, every back-story, and every thread in the tale is tied together. Nothing is forgotten and not a word is wasted. This is 288 pages of story, story, story without an ounce of padding.
With The Siren and the Specter Jonathan Janz joins Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, Richard Matheson, and Peter Straub as one of the masters of the haunted house novel--and that's powerful company.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2486717287

Jonathan Janz is certainly one of the best writers in horror today. He is able to succeed in any number of horror sub-genres (splatterpunk, ghost stories, monsters, weird west, coming-of-age) and masterfully weaves another entry into the new school of the haunted house tale (see Scott Thomas' Kill Creek for another example of this!). Part mystery, part revenge story, part demonic/spectral posession, with a little Laymon thrown in for good measure not only makes this another masterpiece for Janz, but will hopefully cement Flame Tree Press' "Fiction Without Frontiers" imprint as a force to be reckoned with in genre fiction.

Worth every bit of praise it has received so far, The Siren and the Specter should definately be on your top 10 list of horror books.

If it isn’t already.

As previous critics have already stated; “…Janz’s work has been lauded by writers like Jack Ketchum, Edward Lee, Tim Waggoner, Bryan Smith, and Ronald Kelly.” I don’t know about you, but that says a hell of a lot about the author. Also, he has quite a few prestigious acclaimes and worthy words of praise from numerous review sites, both past and present.

The book itself reads like an episode of Ghost Hunters albeit with a lot of uncut swearing (don’t worry it’s nothing vulgar nor repetitive to the point where you wonder if the author has a limited vocabulary), and the indepth study of the county and its inhabitants creates a rich, lived-in vibe you’d expect from Janz’s reputation.

I personally enjoyed the eery and creepy moments when the paranormal started going bump in the night, but it was also the obvious guilt of the protagonist, David Caine, and his scepticism which enthralled me all the way. Every time something peculiar happens, he dismisses it but immediately the little voice in his head is there to second-guess his assumptions.

I just hope the chilling end alludes to a possible sequel.

I'm always on the lookout for intriguing horror novels. So, I just knew that I wanted to read THE SIREN AND THE SPECTER by Jonathan Janz the minute I saw the cover. The blurb made me even more eager.

First I want to say that I don't scare easily. I can find books disturbing, but I just don't get scared. However, I do love a good haunted house story and that is exactly what I got with this book. If you are a fan of haunted house stories, then this is a story for you!

FULL REVIEW WILL COME ON OR CLOSE TO THE PUB.DATE!

Great book...I really enjoyed the book, but I can't say I was totally scared to death...should have probably read the book alone, in the dark, during a storm and my scare level would probably have been much higher.
I enjoyed the characters, they were well rounded and believable. Its a real page turner because you simply have to know what happening next. Defo a book that will be re-read in the autumn ;)

Well, I was surprised that I had a difficult time with this book. It took me longer than normal to read it because there were inconsistencies and the writing was very hard to follow. I will not say the whole book was a wash because it did get better. I will say that some of the writing is harsh and graphic but that is ok for me. Some do not like that type of verbiage. The book overall was a great concept and the premise believable to the point that you can finish it.

I give this a 3 star ⭐️ out of 5


Thanks to netgalley and the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Jonathan Janz's early books and was hopeful that this new story would be a return to his beginners glory. I was sadly disappointed.

I found THE SIREN AND THE SPECTER to be a tough read. The first fifteen percent was stilted, slow and had odd errors that should have been caught in the authors first draft editing. No, I'm not going to list them here - rather, I'm going to hope that the copy editor will pick up on at least the most glaring. Normally I don't finish books I don't like, but I truly wanted to like this as much as I did the early Janz books.

Well, it took me a while, but I did it. I finished it. At some point, Janz found his groove and his writing smoothed out. It became easy to read and he put some depth to his characters. I didn't find any of the characters sympathetic or likable; not something important to me, but I point out because I know others find that important.

Sad to say, in spite of the graphic sex and child abuse, I couldn't help thinking of Scooby Doo cartoons while I was reading this. But there were enough parts of the book that I enjoyed to allow me to go with a three star rating (it was ok).

I've been anticipating the launch of Flame Tree Press for a good while now, not least of which because it meant brand new books from Jonathan Janz and Hunter Shea. Both authors launched their careers at the now-ancient history Samhain Publishing, and while both have found publishers elsewhere since that publisher's collapse in 2016, it feels good to have them reunited beneath a common imprint and the guiding hand of editor Don D'Auria. I've been waiting for a new Janz novel ever since finishing Exorcist Falls early last year, so turning toward The Siren and The Specter as my inaugural read of Flame Tree Press was a no-brainer.

As expected, Janz delivers a fun, gruesome, and highly compelling read that happily kept me up past my bed-time on a few occasions because I absolutely had to know what would happen next. This is a good and true "just one more chapter!" kind of read.

Noted skeptic and supernatural debunker David Caine is invited by an old college buddy to stay for a time in the Alexander House, the most haunted house in all of Virginia. Built in the 1700s, its owner, Judson Alexander, was the worst sort of man, one who held the village around the Rappahannock River in an iron fist, raping and killing at a whim. His house was a source of bloodshed and torture for a number of those villagers, the land tainted forever. David rightfully expects the urban legends surrounding the Alexander House to be rubbish, but even he can't deny the quiet ache of his own personal losses that being back by the Rappahannock causes. As events unfold, David's skepticism is put to the test and soon enough the Rappahannock will run red with blood.

The Siren and The Specter has a lot going for it. As the title indicates, you get not one, but two - two! - supernatural entities to torment our lead protagonist. You also get a fair amount of carnage, a host of depraved sex acts, and a number of ghostly encounters that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. One of the best parts, though, was the sense of history Janz imbues the Alexander House and its surrounding region with, a history that is deeply personal to David and the peninsula where this book is set. The country is young, but the land is old, and the pre-colonial mythology surrounding the titular siren was a welcome counterpoint to the horrors inflicted by Alexander upon his neighbors. What struck me most, though, was the historical interplay between the siren and the specter themselves. Although these are two distinct entities in the mythology of the Rappahannock, both are fueled at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of both their gender and their bloodlust, one a victim and the other a victimizer. Janz slowly reveals the stories of each in highly compelling ways, using the dual spirits to illustrate mankind's proclivity toward wrath, cruelty, and the possession of others.

I'll confess that on first blush, I wasn't entirely sold on the siren's involvement in terms of this book's plot. Initially, it felt like a bit of unnecessary overreach, even a minor element that could have been cut without any detriment to the work. After some consideration, though, I find myself appreciating the thematic importance of the siren more and more, and the things she represents for David as he is forced to reconsider his skepticism toward the supernatural. There's a strong sense of duality at play in this book, and as a figure herself the siren is emblematic of several things in terms of both plot and character. The Siren and the Specter is very firmly rooted in the Gothic tradition, which demands readers to use their imagination, suspend their disbelief, and accept that there are more mysteries in this world than we can possibly understand. Judson Alexander is the most in-your-face mystery that both David and the reader must confront, but Janz asks us to accept just a little bit more than that as we carry along, challenging us to confront our own skepticism alongside David and accept some additional horrors and wonders beyond Alexander. Both are integral to David and his personal evolution during his stay on the peninsula. And after all, if we can accept the specter, why not the siren?

While there are plenty of Gothic traditions on display here - the fallen hero, death and romance, loss and terror, an emphasis on sexuality, dashes of political violence, an atmosphere of dread, a focus on the architecture of the Alexander House - in the end, it's this broadening of imagination that proves most fascinating and compelling. In fact, there's a lot about The Siren and The Specter that fascinates, from the character dynamics and their relationships to Alexander, the perversions of the Shelby family, David's struggles to be a better man and the appreciable easiness of those around him to call him out on his foolishness, and, of course, Janz's flair for violence. Janz is not the type of author who gets squeamish writing about blood and guts, and he clearly enjoys splashing around in gore with all the delight of a mad sadist. This is a big win for horror fans, and even when you know certain macabre acts are just a page away, he still manages to pull off a few surprises in each of the big reveals.

It's clear why Flame Tree Press chose The Siren and The Specter as one of their launch titles, and it's a delicious springboard into this new imprint. I suspect this book will also (rightfully) earn Janz a legion of new and devoted readers, readers who will enjoy sinking their teeth into the author's considerable back-list, which will be republished by Flame Tree Press over the remainder of 2018 and well into 2019. Introducing an imprint, and even to a certain degree reintroducing an already established author, with a work of Gothic horror like The Siren and The Specter is a smart move, and one that instills a lot of confidence in this new brand. Get ready to expand your imagination.

[Note: I received an advance reader copy of The Siren and The Specter from Flame Tree Press.]