Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC of this horror novel!

Wow what a thrilling ride this was! This was my first Darcy Coates and will definitely not be my last. I was absolutely captivated from the first page to the last.

Leigh Harker has resided in her house for 15 years, and suddenly she is certain something is haunting it. Unwilling to abandon her loved home and willing to risk her own life, Leigh seeks to uncover the truth.

Coates has such a way with words that I needed to look away from the book multiple times, I was so frightened (though I was reading alone in the dark…). I loved the character depth that you don’t always expect from a horror, where I’d usually be more excited by the story itself, I found I actually cared for the characters and what happened to them!

The first couple of chapters are intense, and set such a spooky atmosphere. After a bit of a lull, we cop a turn and then it’s just nonstop action and twists the rest of the novel, I was gripped right to the end. I appreciated that Coates not only set up for an awesome story, but followed through so well. The writing was intense, the story was easy to follow and the book itself was hard to put down.

If you’re a newbie to horror, or keen for a good spooky season read, this could definitely be a great place to look.

The Haunting of Leigh Harker follows Leigh, a woman whose quiet life in her beloved suburban home gets turned upside down when she starts to hear some things that go bump in the night. Unusual noises, objects being moved around, and a tall dark figure that watches her in her sleep are just some of the few things that Leigh has begun to experience. Leigh refuses to leave her home that she loves so dearly, but how will she fight back against her home that seems to be haunted?

There is a lot more to the story, but I wanted to include a synopsis that doesn't give too much away. The book has a bit of a slow start, but once the first twist occurs, I couldn't put it down. I had to keep reading until I figured out what on earth was haunting Leigh and her home. I was often too creeped out to read it at night, but I pushed through because of how addicting it was. This is perfect for any horror fans, and it's right on time for Halloween season. This is my first Darcy Coates, but it will certainly not be my last. Settle down with a hot cup of tea, find a large comfy armchair, and be prepared to get spooked by The Haunting of Leigh Harker.

My review is posted on my blog (instagram.com/bekakatereads). Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hi all!
Bonus post! Today I am back to review another new release – The Haunting of Leigh Harker - by my favourite horror author: Darcy Coates. It was officially published today, but I was permitted to read an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) thanks to NetGalley. This story follows Leigh Harker, whose quiet suburban home was her sanctuary for more than a decade, until things abruptly changed. Curtains open by themselves. Radios turn off and on and a dark figure looms in the shadows of her bedroom door at night, watching her, waiting for her to finally let down her guard enough to fall asleep. Pushed to her limits but unwilling to abandon her home, Leigh struggles to find answers. But each step forces her towards something more terrifying than she ever imagined...
As always, I am going to provide my honest thoughts and let you know whether I think it’s worth checking out or not. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

WHAT THIS BOOK DOES RIGHT
I want to start off by saying that this book is very different to anything Darcy has ever written before. The entire story feels like a fever dream, which made it interesting to guess what is real and what isn't. The best part of the novel is the twist. I would highly recommend sticking with the plot (even if you're confused in the beginning) because at about 100 pages in, you'll start to understand what is happening. Once things are revealed, the pace picks up and the mystery is underfoot. It left me guessing until the end.
WHAT THIS BOOK DOES WRONG 
This is not any fault of Darcy's, but this book was marketed as her scariest novel ever written. Darcy is extremely skilled at creeping me out, so I had high expectations. Unfortunately, it barely raised a hair on the back of my neck. I wasn't frightened in the slightest. After the big reveal, things seemed a lot less threatening. That disappointed me. Also, the build up to the twist was quite slow. I like a novel with a lot of dialogue, so if you're anything like me, don't go in expecting a lot. This book is mainly made up of poetic language and description. Once again, not a fault of the author, just personal preference.
OVERALL STAR RATING
I gave this book 3/5 stars. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. Because it didn't meet my expectations, it received a lower rating.
If you are interested, you can order a copy here.
I hope you enjoyed this honest review. Let me know your thoughts down below. Also, stay tuned for my ranking of every Darcy Coates novel coming soon. I appreciate all feedback. Thanks for reading!
Peace & Love xoxo
Disclaimer: This post contains a link to my Book Depository Affiliate. I am not being paid or sponsored for this post/products – all my thoughts/opinions are my own

This was definitely a well-written ghost story. It’s very atmospheric with a strong sense of place and great characterization and description. Ultimately for me, though, it just was not too scary, and I am always looking for scary. I think this book will do well with readers who like the sense of atmosphere here and who aren’t necessarily looking to be terrified.

A smart, well-written thriller, just not for me and my somewhat more twisted sensibilities.

The Haunting of Leigh Harker pulled me in immediately! I started this book at about midnight one night and had to put it down until I could read it in the daylight. The author does a fantastic job of setting the haunted scene, and kept me hooked for a while. The subtleties that I missed leading up to the twist were phenomenal. Although paranormal thrillers are not typically my thing, I really enjoyed this one!

This book was a mixture of psychological thriller and horror. Darcy Coates’ writes amazing books and this one hits the mark. When you first begin reading this book, it seems like Leigh is the haunted one. She hears noises in the house, she smells terrible smells and finds items either missing or moved. The typical haunting right? Well you would be wrong! I will not put spoilers here but let me say this, it is worthy of your read. It has many awesome twists. So make sure you put this on your TBR list right away!

The Haunting of Leigh Harker by Darcy Coates is a ghost story.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Leigh Harker has lived in her house for 15 years.  For some reason, it now seems to be haunted.  The radio changes stations, there is a dark presence outside her bedroom door at night, and the hall closet door rattles like something is trying to get out.

Leigh refuses to be pushed out of her own home.  She is determined to find out who is haunting  her beloved home, but the answers she finds are not reassuring.

A visitor turns her world upside down.


My Opinions:   
Hmmm....I struggled with the beginning of this one.  The "haunting" takes place right from the first pages, but since I didn't really know Leigh at this point, it didn't grab me.  The events when Leigh is trapped in her house, and then her shed, seemed to go on forever.  I was bored.

Then, at around the 35% mark, everything changed.  The plot and suspense combined to raise the hackles on my arms.  I was suddenly catapulted into the story, and it wouldn't let go.  It was all I could do to hang on.  I am so glad I did.  That twist was unexpected, and just MADE the book.  There are other twists, but nothing I didn't really see coming.

The characters, including the house (which was definitely a character), were awesome.  Right from word go, you thought Leigh may be a bit of an unreliable narrator, as her anxiety level was rather high (that and the fact that she has NEVER missed a day of work).  I absolutely loved Sarah, and her friendship with Leigh....I want a friend like Sarah!

It definitely turned into a creepy read, and the writing definitely made it so.  Somehow this author created a suspenseful, creepy, and yet rather sad, story....and it still had a "sort-of" happy ending.

But above all, this author knows how to write creepy!  I will definitely be reading more of her books.

"Home is where love resides, memories are created, friends and family belong, and laughter never ends." - unknown

Leigh Harker's home has been her sanctuary. When she is not at work, she is there. It used to be her happy place. But now there is a presence in her home. Things are moved, curtains open and close by themselves, and there is a dark figure waiting and watching her.

"Hel-lo" it calls to her, taunting her, letting her know it is there. But this is her home, she isn't going to be chased away, she is not going to leave, she is going to get to the bottom of things. As she struggles to find answers, she learns her home has secrets....

Sometimes the dead reach back...

So, what would you do when someone is trying to open a door in your home? When the handle rattles? When something dark is lurking in the shadows?

After the slow beginning, things picked up and by the middle I was flying through the pages! Although the beginning was slow, readers are given enough to pique their interest. I was invested in this book from the beginning, which is rare for me with slow starting books. I did begin to wonder in the beginning "hmmm.... I think 'this' is happening" and it turns out I was right. But there is more, so much more……

This was a clever, entertaining, and creepy book. It does not disappoint so be patient with this book in the beginning. There are several twists and turns. I also enjoyed the mash up of genres: mystery, horror, paranormal. This was a nice touch. Nothing was too over the top. I also think, that although creepy, this was never truly too scary or horrific so it will appeal to a wider range of readers.

Things that go bump in the night are scary. If you have ever had that feeling that you are not alone, felt the need to look under the bed, in the closet or pull back that shower curtain - this book is for you!

3.25/3.5


Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a great choice for spooky season and people who enjoy stories of and hauntings.

It takes off right from the start, which some may love, but I felt like how abrupt it began didn’t have a big impact on me because I had zero knowledge of the character at that point and little attachment so I wasn’t scared. Some of the haunting stuff felt redundant, also.

However, I did like the originality and some of the descriptions were great! Great choice for a Halloween time read.

Leigh Harker’s quiet suburban home was her sanctuary for more than a decade, until things abruptly changed. She can feel a presence invading her home. Curtains open by themselves. Radios turn off and on. A dark figure looms in the shadows of her bedroom door at night, watching her, waiting for her to fall asleep. Leigh is unwilling to let someone take her home from her and tries to find answers to explain what is happening around her. She knows there’s a connection to the locked door beneath the stairs, but the truth is more than she could have ever expected. 

This is my third book from Darcy Coates and I’ve come to absolutely love her haunting stories. There is always a solid main character and plenty of strange happenings to keep me engaged throughout her books. THE HAUNTING OF LEIGH HARKER started off slower and slightly differently than the previous Coates books I’ve read. It was weird, but in a really good way. A lot of unknown and mystery set to a methodical pacing. Once the first big reveal happens things officially kick off and the story ramps up. 

THE HAUNTING OF LEIGH HARKER is one of those stories that’s hard to discuss in detail for fear of giving something away. Despite a slower start, readers can expect to find a great mix of paranormal and gothic undertones throughout the story that make this one a solid choice to pick up.

RIGHT. OUT. THE. GATE! This book had me creeped out after the first page. There isn't the false sense of comfort that some books put you into until the big reveal, that we all know is coming, that there is something more sinister happening. You know right from the beginning, this is going to be a ride. And a ride it was.

I just learned of Darcy Coates. I know what you're thinking; How are you a horror fan but have never heard of Darcy Coates? Well, I blame the fact that for the longest time I had no other horror read fans around me and I was occasionally finding things that I'd reach and ultimately be disappointed. Then I found my people. I found the people that love everything horror and have done the work and have recommended the greats. Now, I believe, I will never be lost and without a good, scary book ever again. Now....to the review.

With this being the first Darcy Coates book I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I had high expectations that I was going to love it due to the amount of people who have recommended her and the amazing reviews I've read from like minded reviewers. And this book did not disappoint. I went through the first half of the book thinking something was off. There was just something that I couldn't put my finger on. And then the reveal happens and it makes so much sense. It was easy to shift gears and view the story from a different perspective then. But then you realize the story is still off and you're trying to put together what is going on. And when you FINALLY learn all there is to know, and you are not disappointed. It's a ride. The characters are great, the story is GREAT, and the setting of this home that has become a living thing (another character basically) to me is spectacular. The story is also touching and has a lot of heart.

I highly recommend those who love a good ghost story!

Not going to go into specifics to avoid spoilers. At first I didn't know how well I liked jumping into the action right from the start, however... as it progressed I found myself having to read further to answer all the questions I had! This book was such a fun, unique read. It's not your typical ghost book and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy of The Haunting of Leigh Harker.
Leigh Harker is certain her house is haunted. Curtains open by themselves. Radios turn off and on. And a dark figure looms outside her bedroom door at night, watching her...waiting for her to finally let down her guard and fall asleep.

Despite appearances, despite all logic, Leigh knows she's no longer alone.

Pushed to her limits but unwilling to abandon her beloved home, Leigh's determined to find some answers. But the more she digs, the more she begins to suspect that her house is keeping troubling secrets...and some of them could be deadly. I really enjoyed this book, it was very eerie. I’m always intrigued by the history of houses and bonus if they’re haunted.

Thank you so much Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley and Author for the amazing opportunity to read this awesome upcoming novel!

This story is engrossing and addictive and very unique.
It’s the type of book that will have you up all night because you can’t put it down
Right from the start you are thrown into a horror story! Loved it!
The characters were amazing, the narrative was atmospheric and flowed effortlessly.
The horror plot was so expertly written and so unique!
The writing is absolutely addicting. And it truly sticks with you! Very well done Darcy!.
This is my first Coates book, but so not my last. I'm on the Kindle Store now looking at her list of books to buy.
She has a new fan here! I will read anything by this author!
Five amazing stars here!

Thanks again NetGalley, Publisher and Author for the chance to read and review this amazing book!
I'll post to my Social media platforms closer to pub date!

I’m sure by the title you have guessed that this is Leigh’s story. She lives alone, is set in her routines, and a bit of a loner, having no one to help her if there is a problem. We are thrown right into the mix with Leigh believing her house, that she’s lived in for many years, is haunted. While I love horror, I don’t always believe in the supernatural, yet I was pretty spooked reading this late at night.

As I read this, I had no idea where we were headed, but I couldn’t read this fast enough to see what would happen. Is her house really haunted or was there someone playing a game with Leigh? While Leigh is really not a likable or relatable character, I still wanted to see good things happen to her. While the pace starts out a little slow, you are going full speed ahead about a third of the way in. The author really captures that feeling you get late at night when you aren’t sure if you are imagining what is happening or if you should be all out terrified. There are many red herrings in what is going on in the book and it’s been a while since I’ve loved being tricked by a book.

I’m going to have to look up the author’s other works, as I really liked this one. I think anyone that loves the supernatural, eerie or horror genre will be happy to have read this book.

Give me all the haunted house books- I will devour them whole! This one has a really slow start, but I say give it a little time. I didn't really start to like it until about halfway through, and then it hooked me and I couldn't put it down. Leigh Harker does a great job of building creepiness and that ominous feeling that gives you tingles on the back of your neck. Her descriptions had me totally freaked out. And I really had a hard time even guessing as to what was going on. The first half is almost totally descriptions of the haunting- which was scary, but also got a little old. But, like I said- the second half packs a lot more information and some more interesting characters. I can't say too much, because I don't want to give anything away. But, I did end up enjoying this one. It was my first by Harker and I would definitely pick up some more by her- especially if they're haunting type books!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for my review.

I've read a few books by Coates in the past years, and she does seem to have a knack for writing a haunted tale! This book is no different, and you jump into the story from page 1 - so much so that at first I thought my book had downloaded out of order! But it was a nice technique to get the reader involved. Sadly, after a few chapters, spending so much time in Leigh's mind was too much, and my interest started to wander. I worried what the rest of the book would be like at that point, but saw other reviewers comment that the book picked backup at the 40-=50% point, so I pushed on, and did feel the story changed and for the better. This was a spooky tale, and was overall enjoying. I will look for some of the other titles by Coates that I have missed.

Some of the descriptions were a bit too much for my liking, but I'm beginning to think that is a new trend in writing - lots and lots of details over small things. I'm personally not a fan of that at all, so it does take away my enjoyment of the books I'm reading.

Darcy Coates is quickly becoming a favorite gothic suspense/horror author. This is one of those books that is best read without knowing a lot about the plot going in. Some of my favorite movies and books are those by Alfred Hitchcock, M. Night Shyamalan, and Daphne du Maurier. They create psychologically suspenseful situations which capitalize on the reader’s imagination and perception. This book definitely fits nicely in this group.

This fabulous ghost story has so many twists and turns. Just when you think you have something figured out, the author switches things up and you are left reeling. The creepy descriptions and setting are the stuff of nightmares and Coates capitalizes on those fears from childhood like the monster in the hall, things that go bump in the night, and if you’ve lived in an old home, it’s that one creepy area of your house that you always had to run in and quickly turn on the light (for me it was the basement).

Leigh is a great character because while she’s completely sympathetic, she’s also an unreliable narrator. You never quite know what to believe. I loved Sarah and the way that she and Leigh interacted and became friends.

In the middle of the book, things slowed down a bit, but it was a nice respite from the scary situations, and the mystery was further explored. The book ends in a dramatic but satisfying way. It’s a rollercoaster of a ride and definitely worth reading.

One of the things that I appreciate most about Darcy Coates is that she writes intelligently and her books are clean. There’s no swearing or sex scenes. There is some gore such as descriptions of rotting bodies and blood, but nothing overly graphic. It’s probably around a PG-13 rating. Look forward to reading more from this author! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

This is what I've been looking for in a haunted house story.

Right from the opening thrilling chapter I was hooked. The story unveils slowly leaving you asking questions all the way through what is happening. as it twists and turns. Leigh is a sympathetic character that you will be feeling for as she tries to uncover what is happening. Loved the friendship between her and Sarah and as it developed stronger and stronger.
It did start off strong but find the story did slow during the middle a bit before picking up again to a strong ending. But even during the slow parts small parts of the story unravel themselves to help bring it all full circle.
This is why Darcy Coates is the queen of creepy cosy story telling.
I received a copy from Netgalley of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I found this pretty unique to any other Darcy Coates books I have read and I won’t state why because that will completely ruin the surprise which this book hinges upon. You will have to read it to find out why it’s so different but I will say that things are not what they appear to be at first glance.

Expect it to still have the typical Darcy elements of a haunted house, creepy things that go bump in the night and lots of spooky scenes. I think fans of Darcy Coates will be very happy.

I’m going to leave this review short and sweet. I think it’s best to know less going into this book due to its uniqueness. Jump in. I can almost guarantee you’ll have a great time.