Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I had high hopes for this book. It was okay. It did suck me in like I hoped.

This fantasy horror mix did not have it for me. I found many plot holes that made the events that took place completely unbelievable. There were long periods where nothing happened, feeling forced. Then short periods where it felt like everything happened all at once, making it hard to keep track of what was going on. At other times it felt as though I was reading two different books (not including the actually excerpts at the beginning of each chapter). I felt like this book went on forever, wondering if it would ever end.

I'm not sure if I would give another book by this author a try. It would have to depend on the synopsis.

I want to thank Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for an ARC of this book.

Wow! Scary Horror Done Well!

5 "DO NOT LOOK UNDER THE BED" STARS!!

Eagerly looking forward to Megan Shepherd's next release.

If you like gothic stories, scary stories or the supernatural, then this book is for you! Stop what you are doing and get it NOW. Megan Shepherd is a repeat author for me and she does supernatural like no other! This was a book within a book and a story of scary monsters that live under the bed. But that isn't real, that's just scary stories from childhood, right? Shepherd will have you second guessing this in this book. It is creepy and when you can't trust what's going on in the house and the people outside the house...whew! I highly recommend Megan Shepherd and Malice House.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Hyperion Avenue for the gifted e-book ❤️

Read if you like: Haunting reads, slow burn, horror movie references, supernatural elements

Wow. This is creepy. I loved it. This was definitely not what I was expecting. This is perfectly done horror. It has a fantastic atmosphere. The characters are well-developed. It has a slow build at the beginning but it's not boring. I couldn't put this down. I regret putting this off for so long. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Books as well as the author for this ARC.
#NetGalley #Hyperion #MeganShepherd #MaliceHouse

I took a while writing this review because I took my time reading this and wanted to sit with it. I’m not sure how to characterize Malice House. Horror? Fantasy? Drama? All of the above?
Malice House is about the daughter of a famous author, who escapes from an abusive relationship to come and settle her late, famous father’s estate. In doing so, she finds an unpublished manuscript that is entirely unlike her father’s previous works. It’s much darker. Haven hopes that, if she illustrates this new book, it will be a profitable father/daughter release that will give her notoriety and, more importantly, a decent paycheck. This isn’t what happens. Her father has always said that Malice House was haunted. Is it?
This book had elements of horror in it for sure. The monster is memorable. Are Haven’s illustrations alive?? Or is this house haunted by ghosts? That's the question.
While there are gothic and supernatural horror in this story, the manuscript that Haven finds, entitled Bedtime Stories for Monsters, is heavy on fantasy. The creatures that Haven draws are more akin to something you would find in Game of Thrones or Stephen King’s Dark Tower series.
This book was a great Halloween read. It was entertaining and kept my attention without a problem. I found the characters compelling and cared what happened to them. I did feel that there were a lot of scenes that were not vital to the story. There were a lot of scenes in which alcohol was descriptively enjoyed. I could have done without many of those. I understand that Haven wasn’t a stable person. This was evident from more than just her alcoholism. Was it also evident through the creature living under her bed? Was it part of her stressed out psyche?
Either way, it was a fun journey.
Despite the great portions of this book, there were some definite faults. In addition to the need for some editing, there were some characters that I felt were a bit of a waste. This book could have been cut down by at least fifty pages. There were a few continuity problems also. The phrasing didn’t flow as well as I would have liked. This made it necessary to take frequent breaks from reading this one, as did the conflicting genres.
All in all, this book was fun. It had a few problems but was spooky enough and I cared enough about the characters to keep me reading.

A super fun and creepy mystery set on a remote island in Washington state. Malice House follows Haven, an aspiring illustrator, whose famous author father has recently passed away. Haven moves into his house following a tumultuous marriage. She discovers an unpublished manuscript of interconnected horror short stories. Strange things start happening and we're not sure why. I really enjoyed this slow burn mystery. It's a perfect read for a cold night when you're looking to be immersed in a good story.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I struggled to get into this one and DNF'd at 20%. Just struggled to get into the writing; I'm sure others will feel differently.

Ended her bad marriage, Haven back to Malice house. In the House, she find a un published manuscript of her father, who was a famous horror author.
Things start to happing around Haven.: interesting neighbor, her father's fun club member, a young girl working in a coffee shop, and of cause, dead body. no dead bodies.

I really enjoy this book, it is the best horror i read recently. the first quarter is a little bit slow, but it's good enough to catch my eyes. the middle part make me jump out of my skin. the pace speed up from there and it make me seat on edge of the chair.

For me, this book contents all the elements of a good horror book. interesting characters, haunted house, family secrets, and of cause the monsters.

I thinks this book is under rated on Goodreads, I hope more people give this one a shot. It deserve the top 5 horror on 2023 Choice award

Malice House

After her father dies, recently-divorced Haven Marbury travels to her dad’s house to scrounge up anything of value she can sell off. Her father, however, was a beloved horror author and she finds an aged, yellowed manuscript in the attic. Thinking she can sell it for big money, she seeks out some of her father’s associates. They quickly act weird AF and Haven starts to figure out there’s something up with the manuscript. Then the bodies start piling up and may be connected to a sexy neighbor so things get real tricky.

This was a solid read. A spooky mystery that fits in the horror genre but with plenty of fantasy thrown in too which was a cool twist. Not a book that I’d command you all to go get and read immediately, but don’t sleep on it if you get the opportunity.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book!

I thought Malice House was a simple horror house novel, but it's so much more. There's mysteries about the narrator's father, her past, the town history, and the house itself. I especially loved the start and end of the novel, there was so much intrigue. I'm a big fan of the author's writing style, The Madman's Daughter is a top YA read for me. I loved the ephemeral vibe of the book. The middle lagged a bit, but overall a very solid fantasy/mystery standalone.

I've read one of Megan Shepher's books before, and I didn't love it so I went into this novel with lower expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised! This book has one of my favorite tropes and I think the author did it very well. The writing was chilling and I was rooting for the main character during the intense scenes. My only gripe with this novel is that I wish it went deeper into the character's relationships with other people, more specifically with her father. Overall, it was very satisfying and I'm more interested in reading this author's backlist!

4.5/5

Malice House is my first time reading a novel by Megan Shepherd and all I have to say is - hot damn!! I didn't go into this expecting to love it so much, so it was a pleasant surprise when I did. The story is thoroughly creepy and although I did spend some time wondering if the supernatural elements were actually happening, that probably just heightened my enjoyment of the book. Haven’s dad's house isn't what you would call an incredibly cozy place, and I loved how it felt a lot like a character on its own. Add in one mysterious next-door neighbor and some random murders that start happening and you really have yourself a story. Oh, and let's not forget about the Ink Drinkers, because they were also super interesting and verged on downright weird. Haven also appears to have somewhat of a checkered past, and I spent the whole time wondering what it was that she had done that she was running from.

The audiobook is just as amazing, and I loved the narrator Katie Schorr a whole freaking lot. She was absolutely perfect for Haven, and she brought all of the elements I need in a narrator to make the story even better. I would highly recommend listening to this one and I think it also helped make the book feel even more spine-chilling at times. I would have loved illustrations in the book of Haven's pictures and honestly, I would even watch a movie of this book! That being said, Shepherd did a wonderful job of using the right descriptive words to give me the ability to really see all of these creepy characters in Bedtime Stories. I also loved that each chapter started with an excerpt from one of the stories, and it created a nice book within a book situation. There were a lot of surprises, and I had no idea what was going to happen. I will clearly be reading more work by this author, and I will be purchasing myself a finished copy of Malice House!

It's creepy and it's kooky, mysterious and spooky....yes, it is all of that a little bit more! I don't read a lot of paranormal and horror novels because I get creeped out easy and this one was no exception.

Haven Marbury, the protagonist, has returned to her family home after her father's passing. Her marriage has just broken up so she returns alone. Her father was an award winning author who they believe had dementia in his later years. He was adamant his home "The Malice House" was haunted. Haven never took it seriously, attributing to his failing memory.

Going through her fathers items, she comes across a book "Bedtime Stories for Monsters" Haven gets a great idea to add her illustrations to the book and get it published. The book opens up the storyline. It seems everyone is interested in obtaining the manuscript but even more interesting (creepy) is the fact the book seems to be coming to life for Haven. The creatures in the books aren't the nicest. Haven is left figuring out what is happening and why do so many people want this book? What is their role?

You definitely need to be open to letting your imagination take over this read. I caught myself holding my breath a few times.

Four solid stars!

Note: I was provided an ARC in May 2022 but going through my book list realized I did not publish my review until Jan 2023. My apologies for overlooking this!

After a very successful start, Malice House dropped off a cliff for me around 75% of the way in. It's unfortunate, I hate to say it, but it happens...

This story follows an artist named Haven Marbury. Haven's father, a very famous author, has recently passed away. Because of this, Haven travels from her home in New York City to his property on the West Coast. She has inherited his possibly haunted house and everything in it.

Having recently suffered through a very traumatic break-up, with barely two pennies to rub together, the idea of having a place of her own, far from her ex, is actually a blessing. Once at the house, Haven meets with her father's 0ld-caregiver, a rather disturbing woman in her own right. A woman that in the past has refused to spend one single night at the property.

Unusual happenings begin pretty much right away. It's a big house and definitely spooky. Additionally, it's bringing up a lot of mixed feelings for Haven. Sifting through her father's belongings, Haven discovers an unpublished manuscript called Bedtime Stories for Monsters, which is quite different from his previous works.

It's dark and twisted, right up Haven's alley. She has an epiphany. She needs money. Her father's name on a cover will sell any book. She's an artist. She'll illustrate this book and pitch it to publishers as a father-daughter posthumous collaboration.

Unfortunately, a local group of bibliophiles that her father was a part of, the Ink Drinkers, start continuously trying to insert themselves into the process of deciding what to do with the unpublished manuscript. Haven probably should have kept that discovery to herself.

After that, things start to get really weird. Haven feels like they're crazy, she wants them to stay the heck away from her. It's her father's work. They have no say over what she does with it, or do they?

There's an attractive, though suspicious, neighbor. There's potential poltergeist activity at the house. There are monsters coming to life and attacking. There are crazy locals and a dark, ill-feeling atmosphere.

As mentioned above, I was super intrigued by this in the beginning. I love the idea of fictional stories pulling through into real life. Monsters jumping off the pages and wrecking havoc. Are you kidding?! That's amazing!

There were a few fun twists and as it began to come together as to what was happening, I lifted an eyebrow. Okay, Megan Shepherd. I see you. You are a Horror Gurlie. Me too!

At some point though, it kept going and went too far. It got so convoluted that it was hard to follow. I'm not sure what could have improved, I'm not claiming to be an author here, but it completely lost me by the conclusion.

I liked Haven as a character and enjoyed watching her discover some fairly significant family secrets. I just wish the pace could have been more even. The monstrous elements did build steadily, but they didn't stop at a coherent point. It just devolved into chaos.

The more I think about this, as I am writing this review, the more disappointed I get. I am serious when I say, I really enjoyed the beginning. There are so many elements in this to love, especially if you are a fan of darker fiction. Unfortunately, it just wasn't pulled through to a solid conclusion in my opinion.

With this being said, just because I wasn't crazy about the ending doesn't mean you won't be. If the synopsis sounds intriguing to you, absolutely give it a shot. You could find a new favorite read within these pages.

Thank you to the publisher, Hyperion Avenue, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this one didn't blow me away, I would definitely pick up more Megan Shepherd novels.

Gothic atmosphere, spooky vibes, creepy creatures running amok, I loved this book.

Aspiring artist Haven Marbury is returning to her late father's remote house by the sea to clear it out after his death. Her father has warned her the house is haunted but she chalks it up to the supposed dementia ailing him. Her father has won Pulitzers for his works but she unexpectedly finds a book she's never seen, Bedtime Stories for Monsters. Haven has been shot down by multiple publishers due to her illustrations being too dark but she thinks this could be the book that catapults her work, drawing her illustrations to a book by her famous father that no one even know's exists. After creating these monsters from this book, all of a sudden monsters start appearing in the house, monsters that look just like the ones she's drawn.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book as Megan Shepherd's first adult horror/thriller book. I've read her past Young Adult Fantasy books and immensely enjoyed them. But wow, her adult work is so much better. I know they say authors work improves with each of their books they write and that was definitely the case here.

This book was spooky to the point I didn't want to read it at night. The way these monstrous creatures were described legitimately freaked me out to the point I wanted to look under my bed incase anything was lurking there. The atmosphere only added to the eeriness of this book, everything was rolled together perfectly to creep me out and make my heart rate kick up. The dark and gruesome themes might not be for everyone but I seriously couldn't get enough.

I was expecting a lag somewhere in the story due to it being entirely following Haven's perspective but I honestly didn't get that. The entire story kept me engaged and then I got to the break-neck speed ending and I loved the story even more.

Thanks to Hyperion Avenue for the copy for my review.

The cover of this novel really pulled me in!! I genuinely enjoyed the fantasy aspects that were mixed in. The plot was very intriguing and I was hooked all the way through. Immediately purchased a physical copy when this was published!

A great read by this author. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Shepherd artfully blends horror and fantasy in Malice House. This has an unbelievable mystery and truly terrifying moments. Secluded homes are just not a good idea! Haven comes to her father's town shortly after his death. She finds an unpublished manuscript of short stories. All of which are scary as hell. She draws illustrations inspired by the stories and then shit just gets strange and then horrifying. I felt the ending was a little too long but I really enjoyed this creative and scary book. Thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy.

Unfortunately, this book was simply not for me. I felt the story was disjointed and I found it difficult to decipher how the fairy tales at the start of each story meshed with the continuous storyline. As a seasoned horror lover, I don't believe I am the target audience. I do think it is perfect for readers who want to get into reading horror tinged with a bit of fantasy especially new adults.