Eric and his two daughters, Dessa and Stacy, are on the run, skipping from town to town, taking odd and dangerous jobs, and generally just evading...something. Eric finds a situation that could mean a lucrative payout for him, thus ensuring the safety and security of his girls, even though this strange situation is anything but safe or secure. He has applied to live for a time in a possibly haunted house...a spite house. Which I had never even heard of, until I read this story, but look them up; they're a thing. His employer? An old woman who has a vested interest in the property for reasons of her own, reasons which hinge on his findings. I found myself rooting for the family and compelled by the story, which. while I don't think I have read anything quite like this story, it wasn't really breaking any new ground, either. Not quite "just another haunted house story," but ...close enough.

Book: The Spite House
Author: Johnny Compton
Publisher: Macmillan-Tor Forge
Pub Date: February 7, 2023

This is not a book I normally would choose. I don’t read a lot of horror books and while I liked this one I will say if horror is your genre this might be a little “vanilla” for you. It was creepy enough for me. I was hooked immediately because I wanted to know what the heck they were running from. The dad showed he was fiercely protective over his kids as was the older sister Dess. Stacy is so innocent and so likable and clearly has special powers. The best line of the book was, “And there was her sister, living proof that death didn’t have to be final.” This was a good haunted house read for those of us who don’t want too much horror.

Thank you Macmillan-Tor Forge and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is February 7, 2023.

After seeing this book all over Bookstagram, I really wanted to read it. Sorry to say, I wish I hadn't.

While the writing wasn't bad, especially for a debut, I found the book too slow to keep my interest. The characters held no value to me and I found myself not really caring what happened anymore.

As for the book being horror, where? Sure, there's a haunted aspect but none of it was scary. It was more of a slow mystery for me.

The kind of ghost story I would stay up late to finish, even though it gives me nightmares! It's never a good idea to accept a job as caretaker of a haunted house. Eric Ross knows this. He also knows more about the paranormal than he lets on. It's a while before we learn the reason why this formerly well-off Black entrepreneur and his two daughters are on the run, desperate for an off-the-books gig in white rural Texas. I was getting a little frustrated with the slow reveal, actually, but when it came, I could see why this surprise needed to wait.

The most thought-provoking part of the book, for me, was its depiction of the dark side of white "allyship". Both the man who built the Spite House, and the elderly rich woman who hires Eric to live there, think that they deserve a bigger reward from the universe for being on the right side of racial issues. They feel entitled to take it out on less privileged people. Peter Masson built an ugly, weird-shaped home to annoy the orphanage next door because he wanted their land. Eunice conveniently omits telling Eric that his predecessor went insane after three weeks in the house.

It seems that the Spite House never gives up its hold on anyone, whether their involvement was ego-driven or based in unselfish parental love. This bleak conclusion left me a bit unsatisfied. Horror novels don't have to end with the good guys winning, but I felt the book was gesturing at saying something about historical injustice and expiation, and the moral indifference of the outcome made me wonder what it all added up to.

I received a free e-book ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This one just didn't hit the mark for me. It started out well, and I do like how the author slowly revealed the reason why this father and his daughters are on the run as it maintained some mystery through the story. For me, the multiple POVs made it difficult to connect with any of the characters because every chapter was told from a different perspective. While the beginning of the story demonstrates that the main characters are driven by the power of family and wanting to protect those one loves, as the story progresses and there is some separation of characters, this theme seems to get lost a bit. Not sure if that was the author's intent as "spite" is in the title. Ultimately, this just wasn't to my taste but I'd still encourage readers to give it a go, especially if you're just getting into to horror novels.

The Spite House
By Johnny Compton

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book to review!

A unique and twisted haunted house novel.

The Mason house (aka Spite House) is owned by Eunice, a wealthy and eccentric old woman who's goal it is to remove a deadly family curse that has plagued her for a lifetime.

Eric Ross and his daughters are on the run and need money. Responding to a strange help wanted ad placed by Eunice, Eric agrees to move himself and his daughters into the Spite house and document any paranormal incidents that may occur. His employer never bothered to tell him how dangerous his new job was going to be.

Many twist and turns play out while the mystery of the Spite house and how Eunice, Eric and his family are all tied together in a supernatural suspense. As the mystery unfolds Eric realizes what the house is and what must be done to save his daughters.

Slow beginning but once hooked, I couldn't put it down. Very interesting story. Different then any other haunted house books I've read .

Johnny Compton is on the run with his daughters. He’s doing his best to keep them safe and not leave a trail behind them. When he sees an add for a caretaker of an old home, he thinks his prayers have been answered. The job is easy enough, write down all the spooky happenings that he experiences while living there. While it’s creepy, it’s a place no one will likely find the family and the compensation makes it a double plus.

While the job sounded easy, Eric finds that his daughters are not safe in the house, but he’s not leaving quite yet. He needs more than the money and he’s not leaving until he can get what he needs.

This is a really creepy and scary read…I LOVED IT! If this is the author’s first published work, I’m expecting him to have a very long and creepy career! I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next!

I’ve seen plenty of characters contemplate the price they’re willing to pay to achieve their ends, going all the way back to Odin plucking out his own eye for wisdom. Characters who pay these kinds of prices are heroes or legends; they do what we often can’t bring ourselves to do. Before I read Johnny Compton’s terrifying novel, The Spite House, I don’t think I’d ever seen a story that asked the corollary question: what price are we willing to make others pay so that we can have what we want? This book is full of selfish characters. Some are flat-out evil. Others (possibly even scarier ones) are convinced that their selfishness is justified by whatever “good” they want to achieve. Oh, and all of this takes place in a house so haunted that I couldn’t help but compare it to the one in Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House.

We don’t know why Eric Ross and his two daughters have fled their previous lives in Maryland for an under-the-radar existence on the road. All we know is that the stakes are high enough that they have to keep their profiles so low that Eric has trouble making enough money to keep them fed and sheltered on their way back to his grandfather’s home in Odessa, Texas. That pressure leads Eric to answer an absolutely bonkers job offer, to stay in a potentially haunted house in Degener, Texas and report back any signs of the supernatural to its owner. The payout is big enough to tempt Eric to ignore the red flags and apply.

Meeting with Eunice Houghton, the owner of the Masson House and a good chunk of the town of Degener, reassures Eric and his oldest daughter, Des, enough that they agree to the job. We readers know, however, that Eunice isn’t being honest about the Masson House’s full history. She certainly doesn’t tell Eric what happened to the last two people who stayed in the house. Instead, she tells Eric a bit about how the strange spite house came to be built and a little about her family’s curse, which has roots back in the American Civil War. Unfortunately, the supernatural shenanigans start the very first night the Ross family stays in the spite house. The only character who isn’t frightened out of their wits for most of the book is Eric’s youngest daughter, Stacy—but then, she has a very good reason not to fear death.

At first, The Spite House keeps its cards close to its metaphorical chest. I actually thought it waited a little too long to start revealing what was really motivating Eric and Eunice. But once the secrets start to spill, the pace really picks up. And what secrets they are! I thought I had a good handle on what to expect but The Spite House defied every one of my expectations. Aside from my quibble about its initially slow pace, I was completely hooked by this novel. I blazed through the last third of the novel because I had to know who would survive the big climax and what price the characters would have to pay for their survival. Also, a big part of what kept me reading was a kind of horrified fascination with how far the characters would go to achieve their goals. Rational behavior goes straight out the window for most of the major characters, especially Eric, in part because everyone has justified their own actions so well that they never stop to really consider the harm they might be doing to the people caught in their wake. I just couldn’t look away from this big, haunted car wreck.

This is such a creepy read that it gave me goosebumps. Eric and his two daughters are running away from something. What it is, is not clear, but his own past is steeped in the supernatural. He then gets an offer he can’t refuse: live in a haunted house for a lot of money. Eunice, an eccentric millionaire, needs someone to record the paranormal activity in the Masson House, a mansion that looks “wrong” and where horrible things have happened. For anyone thinking how Eric should know better than to drag his two daughters into a haunted house, be assured that the plot explains it in such a way that it makes perfect sense. The pervasive feeling of uneasiness is impossible to ignore and the titular Spite House is described in such a way that it’s easy to imagine. There is an abandoned orphanage nearby, spooky hallways, shadowy corners where anything could be hiding and… I don’t want to get into spoilers but it is really, truly scary. Most of the characters are very likable, especially Eric and his daughters, so it’s easy to root for them. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys being scared and doesn’t have a heart condition.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire!

2.5 stars

This book started out incredibly strong, but then lost me somewhere in the middle. By the end, I was ready to be done with it.

I liked the concept of the book, but felt like there was too much being crammed in.

Eric and his two children, Dess (a young adult) and Stacey (a small child) are on the run. You don't find out why until midway through the book. When you finally get that answer, it is kind of a head scratcher. Even taking the explanation at face value, it doesn't make sense to me that they are essentially living as fugitives. Eric needs money, so he accepts a job from eccentric, old Eunice, who agrees to pay him a ridiculous amount of money, if he stays in a haunted house she owns and documents his experience. There had been others in the past, but all went crazy and didn't complete the assignment. Apparently, Eunice is trying to prove the house is haunted, so she can bring in her old friend, a paranormal expert and disbeliever, to analyze the house.

The whole plot of Eunice's friend being at her beck and call to fly in at a moment's notice to document the house as soon as she has enough evidence didn't make sense to me. Why wouldn't he just come in and do it for her in the first place? And what was the real end game?

The whole backstory of Eunice's family curse, mixed in with the curse of the house was lost on me. Again, I believe that way too many stories were trying to be stuffed into a small space with this one.

There were also way too many unnecessary POV's. I am a fan of multiple POV's but when we get into POV's of the housekeeper and local reporter for no reason, it just gets messy.

The last thing I will say is that I completely did not understand the ending. I won't discuss it here due to spoilers, but with so many unnecessary explanations and story lines, I felt the end could have done with a better explanation as to what was going on.

Overall, I didn't hate the book, or the concept behind the book. I just think it could have been cleaner and told a clearer story.

This was an honest review in exchange for an advanced copy on Netgalley.

If you want a creepy ghost story, look no further. This is a multiple POV storyline that slips in important details like it’s the color of the sky. I was just bee-booping along and then had to go back and reread the last couple of sentences multiple times because I couldn’t believe the little nugget of gold that was just dropped out of nowhere. I can definitely say that I didn’t see some of the twists coming!

Have you ever felt rage and resentment and spite overwhelm you? Imagine building a whole house to literally spite others and pour all of those feelings into it. Is it any wonder that dark energy seems to pour out of it? But the owner wants someone to take careful notes about what actually happens there, before she brings her friend (a notorious ghost debunker) over to check it out. And Eric and his girls are living life on the down low and could really use the massive amount of cash she is offering to do this. Will the darkness overwhelm them?

"A terrifying Gothic thriller about grief and death and the depths of a father's love, Johnny Compton's The Spite House is a stunning debut by a horror master in the making - The Babadook meets A Head Full of Ghosts in Texas Hill Country.

Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in tow. Having left his wife, his house, his whole life behind in Maryland, he's desperate for money - it's not easy to find steady, safe work when you can't provide references, you can't stay in one place for long, and you're paranoid that your past is creeping back up on you.

When he comes across the strange ad for the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric thinks they may have finally caught a lucky break. The Masson property, notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas, needs a caretaker of sorts. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity. All they need to do is stay in the house and keep a detailed record of everything that happens there. Provided the house's horrors don't drive them all mad, like the caretakers before them.

The job calls to Eric, not just because there's a huge payout if they can make it through, but because he wants to explore the secrets of the spite house. If it is indeed haunted, maybe it'll help him understand the uncanny power that clings to his family, driving them from town to town, making them afraid to stop running."

Think how bad things must be to accept this bargain?

The idea of a Spite House is very interesting. When so much anger gets channeled into a house, does it begin to absorb the negativity?

The story begins with Eric Ross and his two daughters Dess and Stacey on the run. We know they are in hiding but we can't tell what from. Both Eric and older daughter Dess are primarily focused on keeping Stacy safe.
When Eric finds an opportunity which will solve his financial problems and give the family security they need, he jumps.

The Masson house in Degener TX is haunted and the owner, Eunice Houghton needs someone to stay in the house and gather proof. But there is much more to the story of the house then the owner has told him, like what exactly happened to the couple who was staying there before him.

The story is a good southern gothic horror. The atmosphere was dark and house was a perfect setting for the ghostly events that transpire. The overlapping stories of Eric Ross , Eunice Houghton, and Peter Masson, the man who built the Spite House was interesting. As the story progresses, layer upon layer is added until the reason the house is as it is becomes clear.

I enjoyed The Spite House and it successfully gave me creepy feelings, especially the ending. The story of Stacy was remarkable. While the story may not have answered every question, I think that fit well with the story and the overall feel of the book was spot on.

Thank you Macmillan Tor/Forge and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of the book.

Eric and his two daughters are on the run and they need money. Eric gets cash under the table doing odd jobs as they travel, but he needs something more stable to get them through until they reach their destination.

When he sees an ad offering a big payout and a free place to live, Eric thinks this may be the job he's been looking for. It doesn't matter that the job is to live in one of the most haunted houses in Texas, and record any experiences. How hard could that be? It also gives Eric hope that he might be able to explore and explain a strange ability people in his family share.

I had high hopes for this story to scare the socks off me. It started off being so spooky that I wouldn't read it at night, but by the end it had lost its steam. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the book. It was a great story and Compton does a good job of teasing the audience with the family secret and why they are on the run. But it only rates a 7 out of 10 for being spooky/scary/thriller.

I just reviewed The Spite House by Johnny Compton. #NetGalley

The Spite House by Johnny Compton was a nightmare fueled, paranoia inducing ride through the lives of a family on the run. I’d say it caused me nightmares, but it’s well known that there are no dreams in The Spite House.

Eric, Dess and Stacey are on the run. For a good part of the book, the reader is kept in the dark about why exactly the family is running. Eunice, a rich landowner, puts out a call for someone to stay in one of the homes she owns and document any and all supernatural activity. Eric, desperate for money to start over with his two daughters, agrees to the job. But it almost feels like more than coincidence. Like The Spite House drew this particular family.

That’s where the typical haunted house tropes end. This was a unique take on haunted houses. I truly loved the main characters of Eric, his older daughter Dess and the sweet Stacey. It was all the more harrowing to watch the Spite House pick apart their sanity.

Great read, full of terror and desperation.

The Spite House got off to a slow start for me but did gain serious momentum a quarter into the story. From that point, the book moved forward at an unrelenting pace.

Questions about the afterlife, generational curses and gifts, paranormal abilities, echoes from the past and a house full of dark secrets made for a complex story with a lot of different characters and plot threads of which to keep track. I was satisfied with the ending and the resolution provided, but I can see how some readers will be left wishing for a few more answers.

Overall, I enjoyed this haunted house story and its touches of southern gothic. This was a subtly creepy tale with a slowly escalating sense of dread and foreboding that will appeal to fans of quiet horror with grim, dark undertones.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing me a copy to read and review.

What initially made me want to read The Spite House, was it’s creepy cover! This book is also labeled as southern gothic horror, and I was ready for a good, scary, creepy read. However, after reading this book, I think The Spite House may be marketed wrong. Instead of southern, gothic horror- I think this book should be labeled as southern fiction with a paranormal/gothic twist.

In this book, we start off with Eric Ross on the run with his two daughters, Dess and Stacy. The three of them are living out of motels, and Eric has been looking for ways to make money and stay under the radar. Lucky for Eric, he one day finds an ad in the newspaper for a caretaker of a spite house in Degener, Texas. This spite house is known to be haunted, but if Eric can stay the duration and make it out alive he will be paid a substantial amount of money to provide for himself and daughters. It’s an opportunity he can’t refuse!

While Eric is staying at the spite house (also called the Masson House), he learns a great deal about the history of the house and why it was built. He also learns who built this house, and why they built on this particular piece of land. There was a lot of history to be learned about the residents of the spite house and those surrounding it, both past and present. However, there are still many questions that I feel are left unanswered. Many issues did not seem to get resolved for me…

I want to commend the author as this is his debut novel. The writing is very good, the storyline is decent, but unfortunately this missed the mark for me in being a horror novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and the author for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Publication date is: February 7, 2023.

I love a good, old fashioned haunted house story and "The Spite House" by Johnny Compton did not disappoint! There are so many layers to this one! I was completely enthralled by this story and read it straight through from the first page to the last; I just couldn't put it down! The story is creative and unique; I've read hundreds of horror novels but never one quite like this. The supernatural elements sent chills down my spine and the complex and mysterious mortal characters kept me guessing. There are several unexpected plot twists that left me reeling.

This is a very strong debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Johnny Compton. Five stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this chilling book in exchange for my honest review!

This is a book I have been highly anticipating and it lived up to my expectations and more. I am so thankful to have been able to get this ARC. I am deff going to purchase this so I can have a copy on my shelf.

“Hadn’t Stacy inadvertently suggested that a couple of nights ago? She’d said the house was skinny because it hadn’t eaten enough. What else would a house like this feed on but lives?”

🅀🅄🄸🄲🄺 🅁🄴🄲🄰🄿
Eric finds a job offer to live in a house and write down all the ghostly occurrences in order to receive a life changing payout for him and his two children.

🄵🄸🄽🄰🄻 🅃🄷🄾🅄🄶🄷🅃🅂
Thank you to @NetGalley for this copy of #TheSpiteHouse in exchange for my honest opinion.
WOW. I’ve seen this book floating around, and it’s one people have been saying to keep a look out for this upcoming release. I was lucky enough to receive this eARC and was NOT disappointed. This haunting story has secrets, twists and turns.