The Spite House by Johnny Compton (@comptonwrites), coming from @tornightfire on February 2, 2023, is a Gothic influenced ghost story about a hungry, haunted house. That's the best way I can describe it. While there are some slow burn aspects to the book, when the hauntings occur, the story quickly ramps up the action and the scare factor and things get creepy quickly.

Eric Ross and his two daughters, Dess and Stacey, are on the run from a past none of them asked for or completely understand. When the opportunity arises to make some decent money by providing evidence of the paranormal by staying at the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric jumps at the chance to be able to finally provide his daughters with some stability. But everyone involved, the owner of Masson House, the previous tenants, and the Ross' themselves all have secrets that they feel they need to keep, so nothing is ever as it seems. And when the house itself finally starts to play a part in the haunting, Eric knows that while he's in danger, he needs to follow through with the investigation in order to protect his daughters' futures.

Very rarely do books give me the creeps, but this one did. The descriptions of the initial hauntings and the claustrophobic nature of Masson House all add up to a feeling of pervasive dread throughout. Each chapter is told from a different character's POV; while this may sound confusing, it makes for an interesting read as we see the story unfold through the eyes of each of the characters. As everyone's secrets are laid out throughout the story, each person's motives become clear and while I thought there was going to be a lot of unanswered questions, but Compton ties everything up in a satisfying manner.

Another excellent release from Nightfire! If you're a fan of ghost stories and haunted houses and don't mind a little creepiness in your book, than this is for you!

A huge thank you to @tornightfire and @netgalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I love me a good Gothic horror/haunted house story. Johnny Compton mostly achieves this but I think a simpler approach would have been more effective and frightening. I found there to be too many plot threads and a lot of aspects and questions did not get answered by the end of the book. I really wanted to know why all these characters were tied together by this same occurrence. It seemed there was something bigger going on but was never discussed.

Overall, this was a good story. I really liked the characters Compton created and I liked the overall feeling of “looming threat." Can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

3.5/5 - I really like a good haunted house novel, and I think the biggest reason why this book isn’t a 4 or 5 star book for me is that I wanted MORE of the house. I found the buildup and the story leading us to the house to be a bit dragging and repetitive, like, yes, *something* happened, that’s why they’re on the run, but let us never speak of it! But don’t forget, *something* happened! Don’t get me wrong, I liked the characters and thought their creation was full of depth without artifice and believed everything about them, but I felt an impatience for the story to get going for probably like the first 40% of the book. That being said, THAT FRICKIN’ HOUSE! So creepy, I loved it. The things it could do, the things inside of it, the anger surrounding it, the weirdness of the architecture, all great. I just wanted more of it. At about 55%, the story took off at a gallop and I couldn’t stop until I was done. Looking forward to more books by this author.

The Spite House was a creepy, creative, and entertaining haunted house story. I thoroughly enjoyed the alternating chapters in each characters perspective, as I felt that added a lot of depth to the story. The house itself enthralled me! I wish it was real so I could visit it. The ending left me a little underwhelmed, I guess I expected more action than what we saw, but it still resolved the story. Overall this was an incredibly fun read, and I’ll be recommending it to every horror lover I meet.

A father on the run with his two daughters, looking for work and stability for his girls. A mysterious job offer, made by an eclectic old woman who wants to know the secrets of an old spite house on her land.

Eric Ross and his two daughters, eighteen-year-old Dess and seven-year-old Stacey, are making their way across the country, evading authorities and staying under the radar. When Eric spies a job offer for a caretaker of a house with known paranormal activity, he only sees dollar signs and the ability to secure a future for his family. But when they arrive in Degener, Texas, and meet the owner of the property he starts to question the wisdom of bringing his daughters to such a frightening place.

I’m a sucker for a creepy cover and title. Johnny Compton is a new to me author, but I didn’t hesitate to click that request button after reading the blurb and seeing this cover. I’ve read plenty of haunted house-based horror novels, but not one where the house in question was a spite house. There are quite a few POV shifts as the story progresses from introducing Eric and his daughters, then moving to the owner of the spite house and her family’s history, and eventually onto the previous occupants of Masson House.

There are a lot of plot threads to untangle and tie up by the end. There is a tragic, dark history to the house that Eric experiences firsthand through dreams of the original owner. But he has his own reasons for seeking information about its past and how that intersects with his own family history and what sent him, Dess, and Stacey on the run.

All in all, a creepy, scary good time. I look forward to checking out this author’s backlist.

What a phenomenal debut. This is truly one of the better haunted house stories I’ve read in awhile. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more Johnny Compton books in the future.

Thank you to Johnny Compton, the publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC.

The setting for this gothic horror story, was amazing. I had never heard of a spite house before reading this book, and the concept did not disappoint. It left me with chills, and a few nightmares.
The characters in this book were well thought out and had a lot of depth to them. My favorites were Dess, Eunice, and Lafonda. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Dess and Eric, and Dess and Stacy. This book has multiple POVs which usually I do not love, but I think in this case it worked really well and helped propel the story forward.
This book covers a lot of different issues such as familial issues, the corruptible power of money, and racism. I think there was an interesting juxtaposition between the paranormal horror going on in the house,, and the horror of the microaggression that the family faces in Texas.

scare factor: 3.5
Setting: 5
Characters: 5
Overall rating: 4

A horribly claustrophobic gothic haunted house debut! I loved the depth of each character especially THE house! It left me very unnerved and looking over my shoulder at every turn. It beautifully crafts the bond weaved through generations of both love and hate. It truly shows the depth of love for family and what one would do to protect their loved ones even through generations and the unknown. Incredible debut novel and I cannot wait for more work from Mr. Compton!

A creepy tale of a house built by spite and the ghosts that haunt it! Eric Ross is in hiding with his two children, in desperate need of cash flow, he accepts a gig where all he has to do is live in a supposedly haunted house. It’s never that easy, is it? Both his past and the house’s collide in a terrifying conclusion that left me freaked out, curled up in bed at night.
I had a really great time reading this and fell in love with a lot of aspects of this books. First off, I have such love for both of the daughters, Stacy & Dess. Both were calm and collected throughout and it highlighted how “different” the past they are running from is. Next, the house’s petty past in being built. Sadly, I could see that situation actually happening, in the same way we see people erect giant middle fingers to irritate their neighbors. Last, the ending was a perfect one to me. I won’t spoil it but it felt like everyone got what they really wanted/needed in the end. Can’t wait to add a physical copy to my bookshelves!

What a phenomenal debut! This is Southern Gothic horror at it's best. There are some pacing issues and their are a lot of POVs - but I found that the POVs worked, and the pacing left a lot of room for tension.

There are truly so many layers to this story that I know that I missed things. I can definitely see myself picking this one back up again.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

So…
I didn’t like it.

Don’t get me wrong it has its awesome moments that really sucked me in…
But…

I didn’t like it. It took me forever to get into it, and then when I did get into it… well it let me down. I can’t quite explain it but it just didn’t hit all the points for me. It felt hollow to me almost, almost like just as the story got good the story just fell off and then the end came and it was just meh.
I’ll still recommend it, because again how I feel isn’t how someone else will feel about it. This just missed the mark for me.

I loved the back story and the characters but honestly I felt like some of it was overkill. There was a lot of story that was just too much info. Some of it felt as if it was not relevant to the story and could have easily been left out. However I love a ghost story and the story line kept me interested enough that I had to finish it. The ending was great!

Eric Ross and his daughters are running from something, running through Texas, which Eric finds a job offer that he can't refuse. Basically, a wealthy woman is paying to stay in a haunted house. The house in question is a "spite house." Eric takes the job, not really sure what to expect.

This is the leadup to Johnny Compton's "The Spite House," a taut, interesting haunted house story, with masterful tension and suspense. Eric and his daughters Stacey and Dess are so memorable as characters. I was definitely along for the ride until near the end, which confused me a bit. However, I do recommend this book for anyone who likes a more psychological or atmospheric gothic haunted house story.

Single dad Eric Ross along with his two daughters mysteriously up and left his life in Maryland for Texas. Eric is desperate for money when he comes across an ad for the Masson House in Dengener, Texas. The Masson house is notorious for being haunted and the owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity so someone to stay in the house and record any strange occurrences. Eric believes this will be a great opportunity since the job offers a huge payout and because Eric is curious about the supernatural world.

I love ghost stories and especially those about haunted houses so I was immediately drawn to The Spite House’s synopsis.

My favorite part of The Spite House was the atmosphere in the Masson house. I also enjoyed learning about the house’s history, who built it and why. I also really enjoyed learning about the main character Eric and uncovering his mysterious past. There was also an unexpected twist that completely surprised me.

The only thing I didn’t like about this one was there were a lot of things left behind at the end and several issues that went unresolved. But overall I enjoyed The Spite House. Johnny Compton did an excellent job with his debut novel!

The Spite House by Johnny Compton will be available on February 7. Many thanks to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for the gifted copy!

A modern gothic told with a charming family on the run for SOME REASON we don’t learn until late forces them to move into the dreaded, haunted SPITE HOUSE deep in the heart of Texas.

The first 1/3 of the novel is its most tense, as we first meet the family — the relationship between Eric and his eldest daughter Dess is a real highlight — and see them on the run from their past. The book covers familial issues, systemic racism, and the corruptible power of money in a really refreshing way, which is kicked up a notch once Eunice — the owner of Spite House — is introduced.

Unfortunately, I feel the book lost steam when we arrived at the house. The terrifying thing at the center of the book ended up feeling all the less tense and frightening as we saw and learned more about it. Some of the twists that were intentionally kept from us at the start of the book was also bothersome. We’ve learned so much about these people, so why not trust us and the writing with that information earlier?

All in all, a solid chiller and debut with a ghost story more about the ghosts in our own lives and communities than what simply has returned from the dead. Definitely worth a read and I’m interested in what Compton will do in the future.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thanks to @netgalley and @tornightfire for the review copy!

3.5 stars

The Spite House was a unique twist on a haunted house story. This southern gothic horror novel was set in current-day Texas and follows a single father - Eric Ross - and his two daughters Dess and Stacy as they run from a dark past.

When Eric and his family arrive in Degener, Texas - a town practically owned by a tech millionaire - they are presented with a "great" opportunity - live in the mysterious Masson House and provide proof of its paranormal activity in exchange for a generous payout.

What ensues is a wild and rather complex plot spanning multiple generations of trauma, and obviously, spite. While I loved the multiple perspectives and diverse characters, there were some side plots that were never fully resolved.

I had never heard of a “spite house”, so I got a history lesson along with my ghostie story, and plenty of ghosts there are. Ghosts of dead children. Dead soldiers. Wrongly murdered black men in what is very similar to a KKK attack. The list goes on and on. And that doesn’t include the disappearances that have gone unexplained over the years. There’s also a family curse. If there had been a rabid dog in the story, I would have suggested that there was something for everyone in this little page-turner.
And it is a page-turner, albeit a slow one.
Eric, Dess, and Stacy are on the run. We finally find out why, but it is imbedded so deeply into the last third of the book that the less patient reader will have DNFed before finding out the full story behind their escape into anonymity.
Eric Ross is hired by Eunice Houghton to find out the secrets of the spite house. Prove that the ghosts are real so she can bring in scientists and researchers who can study the phenomenon and possibly break the family curse.
On premise, it sounds good, but it was a really dry read.
The characters are a little too stereotypical and tend to fall a little flat.
I wanted to love it, especially since the first third of the book had me hooked with wanting to know the reason why Ross and his family fled their home with little more than the clothes on their backs. By the time I got to the 80% point, I found myself skimming, just to say I finished it.
4 stars for idea, 3 for character development. 3 1/2 overall, but I would be willing to read Compton’s next book because I think he shows promise.

There were so many strong things about this book that I was a little bummed to rate it only 3 stars, but I felt like both the end dramatic scene was too messy and the wrap up too neat… It left me feeling unsatisfied. I also struggled with the way the breadcrumbs of the back story were sprinkled throughout. I loved the idea, but it felt almost like he wrote the book, then went back and added teasers at random. That all said: it was SPOOKY and I was glad I don’t live alone when I read it at night! And it kept me turning pages because I was invested in the characters and all their weirdness and in understanding what happened (which is part of what made the end disappointing- I wanted more). All in all, a really solid horror story and I’d definitely read more of his books!

Eric Ross is a father in this book that is a bit down on his luck. He's been looking for ways to make money and moving in and out of hotels with this two daughters, Dess and Stacy. Fortunately, Eric eventually finds that there is a caretaker needed for a spite house - something I personally did not know anything about. This spite house is known to be haunted. If Eric can make it through a duration of time there, he could come out with a substantial amount of money. He learns quite a bit about the history of the house while he's there, including who built it and why it was built on that specific piece of land.
For a debut, this is pretty good. It doesn’t knock anything out of the park in my opinion, but it does set up a decent way to slowly build up. I was happy and a bit impressed. The story was interesting. The settling was great. I wasn’t overly fond of the ending, but I am excited to see how the author grows from here on. I wish there were some things clarified a bit better and that does appear to be the general opinion.

Eric and his two daughters are on the run from a mysterious past in Maryland. When they find a house in Texas they are paid to stay in, he thinks they’ve found their break. As he details the events of the home as part of the deal, he hopes they make it through.

I love a classic haunted house story. This one was certainly creepy. I loved the scary parts; you definitely don’t want to read it at night. There were some slow moments when getting into the history of the house and the history of the characters but the scary parts made up for it.

“What else would a house like this feed on but lives? All of Degener knew it, too, but they had him come here with his children, hadn’t even tried to warn him, they had just let him-“

The Spite House comes out 2/7.