Any of you ever have that conservative and overly staid relative who’s covertly racist that you really wish you didn’t have to spend time with? When they pass away, you’re relieved in that guilty sort of way, but what’s done is done, right? Right?

Well, what if there’s a creeping sense they aren’t entirely gone? Not like they’re a ghost, but more like their very spirit lives and breathes in the very bones of the house they lived in? What if your own mom is deliberately and obviously acting over the top, performing like your dead grandmother is still around, watch her every movement?

And then try to reconcile the creepy, weird, and downright WTF incidents that are happening in the house that once belonged to your mean and old-fashioned grandmother with your empirical science-trained brain. Surely there has to be a rational explanation for what’s going on. Surely there has to be a thesis that can be proven by scientific method for the events going around you. Things like this don’t just happen without some sort of explanation.

And then you do some research, and there are possible explanations, but the explanations you find just don’t jive with your academic brain. Square block, round hole. All of a sudden, both nothing and everything seem to make sense at the same time, and you don’t know which way is up.

A House with Good Bones is a solid ghost story, horror tale, and paranormal fantasy (heavier on the paranormal than the fantasy) held together with a solid line of suspense and a decent dose of occultism (and I do mean a decent dose that leads to some seriously creepy stuff that leads to some of the best scenes in the book). The suspense is a mix of paranoia, the reliving of childhood fears and traumas, sleep paralysis and nightmares, and digging into family secrets that result in answers that would make anyone creeped out if it were their family.

This book is also a decent study in the dichotomies of familial generations. An old-fashioned grandmother who lived her life like it was a 1950s TV show (just throw in some magic, racism, and child abuse and you’re golden), compared with her granddaughter, who lives a completely different life and loves it: doesn’t want kids, doesn’t think she ever wants to get married, is devoted to her career in academia, doesn’t care if she’s fat, loves insects more than most people, and would gladly spend all day in the dirt if she could. These are two women who are related and are unlikely to ever get along for any reason at all. They never got along even when her grandmother was alive. It’s specifically knowing what would anger her grandmother the most that gives our protagonist ways to distract, redirect, and upset the spirit of her grandmother, much like a teenager would use the same knowledge to deliberately hurt their parents.

I often have mixed feelings about Kingfisher’s books, and this book is no exception. The first half drags quite a bit. The second half is awesome and a horror-fueled nightmare, but the first half is just a touch slow, in my opinion. I did enjoy the read though, so I wouldn’t count it out.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All views, thoughts, opinions, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Horror/Ghost Story/Suspense Thriller/Paranormal Fantasy/Occult Horror

Oh, T. Kingfisher. You GEM of a human.

"Creepy is for old Gothic mansions and run-down cabins out in the woods, not cookie-cutter houses in the middle of subdivisions."

Except in THIS book, apparently. Kingfisher manages to bring unnerving and eerie horror of the mundane and isolation to this tiny southern neighborhood. It's the little things; no insects in the garden, vultures watching the home, no cell signal or ability to call for help, things going missing, and everything being a little too quiet. The most horrific thing of all: old racist white people and toxic family members. Most of these things can probably be explained away, but it's just odd. Everything is just a little unsettling. I like VERY specific type of horror mingled with humor and Kingfisher is the best at writing it. Her wit and dry humor are a perfect match for me. Her humor puts the reader at ease and suddenly something horrifying happens and you're aghast because you might have forgotten that it was a horror book.

And, what's more - this book has a nerdy scientist and a wildlife rehabilitator in it. As the kind of person who saved worms on the road when it was raining as a kid, I quite identified with the main character entomologist. Also yay for plus-sized main characters! The characters are all likable (I want to be friends with them all) and the story is enjoyable.

Quirky, unsettling, and funny. Kingfisher is amazing at crafting all three.

💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚🖤💚

A House with Good Bones is the most recent release from T. Kingfisher, one of my favorite authors. With this being said, it's probably unsurprising that this is by far one of my most anticipated releases of 2023. Happily, this peculiar Southern Gothic tale didn't disappoint for one single second. I loved it from the first sentence.

When Sam's brother calls her, expressing concern about their Mom's health and state-of-mind, Sam figures it couldn't come at a better time. With her archaeological dig site temporarily shut down, there's no time like the present to travel home to North Carolina for a visit.

It's been a while. She loves her Mom. Why not go stay with her and see what she can see. If her brother is right, Sam wants to be able to help. Once back in her childhood home, Sam can feel it. Something is off. It's not just the changes that Mom has made to the house, she's acting different. It's slight things, but they definitely don't go unnoticed. Sam senses her Mom is afraid of something, but what?

The mystery is deep enough that Sam is compelled to get to the bottom of it. There's no way she'll be able to leave her Mom like this. Further, Sam is prepared to kick the butt of whoever is the cause of her Mom's secret distress. Digging into it, however, requires digging into her own past and the past of her family. You never know what you're gonna find when you start digging.

That Sam knows is true. She's an archaeo-entomologist after all, but even she didn't expect the Mason Jar full of human teeth buried under the rose bushes...

With help from some new friends, Sam gets elbows deep in her sordid family history and tries her best to rid her mother and their property from its long shadow.

Y'all, this was such an intriguing and engaging story. At this point, reading a T. Kingfisher for me is like story-time with an old friend. Her writing style is so distinct. She's like the Axel Rose of Dark Fiction. You can tell it's her from just a few lines.

I always connect with Kingfisher's main characters. I think it is the sense of humor. It's the way I think and view the world, so it's super easy for me to fall into step with their thought patterns and choices. This main character, Sam, was no exception. I just got her, wow. I loved how on it she was with her Mom. She wasn't willing to look the other way. She didn't look upon her task as a burden. Something was wrong here, her mom had sacrificed so much for her, and gosh darn it, Sam wasn't leaving until she helped her in return.

I appreciate how quirky and unique Kingfisher's side characters are. They contribute so much. In this one, Phil, her Mom's kind-of-cute handyman and Gail, the eccentric neighbor, who owns a one-winged vulture and may-or-may-not be a witch, were stars of the show.

Gail fit nicely into one of my favorite Horror character archetypes. Let's see if I can explain this correctly... The older character, who comes into the orbit of our protagonist and teaches them, or guides them in what they need to know to survive/defeat/overcome the obstacles/issues/horrifying creatures they're dealing with, all whilst providing incredible comic relief.

The atmosphere was fantastic. I loved learning about the house and all the different little things that Sam was noticing. There are some fun scenes with bugs as well. The ending got crazy. It reminded me a little of The Twisted Ones. Not so much in the content, or what happened, but just sort of how it all unfolded leading up to the conclusion. I loved that book and loved this one too.

Also, the audiobook is great. I absolutely recommend it. Once I started, I couldn't stop. The narrator brought this story to life for me!

I would recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed T. Kingfisher's work in the past, or anyone who enjoys Southern Gothic tales, or stories that bring humor to Horror. Finally, if you are new to T. Kingfisher, I actually think this would be a strong place to start.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I had so much fun with this and can't wait to read it again someday!

Are you looking for a book featuring magic, monsters, vultures, family secrets, and creepy grandmothers? Yes? Then you should definitely read the latest horror/fantasy from T. Kingfisher! Thank you Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the eARC. I had a fun time reading T. Kingfisher’s latest book!

Sam Montgomery goes back to her childhood home in North Carolina to check on her mother, who has been acting quite strange lately. There are dark family secrets lurking in the old house on the quiet street. Can Sam uncover the shocking truth before it’s too late?

T. Kingfisher has become an auto-buy author for me. I love her clever writing and immersive storytelling. A House With Good Bones is the perfect blend of horror, fantasy, and humor. I definitely recommend this one! I look forward to Kingfisher’s next book.

This was my first Kingfisher novel and I am going to make sure it’s not my last after how much I enjoyed this one!

The main character of this novel was genuinely funny in a fun and cheeky way and I genuinely enjoyed spending time with her. Who knew I could enjoy getting to know someone so into bugs lol!

While this book was pretty funny and FUN, there were also very real moments of creepiness and ickiness that allowed for the eerie atmosphere the author wanted to create. Not only that, but there were plenty of scenes and conversations surrounding racism and prejudice, making this a truly unique horror experience!

The House With Good Bones is a richly descriptive cozy gothic horror story mixed in with some haunted house, eco and body horror.

—
Sam Montgomery decides to go home to North Carolina for an extended visit, after her brother is concerned that her mom has been ‘off.’ What she finds when she gets there is very unexpected. The walls have been painted a bland color, an old picture is hanging on the wall, and more things have been changed, just like when her Gran Mae lived there years ago.
She finds her mom acting very nervous and Sam isn’t sure what to make of it. Is she developing dementia? Is she mourning her grandmothers passing? What happens in the days to come is mysterious, unnerving and downright disturbing.

“𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘮. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦.”

—-

Overall I quite enjoyed this story. It was my second Kingfisher book and I’m looking foreword to reading another! The main animal character was so refreshing 😃. Sam as the main human character was totally charming, humorous, quirky and totally nerdy! I wouldn’t say this was a scary story, but definitely had some creepy und unnerving parts. I definitely had fun reading it 🙌.

T. Kingfisher does it again! After reading and LOVING What Moves the Dead, I was very excited to receive a digital ARC of their newest release.

After her job postpones their excavation, Sam returns to North Carolina and her mother, who is currently living in the home previously owned by Sam's grandmother. Despite the less than stellar memories of her grandmother and that house, Sam hopes to have some bonding time with her mother. However, Sam's brother warns her that their mom has been acting strange lately. She's repainted all the brightly colored walls in shades of eggshell white, hanging up racist artwork, and she seems scared of her own home despite being the only one living there. Things aren't what they seem and soon Sam realizes that there's something going in the house.

I really had no idea what to expect other than it was being described as a Southern Gothic horror. I really enjoy the direction T. Kingfisher is going with their latest books. They've been incorporating a lot more nature elements to their horror. What Moves the Dead was mushroom horror and now we have insect and flower horror with A House With Good Bones. I never thought I would be freaked out by ladybugs but this book definitely had me skeeved out. The imagery towards the climax was amazing when it came to the use of flowers. I can't think of anything I've read recently that's used flowers in that way. Also, I never thought I would like vultures so much until reading this book!

Along with the horror, this book focuses a lot on family trauma. Gran Mae, the grandmother of the family, takes old crazy southern lady to a whole new level. Her impact on Sam and her mother continues on even though she's been dead for thirty years. I really enjoyed Sam as a character. She was very quirky and likable. A topic that is discussed frequently in Sam's life is her weight and she really handles her family's commentary on it with stride. I appreciate that her weight was never made into a joke. She's a character I was really rooting for throughout the story. The build up with her and family led to a great ending overall.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I only wish there were MORE horror elements to it. While some parts were definitely pretty creepy, I never got a lot of tense or horrifying moments while reading this. I understand that Southern Gothic usually doesn't involve a lot of graphic or over the top gore. However, I know T. Kingfisher's work and they definitely could have gone harder with this. That being said, this would be a great book for someone just.starting to get into horror who doesn't want anything super graphic!

Once again, thank you to Netgalley and Tor Nightmare for the digital ARC of this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this read. It was funny, engaging, and terrifying. It was a really interesting look at how generational trauma can literally and figuratively tear a family apart. T. Kingfisher has been a favorite of mine since Nettle and Bone, but this cemented her as an instant buy for me. I have a deep appreciation for her ability to create believable relationships between families, strangers, and would be lovers. This work expertly wove in Sam's experience and skepticism and then broke it down in a way that felt believable. It wasn't a cheesy horror movie trope where the scientist daughter moves back and denies everything her mom tells her... she denies a little, but ultimately chooses to believe and help her mom.

Also, I loved the dedication. God tier humor and I'm still chuckling about it.

The nitty-gritty: T. Kingfisher mashes together Southern gothic creepiness, a cast of unforgettable characters, and plenty of humor in A House With Good Bones, a thoroughly entertaining haunted house story.

A new T. Kingfisher story is always a delight to read. Readers who loved The Twisted Ones, The Hollow Places or What Moves the Dead will also find a lot to love about Kingfisher's latest. You know what you’re getting when you pick up one of her books—a smart, quirky female lead, a creepy family history of some sort, a possible love interest, laugh-out loud funny sections and terrifyingly weird scenes sprinkled in among the humor. I laughed and screamed practically in the same breath, and if that sounds like fun to you, then this is a must read.

Samantha Montgomery is a thirty-two year old, socially awkward archaeoentomologist who decides to visit her mother in rural North Carolina after an unsettling conversation with her brother Brad. Brad thinks something is "off” with Edie, so Sam decides it’s as good a time as any to check on her, especially since the dig she was working on was put on hold. Admittedly, Sam is a little hesitant to return to the house where she and her mother once lived with her stern, religious grandmother, but she’ll do anything to make sure her mom is OK. When she arrives at the house on Lammergeier Lane, she’s immediately struck by how different everything is. Not only does her mother look thin and anxious, but the once colorful walls of the house have been painted a depressing eggshell white, and outside a vulture perches on the mailbox. A horrifying Confederate painting hangs over the fireplace (a painting that once belonged to her racist grandmother), and strangest of all, Edie’s beautiful rose garden doesn’t have a single insect—which Sam knows is impossible.

When Sam starts having vivid nightmares and bouts of dream paralysis that involve her dead grandmother, she decides to consult Gail, a neighbor who is rehabilitating a flock of vultures. Gail admits that something strange is going on at Edie’s house, but it will take Sam digging into her mysterious great-grandfather’s past before all the pieces start to come together. With the help of Phil, a cute handyman, Gail and Edie, Sam is determined to uncover the truth behind the weird happenings in her mother's house.

This is a haunted house story, but it’s not what you think. Kingfisher puts her own weird spin on that subgenre and takes her story in a much different direction than I was expecting, and boy was it fun! I don’t think anyone does the humor/horror combo the way Kingfisher does, she’s simply brilliant at making you laugh one minute and break out in goosebumps the next. There are some standard haunted house occurrences in the beginning, like objects falling off walls by themselves and strange noises, but later on the author introduces a very disturbing element involving a story than mean ol’ Gran Mae used to tell Sam and Brad when they were kids in order to make them behave. There’s even a subplot about witches and wizards, and I especially loved Edie’s rose garden, a group of thirteen rosebushes that are, um, out for blood. And let’s not forget the vultures, another unsettling element that makes you wonder what the heck is going on in that house. The story is packed with all kinds of things that don’t seem like they belong together, yet Kingfisher assuredly wrangles everything into a cohesive story.

Kingfisher’s characters leap off the page. Sam’s first person voice is light and breezy, as if she’s simply talking to a friend. And she’s funny. I spent a great deal of time laughing out loud at Sam’s observations of the world around her. Her job is to study insects at archeological sites, a career I didn’t even know existed! Leave it to Kingfisher to come up with something bizarre like that. Sam wants to believe there’s a rational explanation for all the weird things that are happening in the house, but eventually she has to admit that science can’t explain everything, and that’s a hard pill for her to swallow.

Gran Mae is the perfect villain, a racist Southern white woman too set in her ways to change. Sam recounts some of the awful things she did to her as a child, and it was nearly impossible to feel anything but disgust for her. But the author has a way of giving the most heinous of her characters a relatable, human side, and somehow she did just that with Gran Mae.

The last few chapters go to some very dark places, but almost in an absurd way, if that makes any sense. I did think the ending was rather abrupt, but I liked the way it ended too. I think readers are going to love A House With Good Bones, and if you’re a T. Kingfisher newbie, this would be a great place to start.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

A House With Good Bones is a fantastic southern Gothic. I appreciate how T. Kingfisher never writes the same stories twice yet the common thread I’ve found in all of them is the way she manages to get under my skin. This story is unique as much as it is strange. I loved the quirkiness of the small, Southern town combined with the unsettling atmosphere of Sam Montgomery’s childhood home. Oh, and that mysterious garden! I was invested from the first page. Some of the best scenes were of Sam and her mother watching murder mystery shows and drinking boxed wine together. A House With Good Bones is a charming haunted house mystery. T. Kingfisher continues to deliver with her latest installment.

Ahoy there me mateys!  This novel is supposed to be a gothic horror.  While it does contain a haunted house, I found it to be more fantasy in feel.  It does contain Kingfisher's humor elements though.  This was a good read but was not one of me favorites.  I loved the main character Sam, the vultures, and the bug references.  I did think the house itself felt quite creepy.  The major problem for me was that Sam took forever to figure things out and that both her mother or the neighbor should have tried to explain sooner.  I also didn't particularly care for the reason of the haunting or how that is handled.  Personal taste, I think.  I did like the resolution of the situation overall though and how Sam's family moves forward.  No regrets reading this, as I will read anything the author writes.  Arrrr!

4.5 Stars

This is my first horror by Kingfisher but I’ve read (and loved) their other work, especially Paladin’s Grace. T. Kingfisher is definitely my favourite writer.

Sam Montgomery is looking forward to making an extended visit with her mother, Edith. She arrives to find her mother an anxious mess in sterile white rooms instead of her coluorful, carefree mother. It's a true Southern Gothic dredging up a family's dark past.

I was glad to find out that all the things I love about the author's writing extends to her horror work as well. She created this creeping dread that grows around you and you are in the thick of it before you realize.
My only real criticism of this book was that it took until about 80% in to get to the horror (which was wonderfully squirm inducing) and that it wrapped up a little too quickly.

Overall I really liked this book and I think I will continue with the author's other horror novels.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by T. Kingfisher and I can honestly say I’ve never read anything like it. Very unique and unsettling as it slow burns it’s way to the last few chapters with a very entertaining and cinematic ending. I would LOVE to see this turned into a film.

There was a lot of pointless information at times, IMO, that did absolutely nothing for the main plot and just made the story feel very overly wordy.

I did, overall, really enjoy the feel of the story from start to finish. It felt very real and almost like it was eating at you, which is another reason that I think this would make a great film.

I would recommend if you are new to the Horror genre!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

T. Kingfisher’s work is very hit-or-miss for me, and this one was a miss. I’m not a huge fan of Southern Gothics, and I do didn’t find myself captivated by Kingfisher’s take on the genre.

I love light Horror when it’s well done, and no one is doing it better right now than T.Kingfisher.

This is such a fun and lovable read, with top-notch humor and charming, wonderful characters.

Kingfisher does an exceptionally good job at marrying the creepy with the humorous, and the tone is consistently hilarious without ever veering into obnoxious.

The big reveal and ending were a bit fuzzy around the edges for my taste (a common problem in Horror, in my opinion), but this didnt take much away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

And as someone who is a big time vulture enthusiast, I was so happy to see them feature heavily here. I loved Hermes so much.

This is a good read for those (like me) who like the creepiness of Horror but are put off by gruesome violence and icky predatory stuff. This may be a bit much for you if you are very scared of bugs, but otherwise, it’s the perfect balance of creepy enough to keep you the fun kind of scared without being at all upsetting.

Kingfisher never lets me down, she has a trademark humor interspersed among her stories that I just vibe with. This, along with characters that I can root for, despite their flaws, gives her books a place on my top-shelf. It’s sort of like coming home when I pick up one of her stories.

In A House with Good Bones, the character of Sam returns home when her archaeoentomology job is halted and it’s at a good time because her mom’s behavior is just a bit out of character. Changes in the home alert Sam that maybe there’s something organic going on but the longer she stays, the more she believes there’s something darker at work.

I loved the deep dive into Sam’s family history and the gathering of the secondary characters, especially Gail and Hermes! Each one brought so much to the story and it’s always very ‘found family’ to me when everyone gets on board the crazy train and works together for a common goal.

As always, Kingfishers books start out with an insidious overtone because, well, Kingfisher! But it’s the getting to the sinister that is the chefs kiss here! Being in Sam’s head is a riot and I loved her!

Gothic and eerie yet humorous and hopeful, this is one Kingfishers fans and fans of horror will eat up and lick the spoon.

My thanks to @TorNightFire for this gifted DRC

Sam returns to the home of her childhood she spent with her mother, her grandmother an brother. Upon arriving she notices her mother, Edith, is not quite herself. The walls of the house are repainted, pictures she hated are put back up, and she's lost a lot of weight. Sam makes peace with it all blaming her mother's possible grief from losing her own mother, Gran Mae, months prior. Things start to take a turn for the weird as Sam, a career archeoentemologist, notices the garden has no bugs. With doubt in her mind, Sam calls on the help of Phil, the gardener and Gail, a friend of her mother's, to find the crazy frightening truth.

T. Kingfisher has a great way of pulling me into a book. I think things will go one way then they all sort of go weirdly sideways. What I enjoy the most is the writing. It's engaging and really moves the story along. The horror aspect of the books twists into the story last part of the book, but readers will have an inkling that something is very wrong.

While I really enjoyed the book, I did find I wanted just a little more explanation after the fact. It's laid out pretty well beforehand of what things may be, but as a reader, I felt like I wasn't given much more information than Sam. Maybe that was the point? As a reader I wasn't supposed to know any more than the main character. That being said, a part of me wanted to be left with more information instead of a 'what the heck' feeling.

Despite all that, I really think this was a fast fun horror filled read. It's not overly scary, in this readers opinion, but more just plain weird and icky.

I hate horror but I will really read anything T Kingfisher writes. Fortunately this was not hardcore horror but the type that slowly builds up to it, and while the end did have some gore I was able to read without nightmares.

I adored Sam so much! So much! I love her voice, her straight shooting, everything! In true Kingfisher fashion we don't have a huge character cast. However, the supporting cast we did have were all memorable with my fav being Hermes :)

Another winner and I am so glad the scary parts were not fungi this time :)

Huge thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC.

I am still trying to figure out how I feel about T Kingfisher's writing. There are parts of the story that I really enjoyed and parts that I found so boring and unnecessary. Overall, this was alright and would recommend it to some. However, I don't think it will be a hit with everyone.

4.5 stars

This was my first book by T. Kingfisher, I devoured it and as soon as I finished I immediately went to read What Moves The Dead (which by the way was amazing also.) Now, I've ordered Hollow Places which I'm going to read next. I think its fair to say I discovered a new favourite author.

In A House With Good Bones Sam is an archaeoentomologist but when her job is put on temporary pause she decides to go stay with her mother at her family home until she can go back to work. Once she gets there, Sam is alarmed by her mothers appearance and actions. Even the house seems to feel strange.

I would say this is on the lighter side of horror, not a lot of gore or violence but there were scenes that were truly creepy. I was able to guess a good amount of the plot but that did not make me love the book any less, T. Kingfisher has a way with words that just sucks you into the story. I absolutely loved the increasing dread as you got further into the story. I loved the quirky narration from Sam and the humour and sarcasm. This was a very enjoyable read that I could not put down. Also, I learned a lot about bugs which was cool.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire, and T. Kingfisher for sharing the digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my authentic review.