This is it. T. Kingfisher is an auto buy author for me. I was sold on What Moves The Dead and I haven't been able to stop talking about it with everyone I know. But that book had a very specific sort of audience. An audience who is already familiar or comfortable with horror and EAP and general eerie mishaps. THIS book, is a horror book for everyone. Really. It's true. This is the horror book for people who don't really believe in ghost stories, and aren't entirely sure how they feel about wizards, or monsters, and are maybe a little more comfortable during the daylight in small towns where people are more concerned with being normal than having ghosts or wizards or monsters in their home. And THIS book is about one of those people, who doesn't believe in all of this nonsense and spends a very long time looking for scientific explanations meanwhile I had heart palpitations every time something chaotic and insane happened. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to dip their toes in horror, or who has a fondness for haunted houses, vultures, ladybugs, or roses.

An absolute must read for all horror fans!

I really enjoy T Kingfisher's writing and how completely bizarre yet utterly realistic their books feel. But I don't think that A House With Good Bones is one of my favorite books they've written. The setting is definitely Southern Gothic and I won't deny the atmosphere is delightfully creepy, but I wasn't too attached to any of the characters. I also found myself trying to figure out the logic behind certain things instead of just enjoying the books. AHWGB certainly isn't bad, T.Kingfisher knows horror and does it well, but it isn't a book I'd reach for again, at least not in a while.

Sam is visiting her mother in her childhood house while being furloughed from an academic gig and comes to discover that not all is right at home. It starts with the little things: everything is ecru now, there's a Confederate wedding painting on the wall, and Mom seems really into saying grace and speaking kindly of Sam's terrible, dead grandmother. The roses outside are devoid of insect life save for ladybugs and, being an insect person, Sam is bewildered by this. She's also worried about her mom. Maybe it's dementia? Maybe she's losing her mind?

Little things start to happen that are easy to write off at first. A swarm of ladybugs, for instance. Some sleep paralysis. Nothing to freak out about. But then Sam starts asking questions, looking into her terrible grandmother's family tree, and finds a great grandfather who was friendly with Aleister Crowley. Things spiral from there.

I really loved this book--from the slow spiraling of the mystery surrounding the house to the breaking open of Sam's family secrets. Not only is Sam an excellently drawn character, but the setting is also perfectly pieced together. You can just see the newish subdivision shoved into rural Southern fields and trailers where it doesn't belong. The way the horror story really suddenly blooms is also perfect. Loved everything about this weird little story.

I read A House with Good Bones in one sitting, fueled by a feral delight in the creepy, unsettling narrative that T Kingfisher has crafted. This is jumping to the top of my hand sell list the moment that it comes out, and I can't wait to start recommending it.
The story follows Sam, a sharply witty but unintentionally blunt woman on furlough from her academic job, and Sam's mother Edie, a nurturing soul with a rebellious spirit who has lately begun to withdraw and shrink in a way that is concerning her children. When Sam comes to stay in the small southern suburban home that her grandmother passed down, she becomes concerned about changes in her mother and in their home. Dark omens build up around them, and darker family secrets slowly start to unravel around them.
Kingfisher has a gift for characters, creating an enthralling dynamic between the different generations of the family. Each of the women are strong in their own way, protecting their families in their own way. The revelations throughout the plot serve to increase the depth of these characters, intensifying the strangeness of the dynamic.
The plot is wonderfully weird, with unexpected turns. Instead of relying on jump scares and surprise twists, the story unfolds like a horrific dreamscape. It makes good on every promised crumb of foreshadowing, including the title, until you see it unfurled in its grotesque entirety. The surreal, sharp-witted tone reads throughout, turning the story into a wild ride.
Kingfisher is excellent at writing stories that engulf you without overstaying their welcome, and this is another excellent addition to their bibliography.

Bizarre, creative, incredibly well-written, and everything else I've come to expect from a T. Kingfisher book.

Back home due to a delayed work project, Sam Montgomery can't help but notice how strange her mother is acting. Once colourful and fun, the family home has been reverted back to Sam's late (and abusive) grandmother's plain style. Even the hated Confederate wedding portrait is back. Could it be dementia? Delayed grief? Sam is determined to get to the bottom of her mom's odd behaviour, but the truth is unimaginable, entangled in all the dark family secrets hidden in Gran Mae's picture-perfect rosebushes.

As with other Kingfisher protagonists, Sam was an excellent, well-developed character. Relatable and funny, with a very interesting passion for archaeoentomology that felt real. The side characters were good too, offering quite a bit to the story. (My favourite would be the quirky neighbour who rescues wildlife and has a little one-winged vulture friend named Hermes!)

A House With Good Bones has great writing, a quick pace, and monsters so creepy and surreal that I don't know how they landed in the author's imagination. I was definitely afraid to fall asleep for a while after reading this, and I'll be looking at rosebushes differently from now on.

I can't praise A House With Good Bones enough. If you like weird and creepy, I'm sure you'll love this as much as I did. Get your hands on a copy when it's published March 28, 2023!

I loved this beyond belief and, by the way, I now want a vulture.

If you do not want a vulture after reading this book, you are probably a horrible human who needs to be devoured by the hungry white things that lurk beneath.

This book is wonderfully witchy. I loved all our characters (even one who was wrong and creepy). The book manages to be mystical and funny, yet also grim and scary in all the right ways.

I tore through this one with pleasure and just wanted more when it was all over.

Oh, and a vulture. I wanted a vulture.

• ARC via Publisher

3.5/5

After being furloughed from her job as an archaeoentomologist, Sam revisits her childhood home on Lammergeier Lane, North Carolina. There she stays with her mother, Edith, although she’s much changed from when she last saw her – well known for her liberal beliefs, colourful personality, and allied with Sam against Edith’s own mother, a stanch believer in normalcy and the nuclear family, Sam is alarmed to find her mom reserved, God-fearing, and resistant to hear a bad word against Sam’s grandmother. Sam can sense something’s wrong. She doesn’t only feel it, she knows it, particularly when strange things start happening, whether it’s insects swarming or objects moving that neither her nor her mother can account for. And then there’s the vultures, perched outside and staring intently at Edith’s house. Whatever’s going on is getting worse, quickly, and with her mom – and her neighbours – being less than forthright, Sam feels she has no choice but to get to the bottom of things before it’s too late.

A House With Good Bones puts forward some of my favourite things about a Kingfisher novel, particularly seen in instances of chilling horror broken up by unexpected humor and the unique plot supported by inventively grotesque monsters. I loved the way the author sets up moments that make the hair on your forearms stand up (Sam’s nighttime visitors, finding That Thing underneath the roses in her graduation photo) while building a strong foundation of suspense and foreboding that propels you forward. I also enjoyed the way the novel delved into Sam’s lineage back to her great-grandfather and the intersections with Aleister Crowley and Jack Parsons (reminiscent, for me, of the journals Mouse finds in The Twisted Ones) which did a great job of adding a backbone to the narrative.

At the same time, and for some reasons I can’t grasp at, this wasn’t my favourite novel from the author. I felt at times that Sam’s character could be a bit disagreeable (although this was possibly made up for, and then some, with Gail’s more observant, productive, and altogether more badass personality). The novel also didn’t provoke the heebie-geebies in me as deeply as some of her other works. Nevertheless, for the tone, originality, and tension, A House with Good Bones is well worth the read and induction into the canon of Kingfisher horror.

Thanks to NetGalley, Tor Nightfire, and the author for this unsettling read!

T. Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors. (The only one whose books I will autobuy.) This title is no different. Absolutely loved the story and the atmosphere. Honestly, I dont know what else to say. Every book I've read by this author has been a 5 star read for me.

Yet another creepy and atmospheric read from T. Kingfisher! She is quickly becoming an autobuy author for me and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Sent home early from an archeological dig, Samantha Montgomery finds her mother changed in some upsetting ways. Disturbingly thin, nervous and acting as though she wants to appease her own mother, who has long passed, Samantha is concerned that mom may be suffering a nervous breakdown or even early onset dementia.
The truth turns out to be so much stranger.
Kingfisher writes a wonderful tale of gothic horror set in a modern subdivision. Despite being strained, Samantha and her mother's relationship was wonderful, The side characters, neighbors Gail and busybody Mr. Pressley and his grandson, the good looking handyman, were all a well written delight. Though I find myself with a soft spot for Mr. Pressley- just because it wasn't the government he should have been watching out for doesn't mean he was wrong to be watching out...
Kingfishger is quickly becoming one of my must read authors!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

While this novel was a slow start for me, I quickly was entranced by the author’s prose and the main character’s quick wit. This horror story builds quickly towards the end, with a strong lead up to the finish, which is quite satisfying and plays out well. I loved that the main character was an archeologist - it’s a perfect addition to the plot and gives the novel and the character a lot of dimension.

This is tough because my only reason for this not getting 5 stars from me was that I just didn't connect with it. Likely my fault and not that of the book, which hit all of the points a novel should hit, and well, but...

This is what I love about T. Kingfisher's horror books - that amazing mix of humor and creepy moments. This one, like the other books I've read for this author, was easy to fall into and to want to keep reading. I loved the main character Sam with her sarcasm and how she tried to rationalize the weird seemed so realistic. This is a slow build of a story but has some good uncomfortable and scary moments that kept me up.

If you enjoyed The Hollow Places, I think you will enjoy this one as well, I think this might be my favorite from this author now and I cannot wait for read more!

Thank you to netgalley and the author for the e-arc!

Solid haunted house horror novel. Kingfisher always manages to put a fresh face on horror tropes with an eye to the macabre.

T Kingfisher DOES NOT MISS. This is southern gothic in a way that feels so fresh and grounded and scary AF. Her heroines always feel so devastatingly normal that it makes the scares all the more scary. Add in a whole host of amazing side characters and quite the twist and this book is unputdownable.

This was my first T Kingfisher book and let me tell you I am impressed.

This book was eerie and creepy at the same time. Perfect for spooky season!

If you haven't lived in a housing development with a bewildering amount of cul-de-sacs smushed up against older rural farmhouses with extreme gardens/yards where the inhabitant is almost certainly a witch... well then you haven't, but if you read this book you'll find out what it was like (minus a lot of supernatural shenanigans).

Sam, who studies bug life in archaeological dig sites, finds herself furloughed from a project and decides to visit her mother in North Carolina where she grew up. She soon discovers that something is terribly, terribly wrong, and aided by Kingfisher's typically charming and warty cast of supporting characters, sets out to root out the problem.

This was a really fun folk horror novella. I really loved the main character, who is unapologetically fat and just a delightful protagonist. The themes of generational trauma and unresolved cultural issues that exist in the south was well done and gave the story depth. While the pacing at the beginning felt a little off to me, with Sam's inner monologue slightly repetitive, it picks up quickly and doesn't slow down.

The cameos from real-life figures in 20th century spiritualism Aleister Crowley and Jack Parsons were also highly amusing and woven into the narrative in a fun way.

A gobble-worthy treat for Kingfisher's fans and a good entry point for readers new to her horror novels.

4.25 stars

I absolutely love how Kingfisher writes! It’s so easy and flows just perfect! This book really sucked me in. I enjoy the little pieces and clues without giving anything away. The characters were perfect too, I just fell in love with mom. Plus, on a different note, look at that cover…just gorgeous!

I have read two other novels by Kingfisher and I have to say I absolutely love the way she writes. I was so happy to receive this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I can always count on this author to weave a creepy, twisted and incredibly original plot and story line. In this story we are introduced to Sam Montgomery (an insect archaeologist) who decides to return home for a visit. upon hearing from her brother that something is a little off with their mother. She comes to find out that is exactly the case. From a vulture lurking on the mailbox, to a literally “insect less” garden, to strange visions and nightmares, Sam struggles to uncover the meaning behind it all. Her usually liberal, somewhat wacky mother has taken to saying prayers before meals and redecorating and painting the house in subdued colors which oddly bring back memories of Sam’s grandmother who lived there previously. (This is not a good sign and very alarming to Sam) Strange occurrences continue to happen as the story escalates to a crazy, nightmarish climax. This was such a great read. I loved all the quirky characters and the many odd and horrific twists. Once again Kingfisher did not disappoint!

A southern gothic featuring an old family home, vultures, roses, and hauntings. When Samantha Montgomery’s archeology expedition is cut short she decides to visit her mother again after her brother calls her with concern. Now she is coming back to their old family home where they lived with Grandma Mae... a cruel old woman who made their lives miserable and had passed away. Upon arrival Sam is met with a huge vulture perched on the mailbox staring at the house... if that wasn’t a bad sign, she then sees her mother who looks worse for wear and is acting extremely strange, it doesn’t help that Sam begins to see strange things herself, hearing her grandmother’s voice and the strange rose bushes that grow in the garden that have no bugs.... which should be impossible. Now Sam finds herself begin to suspect something much more implausible is going on... and her memories of her childhood with her grandmother begin to resurface... soon she’ll dig deeper in dark family secrets and find herself facing off against horrors she never expected. I absolutely loved reading this one, it was such a fun southern gothic and I loved the use of roses and vultures in it. Seriously this was a great read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*