Many thanks to my friends at @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio

Southern gothic horror but make it equal parts creepy and laugh-out-loud funny.

This is my third read by Kingfisher, and it’s safe to say that where ever she leads I will follow.

Apparently, that now includes a house haunted by ancestral secrets and guarded by vultures. Open up the boxed wine. I’m in.

“Mom seems off.” On furlough, Sam returns to her childhood home and realizes her brother wasn’t exaggerating. But her mom isn’t the only thing that’s worrisome. Among the variety of noticeably unsettling household modifications, there’s now a vulture perched on the mailbox.

Ever the scientist, Sam tries to make sense of what’s going on. But as she unearths long-held family secrets, dark magic, and generational curses, it becomes obvious that logic won’t get to the bottom of this.

Disturbing yet highly entertaining, I found myself completely engaged in this bizarre storyline, and by the end I started to ponder the benefits of a vulture for a pet. If that isn’t an endorsement for a southern gothic horror story, I don’t know what is.

Sam won me over from the beginning. Between her penchant for old British detective shows and her love of bugs (she’s an archaeoentomologist), she felt both relatable and oddly loveable. She’s my favorite kind of heroine: smart, witty, fierce. And her droll inner dialogue made for a compelling narration.

But… it was Gail, the eccentric (witchy?) vulture owning neighbor that I constantly wanted more of! She was elusive and unconventional, and I know there’s a wealth of secrets within her walls. A potential spin-off novella??? One can wish.

I don’t typically think of southern gothic humor as being comical. And yet, Kingfisher has created a read that is both intense and laugh-out-loud funny at times. With hilarity deftly woven throughout and playing such a key role, I found this to be a much more accessible horror-lite read.

🎧 Never wanting to set my book aside, I utilized the audiobook while on-the-go. And while I enjoyed the narrator’s depiction for most characters, I found the execution for Phil to be a bit cringy and almost comical. If you’re on the go, definitely utilize the audiobook. But if you’re able, I’d recommend the print version.

Let me start by saying I adore Kingfisher. Nettle and Bone is one of my favorite books and What Moves the Dead was perfection. She is definitely an author whose books I will always read.

This one, however, was just OK for me. I didn’t quite ever get into a groove with the plot and felt off balance the whole time. By the time anything actually started to happen, the book was practically over. Sam’s comedy routine was entertaining up to a point. The end felt too rushed and wrapped up too neatly.

I absolutely loved the vulture and the bugs were pretty cool.

A House with Good Bones is an absolute delight! I absolutely love Kingfisher's humor and this actually has major creeps in it which for me is super rare. I hardly ever get any kind of creeps when I read and it's always a fun thing for me when it happens

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire, T Kingfisher, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

From the first page, I was completely drawn into the world Kingfisher created within this book. The story follows Sam Montgomery as she visits her mother's house in North Carolina, only to find that something is seriously off. Her mom is acting strange, the house is sterile and cold, and there are vultures circling overhead. Like, is mom just getting older and more conservative and weird or is something seriously wrong here??? But when Sam discovers a jar of teeth hidden beneath the rose bushes, she realizes there's something much darker lurking beneath the surface of her family's seemingly perfect home.

What I loved most about this book was Kingfisher's ability to create a truly unsettling atmosphere. I found myself on edge, wondering what was going to happen next. And Sam is such a relatable and likable character that you can't help but root for her as she uncovers and reacts to some super creepy things.

As someone who's read Kingfisher's previous book "What Moves The Dead," I was blown away by the difference in tone between the two. It's a true testament to Kingfisher's talent as a writer that she can seamlessly switch between genres and still maintain her signature style.

If you're a fan of books like "Love in the Time of Serial Killers" and "Tell me I'm Worthless," then "A House With Good Bones" is a must-read for you. I knew this one would be a hit for me and I'm so glad to have been right.

I really enjoyed the first half of this but I didn't like the "plot twist" in the 3rd act. I think the characterization was done really well but I wish the narrative had delved a little more into the southern familial racism of the main character's grandmother. Overall, it was a good read and I think it had a satisfying ending.

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES by T. Kingfisher
Publication: 3/28/2023 by Tor Nightfire Books



Jump on board for a fun filled spooky Southern gothic tale by Hugo and Nebula Award winning Ursula Vernon … she performs her magic under the pen-name of T. Kingfisher. Who best combines humor and horror in the same tale. Samantha “Sam” Montgomery knows all about creepy and crawly things. She is an expert archaeo entomologist … and studies how “bugs” infested the civilizations and cultures of yore. Her current dig is on hold, and because her brother Brad, has raised concerns regarding the wellbeing of their mother, Edith, she decides to drive across the country from Arizona to visit their mother in rural North Carolina. Upon arrival, she is met by a huge black vulture calmly sitting upon the family mailbox … and has no intention upon flying away when confronted. This can’t possibly be a good omen! She is surprised to see that her mother has redecorated the house back to when the deceased Granma Mae was alive …. twenty years ago. There are post it notes scattered around the house … but, some appear to be addressing the deceased grandmother. Edith appears anxious and even frightened in her own house. Sam was hoping to spend some quality time with her mom, sitting around drinking boxed wine , and watching British crime shows, trying to guess who the identity of the villainous criminal. However, she is disturbed by her mothers’ weird and strange behavior. Gone is the charm and warmth. Sam awakens in the night to an infestation of ladybugs in her room… yet, the house surrounds are notable for there lack of any viable insects. She starts to awaken to nightmares come alive! The neighbors insist the house is haunted. She finds a jar of teeth in the yard, under the rose bushes grown and nurtured in the past by her Gran Mae.
T. Kingfisher spins a delightful yarn populated by quirky characters, and laced with dark humor, that propulsively leads down a suspenseful and intriguing path that catapults into a page turner. An enduring sense of unease with a creepy atmosphere pervades the narrative.
Sam will embark on her own investigation to discover what’s really going on with the house and her mother. Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nighfire Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. I can hardly wait for the next Kingisher gem!

I have read another book by the author and enjoyed it.

Again, T. Kingfisher does not disappoint. A House With Good Bones is a creepy horror story. You won't look at roses the same way again after reading this. The characters are interesting and the story keeps your interest. Once you start reading it, you won't want to put it down until you finish it.

Any horror fan will enjoy reading this book. I highly recommend it. And I look forward to reading more books by the author.

This book had a lot of potential, but I think there was just too much going on. it felt like I was reading two different plots in one book and the pages got mixed up by accident.

It’s a bummer I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would because the premise of this book hooked me from the start. A spooky house that seems to be reverting back in time to the way her dead grandmother had it?? Like sign me up! I love haunted house stories with cool twists so I was ready for the ride.

The beginning held a lot of promise when weird stuff would start happening with no explanation and the main character’s mom was acting strangely and speaking as if the grandmother was still alive and random vultures(???) were hanging around the house?? The vibes were there!

It was towards the middle to 60% of the book that it started to drag a little in the pacing, and then it went completely off the rails the last 20% of the novel. I think this book could have been two separate stories, one about the haunted house and one about that random last 20% of the novel.

With that being said, I really do like this author’s brand of horror. They have a lot of great ideas, quirky characters and an ominous plot that will always keep you guessing what is actually happening. I did not know what was going on in this novel until it was happening and it was pretty freaky! The execution was just not there for me. I am intrigued by the author's other books and am looking forward to reading more books by kingfisher.

Thank you Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I discovered T. Kingfisher last year with Nettle & Bone (Fairytale Horror) and What Moves The Dead (Edgar Allan Poe retelling). I loved both books. Here, T. Kingfisher explores southern gothic horror with a fair amount of humor infused.

What I really enjoyed:
✨Sam (our MC & POV) - her internal monologue is quirky, sarcastic, and hilarious. Her scientific brain logically explains the horrors happening in this haunted house. And boy, does she love bugs!
✨Side Characters - Gail, the rumored witch with a one-winged vulture as a pet; Phil, the kinda cute handyman whose paranoid father lives across the street; and Sam’s mother, who loves boxed wine, TV detective stories, and is suddenly scared the house is “listening.”
✨Narration - I loved the voices for the women, but the male’s voice took me a bit to get used to.

Why not a “love” for this one? I wish it were a bit scarier. But if you are just starting to dabble in the horror genre, A House With Good Bones is a great place to start. Not too scary and laced with a lot of humor makes this one an entertaining read!

A great combination of T. Kingfisher / Lovecraftian horror with sense of humor in A House with Good Bones. A new new Southern Gothic novel full of long-lost family secrets. A Southern gothic horror with a house haunted by the main characters racist, abusive grandmother. Sam is a scientist and a skeptic, but she might not remain skeptic after coming home to visit her mom for awhile. Lots of strange unexplained behavior from her mom leads to many other curious discoveries ....

Great read. I was given this arc in return for an honest review.

A slow beginning but the creepiness was on point in A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher. A huge thank you to NetGalley., the publisher and the author for this advance audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This was not a favorite of mine by this author but I still enjoyed this story none the less. The narration gave me the chills at times so yayyyy for that!! The author truly captured the Southern Gothic Vibes and let me tell you I listened to that through the night!! Yes, I read past my bedtime and with this author’s writing style I didn’t mine that I was beyond tired the next day. Definitely worth losing sleep for! Again, not my favorite by the author but it’s still a good time!! I highly recommend both the audiobook or the book itself!!

T. Kingfisher is one of my favorite horror-esq writers. Last fall I read her rewrite of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Fall of The House of Usher" called What Moves The Dead and it was the perfect modern take on Poe! This spring A House With Good Bones came out and I was invested just from the blurb. A haunted house with white walls and something buried out back, count me in! As usual, Kingfisher nailed it with the atmospheric elements that always keep me on my toes and characters that don't seem quite right. If you like Shirly Jackson, A House With Good Bones if for you!

It has been awhile since I have read this genre, but A House With Good Bones was a smart and quirky Southern gothic horror novel that delivered chills and thrills until the very end. T. Kingfisher's writing is engaging and she has a way with words that will make the hairs on your neck stand in high alert and keep your reading until the very end.

The main character, Sam Montgomery, is an archaeoentomologist who has a passion for insects. When she is forced to take a break from her archaeological dig, she heads back home to stay with her mother in North Carolina. Sam is a great protagonist, and Kingfisher has done a good job of creating a character who is confident in her plus-sized figure, passionate about her unconventional career, and content with her independent lifestyle as a single woman. I loved how relatable Sam was and how her quirky personality made the book a breeze to read.

One of the standout features of the book was the inclusion of insects and their role in archaeology. Although I'm not usually interested in bugs and horticulture, Kingfisher seamlessly integrated these elements into the story and made them fascinating. I also appreciated how Kingfisher balanced the lighter, quirkier moments with the darker, more chilling scenes.

As a precaution, I feel it's important to note that A House With Good Bones could potentially trigger individuals who have experienced familial abuse. That being said, T. Kingfisher approaches the topic of family trauma and the lasting effects of abusive relationships in a thought-provoking manner, shedding light on the generational repercussions of such behavior. Despite the sensitive nature of this subject matter, I believe the author handled it well.

Overall, A House With Good Bones is a wonderful l read that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Southern gothic horror or is looking for an engaging, well-written book with a unique protagonist.

3.5 stars

This is the second story I’ve read from T. Kingfisher and I have to say she writes such fun concepts. I love the inclusion of plants, vultures, and entomology.

This wasn’t necessarily a standout read for me but overall it was short, fun, and enjoyable.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for this arc.

Sam Montgomery goes back to stay with her mother in the house that once belonged to her deceased grandmother, who was a tyrant, concerned about her brother’s warning that her mom is acting odd. To her surprise, there are vultures watching the house, and the house looks like it did when her grandmother’s iron hand was in control of their lives. The roses are blooming, and there is a presence in the house that seems to say that her grandmother might not be gone at all.

A House with Good Bones is a short but thoroughly satisfying book. Kingfisher combines themes of family generational trauma and legacies with Southern Gothic and haunted house to create a fascinating tale that is in parts laugh out loud funny and in others terrifying. Sam is the heroine this story needs. The clash between her grandmother’s rigid patriarchal and outmoded values and Sam’s millennial outlook playing out through a supernatural lens feels like therapy for a reader facing similar issues. Sam’s family history is like an onion, with layers peeling back that brings revelations for her and the reader. The best part of the book is how Sam processes and interacts with the weirdness. She is such a fun character to follow with her knowledge about bug facts and her self-deprecating humor. Sam is so unflappable despite the mental trauma she has to revisit being in the house she grew up in with her unbearable, mean grandmother. The supernatural twist was so unique and rather complex, for a short novel. Readers who would like a different spin on the Southern Gothic, with botany and insects thrown in, and a gutsy heroine, will get a kick out of A House with Good Bones to the very last page.

I liked this book, as I like everything I have read by T Kingfisher. This is thoroughly a horror novel and I loved those horror and supernatural elements.
That said, I had a love-hate relationship with the main character. At times, I loved her because she was so witty and relatable, but at other times, I felt like she was too witty and relatable that it was almost off-putting. I think I prefer T Kingfisher's books when they are higher fantasy, but that said, I still liked the story in this one. It just felt too real at times, which I think was intentional.

Another short text by T. Kingfisher that's deliciously creepy and scary.
100% recommend ! Thank you for the digital copy.

This was such an interesting weird horror book. Each book I read my T Kingfisher reinforces the fact that they are one of my favorite authors. I enjoy the fact that none of their books are ever the same, always finding new ways to keep their books interesting and creepy

Do you note how NetGalley asks if you would recommend this book to others? Well, I was talking about and recommending this book before I was finished with it. It’s horror lite, most certainly. But it’s clever and funny and well worth the read. I was reading this, also, upon a visit home to my mom after a bit of a health scare. My mom lives in my grandparents old house in a rather rural neighborhood. Her best friend is a gardener and bird enthusiast, and vultures are a common sighting. So maybe it was karma that led me to this book.

I’m also still viewing the world of entertainment with that Bechdel test lingering at the back of my mind, and T Kingfisher passes that metric without out batting an eyelash. Sam is a bug scientist. She's single, and while the story has a potential love interest in Phil the handyman, Phil is far from the center of attention. Because Mom has been acting weird. Sam needs to know what’s up because the house, that had once been filled with the bright eclectic flavor of her mom, has slowly returned to the "nice and normal" ambiance of Sam's grandmother who, in hindsight, turns out to have been not very nice at all in her quest for normalcy. Also, the local witch down the road has a haven for vultures, and those vultures are very keen on giving attention to Sam's mom's house.

As strange and suspicious events continue to unfold, involving a lack of bugs in the garden and mom's insistence to adhere to grandma's outdated ways, Sam embarks on an investigation that unravels a few unsettling truths about her family history that author Kingfisher masterfully connects to some outrageously true history connected to L. Ron Hubbard.

It’s such a clever and creative little horror story, with how it weaves the seemingly unrelated horror elements into a cohesive whole by the end. I want to give spoilers so bad with this, but I’ll refrain. Suffice to say that it gets five stars and is near guaranteed to entertain.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Not my favorite by T. Kingfisher, not the worst either. This book had a really good promising premise to it, but I felt like it needed "more"...I'm not sure, but I'm finding a really weird trend lately where her books just suddenly drop at the end. It felt overstuffed with things that are completely irrelevant to anything in the story and I kept skimming and finding myself getting a bit irritated. I wasn't too immersed with the characters in this one as they felt a bit flat to me. Not to mention the dialog was over the top with "err" and "umm"......

Rant over, but there are some positives! The actual plot of this story was interesting and strange to say the least, gave off the creepy vibes that have grown to become the Kingfisher style. To me, I've become accustomed to expecting something wickedly strange from this author and I like the creepy factors of her storytelling.

So, with that in mind, I was at the halfway mark with this one.