Happy Pub Day to this firecracker of a book, THE SPITE HOUSE by @comptonwrites. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and @macmillanaudio for the audiobook ARC.

THIS.BOOK.HITS - a family on the run for mysterious reasons takes a gig at a spooky old house. The owner of the house knows her family wronged folks in the past and is determined to find a way to revoke the curse that plagues her by paying desperate folks to stay in her family's old house to gather evidence of the goings on there...

So this story starts out as a fairly typical haunted house type story but THERE IS SO MUCH MORE lurking between these pages. With some HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE meets Tananarive Due's THE GOOD HOUSE vibes, I was already all in as the Ross family, headed by patriarch Eric, settle into the house and the creepings start to stir. But the book starts to get a lot more wild once you realize the reason Eric is on the run with his two daughters in the first place. Without saying too much, the reveals just kept coming and I was on the edge of my seat racing through the audio to finally get that nugget of full disclosure at the end of the book. It did NOT disappoint!

The narrator, Adam Lazzare-White (@realadamlw) was absolutely phenomenal voicing this calculating, desperate but cool as a cucumber character fighting for the survival of his family. His husky voice imbued a rugged, sexy persona for Eric and by the time the story was over, I was ready to ask him to be my boo.

Do yourself a favor and get on out there and purchase this one for yourself if you like family mysteries, spooky haunted houses, facing your demons and righting old and buried wrongs.

Available today!!

💚SMASHBOT💚

The thing I liked most about this story was the narration by Adam Lazarre-White. He could read the phone book and I would listen to him. Overall, I found the story to be just ok. I think the author was on to something with this haunted house story but it got overwhelmed with to many voices and not enough details.

I finished book this book about ten days ago and have had a hard time formulating what I want to say about it. The writing was good. The bones of the story also good. The narration was also well done. But it is hailed as a gothic horror story and it just missed the mark for me.

Eric Ross, the book’s protagonist, is on the run with his two daughters. They’re hiding from something, though for most of the book you don’t know what. The character development for he and his girls was great and I was invested in their story. I loved how their secrets were slowly revealed and they were well worth waiting for.

So, they’re on the run and work is hard to come by since Eric can’t give references and they are constantly moving from place to place. When he sees a job paying a very large sum in exchange for staying in and recording the paranormal activity of the Masson House, which is said to be one of Texas’ most haunted, he can’t resist. This is what made me want to read this book and also what disappointed me the most. It is described as a gothic horror, which had me settling in for moments of not wanting to look over my shoulder. But those moments never really came. I wanted more chilling, spine tingling details about the paranormal activity in the house, and it just didn’t hit me like that. I needed more about inside the house and it was there, but it just fell flat and never had my skin crawling.

This is a fantastic ghost story by Johnny Compton.

Eric Ross is on the run with his two daughters, Des and Stacy. They have left everything behind, Eric's high paying job, their nice house, and his ex-wife. They live hand to mouth, Eric taking any job that will make a few bucks.
He sees an ad in a local paper asking for someone to stay in a notorious haunted house for a six-plus figure salary.
Thinking it all has to be BS, he applies and gets the job. It barely takes a night for the spirits to make themselves known.

There are some seriously spooking going-ons in this tale.
Compton does an excellent job of not only keeping me interested. but makes me care deeply for Eric Ross and his children.
I want them safe. I want a happy ending. I want it all to be just a crazy old woman's imagination. Well, you know what they say about wishes...

Highly recommended if you are looking for a convincing ghost story with some real spine-chilling moments.
Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This was a fantastic, atmospheric debut. I loved that it was set in my home state; it made it feel familiar in a way and authentic. It was unsettling, creative and I did not predict the major twist. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an amazing job! I’m looking forward to more from this author! 4.5/5⭐️

Wow. Super creepy. I did not see the twist. It was so well done. I will be adding this to my wishlist to be reread. I feel like the more you read this book the more secrets you find. I really enjoyed it and once I started I could not put it down until Spite House had revealed all of its secrets.

5 stars

This was such a cool and interesting take on the haunted house trope! I've read quite a bit of haunted house stories over the years but this one definitely stood out. I loved all the moving parts of this story, how you think you have it all figured out, yet something is missing but on the tip of your tongue. That feeling is what had me binge listening to this audio. The narrorator did a great job on this book as well, very clear and concise. I will saw there was a lot of POVs and every once in a while I found myself having to rewind a little bit to make sure I didn't miss anything. Overall I would give this a strong 4 stars and would recommend to others!

I'm not sure how I felt about this book. I thought it was a little slow until the end. It left me with a lot of questions about Eric and his family. Why were they on the run? We didn't find out until late in the book. The Spite House, built by a scorned family man to spite his family and the orphanage nearby, was spooky but I think its creepy atmosphere could have been played up a lot more so that it became a character in itself. The book dealt with death, grief, and fear of death. The old lady renting the house had ulterior motives and left a lot out of her description of the job to Eric. After the events at the end, I felt like I had missed something and needed to go back to reread it. It was almost really good but instead I felt it was just so-so. The narration on the audiobook was excellent. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to an early copy.

Very much a character driven story. Slow paced and the reveals were underwhelming. The multiple pov was confusing and timelines jumped around. Possibly just not for me as I was hoping for a Darcy Coates style of haunting.

Patrick Swayze is not coming to help you……

Book Information

The Spite House was written by Johnny Compton. The book was published on February 7, 2023 and is 261 pages. The audio version is 11 hours and 16 minutes and is narrated by Adam Lazarre-White. Compton is a San Antonio based author whose short stories have appeared in several publications since 2006, including Pseudopod, Strange Horizons and The No Sleep Podcast. The Spite House is his debut novel. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced reader copy for review.

Summary

Eric Ross is running from something. He and his two daughters sneak from town to town trying not to be noticed. They live out of motels and he takes jobs where he can be paid under the table.

They believe they may get a few months of reprieve when he sees an advertisement seeking someone to live in a strange house. It’s a spite house—one built solely to irritate (spite) neighbors. This particular house is rumored to be haunted and the owner is seemingly trying to record paranormal activity through the people she pays to live there.

This seems to be a great opportunity. His family will have a place to live. They won’t need to worry about money. The final payout will set them up for a very long time. And Eric’s family has a history that might be further explained by what he may discover in the spite house.

The house, however, might have other ideas……

My Thoughts

The spite house is a creative twist on the haunted house story. It’s very well written, deeply layered, and will keep you engaged from the first word to the last.

Compton is able to build tension throughout the story. He makes you wonder what’s really going on by doling out bits and pieces of backstory, tiny glimpses into each character, all working toward a solid conclusion. Each chapter is dedicated largely to a single character's perspective, experiences, and memories which either build upon what we have already learned or set the stage for revelations yet to come. I found myself wanting to know more—or thinking perhaps I missed something—but the book's pacing kept me reading.

The book is a balancing act between love and hate, honesty and deception, peace and horror. A comparison between characters who will do anything to protect others and those that have only their own benefit in mind. A contrast between the love holding a family together and the hate that results when love, and compassion don’t exist.

It spans the gap between mystery and horror and does so very skillfully. Compton is an author to watch.

I listened to the audiobook. Adam Lazarre-White is, without a doubt, the perfect voice to bring this story to life. His deep, rich tone lends both the love and terror required for various parts of the book. It’s not often that I immediately identify the voice with the story—in this case, it was perfect casting. Well done.

Recommendation

If you like a fresh take on a haunted house, family-driven narratives, spooky stories, a father's love, and the pure terror that can drive some to madness---The Spite House is the perfect pick.

Highly recommended.

Rating

4 Spiteful Stars

If you are like me and enjoy all things creepy you will enjoy “The Spite House.” The story bounces between points of view of characters, but the main focus is the Ross
family.
Eric Ross and his two daughters, Dess and Stacy. They are on the run, but it is not immediately clear what they are running from. Eric is taking odd jobs near whichever motel they are calling home at that time. Eric comes across an ad for a job in a supposedly haunted house in Degener, TX. Although the reason is not clear at the time he seems to think he is perfect for this job.

At this time we are introduced to the very wealthy and elderly Eunice and her staff. Eunice is the owner of the Masson property and the Spite House. Eunice offers Eric the job, but is not telling him everything she knows about the house. Those around her are keeping quiet as well, but try to make the Ross family welcome and at ease.
More key players are introduced and each have some type of experience in or with the house. They all know something, but rarely share that. This is where the story starts to get wild. Just when I thought I had everything figured out Mr. Compton throws a curve ball. We learn more about the past of the Ross family, Eunice’s family, Degener, the house, and what has happened to those that dared to enter the cursed home. There is one final occurrence in the house that leaves everyone present reeling. It leaves more questions than answers. Are the people in the Spite House alive, dead, or somewhere in the in between? Does anyone every get to actually leave the house? Why does the house target some, but not others?

2.5
The biggest issues I have with this story is that there is much more telling then showing. And the POV jumped around to so many people I never felt connected to any of the characters and therefore did not have concern for what happen to them. I did not find this scarry or riveting at all and considered DNFing over half way in but pushed through. There was too many story lines that overlapped but never truly fit together to complete the story I think it was going for.

Nothing againt the narrator but there were also times that I felt the diologe was very monotone or unemotional given the situations that was occurring.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced audiobook for review.

"They were here because of a man that refused to stay dead."

Unsettling dread is the ominous feeling throughout The Spite House by remarkable debut thriller author Johnny Compton. It's a little scary how his mind imagined this story because I still have goosebumps from it.

Eric and his daughters, 18 year old Dess and 7 year old Stacey, seem to be on the run; staying in off the map motels and doing odd jobs to stay afloat. Then Eric answers an Ad for a caretaker for the famous Spite House. A spite house is one built out of malice to annoy it's neighbors, hopefully downgrade the property value and better yet make them all move away. This one is built next to a now abandoned orphanage so already we know the house's foundation is built on hate.

The owner needs Eric to stay in the house and record any paranormal activity because even though there have been reports of the house turning blistery cold, people running out and never being mentally stable again there has been no solid proof. The money being offered will give Eric and his daughters a nice cushion to disappear and live comfortably for awhile.

No one does sincere desperation as well as narrator Adam Lazarre-White. You feel Eric's pain about his life, his family and what the spite house does to him. There were times I could only gasp as twists and reveals came to light. This narrator let them all slowly breathe and blow my mind.

The real questions are what are Eric and the girls running from and why does it seem that Eric was always running to The Spite House? Never saw the truth. Never saw the connections nor the reasons for why The Spite House was built next to the orphanage. Listen with the lights on and no malice in your heart because spite will only keep you a prisoner in your own house.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much for this advanced copy. I loved the cover art and the choice of narrator. At first, I was completely hooked by the novel. I am not sure where exactly the book lost me, but it did. I am not sure if reading this novel would have been a better match vs listening to it. I found the plot had too many subplots and was executed poorly at the end, just confusing the readers (listeners). I would love to get my hands on a physical copy and see if this changes my perception of the novel before I post my review on my instagram (@ifyoucanreadthis).

Many thanks for this novel, it was a VERY interesting journey!

Unfortunately, I was only able to get through 20% of this book. From what i was able to listen to, I was intrigued and really wanted to get further in the story. This book is atmospheric and enticing! I cannot wait to finish it when things settle down! For a debut, I was thoroughly impressed!

This is such an interesting debut and such an interesting take on a haunted house story!

I loved the tension and atmosphere of the Spite House and I liked the commentary on grief and vengeance and fear of death. I also loved some of the plot reveals! Certain reveals had me going “just one more chapter” far too late into the night. I do wish though that the perspectives had been limited to just Eric and his daughters. While the other perspectives were interesting, in such a short book I often found myself wondering why they were taking up page time as it cut some of the tension.

I have mixed feelings about the ending too. In some respects, it was kind of a letdown but not so much that it ruined the reading experience for me.

Adam Lazarre-White, who also narrates S.A. Cosby’s books, narrates and does a phenomenal job. Since I first listened to Razorblade Tears, he has become a favorite audiobook narrators.

I love a good haunted house book. I like bumps in the night, things hidden in the shadows and low voices calling out for help. The Spite House has these and more.
What sets The Spite House apart from all the other ghosty haunted house stories, is the time spent on why the house is haunted. Most books concentrate on describing the actual ghosts, but not why they are there. The Spite House tells the history of why the house was built, and what happened to those that inhabited it. It’s a dark story, more of a curse, that keeps replaying throughout the centuries the house has stood. Unfortunately, Eric Ross and his children have to stay in it and get the answers needed for a substantial paycheck.
I really enjoyed the creepy vibes of the story, and the Ross family. The love, loyalty and protectiveness of Eric towards his daughters hits right in the heart. It brings the light to a dark story. But his family has secrets of their own, that a revealed at the height of the haunting. It’s beautifully built up and suspenseful. The narrator of the audiobook, fit Eric’s character. I loved the deep voice telling the story, almost like you are there with him. It added to the haunting experience and made it more real. I definitely recommend this audiobook.

One of the best horror novels I've had the privilege of reading in a while! The deep history and atmospheric horror style made this absolutely fantastic. The moments of terror are so well-written; this could be an incredible movie. The characters have so much depth, and the story is so intricately plotted. It's just an all-around great book. I've already recommended it to several similar readers. Can't wait to read more by Compton.

This book is a solid 3.5 stars for me. The Spite House is interesting, haunting, and there is definitely a twist that I didn't see coming.

Moving into a house that's rumored to be haunted would be a terrifying thought to most people, but when you add in spiteful spirits it gets even worse. When you're a father on the run, with two daughters in tow, your choices for jobs are sparse so being offered a job that offers more money than you could imagine sounds like a godsend. Unfortunately, not all gifts that fall into your lap end up being a fun experience.

The Spite House is an entertaining read and may be a good palate cleanser for those that want a lighter read in between heavier gothic thrillers or horror stories.

The Spite House was a take on the classic gothic novel. Here we have a father and his daughters fleeing from a mysterious past. When you are desperate you will do a lot of things. A man on the run, who left behind his home, wife, and everything else will take any job. Even caretaking a haunted house. The owner wants proof that the house is haunted. Why not go in and make an easy buck?

If you like gothic novels or just good old haunted houses, you will like this book.