There are so many delicious things in the plot synopsis for The Spite House, that I found it completely impossible to resist. A man fleeing his life under mysterious circumstances with his two daughters in tow - check! A job offer to stay in an old house with “pronounced paranormal activity” - big check! An intriguing entrepreneur with a spooky past? Shut up and take my money!

Due to Eric Ross’s initially undisclosed predicament, he can only take “under the radar” jobs, and is struggling to support his two daughters. The youngest of which, Stacy, has to remain hidden. Ross applies for a high-paying, potentially life-changing position to stay in a haunted house, owned by aging entrepreneur, Eunice Masson. However, Masson isn’t entirely honest about the house is, putting Erick and his family in more danger than they ever expected.

The Spite House is incredibly gripping. I immediately sympathized with struggling father Eric, and the mystery of his sudden flight kept my attention. His unconventional family situation provides a pivotal plot-point, and merges beautifully with the haunted house narrative. Eunice Masson is also an incredibly interesting character. Johnny Compton has created a truly immersive, terrifying world.

I would recommend everyone choose the audiobook option for this book, as Adam Lazarre-White’s narration is incredible. His performance of each character is masterful. A truly addictive listen.

This is not a novel of jump scares from the outset; this is a mysterious, uncanny slow novel, with an incredibly rewarding payoff. Rich characters, a compelling plot, expertly written. An incredible debut from Compton, and another fantastic release from Tor Nightfire.

I started out interesting in this book, but as it went along a quickly lost interest. The plot was somewhat fresh, but just too far fetched for me by the end.

Eric and his two daughters are on the run, leaving their lives in Maryland behind them. Currently in Texas and desperate for money, he gets a callback for an unconventional job. There’s a huge payout waiting for him if he becomes the caretaker of a haunted house and keeps detailed notes about what happens there. Eager for the money, and because the supernatural aspect might provide him with some sought-after answers, he accepts the job, and they move into the Spite House. But the house welcomes newcomers in its own horrifying way and holds many of its own secrets for Eric to discover.

I enjoyed this read overall, though it was much less scary than I thought it would be. I liked the concept of the Spite House but felt that there were many questions left unanswered by the end of the book.

Probably the biggest thing that detracted from this work for me was the way the author chose to tell the story. There were many POVs included that were told from the perspective of characters who had only been mentioned once or twice. This made it difficult to keep track of who was doing what when, and drastically slowed down the primary plot and its tension. It also greatly took away from the atmosphere. I did enjoy what those chapters eventually added to the overall history of the house and its story, but it detracted more from the read than added anything positive to it.

That being said, I do think that the chapters told from Peter’s POV (original owner of the house) added to the story and were extremely well written. His chapters were incorporated in the ideal places to add more information as things were beginning to happen in the primary plot. I also enjoyed the reveal of what happened to the children as it wasn’t at all what I expected. The characters overall were well written and came across as relatable, which added to my enjoyment.

The book didn’t have the ending that I expected or even wanted, but I loved what the author chose to do with it. I do think this might be better as a Young Adult read, as its style and simplicity felt much more suited for that genre – there also wasn’t anything too graphic or intense as to make it inappropriate for YA readers. There were some things that weren’t explained at all but were major plot points, leaving these things open-ended mysteries, which I found a little unsatisfying.

Overall, this book probably wouldn’t please true horror fans, but as someone who is just dipping their toes into the genre, I found it enjoyable overall. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work, which will be published in February 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The next Stephen King!

Eric is on the run with his 2 daughters, Dess and Stacy. They find an ad looking for someone to document paranormal activity in a house. The history of the Spite House is shocking and tragic and it becomes evident someone wants revenge. Eric's goal is to protect his girls and earn enough money to survive for a while. However, he might not live to finish the job.

I listened to the audiobook and I'm glad I did. Adam Lazarre-White has a wonderful voice amd he's perfect for audiobooks. The book itself was captivating. Johnny Compton has quite the imagination. I think it would make for an interesting movie. I look forward to his other books too come.

Thank you to netgalley, Johnny Compton and MacMillan audio for a complimentary copy.

Book Title: The Spite House
Author: Johnny Compton
Narrator: Adam Lazarre- White
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Horror, Paranormal Thriller
Pub Date: February 7, 2023
My Rating: 2.7 rounded up

I have to admit I was drawn to the novel because I loved the creepy cover!
This debut novel is described as a Black Southern Gothic horror set in modern day Texas.


Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters- eighteen year old Dess and seven year old Stacy.
Eric takes on a well-paying job as a caretaker of Masson House, but there is a hook: the house is haunted.
The Masson house is notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas. The house is built out of spite with its four-story bizarre design adjacent to an orphanage.

We find out later that Eric is aware that the house may hold secrets to his past.

Story had me curious and I love Dess and Stacy.

BTW:
Spite houses are a real thing~ (I googled it!)
A spite house is built for the purpose of aggravating the neighbors. They are actually across the country and in many cases are tourist attractions.
Here are some
• Tyler-Spite House — Frederick, Maryland.
• Montlake Spite House — Seattle.
• Skinny House — Boston.
• Plum Island Pink House — Newburyport, Massachusetts.
• Miracle House — Freeport, New York.
• Equality House — Topeka, Kansas.
• McCobb Spite House — Rockport, Maine.
• Old Spite House — Marblehead, Massachusetts.

Story is a modern take on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 gothic horror novel “The Haunting of Hill House”.

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 7, 2023

So, prior to reading this novel, I had no idea what a “spite house” was. Apparently, it is a structure that is constructed with the intent of irritating a neighbor. Basically, it’s a revenge home situated in a area that will bother whoever is the object of your vengeance.

The more you know! Anyway, Spite House is a great classic haunted house story that focuses on grief and loss. It has some creepy moments and plenty of mystery. I enjoyed that it is told from multiple perspectives to give a full view into everything.

Everyone in this story has something they are holding back and hiding. There is a father with two daughters who are running from a mysterious past. There is the wealthy elderly woman who has inherited the Spite House and hired the father to stay there and report any strange occurrences. There is the house itself that doesn’t unveil all its secrets right away, but rather allows the reader to slowly unravel it all.

This book is spooky and I can’t wait to read whatever this author writes next.

The audiobook narrator, Adam Lazard-White, is excellent. He is also who narrates many of S.A. Cosby’s audiobooks. He always brings the story a new layer of life and I enjoy how he portrays the narrative. I highly recommend this media!

I really enjoyed this book! I have been looking for a great paranormal story to read and this did the trick. I also really enjoyed the narrator's voice!

I love a good gothic horror. Something about the book being creepy, but not gory. It just gets me in the feels, makes me slightly uncomfortable, and in a fun way.

Eric is on the run from his past with his two daughters. He grabbed his daughters, and took off for Texas. Here he thinks he has caught a lucky break when he finds a job as a caretaker for a notoriously haunted house. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity and all he must do is stay in the house and keep details records of things that go bump in the night. Can Eric survive the haunted house before he gets scared off?

With an audio, you pay attention to the content, and the narrator – and this one brings the book to life in the most amazing way. Gothic horrors are my favorite sub-genre of horror, and I think I have loved each one I’ve read – this one included. The writing on this was a little slow in the beginning but it picked up and didn’t stop. Once I got into the story, I was fully immersed and listened all day while I made cookies.

While listening to this one and making holiday cookies I was sipping on my new Javy Coffee. It only takes 1tsp of this coffee concentrate to make a delicious cup of coffee and you can serve it hot or cold. Its simple and delicious – and there’s hardly any waste! Check out the link in my bio for 20% off your order with my link.

This book is out February 14th. Huge thanks to MacMillan Audio, @macmillanaudio, and @netgalley, for providing me this audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

I enjoyed this debut and am already looking forward to reading more from Johnny Compton, who effectively develops a creepy atmosphere and compelling characters AND balances some unusual circumstances with the seemingly real world.

Eric, the m.c., is in a desperate position, which is why he's willing to try to experience the spite house and crack some of its codes. Seemingly, he needs the money, but it becomes clear quickly that it's not just the money he's after. He has some other unusual circumstances that need to be in some way explained. I had fun finding out some of these details, so I'm keeping them as vague as possible here for prospective readers.

I really enjoyed the multi-perspective format, the supernatural vibes, and the way that grief and mourning are handled here. While parts of this novel align with expectations and I admittedly wanted more house-specific content, there's a freshness overall that worked for me, made me listen with full engagement, and made me look forward to reading more from this author.

The writing was good but nothing really happened until over 50% of this book. I believe ot could be better but most of the story was them on the run and i really wanted to like the story but im going to give this book 3 stars just because i loved the writing and might read this author again but the story didnt do it for me.

I SCREAMED when I received both a physical copy in the mail from Tor Publishing and Johnny Compton, but when NetGalley and Macmillan Audio granted me ALC access to this gothic horror, I about fell out. The Spite House tells the harrowing tale of the unlucky Ross family, who can't seem to escape the ghosts of their past quite literally.

As they stumble out of their hometown, father Eric Ross comes across a listing inquiring for a house-sitter with a six-figure payout; seeming too good to be true, with one catch that the housesitters be on the lookout for hidden paranormal activity. Accepting the job, Eric and his two daughters swiftly move into the home, knowing fair and well what is likely to come, but they are poorly mistaken by how negatively these spirits would impact their well-being.

The Ross daughters, Stacey, in particular, are harboring some spectral secrets that won't pair well with their new living situation. The Spite House haunts but, moreover, eats and digests those who make their way through its doors, calling for decades of generational and residual trauma that keeps the ghosts coming back and frightening everyone in its path.

I wanted to see how the narrator came across in this book because this type of story needs the perfect narrator to give off the spooky, atmospheric vibe. the narrator does just that and then some, I was truly spooked in this one!

Eric has left his entire life, including his wife, behind in Maryland. He's taken his two daughters and is desperately looking for somewhere to live and a way to make some money. In his current situation, he can't provide any information about his past, so he's thrilled to discover that the Masson House in a small Texas town needs a live-in caretaker. Well, kind of. It turns out that the Masson House is rumored to be the most haunted place in Texas, the owner of the property wants Eric to keep a log of any and all paranormal goings on. Eric finds it nard to believe the stories about previous caretakers going crazy after spending time in the house. All he knows is that he has a place to hide with his daughters and he has the chance to claim a big monetary prize if he can provide the evidence, But that's a big if, in this super creepy haunted house thriller