Thank you to PRHAudio/Berkley for the ARC/ALC!

Harry Adams is a single mom of a teenage son struggling to make ends meet on the heels of the pandemic. Her job as a cleaning lady for renowned horror filmmaker Javier Castillo is a perfect fit for Harry, who loved all things scary growing up. Mr. Castillo’s mansion, Bright Horses, is filled with scary costumes and props from his frightening movies and Harry does her best to keep them all in pristine condition, clean and dusted. Everything is going as well as could be expect, until Harry begins hearing noises in a locked room. Things go from scary to scarier when Mr. Castillo begins to show an interest in Harry’s son, Gabe.

This was such a fun, atmospheric read! Part cozy mystery and part horror, the pacing was perfect and held my attention throughout. The setting of Bright Horses played a huge part in the story, with its dark corners and rooms filled with scary movie memorabilia. At the very heart of the story was the relationship between Harry and Gabe, mother and son. I adored their close knit, easygoing connection that never failed, even when times got very tough. And I had an idea where this story may be going, but there were a few twists I was not expecting! This is the second book I have read by this author and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

“The House That Horror Built” is out NOW! This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

I loved the premise of this book - and the cover? YES!
Harry Adams grew up with strict parents - and fell in love with pop culture, especially horror. A massive horror movie buff, Harry lands a cleaning job at Javier Castillo - creepy house filled with his horror director relics. I loved the personality of the house and its objects.
Javier invites Harry and her son over for dinner - beginning a sort of friendship. Harry quickly applies boundaries - but can't help returning with her son for another dinner.
The best part - they both see the creepy costume move. I really enjoyed both characters experiencing creepy of this character. Not done very often - added another dimension to their relationship.

I was looking forward to a book that would give me chills and that spooky feeling. This one unfortunately did not do that for me, it fell a little flat and left me confused. The plot was messy and all over the place, the build-up was lackluster and didn't provide the payoff it was looking for. It was entertaining but not what I was hoping for.

I absolutely enjoyed this stunning horror mystery novel about a young single Mom named Harry, struggling to provide for her bright teenage son Gabriel during the pandemic. Harry finds a job working as a housekeeper for an infamous Horror movie producer who was part of a scandal years earlier when his wife and son, who is suspected of murdering a young starlet.

This a bit of a slower burn story, but I loved how the horror was interwoven with the mother/son dynamic. I also really related to the pandemic references which were tastefully written. The creepy scenes were well placed and just enough of a teaser to keep me hooked!

Not wanting to spoil the best parts of this story, I won’t say any more other than please give this one a try! It truly was such a phenomenal book.I’m

I was very intrigued by the description of this one and when I saw Christina Henry was the author I knew I wanted to read it. Maybe I went in with too high of hopes but the book feel flat from where I hoped it would be. That isn’t to say it wasn’t a fun book it was. It wasn’t quite as creepy as I hoped it would be and it was pretty easy to figure out, but it was a fun read. The story is told in present tense and then there are chapters of both the main character Harry and Javier’s pasts. I liked the present tense the best and didn’t feel like the flashbacks added as much as I would have liked to the story. Harry is a single mother who lost her job in the pandemic but she is finally working again as a house cleaner for a very particular filmmaker. As her problems seem to increase so does her employer’s desire to get to know her better. Unfortunately she also starts to see impossible things that tell her all is not ok in her employers home and maybe not all of the horrors are leftover props. This book wasn’t bad and for a lighthearted haunting story it was ok. I think the idea just had potential to be a little more.

This was my first Christina Henry book and it sounded like everything I could have wanted. Sadly, I was seriously underwhelmed.

I liked Harry well enough. She's smart and struggling, but level headed and loyal. I enjoyed seeing her love for Gabe and how all of her actions and decisions were tempered by that love.

Plot wise it's so very slow. There's loads of inner monologue, likely seriously pages and pages of it. The build up and tension are non-existent and by the time the crazy part finally shows up, the book ends.

Overall, this book had a lot of potential, but the execution didn't work for me. I expected a lot a lot a lot more.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

The House that Horror Built is a murder mystery with a hint of the supernatural focusing on a single mom and her teenage son and her employer, a famous reclusive horror film director. The main focus of the story are the relationships and it is less about the haunting. It would be a decent entry point for a mildly creepy, but not so scary book.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Netgalley for the electronic copy.

As the pandemic begins to wind down, single mom Harry takes a housekeeping job at the home of famous horror-movie director Javier Castillo. Castillo has been a recluse in his house full of movie memorabilia since a tragedy that forced him from the public eye and Hollywood. Harry, a horror movie fan herself, is content to do her job and leave, until she begins to notice strange things happening in the house. Then, her employer invites her and her son over for dinner after never speaking to her except in a professional capacity. Something is going on at the home, named “Bright Horses,” and Harry just hopes she can escape it alive.

This book is certainly an ode to horror movies, and like in a horror movie, I was sitting there thinking, “Don’t do it, Oh no, she’s going to do it…….Yup, there she goes……” It was so good in that way. Just a fun escape in that way, like a great thriller that you can sink your teeth into. I was intrigued from the beginning and wanted to know how it was all going to end.

There are some good twists and turns in there, and while I guessed some, I didn’t guess others. But I didn’t think that was a bad thing. Because like in a good horror movie, the real value of the scare is seeing the villain rise up and seeing everything really laid out on the table. And this one has some real horrors in there. It’s enough to give you the creeps and never enter a gothic mansion again.

I enjoyed this callback to some classic gothic thrillers, mixed in with the homage to the movie industry. I was really into it and loved the characters. They alone were well worth the read.

Pick this one up if you’re looking for a good, creepy read to distract you for a weekend!

Most of this book was spent depicting Harry’s financial struggles as a single mom during the pandemic. It was like the haunted house was more of a sub plot. With how much time was devoted to Harry’s life, I was disappointed by the abrupt ending with no closure on what happens to her and her son. The haunted house owned by a well known horror director was such a fun idea, I just wish this story had focused more on Javier and his family.

Thank you @berkleypub and @prhaudio for my gifted copies. My thoughts are my own.

This horror story with a paranormal aspect turned out to be an enjoyable read. It moved at a good pace, and contained well-developed and likable main characters. I did suspect what was going on, but not to its full extent! There wasn’t anything too horrifying in this tale, but it was definitely entertaining!

HARRY is a single mother with a teenaged son, GABE. The pandemic is over and Harry is relieved to find a job cleaning an old mansion full of relics from the old horror movies that the owner, filmmaker JAVIER CASTILLO, is famous for. Harry is creeped out by the costumes, and one in particular, that seems to watch her every move. Wait! Did Harry actually see it move? Harry imagines she hears strange sounds and a voice whispering, “Help me!”

Javier Castillo lives a secluded life, surrounded by his horror movie relics. He has a tragic past. His son, Michael, became implemented in a murder and then disappeared along with Javier’s wife.

When Mr. Castillo recognizes Harry’s interest in horror movies, he invites her and Gabe to dinner.  He seems to take a special interest in Gabe. When Mr. Castillo discovers that Harry and Gabe are being forced out of their apartment with nowhere to go, he steps in and invite them to stay with him. Soon, Harry discovers what is really going on in the haunted mansion!

Read this if you enjoy:
• Haunted house stories
• Horror movie settings and props
• Characters with a back story

This was my second book from Christina Henry, but my first that wasn't based on an existing work*. Starting out with the positives, I really enjoyed the sinister atmosphere created every time Harry set foot in Bright Horses. I could feel the way the house seemed to breathe down her neck, and the discomfort caused by the constant watchful presence of Mr Castillo - even when he was behaving as nothing more than a perfect gentleman. The rooms filled with props reminded me of many science fiction exhibitions and museums I have visited over the years and the way that the puppets and costumes can feel almost alive, as if at any moment a mask might blink or a bony finger stretch out. The whole book reminded me greatly of Grady Hendrix, one of my favourite horror authors, but without the gore.

However, there was just something lacking here. The big reveal at the end about the mysterious locked room was so predictable that I found myself waiting for a double bluff that never came, and the ending happened so abruptly that I turned the final page expecting to carry on only to find myself reading the acknowledgements - one of the most dissatisfying moments you can have at the end of a book. I also struggled to engage much with the characters; they weren't "bad", they simply had nothing of any substance about them that made me want to root for them.

Overall, this was an enjoyable but fairly average horror novel that failed to tread much original ground but will make for a quick and easy summer page turner.

*This book is something of a Rebecca retelling, but not based on the original book itself.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

Being a horror fan, I immediately hopped at the chance to read and review this title. I have not read any of the author's books besides the Alice series, which I LOVED. THTHB is not horror, per say. It's creepy, sure and Christina Henry has a way of building tension. I loved the way we got to know Harry and her son and I emphasized with her struggles in trying to provide for him, even if it meant cleaning a horror director's mansion.

Unfortunately, the book's last quarter felt rushed and while the twist will surprise you, the ending leaves a lot to be desired. The ending was abrupt and there was no closure, leaving me dangling there on the tension the author built without a way down.

Overall, I did enjoy the journey but felt disappointed by the destination.

Huge thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for an advanced gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
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A foreboding tale surrounding a Gothic Chicago mansion and the horror movie props living in said mansion. Harry is a single mom, working as a cleaning lady for famed horror film director Javier Castillo. He has a checkered past with the disappearance of his wife and son. She tries to just keep her head down and focused on the job but when she hears strange noises and feels like a mask is watching her strange things are most definitely happening here. This book gave some good spooky vibes!

"This house is haunted, she thought. And then she thought, I need to find a new job...Something else to add to the to-do list."

Housekeeper Harry Adams is a single Mom whose reactions to the unrelatable events in the often creepy paranormal The House That Horror Built by famed thriller author Christina Henry, are quite relatable.

As a die hard horror movie buff Harry is thrilled but nervous on her first day working for renowned horror director Javier Castillo. The reclusive Hollywood legend lives alone in a mansion filled with macabre memorabilia from his famed movies; rarely seen in public since his son and wife went missing years ago, after his son was accused of an horrendous murder.

Harry thinks it's her imagination when she hears the words "help me" seemingly coming from a room she is forbidden to enter, but when there is a mysterious death a few weeks later in the mansion, she knows it's time to start looking for a new job.

But Javier has other plans that include Harry's movie loving son,14 year old Gabe, who seems to be taking on a whole new attitude. Is it just teenage boy hormones or does something more sinister await?

The writer perfectly infuses humor and horror while telling a story of a mother's unconditional love. Giving Harry a full personality, with a hardship background and motherly strength, has the reader living this haunted house story with her, including the goosebumps and jump scares. I really enjoyed her relationship with her son. Despite the paranormal activity it's a very relatable mother son story.

Javier's house was built by the success of his horror movies but it may be demolished by the horror of his past ghosts.

I received a free copy of this book from Berkley Publishing via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

The House that Horror Built is a gothic paranormal thriller. Chapter by chapter, the reader unravels the mystery surrounding the reclusive movie producer and his creepy mansion. Harry, a single mother, cleans the house horrors, full of terrifying costumes and props. As a film enthusiast, Harry sought refuge and strength in horror moves to overcome her strict upbringing. Facing eviction, she and her teenage son move into the mansion.

It's then that unexplainable happenings begin occurring - "Help me" heard in the walls, a costume comes to life to name a few. In order to save her son, Harry must dissect the threats in the house. This storyline is chilling, and a fast-paced read.

Thank you, Berkley.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author for my gifted physical copy and eARC to read and review!

I am not your typical “horror” fan, but I really ate this one up! The haunting vibes were so well done … it was perfectly creepy and had me wondering if the strange things happening were really real or just the imagination gone wild of Harry, our stressed out FMC?

I also am not a fan of anything pandemic related, but gotta say, it worked well with this story! I thought it really added to the plot by adding another level of frustration and desperation!

While the twist or reveal at the end wasn’t a complete surprise, I still found myself glued to each page! The ending was a tad bit abrupt … I would have liked an epilogue or a little more of a wrap up, but overall, this was a nice slow burn, cringy tale … perfect for people who prefer their horror a little more on the light side!

This was my first Christina Henry book and it was a blast! For me as a mom, Harry's internal struggle and dialog hit home. I enjoyed the character driven narative and the unsettling feeling that Harry (and Gabe) kept alluding to. I do wish that the ending had been spread out a bit more. I feel a tad bit let down, like the rollercoaster just came to an abrupt stop. That ending though!

For me, the most enjoyable part of The House That Horror Built is the build-up. Harry can't catch a break, her son Gabe is in that delicate tween stage, and her employer Javier (clearly a stand-in for Guillermo del Toro) is mysterious and mercurial. After a traumatic event, the story speeds up leading to a fast ending that is somehow surprising and expected at the same time.

Thank you, Berkley and Netgalley, for an advance ebook in exchange for a fair review.

This slow-burn haunted house horror story has an unusual lead character, a building sense of dread, and an interesting setting as the world is emerging from COVID lockdown. The creepiness builds throughout, and having a struggling single mother as the point of view character makes the challenges and fears feel immediate and personal. A terrific read.

If you are looking for a horror novel, this is not it. It does have some aspects of a horror story, but it would be what I call horror lite.

That aside, this was an intriguing tale. I found myself engrossed in the story and wondered what would happen next, who or what was haunting the house, and whether there was more to Javier Castillo than what was presented.

Harry (Harriet) grew up in an ultra-religious household. Her love for horror came from what she could sneak into her room or see outside her home. However, as parents are wont to be, that was short-lived, and she was not allowed anywhere without a family to chaperone her. I can understand why she chose to run away and start fresh. It isn't easy for a seventeen-year-old to be on her own, but she made it. Until she found herself pregnant, and the father wanted nothing to do with her or the baby. But that didn't stop her from doing her best to raise her son, Gabe.

Javier Castillo is a famous filmmaker. However, he has become something of a recluse due to family drama years before with his son and wife. There is more to this story, and we receive bits and pieces throughout the novel when we are given a glimpse into the past.

Harry is Javier's housecleaner. Since it is right after the pandemic, she has few options to make money to support herself and Gabe. Working for one of her idols is a dream, but she doesn't let on until after some time that she enjoys his movies. Javier is one that needs attention and accolades, so this hero worship from Harry and Gabe is just what he needs. Or is it? Is there a darker side to Javier?

I am not a horror book fan, but this story engaged me from the beginning. I could see this being made into a movie, and it provides a deeper horror factor due to the home, the props that Javier has collected over time, and a mysterious spirit wandering the home. When the truth is ultimately revealed, it might surprise you. While I suspected something, it wasn't anything like I imagined. I enjoyed the bond between Harry and Gabe. They realized that they only had each other and that Harry was doing her best to raise Gabe to be a kind and thoughtful person.

About halfway through the book, there is an addition of Daniel, one of Javier's stars in a movie. His presence helped deflect some tense moments. You could say he was something of a buffer. He is an interesting character, and I would have liked to see more about him. Perhaps he and Harry would have a romantic relationship in the future.

This was a surprise read for me, but one I had a hard time putting down.

We give this book 4 paws up.