Let's dive into "The Drowning House" by Cherie Priest—an eerie tale that begins with a violent storm washing up a creepy, dilapidated house onto a secluded Pacific Northwest beach that seems to scare old Mrs. Culpepper to death. This sets the stage for a captivating mystery/scary story when Simon Culpepper, the grandson of the dead woman who knew its secrets, vanishes, leaving childhood friends Melissa and Leo to embark on a quest to uncover the truth.

What truly sets this novel apart are the richly drawn characters, particularly Melissa and Leo, whose complex relationship adds depth to the narrative. Priest's vivid descriptions of Marrowstone Island create an atmospheric backdrop that pulls readers into the story. However, I thought the pacing was slightly off with a slow start giving way to a sudden rush of action.

Despite the pacing quirks, "The Drowning House" remains a compelling read, blending suspense, horror, friendship, and secrets into a captivating story. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Mrs. Culpepper gets scared to death when an old house gets washed ashore . Simon her grandson disappears the same night. Simon's friends Leo and Melissa come to the island to search for him. They learn the disturbing history of the washed ashore house and the man that built it. Do they find Simon? What's up with the house and how did it get washed away?

Thank you Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and author Cherie Priest for the advance copy of this book.

This book is a little creepier than my regular reads. Characters were developed well. The book started off with intensity, but lost my interest as i got further in to the story.

I did finish but.must admit it took a little effort.
2.5 out of 5 ⭐️

"The Drowning House" by Cherie Priest is a dark paranormal horror novel. As a fan of haunted house stories, I was immediately drawn in by the premise. Haunted houses, ghosts, and ancient evil? Count me in! Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations.

When a mysterious house washes up on the Pacific Northwest beach near the home of Simon Culpepper and his grandmother, Mrs. Culpepper, she drops dead, and everything goes south. Simon sends a message to his two childhood friends, Leo and Melissa, asking for their help, and then disappears. When Leo and Melissa arrive on Marrowstone Island, there is no trace of him. The two must put their differences aside to find their dear friend, and what follows is nightmarish as the old rivals are thrown from one ordeal into the next.

I enjoyed the story overall, but it didn't keep me overly excited. The narrative is written in the third person, shifting between past and present, between Leo and Melissa. While I appreciated the dynamic and the strengthening of the friendship between the two, I didn't find myself caring for either of them. Melissa came across as abrasive, and Leo's plans to sell the house (he is a realtor) while his friend is still missing didn't reflect well on him. Moreover, some of their sniping was a bit exhausting. However, their backstories, as well as the tense atmosphere and the freaky supernatural aspect, added depth to the story.

I enjoyed the sections from the past and the way all the pieces fell into place. The author doesn't give us all the information at once; bit by bit, she uncovers more and more pieces from the past and connects the dots. I also appreciated the setting and the creepy atmosphere. The characterizations were interesting, and the suspense was nicely maintained until the great reveal at the end. The tense atmosphere of supernatural elements was excellently woven throughout the storyline, as well as the themes of grand struggle against supernatural evil forces, friendship, loyalty, and loss.

Unfortunately, the book fell a bit short in the execution department. I found the pace of the first half of the book too slow for my liking, although I did enjoy the sense of impending danger. It started well, lost momentum, and then picked up the pace in the second part of the tale. Although the book wasn't overwhelmingly scary, there were definitely some creepy parts. Despite the slow start, the story eventually grew on me. This is a slow-burning tale that builds up to an impressive crescendo. Therefore, I give it 3 out of 5 stars. I recommend the book to horror fans who love a bit of the supernatural thrown in and don't mind a slow-paced read.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

The setting and plot are what drew me to this story. I live on the Pacific Coast and I appreciate a story about the beautiful mysterious Pacific Northwest. Specifically, I related to the phenomenon of beachside houses sinking into the ocean during a storm. However, I almost didn't read the book for two reasons. First I would have preferred a straight thriller atory rather than one combined with supernatural. Secondly, the characters were disappointing. Right away I thought Melissa was a B, and I thought her rivalry with Leo was contrived and irrelevant. Simon and Mrs. Culpepper are the nicer characters but they unfortunately barely appear in the story.
Fortunately I did decide to this amazing thriller that reminded me of many Stephen King novels, mainly THE OUTSIDER for its supernatural elements, and IT for its small.town setting, townspeoples' amnesia, and the slingshot.
Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for this digital review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed the reconnecting of adults who were friends as kids. The author nailed the feeling of disconnect when you're a stranger to someone you were once close to. Good plot, great images.

A mystery that is filled with suspense and a creepy atmosphere.

Melissa, Leo and Simon are childhood friends, they spent their Summer's together at Mrs Culpeppers home - Simons grandmothers.

Many years on, Melissa recieves a missed call from Simon that just sounds like static, and an email informing her that his grandmother had passed. Melissa and Simon race across to where she lived, but no one has seen or heard from Simon since he dialled 911 on his grandmothers death.

They work to investigate where Simon could have gone, but another mystery appears. A house, that looks like its dragged itself out of the sea, and a mysterious man that appears with it.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
This book was definitely gripping from the beginning, starting when Simon, Leo and Melissa were young and into the present day mystery. Filled with an eerie, creepy atmosphere and a mystery, I could not stop turning the page to see what happened.

The plot and the writing captivated me completely, I do love a creepy mystery and this felt like a very unique read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this copy. This review is voluntary.

I want to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to read this e-arc in exchange for my honest review..

THOUGHTS:

This book was a rush and such a ride wild I personally thought. This book gives all the dark feels/vibes. You get the horror and mystery and I was here for all of the feelings this book dished out. The storyline/plot and characters development was perfect in my opinion. If you love a great read that will keep you on the edge of your seat with a creepy suspenseful terror this book will be for you.

What a chilling, goosebump-covered arms read was "The Drowning House" by Cherie Priest. Frightfully good!

This was creepy and had great character building.

This starts out pretty intense in the best way. The build up is done masterfully. The middle lost me but I found my way back just in time to knocked out by the ending. So well done.

My issues were with the middle, though. It frequently lost my attention. I was never able to fully grasp that engaging feeling I had in the beginning.

All in all, the was interesting. The premise was so much fun and everything culminated into this place so unique, I wasn’t expecting it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of The Drowning House by Cherie Priest.

I really enjoy Priest's The Booking Agents series and am hoping to see more come out soon! When I saw she had another book geared for publication I automatically put it as a must read. With all the respect and accolades to Priest, this may have been a mistake on my part. While The Booking Agents are way more cozy mystery, I did not fully prepare my brain for a horror novel - which is totally on me, and this book gave me all the chills and scaries. If you are a fan of Stephen King esque horror, this is definitely a book in that vein.

In The Drowning House we follow childhood friends Melissa and Leo as they search for their missing friend Simon who disappeared in the period immediately following the death of his grandmother at their island home. A strange home has washed ashore next to Simon's house and there is no sign of him anywhere, though paranormal warnings and apparitions begin to appear to Melissa and Leo. Can they find their missing friend before it is too late? And can they save themselves and the island from whatever is coming from the drowning house? It's hard to post more without including a lot of spoilers, but this is an engaging, page turning read that turns very spooky right around the 50% mark.

I am keeping this at five stars knowing that I am not the ideal audience for this book - Cherie Priest is an excellent writer, and she has developed Melissa and Leo and Simon's backstory in-depth, as well as created a haunting atmosphere from page one. It is a well thought out story and a great new addition to Priest's bibliography.

What an odd and wonderful book this was!

I wasn’t sure what I was getting into at first. Was it dark fantasy? Cosmic Horror? Just generally weird?

It felt like a mix of all of the above, along with a good dose of grief, terror, and simply exquisite writing.

From the start, I was hooked. I was so enthralled by the idea of this ‘house wreck’ and what it meant and was both saddened and horrified by the things that wept and screamed in the corners.

I will very happily read the author again!

• ARC via Publisher

Awesome, I loved it! Cherie Priest does a masterful job with The Drowning House. The plot is absolutely mesmerizing, and comes across as plausible, the characters are well developed and all quite believable; the setting paints a natural and great picture for the story to unfold. The prose is so well done, and in combination with the plot, characters and setting places you right in the heart of the action. The aspects of the story involving the supernatural are so well written that even skeptics can get on board. Protagonists Leo and Melissa (friends since childhood) get a mysterious message from their other childhood friend Simon that his grandmother died suddenly. They rush to get to and support Simon, curious to find out what actually happened to his grandmother, but then also to find him as he has inexplicably disappeared. The baffling discovery of a house that washed up on shore the night Simon's grandmother died soon opens a pandora's box and takes them on a wild and bizarre ride that test the boundaries of their friendship. The book is truly a haunting, enthralling horror-thriller. that grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. I highly recommend The Drowning House to all; I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC. My review is voluntary.

For Stephen King fans, this book is a must read. A mysterious looking house washes up on the beach of an island off the Northwestern coast. With this strange event, the elderly woman who ownes the nearest home rushes out and dies on the beach. Her grandson also disappears. When two childhood friends return to investigate what has happened to their friend, scary things start to happpen and both begin to see and imagine things totally beyond belief. An eerie and suspenseful book. I loved it!

A mysterious rundown house washes up on the waterfront property of the very elderly Mrs. Culpepper. She does not survive the night. Her grandson, Simon, texts his friend Melissa asking for her help. Melissa and Leo, who both spent summers on this tiny island in the Pacific Northwest, rush to help and find Simon has disappeared. This book has been described as haunting and atmospheric and it most certainly is a horror story. The characters are well defined and the story mesmerizing. Fans of this genre will not be disappointed! With thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC. My opinions are my own. susanh_bookreviews