Home Before Dark

5 stars ★★★★★
This is one of my top favorites now for 2024. When I wasn't sick, I still took my time on this book because I didn't want it to end. I didn't want to leave Baneberry Hall.

A family moves into a new home that has a ton of history to it, it sits on top of a hill surrounded by trees and baneberries along the hillside. You have dual POV between Maggie's and her fathers book 'House of Horrors,' Maggie feels defined by what her father wrote. This family stayed at Baneberry Hall a total of 20 days before fleeing claiming the house was haunted and they would never return.

25 years later Maggie's father passes away and she inherits Baneberry Hall. She renovates homes for a living with her friend Allie, so she goes to Baneberry Hall in hopes of renovating it and selling it. She doesn't remember anything about the time she lived there other than what she's read in her father's book which she believes is a bunch of lies. She feels defined by what her father made her to be in the story.

This book has so many twists and there was never a dull moment. I can see myself re-reading this book later down the road because I wouldn't mind re-visiting Baneberry Hall again. Riley will capture your attention on page one and hold it to the very end.

3.5/5

The book follows a split timeline between the present and the fiction novel written by Maggie’s father. The similarities between the stories are probably the most interesting bits and I was very interested in seeing how the events unfold despite being set apart by many years. However there was something about how the story was written that kept me from being fully immersed. It felt like instead of letting me make my own conclusions and judgments I kept being told hold to feel, which really took away from the experience.

There were some truly creepy parts that I thought were so well done, only to be followed by something that would feel unoriginal and almost cliche. I really wish it would have gone deeper into the unknown rather than rely on generic tropes.

I especially thought that having a real explanation of the events by the end ruined the real magic. However it was still a decent read overall especially when you want something more familiar.

This was my first book by the author. I found it to be a good creepy read.i enjoyed it,with the book alternating between the past and present. I would certainly read more books by the author and if you're someone that likes creepy ,ghost stories,then this is one to read