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Johnny Compton, Johnny Compton: The Spite House (Hardcover, 2023, Tor Nightfire) 4 stars

Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in …

Review of 'The Spite House' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Thank you to Tor Nightfire for the physical ARC.

The Spite House is a contemporary horror that takes inspiration from novels like The Haunting at Hill House. It follows the Rosses, a family made up of a father and two daughters, running away from something in their past. It isn't revealed until halfway through what it is they're actually running from. When the father, Eric, lands a job as a groundskeeper for the paranormal-friendly Masson House, secrets are unearthed and many questions about grief, anger, and family debts/grievances are brought forth.

Apart from mildly ominous children spirits and people disappearing, there was nothing to spook me (or any fan of gothic horror). Plenty of truths were sprinkled throughout the novel, and POVs changed nearly every chapter, so any huge questions I had were revealed by the middle of the book. For a "gothic" horror, this was lacking in atmosphere.

Despite my slight disappointment, the book was well done, and I'll definitely be picking up Compton's future works.

This is a great paranormal suspense novel that I'd recommend to anyone who appreciates a good thriller with a supernatural slant.