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The House of Smarba
Debbie and Nathan Loch had the perfect family. Their little boy Martin and his younger sister Bella were all they could have asked for…until the day Debbie watched helplessly as Bella’s life was ripped away in a horrific hit and run accident. Plagued with grief, and afraid for her sanity, Debbie decides they are moving. However, shortly after transitioning into their new house, Martin begins having vivid dreams of a young boy named Malachi and his toy collection. Martin has never seen toys like these before, but the descriptions he relates to his parents fill Debbie with concern. Nathan believes she is being overprotective after losing Bella, but Debbie is determined to solve the mystery of the antique toys and find out just who this Malachi kid really is. What Debbie discovers is a rabbit hole that may drag the souls of her entire family kicking and screaming into the abyss of Hell itself.
- GenresHorror
260 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2023
22 people are currently reading
438 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
June 5, 2023
If you are looking for something that will give you goosebumps and make your blood run cold, you have to read this one. It will stick with you and make you take a second look at certain things. I can't say much without giving some of the scariest things away.
It is rare for a book to raise the hairs on the back of my head and unnerve me. This book does and of course, it brings along Mike Duke's uncanny ability to rip your heart out and stomp on it for good measure.
I am gonna go find a corner somewhere and hug my knees while rocking myself back and forth ....
It is rare for a book to raise the hairs on the back of my head and unnerve me. This book does and of course, it brings along Mike Duke's uncanny ability to rip your heart out and stomp on it for good measure.
I am gonna go find a corner somewhere and hug my knees while rocking myself back and forth ....
July 6, 2023
An amazingly engrossing story, right from the start the characters worm their way into your heart. I loved the nostalgic toys that were a big part of the story, brought me back to my childhood.
Although it might seem like a negative to some, I quite enjoyed the shifting of the strong parent from Debbie to Nathan and back again during different parts of the book. It shows how the dynamic of a couple can change based on the circumstances they are facing.
A bit of a ghost story, with a demon and a little bit of cult horror this is a book that would be good for anyone to read.
Although it might seem like a negative to some, I quite enjoyed the shifting of the strong parent from Debbie to Nathan and back again during different parts of the book. It shows how the dynamic of a couple can change based on the circumstances they are facing.
A bit of a ghost story, with a demon and a little bit of cult horror this is a book that would be good for anyone to read.
June 2, 2023
Wow! This book was incredible! It was full of gut wrenching fear, desperation, despair, hopelessness. You can literally feel the dread as the story unfolds and the love and hope that the parents cling to as they fight for their son. I have read very few haunted house/demonic possession books that really just hit you like a ton a bricks and leave you sitting in stunned silence by the end, emotionally drained. This is one of them.
March 21, 2023
The Loch family seemed happy and had a great life until they tragically lost their daughter. Overcome with grief, Debbie decides it’s time to move. Maybe this will help the grieving process. Unfortunately, the move doesn’t bring much peace. Now they are noticing changes in their son, none of them good. Debbie is working hard to unravel the mystery of these changes and what she finds could change everything.
The House of Smarba is full of chills, dread, and agony. The small details given at the start really add up to one intense story in the end. As the story progresses, things get darker and darker. Just when you think you have some breathing room, Duke snatches it away and presents a whole new layer of evil. Many surprises await in this book! If you enjoy haunted houses and stories of possession, don’t miss this one!
The House of Smarba is full of chills, dread, and agony. The small details given at the start really add up to one intense story in the end. As the story progresses, things get darker and darker. Just when you think you have some breathing room, Duke snatches it away and presents a whole new layer of evil. Many surprises await in this book! If you enjoy haunted houses and stories of possession, don’t miss this one!
September 14, 2023
“They wore black robes and masks but were naked otherwise. The men’s masks looked like a goat’s head with horns, and the women’s masks appeared to be the face of an elven nymph or a faerie with pointed ears and rose-colored cheeks. They all carried candles and walked around the makeshift altar.”
I really hope that there’s a “House of Smarba II” in the works. That ending kind of did me in ☠️
This was definitely one of the creepiest possession/child haunting books I’ve read. I loved how the nostalgic items became horrifyingly evil.
Definitely one tale you don’t want to miss reading.
I really hope that there’s a “House of Smarba II” in the works. That ending kind of did me in ☠️
This was definitely one of the creepiest possession/child haunting books I’ve read. I loved how the nostalgic items became horrifyingly evil.
Definitely one tale you don’t want to miss reading.
October 10, 2023
Tragic, eerie, sad, dark & ominous, interesting, intense, heartbreaking, big long chapters - this book will suck you right in!
When I first started this, by chapter 2 or 3 I contemplated DNF’ing because I was like, why is there so much talk and detail about toys … but I am oh so happy that I didn’t.
There’s a tiny bit of a buildup (with all the retro toys and everything) but this story gets intense FAST. I had a very hard time putting this down.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more interesting, it just kept getting better and better.
This tragic story would do so well as a movie!
When I first started this, by chapter 2 or 3 I contemplated DNF’ing because I was like, why is there so much talk and detail about toys … but I am oh so happy that I didn’t.
There’s a tiny bit of a buildup (with all the retro toys and everything) but this story gets intense FAST. I had a very hard time putting this down.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more interesting, it just kept getting better and better.
This tragic story would do so well as a movie!
August 20, 2023
I love this author and his books. I just didn’t love this one. Wasn’t for me.
June 1, 2023
I wanted to enjoy this more than I actually did. A decent concept and characters that could have used more fleshing-out sadly gets bogged down in a series of repetitive sequences with the classic toys that Duke obviously thinks are a great hook. They *were* a great hook, too, before being used again and again in almost every supernatural attack scenes, becoming more a hindrance to a developing story than something to carry it forward through its already odd pacing inconsistencies.
July 22, 2023
Indie Author Brawl on the Books of Horror Facebook group is so fun. If you aren’t there yet, you should be! Lots of great titles that are getting more exposure due to this awesome event.
“House of Smarba” took a lot of calculated risks, and some of these paid off. Malachi being a freaking terrifying little “omen” type kid is a big one of them. Possession is always so interesting, and it’s definitely one of the most genuinely scary routes a horror novel can take. From the jump, when Debbie and Nathan’s son, Martin, starts dreaming of old toys and a mysterious companion, we get the feeling that something is just not right. Though at this point, it isn’t yet made clear to us as an audience how warped matters are about to become.
I loved the concept of old Sears toy catalogs being a beacon of forthcoming horror. However, I did not buy the way Debbie was acting. At all. I found the scene up at the school after Martin injures another boy to be kind of prissy. To each their own, but this wasn’t exactly a good herald of his incoming condition. My parents used to constantly talk to me about self defense and what it means to stand up for yourself. In retrospect, yeah, violence isn’t the answer, but I found Debbie’s reaction to the whole incident to be so inauthentic and cheesy. I also found her reaction to Martin’s mention of a Sears catalog to be a bit over the top at first. If it were my kid, I probably just would’ve assumed he’d googled it.
I can suspend disbelief pretty well for any story, though. This is fiction, and even in my waking life, I’m no stranger to the wacky and the supernatural. It’s just that a lot of these reactions seemed kind of cliche, rehearsed, and overused. A couple of aspects of this book were, as much as I hate to say that.
But it’s not without its strengths.
I thought the ending really tied matters together fairly well. When you find out the truth about Malachi, and the new family home’s ghastly origins, it does work quite well in filling in the story’s former gaps. Even though Nathan and Debbie made some parenting decisions I may not agree with, it’s plain to see they care a great deal about their son and their late daughter, Bella. I couldn’t dislike them, and I found myself rooting for the whole family. I also believe the use of vintage toys was a great creative device, and one that could certainly set this book apart from other possession stories of this caliber.
Fantastic use of the “man behind the madness” too. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting him to be like, but it certainly wasn’t THAT. I’m so happy we weren’t just dealing with the same old monster all over again.
So, it was a tough one to score. It had a lot of repetition and themes I found tiring, but its creative energy cannot and should not be easily dismissed. If you enjoy a good possession story, it’s safe to say you would be wasting no time in picking this one up. What it lacked for me in cohesiveness it sort of accounted for in certain aspects, one of them being originality. Classic possession with an interesting twist.
“House of Smarba” took a lot of calculated risks, and some of these paid off. Malachi being a freaking terrifying little “omen” type kid is a big one of them. Possession is always so interesting, and it’s definitely one of the most genuinely scary routes a horror novel can take. From the jump, when Debbie and Nathan’s son, Martin, starts dreaming of old toys and a mysterious companion, we get the feeling that something is just not right. Though at this point, it isn’t yet made clear to us as an audience how warped matters are about to become.
I loved the concept of old Sears toy catalogs being a beacon of forthcoming horror. However, I did not buy the way Debbie was acting. At all. I found the scene up at the school after Martin injures another boy to be kind of prissy. To each their own, but this wasn’t exactly a good herald of his incoming condition. My parents used to constantly talk to me about self defense and what it means to stand up for yourself. In retrospect, yeah, violence isn’t the answer, but I found Debbie’s reaction to the whole incident to be so inauthentic and cheesy. I also found her reaction to Martin’s mention of a Sears catalog to be a bit over the top at first. If it were my kid, I probably just would’ve assumed he’d googled it.
I can suspend disbelief pretty well for any story, though. This is fiction, and even in my waking life, I’m no stranger to the wacky and the supernatural. It’s just that a lot of these reactions seemed kind of cliche, rehearsed, and overused. A couple of aspects of this book were, as much as I hate to say that.
But it’s not without its strengths.
I thought the ending really tied matters together fairly well. When you find out the truth about Malachi, and the new family home’s ghastly origins, it does work quite well in filling in the story’s former gaps. Even though Nathan and Debbie made some parenting decisions I may not agree with, it’s plain to see they care a great deal about their son and their late daughter, Bella. I couldn’t dislike them, and I found myself rooting for the whole family. I also believe the use of vintage toys was a great creative device, and one that could certainly set this book apart from other possession stories of this caliber.
Fantastic use of the “man behind the madness” too. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting him to be like, but it certainly wasn’t THAT. I’m so happy we weren’t just dealing with the same old monster all over again.
So, it was a tough one to score. It had a lot of repetition and themes I found tiring, but its creative energy cannot and should not be easily dismissed. If you enjoy a good possession story, it’s safe to say you would be wasting no time in picking this one up. What it lacked for me in cohesiveness it sort of accounted for in certain aspects, one of them being originality. Classic possession with an interesting twist.
March 13, 2023
The House of Smarba is Mike Duke's take on the good ol' fashioned haunted house/possession tale. Set in modern-day, it feels like the horror stories of the 1970s and is replete with classic toys of the era. A family in mourning after the tragic loss of their young daughter moves into a new house where they once stopped after their car broke down. It's not long before their young son, Martin, is dreaming (or so he says) of a 1979 Sears catalogue and all the neat toys within. His new friend Malachi lets him play with all the best toys, but soon Martin begins to change. He acts out against his parents, teachers and other school kids, and has a vicious streak he's never shown before. Just who is this Malachi, that only Martin can see, and why does the word SMARBA keep cropping up?
Full of fun and nostalgia, this is, thus far, my favorite story by Duke. The tension never slows down, and the story has numerous surprises right through the final chapters.
Full of fun and nostalgia, this is, thus far, my favorite story by Duke. The tension never slows down, and the story has numerous surprises right through the final chapters.
April 26, 2023
I read this book in one day. I could not stop, and when I had to, it’s all I could think about! I don’t want to give much away, but this book had me anxious and creeped out for much of its story. The characters are beautifully brought to life, and it was hard to watch the horror in my brain, brought to life through the words of The House of Smarba. Read this book.
March 20, 2023
The house of SMARBA was a gripping thrill ride that hits all the right notes. From page one, you join a family who endures a horrible tragedy and becomes vulnerable to a nefarious force.
No spoilers, but this story moves at a great pace and I would recommend it to any horror lovers.
No spoilers, but this story moves at a great pace and I would recommend it to any horror lovers.
June 26, 2023
I've had the pleasure to read several of Mike Duke's novels before, and I've always enjoyed them. When he goes for the jugular, he pulls no punches. Same here: he puts a family through the wringer, not really giving them the slightest chance. This makes for a very hectic story: a family death, a move to a haunted house, a child possession, an evil ghost, a demon, covens, murders, an exorcism, ... and it goes on! Urban legends, sinister toys, orgies, ... Oh my. Well, I usually enjoy all these (on the page, I mean), but this time the writing put me off a bit and I couldn't enjoy the story. I found the novel incredibly wordy: both feelings and situations are always described in detail, sometimes twice over (once through the mother's eyes, then through the father's, when she tells him what happened...), to the point, in fact, that the occasional lack of detailed description immediately signifies that even more is going to happen in the next page. This destroyed all atmosphere for me, and the wordy dialogues took away any realism I might have found in the characters. That said, I would in no way discourage anyone from giving the book a shot, if the combination of haunted houses, possession, witchcraft and demons are your thing.
Thank you to Sinister Smile Press for the ARC.
Thank you to Sinister Smile Press for the ARC.
July 3, 2023
This book was an absolute win for me. This books checked off so many boxes for me. To begin with I loved a good haunted possession type store. They are my favorite. The characters were so well written that you end up cheering for them. The toys and the description of them and the catalog brought me back to my childhood as I remember many of the toys. But what I loved the most was that it didn't have the happy, pat ending where everything is solved and good triumphs over evil. The ending was brutal and left me a little shocked and now waiting for more. I loved it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2023
Only a minor spoiler...dashing your hopes for a happy ending!
I really enjoyed this book about possession. A slow burn that makes you feel for the characters and has you rooting for them the whole way through.
If you're looking for a happy ending, this book isn't for you! If you're looking for a book that creeps into your psyche and has you reaching for the lamp switch, this book has you covered!
I really enjoyed this book about possession. A slow burn that makes you feel for the characters and has you rooting for them the whole way through.
If you're looking for a happy ending, this book isn't for you! If you're looking for a book that creeps into your psyche and has you reaching for the lamp switch, this book has you covered!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2023
the Exorcist and Poltergeist had a baby…
….and they named it The House of Smarba. Very well done. Creepy as hell. I yelled so much at Martin’s parents that I’m hoarse!
….and they named it The House of Smarba. Very well done. Creepy as hell. I yelled so much at Martin’s parents that I’m hoarse!
July 21, 2023
Well....I'm afraid of all my son's toys now!
May 29, 2023
This book was so good I freaking loved it! I can't wait to read more from Mike Duke 😀
May 3, 2023
I basically devoured this book in two sittings. I made myself go to sleep before finishing it, then thought about it all the next day until I was able to pick it up again. I loved the vibes of this book - old school but modern day, with hints of Poltergeist, The Exorcist, and The Omen. Mike Duke really knocked it out of the park with this one.
July 5, 2023
THIS!! Now this was fantastic. The details of certain things were spot on. Don’t want to say too much, I don’t want to spoil even the tiniest detail. The pain, the love, the anguish, the trials… wow. This was just really well done. Recommend 1000%.
April 24, 2023
Atmosphere is creepy and really sucks you in. The author does a good job portraying the anxiety, fear, and heartbreak of the characters, while spinning a believably unbelievable tale. A fun read that has my heart racing from start to finish.
April 21, 2023
Think you have seen everything you could on haunted houses and possession, creepy dolls? Think again! This is a whole new level.
This is a hugely immersive read. The characters are vibrant; their trauma, compassion and horror evident in spades.
The writing is superb. I felt every element of indecision, disbelief, and protectionism.
Strongly recommend.
This is a hugely immersive read. The characters are vibrant; their trauma, compassion and horror evident in spades.
The writing is superb. I felt every element of indecision, disbelief, and protectionism.
Strongly recommend.
April 20, 2023
SPOILER ALERT!
One of the most original takes on a possession story I've ever read. I was sucked in from the moment I started. The way the story comes full circle from the beginning chapter completely blew my mind.
Great storytelling, it read like a movie, I could see each moment clearly as I read.
And can we just touch on the toys going nuts and attacking everyone.. totally wild!
Great book, 5 stars for me. Original and captivating for sure!
One of the most original takes on a possession story I've ever read. I was sucked in from the moment I started. The way the story comes full circle from the beginning chapter completely blew my mind.
Great storytelling, it read like a movie, I could see each moment clearly as I read.
And can we just touch on the toys going nuts and attacking everyone.. totally wild!
Great book, 5 stars for me. Original and captivating for sure!
April 22, 2023
Possession is Hell
I love a good possession stoey, and this one ticked all the boxes! Great character development, great pace, and excellent plot! Can't wait to read more by this author!
I love a good possession stoey, and this one ticked all the boxes! Great character development, great pace, and excellent plot! Can't wait to read more by this author!
March 11, 2023
While The House of Smarba could easily be defined as a mashup of sorts between The Omen and Poltergeist, it stands very much alone as an excellent entry into the world of haunted house fiction.
The author keeps this story moving along at a great clip, with the tension rising with every page turn.
There was a lot to like about this one, but it was the ending that will really stick with me. I'm, of course, not going to spoil it, but it might be one of my favorite finales in quite some time.
The author keeps this story moving along at a great clip, with the tension rising with every page turn.
There was a lot to like about this one, but it was the ending that will really stick with me. I'm, of course, not going to spoil it, but it might be one of my favorite finales in quite some time.
April 30, 2023
Great story overflowing with scares, foreboding and ominous creepiness. I loved the inclusion of the toys all of which I was familiar with as a whippersnapper. The house, the children and style of writing made this one hell of a ride. I just couldn’t get enough of it. A must read for horror fans
July 3, 2023
This book has some great concepts: a family dealing with the death of a child, possession, creepy kids, a haunted house, a nostalgic atmosphere. A quick, enjoyable read!
March 17, 2023
*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*
If you would mix Narnia, The Puppet Master and Ghost Story you'd get this result, loved it.
I read a few of Mike's books now and one thing they have in common, they reel you in.
It is a sign of excellent storytelling I think, and maybe because it feels reminiscent of the writers I grew up with, I don't know, I dropped out of high school, I know fuck all about style and passive and active verbs.
I feel and this book feels very, very gut-wrenching, and when I say that, I mean when like Mike Tyson would punch you in the gut, because man that ending was brutal.
I loved, it but again it was unnecessarily brutal, a courageous ending I might add.
If you boil it down to one sentence to describe the book, it would be this.
Ancient demon manipulates family to posses the son to wreak havoc upon the world.
Having said that, the execution of this trope was top notch, at around 70% in, a few elders come to exorcise the kid, it doesn't work and I liked that.
Evil and bad things can't be cast out they need to be fought and sometimes you lose.
Aslan can't help you anymore kid, you left Kansas for good
If you would mix Narnia, The Puppet Master and Ghost Story you'd get this result, loved it.
I read a few of Mike's books now and one thing they have in common, they reel you in.
It is a sign of excellent storytelling I think, and maybe because it feels reminiscent of the writers I grew up with, I don't know, I dropped out of high school, I know fuck all about style and passive and active verbs.
I feel and this book feels very, very gut-wrenching, and when I say that, I mean when like Mike Tyson would punch you in the gut, because man that ending was brutal.
I loved, it but again it was unnecessarily brutal, a courageous ending I might add.
If you boil it down to one sentence to describe the book, it would be this.
Ancient demon manipulates family to posses the son to wreak havoc upon the world.
Having said that, the execution of this trope was top notch, at around 70% in, a few elders come to exorcise the kid, it doesn't work and I liked that.
Evil and bad things can't be cast out they need to be fought and sometimes you lose.
Aslan can't help you anymore kid, you left Kansas for good
June 19, 2023
4.5/5 Stars
This is one of those books that layers on the dread through atmosphere, character building, isolation, grief, and just that awful sense of discomfort. You know something is wrong and want to grab the MC and pull her from her pool of sorrow, and tell her she's not alone or crazy.
This book winds down the path of a spiritual hunt, where the evil is in it for the long game and knows how to wait, manipulate, and terrorize.
You watch this poor family struggle through smothering grief, questioning their sanity as they watch something take grip of their household, and eventually take the full plunge into the insanity lurking in the dark halls.
This is well written, eerie, and is like having a dark storm swelling in the sky, you know what you're in for but you have to see how heavy the downpour is going to be. I recommend if you enjoy a haunted story or just want something good to read.
This is one of those books that layers on the dread through atmosphere, character building, isolation, grief, and just that awful sense of discomfort. You know something is wrong and want to grab the MC and pull her from her pool of sorrow, and tell her she's not alone or crazy.
This book winds down the path of a spiritual hunt, where the evil is in it for the long game and knows how to wait, manipulate, and terrorize.
You watch this poor family struggle through smothering grief, questioning their sanity as they watch something take grip of their household, and eventually take the full plunge into the insanity lurking in the dark halls.
This is well written, eerie, and is like having a dark storm swelling in the sky, you know what you're in for but you have to see how heavy the downpour is going to be. I recommend if you enjoy a haunted story or just want something good to read.
June 6, 2023
BOH indie brawl
5 bright shining stars for this one. Really rare for me with this falling on the supernatural spectrum...
When it started, I felt like there was so much tell and not show. I've read Mike Duke before, and the first few chapters didn't feel like one of his books. A major life even happens ( don't want to spoil it here) and we as the reader only got the details as it was in the rear view mirror. But then the story started. Like really started. At 60ish %, I could not put it down. Now it made sense why the book started like it did. Those beginning events were important enough to be mentioned, but not the true focal point of the story. I never should have doubted this author's work in the first few pages.
Great read
5 bright shining stars for this one. Really rare for me with this falling on the supernatural spectrum...
When it started, I felt like there was so much tell and not show. I've read Mike Duke before, and the first few chapters didn't feel like one of his books. A major life even happens ( don't want to spoil it here) and we as the reader only got the details as it was in the rear view mirror. But then the story started. Like really started. At 60ish %, I could not put it down. Now it made sense why the book started like it did. Those beginning events were important enough to be mentioned, but not the true focal point of the story. I never should have doubted this author's work in the first few pages.
Great read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews