What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dwelling
The house had history. Perhaps "too" much history.362 Belisle Street is a homeowner's dream. A nice neighborhood, close to schools, new hardwood floors, unique original detail. So why then, wonders real estate agent Glenn Darnley, won't this charming property stay off the market? Perhaps the clawed feet of the antique bathtub look a little too threatening. Or maybe it's the faint hospital-like smell of the room off the top of the stairs. It's possible that the haunting music that pours out from under the steps keeps the residents awake at night.
In the three parts of Susie Moloney's hair-raising novel "The Dwelling," ownership of 362 Belisle changes four times -- with Glenn Darnley brokering each deal. The first occupants are a young couple, Rebecca and Daniel Mason, who have big dreams of wealth and success. It doesn't take long for them to realize that they're not welcome in their new house. After a ghostly seduction and a violent confrontation, the property is once again for sale. Next comes Barbara Parkins, a divorcee, and her unhappy young son, Petey. Lonely and looking for companionship, the two find comfort in some new, playful young friends. When the Parkins family leaves, the house is sold again. Last, ownership goes to Richie Bramley, a drunken writer and lost soul. But like the others, he can't settle down in this house -- which has a mind, and a heart, of its own.
For Glenn, however, the house is a dream, always warm and welcoming. The floors gleam, and sun pours in through the windows. Owners come -- and 362 Belisle makes sure owners go. It's waiting patiently for its beloved to realize how much it loves her. It's waiting for Glenn, the very special person who can finally turn this house into a home.
"The Dwelling" is clever, scary, and ultimately moving. It's a novel for everyone who ever spent time looking for "just the right house."
In the three parts of Susie Moloney's hair-raising novel "The Dwelling," ownership of 362 Belisle changes four times -- with Glenn Darnley brokering each deal. The first occupants are a young couple, Rebecca and Daniel Mason, who have big dreams of wealth and success. It doesn't take long for them to realize that they're not welcome in their new house. After a ghostly seduction and a violent confrontation, the property is once again for sale. Next comes Barbara Parkins, a divorcee, and her unhappy young son, Petey. Lonely and looking for companionship, the two find comfort in some new, playful young friends. When the Parkins family leaves, the house is sold again. Last, ownership goes to Richie Bramley, a drunken writer and lost soul. But like the others, he can't settle down in this house -- which has a mind, and a heart, of its own.
For Glenn, however, the house is a dream, always warm and welcoming. The floors gleam, and sun pours in through the windows. Owners come -- and 362 Belisle makes sure owners go. It's waiting patiently for its beloved to realize how much it loves her. It's waiting for Glenn, the very special person who can finally turn this house into a home.
"The Dwelling" is clever, scary, and ultimately moving. It's a novel for everyone who ever spent time looking for "just the right house."
408 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2002
25 people are currently reading
1323 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
September 15, 2011
Much like real estate marketing techniques, the sales technique for this book requires some translations. In real estate, "cozy" means "small." Here, "an array of well-drawn characters"(a phrase from an endorsement on the back of the book) means "occasionally plodding development of action." Also, "a refreshingly original take on the traditional ghost story" means "takes a while for it to get going."
All this sounds far more negative than is strictly warranted. The book is indeed well written, a fine interweaving of four separate ghost stories which, were each on its own, would probably not be sufficient to support a single novel. This is not a book for readers looking for a sharp, swiftly-paced jump-out-at-you horror novel. It's a languid, atmospheric tale more on the line of the Anne Rivers Siddons novel The House Next Door, itself a fine novel yet one that seems more about its sleepy Deep South feeling than about the horror that, ultimately, it brings forth.
Let it not be said, however, that I'm not a least a little generous. I'm passing the book on to my sister, who is a real estate agent, like the lead character of this book. That might be a little mean of me, but what are little brothers for?
All this sounds far more negative than is strictly warranted. The book is indeed well written, a fine interweaving of four separate ghost stories which, were each on its own, would probably not be sufficient to support a single novel. This is not a book for readers looking for a sharp, swiftly-paced jump-out-at-you horror novel. It's a languid, atmospheric tale more on the line of the Anne Rivers Siddons novel The House Next Door, itself a fine novel yet one that seems more about its sleepy Deep South feeling than about the horror that, ultimately, it brings forth.
Let it not be said, however, that I'm not a least a little generous. I'm passing the book on to my sister, who is a real estate agent, like the lead character of this book. That might be a little mean of me, but what are little brothers for?
July 2, 2013
The size of this book (the most deceptively dense mmp ever) and the unknown author has left this one on my tbr shelves forever. This afternoon I started it and read straight through, finishing just now. Yes, it was that intense tought to put down kind of a story. Moloney with this book has absolutely mastered the quiet horror genre, the very essence of insiduous. She terrifies without resorting to gore or any other traditional genre trappings, she unsettles, she disturbs. It's a huge help that her writing is so good, the book really reads like a literary novel,, her characterizations are flawless, her pacing is always tight and laced with dread. The house...let's just say it can hold its own in the haunted house olympics against the house from the first season of American Horror Story and more. Highly recommended.
December 25, 2017
One of my favorite books is "Comes the Blind Fury" by John Saul. His ghost stories are filed with beautiful old houses by the sea and characters who, while they seem quite "normal" to their neighbors, often have secrets-upon-secrets and hidden agendas. John Saul's books kept me awake many nights, yet I can't stop myself. Much like revisiting old friends, I re-read his books on a regular basis.
This is what Susie Moloney has brought to the literary table. "The Dwelling" isn't a gore-filled, terrifying white-knuckle ride. It's worse. It's fabulously spooky! A true ghost story. The kind of tale you'd tell around the campfire. That's what I loved this book and why I've already re-read it at least four times.
While you go into the story knowing the basic premise (haunted house, people move in but they may never move out) the intricate web she weaves is pure magic.
Don't be shy. Take a peek inside "The Dwelling". Oh, and you don't need to knock, it's been waiting for you.
This is what Susie Moloney has brought to the literary table. "The Dwelling" isn't a gore-filled, terrifying white-knuckle ride. It's worse. It's fabulously spooky! A true ghost story. The kind of tale you'd tell around the campfire. That's what I loved this book and why I've already re-read it at least four times.
While you go into the story knowing the basic premise (haunted house, people move in but they may never move out) the intricate web she weaves is pure magic.
Don't be shy. Take a peek inside "The Dwelling". Oh, and you don't need to knock, it's been waiting for you.
July 7, 2013
A brilliant novel of quiet horror, that disturbs on so many levels, weaving the fragile home lives of ordinary people, damaged though they may be, who find themselves in possession of, and in a way by, a house that is much more than it appears to be. The final revelation is a stunner, one that will have you thinking long into the night.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
February 10, 2021
Drawn out but a good read. Not very creepy or scary. Kind of rushed through the last 50 pages or so just to be done with it.
October 18, 2012
I'm giving this book so many stars because 9 years after reading it I still remember it and remember that it was perfectly frightening!
May 21, 2014
I have lived in a house with sighing pipes that sounded like a child crying, corners that weren't square so one always felt a little off kilter and doors that didn't quite fit their frames so they opened and slammed shut without human intervention. There was no blood or gore, just moments of terror before you remembered why. This is how Susie Moloney's book proceeds, with quiet, whispering horror, scratching at the door, and voices that have no source but seem to be just beyond that door or wall or window. Oh, and the bathtub that is constantly filling and emptying and dripping, dripping, dripping. This house is possessed but by whom or what is the twist and it is a good one. I really liked this book. The three different stories blend well, although each of them is very different from the previous one. Each of the three stories might stand alone as a short story or novella but together they are a wonderfully complete tale wrapped up beautifully in the last chapter. The only thing I missed at first, was why Glenn was so connected to the house. I had to think about it for a little while before it became clear. And that isn't a bad thing, to think about a book long after you have finished it. I'll read more by Moloney, to be sure.
June 6, 2012
Picked up randomly at the library, because I was looking for a classic ghost haunting story to freak myself out with, I was pleasantly surprised by this story. Perhaps because all I was looking for was a basic horror, the characters and overall story in this was thoroughly enjoyable.
The story is separated into three hauntings, sandwiched in between Miss Glenn, the Realtor, preparing and trying to sell this white elephant of a house. Each of the families who move in have different experiences in the 3+ room house, depending on the rooms in which they spend the most time and as the story progresses, it is slowly revealed to us what exactly is drawing these spirits to the house... and what it wants.
Chilling and spooky more than scary, it definitely kept me up for a while after turning the light off, and it is worth the read if you want a little chill.
The story is separated into three hauntings, sandwiched in between Miss Glenn, the Realtor, preparing and trying to sell this white elephant of a house. Each of the families who move in have different experiences in the 3+ room house, depending on the rooms in which they spend the most time and as the story progresses, it is slowly revealed to us what exactly is drawing these spirits to the house... and what it wants.
Chilling and spooky more than scary, it definitely kept me up for a while after turning the light off, and it is worth the read if you want a little chill.
July 7, 2013
I really like that fact that we get to see the different inhabitants of this house, and their own individual issues. The wrap-around with the realtor was one of my favorite aspects of this story. A creepy, quiet horror read that reminded me in parts of The House Next Door by A. Siddons. :)
January 15, 2023
This was the most novel approach to a haunted house that I've ever read. If you enjoy horror and have a penchant for real estate and the buying and selling thereof, this one will be right up your alley. There are parts where the pacing turns a bit slow, but give it a few pages and it'll pick back up again.
August 18, 2018
I should give this a 5 star, but it kept me up at night! ;)
March 9, 2023
Picked this gem up at a local library book sale and what a pleasant surprise this turned out to be! The author took the time to paint a vivid picture without feeling like it was an over-explanation. The way the story entertwined within itself; with the crossover details and how it came together organically at the end would make this one of my fav reads so far this year! Highly recommend!
January 1, 2019
I didn’t like any of the main characters and the rhythm of the book was odd. It didn’t stay consistently creepy and I couldn’t buy into the oddness. Glenn’s illness was unexplained, and the last few pages that talked about where the pieces of the house came from started to pull it together, but it was all too disjointed to be saved by then.
September 7, 2014
I will read anything, anything that even suggests a good haunted house. I love being slowly introduced to the tragedies that have caused the souls unrest. How they cope with their death. All that stuff.
The Dwelling is a perfectly respectable haunted house book. The only meh factor is that it's...basically three Twilight Zones stitched together. So the book didn't build on itself very well...you'd finish one bit and then start over, already knowing what was going to happen. Oh, and the haunted house...it had...a patchwork quality, where it wasn't the house itself. It was the dogged determination of The Previous Owners to remodel authentically that caused problems. I've never seen before in the genre. That was nice.
The linking character was the widowed real estate agent, Glenn. I did like her. I was confused by the ending...wherein a place that has been shown to us to be awful and terrifying and deadly suddenly becomes NICE...but I was still fairly satisfied, and that's what counts in ghost stories.
The Dwelling is a perfectly respectable haunted house book. The only meh factor is that it's...basically three Twilight Zones stitched together. So the book didn't build on itself very well...you'd finish one bit and then start over, already knowing what was going to happen. Oh, and the haunted house...it had...a patchwork quality, where it wasn't the house itself. It was the dogged determination of The Previous Owners to remodel authentically that caused problems. I've never seen before in the genre. That was nice.
The linking character was the widowed real estate agent, Glenn. I did like her. I was confused by the ending...wherein a place that has been shown to us to be awful and terrifying and deadly suddenly becomes NICE...but I was still fairly satisfied, and that's what counts in ghost stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2011
This was a very good and original ghost story. I liked that fact that it was 3 (or four depending on how you look at it) stories in one. The pace was good and the characters were wonderfully flawed.
August 5, 2013
Well written ghost story. Trouble is haunted house stories are somewhat predictable.
August 10, 2016
This book is frightening, The kind of read that makes you turn the lights on in a room you cross on your way to bed spooky.
January 16, 2019
I am almost at a loss for words with this book. Almost but not quite, buh huh huh. It is a book, yes? I just finished it last night after over TWO MONTHS of painstakingly trudging through it night after night for a few pages here and there. Even after the anticlimactic finish, I still do not really understand much. Honestly, the book read as if the author had tried to incorporate too many ideas and the reader is left on a bumpy, windy road to Snoozeville. The characters were very one-dimensional and each had an addiction: marijuana, overeating, and alcohol respectively.
I found I did not like any of the characters because they had zero redeeming qualities or personalities. The first couple had nothing in common with each other and the word ‘toke’ (in reference to getting high) was used so often it could have been its own drinking game. The next couple was a frumpy divorced mother – gee, that’s shocking – and her equally fat, weak, and frumpy 8-year-old son who was addicted to eating pudding. Wow, I don’t think I can ever look at pudding the same way again after picturing this kid damn near performing a sex act on a Snack Pack. The last guy was a pathetic alcoholic writer who was writing literally the lamest book. It was like book inception and the book this loser was writing was about aliens from what I gathered.
Also, the author overuses parenthesis, italics, and run-on thought processes going on in the characters’ heads too much and it just became distracting. I still have yet to quit on a book and this joins the growing list of ones that are insufferable.
I found I did not like any of the characters because they had zero redeeming qualities or personalities. The first couple had nothing in common with each other and the word ‘toke’ (in reference to getting high) was used so often it could have been its own drinking game. The next couple was a frumpy divorced mother – gee, that’s shocking – and her equally fat, weak, and frumpy 8-year-old son who was addicted to eating pudding. Wow, I don’t think I can ever look at pudding the same way again after picturing this kid damn near performing a sex act on a Snack Pack. The last guy was a pathetic alcoholic writer who was writing literally the lamest book. It was like book inception and the book this loser was writing was about aliens from what I gathered.
Also, the author overuses parenthesis, italics, and run-on thought processes going on in the characters’ heads too much and it just became distracting. I still have yet to quit on a book and this joins the growing list of ones that are insufferable.
August 11, 2019
362 Belisle street is a house with a lot of history & a plethora of ghosts.
The house that selects its inhabitants & preys on them over time. It feeds on the hurt & broken.
Over the course of novel we find three different families trying to make a home of this house. Each family facing their own problems which for them atleast is much bigger than the sinister workings of the house.
Susie moloney creeps up the atmosphere painstakingly slowly in each of the story. A bump here, a creak there before she lets it all loose to tie up the broken ends.
Its a quintessential ghost story with well fleshed out characters. Each family seems like someone you have personally known. Its not a paint by numbers of ghost stories. Author tries & succeeds in giving each character a voice of their own, all the while keeping a haunted house theme strictly at bay until we have struck a chord with personality of each character. This effort to materialize its characters is brilliantly done as she really lets the reader get into the head of the characters.
Novel is fluently written & despite there being no suspense in the comeuppance of each family we are hooked to it to see the machinations of the house the never ending tricks that it uses is both horrifying & fascinating at the same. We see a failed author , an alcoholic & a failed marriage all magnified to a greater resolution until the house burns through it.
If you enjoy a slow, haunting read this is the one for you. It doesn't break any new grounds but its guaranteed to be close to a perfect ghost story that uses all its cliche in an inventive way.
The house that selects its inhabitants & preys on them over time. It feeds on the hurt & broken.
Over the course of novel we find three different families trying to make a home of this house. Each family facing their own problems which for them atleast is much bigger than the sinister workings of the house.
Susie moloney creeps up the atmosphere painstakingly slowly in each of the story. A bump here, a creak there before she lets it all loose to tie up the broken ends.
Its a quintessential ghost story with well fleshed out characters. Each family seems like someone you have personally known. Its not a paint by numbers of ghost stories. Author tries & succeeds in giving each character a voice of their own, all the while keeping a haunted house theme strictly at bay until we have struck a chord with personality of each character. This effort to materialize its characters is brilliantly done as she really lets the reader get into the head of the characters.
Novel is fluently written & despite there being no suspense in the comeuppance of each family we are hooked to it to see the machinations of the house the never ending tricks that it uses is both horrifying & fascinating at the same. We see a failed author , an alcoholic & a failed marriage all magnified to a greater resolution until the house burns through it.
If you enjoy a slow, haunting read this is the one for you. It doesn't break any new grounds but its guaranteed to be close to a perfect ghost story that uses all its cliche in an inventive way.
February 24, 2019
I don't know why, but I was immediately annoyed that the realtor Glenn was a woman and not a man. Then I was even more annoyed my her imaginary conversations with her dead husband. Having said that, the first two parts of the book were VERY creepy, quite Stephen King-ish. The final part, about the third owner, I really didn't enjoy. Why so much less creepy than the experiences of the first two owners? He was just a completely unlikable drunk; yes, I am biased against drunks in books and in real life, so there is that. He was the one that I just wished the house would finish off, but no...oh well, in general a really good book but I also thought that Glenn's illness and her time in the house should have been explained a bit more. Like, did the house cause her illness because it wanted her so badly? Who was the man that always took her meals at the door? Her husband? The father of the blond children?
July 12, 2021
362 Belisle is the address of the possessed house in this terrifying horror novel.
Glenn Darnley is a widowed real estate agent who is tasked with selling this gem. She sells it no less than three times throughout the novel. Three sets of buyers each experience their own horrific hauntings.
I gave this three stars because I did feel that the first buyers' experience was too over the top and lewd. But, also because it insinuated that the third buyer's young son experienced something similar while staying there. That wasn't necessary. It completely turned me off.
Overall, the book is quite frightening if you're looking for a spine tingling scare. Just be aware of the graphic lewdness, especially in the first part.
Glenn Darnley is a widowed real estate agent who is tasked with selling this gem. She sells it no less than three times throughout the novel. Three sets of buyers each experience their own horrific hauntings.
I gave this three stars because I did feel that the first buyers' experience was too over the top and lewd. But, also because it insinuated that the third buyer's young son experienced something similar while staying there. That wasn't necessary. It completely turned me off.
Overall, the book is quite frightening if you're looking for a spine tingling scare. Just be aware of the graphic lewdness, especially in the first part.
October 11, 2021
The Dwelling was well written but felt unnecessarily drawn out. I also struggled to have empathy for a lot of the characters because most of them were hard to empathise with if not completely unlikable. I had to really push myself toward the end because I just wanted Ritchie to hurry up and die (not a spoiler. Relax). The format and overall idea were pretty interesting though, so if you can stand long descriptions about every little thing which really don't add a whole lot to the story you might enjoy it.
January 11, 2022
Interesting concept. The story is told in a series of 3 mini stories of the 3 sets of people who mivd in and from the perspective of the realtor who sells the house 3 times. I do wish there was some sort of conclusion with the other 3 people who lived in the house but you are taken away from their stories when they move out and are replaced by others. Tge story shifts from points of view of 6 to 7 characters so can get a bit muddled but honestly this book is do different from other "haunted house " stories that I give it a pass. Overall would recommend.
June 11, 2022
One and a half stars: Waaaaay too long and drawn out with superfluous stuff about the drawings one of the residents is producing for a book he's co-writing, the trials of a young boy in his new school, and the alcoholic hazes the third house owner spends his days in. The thread that ties the stories together concerns the realtor who keeps winding up with the house on her list, and she is a sympathetic character, at least.
Not a very scary book, and I admit I skimmed a lot of the filler. Could have been about 300 pages shorter.
Not a very scary book, and I admit I skimmed a lot of the filler. Could have been about 300 pages shorter.
October 26, 2022
It was definitely not a fast and easy read for me. There were parts that really got to me, helped by a house I was staying at starting to 'haunt' as well, but other parts that really couldn't hold my interest.
Possible spoiler: I didn't get the whole bond the realtor had with the house. Why did it want her and pull on her? When showing it most of the time she was uncomfortable as well but then suddenly later on she wants to have it and die there and there are ghosts that we didn't encounter in the story before.
Possible spoiler: I didn't get the whole bond the realtor had with the house. Why did it want her and pull on her? When showing it most of the time she was uncomfortable as well but then suddenly later on she wants to have it and die there and there are ghosts that we didn't encounter in the story before.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2020
I was looking for a haunted house book as a break from psychological thrillers. Dwelling is filled with strange ghosts and characters. The character sketches are strong with some deep personal issues they are challenged with. I made the connection with the well thought out characters. However I was disappointed in the role of the realtor and the ending. While the ending wrapped up the story, it just didn’t pay off for me.
メdnf
May 24, 2024dnf - The writing was okay, the story was promising, but it has diarrhea with the details. It's a hefty book, and it seems to hint at a rotating cast of characters (different characters who will move into the house), which I find draining since I was already expending so much energy trying to know and like Dan and Rebecca (which I still didn't by the time I dropped this book, part 2 chap 3) v('ω')v
(+) detailed writing, complex characters
(+) detailed writing, complex characters
October 30, 2018
4.5. I really enjoyed this book! It was creepy. I thought it seemed a bit long in parts and the ending was a bit obvious but the characters were well written and I enjoyed each story. I think the first story was my favorite. It was the most chilling. It could have been a touch more goosebumpy but it’s always fun to read about a haunted house!
June 18, 2019
Older book, 2003. Came upon this one by accident. LOVED it! My daughter found it in a yardsale and passed it onto me.
Creepy! Just the kind of mix of thriller/horror and reality that makes you look over shoulder in unfamiliar houses. Hmm.
Loved the ending! But I'm not doing any spoilers. Read for yourself if you like edgy thrillers that don't get over gory.
Creepy! Just the kind of mix of thriller/horror and reality that makes you look over shoulder in unfamiliar houses. Hmm.
Loved the ending! But I'm not doing any spoilers. Read for yourself if you like edgy thrillers that don't get over gory.
Read
October 26, 2024I had to DNF at 53%. ☹️
I really wanted to like this book, but the pacing was just too slow for me. There was too much focus on detailed descriptions of the house and the renovations, and not enough plot movement to keep me hooked. Maybe I’ll give it another shot someday, but for now, I need something that doesn’t feel like a chore.
I really wanted to like this book, but the pacing was just too slow for me. There was too much focus on detailed descriptions of the house and the renovations, and not enough plot movement to keep me hooked. Maybe I’ll give it another shot someday, but for now, I need something that doesn’t feel like a chore.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews