A Theory of Haunting

Kyle Murchison Booth

by Sarah Monette

Kyle Murchison Booth, archivist at the Parrington Museum, has heard of Thirdhop Scarp. Everyone has. The house has been notorious ever since the night that homeowner J.A. Cathcart murdered his entire family, and was found cupping the heart of his eldest daughter in his hands as tenderly as he would a wounded bird. It is not the first time the house has experienced unsettling events. And it will not be the last. Now the new owner of Thirdhop Scarp, one Marcus Oleander, is gathering an esoteric order at the house, including Miss Griselda Parrington, daughter of the museum's founder. The museum director demands that Mr Booth discredit Oleander's occult teachings and end his influence over the credulous Miss Parrington. Reluctantly, Mr Booth joins the weekend séance. In the beautiful but eerie surrounds of the house and gardens, Mr Booth is drawn into an investigation that spans years - and reveals the house to be much, much more than it seems...

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Gothic, Fiction, Novella, Mystery, Ghosts

146 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2023

About the author

My pseudonym is Katherine Addison. Katherine reviews nonfiction. Sarah reviews fiction. Fair warning: I read very little fiction these days.

I was born and raised in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, one of the secret cities of the Manhattan Project. I studied English and Classics in college, and have gone on to get my M.A. and Ph.D. in English Literature. My first four novels were published by Ace Books. I have written two collaborations with Elizabeth Bear for Tor: A Companion to Wolves and The Tempering of Men. My short stories have appeared in lots of different places, including Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, Weird Tales, and Strange Horizons; I've published two collections of short stories, Somewhere Beneath Those Waves and The Bone Key. I collect books, and my husband collects computer parts, so our living space is the constantly contested border between these two imperial ambitions.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

I love the vibe of the Kyle Murchison Booth books. Elegantly created and written, though, as with her Katherine Addison books, I want more in the way of plot/narrative drive. However that's a me problem: this is super atmospheric and does exactly what it wants to do.

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, this was gruesome and moody and freaky...I'll write up a full review soon!

[Tijana]

Kajl Merčinson But i ja se znamo odavno. Nismo drugari (But je patološki stidljiv i umro bi na mestu kad bi ga neko nazvao "drugarom") ali vredno pratim doživljaje zlosrećnog arhiviste koji se stalno sapliće o razne manifestacije natprirodnog, još od prve zbirke priča o njemu. Ovo je do sada najduža priča posvećena Butu i već to me je obradovalo, a još više kad sam videla da se i dalje drži najviši nivo kvaliteta.
Sara Monet piše elegantni, klasični horor u kome se ukrštaju M. R. Džejms i još poneki stariji autori. Ova novela posvećena je Širli Džekson i nosi tu posvetu s pravom - postepeno i uspešno se izgrađuju i preteća atmosfera i zlokobna ličnost same kuće, dok se novi vlasnik-šarlatan i njegovi gosti naivno koprcaju u spiritističkim seansama. Užas se razvija sporo i metodično, kao što But ispisuje svoje kataloške kartice, a kulminacija je više duševne prirode nego tipično krvoproliće; oni koji vole eksplicitno kasapljenje, a ne jezive nagoveštaje, ostaće malo razočarani.

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0⭐️

I found this story rather boring and just average. I listened to the audiobook so perhaps that added to my disinterest but my concentration drifted throughout.

I’ve been listening to many haunted house and ghost stories this spooky season but this one doesn’t stand out as being remarkable or innovative. I’d likely be hard pressed to recall any of the novel’s details a week from now.

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't say this didn't have it moments, because it certainly did. But if you cut those from the narrative, what remains is so horribly uninteresting, just mere verbiage, not even qualifying as filler. The haunted house is a tough concept to do well, talent of the writer notwithstanding. There is so little to work with it takes a masterful touch to use the tropes - which must be used - but to use them effectively. Everyone knows it can be done because it has, though not often. For 75% of this book - minus a few scenes - we get fuckall. Booth comes across as a functionary, or maybe merely a functioning archivist? Surely nothing more. I love that he loves books, but that aspect of the tale always felt like fluff, since the facts Booth's work uncovers are never prevailed upon, just secreted, or maybe more accurately sued as a plot device (one amateurishly used, at best). Dumb. What is truly going on doesn't arrive until I nearly DNF-ed, and more than once, but with only 25% to go I decided to trudge to the finish. The truth of the house, and our enigmatic attendees, is intriguing, but so rushed it falls flat. Sadly, I sense another "Booth Tale" to provide some closure, or another flimsy tangent?, and also to try fleshing out some poorly drawn characters elided here. If it tops out at this book's length, I'll likely give it a go. Because completists do that.

One major annoyance, which had me mentally gritting my teeth constantly, was Booth's repeated use of the word "er" when he spoke. Besides it sounding ridiculous AND looking even more idiotic in print, I would argue it was superfluous at best, needless at worst. Hesitance, reluctance, nervousness, or deference in speech/conversation is hardly odd, but no part of Booth's personality would lead us to believe he would speak this way. I found it absolutely maddening. Like murderously so.

[disz · Rating 3 out of 5]

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ✰ 3.0 .𖥔 ݁ ˖

The repetition of "er" annoys me a lot

[Nina The Wandering Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook as I was pulling book holds at the library and it was an excellent accompaniment to my October morning!

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-constructed and well-written assemblage of classic elements: a group of amateur spiritualists whose con-man leader has purchased a house with a dark history (both occult and violent) invite trouble with seances and in-fighting. There was an intriguing depth of history, with multiple generations of occultists and their differing theories - most of which are only known to the protagonist, a shy archivist who doesn't want to be there and doesn't volunteer the fruits of his research.

Characterization was surprisingly strong for a short book with a large cast: I expected to have trouble keeping them all straight, especially the deceased residents of Thirdhop Scarp, who are only references, but I didn't.

Booth is the main character of a number of stories, several of which are collected in the excellent The Bone Key . It isn't necessary to have read that to understand the plot or character, but it certainly makes for a richer read. I'd have to reread the beginning of this book to say how obvious it is from the start that Booth already knows the supernatural is real and has strong reasons for wanting to avoid involvement. Poor Booth, his magnetism for the unnatural combined with his timidity about telling people no really lands him in so much unpleasantness.

[Loreley · Rating 4 out of 5]

კაი ქრიფი რამეა 👌

I missed Booth so this story was a delight. It's not necessary to have read other Booth stories to enjoy this one, but knowing his background adds layers to this novella.
The vibes are impeccable - who doesn't want to catalogue an occult library in a haunted house?

[Irmak ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

so many "...er..."s, literally, not enough haunting. it was fine.

[S.A Reidman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gather around ...ahem, pardon me while I dust out my BAU degree from the prestigious school of Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins as Dean, Mads Mikkelson as Vice Dean and Hugh Dancy as Faculty Head), Seven (Guest Lecturers include that real life psychopath, y'all know who) Criminal Minds - namely Spencer, True Detective (season 1 and 2 as my main professors) and even Prodigal Son because what's wide screen Psychopathy without Michael Sheen's wild eyes?. I digress. Y'all imagine this here fine piece of paper - great.  Now it says right over here, it says that when a story starts out with a gruesome family annihilation and a surviving family annihilator proclaiming his innocence ...well, everything is beyond downhill from there - everything is well and truly hopeless. And that it was.

Up the bloody creek without a paddle as they say.

Now add in some Gothicism, a good old fashioned mystery and maybe kinda sorta a supernatural haunting and you have this deliciously Macabre (shout out to Nandor The Relentless) little novella.

[Tomasz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Booth may be employed more as a librarian and custodian than an archivist, but he has an archivist's mind (so do I, like comes to like). Unfortunately, Thirdhop Scarp manse has a mind of its own, too.
I might have mentioned somewhere before that Sarah Monette guarantees quality reading experience. This novella is another case in point. And Mr Booth is, quite simply, a lovely character.

[Blodeuedd Finland]

This was reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally dull

[Annemieke / A Dance with Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a surprising amount of time to realize that Sarah Monette is actually Katherine Addison (or rather the other way around as Addison is pen name). Which goes to show you just how much I look into authors. Regardless, it doesn't quite change how I feel about this book. Thought it might make me more inclined to pick up more books by Monette now.

A theory of Haunting is an interesting, slow build paranormal horror story following the haunted mansion trope. We meet Booth, an archivist who just keeps getting send out on other tasks than he should, working at a museum. Booth has another set of talents than just being an archivist. He knows more about the occult than he likes letting on. And it is something that he can use in this haunted mansion, though he doesn't particularly want to.

Booth doesn't seem like a very interesting character at first glance. He seems stiff, shy, rather in his own world and would rather not have any excitement. But there are little hints and bits that Monette throws in there with him that does make you sit up. The throwaway remarks on previous adventures with the occult for instance. There is clearly more to Booth, but Monette doesn't quite lift off that layer of him. Just enough to keep you interested. I enjoyed his interactions with Avery.

As for the story, it has quite a slow build. At times i found the first half a bit too slow. Considering that this book isn't even that long, that was't a good thing. The second part really takes off when the haunted house lets itself known. First to Booth, than to all the others as well. It was creepy at the end but still very managable for those that find horror a little harder to read.

Now when I picked up this book I had no idea that there were more stories out there about Booth. It certainly isn't nessecary to have read them to pick this one up. But I'm certainly going to search a few out.

[Bookshire Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid, creepy, but I liked the short stories form more. They force a certain economically atmospheric style that fits Booth very well. This one tended to meander more.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kyle Murchinson Booth is an archivist at an American museum sometime in the earlier part of the 20th century.. Booth is shy, awkward, brilliant, and in tune with the veil between worlds. His boss sends him to Thirdhop Scarp, an estate where a spiritualist society has been holding seances and getting up to other spiritualist-y business. He is ostensibly there to sort through newly acquired books in the estate's library, but actually to persuade the museum parton's sister to disassociate from the society.

Unfortunately for Booth, Thirdhop Scarp has an unsavory past of mysterious deaths, and to his dismay, he quickly discovers just how haunted the house is.

Back in 2021, I read Monette's The Bone Key, ten short stories focused on Booth and his supernatural and paranormal misadventures. It was one of my favorite reads of the year. I absolutely adored Booth and the collection. When this book popped up on Amazon as a recently published recommendation, it shot to the top of my TBR. This novella is a haunted house story of the best kind - a creepy, effective slow burn with a punch of an ending. Easily one of my favorites of 2023.

A Theory of Haunting and The Bone Key are both 5 star reads for me and highly recommend. If you like the style of old fashioned horror (MR James, Henry James), you should give the Booth stories a read.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightfully spooky book with a relatable bookish protagonist that will please anyone who is a fan of Poe or Mary Shelley. Only took me a few hours to read. I'll definitely be reading more Sarah Monette!

[Roslyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Hopefully, comments to come.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely spooky.

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book because it was part of Rebellion Publishing's $0.99 ebook sale, and because I'd read another of Monette's Kyle Murchison Booth short stories in Uncanny Magazine and enjoyed that story immensely. I figured another of Monette's stories in this series would be a great addition to my Halloween reading—and I was right! But I'm very glad I didn't try to read this just before bed. Much better for me to read this one in the daylight.

First of all, this is a perfect book for the season. It's a tale of ghosts and a haunted house and séances, perfect for the Halloween season (even if I personally never picked up on what time of year this was supposed to be). The house is creepy, several of the side characters are creepy, and by the end I found myself almost dreading the return to the house along with the protagonist. (Though of course, I knew there would be a return even when he hoped he could stay away.)

The part I liked least was some of the side characters' attitudes. Both Booth's superior at the museum and a few of the séance guests were just too icky for me to like them much. Still, that's not to say that they weren't believable. The nastiness of some of the guests, and the office politics that led to Booth being there at all... those are all to realistic to me. I didn't need to like them, though; I liked Booth well enough to more than make up for the handful of unpleasant side characters, and there were a few of other characters (like Alexis  and the clueless Miss Parrington) who were also enjoyable to read about.

All told, though, this is the perfect level of creepy book for me. It gets scary, but not too scary. There is peril, but not that much peril. I was never in doubt that the protagonist would make it out of the house alive, though there was just enough menace in the house that I wasn't so sure about any of the side characters. I enjoyed the book enough that I immediately picked up Monette's The Bone Key, a collection of Kyle Murchison Booth short stories. I'm sure this book is one I'll re-read for future Halloween-time creepiness... though I'll try to remember to read the second half in the daylight and not at night.

[slauderdale]

Help! Can someone explain the ending to me? I enjoyed the heck out of this book and thought it was going to be a solid five, but the ending was a headscratcher. Given the implied reveals about Alexis' past at the end, why *does* Booth go to visit him? Or am I misunderstanding? See, my assumption was that either Alexis or the late Matthew Falconer was using the information from Conrad Oettinger's work (re: deriving power from burnt offerings), but if so, am I supposed to assume that Matthew burnt himself? Because again, if Alexis was the one to burn him, why does Booth remain sympathetic to him? And destroying the blueprints exorcised the house, but then Alexis - what? was possessed? (by Matthew Falconer, perchance, the fey dreamy child talking to imaginary friends in the cemetery?), and so he accidentally helped to exorcise himself? or something? But what connection did either Alexis or Matthew Falconer have prior with Thirdhop Scarp? I don't recall any. The thing about Monette's Booth stories is that she/he leaves so much unstated, and usually it is easy enough to get by inference, but in this case, I just got very very lost at the end. It *does* feel like the recipe for a followup, this continuing connection with Alexis, and I would like that, I was very pleased to get an extended storyline with Booth. I found all the short stories fun. But I can't say she really stuck the landing on this unless I am really really missing something very obvious, because the inferences I'm drawing just aren't coming together.

I repeat: Help?

[Tessa {bleeds glitter} · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm very confused about the idea behind this book. Apparently Monette has published short stories about this character before and I guess this is some kind of add-on to those stories, published many years later. But like, you feel like you're missing huge, important parts of the story. This wasn't a short story you just slide into and understand what is happening- you can tell there are huge gaps of information missing. I felt like I just picked up a book, read the middle hundred pages and then put it aside again. There is no proper introduction, you're already supposed to know who this person is and why he's in a position to be told to investigate something in a haunted house even though he's simply an archivist. Even the other characters felt like I should already know who they are, even though I couldn't.
Wouldn't recommend reading this on its own. Since I haven't read the earlier installments and my audiobook service doesn't carry them, I'll probably never pick them up, but I truly doubt you can enjoy this on its own. It feels like you're missing something the whole time.
In theory the story is fine, if this had been a proper novel, with an introduction and a middle part and an ending, fleshed out, I'd probably recommend this. But the way it is, on its own, I just didn't really get anything from it, I just kept wishing I knew who these people are.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I jumped on this short story because of The Cemeteries of Amalo, pretty much.

I've not encountered the character Kyle Murchison Booth before, but I think the story worked well on its own. I suspect Booth might be one of the most wooden-like character I've ever spent time with, so while the mystery in itself was interesting, I didn't enjoy the company as much as the haunting and sleuthing.

Booth's vocal tic (eeerrr) was probably a bit less annoying, thanks to the narrator's way of incorporating the noise in the character's speech, than it would have been if I'd been reading the story myself on a page. (I saw some others complaining about it.)

While I wouldn't mind revisiting this character in the future to tag along on another mystery, I'm not sure I will exactly seek out more stories about him.
I'll probably stick to waiting for the 3rd Amalo book instead.

[Adele · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, pleasant read. The appeal of Monette's Kyle Murchison stories is almost entirely atmosphere and tone. If you like them and are in the mood for more, A Theory of Haunting delivers. This one leans more toward Shirley Jackson and the haunted house motif than Lovecraft if that makes a difference for you.

[Kristy Fassio · Rating 3 out of 5]

just fine I guess?

This author REALLY loves his thesaurus, but once I got used to his penchant for 50 cent words I liked the book. It was short and easy to read. Would be a fine read for a day on the beach.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent one-sitting horror novella, featuring my favorite reclusive archivist, Kyle Murchison Booth, protagonist of the short stories in Monette's equally excellent collection, The Bone Key).

There's really nothing like a good haunted house story, is there?

[MyNeverEndingTBRList · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this. The audiobook was only 4 hours long (shorter on faster speed b/c I am ridiculous).

The overuse of 'er', 'um', 'uh' grated on my nerves.

I did not like the main character and should have DNF'd.

[scarlettraces · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for the nice writing

[Natalie HH · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tend to prefer my paranormal/haunting stories through a more modern lens, but this historical gothic read has me seeking out similar stories to get lost in.

[Ellin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing feels very “old” like a book written 80 years ago. It was quite boring and the ending didn’t make the slog worth it.