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Essie's House
The last few years in Manhattan have been a constant struggle for Brenda and Gary Wallach. At their wit’s end, with their careers and savings gutted by the recession, Brenda learns she’s inherited a small business in Asheville—a gift from an uncle she’s never met.
Excited by the possibility of a new beginning, Brenda and Gary drive through the mountains of Virginia, down into North Carolina. Brenda is the new owner of The Blue Ridge Antiques and Salvage Company. It's a hoarders’ paradise, filled with junk and treasure— and so much more.
Strange things happen soon after Brenda and Gary move in. Spirits and negative energy attached to objects in the building are aroused by Brenda’s long-abandoned psychic ability.
One evening, the couple uncovers a Ouija board. As they move the pointer, a young child who died a hundred years ago comes through to them. The child's name is Essie. Over the next few days Brenda becomes obsessed with the girl and is driven to the edge of madness. Voices in the night turn her dreams to nightmares, unlocking her own hidden past.
Searching for truth about Essie, Brenda comes face to face with her own demons as a portal to unspeakable evil opens around her.
Excited by the possibility of a new beginning, Brenda and Gary drive through the mountains of Virginia, down into North Carolina. Brenda is the new owner of The Blue Ridge Antiques and Salvage Company. It's a hoarders’ paradise, filled with junk and treasure— and so much more.
Strange things happen soon after Brenda and Gary move in. Spirits and negative energy attached to objects in the building are aroused by Brenda’s long-abandoned psychic ability.
One evening, the couple uncovers a Ouija board. As they move the pointer, a young child who died a hundred years ago comes through to them. The child's name is Essie. Over the next few days Brenda becomes obsessed with the girl and is driven to the edge of madness. Voices in the night turn her dreams to nightmares, unlocking her own hidden past.
Searching for truth about Essie, Brenda comes face to face with her own demons as a portal to unspeakable evil opens around her.
- GenresHorrorSupernatural
244 pages, Unknown Binding
First published August 7, 2013
36 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 4, 2019
Loved the atmosphere but there were some little irritating things. I did enjoy it though and will prob add it to my library. Read on kindle unlimited with friends from Horror Aficionados 🧟♀️🎃
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
March 11, 2021
This was a spooky, page turning read!
I thought the setting of the storyline being in Asheville, North Carolina was cool as I have been there about three times in my life. The area is filled with antique stores against the back drop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are lots of crafts, festivals and events to do there, so reading about a ghost story set in that town was really neat.
A small backstory:
Brenda Wallach inherits an antique store in Asheville, North Carolina from her uncle who she was not even close to, but since he didn't have any other relatives she was the lucky one. Brenda and her husband, Gary decide to leave New York and go check out the antique store to see what it will all entail, but what they find is more than they bargained for as the store is filled with all kinds of junk that her uncle hoarded for years.
They start cleaning the place so they can open the store to start selling antiques to the towns people, but they are not there long when they start hearing things. A child's laughter, whispers on the wind, footsteps, and they end up meeting a strange old man by the name of Lester Finley who tells them that he knew Brenda's uncle very well.
The house starts really coming alive when Brenda and Gary come across a Ouija Board. They decide to use it to find out what kind of spirits are haunting the store. When they open up that portal is when everything hits the fan and the house wakes up to the point of dark entities coming through from the other side!
Brenda against the wishes of her husband goes on a hunt for the truth of what or who is haunting the store. When Gary has to leave to go to New York on business, Brenda is left alone at the store to handle everything and the spirits come alive preying on Brenda's sanity.
Who or what is haunting the antique store? Does Brenda find the answers she is seeking? What happens to Brenda and Gary during this haunting? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
The book became more atmospheric once the story got past the Ouija board incident with a portal opening. At that point in the story, the book took off for me as I couldn't put it down!
I kept wanting to find out what would happen next. The first part of the book was real slow and there was just something off kilter about the way the book felt at first. It is hard to explain, but it could have been me not being hooked right away. I wasn't feeling the atmosphere of the book till the 30% mark when the ghosts made an appearance. I really am giving this book 3.5 stars, but I am rounding it up to 4 stars for keeping me awake for the majority of reading the book.
Recommend to anyone who loves ghost stories mixed with a Ouija board.
I thought the setting of the storyline being in Asheville, North Carolina was cool as I have been there about three times in my life. The area is filled with antique stores against the back drop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are lots of crafts, festivals and events to do there, so reading about a ghost story set in that town was really neat.
A small backstory:
Brenda Wallach inherits an antique store in Asheville, North Carolina from her uncle who she was not even close to, but since he didn't have any other relatives she was the lucky one. Brenda and her husband, Gary decide to leave New York and go check out the antique store to see what it will all entail, but what they find is more than they bargained for as the store is filled with all kinds of junk that her uncle hoarded for years.
They start cleaning the place so they can open the store to start selling antiques to the towns people, but they are not there long when they start hearing things. A child's laughter, whispers on the wind, footsteps, and they end up meeting a strange old man by the name of Lester Finley who tells them that he knew Brenda's uncle very well.
The house starts really coming alive when Brenda and Gary come across a Ouija Board. They decide to use it to find out what kind of spirits are haunting the store. When they open up that portal is when everything hits the fan and the house wakes up to the point of dark entities coming through from the other side!
Brenda against the wishes of her husband goes on a hunt for the truth of what or who is haunting the store. When Gary has to leave to go to New York on business, Brenda is left alone at the store to handle everything and the spirits come alive preying on Brenda's sanity.
Who or what is haunting the antique store? Does Brenda find the answers she is seeking? What happens to Brenda and Gary during this haunting? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book!
The book became more atmospheric once the story got past the Ouija board incident with a portal opening. At that point in the story, the book took off for me as I couldn't put it down!
I kept wanting to find out what would happen next. The first part of the book was real slow and there was just something off kilter about the way the book felt at first. It is hard to explain, but it could have been me not being hooked right away. I wasn't feeling the atmosphere of the book till the 30% mark when the ghosts made an appearance. I really am giving this book 3.5 stars, but I am rounding it up to 4 stars for keeping me awake for the majority of reading the book.
Recommend to anyone who loves ghost stories mixed with a Ouija board.
August 8, 2019
Something's missing...
This story has everything needed to be great but something was off. It took me a minute to warm up to Brenda and Gary. Seriously, Asheville is a great place. The hauntings were interesting then got really weird. The ending was scary! Reading in the dark at 4a.m. Really added to it.
This story has everything needed to be great but something was off. It took me a minute to warm up to Brenda and Gary. Seriously, Asheville is a great place. The hauntings were interesting then got really weird. The ending was scary! Reading in the dark at 4a.m. Really added to it.
July 16, 2022
This was a pretty interesting read, I loved the concept and it had some pretty spooky parts in it. This book was a fast paced read and it was pretty quick to get through when I took the time to sit and read it. For this being Robert Meyersons first book I'd love to see more from him. 3 stars only because it was slow at first and took a bit to get into it and I felt it was a bit rushed in some parts. Some of the chapters were only half a page long and some parts of the book were very rushed and start to the point with little to no detail. Still though, an interesting read I'm glad I read.
October 10, 2014
3.5 stars on this one. I could see where some people might have trouble reading certain parts of this tale. But overall, it was a nicely done, creepy story that left you uncertain as to what was really going on.
November 27, 2017
Wonderfully creepy and so scary! Another book to add to the list of reasons why you do not mess with a ouija board! This book had all kinds of elements; scary visions, dreams, noises and a awful history of a house. I pretty much read this with the lights on and totally engrossed.
January 21, 2018
Good ghost story
Good story that caught my attention. The ending was a bit of a letdown. I really wanted to know what happened with Essie and Brenda. A bit of a cliffhanger.
Good story that caught my attention. The ending was a bit of a letdown. I really wanted to know what happened with Essie and Brenda. A bit of a cliffhanger.
May 23, 2022
I downloaded this book years ago as a Kindle freebie and promptly forgot about it. I finally dug it up and got around to reading it a week or so ago -- it seemed like a decently spooky read. Alas, while the idea had some promise to it, I feel like it desperately needed an editor. And a few things about the content really stuck in my craw as I read.
Brenda and her husband, Gary, leave their New York City apartment to look over an antique shop in North Carolina, which Brenda has just inherited from her late uncle. As they dig through the assorted junk and valuables, they discover a damaged dollhouse and an old Ouiji board... both of which end up proving that the shop is haunted by spirits of the dead, including a little girl named Essie. As Brenda sets out to uncover the mystery behind Essie, she finds sinister ghosts among the dead... and awakens psychic powers and demons of the past that she had long thought locked away...
The premise is a little predictable, but it had promise. Sadly, like many self-published books, this one seems to have never seen an editor before being published. Not only is it filled with grammatical and formatting errors (including a struck-out word that was left in the text instead of being deleted!), but it has plot threads that never go anywhere, character backstories delivered in huge chunks of exposition instead of organically included in the story, and elements that never get explained. And frankly, the characters don't have a ton of personality to them either... and spend so much of the plot acting like idiots that it's hard to care for them.
Also, this book contains some graphic scenes regarding the Holocaust, which never really amount to anything or play into the story and so feel included for shock value. If you're going to write about a devastating and horrific event like that, you better treat it with the gravity it deserves or at least have it matter in the plot instead of using it to shock your reader.
ALSO also...
I have found real gems among self-published books, but it's hastily written and poorly edited books like "Essie's House" that give self-publishing a bad name. This book desperately needed to be run by a proofreader at the very least, if not properly edited, before being printed.
Brenda and her husband, Gary, leave their New York City apartment to look over an antique shop in North Carolina, which Brenda has just inherited from her late uncle. As they dig through the assorted junk and valuables, they discover a damaged dollhouse and an old Ouiji board... both of which end up proving that the shop is haunted by spirits of the dead, including a little girl named Essie. As Brenda sets out to uncover the mystery behind Essie, she finds sinister ghosts among the dead... and awakens psychic powers and demons of the past that she had long thought locked away...
The premise is a little predictable, but it had promise. Sadly, like many self-published books, this one seems to have never seen an editor before being published. Not only is it filled with grammatical and formatting errors (including a struck-out word that was left in the text instead of being deleted!), but it has plot threads that never go anywhere, character backstories delivered in huge chunks of exposition instead of organically included in the story, and elements that never get explained. And frankly, the characters don't have a ton of personality to them either... and spend so much of the plot acting like idiots that it's hard to care for them.
Also, this book contains some graphic scenes regarding the Holocaust, which never really amount to anything or play into the story and so feel included for shock value. If you're going to write about a devastating and horrific event like that, you better treat it with the gravity it deserves or at least have it matter in the plot instead of using it to shock your reader.
ALSO also...
I have found real gems among self-published books, but it's hastily written and poorly edited books like "Essie's House" that give self-publishing a bad name. This book desperately needed to be run by a proofreader at the very least, if not properly edited, before being printed.
November 12, 2014
Stuck it out to the end but wanted to stop after about 20%. Slow story with not much meat about it.
This review was written before I started to take my reviewing seriously. I would need to re-read the book to give it a serious, detailed and fair review so the above review was what I posted at the time.
This review was written before I started to take my reviewing seriously. I would need to re-read the book to give it a serious, detailed and fair review so the above review was what I posted at the time.
June 7, 2016
Not scary, but I feel like at least part of it was because of how it was told. There are a lot of details on the imagery of the scene - shadows behind characters, things moving after the characters leave the room - these might be scary moments in a visual media, but they lack the punch in a written media.
October 23, 2017
Great read!
Things that go bump in the night! A real ghost story with history and connections I didn't see coming. I read it in two sittings, but I wish I had read it in one, because I couldn't get the people who live in this book out of my head! Satisfying and perfect for the season!
Things that go bump in the night! A real ghost story with history and connections I didn't see coming. I read it in two sittings, but I wish I had read it in one, because I couldn't get the people who live in this book out of my head! Satisfying and perfect for the season!
April 12, 2020
Creepy. It moved so fast!
It sounds like an opportunity to turn things around, but you shouldn't mess with the occult if your not willing to deal with whatever you dig up. The was a quick read, with a few words missing, but still understandable-kindle version.
It sounds like an opportunity to turn things around, but you shouldn't mess with the occult if your not willing to deal with whatever you dig up. The was a quick read, with a few words missing, but still understandable-kindle version.
June 10, 2014
Essie Singletary is a 6 year old child in the late 1800's. She is playing in her room with her dollhouse when a curtain blows over a candle and starts a fire. Little Essie dies.
Almost a hundred years later, Brenda gets notice that she has inherited her Uncle Jacob's antique store in North Carolina. Brenda and her husband Gary think this may be a new start for them since Gary has lost his job and not able to find another. Brenda didn't really know her uncle but had stayed in touch with him. The couple move into the back of the old store. They see they have a lot of work to do. Her uncle was quite the hoarder. As they start going through the contents, strange things start happening.
This was a pretty scary story and Meyerson can bring the chills out on a warm day. I thought the ending was wrapped up quickly and I still had some questions at the end but it was worth the read. I'll look for more by this author.
Almost a hundred years later, Brenda gets notice that she has inherited her Uncle Jacob's antique store in North Carolina. Brenda and her husband Gary think this may be a new start for them since Gary has lost his job and not able to find another. Brenda didn't really know her uncle but had stayed in touch with him. The couple move into the back of the old store. They see they have a lot of work to do. Her uncle was quite the hoarder. As they start going through the contents, strange things start happening.
This was a pretty scary story and Meyerson can bring the chills out on a warm day. I thought the ending was wrapped up quickly and I still had some questions at the end but it was worth the read. I'll look for more by this author.
January 21, 2014
Good paranormal read with a fun fast flow. I don't normally read "ghost" stories, but it enjoyed this one. It is written in an easy to follow style, with good characters that are not to archetype. The characters are likable and are are experiencing things in the "normal" world that are very relatable and real. As expected in paranormal reads, some weird and unreal stuff happens, but that's the fun of it and the story is good and solid. I really enjoyed the flow of the book, it made me want to keep reading. I felt invested in the characters and their fates. The author did not over complicate things with extraneous detail and tangents, so the pace was on target for a fast yet fulfilling story. I appreciate the effort independent authors put into their work and their dedication to getting their ideas out there. This was an excellent first effort. I look forward to the next.
January 31, 2014
One of the wonderful points of this story is the relationship of the two main characters. A happily married couple. A subject not much covered in the world of 'story telling'. However, it was crucial to the tale, as it was the strong love they had for one another that helped them survive their situation (I give no more plot spoilers away).
Okay the book is not horror, but it is a good all round ghostly tale.
There were a couple of straggly endings that weren't quite answered or I missed the reasons, but this did not really matter. Some teeny tiny editing issues, but again these were unimportant to the telling of this tale.
I enjoyed the book and it is a good read to those who like things that go bump in the night.
Okay the book is not horror, but it is a good all round ghostly tale.
There were a couple of straggly endings that weren't quite answered or I missed the reasons, but this did not really matter. Some teeny tiny editing issues, but again these were unimportant to the telling of this tale.
I enjoyed the book and it is a good read to those who like things that go bump in the night.
September 18, 2014
I was NOT a fan of this book, I am a stickler about finishing books that I've started however and I didn't start not enjoying the book until I was around 45% finished with it. The book starts off really interesting, about a young couple in New York City inheriting a old uncles Antique shop, however towards half of the book the book just lost me. Not lost in the sense of not understanding, but it was SO predictable. And not original what so ever. At some points I felt like just random parts of different books were coming into this book because it really had nothing to do with the story what so ever.
I am not a fan of this book, I wouldn't read it again.
I am not a fan of this book, I wouldn't read it again.
October 20, 2013
Classic haunted house type of story where spirits communicate via Ouija board, including a bright and pretty six year old named Essie, who died in a fire over a hundred years ago. Brenda and Gary come down from New York after the death of her uncle to settle his affairs. She is left with the ownership of his antique shop that includes several interesting pieces including a classic Ouija board and Essie's old dollhouse. Soon they are playing with the spirit board and contact many spirits, some, not so nice.
November 5, 2014
Really enjoyed this story, but I had one big issue. The author went into way too much detail about everyone's pasts, including minor characters, which I found more distracting from the main story than helpful (except of course for the main characters' history) and yet there is no real explanation as to where the demon came from. If there was, I missed it. I can think of a couple possible related things, but I won't mention them because they could be spoilers. Otherwise, a nicely handled little ghost story.
October 10, 2014
A fun and thrilling read that, at times, will leave the hairs on the back of your neck standing a bit.
The characters were well written, and the story, for the most part, was decent enough. Full of some spooky moments that leave you turning page after page waiting and wanting to see what happens next.
Unfortunately, for me, the ending prevents this otherwise fun and well written book from getting a 4th star, but still a good read for some fun late at night fare.
The characters were well written, and the story, for the most part, was decent enough. Full of some spooky moments that leave you turning page after page waiting and wanting to see what happens next.
Unfortunately, for me, the ending prevents this otherwise fun and well written book from getting a 4th star, but still a good read for some fun late at night fare.
April 14, 2015
I would like to give this a higher star since I could not put it down, but sadly cannot. The story lacked depth, and seemed to be missing a lot. Also when the couple met in 1992, the song Believe by Cher was not out yet. I felt the author could have spent more time explaining things instead of leaving a lot of speculation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2014
Great book
This book took me about a week to finish with light reading every night. I enjoyed the twists that the author used, and being new to the supernatural world of books it was a refreshing change for me.
This book took me about a week to finish with light reading every night. I enjoyed the twists that the author used, and being new to the supernatural world of books it was a refreshing change for me.
December 14, 2015
Good old fashioned ghost story
Lots of good old fashioned scary things that go bump in the night kind of story. Main characters were believable and likeable. Good build-up to an exciting climax. I thought it delivered .
Lots of good old fashioned scary things that go bump in the night kind of story. Main characters were believable and likeable. Good build-up to an exciting climax. I thought it delivered .
November 17, 2013
A good, creepy haunting story. Well done.
Want to read
December 6, 2013Amazon Freebie 12/6/13
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EE89HQW/r...
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EE89HQW/r...
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October 2, 2014yeah I really liked it
January 5, 2015
GRIPPING
Essie's House should be a blockbuster hit if ever made to a movie! I was sucked in from the very first paragraph! A believable tale...
Essie's House should be a blockbuster hit if ever made to a movie! I was sucked in from the very first paragraph! A believable tale...
June 9, 2015
Essie's House
It was an okay read, hard to get into, but I pushed on. I found it to be like any other paranormal read, predictable.
It was an okay read, hard to get into, but I pushed on. I found it to be like any other paranormal read, predictable.
June 28, 2015
Essie's House is a good, old-fashioned ghost story. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next.
June 29, 2015
very good
July 17, 2015
This was a really good book. Loved it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews