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The Haunting of Wexley Heights
When Meg Wyatt inherits a manor house in Cornwall from the grandmother she didn’t even know she had, she seizes the opportunity to start her life afresh, embarking on a new adventure with her husband and twin daughters.
Of her birth family, all she’s ever known was that her parents died in mysterious circumstances during the Second World War, when she was just four years old – did her mother kill her father or was there more to the story?
As soon as she arrives in the ancestral home of Wexley Heights, which has belonged to the Barrett family since Elizabethan times, Meg starts having visions and aural hallucinations, at the same time that she discovers her formerly hidden talent as a painter – just like her birth father before her. Antipsychotic medication brings things back under control, until a few years later, her four-year-old son starts displaying signs of being possessed by the spirit of Wexley Heights. Once again, Meg feels she is losing her mind. Is Wexley Heights haunted, or is she cursed like the rest of the Barretts?
This dark supernatural horror by author Carole Bulewski is a must read for horror and literary fans.
Of her birth family, all she’s ever known was that her parents died in mysterious circumstances during the Second World War, when she was just four years old – did her mother kill her father or was there more to the story?
As soon as she arrives in the ancestral home of Wexley Heights, which has belonged to the Barrett family since Elizabethan times, Meg starts having visions and aural hallucinations, at the same time that she discovers her formerly hidden talent as a painter – just like her birth father before her. Antipsychotic medication brings things back under control, until a few years later, her four-year-old son starts displaying signs of being possessed by the spirit of Wexley Heights. Once again, Meg feels she is losing her mind. Is Wexley Heights haunted, or is she cursed like the rest of the Barretts?
This dark supernatural horror by author Carole Bulewski is a must read for horror and literary fans.
244 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 24, 2023
3 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 21, 2023
I do enjoy a horror story, and The Haunting of Wexley Heights has put Carole Bulewski in my sights. From the cover to the blurb, this book ticked all the boxes for me.
Not only is it atmospheric and so creepy! But it also had me almost jumping when something happened. It's genuinely scary, and the fact that Carole Bulewski makes the reader wonder if what's happening is due to Meg and the medication she is taking or not. I know I was back and forth with my own ideas constantly.
This really gives this book an edge. One that had me glued to my Kindle! It isn't a long read, but boy, does this author pack enough in so the pages fly by.
Another new author, another amazing book! I am looking forward to her next book anyway!
Thanks to Hygge Tours for my invitation to the tour and to Carole Bulewski for the gifted ebook
Not only is it atmospheric and so creepy! But it also had me almost jumping when something happened. It's genuinely scary, and the fact that Carole Bulewski makes the reader wonder if what's happening is due to Meg and the medication she is taking or not. I know I was back and forth with my own ideas constantly.
This really gives this book an edge. One that had me glued to my Kindle! It isn't a long read, but boy, does this author pack enough in so the pages fly by.
Another new author, another amazing book! I am looking forward to her next book anyway!
Thanks to Hygge Tours for my invitation to the tour and to Carole Bulewski for the gifted ebook
November 1, 2023
This is a twisty turny supernatural horror book that uses two main narratives of different perspectives to bring us along on a thrilling ride into the secrets of a family and the house at the focal point.
When Meg and her husband and twin daughters find out that she has inherited the family home in a countryside town, they decide to move in. She's pregnant and her husband is a mildly successful musician and the family has to rely on her adopted parents money to get by. This might get them out from under that burden.
But it soon becomes apparent that this home is different. Not exactly haunted in the traditional sense but things start to happen that indicates there's something strange going on. There's a group of people who live in the woods away from town who have an art collective of sorts and Meg is a talented artist, even more so once she moves into the house. Maybe even impossibly so.
We'll soon hear about sacrifices being made to a certain eldritch god and the "curse" of her family name. But is it true?
The main narrative is written from Meg's perspective and, if it's to be believed, there's a long sordid history of her family and human sacrifice in exchange for prosperity and fame and power.
Other sections are excerpts from a book written after the events in the book and, again, might not be very truthful either. I really loved that mystery about these events throughout the book as arguments could be made for either side. It could be mental illness of sorts or it could be a cult who sacrifices to this god.
The truth is muddled and I say that as a positive because it makes you want to keep reading. Is her son trying to kill her? Are her dreams about a sacrifice a warning or mental illness? Does the house itself harbor an ancient god?
This is a multi generational story and explores the history of a particular family and the secrets that are discovered. It pieces together history with an outstanding supernatural story that is fully engaging and extremely creepy as it goes along.
This is the authors first full on horror novel and she is going to be one to keep an eye on. I highly recommend this book.
When Meg and her husband and twin daughters find out that she has inherited the family home in a countryside town, they decide to move in. She's pregnant and her husband is a mildly successful musician and the family has to rely on her adopted parents money to get by. This might get them out from under that burden.
But it soon becomes apparent that this home is different. Not exactly haunted in the traditional sense but things start to happen that indicates there's something strange going on. There's a group of people who live in the woods away from town who have an art collective of sorts and Meg is a talented artist, even more so once she moves into the house. Maybe even impossibly so.
We'll soon hear about sacrifices being made to a certain eldritch god and the "curse" of her family name. But is it true?
The main narrative is written from Meg's perspective and, if it's to be believed, there's a long sordid history of her family and human sacrifice in exchange for prosperity and fame and power.
Other sections are excerpts from a book written after the events in the book and, again, might not be very truthful either. I really loved that mystery about these events throughout the book as arguments could be made for either side. It could be mental illness of sorts or it could be a cult who sacrifices to this god.
The truth is muddled and I say that as a positive because it makes you want to keep reading. Is her son trying to kill her? Are her dreams about a sacrifice a warning or mental illness? Does the house itself harbor an ancient god?
This is a multi generational story and explores the history of a particular family and the secrets that are discovered. It pieces together history with an outstanding supernatural story that is fully engaging and extremely creepy as it goes along.
This is the authors first full on horror novel and she is going to be one to keep an eye on. I highly recommend this book.
September 2, 2023
These are my thoughts on The Haunting Of Wexley Heights
It didn’t take me very long to get into this book which is a supernatural horror written by Carole Bulewski. It is a genre I like and the book definitely has all the trappings of being just that. Meg inherits her ancestral home from a grandmother she didn’t realise she had because her adopted mother collaborated with her to keep it from Meg. Her husband Ollie was over the moon at them getting the house as he wasn’t keen on Meg’s adopted mum and Meg was happy to get away from her too. The trouble was, when Meg got to Wexley Heights, she started to act differently, it wasn’t just at home, it was in public too. That was when she had to see a therapist and was diagnosed as a schizophrenic and put on antipsychotic drugs which helped calm her down. For a while at least.
The storyline is written well, bringing in excerpts from David Townsend, that is titled ‘The Haunting of Wexley Heights’, first published in 1980. In these, we learn some of the history of Wexley Heights. Like when it was built, how the money was made, how long the Barretts had it etc. There are several of these dotted throughout the book, giving helpful tidbits of information dependent on the topic. Carole does a good job of bringing on a heightened feeling of creepiness and fear at times and the feeling of the supernatural just by her writing. Her writing is excellent and gives great detail so you have a good idea of what is going on and what things look like. Also, I like the cover of the book as it has a bit of a creepy vibe with the lights shining in the house and the moon out bright. I would be interested in reading some of her other works as I have enjoyed reading this book.
It didn’t take me very long to get into this book which is a supernatural horror written by Carole Bulewski. It is a genre I like and the book definitely has all the trappings of being just that. Meg inherits her ancestral home from a grandmother she didn’t realise she had because her adopted mother collaborated with her to keep it from Meg. Her husband Ollie was over the moon at them getting the house as he wasn’t keen on Meg’s adopted mum and Meg was happy to get away from her too. The trouble was, when Meg got to Wexley Heights, she started to act differently, it wasn’t just at home, it was in public too. That was when she had to see a therapist and was diagnosed as a schizophrenic and put on antipsychotic drugs which helped calm her down. For a while at least.
The storyline is written well, bringing in excerpts from David Townsend, that is titled ‘The Haunting of Wexley Heights’, first published in 1980. In these, we learn some of the history of Wexley Heights. Like when it was built, how the money was made, how long the Barretts had it etc. There are several of these dotted throughout the book, giving helpful tidbits of information dependent on the topic. Carole does a good job of bringing on a heightened feeling of creepiness and fear at times and the feeling of the supernatural just by her writing. Her writing is excellent and gives great detail so you have a good idea of what is going on and what things look like. Also, I like the cover of the book as it has a bit of a creepy vibe with the lights shining in the house and the moon out bright. I would be interested in reading some of her other works as I have enjoyed reading this book.
August 21, 2023
I loved the mixed media style of this book, with a mixture of what was going on at the time from our protagonist Meg's point of view, and excerpts from a book written later that studied what happened with research and the benefit of knowing what comes later in the story. I thought this was a really cool way of writing the book and the future study excerpts were really interesting without giving away what was coming.
It thankfully wasn't as terrifying as I thought it would be because I don't get on well with really scary (I hate horror films, they creep me out haha)! Don't get me wrong, I couldn't have read this at night, but if you're wanting to read some horror but get scared easily this is a great one!
I loved Meg's tale and trying to work out what on earth was going on alongside her. Sometimes you really couldn't work out what was happening, whether it was real or just psychosis. I loved the ending to Meg's part of the tale, it really tied things off and was a nice satisfying ending. The very ending was a twist I didn't see coming and tbh I'm not sure how to feel about it but I definitely loved the book. A really enjoyable and spooky read!
It thankfully wasn't as terrifying as I thought it would be because I don't get on well with really scary (I hate horror films, they creep me out haha)! Don't get me wrong, I couldn't have read this at night, but if you're wanting to read some horror but get scared easily this is a great one!
I loved Meg's tale and trying to work out what on earth was going on alongside her. Sometimes you really couldn't work out what was happening, whether it was real or just psychosis. I loved the ending to Meg's part of the tale, it really tied things off and was a nice satisfying ending. The very ending was a twist I didn't see coming and tbh I'm not sure how to feel about it but I definitely loved the book. A really enjoyable and spooky read!
August 26, 2023
This story was certainly creepy! It reminded me of Northanger Abbey at times, with the implied strangeness that is explained away. The atmosphere of this old house as soon as Meg arrives is subtle but decidedly weird, the hallucinations (or are they…) the gothic sublime imagery of the artwork, the instruments coming to life in her mind…and these descriptions of what Meg experiences during her hallucinations, are so vivid and occasionally disturbing.
The narrative jumped between Megs POV and a case file/study, which was a little confusing to follow at first on the kindle app, but provided extra information about the characters/circumstances. The terrible recurring dreams she has then jump into a dialogue with her husband… it was a little jarring, but I presume that was the idea!
I would recommend this as a Halloween/autumnal read, as the cover sets up a spooky tale. Get wrapped up in a blanket to hide from the spookiness… 🎃 Thankyou @hyggebooktours for having me on the tour, and for the digi copy #prproduct
The narrative jumped between Megs POV and a case file/study, which was a little confusing to follow at first on the kindle app, but provided extra information about the characters/circumstances. The terrible recurring dreams she has then jump into a dialogue with her husband… it was a little jarring, but I presume that was the idea!
I would recommend this as a Halloween/autumnal read, as the cover sets up a spooky tale. Get wrapped up in a blanket to hide from the spookiness… 🎃 Thankyou @hyggebooktours for having me on the tour, and for the digi copy #prproduct
September 2, 2023
This is the first time I've come across this author and have to admit that nowadays, horror is not a genre that I pick up much.
I get really creeped out by horror films, but in my youth, I loved to read a classic Stephen King book!
Having said this, I really enjoyed this book which had a great atmosphere to it.
When Meg inherits Wexley Manor, she sees it as a new start for her and her family. On arriving though, she starts to have visions and hallucinations.
Brought under control by medication, Meg thinks it's the end of it, but years later her son seems to be possessed by the spirit of Wexley Heights and events take a sinister turn.
I loved the dual timeline retelling of this tale. The present day recounting of what happened, written as excerpts from a book about the case. And the first person account told by Meg herself.
I think this added to the mystery as the excerpts were obviously looking back on the event as a whole and although not giving too much away at the time, we knew that this would soon reveal the outcome of the case.
Our characters were really relatable which makes this all the more spooky as you're never quite sure whether things are brought on by Megs medication - therefore easily explained - or whether there were actually dark and supernatural forces at work.
The writing style was great. I swung from feeling fine - this is totally explanable - to jumping out of my skin as another thing happened and I once again wasn't so convinced!
This had me on edge - my heart pounding at times and my spine tingling - I would recommend you don't read this one at night, alone 😱
But a great read nonetheless.
I get really creeped out by horror films, but in my youth, I loved to read a classic Stephen King book!
Having said this, I really enjoyed this book which had a great atmosphere to it.
When Meg inherits Wexley Manor, she sees it as a new start for her and her family. On arriving though, she starts to have visions and hallucinations.
Brought under control by medication, Meg thinks it's the end of it, but years later her son seems to be possessed by the spirit of Wexley Heights and events take a sinister turn.
I loved the dual timeline retelling of this tale. The present day recounting of what happened, written as excerpts from a book about the case. And the first person account told by Meg herself.
I think this added to the mystery as the excerpts were obviously looking back on the event as a whole and although not giving too much away at the time, we knew that this would soon reveal the outcome of the case.
Our characters were really relatable which makes this all the more spooky as you're never quite sure whether things are brought on by Megs medication - therefore easily explained - or whether there were actually dark and supernatural forces at work.
The writing style was great. I swung from feeling fine - this is totally explanable - to jumping out of my skin as another thing happened and I once again wasn't so convinced!
This had me on edge - my heart pounding at times and my spine tingling - I would recommend you don't read this one at night, alone 😱
But a great read nonetheless.
August 27, 2023
Horror is really not my go to genre but it came up in a reading challenge so I thought I would sign up with this one. I’m so glad I did! I really enjoyed the story and I felt the story flowed well despite jumping between people and time. The only thing for me was I felt the end didn’t have quite the dramatic impact I thought it should have and it felt like despite the drama it kind of fizzled out. I loved and hated the characters and really felt for the main character and her mother. I really enjoyed this and I may read more horror books soon too!
August 20, 2023
My Thoughts: horror isn’t a genre I reach for often and then every time I do I wonder why I don’t read more of it!
This book was the perfect mix of creepy yet believable, was very cleverly written because everything that happened could almost be written off with a plausible reason and ‘managed’ with the antipsychotic meds that Meg is prescribed!
The length of the book would normally mean I could read it in one go, but this one made me so uncomfortable in the best way that I had to keep putting it down 🤣
Every time I thought we’d reached the limit, something else happened that shocked me, this one really kept me on my toes constantly!
I would absolutely recommend this one to fans of horror and I will definitely be looking out for more from Carole in the future.
🐧
This book was the perfect mix of creepy yet believable, was very cleverly written because everything that happened could almost be written off with a plausible reason and ‘managed’ with the antipsychotic meds that Meg is prescribed!
The length of the book would normally mean I could read it in one go, but this one made me so uncomfortable in the best way that I had to keep putting it down 🤣
Every time I thought we’d reached the limit, something else happened that shocked me, this one really kept me on my toes constantly!
I would absolutely recommend this one to fans of horror and I will definitely be looking out for more from Carole in the future.
🐧
August 21, 2023
What can I say?! This book is full of creeps, shocks and scares; perfect for horror fans! I’m not usually a fan of this type of book but I actually enjoyed this one. I think that this is down to the skill the author has in making everything sound plausible. I felt like everything was down to the medication Meg was taking and then I didn’t. I will definitely be reading some more books by this author.
September 12, 2023
I was supplied a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The narrative is largely delivered by means of a manuscript written by Meg. This is unreliable as not only is the perspective narrowed to her experience alone, but it enables misrepresentation. Excerpts are added from other "non-fic books".
There are long sections of dialogue not suited for the memoir style. I think there was an opportunity to really understand her emotions and thoughts, especially given the time to reflect on these. Her daughters are barely mentioned, which detracted from the story for me.
The story makes you question who can be trusted and a big reveal keeps the reader on their toes, adding to the layers of mystery. An open ending with revelations from other book excerpts leaves the reader to determine how events really unfolded.
An intriguing book that keeps you thinking & second-guessing.
The narrative is largely delivered by means of a manuscript written by Meg. This is unreliable as not only is the perspective narrowed to her experience alone, but it enables misrepresentation. Excerpts are added from other "non-fic books".
There are long sections of dialogue not suited for the memoir style. I think there was an opportunity to really understand her emotions and thoughts, especially given the time to reflect on these. Her daughters are barely mentioned, which detracted from the story for me.
The story makes you question who can be trusted and a big reveal keeps the reader on their toes, adding to the layers of mystery. An open ending with revelations from other book excerpts leaves the reader to determine how events really unfolded.
An intriguing book that keeps you thinking & second-guessing.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews