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Blood Seance
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO EVELYN LEIGHTON?
When the Kellerman family moves into a gorgeous old Spanish mansion in the Pacific Palisades, they have no idea that they’ve just bought a piece of forgotten Hollywood folklore, once owned by a forties-era B-movie actress.
But when the walls start cracking and strange voices whisper in the night, they begin a white-knuckle journey to save themselves from the dark forces in the house, and to confront face-to-face the horrible fate that befell a beautiful young starlet named Evelyn Leighton.
BLOOD SEANCE is a fast paced haunted house thriller with a riveting 1940s backstory.
When the Kellerman family moves into a gorgeous old Spanish mansion in the Pacific Palisades, they have no idea that they’ve just bought a piece of forgotten Hollywood folklore, once owned by a forties-era B-movie actress.
But when the walls start cracking and strange voices whisper in the night, they begin a white-knuckle journey to save themselves from the dark forces in the house, and to confront face-to-face the horrible fate that befell a beautiful young starlet named Evelyn Leighton.
BLOOD SEANCE is a fast paced haunted house thriller with a riveting 1940s backstory.
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2013
12 people are currently reading
644 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 12, 2022
Chills and Thrills!
A backstory:
Glen and Susan Kellerman move into a mansion in Pacific Palisades and leave their home in Beverly Hills behind. The mansion seems perfect for them and their two kids as Ginny and Ryan will get their very own room. Though things are not all what they seem and they are not in the house very long when things start happening. Scratching noises in the walls making the Kellermans think they might have mice or worse - rats; cracks appear out of nowhere running up the walls, whispers and cold drafts come out of nowhere.
As time goes on though, Ginny starts having bad dreams about a man performing a ritual but then Susan has weird dreams too and they wonder what is actually happening in their house. They find out that the house use to belong to a movie actress back in the 1940's and something happened to her as she came to a bad end.
When they start to investigate what happened to the actress is when things in the house go into overdrive as sometimes things that happened in the past does not want the present to intrude upon its domain and when Ginny's bad dreams become something otherworldly with blood rituals is when the Kellermans learn that maybe moving into this mansion was not a good idea at all as what is laying dormant in the mansion has been waiting a long time for a soul!
Thoughts:
First time reading this author and I was thinking in the beginning of the book that I might end up laying the book down as I wasn't really feeling anything with the story and the characters, but this author had a surprise up his sleeve as the more I read the story the more things started happening in the book which pulled me more into an intriguing mystery of the movie actress and the mansion.
The pace picked up and the mystery deepened with the movie actress to the point where I just stayed glued to my cozy chair as I wanted to know more about what had happened in the past. The book goes back and forth between the past and the present which normally I am not fond of time jumps, but it flows at a smooth pace so it was easy to keep up with what was going on. The past chapters explain more of the actress and what led to the possible haunting of the house then the present chapters of course tell what is happening with the Kellermans and what they have to endure with the haunting.
Lots of haunting action near the last 30% of the book which sent the book into overdrive and I could barely put the book down! I have another book by this author simmering on my kindle so I will be interested to see what that book is like as well. Giving this book five Scary Séance stars!
For images/gifs, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...
A backstory:
Glen and Susan Kellerman move into a mansion in Pacific Palisades and leave their home in Beverly Hills behind. The mansion seems perfect for them and their two kids as Ginny and Ryan will get their very own room. Though things are not all what they seem and they are not in the house very long when things start happening. Scratching noises in the walls making the Kellermans think they might have mice or worse - rats; cracks appear out of nowhere running up the walls, whispers and cold drafts come out of nowhere.
As time goes on though, Ginny starts having bad dreams about a man performing a ritual but then Susan has weird dreams too and they wonder what is actually happening in their house. They find out that the house use to belong to a movie actress back in the 1940's and something happened to her as she came to a bad end.
When they start to investigate what happened to the actress is when things in the house go into overdrive as sometimes things that happened in the past does not want the present to intrude upon its domain and when Ginny's bad dreams become something otherworldly with blood rituals is when the Kellermans learn that maybe moving into this mansion was not a good idea at all as what is laying dormant in the mansion has been waiting a long time for a soul!
Thoughts:
First time reading this author and I was thinking in the beginning of the book that I might end up laying the book down as I wasn't really feeling anything with the story and the characters, but this author had a surprise up his sleeve as the more I read the story the more things started happening in the book which pulled me more into an intriguing mystery of the movie actress and the mansion.
The pace picked up and the mystery deepened with the movie actress to the point where I just stayed glued to my cozy chair as I wanted to know more about what had happened in the past. The book goes back and forth between the past and the present which normally I am not fond of time jumps, but it flows at a smooth pace so it was easy to keep up with what was going on. The past chapters explain more of the actress and what led to the possible haunting of the house then the present chapters of course tell what is happening with the Kellermans and what they have to endure with the haunting.
Lots of haunting action near the last 30% of the book which sent the book into overdrive and I could barely put the book down! I have another book by this author simmering on my kindle so I will be interested to see what that book is like as well. Giving this book five Scary Séance stars!
For images/gifs, please see my blog:
https://booknookretreat.blogspot.com/...
October 28, 2022
I love the gothic cover.It does tell of what’s inside, a 1940s actress and her haunted house. But this haunted house in on steroids.
Past: What happened to Evelyn Leighton? She had starred in B level horror movies and had just hit her stride. Robert and Evelyn were having marriage problems. He is embarassed with her ‘stardom’. Now, Evelyn lives her own kind of hell and it is not in the movies.
Present: The Kellerman family moves into Evelyn’s mansion. It doesn’t take long before it starts ‘falling down’ around them. But there is something or someone that wants their daughter. They will fight tooth and nail to not let them happen. Mom and dad are heroes. They place their lives in danger, more than once, to fight for Ginny. Glen had no idea what it would take to save her, but he goes down the rabbit hole. Thank goodness, there is someone there to help him.
Blood Seance turned out to be so much more than I expected. The past and present converge and it will take all the players to put this demon to rest. Be prepared. Blood Seance may have you checking your house to see if you missed something when you purchase it.
Past: What happened to Evelyn Leighton? She had starred in B level horror movies and had just hit her stride. Robert and Evelyn were having marriage problems. He is embarassed with her ‘stardom’. Now, Evelyn lives her own kind of hell and it is not in the movies.
Present: The Kellerman family moves into Evelyn’s mansion. It doesn’t take long before it starts ‘falling down’ around them. But there is something or someone that wants their daughter. They will fight tooth and nail to not let them happen. Mom and dad are heroes. They place their lives in danger, more than once, to fight for Ginny. Glen had no idea what it would take to save her, but he goes down the rabbit hole. Thank goodness, there is someone there to help him.
Blood Seance turned out to be so much more than I expected. The past and present converge and it will take all the players to put this demon to rest. Be prepared. Blood Seance may have you checking your house to see if you missed something when you purchase it.
September 13, 2014
Evelyn Leighton was an up coming actress who lived in the 1940's. She lived in the mansion at 347 Alto Cresta in the Pacific Palisades. They say that Evelyn died in a car crash but is that what really happen to her. Sixty years later, the Kellerman family was looking for a fresh start. The mansion at 347 Alto Cresta was for sale. This is what Glen and his family were looking for. The new beginning soon turned into to a horrific nightmare. As Glen read more about the history of the house, he knew something was not right. Sometimes the dead come back to settle their unfinished business. Something evil was coming after Glen daughter. Glen realized to save his family, he must put every ounce of strength that he has to defeat this evil spirit. You see this nightmare has been festering for sixty years. This is not you average haunted house story. I like the way that the author weaves the past and the present to tell his story. This is one hell of a roll coaster ride from the beginning to the end. I will be checking out more works by this author. I would highly recommend this book.
July 14, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed John Kaden's ghost story of a 1940's movie star! I loved how it moved back and forth between present and Evelyn's story. I cared about the family and completely empathized with Glen's and Susan's agony over their daughter. Jake cracked me up at times. The play with words kept me enchanted! I will definitely be reading other works from this author. I love a good horror/mystery, so definitely up my alley!
November 16, 2013
Very well-written horror novel about a family who moves into their new home, but the home has secrets of its own, courtesy of it's most famous resident: a budding young Hollywood starlet from the 40s whose life came to a tragic end decades ago.
These secrets soon wreak havoc on the home's new inhabitants in this excellently structured thriller.
These secrets soon wreak havoc on the home's new inhabitants in this excellently structured thriller.
March 4, 2017
This book is absolutely fantastic! A thrill ride on every page. I couldn't put it down. With all of the twists and turns, it keeps you guessing right up to the very end. Absolutely a must read.
February 26, 2015
I'm not usually much for the horror genre, but this book tickled my fancy. Alternating between the 1940's and the present day the book tells the story of a young ingenue, Evelyn Leighton who is on the cusp of Hollywood stardom before her untimely death. Largely forgotten by Hollywood, her former estate trades hands many, many times over the years before becoming the home to the Kellerman family. While the family is originally thrilled to move into the beautiful home, they almost immediately start noticing "things that go bump in the night". The unexplained happenings become more frequent and more dangerous at a very quick rate before the final showdown in the final chapters.
There is some great Hollywood history and lots of spooky rituals on these pages. I'll definitely look forward to reading more of Mr. Kaden's work.
There is some great Hollywood history and lots of spooky rituals on these pages. I'll definitely look forward to reading more of Mr. Kaden's work.
April 1, 2014
Good book.
Good book.
I enjoyed this book because even though I knew where it was going, it went there in a different way than I was expecting, so it was a nice surprise.
Good book.
I enjoyed this book because even though I knew where it was going, it went there in a different way than I was expecting, so it was a nice surprise.
February 11, 2014
Very well written horror story. Must read.
March 14, 2014
Good, scary haunted house story.
February 13, 2022
Secrets never really die
Kaden presents us with what is as first blush, a super interesting concept. After diving into it, Blood Seance really grabs hold of you and demands to be finished. This was my first John Kaden book so it took me a chapter or two before I hit my groove with his writing style. Once I got into the flow and style, reading it was smooth, well transitioning and fun.
I really don't like spoiler reviews, so I will end with a recommendation to read Blood Seance for yourself.
Kaden presents us with what is as first blush, a super interesting concept. After diving into it, Blood Seance really grabs hold of you and demands to be finished. This was my first John Kaden book so it took me a chapter or two before I hit my groove with his writing style. Once I got into the flow and style, reading it was smooth, well transitioning and fun.
I really don't like spoiler reviews, so I will end with a recommendation to read Blood Seance for yourself.
March 28, 2014
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads
At first I thought this story sounded familiar, but I was pleasantly surprised at how interested I was as the story got further along. This story plays out well by moving between past and present. I found myself rooting for this family in every possible way. It’s amazing what a family can go through and still keep it somewhat together. The 1940’s back story was very interesting. The only thing I can say about Viktor is – Yikes! This story will make you want to research the history of your own home.
All in all it’s a classic horror story that I only read in the day time, but it kept me guessing what’s really going on and what really happened in that house. Kudos to Ian Henry for mixing fact with fiction – it made me Google rat epidemic in Pacific Palisades and I learned a few things.
At first I thought this story sounded familiar, but I was pleasantly surprised at how interested I was as the story got further along. This story plays out well by moving between past and present. I found myself rooting for this family in every possible way. It’s amazing what a family can go through and still keep it somewhat together. The 1940’s back story was very interesting. The only thing I can say about Viktor is – Yikes! This story will make you want to research the history of your own home.
All in all it’s a classic horror story that I only read in the day time, but it kept me guessing what’s really going on and what really happened in that house. Kudos to Ian Henry for mixing fact with fiction – it made me Google rat epidemic in Pacific Palisades and I learned a few things.
April 1, 2014
I liked this book. I enjoyed the underlying suspense running throughout the book. It wasn't overly heavy on the occult as I had feared. It kept me reading because I wanted to find out what had happened to one of the major characters in the book, Evelyn Leighton. I liked how the book shifted back and forth between the past and present day.
April 9, 2014
My friend loaned me this book to read. It was a fast read that I was caught up in before I knew it! I didn't want to stop until I found out what had happened and if it would all happen again. Just a mild walk on the demonic side, which was perfect for me. I will be watching for more from this author!
August 28, 2014
I thought this book was very well written for a horror/ suspense novel. I was captivated and invested in the family and couldn't wait till the end to see how it all turned out for them. This book would make a kick ass movie!
March 30, 2014
Great Story
l greatly enjoyed this story. It held my attention throughout. Hope others will read and enjoy it as much as I did.
l greatly enjoyed this story. It held my attention throughout. Hope others will read and enjoy it as much as I did.
April 8, 2014
Pretty darn good ghost story!
September 26, 2015
I really enjoyed the unfortunate starlet's POV, but couldn't bring myself to care at all for the modern family. The modern parts just seemed to drag on too much, to the point that I became bored.
October 3, 2015
It was ok. Not something I would pick up again,wouldn't even consider it as horror.
September 10, 2015
Interesting
Read until the end, it was so interesting. I wouldn't describe it as horror but more like a Dean Koontz or Stephen King style.
Found it enjoyable
Read until the end, it was so interesting. I wouldn't describe it as horror but more like a Dean Koontz or Stephen King style.
Found it enjoyable
Want to read
March 10, 2014FREE ON AMAZON 10/03/14
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews