Skeletons in the Closet

by Travis VanHoose

Twila thought the worst was over when she returned home from college, shattered by her brother's unexpected suicide. But her nightmare was just beginning. When her father is discovered brutally murdered in what appears to be a ritualistic killing, Twila finds herself entangled in a web of darkness she never imagined.

Desperate for answers, Twila delves into her father's hidden past and stumbles upon a mysterious, ominous box. Inside lies a cache of horrifying truths that threaten to unravel everything she thought she knew about her family. Determined to uncover the secrets within, Twila enlists the help of four close friends.

Together, they are thrust into a nightmarish reality where the sins of the past claw their way into the present. As the shadows of history come to life, Twila and her friends must confront unspeakable horrors, each more terrifying than the last. Will they survive the monstrous revelations, or will the darkness consume them all?

"Skeletons in the Closet" is a chilling tale of familial secrets and relentless terror. Travis VanHoose masterfully weaves a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, questioning every dark corner and hidden crevice of your own past. Prepare yourself for a haunting journey that proves some secrets are better left buried.

Genres: Thriller, Horror

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2024

Reviews

[OutlawPoet]

DNF. It is possible to use the word 'they' rather than constantly naming all four friends in sentence after sentence.

[Ghost in the Stacks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured the book's story, but getting started was like stumbling through a dark room – once I found the light switch, though, I was hooked. Too bad some sloppy typos involving character names prevented me from awarding it a full five stars; four will have to do. Some better editing could have made this on great!

[Kc · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow just wow

This book had so many twists and turns. I was so shocked at how the story unfurled. I really enjoyed the writing style and the fact you could almost feel the characters fear. The big bad in it is wild he gave me the creeps till the very end.

[Alexia Olbinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy read, I hated reading it at night, which is when I mostly read it. If you need a little horror in your life, here you go.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a unique premise and read. I did really enjoy this and the main characters. It did get a little repetitive in places however, but I am so glad I finally picked it up! 3.5⭐️.

[Katherine Tackett Hosler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started Well and Ended Well

The book started off really well and I liked the thought behind it and the idea.
But after the first 100 pages or so, I really struggled with getting through it, until the last 50 pages where it picked back up again.
There were several instances in the book that pulled me out of it where there were wrong character names used including one time a character name was used that wasn’t a character name for anyone in the book and I had to backtrack to figure out who was being talked about and another instance where an entire paragraph was just the same 2 sentences written over and over again. Obviously that’s not solely the writer’s fault.
Also, there’s some pretty graphic content and a scene with SA so don’t read it if you don’t like that kind of thing.

[Lyndsey Gollogly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this i really did and don’t get me wrong i did enjoy it and reading it in the dark adds atmosphere. I could see me watching this as a film and waiting for these unlikeable characters to meet a sticky end. The story was really good proper horror slasher with a urban legend i mean at some point we have all seen a top hat man right?. The downfalls were the little inconsistencies and a few name mix ups. Still a fun horror read especially at night.

[D.C. Haroldsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic eerie book to read during this season. A family curse, a dark mystery, and horrible past events that just make you quiver with fear. That twist at the end was brilliant and so horrifying. I really enjoyed how much this book freaked me out. This is my first book by this author and now I'm going to read more of his material.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great story, but it has a very clunky execution. A great editor would make this a much better book. The author really loves using italics (which just becomes distracting) and having characters pee their pants. There are also a few instances of wrong character names being used, which pulls you out of the story.

[Tina Heitner · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ I wanted to read a horror book to get into the Halloween spirit. This one was a good pick. It’s a very dark horror book. Easy to read. Not too scary just eerie. The author put things in great detail. Some mystery. Family curse. Friendship. I received this book from a stuff your kindle event.

[Abigail Murt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considered DNF’ing this book on a couple occasions. It took me quite a while to get through. The beginning and the end were good, but it was quite repetitive in the middle. There was a part where I believe the author meant “Laura” but instead it said “Miah” + other wording errors. Not my favorite!

[Maddie Stufflebean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredible! Some errors that killed the mood of the story but all in all this book gave me the anxiety that horror is supposed to. So many authors fail to truly scare or leave you in suspense but Travis VanHoose did that

[Peaches · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. Okay.

Like 5 stars, but I was REALLY holding out for a happy ending (well, having the evil defeated). Like super great book, horrified, distressed. 5/5.

But the friends deserved better :'(

[Amanda Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this one! It gave me Conjuring vibes and was a great spooky horror read...perfect for Halloween time!

[rebecca reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I could not put this book down. I loved it from beginning to end . I would most definitely read another book by this author.

[Hailey Dauzat · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overlook the typos and enjoy the story. You will be deeply invested and on edge for what happens next.