The Haunting of Emily Pierson

by Scott R. Howe, James Merk (editor), Susan Howe (editor)

Emily’s new apartment isn’t empty. It’s been waiting for her...

Emily thought she was running toward a fresh start when she left behind her job, her two-year relationship, and her old life, settling in a quiet apartment in Rochester, New York. But what was supposed to be a refuge quickly turns into something far more unsettling. The previous tenant, an elderly recluse and once silent film icon, died in this same apartment—and she hasn’t truly left.

Emily finds ever more disturbing connections with the woman. They seem to share a secret and she feels compelled to uncover it. The deeper she digs, the more the apartment’s chilling presence tightens its grip, making her question what is real and what lies hidden in the shadows.

In order to regain her peace, Emily must confront the unsettling truth that connects her to this haunting presence. However, there are certain secrets that are better left buried, and facing them may not only harm her and those she holds close, but also have far-reaching consequences.

A spine-tingling tale of psychological horror and the supernatural, The Haunting of Emily Pierson, will make you question what lingers in the spaces we call home.

Previously published as Pandora's Box.

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2024

About the author

Scott R. Howe lives in Sacramento, California with his wife and two adorable cats. He spent his formative years watching horror and Sci-Fi movies and this eventually grew into a broader interest in film history where he discovered a passion for Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, and what would become a lifelong obsession with the silent film actress, Louise Brooks. Beyond the silver screen, Scott has always been intrigued by the unknown, from the paranormal to Bigfoot. He’s also a graphic designer, painter, filmmaker, and musician, channeling his eclectic passions into every aspect of his work.

Reviews

[Lady MacDeath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story, which I believe is the author’s debut.

The story had a good pace throughout, and I really liked all of the characters. My only gripe, is that this version I read had some sentences repeated, which I felt were quite annoying.
The author has based the book on the real life 1920’s, silent movie actress, Louise Brooks, which I found to be rather fascinating, as I had never heard of her before reading this.
The book has some quite creepy moments, and is a really good haunted house/paranormal debut.

Thanks to the author, and BookSirens for providing me with this free ARC, with which I leave a voluntary review.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Stephanie Manzano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for allowing me to be an ARC Reader for this book.

I really enjoyed the suspense and paranormal aspect of this book. A lot of the parts where paranormal activities were happening to the main character, Emily, made you feel them with her like you were in the story with her which is hard to do in writing. I really loved the development of the story and the unpredictable events it led too. I liked how the ending was more than just an ending to the story, it added the details of the background information that we didn’t get in the story and also a recap of life after the events. The story is a bit slower to develop but the book is not long winded and it keeps you wanting to know what will happen next.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tarrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very well-written book, and had an interesting premise. It provided an interesting and unique perspective on the actor Louise Brooks.

The author helpfully included a link to RAINN.org for survivors of SA.

This was a great novel, and I found myself very invested in the characters, and wanting to unravel the mystery, but just a trigger warning that there is SA of minors.



I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nupur · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Haunting of Emily Pierson, a girl who moves to a new apartment and things change for her when she sees a girl on Halloween, warning her to stay away. Things take a turn when she finds out who is the girl behind the haunting and the past that is not just about the haunting but also Emily’s own past that was blurred from her memory. The writing was wonderful and interesting. I am definitely recommending this book to all horror lovers.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story and the characters that I thought were well developed and interesting. There were some editing issues that always cause me to remove a star because it shouldn’t be very difficult to do what every English teacher requires and proof read. There were multiple places where a phrase or sentence was put in twice in a row, along with some other errors. I like the use of Louise Brooks, a truly interesting real actress, in a fun way. Other than that I didn’t feel like the story covered much new ground as haunting stories go. It was easy to read and the pace was good. The way it wrapped up is hard to comment on without spoilers, but I guess it felt a little fast at one point and then drawn out. That’ll make sense if you read it. Overall I thought this was a good first novel and would recommend it for those who like a ghost story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mariè · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not expect to have so much fun with this one!
The writing is thrilling and exciting! It picks up where it should and sombre down where it must. Creating a very enjoyable reading experience
I love the blend in real life people with fiction, the perspective is unique and well put together.
The plot is a bit cliche, we did get all our lovely banal horror but i did not kind any bit of it! Something about the author's voice made the Has been done exciting still.

I wished the characters were a bit more developed so as readers we may get attached to them, and build a relationship. Maybe a few more pages to build that link between reader and character would have made this even better.
I also, wish the settings were set better at times, mostly the more active scenes. The were a bit too abrupt for my personal liking. I would have rather a more teasing slower build to the paranormal as to make the actual events greater.

I recieved this ARC for free, all opinions are my own 💕

[Susan Belman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really engaging paranormal mystery!
The story was set up well in the beginning, and I liked how the plot gradually unfolded, especially with the way the past was woven into the narrative. The author based the story on the real-life 1920s silent film actress Louise Brooks, which I found fascinating, especially since I had never heard of her before reading this. The connection between Louise and Emily was heartbreaking, and I was happy to see both storylines reach a satisfying conclusion. My only issue was I would have really liked more details about the “Scarecrow” serial killer. I think that would have added a little more to the overall plot. This book has some genuinely creepy moments and makes for a solid haunted house/paranormal debut. The writing was gripping, and I’ll definitely be recommending this to horror fans.

[Bougie Black Girl Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ok, legalities out of the way!

This book was really good! It wasn't slow and didn't drag. All the characters were well written and didn't make me want to throw the book because they did dumb things. Lol Emily, is a super sleuth just like myself. Finds out all the things about all the things. Who knew the biggest thing she needed to find out would involve her! Such a good book and im glad I was given the opportunity to read it!

[Lisa Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a pretty good haunting story. I liked the way Emily and Louise had intertwining stories, although there were times that one aspect of their similarities seemed a little forced. It ended up being important to the story but until then, it seemed to be a little much in my opinion. I thought the characters were well fleshed out. There were times I struggled to like Emily though. She made a lot of weird decisions that didn't really make sense. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would like to check out more from this author.

[Tina Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary new move!
This was a great story! I was brought in by the way Emily just silently walked away from a life and relationship, due to his infidelity. She found this nice little apartment, and away she went! However, it did not continue to be as quiet or peaceful as she wanted.
The ending was a great way to bring this around, too.
Thank you, Scott R. Howe, for a great story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Courtney Sinclair · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the character of Emily and how Howe developed her throughout the book. I didn’t realise at first that Louise Brooks was a real American actress until midway through which was super phone. There were a couple of type errors with some lines being repeated and not noticed in the edit. Aside from that I think it was a good horror. 3.5/5 - I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from Booksirens.

The Haunting of Emily Pierson is a fun quick paced spooky story. I found Louise and Emily’s entwining stories to be a fun twist on an otherwise sad personal situation.

The only reason it lost a star was simply from lack of editing. There were multiple sentences that repeated and some that were old versions with the new sentence next.

All in all, the story was great. The pace was amazing and I’d recommend to anyone looking for something spooky.

[Josette Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good paranormal mystery. The situation was set up nicely in the first chapters. The story continues to unfold throughout the pages and I liked how the past was added into the story. The connection between the ghost and Emily was truly sad. I was glad both stories had closure. The only concern I had was how quickly the end came. I felt it was rushed and I would like to have more about the serial killer. I really enjoyed the story.

[Lyndsey Gollogly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a genuinely good read. It was full of paranormal activity and a very good story. I found myself really enjoying it and needing to know what had happened so many years ago to link these two characters. Very creepy.
This was also had such a sad and heartbreaking back story definitely worth your time.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Julianna Pakstis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid horror novel. Incorporated common tropes for the genre in a well paced way. The characters were good at propelling the plot, if a little shallowly defined. The themes of negativity, new beginnings, and repeated narratives shown through. I wish there had been a little more time spent on expanding some of the backgrounds of the characters and plot points, though.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC - 3.5 stars rounded up. I enjoyed the author's fan piece for an actor I've never heard of - a lovely homage to someone time has largely forgotten. The story was simple and not hugely exciting, but the characters were good, and it was short enough to be a very quick read.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you think it’s possible for a location to just absorb the most powerful feelings of people who inhabit it? This book was so do good! Paranormal thriller and the ending wow! I truly loved this book and read it in three days! Amazing from start to finish!

[Jason M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This blend of Psychological and Supernatural Horror kept me on the edge of my seat.