What do you think?
Rate this book
The Haunting at Morsley Manor
World-famous paranormal investigator Eric Thompson's career took a nose-dive after a particularly gruesome case which left most of his camera crew dead. His partner and best friend also abandoned Eric, leaving him floundering.
He is soon approached by a mysterious woman who has purchased the supposedly haunted, but previously off-limits to paranormal sleuths, Morsley Manor. To drum up publicity about the house, she hires Eric to perform and host a paranormal investigation on the premises.
As he ventures over to England to uncover the darkness bleeding through the veins of Morsley, horrors begin to spring from every corner and Eric soon begins to realise that not all is as it seems…
He is soon approached by a mysterious woman who has purchased the supposedly haunted, but previously off-limits to paranormal sleuths, Morsley Manor. To drum up publicity about the house, she hires Eric to perform and host a paranormal investigation on the premises.
As he ventures over to England to uncover the darkness bleeding through the veins of Morsley, horrors begin to spring from every corner and Eric soon begins to realise that not all is as it seems…
340 pages, Paperback
First published September 23, 2025
9 people are currently reading
284 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
June 23, 2025
Bummed out about this one because I was excited to read this book.
This started off strong but it ultimately had way too much going on which made it feel fragmented and disjointed. The middle part of this book felt slow and the ending left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. This felt like there was so much going on that it was hard to really grasp the overall story and suspense. For such a quick book, it would’ve been more beneficial to me if the author just narrowed things down a bit. I also had some trouble with how these characters were written.
There are certain books where you read them and can tell that a man wrote it, and honestly, this was one of them. I didn’t care for some of the comments made against women and the way that the transgender character was written also bothered me.
This book just didn’t hit the mark for me. I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t particularly enjoy it, landing me at a 2/5 star rating.
Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
StoryGraph Review
Fable Review
This started off strong but it ultimately had way too much going on which made it feel fragmented and disjointed. The middle part of this book felt slow and the ending left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. This felt like there was so much going on that it was hard to really grasp the overall story and suspense. For such a quick book, it would’ve been more beneficial to me if the author just narrowed things down a bit. I also had some trouble with how these characters were written.
There are certain books where you read them and can tell that a man wrote it, and honestly, this was one of them. I didn’t care for some of the comments made against women and the way that the transgender character was written also bothered me.
This book just didn’t hit the mark for me. I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t particularly enjoy it, landing me at a 2/5 star rating.
Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
StoryGraph Review
Fable Review
September 14, 2025
**ARC Review**
Thank you to Rising Action Publishing Co. and NetGalley for providing me an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheHauntingatMorsleyManor #MorsleyManor #NetGalley #ePub #ARC
Note via Publisher: Any included quotations may be altered or removed in the final version of the book.
💠RELEASE DATE:
30 Sept 2025
💠CONTENT WARNING / TRIGGERS:
Violent and gruesome deaths, homicide, clowns, insects/spiders, child death, paranormal-related deaths, distressing imagery, suicide, physical abuse, emotional abuse, gore/blood
💠GEARED TOWARD:
Adults and mature audiences
💠PLOT OVERVIEW:
Eric is an infamous paranormal investigator with the ability to see and sense spirits. When a child's exorcism goes wrong, his partner-in-crime/best friend disappears, leaving Eric and their ghost hunting business in shambles. Present day, Eric yearns to regain his place in the light. A timely offer sends Eric to investigate Morsley Manor, a place shrouded in mystery and countless cases of disappearances. As sinister forces grow in power and deceptions wane trust, Eric must confront the demons in the present and his past - if he wants to make it out alive.
💠PRAISES:
• Descriptive Imagery. There were a few sentences throughout the novel that were both beautifully descriptive and descriptively pleasing.
• The Cover Art. I mean, that brilliant art is what reeled me into requesting this ARC in the first place. There are too many books out there with covers that look identical (don't crucify me, but Romantasy is SO guilty of this) and it's both boring and unoriginal. This cover? Original. Eye-catching. Cool-looking. EYEBALL. PINK. VISCOUS VIBES. I'm in.
• Prologue Content Warnings. Not enough (horror) books include CWs/TWs in my opinion. If you don't need them, you're not impacted by their inclusion. The people who do need them, however, can be severely impacted by their exclusion. De'Ath's consideration to add triggers right in the beginning of the book is commendable. More authors should follow his lead.
💠CRITIQUES:
• Man-isms. I saw a Goodreads review that said, "you can tell a man wrote this," and, by the gods above, do I ever agree with that. Physicality was prioritized in all De'Ath's imagery of women, especially those who exuded femininity. Repetitive mentions of "manicured nails", "long lashes", and even grabbing a woman by her "thin wrist" plagued these characters' narratives. Women often fell into the shallow graves of stereotypical female tropes - fragile and frightened, desperately in need of a strong male savior (barf); bitchy AF and boisterous, whose persona is 100% mean-girl with 0% meaning.
• Lack of Editing. I'm not trying to be an asshole. While I understand I read the uncorrected reader's proof and there will be some errors throughout... I expected some proof of editing. The number of spelling errors ("sceptical"), over-usage of specific words/phrases throughout novel ("nape"; "licked his/her lips"), abundant grammar errors (missing punctuation; extra punctuation), and floater letters (a random letter in the middle of a sentence (either from a mistype or a previous word that was not fully deleted)) gave the impression that no editing was done.
• Willful Ignorance. I'm standing on my little soapbox for this one. A less problematic example of this ignorance is when De'Ath uses "monkey" and "ape" synonymously. A more significant instance is when he uses "non-binary" but means "androgynous." Yeah, those are not the same thing. Not knowing the difference is not the problem; the problem is the lack of effort put forth to LEARN that difference. If you are representing a marginalized community in literature, especially as a non-member, misrepresenting them is NOT GOOD.
• One-Dimensional World/Characters. When an author desires thorough world-building and complex characters, their readers NEED to see some sausage-making. Readers need to see the journey, not just the destination. So much of this story jumped past the intricate details - details that would have added necessary substance to both the world and its characters. For example, the traumatic final night at Morsley Manor ends and we're immediately dragged to a time months later, when a *certain character* finds closure for what they went through there. It seems so... Antithetical to closure. Healing is a long and difficult journey, yet readers are not privy to the guilt, the deep sea of grief, the emotional burdens *this character* faces. It's simply glossed over, discarded in an effort to get from plot-point A to plot-point B. Without establishing meaningful connections and meticulous scene-setting, there will be no genuine interest, no pulling factor, no reason to care whether your characters live or die.
• No Real Immersion. This coincides with the above point. True immersion is not simply viewing rights. True immersion is throwing readers into the thick of it, handing them a shovel as they fight off evil alongside the protagonist, giving them access to the antagonist's motives and childhood fears. Readers are not the audience, they are the guest performers. They should be treated as accomplices, not spectators. In this story, I never left a bird's eye view. I was not given the chance to get close enough. I could not suspend disbelief because I never left reality.
• Inserting a Trans Character as a Plot Device/for Shock Value. Pretty self-explanatory. It's the year 2025. Trans people are NOT literary mechanisms to further the plot or surprise your readers with a plot twist. AND the fact that the trans character was a narcissistic sociopath who weaponized their 'transness' was the cherry on top of the tone-deaf ally cookie. It left a foul taste in my mouth.
• The 'Tom Brady' Ending. Endings are our closure, in a way. Think: The euphoria you get when the outro song starts to play in a 2000's RomCom movie and the camera pans up to the sky. Finality is peace. A cliff-hanger is anticipation. An ending that JKs itself back to cannon material is annoying. When I came to what I assumed was the end of the book, I was not expecting another chapter to present itself. And then another... And another... Then, when I finally reach the ACTUAL no-shit ending of the story, I'm gobsmacked by an epilogue chapter. You gotta know when to hang up your coat and let things be as they are - stop trying to make 'Fetch' happen or whatever.
💠REVIEW SUMMARY:
Overall, while the framework of a great story was there, it faltered in its execution. The story lacked real substance and immersion, and the cast of characters fell flat. In my subjective opinion, this needs substantial re-works.
💠RECOMMEND:
No.
💠RATING:
⭐⭐
(2/5 stars)
Thank you to Rising Action Publishing Co. and NetGalley for providing me an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheHauntingatMorsleyManor #MorsleyManor #NetGalley #ePub #ARC
Note via Publisher: Any included quotations may be altered or removed in the final version of the book.
💠RELEASE DATE:
30 Sept 2025
💠CONTENT WARNING / TRIGGERS:
Violent and gruesome deaths, homicide, clowns, insects/spiders, child death, paranormal-related deaths, distressing imagery, suicide, physical abuse, emotional abuse, gore/blood
💠GEARED TOWARD:
Adults and mature audiences
💠PLOT OVERVIEW:
Eric is an infamous paranormal investigator with the ability to see and sense spirits. When a child's exorcism goes wrong, his partner-in-crime/best friend disappears, leaving Eric and their ghost hunting business in shambles. Present day, Eric yearns to regain his place in the light. A timely offer sends Eric to investigate Morsley Manor, a place shrouded in mystery and countless cases of disappearances. As sinister forces grow in power and deceptions wane trust, Eric must confront the demons in the present and his past - if he wants to make it out alive.
💠PRAISES:
• Descriptive Imagery. There were a few sentences throughout the novel that were both beautifully descriptive and descriptively pleasing.
...and ribs you could play like a xylophone.
Centipedes ran like veins through the tunnels of the land...I am harshly critical on poor similes and authors' over-reliance on them, but a well-placed simile, such as these, is *chef's kiss.*
• The Cover Art. I mean, that brilliant art is what reeled me into requesting this ARC in the first place. There are too many books out there with covers that look identical (don't crucify me, but Romantasy is SO guilty of this) and it's both boring and unoriginal. This cover? Original. Eye-catching. Cool-looking. EYEBALL. PINK. VISCOUS VIBES. I'm in.
• Prologue Content Warnings. Not enough (horror) books include CWs/TWs in my opinion. If you don't need them, you're not impacted by their inclusion. The people who do need them, however, can be severely impacted by their exclusion. De'Ath's consideration to add triggers right in the beginning of the book is commendable. More authors should follow his lead.
💠CRITIQUES:
• Man-isms. I saw a Goodreads review that said, "you can tell a man wrote this," and, by the gods above, do I ever agree with that. Physicality was prioritized in all De'Ath's imagery of women, especially those who exuded femininity. Repetitive mentions of "manicured nails", "long lashes", and even grabbing a woman by her "thin wrist" plagued these characters' narratives. Women often fell into the shallow graves of stereotypical female tropes - fragile and frightened, desperately in need of a strong male savior (barf); bitchy AF and boisterous, whose persona is 100% mean-girl with 0% meaning.
• Lack of Editing. I'm not trying to be an asshole. While I understand I read the uncorrected reader's proof and there will be some errors throughout... I expected some proof of editing. The number of spelling errors ("sceptical"), over-usage of specific words/phrases throughout novel ("nape"; "licked his/her lips"), abundant grammar errors (missing punctuation; extra punctuation), and floater letters (a random letter in the middle of a sentence (either from a mistype or a previous word that was not fully deleted)) gave the impression that no editing was done.
• Willful Ignorance. I'm standing on my little soapbox for this one. A less problematic example of this ignorance is when De'Ath uses "monkey" and "ape" synonymously. A more significant instance is when he uses "non-binary" but means "androgynous." Yeah, those are not the same thing. Not knowing the difference is not the problem; the problem is the lack of effort put forth to LEARN that difference. If you are representing a marginalized community in literature, especially as a non-member, misrepresenting them is NOT GOOD.
• One-Dimensional World/Characters. When an author desires thorough world-building and complex characters, their readers NEED to see some sausage-making. Readers need to see the journey, not just the destination. So much of this story jumped past the intricate details - details that would have added necessary substance to both the world and its characters. For example, the traumatic final night at Morsley Manor ends and we're immediately dragged to a time months later, when a *certain character* finds closure for what they went through there. It seems so... Antithetical to closure. Healing is a long and difficult journey, yet readers are not privy to the guilt, the deep sea of grief, the emotional burdens *this character* faces. It's simply glossed over, discarded in an effort to get from plot-point A to plot-point B. Without establishing meaningful connections and meticulous scene-setting, there will be no genuine interest, no pulling factor, no reason to care whether your characters live or die.
• No Real Immersion. This coincides with the above point. True immersion is not simply viewing rights. True immersion is throwing readers into the thick of it, handing them a shovel as they fight off evil alongside the protagonist, giving them access to the antagonist's motives and childhood fears. Readers are not the audience, they are the guest performers. They should be treated as accomplices, not spectators. In this story, I never left a bird's eye view. I was not given the chance to get close enough. I could not suspend disbelief because I never left reality.
• Inserting a Trans Character as a Plot Device/for Shock Value. Pretty self-explanatory. It's the year 2025. Trans people are NOT literary mechanisms to further the plot or surprise your readers with a plot twist. AND the fact that the trans character was a narcissistic sociopath who weaponized their 'transness' was the cherry on top of the tone-deaf ally cookie. It left a foul taste in my mouth.
• The 'Tom Brady' Ending. Endings are our closure, in a way. Think: The euphoria you get when the outro song starts to play in a 2000's RomCom movie and the camera pans up to the sky. Finality is peace. A cliff-hanger is anticipation. An ending that JKs itself back to cannon material is annoying. When I came to what I assumed was the end of the book, I was not expecting another chapter to present itself. And then another... And another... Then, when I finally reach the ACTUAL no-shit ending of the story, I'm gobsmacked by an epilogue chapter. You gotta know when to hang up your coat and let things be as they are - stop trying to make 'Fetch' happen or whatever.
💠REVIEW SUMMARY:
Overall, while the framework of a great story was there, it faltered in its execution. The story lacked real substance and immersion, and the cast of characters fell flat. In my subjective opinion, this needs substantial re-works.
💠RECOMMEND:
No.
💠RATING:
⭐⭐
(2/5 stars)
May 28, 2025
I got this arc for review on Netgalley.
3.5 stars rounded. I liked it, it held my attention and it got suspenseful and spooky. Intruiging plot and well written characters.
3.5 stars rounded. I liked it, it held my attention and it got suspenseful and spooky. Intruiging plot and well written characters.
August 21, 2025
This could have been a fantastic classic Halloween read, but too many different aspects were thrown into this book and ended up with chaos.
This is a real shame as the first few chapters had me hooked and I was really excited to see where this journey was going and eager to learn more about the paranormal duo.
This is a real shame as the first few chapters had me hooked and I was really excited to see where this journey was going and eager to learn more about the paranormal duo.
June 4, 2025
This book absolutely had a lot of different elements and some fantastic twists. It started off with a bang and sucks you into the story quickly. The main character is super likable and intriguing with his special “gift”. The opening chapters pack a punch and there is definitely lots of good spooky vibes in this book.
With that said, this kind of missed the mark for me. After a strong start, I felt like the middle third of this book lulled. I do appreciate all the different horror elements but I felt like it was trying to do too much at once: ghosts, creatures, covens, possession, and slasher stuff? It didn’t all seem coherent for me, and seemed a bit jumbled at times. And randomly suggesting some “apocalypse” type event? It felt disjointed.
I also feel like some key elements were kind of just glossed over any never resolved. Leaving readers to try and understand what seemed like was an integral part of the story (Eric’s “gift” for one) were just not well explained or understood.
The bones of the story were there, but it was the execution and sometimes jumbled themes that made it less enjoyable for me.
With that said, this kind of missed the mark for me. After a strong start, I felt like the middle third of this book lulled. I do appreciate all the different horror elements but I felt like it was trying to do too much at once: ghosts, creatures, covens, possession, and slasher stuff? It didn’t all seem coherent for me, and seemed a bit jumbled at times. And randomly suggesting some “apocalypse” type event? It felt disjointed.
I also feel like some key elements were kind of just glossed over any never resolved. Leaving readers to try and understand what seemed like was an integral part of the story (Eric’s “gift” for one) were just not well explained or understood.
The bones of the story were there, but it was the execution and sometimes jumbled themes that made it less enjoyable for me.
October 9, 2025
I was a fan of the synopsis, but flat characters, nonsensical plot devices, and not enough closure made this hard to read. I didn’t like the ending that went on, and on, and on. Not one I’d recommend until it gets more of a revamp and maybe some insight from female beta readers to improve the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Rising Action for a copy!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Rising Action for a copy!
August 9, 2025
2/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for an ARC!
Once again I feel bad about giving an ARC a low rating, but this was just not good. There was great potential with the set-up: a paranormal investigator who is traumatised by his last encounter is dragged back into the scene when a haunted English manor claims another victim. Cool as, right? Except it was way too underdeveloped.
The characters were all one-dimensional and flat as boards. I could not connect with our protagonist, Eric, in the slightest and found his POV to be boring. He had no nuance, and his internal conflict was not compelling in the slightest. His attachment to Poppy came out of NOWHERE and was so … weird. He was basically her boss and was mostly attracted to her innocence and youth like pls no. Don’t do that.
All the other characters were just there. Michelle was awfully written and so bizarre. Who makes decisions like this? I’m pretty sure she’s an actual psychopath. Everybody else was just cannon fodder.
It was like watching a bad horror movie, which can be super fun! But, in this case, it wasn’t. The writing was terrible and the dialogue was incredibly stilted. NOBODY SPEAKS LIKE THIS.
I’m keeping a star for the interesting world-building and ideas but the rest of the story was really meh ☹
Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for an ARC!
Once again I feel bad about giving an ARC a low rating, but this was just not good. There was great potential with the set-up: a paranormal investigator who is traumatised by his last encounter is dragged back into the scene when a haunted English manor claims another victim. Cool as, right? Except it was way too underdeveloped.
The characters were all one-dimensional and flat as boards. I could not connect with our protagonist, Eric, in the slightest and found his POV to be boring. He had no nuance, and his internal conflict was not compelling in the slightest. His attachment to Poppy came out of NOWHERE and was so … weird. He was basically her boss and was mostly attracted to her innocence and youth like pls no. Don’t do that.
All the other characters were just there. Michelle was awfully written and so bizarre. Who makes decisions like this? I’m pretty sure she’s an actual psychopath. Everybody else was just cannon fodder.
It was like watching a bad horror movie, which can be super fun! But, in this case, it wasn’t. The writing was terrible and the dialogue was incredibly stilted. NOBODY SPEAKS LIKE THIS.
I’m keeping a star for the interesting world-building and ideas but the rest of the story was really meh ☹
Read
September 20, 2025DNF'ed at about 36% (but I also read the last few chapters), because this was one of the worst written books I've read in a hot minute and genuinely painful to read. I will not be leaving a star rating due to not completing the book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
The concept of this book is really strong; I requested it for a reason! One half of a former ghost hunting team going to investigate a spooky house at the behest of an employer who has ulterior and likely nefarious motives is a great premise. I love a good horror novel about paranormal investigators paranormal investigating (Episode Thirteen comes to mind). I even started this novel at the beginning of a 10 day vacation to an isolated house in the English countryside! Before I started, I glanced at the Goodreads page, and I was a bit unsettled by the rating (3.27 at the time of writing). The top reviews mentioned the pacing being a bit off, but I was prepared to muddle through that.
What I was not prepared for was how god-awful the sentence-to-sentence structure of the book was. Because part of this discussion involves prose, note that per the ARC that I got "[any] quotation may be altered or removed in the final version of the book".
The prose leans heavily towards "tell" (as opposed to "show") in a tremendously clunky way. An example from the first chapter:
When the prose it not painfully straightforward, it is painful purple. The dream sequences are particularly bad for this. Some examples: "with the curtains drawn back in the realm of dreaming, the veil dropped to reveal grey wooden panels" and "he sat in a tunnel of sapphire and violet mystery, enthralled and unsettled by its shimmering beauty". That latter quote was almost my last straw; we'll get to my actual last straw in a minute.
The structure/pacing of the chunk of Morsley that I did read is not great, to put it mildly. It starts with a prologue about a character that dies at the end of it, Eric doing an investigation gone wrong, extremely confusing and boring dream sequence #1, two year time skip to an interview so we can learn all of Eric's backstory in excruciating detail, extremely confusing and boring dream sequence #2, long interpretation of said dream and exposition, and then FINALLY the inciting incident of Eric meeting with Poppy, the representative of Morsley Manor's owner. Dividing the novel up like this when the prose is so bad does not work. I felt as though I was being dragged around in time and space with no clue when I could settle in and get to know anyone aside from Eric and Michael. It makes it that much harder to become invested in these characters with all the depth of a puddle.
My actual final straw was the weird wrong information that appears scattered throughout. For most of these, you could, charitably, make the argument that because this novel takes place in a fictional world where witches and magical forces are real, such references might be intentional, to demonstrate that this is not meant to be set in "our world". Respectfully, I think that's bullshit. I'm going to pull the moment that made me drop this book for good. When asked what a ghoul is by Poppy, Eric says
I don't feel that I can speak overly much on the incredibly uncomfortable portrayal of a trans woman as a manipulative sadist. This mostly appears in the part of the book that I did not read, hence my reticence, but judging by other reviews, it is just as nasty a portrayal of a trans woman as it appears to be. As someone who has been watching the governments of the country I was born in frothing at the mouth to blame trans people, and particularly trans women, for all of society's ills, I have no patience for this. We do not need more trans women as horror novel antagonists, particularly when they are this flat and stereotypical.
Do not read this book. You can find countless better horror novels out there.
The concept of this book is really strong; I requested it for a reason! One half of a former ghost hunting team going to investigate a spooky house at the behest of an employer who has ulterior and likely nefarious motives is a great premise. I love a good horror novel about paranormal investigators paranormal investigating (Episode Thirteen comes to mind). I even started this novel at the beginning of a 10 day vacation to an isolated house in the English countryside! Before I started, I glanced at the Goodreads page, and I was a bit unsettled by the rating (3.27 at the time of writing). The top reviews mentioned the pacing being a bit off, but I was prepared to muddle through that.
What I was not prepared for was how god-awful the sentence-to-sentence structure of the book was. Because part of this discussion involves prose, note that per the ARC that I got "[any] quotation may be altered or removed in the final version of the book".
The prose leans heavily towards "tell" (as opposed to "show") in a tremendously clunky way. An example from the first chapter:
Eric sensed he was getting closer. His intuition called him in the right direction, guiding him. He suspected that somewhere down the dark, endless tunnels and within the maze, Alice was held hostage, not by a person but by something otherworldly. Eric would enjoy solving the case, yet he hoped for some extra, peculiar detail to make the challenge even greater.The last sentence is what particularly stuck in my craw. It feels so weirdly matter-of-fact, like a line from a bad fan fiction. It gets the job done, I guess: we know that Eric is a bit arrogant and confident in his skills as a paranormal investigator, but it feels so distant In the previous paragraph, the reader gets some details about how Eric's "ability" (i.e. paranormal sensitivity) manifests, and we know that Eric's spine is cold and that he's sweating despite said cold. The quoted paragraph then feels like a place-holder paragraph, something that you would write in a first draft to come back to later, just so you could maintain the flow of writing. Unfortunately, no one seems to have come back to this spot.
When the prose it not painfully straightforward, it is painful purple. The dream sequences are particularly bad for this. Some examples: "with the curtains drawn back in the realm of dreaming, the veil dropped to reveal grey wooden panels" and "he sat in a tunnel of sapphire and violet mystery, enthralled and unsettled by its shimmering beauty". That latter quote was almost my last straw; we'll get to my actual last straw in a minute.
The structure/pacing of the chunk of Morsley that I did read is not great, to put it mildly. It starts with a prologue about a character that dies at the end of it, Eric doing an investigation gone wrong, extremely confusing and boring dream sequence #1, two year time skip to an interview so we can learn all of Eric's backstory in excruciating detail, extremely confusing and boring dream sequence #2, long interpretation of said dream and exposition, and then FINALLY the inciting incident of Eric meeting with Poppy, the representative of Morsley Manor's owner. Dividing the novel up like this when the prose is so bad does not work. I felt as though I was being dragged around in time and space with no clue when I could settle in and get to know anyone aside from Eric and Michael. It makes it that much harder to become invested in these characters with all the depth of a puddle.
My actual final straw was the weird wrong information that appears scattered throughout. For most of these, you could, charitably, make the argument that because this novel takes place in a fictional world where witches and magical forces are real, such references might be intentional, to demonstrate that this is not meant to be set in "our world". Respectfully, I think that's bullshit. I'm going to pull the moment that made me drop this book for good. When asked what a ghoul is by Poppy, Eric says
"It's a very commercial Halloween term but I believe it's meant to be the spirit of a supposed monster. Though, that could be argued as being a demon anyway. I know in some cultures the word demon is frowned upon, so it may originate from that."Just from cultural osmosis/the amount of horror media I've consumed, I associated ghouls with eating human flesh and maybe tomb robbing. Just looking at Wikipedia confirmed my suspicions. Calling the word "commercial" feels extra gross because it's creature that comes from Arabic folklore, and the word "ghoul" derives from an Arabic word. I don't think this is meant to make Eric look like an asshole or wrong about the word. The moment doesn't seem to work like that contextually. It's just an incorrect statement that can be fact-checked with the first result on Google that the novel presents as totally accurate. I'm not going to get started on the confident repetition of the 'humans don't use all of their brains' false claim as though it's some brilliant explanation for why some people in this setting can do magic, and I am going to acknowledge my distaste for the mention of "tribal sacrifices" in the Amazon by an unnamed group that eventually "became feral". It's lazy and shows just how much De'Ath leans on tropes without doing anything of interest with them.
I don't feel that I can speak overly much on the incredibly uncomfortable portrayal of a trans woman as a manipulative sadist. This mostly appears in the part of the book that I did not read, hence my reticence, but judging by other reviews, it is just as nasty a portrayal of a trans woman as it appears to be. As someone who has been watching the governments of the country I was born in frothing at the mouth to blame trans people, and particularly trans women, for all of society's ills, I have no patience for this. We do not need more trans women as horror novel antagonists, particularly when they are this flat and stereotypical.
Do not read this book. You can find countless better horror novels out there.
July 14, 2025
I’ll never say no to a haunted house book especially one with a paranormal investigator at the forefront because I find the fact that some people do this as a job so intriguing 😆😆😆
For the most part I did enjoy this book! It had a spooky atmosphere, it was an overall quick read and I found the pacing to be at a good match to the plot.
I did like the main character even though he was definitely unusual, I liked the plot line surrounding his failing career after an incident on a previous case which resulted in a crew member being unalived.
Im giving 3 stars because I think there was missing elements to the plot and some scenarios we never got answers to that felt overlooked.
I’d recommend if you like your horror books to be a little “extra”
Thank you for the gifted copy!
Publishes September 23rd
“ A gory, supernatural campy horror set in a haunted English manor, The Haunting at Morsley Manor follows a troubled paranormal investigator uncovering terrifying secrets that blur the line between the living and the dead. Perfect for The Haunting of Hill House fans and The Woman in Black.”
For the most part I did enjoy this book! It had a spooky atmosphere, it was an overall quick read and I found the pacing to be at a good match to the plot.
I did like the main character even though he was definitely unusual, I liked the plot line surrounding his failing career after an incident on a previous case which resulted in a crew member being unalived.
Im giving 3 stars because I think there was missing elements to the plot and some scenarios we never got answers to that felt overlooked.
I’d recommend if you like your horror books to be a little “extra”
Thank you for the gifted copy!
Publishes September 23rd
“ A gory, supernatural campy horror set in a haunted English manor, The Haunting at Morsley Manor follows a troubled paranormal investigator uncovering terrifying secrets that blur the line between the living and the dead. Perfect for The Haunting of Hill House fans and The Woman in Black.”
June 4, 2025
This was such a fun ride. Haunted manor, ghost hunter with baggage, creepy vibes all around. The twists were solid and I flew through it.
October 29, 2025
I was a little bummed out of this book but really wanted to like it and enjoy it. The book started out strong but became fragmented once the story went on. I think the author was trying to do to much and put to many monster stories into it so it got all jumbled up. It was hard to connect with some of the characters including Michelle. It was like watching a B movie.
I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.
June 9, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
What a way to start pride month...
I should have DNF'd when a trans character was used as a plot device... Made me feel icky. Can't look past it, tbh. I guess it falls into the category of "male authors who can't write women."
Author really should have educated themselves before writing about a trans character. At least learn the proper terminology 🙄
What a way to start pride month...
I should have DNF'd when a trans character was used as a plot device... Made me feel icky. Can't look past it, tbh. I guess it falls into the category of "male authors who can't write women."
Author really should have educated themselves before writing about a trans character. At least learn the proper terminology 🙄
August 24, 2025
This one leans hard into classic haunted-house vibes. A down-on-his-luck paranormal investigator is hired to explore Morsley Manor—a supposedly cursed English estate—only to find the dread runs deeper than creaky floors and shadows. There’s atmosphere, sure, and occasional chills, but it ultimately plays a little too much like a comfort-zone ghost story. It’s an okay time.
September 2, 2025
ARC
I'm not going to sugar coat it, I absolutely despised reading this novel. It's a horror novel that doesn't want to take any risks, relying heavily on previously laid out tropes to make it even remotely interesting. The characters are extremely thin, with none of them having any redeeming qualities to make me want to root for them. There's absolutely no atmosphere whatsoever, leaving more of a husk of a horror idea than a fully fleshed out and realized novel. This may be an okay read for someone dipping their toes into the horror genre, but even then, this wouldn't really be worth the time. I was really looking forward to reading this one, so I'm really sad to report that I wanted absolutely nothing to do with this one.
I'm not going to sugar coat it, I absolutely despised reading this novel. It's a horror novel that doesn't want to take any risks, relying heavily on previously laid out tropes to make it even remotely interesting. The characters are extremely thin, with none of them having any redeeming qualities to make me want to root for them. There's absolutely no atmosphere whatsoever, leaving more of a husk of a horror idea than a fully fleshed out and realized novel. This may be an okay read for someone dipping their toes into the horror genre, but even then, this wouldn't really be worth the time. I was really looking forward to reading this one, so I'm really sad to report that I wanted absolutely nothing to do with this one.
August 5, 2025
When Eric Thompson, supernatural investigator, takes a job at Morsley Manor to try to revamp his career after a previous job left his crew dead and his best friend/co-investigator packing, he is in for more than he bargained for.
I could immediately tell that the writing wasn't going to be for me. It felt like the writing was clunky and rambling, and did a lot of telling not showing. I found myself skimming some parts where I felt like things did not matter for me to fully ingest. I didn't care about any of the characters, who felt very underdeveloped, so deaths didn't have any impact. The dialogue was a little unbelievable and cringey. Was a near DNF but managed to get through it.
I rated it 1 star.
Thank you NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for the e-arc.
I could immediately tell that the writing wasn't going to be for me. It felt like the writing was clunky and rambling, and did a lot of telling not showing. I found myself skimming some parts where I felt like things did not matter for me to fully ingest. I didn't care about any of the characters, who felt very underdeveloped, so deaths didn't have any impact. The dialogue was a little unbelievable and cringey. Was a near DNF but managed to get through it.
I rated it 1 star.
Thank you NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for the e-arc.
July 19, 2025
The Haunting at Morsley Manor started strong and held a lot of promise, with an intriguing premise and an ambitious approach. Unfortunately, it ultimately became a case of too many elements competing for attention. The story took on so much that it began to feel overstuffed, and the central narrative lost momentum as a result. What could have been a gripping, atmospheric read ended up feeling unfocused, and the strong start fizzled by the end. I had high hopes for this one, but it didn’t quite deliver in the way I’d hoped.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
June 3, 2025
The Haunting at Morsley Manor delivers a barrage of supernatural elements, conjuring a world where haunted orphanages, witches, paranormal investigators, and otherworldly creatures all collide under one stormy roof. It reads like a late-night creature feature and will feel familiar to fans of horror, fantasy, and mystery alike.
At the heart of the story is Eric, a boy shaped by a troubled and painful past in the orphanage. His journey is marked by emotional and psychological struggles, which cast a long shadow over the unfolding events. As the story progresses, unsettling revelations and eerie encounters pile on, mirroring the chaos and trauma Eric has endured. The book maintains a breakneck pace, rarely offering the reader - or Eric - a moment to catch their breath.
While the sheer volume of concepts may overwhelm readers looking for more subtle pacing or focused storytelling, those who enjoy a high-octane blend of horror and fantasy may find this an engaging and fast-moving read. It’s clear the author had fun playing with genre conventions, and The Haunting at Morsley Manor might appeal to readers seeking an imaginative, over-the-top thrill ride with strong visual flair.
At the heart of the story is Eric, a boy shaped by a troubled and painful past in the orphanage. His journey is marked by emotional and psychological struggles, which cast a long shadow over the unfolding events. As the story progresses, unsettling revelations and eerie encounters pile on, mirroring the chaos and trauma Eric has endured. The book maintains a breakneck pace, rarely offering the reader - or Eric - a moment to catch their breath.
While the sheer volume of concepts may overwhelm readers looking for more subtle pacing or focused storytelling, those who enjoy a high-octane blend of horror and fantasy may find this an engaging and fast-moving read. It’s clear the author had fun playing with genre conventions, and The Haunting at Morsley Manor might appeal to readers seeking an imaginative, over-the-top thrill ride with strong visual flair.
July 14, 2025
Eric Thompson is involved in a gruesome Suicide Forest massacre, which sends his career tanking. Michael was involved, as well, as his partner and best friend behind the scenes. When an unknown stranger approaches Eric because she has paid for and procured Morsley Manor, he is hesitant to deliver on the favor she is asking of him- to perform and record a paranormal investigation inside of the local haunted house. Morsley Manor carries years of stories, and is well known in this particular town for being the source of where the scariest happenstances occur. I will keep this review quite short, because I truly didn't enjoy this one. I found it to be written in the style of a middle grade, with the sentences and dialogues so short it made it quite hard to connect to or grasp any particular nuances for both characters and plot alike. At many times, this almost read like an AI written wattpad masterpiece, and carried unexplainable Kriss Angel Mindfreak vibes with it? Either way, the idea was so so fun- but the reveals and almost everything else about it unfortunately fell flat for me. Thanks to the author and Rising Action Publishing Inc. for the chance to read an eARC!
October 23, 2025
The Haunting at Morsley Manor is the kind of horror novel that feels like a love letter to classic haunted house stories only bloodier, bolder, and with a sly wink to the reader. George Morris De’Ath manages to blend eerie atmosphere, grotesque moments, and a streak of dark humor that keeps the book from ever feeling too heavy.
Eric Thompson, the washed-up paranormal investigator at the center of it all, is surprisingly relatable. He’s not your typical fearless ghost hunter, he’s flawed, guilt-ridden, and just trying to stay relevant. That human angle gives the story some real emotional depth amid all the jump scares and gore.
The pacing is sharp, with each chapter peeling back another layer of the mystery surrounding Morsley Manor. De’Ath knows when to lean into the campy side of horror - a possessed camera here, a whispering wall there - without losing the genuine sense of dread that builds as Eric’s sanity starts to unravel.
If you like horror that’s gory and creepy but still has a bit of tongue-in-cheek charm, this one’s worth picking up. Think The Conjuring meets Evil Dead, with a distinctly British twist.
Eric Thompson, the washed-up paranormal investigator at the center of it all, is surprisingly relatable. He’s not your typical fearless ghost hunter, he’s flawed, guilt-ridden, and just trying to stay relevant. That human angle gives the story some real emotional depth amid all the jump scares and gore.
The pacing is sharp, with each chapter peeling back another layer of the mystery surrounding Morsley Manor. De’Ath knows when to lean into the campy side of horror - a possessed camera here, a whispering wall there - without losing the genuine sense of dread that builds as Eric’s sanity starts to unravel.
If you like horror that’s gory and creepy but still has a bit of tongue-in-cheek charm, this one’s worth picking up. Think The Conjuring meets Evil Dead, with a distinctly British twist.
June 4, 2025
3.75 stars
Eric is a famous paranormal investigator with some major tragedies in his past. After a case they were investigating got many on his crew killed, Eric has faced immense backlash. Even his best friend and partner has abandoned him.
Now, he has the opportunity to investigate a place he had never been given permission to visit: Morsley Manor. A strange woman offers him the opportunity and knowing he won’t get another chance at a comeback, Eric finds himself at the Manor, with a new partner.
He has no idea what he is stepping into. I really enjoyed the haunting aspects. Morsley Manor is wild and its inhabitants are ghastly. Eric discovers more than he expects during his time there and it’s a great time.
I really liked Eric as a character. He gets dealt some pretty poor hands and mistakes are made, but he is full of caring and compassion. I thought this was a solid haunted house horror with some wacky characters and spooky scenes.
Eric is a famous paranormal investigator with some major tragedies in his past. After a case they were investigating got many on his crew killed, Eric has faced immense backlash. Even his best friend and partner has abandoned him.
Now, he has the opportunity to investigate a place he had never been given permission to visit: Morsley Manor. A strange woman offers him the opportunity and knowing he won’t get another chance at a comeback, Eric finds himself at the Manor, with a new partner.
He has no idea what he is stepping into. I really enjoyed the haunting aspects. Morsley Manor is wild and its inhabitants are ghastly. Eric discovers more than he expects during his time there and it’s a great time.
I really liked Eric as a character. He gets dealt some pretty poor hands and mistakes are made, but he is full of caring and compassion. I thought this was a solid haunted house horror with some wacky characters and spooky scenes.
June 6, 2025
The Haunting at Morsley Manor by George Morris De'Ath is a spooky and satisfying horror read that had me hooked from start to finish. I loved the complex protagonist, Eric Thompson, a paranormal investigator with a troubled past. The way the author weaves together Eric's story with the supernatural events at Morsley Manor is masterful.
The plot is well-paced, with unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing. The horror elements are unapologetically graphic, with a dash of camp that adds to the fun. The author's use of creepy settings and supernatural elements creates a chilling atmosphere that's perfect for fans of horror.
What really stands out is the way the book balances horror and suspense with character development. Eric's relationships and backstory add depth to the story, making it more than just a typical haunted house tale.
If you're a fan of supernatural horror, you'll likely enjoy The Haunting at Morsley Manor. Just be mindful of some heavy themes. Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC!
The plot is well-paced, with unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing. The horror elements are unapologetically graphic, with a dash of camp that adds to the fun. The author's use of creepy settings and supernatural elements creates a chilling atmosphere that's perfect for fans of horror.
What really stands out is the way the book balances horror and suspense with character development. Eric's relationships and backstory add depth to the story, making it more than just a typical haunted house tale.
If you're a fan of supernatural horror, you'll likely enjoy The Haunting at Morsley Manor. Just be mindful of some heavy themes. Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC!
June 11, 2025
✨” For the darkest of creatures are so often the hungriest.”✨
Eric the MMC is a paranormal investigator, who has travelled all throughout the world to investigate the unknown. He receives a proposition to investigate Morsley Manor with a new partner and see if all the horror stories are true. He accepts this offer, and embarks on this investigation with an open mind, but he is in for a world of activity.
This story in my opinion was very average for a “haunted house” book. I found it very chaotic in the sense that a lot of different elements were going on throughout the book; I feel if this book had one or two or even three different elements it would have hit better but SO many different stories made it lackluster. I applaud the author for trying but if it was just narrowed down it would have hit better! It was easy to read, and definitely fast paced! I will say I am a fan of this cover though, it immediately caught my eye (no pun intended 😂)
⭐️⭐️✨/5
Eric the MMC is a paranormal investigator, who has travelled all throughout the world to investigate the unknown. He receives a proposition to investigate Morsley Manor with a new partner and see if all the horror stories are true. He accepts this offer, and embarks on this investigation with an open mind, but he is in for a world of activity.
This story in my opinion was very average for a “haunted house” book. I found it very chaotic in the sense that a lot of different elements were going on throughout the book; I feel if this book had one or two or even three different elements it would have hit better but SO many different stories made it lackluster. I applaud the author for trying but if it was just narrowed down it would have hit better! It was easy to read, and definitely fast paced! I will say I am a fan of this cover though, it immediately caught my eye (no pun intended 😂)
⭐️⭐️✨/5
August 31, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and Rising Action Publishing Co. for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
1.5 rounded up to 2
I tried so hard to like this book.... I really did. The overall premise was intriguing and some of the lore of the world kept my interest. However, the overall execution of the story was not done in a way that made me want to keep reading.
I was never invested in any character in this book for even a second. To be honest, I HATED the main character. He was not a nice person, and seemed to be written as the "cool dude".
As many other reviewers have pointed out, the way the author described and talked about women and members of the LGBT community was off putting. Why in our year 2025, is being transgender a plot twist???? Also the women were just written to be naive innocent little girls for the main character to save or as conniving manipulative bitches. There is no in between.
The biggest issue that I had was the writing and prose of this novel. This really and truly needs to go through another round of editing before it gets published mainstream. I highlighted many instances in my copy where words were spelled wrong or sentences were not grammatically correct. It also felt like the author did a lot of synonym searches on words to add more flowery language. It ended up just messing up sentences where my thoughts would be "i know what this means... but what??"
Overall this is a book that I wish would have been so much more. It had so much potential, but it fell flat for more.
1.5 rounded up to 2
I tried so hard to like this book.... I really did. The overall premise was intriguing and some of the lore of the world kept my interest. However, the overall execution of the story was not done in a way that made me want to keep reading.
I was never invested in any character in this book for even a second. To be honest, I HATED the main character. He was not a nice person, and seemed to be written as the "cool dude".
As many other reviewers have pointed out, the way the author described and talked about women and members of the LGBT community was off putting. Why in our year 2025, is being transgender a plot twist???? Also the women were just written to be naive innocent little girls for the main character to save or as conniving manipulative bitches. There is no in between.
The biggest issue that I had was the writing and prose of this novel. This really and truly needs to go through another round of editing before it gets published mainstream. I highlighted many instances in my copy where words were spelled wrong or sentences were not grammatically correct. It also felt like the author did a lot of synonym searches on words to add more flowery language. It ended up just messing up sentences where my thoughts would be "i know what this means... but what??"
Overall this is a book that I wish would have been so much more. It had so much potential, but it fell flat for more.
June 6, 2025
I’m still gathering my full thoughts, but I think I loved this book.
The atmosphere is so tense and you almost dread reading further because you don’t know what’s coming. It’s felt almost like a found footage horror movie, which is absolutely a good thing.
Is the protagonist amazing? Not by any means. But he’s absolutely perfect for this setting.
It’s gory, it’s haunting, and it leaves you feeling itchy and just a little nauseous.
Thank you very much to Rising Action Publishing Co. for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The atmosphere is so tense and you almost dread reading further because you don’t know what’s coming. It’s felt almost like a found footage horror movie, which is absolutely a good thing.
Is the protagonist amazing? Not by any means. But he’s absolutely perfect for this setting.
It’s gory, it’s haunting, and it leaves you feeling itchy and just a little nauseous.
Thank you very much to Rising Action Publishing Co. for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2025
Unfortunately this was a miss for me. Ultimately the title grabbed my interest and the synopsis had me sold but the story itself was poorly executed. There were too many elements shoved into this book that made it difficult to follow at times. It’s also super dialogue heavy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
October 26, 2025
The Haunting at Morsley Manor is a perfect book for spooky season. I’m not sure why people are review bombing this book with one star. It is a perfectly appropriate haunted house story. Fun and chilling. ARC was provided by Rising Action Publishing Co. via NetGalley. I received an advance reading copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 9, 2025
Really wanted to like this book. It started off strong. However, the further I got into it, the more it was getting lost on me... And once I reached the twist in the story about midway through, that was when it was time to call it quits. I couldn't take it seriously after that. Not for me. Such a shame.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2025
I loved this book! It is a horror novel based around a haunted mansion where the main character Eric brings a camera crew to film. I am not going to go more in-depth than that about the plot because I think this is a book best read not knowing a lot about the plot. There is a trigger warning regarding clowns, which terrified me at first, however, it was done really well and didn't leave me wanting to hide under the covers while I finished the book. I also loved that this book featured diverse character growth, which I won't go into further because it will ruin the plot.
Thank you to George Morris De'Ath, Rising Action Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. It was incredible and I am excited to read more from this author.
Thank you to George Morris De'Ath, Rising Action Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review. It was incredible and I am excited to read more from this author.
August 24, 2025
Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing an ARC.
I was excited about this book, but ended up disappointed. It felt like there was too much going on, making the middle of the book feel slow and unsatisfying. IT was difficult to grasp the story and build the suspense.
Also not a fan of the way the author referred to women and LGBTQ+ folks. Those characterizations and comments are just not fun to read, especially in a recent book.
2 stars
I was excited about this book, but ended up disappointed. It felt like there was too much going on, making the middle of the book feel slow and unsatisfying. IT was difficult to grasp the story and build the suspense.
Also not a fan of the way the author referred to women and LGBTQ+ folks. Those characterizations and comments are just not fun to read, especially in a recent book.
2 stars
June 12, 2025
Unfortunately this book struggled in many areas for me. In the "pros" category, the book was short and well paced. I wanted to like it but can break down my struggles into found areas: prose, horror, world building, or characters
Prose: I do not require eloquent prose to enjoy a book but I still found the prose lacking. The book has some passages that are VERY dialogue heavy, then they will take a paragraph to explain a character and their motivations (I would prefer to be shown the characters motivations), then some fast paced horror.
Horror: As the book goes on the horror element are done better and better. Unfortunately due to the chaotic world building and fast paced story it is hard for any tension to build or feel like there is any real danger. The start of the book bounces back and forth between horror scenes and mundane scenes/talking so it never actually feels scary.
World building: This was particularly frustrating. The author builds the book on some knowledge of the supernatural and witches being real but also takes a fair bit of time invalidating the supernatural (explaining how you can "make" zombies without actually being zombies). The witches are written like a bad billionaire romance meets contemporary fantasy for some reason, which is not cohesive with the rest of the supernatural elements in the book. Overall they is just no explanation and the book seems to use whatever supernatural explanation works best moment to moment. It is also just not scary when the supernatural is "whatever is convenient"
Characters: Finally the characters. Unfortunately I think I could have overlooked everything else if the characters delivered, but they did not. In brief, the characters are inconsistent, overly explained, and unlikeable.
Thank you for the ARC from NetGalley.
Prose: I do not require eloquent prose to enjoy a book but I still found the prose lacking. The book has some passages that are VERY dialogue heavy, then they will take a paragraph to explain a character and their motivations (I would prefer to be shown the characters motivations), then some fast paced horror.
Horror: As the book goes on the horror element are done better and better. Unfortunately due to the chaotic world building and fast paced story it is hard for any tension to build or feel like there is any real danger. The start of the book bounces back and forth between horror scenes and mundane scenes/talking so it never actually feels scary.
World building: This was particularly frustrating. The author builds the book on some knowledge of the supernatural and witches being real but also takes a fair bit of time invalidating the supernatural (explaining how you can "make" zombies without actually being zombies). The witches are written like a bad billionaire romance meets contemporary fantasy for some reason, which is not cohesive with the rest of the supernatural elements in the book. Overall they is just no explanation and the book seems to use whatever supernatural explanation works best moment to moment. It is also just not scary when the supernatural is "whatever is convenient"
Characters: Finally the characters. Unfortunately I think I could have overlooked everything else if the characters delivered, but they did not. In brief, the characters are inconsistent, overly explained, and unlikeable.
Thank you for the ARC from NetGalley.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews