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Widow's Point: The Complete Haunting
New York Times
bestselling author Richard Chizmar, “one of horror’s indispensable writers” (Paste), and his son W.H. Chizmar, critically acclaimed author of Them (hailed by New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman as “one of the best debuts I’ve ever read”) present a riveting found footage narrative about doomed thrill-seekers trapped in a haunted lighthouse.
“This is a bad place. I don’t think people are meant to live here.”
Longtime residents of Harper’s Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Some say it’s cursed. Others claim it’s haunted.
Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouse’s construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds.
The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until now.
Told across two harrowing incidents from 2017 and 2025, those who enter the Widow’s Point Lighthouse searching for supernatural proof and the next big thing find themselves cut off from the outside world. And although no one has recently stepped foot inside the structure, they are not alone.
In this remarkable collaboration, father and son writing team, Richard and W.H. Chizmar combine forces to tell a terrifying ghost story that will make you think twice about what’s waiting for you in the dark.
“This is a bad place. I don’t think people are meant to live here.”
Longtime residents of Harper’s Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Some say it’s cursed. Others claim it’s haunted.
Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouse’s construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds.
The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until now.
Told across two harrowing incidents from 2017 and 2025, those who enter the Widow’s Point Lighthouse searching for supernatural proof and the next big thing find themselves cut off from the outside world. And although no one has recently stepped foot inside the structure, they are not alone.
In this remarkable collaboration, father and son writing team, Richard and W.H. Chizmar combine forces to tell a terrifying ghost story that will make you think twice about what’s waiting for you in the dark.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2025
604 people are currently reading
25374 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 587 reviews
September 30, 2025
In 2017, a paranormal investigator attempts to document his time spent in Widow‘s Point, a haunted lighthouse in Nova Scotia. He disappears, almost without a trace. His recordings and equipment are the only things left behind. Fast-forward to present day and a new team is once again determined to stay in the lighthouse and document their findings all the while coming out alive.
The entire story is told through different multimedia communications, however focuses prominently on video recordings. It took me a minute to get used to the entire novel being written this way, but once I got into the groove of the story, it didn’t bother me. The story itself is certainly very creepy and I enjoyed the backstory of the lighthouse. The atmosphere just oozed creepiness and the setting of Nova Scotia fit it perfectly. Where I got a little bit lost was at the end. It felt a bit open ended and I found myself a little confused at some of the things that happened, but overall I got the gist.
This definitely would make for a good spooky Halloween read, especially if you enjoy haunted lighthouses and found video footage similar to Blair Witch.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The entire story is told through different multimedia communications, however focuses prominently on video recordings. It took me a minute to get used to the entire novel being written this way, but once I got into the groove of the story, it didn’t bother me. The story itself is certainly very creepy and I enjoyed the backstory of the lighthouse. The atmosphere just oozed creepiness and the setting of Nova Scotia fit it perfectly. Where I got a little bit lost was at the end. It felt a bit open ended and I found myself a little confused at some of the things that happened, but overall I got the gist.
This definitely would make for a good spooky Halloween read, especially if you enjoy haunted lighthouses and found video footage similar to Blair Witch.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Found footage is a guilty pleasure of mine. I know that the plot typically defies logic and relies upon brain dead young people making unbelievable decisions, but I just don’t care. I find it to be fascinating and terrifying, if done well.
The beauty of found footage in book form is that you can evade some of the logic traps that require the camera to be rolling at all times. You can go inside people’s heads and advance plot through off screen happenings. This book does this incredibly well, and is a stand out amongst the books I’ve read this year.
I love Chizamar, and enjoy almost everything the man puts out (sorry Memorials). Having this be a co-written novel with his son only adds to my delight. I love the thought of them ping-ponging ideas back and forth, and the final product feels cohesive, avoiding the jarring nature that combining writing styles can sometimes produce.
This book is creepy, and will stay with me for a while. It’s another notch in Chizmar’s belt as he continues his climb towards elite horror writer status…
Found footage is a guilty pleasure of mine. I know that the plot typically defies logic and relies upon brain dead young people making unbelievable decisions, but I just don’t care. I find it to be fascinating and terrifying, if done well.
The beauty of found footage in book form is that you can evade some of the logic traps that require the camera to be rolling at all times. You can go inside people’s heads and advance plot through off screen happenings. This book does this incredibly well, and is a stand out amongst the books I’ve read this year.
I love Chizamar, and enjoy almost everything the man puts out (sorry Memorials). Having this be a co-written novel with his son only adds to my delight. I love the thought of them ping-ponging ideas back and forth, and the final product feels cohesive, avoiding the jarring nature that combining writing styles can sometimes produce.
This book is creepy, and will stay with me for a while. It’s another notch in Chizmar’s belt as he continues his climb towards elite horror writer status…
October 14, 2025
Atmospheric, creepy, and downright spine-chilling, Widow’s Point was the perfect kind of read for this spooky season. From the original mixed media format to the Blair Witch Project vibes, I had to read this one with the lights on and I’m still likely to have nightmares later tonight. After all, following a slow-burning start that built an increasingly terrifying dark history for this haunting locked room setting, the eerie events quickly transformed into some truly blood-curdling scenes. All I know is that I’m already well aware that I’ll never look at a lighthouse the same way again. You see, the authors’ easily brought to life a definite sense of suffocating claustrophobia as this cursed abode attempted to hold on to all possible victims.
All said and done, in spite of the slow start and somewhat open-ended conclusion, I was completely spellbound to this unputdownable novel of supernatural horror. With a rich cinematic feel thanks to the found footage narrative, the dual timelines and multiple POVs kept me firmly in suspense from beginning to end. You see, the terror in this novel was the kind I grew up watching with glee as a teen. A masterclass on how to build palpable tension and rising levels of foreboding, this writing duo now has a brand-spanking-new fan in this newbie to horror. So if you’re looking for a book sure to scare you but good, add this one to your list ASAP. Sinister, ominous, and menacing, it was an utter home run. Rating of 4.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Longtime residents of Harper’s Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Some say it’s cursed. Others claim it’s haunted.
Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouse’s construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds.
The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until now.
Told across two harrowing incidents from 2017 and 2025, those who enter the Widow’s Point Lighthouse searching for supernatural proof and the next big thing find themselves cut off from the outside world. And although no one has recently stepped foot inside the structure, they are not alone.
Thank you to Richard Chizmar, W.H. Chizmar, and Gallery Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: September 30, 2025
Content warning: violence, ghosts
All said and done, in spite of the slow start and somewhat open-ended conclusion, I was completely spellbound to this unputdownable novel of supernatural horror. With a rich cinematic feel thanks to the found footage narrative, the dual timelines and multiple POVs kept me firmly in suspense from beginning to end. You see, the terror in this novel was the kind I grew up watching with glee as a teen. A masterclass on how to build palpable tension and rising levels of foreboding, this writing duo now has a brand-spanking-new fan in this newbie to horror. So if you’re looking for a book sure to scare you but good, add this one to your list ASAP. Sinister, ominous, and menacing, it was an utter home run. Rating of 4.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Longtime residents of Harper’s Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Some say it’s cursed. Others claim it’s haunted.
Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouse’s construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds.
The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until now.
Told across two harrowing incidents from 2017 and 2025, those who enter the Widow’s Point Lighthouse searching for supernatural proof and the next big thing find themselves cut off from the outside world. And although no one has recently stepped foot inside the structure, they are not alone.
Thank you to Richard Chizmar, W.H. Chizmar, and Gallery Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: September 30, 2025
Content warning: violence, ghosts
November 4, 2025
I'm of two minds when it comes to this novel.
The Widow's Point lighthouse in Nova Scotia has an unfortunate and gruesome history that claimed the lives of many that crossed its path.
In 2017 Thomas Livingston, an author of the paranormal, decides he'll spend a weekend inside the notorious lighthouse to see what goes bump in the night and it does not end well.
Fast forward to 2025 and a new crew of paranormal investigators decide they'll spend Halloween week in the lighthouse to see if they can finally solve the mystery. Do they? You'll have to read this to find out.
The 2017 timeline, which is the original novella, was outstanding. Creepy and horrific just how I like my haunted house stories.
The father and son author duo felt the story was incomplete so they added the new timeline to tell the "complete" story and I honestly wish they had just left well enough alone.
I struggled through the 2025 timeline. The characters were all cringeworthy and annoying. The spooks didn't spook and the creeps didn't creep. It was a total slog to wade through.
Ultimately, I wish I had just read the novella. Bummer. 2 stars!
The Widow's Point lighthouse in Nova Scotia has an unfortunate and gruesome history that claimed the lives of many that crossed its path.
In 2017 Thomas Livingston, an author of the paranormal, decides he'll spend a weekend inside the notorious lighthouse to see what goes bump in the night and it does not end well.
Fast forward to 2025 and a new crew of paranormal investigators decide they'll spend Halloween week in the lighthouse to see if they can finally solve the mystery. Do they? You'll have to read this to find out.
The 2017 timeline, which is the original novella, was outstanding. Creepy and horrific just how I like my haunted house stories.
The father and son author duo felt the story was incomplete so they added the new timeline to tell the "complete" story and I honestly wish they had just left well enough alone.
I struggled through the 2025 timeline. The characters were all cringeworthy and annoying. The spooks didn't spook and the creeps didn't creep. It was a total slog to wade through.
Ultimately, I wish I had just read the novella. Bummer. 2 stars!
July 13, 2025
Get this on your spooky 👻 TBR ASAP!! I absolutely loved it!!! 👏👏 Thank you so much @richard_chizmar @whchizmar @gallerybooks for this gorgeous gifted copy!!! 🥰
Pub date is 9/30🥳🥳 PERFECT timing for spooky 👻 season!! Just saying!! 😉
Okay wow!! First off… @richard_chizmar has quickly become a favorite author of mine!! I read my first @richard_chizmar book last year… and loved it!! This is my third and ALL three have been hands down 5 stars!! ⭐️ He doesn’t just tell you a story… he makes you live it! 😳🫣😳
A lighthouse with a history of massacres… ghosts..people disappearing poof 💥 into thin air… never to be seen again. 😳
Fast forward to 2025 and our dude Trent decides he is getting to the bottom of this… 😳 … and that is a story in itself. Why did I love this so much??
✅ Brilliant… mesmerizing… chilling.. terrifying… Yep this book puts the C in creeptastic!! 👏
✅ SO original… even the King 👑 of Horror says so.. See what @stephenking had to say about it… on the cover.. it’s spot on.
✅ A WTFFFF ending!! 😮😳🤯🤯
Okay seriously… this is one of the BEST books I’ve read this year!! I loved it and can’t recommend it enough. I had to message @nikkileethrillseeker and freak out about it because she loved it too!! 😉
So 🏃 run preorder a copy and get a friend that you can flip out with!! Or message me.😂 P. S…if you are still reading this.. @richard_chizmar wrote this with his son @whchizmar !! Who now I am a fan of too!! Make sure you read the author’s note. This book was an incredible journey! 🖤
Pub date is 9/30🥳🥳 PERFECT timing for spooky 👻 season!! Just saying!! 😉
Okay wow!! First off… @richard_chizmar has quickly become a favorite author of mine!! I read my first @richard_chizmar book last year… and loved it!! This is my third and ALL three have been hands down 5 stars!! ⭐️ He doesn’t just tell you a story… he makes you live it! 😳🫣😳
A lighthouse with a history of massacres… ghosts..people disappearing poof 💥 into thin air… never to be seen again. 😳
Fast forward to 2025 and our dude Trent decides he is getting to the bottom of this… 😳 … and that is a story in itself. Why did I love this so much??
✅ Brilliant… mesmerizing… chilling.. terrifying… Yep this book puts the C in creeptastic!! 👏
✅ SO original… even the King 👑 of Horror says so.. See what @stephenking had to say about it… on the cover.. it’s spot on.
✅ A WTFFFF ending!! 😮😳🤯🤯
Okay seriously… this is one of the BEST books I’ve read this year!! I loved it and can’t recommend it enough. I had to message @nikkileethrillseeker and freak out about it because she loved it too!! 😉
So 🏃 run preorder a copy and get a friend that you can flip out with!! Or message me.😂 P. S…if you are still reading this.. @richard_chizmar wrote this with his son @whchizmar !! Who now I am a fan of too!! Make sure you read the author’s note. This book was an incredible journey! 🖤
June 13, 2025
A deliciously eerie twist on hauntings that will have you squirming with stomach-churning dread, WIDOW'S POINT cements itself as one of the best found-footage horror stories of all time. I've still got goosebumps!
October 5, 2025
A skin-prickling, parapsychological-investigative novel follows a cast of clout-chasers, truth-seekers, and researchers as they camp in a lighthouse infamous for its dark history of frightful events. In modern terms, FAFO but with more objectivity and in pursuit of truth and knowledge.
Prompted by anecdotes, the characters, equipped with a variety of tech, attempt to explain the lighthouse’s chilling history. Meaningfully, the perceived supernatural events are rationalised within both a naturalistic framework (based on empirical observation) and a phenomenological one (focusing on lived experience and perception). The novel’s appeal lies in the formulation of theories coloured by personal histories, knowledge, interests, motives, and biases. The plot is stirred further by frequent equipment malfunctions which distort perception and time, causing recordings to become shorter, fragmented, or unintelligible, punctuated by temporary moments of clarity and terror.
Without discounting the possibility that some phenomena exist beyond scientific explanation, this reflection is arguably my own attempt at self-preservation; the writing can make it easy to forget its fictional nature. Make of it what you will, my literary notes and personal reflections follow:
A central tension in the novel is the ever-present possibility that many events may be explained as natural phenomena or engineered occurrences rather than purely supernatural, raising doubts about whether a truly sinister force is at work, though some characters are quicker to lean towards ghosts and supernatural causes than others. Notably, lighthouse’s unique architecture and geographical location create conditions conducive to white noise, exposure to which can induce illusions, hallucinations, or psychotic symptoms, particularly in individuals at risk of psychotic disorders. This occurs as the brain, ever pattern-seeking, fills gaps by interpreting random sounds as meaningful. Moreover, prolonged exhaustion and agitation (from climbing hundreds of steps), poor lighting that casts shadows, inadequate nutrition and being huddled up in an unfamiliar environment with strangers can, when taken together, produce psychosomatic symptoms. Combined with expectancy bias, anything unusual may be interpreted as (not) supernatural by those actively searching or denying it.
Things can get so bad that one might properly question whether it is meaningful to distinguish the two (supernatural or not), since in either case, they are powerless to resist an inevitable collapse. The frequency and unhinged nature of the events make any attempt at logical explanation look out of depth by comparison, by which point, the novel takes on a truly frightening character.
For fans of ghost hunters, paranormal investigators etc.
“Ghosts are feelings of the past making themselves known to the present”
“I don’t want to sensationalise or trivialise, I just want to find closure and some level of understanding”
“I want to go home…There’s evil here… it’s lurking above the stairway and slumber upon the catwalk. It breathes the salt of the ocean and exhales darkness… I can feel it oozing through the stonewalls and slithering into my skin. It’s swimming in my veins… I can feel it eating my brain”
Prompted by anecdotes, the characters, equipped with a variety of tech, attempt to explain the lighthouse’s chilling history. Meaningfully, the perceived supernatural events are rationalised within both a naturalistic framework (based on empirical observation) and a phenomenological one (focusing on lived experience and perception). The novel’s appeal lies in the formulation of theories coloured by personal histories, knowledge, interests, motives, and biases. The plot is stirred further by frequent equipment malfunctions which distort perception and time, causing recordings to become shorter, fragmented, or unintelligible, punctuated by temporary moments of clarity and terror.
Without discounting the possibility that some phenomena exist beyond scientific explanation, this reflection is arguably my own attempt at self-preservation; the writing can make it easy to forget its fictional nature. Make of it what you will, my literary notes and personal reflections follow:
A central tension in the novel is the ever-present possibility that many events may be explained as natural phenomena or engineered occurrences rather than purely supernatural, raising doubts about whether a truly sinister force is at work, though some characters are quicker to lean towards ghosts and supernatural causes than others. Notably, lighthouse’s unique architecture and geographical location create conditions conducive to white noise, exposure to which can induce illusions, hallucinations, or psychotic symptoms, particularly in individuals at risk of psychotic disorders. This occurs as the brain, ever pattern-seeking, fills gaps by interpreting random sounds as meaningful. Moreover, prolonged exhaustion and agitation (from climbing hundreds of steps), poor lighting that casts shadows, inadequate nutrition and being huddled up in an unfamiliar environment with strangers can, when taken together, produce psychosomatic symptoms. Combined with expectancy bias, anything unusual may be interpreted as (not) supernatural by those actively searching or denying it.
Things can get so bad that one might properly question whether it is meaningful to distinguish the two (supernatural or not), since in either case, they are powerless to resist an inevitable collapse. The frequency and unhinged nature of the events make any attempt at logical explanation look out of depth by comparison, by which point, the novel takes on a truly frightening character.
For fans of ghost hunters, paranormal investigators etc.
“Ghosts are feelings of the past making themselves known to the present”
“I don’t want to sensationalise or trivialise, I just want to find closure and some level of understanding”
“I want to go home…There’s evil here… it’s lurking above the stairway and slumber upon the catwalk. It breathes the salt of the ocean and exhales darkness… I can feel it oozing through the stonewalls and slithering into my skin. It’s swimming in my veins… I can feel it eating my brain”
June 14, 2025
ARC for review. To be published September 30, 2025.
3.5 stars
A slightly disjointed horror book (if you read the Afterword you’ll understand why, I think) written by Chizmar and his son. I LOVED the “Boogeyman” books and enjoyed MEMORIALS so I was really looking forward to this new book.
The fishing village of Harper’s Cove in Nova Scotia is home to Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Many terrible things have befallen people who lived, worked or visited there, starting with its construction in the 1800s and all those stories are part of local lore. In 2017 a ghost hunter attempted to spend a weekend locked in the lighthouse; when the owner came to release him, he had vanished.
Now an internet star has purchased the property and he, some coworkers and some paranormal investigators plan to stay at the lighthouse for a week. They have the audio recordings from 2017 and the diary of a young girl who died at the lighthouse. The group will record and investigate everything and find out the truth once and for all.
So, the book was fine. Fairly typical haunted lighthouse story. And while I love books that are mixed media (and lived the format again here) I was just hoping for more since I like Chizmar so much. Here you had your usual….you know, people are keeping secrets, people are left alone, etc. Nothing really innovative. So, 3.5 stars.
3.5 stars
A slightly disjointed horror book (if you read the Afterword you’ll understand why, I think) written by Chizmar and his son. I LOVED the “Boogeyman” books and enjoyed MEMORIALS so I was really looking forward to this new book.
The fishing village of Harper’s Cove in Nova Scotia is home to Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Many terrible things have befallen people who lived, worked or visited there, starting with its construction in the 1800s and all those stories are part of local lore. In 2017 a ghost hunter attempted to spend a weekend locked in the lighthouse; when the owner came to release him, he had vanished.
Now an internet star has purchased the property and he, some coworkers and some paranormal investigators plan to stay at the lighthouse for a week. They have the audio recordings from 2017 and the diary of a young girl who died at the lighthouse. The group will record and investigate everything and find out the truth once and for all.
So, the book was fine. Fairly typical haunted lighthouse story. And while I love books that are mixed media (and lived the format again here) I was just hoping for more since I like Chizmar so much. Here you had your usual….you know, people are keeping secrets, people are left alone, etc. Nothing really innovative. So, 3.5 stars.
May 28, 2025
his book LEGIT scared me. I think I jumped 4 times, and my heart was racing a majority of this book. I absolutely loved how this story was told, they used: found footage, twitch streams, Reddit, emails, voice recordings, newspapers, etc.
I flew through this one, and absolutely think it’s going to be a must read this spooky season. If you loved “Episode 13” by Craig DiLouie you will LOVE this one.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Thank you @gallerybooks for the arc in exchange for my honest review. PUB DATE: 9/30
I flew through this one, and absolutely think it’s going to be a must read this spooky season. If you loved “Episode 13” by Craig DiLouie you will LOVE this one.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Thank you @gallerybooks for the arc in exchange for my honest review. PUB DATE: 9/30
October 14, 2025
This was one I was pretty excited to read because I love lighthouses and I've heard Chizmar compared to Stephen King, who is one of my favorite authors, but I just could not get into this book. I hate to say this about any book, but this really would have made a much better movie or limited series. While the "found footage" element felt original for a written work, the novelty quickly wore off and it just became tedious. Further, the storytelling was dry and full of cliches, leading to an incredibly boring read. It was also much longer and more drawn-out than it probably needed to be (maybe it would have been better as a short story?).
October 2, 2025
Now this a locked room story! I will never look at a lighthouse the same way again. Richard Chizmar and his son scared the bejeezus out of me with this dark, creepy and terrifying story of a lighthouse with a mind of its own.
Do not turn out the lights while you read this. Told entirely with mixed media (audio recordings , video clips, letters, diaries, newspaper articles, emails etc) Widows Point would be amazing on audiobook. An abandoned lighthouse with a reputation for bad things happening , and yet people keep going there and think that they will be ok. My goodness this was scary. I heard every little noise my house was making in the night while reading this.
The perfect book for Halloween, so spooky and unsettling.
Thank you Gallery Books for my early copy of this book to read. Published on September 30th.
Do not turn out the lights while you read this. Told entirely with mixed media (audio recordings , video clips, letters, diaries, newspaper articles, emails etc) Widows Point would be amazing on audiobook. An abandoned lighthouse with a reputation for bad things happening , and yet people keep going there and think that they will be ok. My goodness this was scary. I heard every little noise my house was making in the night while reading this.
The perfect book for Halloween, so spooky and unsettling.
Thank you Gallery Books for my early copy of this book to read. Published on September 30th.
October 9, 2025
Widow's Point is centered around an infamous lighthouse built in 1838, with a long history of unexpected deaths and tragedies - leaving people to claim it is cursed and haunted. While it was being built, three construction workers died - and that is only the start of the deaths surrounding the lighthouse. In the years that followed, dozens of people died by suicide, murder, and unexplained disappearances - all centered around Widow's Point. The lighthouse was finally shut down, and a fence was erected to keep all out, until now.
It is told across dual timelines, first we have a paranormal investigator in 2017 who does a solo investigation of the lighthouse while being locked inside for three days.
Then, we have a group of investigators in 2025 who want to discover the secrets of the lighthouse. They both quickly discover they are not alone.
This was my first found footage book and I want more. The way it was told was descriptive and easy to follow, leaving me feeling like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. There are a few points I gasped out loud and had to explain to my husband what just happened. The ending was a little corny but hey I loved it.
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It is told across dual timelines, first we have a paranormal investigator in 2017 who does a solo investigation of the lighthouse while being locked inside for three days.
Then, we have a group of investigators in 2025 who want to discover the secrets of the lighthouse. They both quickly discover they are not alone.
This was my first found footage book and I want more. The way it was told was descriptive and easy to follow, leaving me feeling like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. There are a few points I gasped out loud and had to explain to my husband what just happened. The ending was a little corny but hey I loved it.
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 28, 2025
This book scared the ever loving sh*t out of me in the BEST way.
September 3, 2025
Widow’s Point by Richard and WH Chizmar. Thanks to @gallerybooks for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Widow’s Point Lighthouse has a violent history. The town’s people stay away from it. Now two recent events in the lighthouse, in 2017 and 2025, are recapped.
This was so darn creepy. I’ve never read a haunted lighthouse story so that was very unique. The way it’s written is as a transcript, which I was concerned I wouldn’t love but I got used to it very quickly and it really added a Blair Witch level of creepiness. There was kinda two stories that come together; I loved the first shorter history part. The second took some time to get going but ended with a bang! The back history and stories of the lighthouse were so creative.
Widow’s Point comes out 9/30.
“There’s evil here. It’s in the walls, the floorboards, the air. It’s lurking along the stairway, slumbering upon the catwalk. It breathes in the salt of the ocean and exhales darkness. It survives on the town’s fear.”
Widow’s Point comes out 9/30.
Widow’s Point Lighthouse has a violent history. The town’s people stay away from it. Now two recent events in the lighthouse, in 2017 and 2025, are recapped.
This was so darn creepy. I’ve never read a haunted lighthouse story so that was very unique. The way it’s written is as a transcript, which I was concerned I wouldn’t love but I got used to it very quickly and it really added a Blair Witch level of creepiness. There was kinda two stories that come together; I loved the first shorter history part. The second took some time to get going but ended with a bang! The back history and stories of the lighthouse were so creative.
Widow’s Point comes out 9/30.
“There’s evil here. It’s in the walls, the floorboards, the air. It’s lurking along the stairway, slumbering upon the catwalk. It breathes in the salt of the ocean and exhales darkness. It survives on the town’s fear.”
Widow’s Point comes out 9/30.
December 15, 2025
Ever since I read Annihilation I’ve been completely obsessed with lighthouses and searching for more books that give me that Annihilation feeling. (I know I have set myself up for failure & that Annihilation is heavy on the sci-fi side of horror ok but the heart wants what it wants. 🤷🏻♀️)
This book had a great atmosphere and an incredible premise, I absolutely adore found footage style horror so this felt like it could easily be a 4 star read.
However I must say that while interesting in its idea and having read the acknowledgements and understanding that idea further, the two timelines…weren’t necessary and didn’t really make much sense together as a story. And I just had a ton of unanswered questions at the end so it wasn’t really that satisfying of a read. And it’s not like I was reaching for this book all that often, I think I’ve been reading this off and on in bits and pieces for like, a month, maybe a month and a half? Nothing wrong with that if you do it, but for me it means I don’t find a book all that interesting.
Ah well, the search continues.
This book had a great atmosphere and an incredible premise, I absolutely adore found footage style horror so this felt like it could easily be a 4 star read.
However I must say that while interesting in its idea and having read the acknowledgements and understanding that idea further, the two timelines…weren’t necessary and didn’t really make much sense together as a story. And I just had a ton of unanswered questions at the end so it wasn’t really that satisfying of a read. And it’s not like I was reaching for this book all that often, I think I’ve been reading this off and on in bits and pieces for like, a month, maybe a month and a half? Nothing wrong with that if you do it, but for me it means I don’t find a book all that interesting.
Ah well, the search continues.
August 4, 2025
This is probably the scariest book I’ve ever read. it is genuinely creepy and the last 50 pages had my heart racing. It's a haunted lighthouse story, but it's told via different media outlets like found footage, article excerpts, and news reports. After setting up the creepy and tragic history of the Widow's Point lighthouse in Nova Scotia, the majority of the story is told through found footage transcripts, when a social media star buys the lighthouse for him and his friends to stay there. Trent invites some special guests to spend the week in the lighthouse as well: a paranormal investigator and an academic doctor specializing in the paranormal, who happens to be from the town where the Widow's Point lighthouse is. Hoping for some entertaining content, Trent and crew get more than they bargained for. I like to read horror, but when people ask what book actually scared me....I didn't have an answer. Now I do! This was such a fun reading experience, I highly recommend it if you're looking for a creepy story! Easy 5 stars.
Huge thanks to Richard Chizmar for so kindly sending me a signed physical ARC! Book releases 9/30/25.
Huge thanks to Richard Chizmar for so kindly sending me a signed physical ARC! Book releases 9/30/25.
October 3, 2025
Get ready for Blair Witch meets a Lighthouse!
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
What starts out as an adventure to explore an abandoned lighthouse with a dark history morphs slowly and painfully into pure terror. I couldn’t help but find myself fully immersed in the chilling atmosphere and feeling like the shadows around me while I’m reading could fully come to life before my eyes.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Eerie atmosphere
Multiple POV
Dual Timelines
Ghosts
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Steady
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
Mia Barron and Tristan Morris narrate an atmospheric horror story that draws upon the nightmares that haunt us during waking hours. Their narration truly complements the characters' terror as they encounter a supernatural force beyond their comprehension.
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
This book is sinister, chilling, horrifying, and so much better than the entire horror movies I've watched lately. It’s even better than The Blair Witch Project.
Thank you Gallery Books for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
What starts out as an adventure to explore an abandoned lighthouse with a dark history morphs slowly and painfully into pure terror. I couldn’t help but find myself fully immersed in the chilling atmosphere and feeling like the shadows around me while I’m reading could fully come to life before my eyes.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Eerie atmosphere
Multiple POV
Dual Timelines
Ghosts
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Steady
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
Mia Barron and Tristan Morris narrate an atmospheric horror story that draws upon the nightmares that haunt us during waking hours. Their narration truly complements the characters' terror as they encounter a supernatural force beyond their comprehension.
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
This book is sinister, chilling, horrifying, and so much better than the entire horror movies I've watched lately. It’s even better than The Blair Witch Project.
Thank you Gallery Books for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
June 18, 2025
wow. as the horror bookseller at my store and our horror book clubs founder im often asked "okay but which books have you read that ACTUALLY scared you" its usually pretty difficult for me to come up with some answers, when you consume as much horror as I do, you become a bit desensitized. Now I have another book to answer that question with. Widows point is an expansion of a short story that was expanded into a novella that was expanded into a full novel and now that im finished with it, i can see why they couldn't leave it alone. This novel is written found footage style, told through transcripts of audio, video, and news clippings. I am INCREDIBLY picky when it comes to Found footage movies but this BOOK... I devoured it. Can't wait for the official release!
October 25, 2025
Another Richard Chizmar’s story that just feels so real. Widow’s Point is another gem! A story with so much details and spooky elements, it had me hung onto every word. The last 50 pages just had me hooked and had my heart racing. Genuinely creepy as fuck!
The story follows the tragic history of Widow’s Point lighthouse. Told from different media outlets like articles and found footages. Naturally, with a place so haunted, it draws a crowd. That’s when the main character checks in. As he along with a paranormal investigator investigate the haunting of the light house. They soon realize they made a mistake.
The haunted lighthouse had so much history. Very detailed and well written. I was in awe of how scary this story was. For fans of Chasing the Boogeyman and Becoming Boogeyman, this is for you!
Likes: Spooky story, the setting of the lighthouse, very detailed story, and so tragic.
The story follows the tragic history of Widow’s Point lighthouse. Told from different media outlets like articles and found footages. Naturally, with a place so haunted, it draws a crowd. That’s when the main character checks in. As he along with a paranormal investigator investigate the haunting of the light house. They soon realize they made a mistake.
The haunted lighthouse had so much history. Very detailed and well written. I was in awe of how scary this story was. For fans of Chasing the Boogeyman and Becoming Boogeyman, this is for you!
Likes: Spooky story, the setting of the lighthouse, very detailed story, and so tragic.
November 29, 2025
This had the makings of a 5 star read for me, but I ended up feeling a little disappointed. I loved the mixed media format, stories told that way are always so fun to follow. The haunting backstory of the lighthouse and the past disasters was intriguing and the setting itself had some genuinely creepy moments. I just kept waiting for it to scare me though. By the end, it leaned a little cheesy and I found myself wishing for a stronger or at least different conclusion.
September 30, 2025
You'd never find me locked in a lighthouse (Haunted or not)
October 10, 2025
The format of this one completely lost me — the various media clip intros and shifts are so distracting that it took me out of the story, and I was never close enough to the characters to feel scared (for me or for them). The first part of this story, though (Livingston’s), I enjoyed.
October 5, 2025
Felt like a teen slasher with horrible dialogue
October 16, 2025
3.75-4 stars
This was an eerie and atmospheric read and perfect for the Fall season.
This was an eerie and atmospheric read and perfect for the Fall season.
December 6, 2025
This was… fine. I remember the novella being entertaining, but predictable. This wasn’t quite predictable, but I wasn’t really engaging with the story as much as I expected. I love found footage as a whole and epistolary novels, but this didn’t quite work for me. I just had a hard time believing that any of the characters were talking the way that they were written. Nothing was really all that scary, but the zaniness ramped up a lot at the 80% mark.
October 13, 2025
Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting
By Richard Chizmar & W.H. Chizmar
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Spooky and suspenseful—this one grips you tight and doesn’t let go until the final whisper.
Overview
“This is a bad place. I don’t think people are meant to live here.”
Harper’s Cove locals know the Widow’s Point Lighthouse isn’t just a relic—it’s a magnet for tragedy. Built in 1838, its history is steeped in death: construction accidents, unsolved murders, suicides, disappearances, and even the eerie demise of a Hollywood starlet. The lighthouse was sealed in 1988, but its darkness never left.
Told through two chilling investigations—one in 2017, the other in 2025—this father-son collaboration delivers a layered ghost story that’s part found footage, part psychological descent. As thrill-seekers and skeptics enter the lighthouse, they discover they’re not alone… and never were.
Why it works
The Chizmars blend classic haunted house tropes with modern storytelling, creating a slow-burn dread that escalates into full-blown terror. The dual timelines add depth, and the atmosphere is thick with unease. It’s not just about what’s seen—it’s about what’s felt.
Perfect for fans of The Blair Witch Project, House of Leaves, or anyone who likes their horror with a side of history and a lingering chill.
Happy reading 👻📚
By Richard Chizmar & W.H. Chizmar
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Spooky and suspenseful—this one grips you tight and doesn’t let go until the final whisper.
Overview
“This is a bad place. I don’t think people are meant to live here.”
Harper’s Cove locals know the Widow’s Point Lighthouse isn’t just a relic—it’s a magnet for tragedy. Built in 1838, its history is steeped in death: construction accidents, unsolved murders, suicides, disappearances, and even the eerie demise of a Hollywood starlet. The lighthouse was sealed in 1988, but its darkness never left.
Told through two chilling investigations—one in 2017, the other in 2025—this father-son collaboration delivers a layered ghost story that’s part found footage, part psychological descent. As thrill-seekers and skeptics enter the lighthouse, they discover they’re not alone… and never were.
Why it works
The Chizmars blend classic haunted house tropes with modern storytelling, creating a slow-burn dread that escalates into full-blown terror. The dual timelines add depth, and the atmosphere is thick with unease. It’s not just about what’s seen—it’s about what’s felt.
Perfect for fans of The Blair Witch Project, House of Leaves, or anyone who likes their horror with a side of history and a lingering chill.
Happy reading 👻📚
December 10, 2025
I didn’t dnf this I decided to push through and just really disliked it.
October 27, 2025
THIS IS SCARY!! Perfect horror Halloween read. Eerie, atmospheric, and anxiety inducing. Gives Blair Witch in the best way! Make sure you pick up the complete haunting version and not just the novella! 👻
October 25, 2025
The unlikeability of any of the characters to a back seat to the unlikeability of the plot. This one just didn’t live up to the hype for me.
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