A House in the Country

by Matt Shaw

Dean and Jess knew the house had a tragic past but it did not stop them from making the move with their young daughters. It was supposed to be a new - and bigger - home with which they could continue to build upon their already established happy memories but as the house's past begins to haunt them they realise it is not the dream they first hoped it to be.

From Matt Shaw (author of The Cabin, Happy Ever After and Sick B*stards) comes a new novella; a tale of psychological horror and slow-building tension leading to an unforgettable climax.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Psychological

79 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 23, 2014

About the author

Biography

MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.


Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.

Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.

Reviews

[JaHy☝Hold the Fairy Dust · Rating 5 out of 5]

** 5 " NOT SO WELCOMING HOME" STARS**
This was the best .99 I've spent in a while & a great starting point for those interested in reading one of Matt Shaw's stories. What A House in the Country lacks in gore and profanity ( yeah, I'm a fan of both... I own it ) it makes up for it, in the chill factor department.


A House in the Country is the tale of a loving family, Dean, Jess and their two young daughters Sophie and Caroline . The couple has a dream opportunity of purchasing a larger home, with ample space for new memories to be made ... and boy will they ever. You see, the home is a bargain..... annnnddddd its HAUNTED . But that doesn't matter, it's all about elbow room and the good times to be had, right? .... yup , that's all you're getting from me folks. ENJOY!... *psst* and don't forget to lock your windows.
... Just kidding..... Or maybe I'm not.

For more reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun!

[MadameD · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is well written, but I found it, a little bit slow.
The twist at the end is unexpected. I liked it!
It’s the reason why I gave it 4 stars.

[Ms. Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happened?! It was all there just waiting to be used. The set-up, the characters, the backstory. Whaaaaat happened?

Nothing. Nothing happened.

My gosh. I thought this was going to be a winner to the nth degree. Shaw grabbed me with this family moving into this awesome new house. The husband, just wanting to provide for his family. A wife who wants to make her husband happy and two little girls who are going to finally have their own rooms.

The littlest girl has bad dreams and her "dreams" get worse when they move into the new house. Dean, her father blows everything off as coincidence when strange things begin happening in the house.

His wife, Jess, goes along with it all until she experiences some of the terror firsthand. Mind you, these scary micro-seconds (because that's what they were) were so supertastically creepy that my stomach would tighten and then let up immediately because we were already moving on in the story. Okay, I dealt with this because I just knew the ending was going to blow the roof off this mutha...watch your mouth.

What I got for my patience was a rushed, unsatisfying, and weak ending. This read had so much potential. About halfway through the story stopped progressing and became a little repetitious, but the author had already hooked me and I needed to know how it all ended.

I'm torn between 2 and 3 stars. I liked it while I was reading it, but as soon as I got done I felt like the build up was not worth the end result.

For the little thrills, it was worth the price.

I give the author props for drawing me in.

I will definitely have to read something else by this author.

[Karés · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matt Shaw...


Freaking knocked my socks off!!..

[Jamie ♡♡ submits to books ♡♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** 4 Daddy Stars ****

Loving family of 4 meet Matt Shaw!!

This book starts off all loving sprinkled with a dash of happy family rose petals. I should have known the petal would explode into creepy, I want my mommy pieces.

Dean and Jess are loving parents with two great daughters. They want a better life and finding a bigger house where they can make new family memories is just he answer. Finding their dream house so cheap, they should have known this was too good to be true.

Happy family of 4 soon turned into family of 4 is losing it in a matter of 7 days of moving into this house.



This house has a secret. A dark secret that is more than the ghost of a haunted past. More than your mind really wants to comprehend.



This book is a total mind teaser. When you think you know what is about to happen...you might as well think again!!

I am really happy I was not alone when I went to bed last night! **shivers**

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a haunted house book done right. The author leaves us a note about the ending, which I think the ending was just fine. I don't spook too easy, especially when it comes to books. Mostly, I got a good laugh out of the ending (in a good way)

[Peter Topside · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very ok experience for me. The beginning, to bring the reader up to speed, was a glorified information dump. And the rest of the story had the tendency to place the focus on unimportant dialogue and such but then sort of rushing through other aspects, which probably needed much more attention. So, all of that made it a bit difficult to stay with the flow. Beyond that, it was written well but just boiled down to being a fairly basic haunted house story. Nothing necessarily new or overly interesting, but just an extremely bare bones concept. Again, the writing quality from Shaw was my favorite part of this book, but the rest was just very meh.

[Carla ☺Did I Say That☺ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5**He got me again**Stars!!!
Three words Matt!!!!

Easily one of the best books I've read from this author!!!!!!

[Stuart Keane · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some things that scare each and every one of us. Things that would scare anyone - mainly because we can all relate to that one thing that terrifies us. I think it's safe to say that being attacked/haunted in your own home would be near the top of the list. Regardless of your stance, stature, bravado or common sense, if you came home and something wasn't right in your house...you'd fear for your life. Throw into that a family, two children and a doting wife...and you have A House In The Country.

Matt Shaw's latest novella - for it's very short, I read it in just over an hour - is simple in premise. A family move into their dream home in the country. However, on their arrival, the spare bedroom has a weird smell. On further investigation, over a period of a week, all isn't as it seems and it's only a matter of time until the parents realise something isn't quite right here. Then they discuss the house's past...and the death that occurred some time before. Cheap houses come with a price, ironically.

Now, we've seen this countless times. Remarkably, Shaw keeps it original and trim, focusing on the four family members (dad, mum, two daughters) as they traverse the weird activities taking place in their home. From a subtle door moving, to noises in the night and strange figures in the windows. The standard haunted house tropes are there but they are effectively creepy, providing a taut, if fairly quick read that showcases Shaw's talent to spook as well as disgust. He may be well known for his extreme horror but Shaw proves here that he can also do subtle, with alarming ease.

But it's so much fun. When was the last time a door moving was so creepy? The fear and terror is heightened because this family haven't done a thing wrong. Anyone with kids will relate to the fear of a family threatening situation. No one wants their loved ones to come to harm and Shaw capitalizes on this perfectly. He builds a basic, subtle story of horror and delivers. When the tension starts to rise and the family realise it isn't just the imaginations of their children, it's at that point where AHITC shifts into fourth gear and provides and ending all too...real. It gave me goose bumps.

5* - An excellent horror tale, and no, it's not just because I feature in this story (courtesy of a previous review). It was thoroughly enjoyable reading myself in a horror book. This aside, this book was a fast, tense, subtle and horrifying read. The gore is on hold in this one whilst Shaw uses his box of tricks to provide chills that most home owners will find scary. If you moved home recently, you might want to give this a miss. If you do though, you're missing out. A fantastic novella!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is me right now



so there I was reading along



getting all creeped out by the nasy ghosts



When all of a sudden the story completly changes direction like in the last 10% and I'm like



and NOW I need MOAR! I need answers MATTTTTTTTTTTT



I need to know what happens after or I'm gonna....




__________________________________________________________________

This video was put in my review when I first read the blurb and I still think it fits so I'm leaving it at the bottom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpuh1...

[Silvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book: I LOVE; For a short read, it sure packed a punch, exciting, fast paced and just grabs your attention from the first page.



The author: I'm not sure I like him very much after that ending, he's an amazing author and I have loved every novel I've read by him, but there was a moment where I was screaming "why would you do that to me?!!"...



However this won't stop me from reading more by Matt Shaw, hasn't disappointed me yet!

Thank you Jahy for gifting me the book and Ash for the BR!

[Kittykorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, I just wished it lasted a bit longer especially at the end

[Netanella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first Shaw read. I have to admit, I expected something completely different than what I read. I don't know - maybe my expectations were higher than the delivery, but I was sort of let down in the end, even though I didn't see the end coming.

Truthfully, I thought that Dean was a bit of a prick and I didn't feel bad for him in the least that he bit it. I felt more sympathy for the two girls.

I also felt that the supernatural element was under-done, so to speak. I get that the Big Bad was the crazy dude in the attic, buy why couldn't it be both the ghost of the suicide wife and the crazy dude. In that case, then, the supernatural element was more of a simmer than a slow burn.

It would have rocked if the crazy husband in the attic and the dead suicide wife ghost were in kahoots with one another!

[Lucas Mangum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I vibed hard with this book. It's essentially an R-rated GOOSEBUMPS.

[Vaios · Rating 4 out of 5]

Μια χαρά για να το διαβάσεις σε ένα βράδυ πριν κοιμηθείς και να δεις κάνα δυο εφιάλτες

[Kim (Wistfulskimmies Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Jess and Dean and their two children - Sophie and Caroline. They move into their dream house in the country that harbours a deep secret - the previous owners wife committed suicide in the spare room. From the first day strange things begins happening, strange smells, things moved around. Does the ghost of the wife still reside there or is the truth far more sinister?

I read this in one sitting, it was that good, but it was also a quick read with a plot that took you quickly. I was drawn in straight away and identified with the family. Featuring a small cast, the story was tight, chilling and utterly creepy. From the first page you are grabbed and as is Matts style, you care for the characters until the ultimately shocking twist at the end. In truth I would have liked this longer but that didn't detract from the quality of this excellent novella.

[Dierdra McGill · Rating 1 out of 5]

A house in the Country is a horror story, and at first seemed to be a story of a haunted house. I loved haunted house stories so I was excited to find it. The story was a short read, but I found it while looking for books while giving the new Amazon unlimited a try. I hated the writing, and by the end the story. There were too many brackets used in the writing. For example, “Everything became darker and not just in general lighting conditions but (and it’s hard to explain) the feeling of the home.” To me there should never be a line that says and it’s hard to explain in a book. There were so many instances of this I just found it very annoying.
The ending was very off and rushed. On the other hand I was happy the story was over. I won’t be reading anything else by this author again.

[Shadow Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seven days.
This novella details the events of what really happened when Dean moved his family into A House in the Country.
http://wp.me/p37DRX-108
Beware - you may never feel safe, or alone, again.

[Alexandria · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Read!!

This was absolutely fantastic! I won’t give the ending away, it will definitely surprise you! The best! Such an interesting twist.

[Brianna Bello · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! I would have finished it in a day had I not been sick. The ending had me gasping! I did NOT see that coming. That is not where I thought this was going.

[Herliana Siauw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average horror story.

I’d say the storyline was a bit too slow, though it offers a rather unexpected twist only in the end

[Valerie Sparkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt Shaw got me again! This type of story always scares me. I mean the idea that you might not be alone in your home. You think you don't believe in ghosts but then you hear things you can't quite explain. Yikes! Anyway this is a story about a family that buys a big old house in the country and strange things start to happen... Sounds familiar doesn't it? The story starts out like others we've read before and you think you know what's about to happen but then BAM! Matt Shaw shocks you again! I loved it!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars


I see Matt Shaw on my GR newsfeed all the damn time. And people are raving about him. So when I was looking for a book that would bode well with Halloween time I chose this one.

No doubt the book gave me the heebie jeebies and was a fast, addicting read but I figured out what was going on as soon as the Dean attempted to open the hatch door and couldn't. I also wish it was a bit longer. But make no mistake I just purchased three other Matt Shaw books so I certainly was not disappointed.

[Kelly Dethlefs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spooky....

Spooky....

Wow Matt Shaw did it again! just when I start to think his extreme horror books are my new favorites of his, he changes it up and writes this! This book gave me the chills all the way threw and I loved every second of it! And of course with every Matt Shaw book, the ending was a complete shock!
Now on to read...PORN

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first 5 star Matt Shaw story. Bravo Sir! Finally someone comes up with a story where the slogan “a haunted house story like no other" wouldn't be overhyped.

[Deanne Leake · Rating 5 out of 5]

DeAnne Leake

It was really a good book. It kept me in suspense. I wish there were a part two. Mr. Shaw did a fantastic job. I will definitely read more of his books.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dean and Jess are in their mid-30s. With children Sophie (6) and Caroline (8), the couple has decided that it’s time to move; they need more space as the girls are growing and getting older. So they purchase a large house in the country…where nothing could ever go wrong.

Odd events begin slowly, and increase with frequency throughout. We learn more and more about the history of the house.

The Room—one particular bedroom that seems to be a magnet for noises, presences, and sightings—gets scarier and scarier.

The pacing and flow of this novel are odd. By midway, it does feel as though the narrative is going in circles.

Pretty straight-shooting until after 90%…then there’s a table flip with an unexpected surprise.

The ending is scary, but the rest of the book is so basic that it doesn’t save the story.

[Kelly Rickard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family move into a new house with a history. It is hinted at a lot and the reason they got an expensive house cheaper. Dean is the main character along with Jess his wife, Caroline and Sophie the daughters. Sophie has sleep issues and is easily spooked so when she starts having nightmares more often and wets the bed Jess and Dean decide to get some help. Caroline also starts having issues where she is seeing things except Dean sees someone in the window a couple of times but still thinks it's the girls imagining stuff. I liked the twist.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY - 5/5
By Matt Shaw

This is genuinely one of the best short horror stories I have ever read in my life.

It was spooky and creepy and really made me uncomfortable. And it did this without any graphic details!!

All I can say is - make sure you check the entire property when you move into a new house!