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Dread House: A Novel
Cassie Harper anticipates a week of prenuptial celebrations when she agrees to spend the week before her best friend Emily’s wedding at the remote and foreboding Hideaway House. Nestled deep in the heart of a secluded forest, the estate is the perfect backdrop for a series of lavish parties. But as Cassie arrives, she feels nothing but a growing sense of dread. As the days tick by in the eerie isolation of the estate, it becomes clear that there’s more to this place than meets the eye.
Surrounded by sprawling woods, she finds herself entangled in the estate’s unsettling past. Hideaway House seems to pulse with a life of its own, drawing Cassie into its dark and mysterious depths.
Amidst the growing danger, Cassie finds herself drawn to Ben, a brooding and enigmatic figure. Then there's Mark, who is easygoing and charming, but does he know more than he seems? As the lines between reality and the supernatural begin to blur, Cassie must unravel the estate’s sinister history before she becomes the next victim of its ancient rites.
In Dread House, secrets are unearthed, friendships are tested, and the boundaries between the living and the otherworldly dissolve. Can Cassie uncover the truth before it's too late, or will the secrets of Hideaway House claim her sanity—and her heart? Trust is a luxury in this suspenseful and chilling tale, and the truth may be more terrifying than she ever imagined.
Surrounded by sprawling woods, she finds herself entangled in the estate’s unsettling past. Hideaway House seems to pulse with a life of its own, drawing Cassie into its dark and mysterious depths.
Amidst the growing danger, Cassie finds herself drawn to Ben, a brooding and enigmatic figure. Then there's Mark, who is easygoing and charming, but does he know more than he seems? As the lines between reality and the supernatural begin to blur, Cassie must unravel the estate’s sinister history before she becomes the next victim of its ancient rites.
In Dread House, secrets are unearthed, friendships are tested, and the boundaries between the living and the otherworldly dissolve. Can Cassie uncover the truth before it's too late, or will the secrets of Hideaway House claim her sanity—and her heart? Trust is a luxury in this suspenseful and chilling tale, and the truth may be more terrifying than she ever imagined.
296 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2025
About the author
A.C. Hessenauer
10 books30 followersA.C. Hessenauer describes herself as a writer of horror, chaos, and madness. A.C. has published five novels and one novella, including Dread House, Jumpers, and MANIMAL. A.C.’s next novel, Going to the Six, is set to be released in June of 2026 by Cemetery Dance, and has been selected for the Cemetery Dance Trade Paperback Book Club, alongside titles by Jack Ketchum, Bentley Little, and Brian Hodge.
When she’s not participating in macabre ceremonies dedicated to the eldritch horrors out in the woods, A.C. enjoys spending time with her family: her husband, two sons, and border collie named Maximus. She loves a good horror movie, and of course, getting swallowed whole by a good book.
When she’s not participating in macabre ceremonies dedicated to the eldritch horrors out in the woods, A.C. enjoys spending time with her family: her husband, two sons, and border collie named Maximus. She loves a good horror movie, and of course, getting swallowed whole by a good book.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 31, 2024
I’ll start by saying, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this and I feel like I’ve been missing out! I loved this novel and I finished it in 24 hours because I couldn’t put it down.
Throughout this whole book I feel like I was with Cassie. Whenever she felt uneasy, I did too. The whole time I felt like I was trying to figure out what was going on or who was involved. I felt like I could picture everything from the Hideaway House to the willow tree, which are key places in the story. There were so many unexpected twists and that ending! You won’t want to miss out on this book!
If you enjoy thrillers with some supernatural mixed in, I would definitely recommend this book to you!
I already have Possession: A Novel by A.C. Hessenauer ready to go on my Kindle and I’m so excited!
Throughout this whole book I feel like I was with Cassie. Whenever she felt uneasy, I did too. The whole time I felt like I was trying to figure out what was going on or who was involved. I felt like I could picture everything from the Hideaway House to the willow tree, which are key places in the story. There were so many unexpected twists and that ending! You won’t want to miss out on this book!
If you enjoy thrillers with some supernatural mixed in, I would definitely recommend this book to you!
I already have Possession: A Novel by A.C. Hessenauer ready to go on my Kindle and I’m so excited!
December 18, 2024
This is not a typical read for me. I usually read sci-fi and fantasy, but decided I needed to change it up a bit. I am glad I did. This was fantastic and a quick read. The suspense and plot twists had me guessing and I didn’t want to put this book down. Must read!
April 20, 2025
So call me stupid but I didn’t get the ending.
And it was just a little hard to buy that everyone would just go along with the planned week despite all the weirdness. Unless everyone was in on it, which i will say the author did a good job of making you wonder who was good and who wasn’t.
And it was just a little hard to buy that everyone would just go along with the planned week despite all the weirdness. Unless everyone was in on it, which i will say the author did a good job of making you wonder who was good and who wasn’t.
May 31, 2025
I’ll give this 3 or 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3.
First, the good:
Lots of creepy set pieces.
Once it starts getting fun, it stays fun.
The mystery element is well-done, with lots of plausible explanations for things.
It doesn’t do what many horror books do in their obsession with triggering disgust; I am happy to say that that is absent.
I did have to force myself to keep going in the first 70 or so pages of the book, but then it was smooth sailing after that.
The characters are different enough that I can easily tell them apart despite the generic white-people names, and they generally act believably at all points.
Then, the not so good:
This book definitely hasn’t been edited. There are a lot of missing quotes, unfortunate dialogue tags (such as using “grinned” with speech), and repeated phrases in adjoining sentences. It strikes me as a very good final draft which never made it to the polishing stage.
It leans heavily into the “pagan = scary” trope. I’m pretty bored of that at this point, being pagan-adjacent myself, and I feel like there’s only so long that writers can use the “cross = good, every other symbol = evil” thing.
The author bludgeoned me over the head with some things that were extremely obvious, dangling them like they’re a secret for several chapters before revealing… what was extremely obvious.
This book strikes me as almost YA in its tone, with a lot of interpersonal drama more suited for teenagers than adults.
I found the ending to be a cop-out; pretty unsatisfying and not set up very well. I recall a conversation somewhat early in the book that definitely points to the way the ending plays out, but I still don’t think it actually explains or justifies it.
With all of that said, I enjoyed the ride, and if I’m right that this book never saw a final editing stage, then kudos to the author for getting respectably close without it. I would recommend this book to people looking for a light mystery/horror novel and who don’t mind needing to roll their eyes on occasion. I would be open to reading more from this author in the future and seeing whether the things I didn’t like about this book are consistent or not.
First, the good:
Lots of creepy set pieces.
Once it starts getting fun, it stays fun.
The mystery element is well-done, with lots of plausible explanations for things.
It doesn’t do what many horror books do in their obsession with triggering disgust; I am happy to say that that is absent.
I did have to force myself to keep going in the first 70 or so pages of the book, but then it was smooth sailing after that.
The characters are different enough that I can easily tell them apart despite the generic white-people names, and they generally act believably at all points.
Then, the not so good:
This book definitely hasn’t been edited. There are a lot of missing quotes, unfortunate dialogue tags (such as using “grinned” with speech), and repeated phrases in adjoining sentences. It strikes me as a very good final draft which never made it to the polishing stage.
It leans heavily into the “pagan = scary” trope. I’m pretty bored of that at this point, being pagan-adjacent myself, and I feel like there’s only so long that writers can use the “cross = good, every other symbol = evil” thing.
The author bludgeoned me over the head with some things that were extremely obvious, dangling them like they’re a secret for several chapters before revealing… what was extremely obvious.
This book strikes me as almost YA in its tone, with a lot of interpersonal drama more suited for teenagers than adults.
I found the ending to be a cop-out; pretty unsatisfying and not set up very well. I recall a conversation somewhat early in the book that definitely points to the way the ending plays out, but I still don’t think it actually explains or justifies it.
With all of that said, I enjoyed the ride, and if I’m right that this book never saw a final editing stage, then kudos to the author for getting respectably close without it. I would recommend this book to people looking for a light mystery/horror novel and who don’t mind needing to roll their eyes on occasion. I would be open to reading more from this author in the future and seeing whether the things I didn’t like about this book are consistent or not.
April 17, 2026
Dread House follows Cassie, a fish-out-of-water writer who finds herself surrounded by the ultra-rich in the week before her best friend’s wedding.
In an isolated mansion (complete with ballroom, pool, stables, and an entire wing which is out of use), strange symbols appear, unseen intruders leave sinister items in locked rooms, and there are sinister noises coming from the woods. When one of the wedding party disappears, it becomes clear that this house is not what it seems…
This is a folk horror mixed with a whodunnit and I have never read a book which read more like a movie, it is so visual. I really enjoyed Cassie as a main character, and loved the relationships between the characters, good and bad. However broken they may be, these characters leap from the page.
There is a tension in every scene which drips like blood on every page. The atmosphere is thick with it.
Instead of chapters, the story is divided into days as the countdown to the wedding is on: this means that one “chapter” might be 30 pages, and another 80, and I loved this concept: it creates a really rounded narrative which lengthens as the week (and the action) escalate. It does mean that this is not a put-down/pick-up story, but I found myself so drawn into the story that it worked perfectly for me.
With strong pagan roots, the story is interesting and has similar vibes to A.M. Shine or T. Kingfisher.
Where this lost some of the perfection is with the ending, which felt a little rushed and not entirely satisfying, but that didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the book. I wanted more backstory, and more detail in the reveal, but the overall story arc makes sense and leaves you with a gut punch.
With strong characters, eerie tension, a haunted quality and lashings of blood and the bad kind of paganism, this is a great read that deserves more attention.
In an isolated mansion (complete with ballroom, pool, stables, and an entire wing which is out of use), strange symbols appear, unseen intruders leave sinister items in locked rooms, and there are sinister noises coming from the woods. When one of the wedding party disappears, it becomes clear that this house is not what it seems…
This is a folk horror mixed with a whodunnit and I have never read a book which read more like a movie, it is so visual. I really enjoyed Cassie as a main character, and loved the relationships between the characters, good and bad. However broken they may be, these characters leap from the page.
There is a tension in every scene which drips like blood on every page. The atmosphere is thick with it.
Instead of chapters, the story is divided into days as the countdown to the wedding is on: this means that one “chapter” might be 30 pages, and another 80, and I loved this concept: it creates a really rounded narrative which lengthens as the week (and the action) escalate. It does mean that this is not a put-down/pick-up story, but I found myself so drawn into the story that it worked perfectly for me.
With strong pagan roots, the story is interesting and has similar vibes to A.M. Shine or T. Kingfisher.
Where this lost some of the perfection is with the ending, which felt a little rushed and not entirely satisfying, but that didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of the book. I wanted more backstory, and more detail in the reveal, but the overall story arc makes sense and leaves you with a gut punch.
With strong characters, eerie tension, a haunted quality and lashings of blood and the bad kind of paganism, this is a great read that deserves more attention.
April 20, 2025
A week of demonic rituals leading up to a wedding from hell.
This is the suspense and action I was expecting when I read Sterling House! It's little things at first that the main character, Cassie, feels like she is the only one noticing. As she gets familiar with the rest of the group weird things continue to happen and one of them goes missing. I listened to this in less than 24 hours because I simply didn't want to turn the audio book off.
My only qualm is occasionally the words in the same sentence or those surrounding would get a bit repetitive with "he", "it('s)","I" etc. obviously it didn't bother me enough to take off any points, the book was also so good that even if I did take off points for repetitiveness they easily would have been made up.
Now for fellow audio book readers, this is one I personally HAD to have at 2x speed, in my opinion the narrator was a very slow talker and monotone. Sometimes the voices she did for different characters didn't match, and also the audio quality would differ in areas. If any of this would bother you I would suggest a physical or an e-copy for this one.
Over all one of the best thrillers I have read to date. And the ending had me so shook I just HAD to message the author, ending the message with "I'm obsessed."
HEA? You decide. Maybe things can be done different this time.
This is the suspense and action I was expecting when I read Sterling House! It's little things at first that the main character, Cassie, feels like she is the only one noticing. As she gets familiar with the rest of the group weird things continue to happen and one of them goes missing. I listened to this in less than 24 hours because I simply didn't want to turn the audio book off.
My only qualm is occasionally the words in the same sentence or those surrounding would get a bit repetitive with "he", "it('s)","I" etc. obviously it didn't bother me enough to take off any points, the book was also so good that even if I did take off points for repetitiveness they easily would have been made up.
Now for fellow audio book readers, this is one I personally HAD to have at 2x speed, in my opinion the narrator was a very slow talker and monotone. Sometimes the voices she did for different characters didn't match, and also the audio quality would differ in areas. If any of this would bother you I would suggest a physical or an e-copy for this one.
Over all one of the best thrillers I have read to date. And the ending had me so shook I just HAD to message the author, ending the message with "I'm obsessed."
HEA? You decide. Maybe things can be done different this time.
Did Not Finish
June 30, 2025Dread house
This was published 2025. In what world is the author living in where almost every car doesn’t have day time running lights. They became pretty much standard in the mid-90s.
Plus, if it was just becoming dusk there’s no reason she would have to concentrate to the point of not blinking in order to see anything other cars on the road
Complains about having nearly no cell signal then immediately tries to send a text.
Omg why are you making every minor thing such a monumental issue? Just get out and knock nuts. It the end of the world.
7 mins in and all this girl has done is be overly dramatic and annoying with a “wow is me everything in my life is miserable.” Im already rooting for her to be a murder victim. I have zero investment in her and couldn’t be bothered if she succeeds in any mission.
Dnf. Also the narrator isn’t that good. Her cadence is off and makes the character sound even more annoying and petulant.
This was published 2025. In what world is the author living in where almost every car doesn’t have day time running lights. They became pretty much standard in the mid-90s.
Plus, if it was just becoming dusk there’s no reason she would have to concentrate to the point of not blinking in order to see anything other cars on the road
Complains about having nearly no cell signal then immediately tries to send a text.
Omg why are you making every minor thing such a monumental issue? Just get out and knock nuts. It the end of the world.
7 mins in and all this girl has done is be overly dramatic and annoying with a “wow is me everything in my life is miserable.” Im already rooting for her to be a murder victim. I have zero investment in her and couldn’t be bothered if she succeeds in any mission.
Dnf. Also the narrator isn’t that good. Her cadence is off and makes the character sound even more annoying and petulant.
September 12, 2025
Let us just talk about this book. I love the atmospheric writing from the very beginning. The scenes describing the manor house made me, as the reader, notice there was something off about the house. And do not get me started on the way that Ben behaved around Cassie. His attraction/disgust vibe made me just as frustrated as Cassie. Not to mention all the weird things that began to happen once the early visitors arrived at the house. As Cassie crept through the house looking for clues, I could feel her apprehension. Many times I felt myself thinking; this girl is nuts for not leaving. When the first tragic thing happened I think I would have left but since Cassie was the character she was, I had to read on to find out what was going on with the house and why weird things kept happening around Cassie. As I came to the end of the book, the last few pages had me re-reading them a second time. Shocking finale for sure! Rush to read this book; you will not be disappointed.
July 9, 2025
Dread House by A.C. Hessenauer
This is a great, gothic creepy read. I would call it horror-lite, more in line with a Daphne du Maurier or Riley Sager story.
Our protagonist, Cassie, arrives at an estate where her friend Emily is getting married. Cassie starts observing subtle signs of things that are off and then it’s a slow burn to the conclusion. There were some genuinely unsettling moments and images.
The prose is particularly detailed, which I’m not always a fan of, but in this case it really drove my immersion in the story. It’s like a camera lingering on the images, making you wonder what details are important. (I was reminded a bit of Donna Tartt’s book, “The Secret History.”)
Five stars. Great cover by Matt Seff Barnes as well.
This is a great, gothic creepy read. I would call it horror-lite, more in line with a Daphne du Maurier or Riley Sager story.
Our protagonist, Cassie, arrives at an estate where her friend Emily is getting married. Cassie starts observing subtle signs of things that are off and then it’s a slow burn to the conclusion. There were some genuinely unsettling moments and images.
The prose is particularly detailed, which I’m not always a fan of, but in this case it really drove my immersion in the story. It’s like a camera lingering on the images, making you wonder what details are important. (I was reminded a bit of Donna Tartt’s book, “The Secret History.”)
Five stars. Great cover by Matt Seff Barnes as well.
November 30, 2025
Cassie is going to a wedding party for the week. She’s going to meet new people, drink, and play games. As the week progresses a girl disappears. Dead animals and bloody wreath keep showing up in Cassie's room. This is supposed to be a week of fun but will it end well for Cassie?
This is a slow burn book. It was easy to get into and kept me interested. There is a twist at the end that leaves you questioning things. I would recommend this book to others.
February 2, 2025
I really enjoyed Dread House. It is a psychological horror that is going to leave you asking what is real and what is not. It kept me up until 1:30 in the morning reading to see how it ended. I ended up having to go to sleep with my eyes burning but picked it up again the next day and read the end. I’m still looking for someone to talk about the ending with. It was a little slower in the beginning than I would like and a little too much foreshadowing but as an over all it was a great read.
August 7, 2025
Not what I thought
It SOUNDED good by reading the reviews, but I didn't care for it. The story dragged on and didn't get slightly interesting until more than halfway through the book. It was like watching a trainwreck. Don't waste your time.
It SOUNDED good by reading the reviews, but I didn't care for it. The story dragged on and didn't get slightly interesting until more than halfway through the book. It was like watching a trainwreck. Don't waste your time.
March 1, 2025
A.C. Hessanauer does not disappoint. Had me pulled in from start to finish. While I understood Cassies' mistrust, I still felt sorry for Ben at times. Overall, it was an amazing read.
March 1, 2025
Good read that kept my me guessing for a long time. Good scene setting and character development.
May 27, 2025
3.5 stars
Content warning: Animal harm.
This was pretty good, but the ending wasn't clear cut; it could be interpreted in a couple of different ways.
Content warning: Animal harm.
This was pretty good, but the ending wasn't clear cut; it could be interpreted in a couple of different ways.
September 20, 2025
If Stacy Willingham, Riley Sager, and Ari Aster had a baby: it would be named Dread House.
November 16, 2025
Juvenile POV character, stilted dialogue, nothing to save it.
March 27, 2026
This was creepy and entertaining. Minus 1 star for the terrible Audible narration.
May 21, 2025
I was gifted the audiobook from the author! The audio was okay - I do personally prefer a duet narration style but, quality was good.
There were some overused phrases throughout such as the "sunlight pouring in". I do dislike when the FMC talks down about their body or apperance. I know as a woman this is a sadly honest reflection for most of us due to societal expectations and the media but, I hope as we all learn and grow we can step away from this type of narrative and move into a place where it is more common for confidence to be displayed in FMC.
The story progression was well done, I enjoyed the overall story.
It had me guessing till the end if Ben was in on it.
FMC has no self preservation skills - I would have been leaving everyone behind, especially seeing she only met everyone except for one person five days ago lol
Would recommend for a fun quick read/audio.
There were some overused phrases throughout such as the "sunlight pouring in". I do dislike when the FMC talks down about their body or apperance. I know as a woman this is a sadly honest reflection for most of us due to societal expectations and the media but, I hope as we all learn and grow we can step away from this type of narrative and move into a place where it is more common for confidence to be displayed in FMC.
The story progression was well done, I enjoyed the overall story.
It had me guessing till the end if Ben was in on it.
FMC has no self preservation skills - I would have been leaving everyone behind, especially seeing she only met everyone except for one person five days ago lol
Would recommend for a fun quick read/audio.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2025
3.5⭐️ Ready or Not meets Midsommar in this gothic psychological thriller.
As Cassie goes to a remote estate to celebrate the days leading up to her bestfriends wedding, she finds herself in the middle of strange happenings, as well as a bit of a love triangle. Someone goes missing, there are findings of occult rituals taking place, and past & present collide when she finds clues that can lead to answers of what’s currently happening. Although, Cassie’s not sure if she can trust anyone, let alone her own sanity, what she does know is that she is in danger. Will she be able to uncover the truth before it’s too late?
Audio narration was lacking emotion & consistency at times, & there was some repetitive language, but this does not take away from the story.
I received an ALC of this book from the author & am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
As Cassie goes to a remote estate to celebrate the days leading up to her bestfriends wedding, she finds herself in the middle of strange happenings, as well as a bit of a love triangle. Someone goes missing, there are findings of occult rituals taking place, and past & present collide when she finds clues that can lead to answers of what’s currently happening. Although, Cassie’s not sure if she can trust anyone, let alone her own sanity, what she does know is that she is in danger. Will she be able to uncover the truth before it’s too late?
Audio narration was lacking emotion & consistency at times, & there was some repetitive language, but this does not take away from the story.
I received an ALC of this book from the author & am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews