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The Maple House: The True Story of a Haunting

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Every family has bad luck, but what if the bad stuff was more than just a coincidence?

It was meant to be a dream home, but something went incredibly wrong after the Dyers moved into the Maple House...From the bewildering car trouble, sudden medical problems, unexplained noises, ghostly music in the night, swarming insects, and strange lights their time in the house was plagued with problems.

When the life of their young son is taken, however, Jeanie starts to wonder if her family is being targeted by something supernatural.

In this short book based on a true story, Jeanie narrates her family's time at the Maple House and the experiences in the beautiful house on the hill that still plague her family today.

106 pages, Paperback

First published June 12, 2014

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Jeanie Dyer

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5 stars
79 (27%)
4 stars
75 (26%)
3 stars
78 (27%)
2 stars
41 (14%)
1 star
14 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Angel.
298 reviews19 followers
February 16, 2016
So she starts off the story saying that it probably isn't scary enough to be believable as a haunted house/ghost story. (That in itself kind of says a lot) Then there's talk of them being lower middle class living paycheck to paycheck but when the question of where the ghost came from a plausible answer was that they picked it up on a trip to Europe. Wait. What? Probably the most annoying part of this book was the screen shots of her Facebook posts regarding the house. As though that and her friends comments should convince you that what was happening was real because 'Look! Other people believe me!' I rarely dislike a book as much as I disliked this one. Im even almost sorry to say that because I DO believe she had some very difficult things happen to her. But it was sad, not paranormal (in my opinion). It's not that the book isn't scary enough or dramatic enough.... It's just that it's not what it's put out there to be. But then again she also said she wanted to be a writer... And here it is.
82 reviews4 followers
April 8, 2019
This falls into the author wants to write a book, or needs the income from a book, or wants to be considered an "author", so decides to write about their "haunted" house. The usual start, couple moves into a house, sees a few things, or thinks they do. But they don't follow up on any of that, they don't want to move, they are not really uneasy. Then it turned into a tale of illnesses and misfortune, which goes on and on and eclipses any further revelations of the so called "haunting", except perhaps as financial motivation for writing a haunted house book. I almost put the book aside at this point, but I plowed on through. I'm sorry for the author's misfortunes, but the author didn't relate them to the house (she wanted to stay and said she didn't connect them herself to the house) so it seems in relating them she was asking the reader to make a connection she herself did not. Otherwise the reader would wonder why she didn't just get out. After all this misfortune, they get a notice that the long absent owner is returning and they have to move out, which they are sad about, not relieved. End of story. Other than a few oddities at the beginning of the story, there was no haunting.

There are so many of these wannabe haunting tales by wannabe authors and this one was probably average, or a little less so, in its execution, since so little of the book had anything to do with the house, or any haunting.

If you want to read a literate example of this type of true ghost story, read "Night Stalks the Mansion". If you want to read a scary example, read "In a Dark Place"
6 reviews
December 21, 2014
very little about haunting

1star

I expected more, there was very little haunting info. I felt very sad for the family,their life in that house was hard

jim
3 reviews
August 6, 2018
Never second guess yourself and don't worry about what others may think of you .I'm sorry for what you've suffered through and I hope that there is only happiness for you and your family in your future and thanks for sharing.

I thought that it took allot of courage to share your story. Own it and don't apologize or second guess yourself nobody can honestly judge you unless they have walked in your shoe s and you know yourself , believe in yourself. Thanks for sharing
102 reviews1 follower
October 4, 2018
Maple House

A truly believable story of a house and family plagued by too many "coincidental occurrences" to be just dismissed.
The author says these things can be explained by nature.
But really?
6 reviews
January 15, 2018
Excellent book

A well written insightful book. I've read many books from this author and HIGHLY recommend her books! I look forward to many more books to read.
Profile Image for Michael.
56 reviews
March 1, 2017
Don't be put off by the author

Perhaps the only negative thing to say, is the author constantly dismisses her own story throughout this book. Maybe she's trying to appear sceptical but I think the lady doth protest too much :-)
I'm of the opinion that a good scary story should be mundane. It's definitely these constant, inexplicable variations in the everyday events of life that add up over time to make a riveting and unnerving story like this.
The added tragedies of Jim and baby James whilst not paranormal events themselves, would certainly have left me in no doubt that it was time to move.
This is the fourth true haunting book by Rebecca P. Howard I've read, but this had a decidedly different tone. Of course the last one I read was number 3, written by someone younger, and before the loss of a child, so maybe that's still too fresh in my mind as I write this review. I'm not the person I was a year/month/week ago, but that's MS for ya :) so maybe I shouldn't expect the same author after her life changing events.
Ignore the Jennie Dyer pseudonym. It's Rebecca P Howard continuing her true haunted series, and it's well worth a read, if a little shorter than usual.

Corrected atrocious wrong words selected by Swype on my Kindle Fire.
Profile Image for Will Hoover.
167 reviews46 followers
May 24, 2015
Jeanie Dyer's fascinating chronicle of the two years she and her family resided in a spacious, but decidedly creepy mansion, is surprisingly well written, especially when compared to similar (but not nearly as competently composed) books in the occult paranormal genre.

Despite the fact that the author begins her mystery enshrouded missive by warning readers that what would normally be considered actual ghostly revenants were scarcely ever witnessed during her time in the house, she still manages to deliver a better than average 80 pages of suitably chilling detail about the phenomena she and others close to her purportedly experienced.

Mind you, The Maple House is really not in the same class as Jay Anson's The Amityville Horror, or any of the amazing stories Stephen King regularly cooks up for the masses that hunger and thirst for his usual brand of fright filled fiction, but this particular non-fiction narrative, as brief as it may in fact be, is still more than worth the effort. And let's face it; it's not like it'd take most readers long to digest this deliciously macabre morsel.
154 reviews7 followers
March 23, 2015
This was very CREEPY,

Wow, even though this was not like the usual Hauntings I've read about this family went through some very terrifying experiences. My heart broke for their losing a friend after visiting there home and then losing family members,most of all their baby. This was a short story but I don't think I would have wanted to read much more if they would have continued to live there much longer. I think they were better off having to move.
kozetteksmith
Profile Image for Veronica Claire Reeves.
1 review
April 14, 2016
Very quick read at less than 100 pages! I noticed a few typos, which bothered me, but they didn't detract from the main idea. The haunting described is indeed creepy, as others have mentioned but recounted in a believable fashion. I was expecting more chilling details. The paranormal has always interested me, and it takes a lot to scare me. Overall, entertaining and saddening but a bit short of my literary expectations.
Profile Image for Donna Minyard.
27 reviews
August 20, 2016
Spooky !!

There may be people who think the small things that happened here could've been coincidence, or something else. I believe there was something truly evil at play. When you add everything together, it's not "normal" to experience this many things in the amount of time they occupied the house. The music alone is unusual, to say the least. I believe something was off there. I'm glad they moved...
Profile Image for Brenda.
1,150 reviews15 followers
January 1, 2017
Interesting read

I always enjoy a good haunted house story and this one fits the bill. Thing is it isn't overly scary or even creepy but it's the way the author tells her story that makes it such a good read. The events that happened must have been difficult to share but it allowed me to feel like I could understand the authors feelings. An interesting story about a house that definitely had some interesting things go on.
725 reviews8 followers
November 26, 2016
Excellent

I can't blame the author for using a pen name for this one, but contrary to her disclaimer regarding whether this was a haunting, I believe it was of a sort. Hauntings by negative spirits, rather than dead people. Indeed her story sounds rather typical to me, more likely than the classical ghost story told in Hollywood. She did an excellent job of telling her story. I only wish I could sit down and talk to her.
13 reviews1 follower
February 18, 2016
Written well and easy to follow.

The book holds your interest. It is hard to believe that due to the many health problems that existed with the writer that she had no phone on or transportation in the desolate location. She evidently did not want to acknowledge that this was definitely a paranormal experience. Good reading.
Profile Image for Britt Tynes.
23 reviews1 follower
June 3, 2016
Very good story

It's not always that we get a peek inside the lives of others the writer allows us in her home and life, I have seen and heard lots of things in my life and I do believe you were targeting by the supernatural. I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend but even more sorry for the loss of your child. Peace be with you and your family for the rest of your days.
Profile Image for Kelli.
10 reviews1 follower
December 26, 2014
Loved It

I believe land, as well as buildings can be haunted. And sometimes it's people. I firmly believe that hauntings happen. I've had my own experiences. I enjoyed reading about the account this family had.
246 reviews1 follower
March 30, 2015
Very interesting

I enjoyed reading this book and the way Jeanie Dyer wrote it. It wasn't the same haunting story I have been reading and she herself is not positively sure of what happened. I feel like the house was haunted but in a different way than most hauntings.
595 reviews1 follower
March 5, 2016
Please!

As many paranormal and haunted houses in her life and she questioned this!!! With a young son and husband, I would have vacated as soon as her friend, Jim warned her then died. I would have been gone!!!! Good story, though.
Profile Image for Lisa Burdick.
15 reviews1 follower
September 27, 2014
Good short read

Very interesting! I liked this book. Kept my attention. I would recommend this book. Thank you for sharing your story.
30 reviews2 followers
January 4, 2015
Very fast read.

The author leaves the choice to the reader. Was the family having bad luck or was this a haunting? I go back and forth and in the end I am still undecided.
1 review
February 23, 2015
H

Rd Dr Dec defrauded rd, go truth gif tohug ug ugh. :) reef crimes vCard it f u d, Yuri trusth r ttc red it'd Yuri fix g v
Profile Image for Maddison.
1 review
April 20, 2015
:)

Definitely would recommend for a short read. Did give me a few child here and there. Over all sort was very intriguing.
Profile Image for Lenora Martinez.
20 reviews6 followers
May 22, 2015
Souls

This book I couldn't put it down it is full of creepiness and a lot of. Sadness and what parent's go through in life.for our children
2 reviews
March 22, 2016
Enjoyable

Was an enjoyable read. Kept my interest. Wish it was longer. I would recommend it if you like the unexplained.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

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