The Haunting of Sam Cabot

by Mark Edward Hall

There are places that hold evil, houses so vile, so tainted, that people refuse to live in them. Farnham House is one of those places.

Once an inn, this majestic old New England manor house is back on the market, and the price is very reasonable.

Sam Cabot is a man tired of moving. Now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life in the country with his wife and young son. Little does he know that he will soon begin a long, slow descent into madness and that he will spend his summer living with dead things.
The Kindle version of this book contains bonus material

Genres: Horror, Supernatural, Fiction, Paranormal, Amazon, Suspense

133 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Mark Edward Hall is the author of the bestselling fantasy and science fiction Blue Light Series. He’s written more than twenty novels and numerous short stories.

Apocalypse Island — In Book 1 of The Blue Light Series we meet Danny Wolf, Laura Higgins and Police Lieutenant Rick Jennings.
Their city has turned into a killing ground. Is it a serial killer, someone with a penchant for the macabre and a need to destroy? Or is it a darker force, an ancient legend from a mysterious Island come ashore to wreak havoc upon the unsuspecting?
In a desperate search for answers they discover a government conspiracy involving the Catholic Church, and a cold war CIA mind control program known as MK-Ultra where children were used as test subjects.
Danny Wolf, a local musician becomes the number one suspect in the murders, but no one, not even Wolf, is prepared for what they discover on Apocalypse Island, a mind blowing secret that was supposed to stay hidden forever.


Soul Thief — In Book 2 of the Blue Light Series we meet Doug and Annie McArthur. Doug McArthur, hit in the face by a young friend at the age of seven, is suddenly able to see a supernatural creature who calls itself Collector. Doug’s life is turned upside down when he realizes that it’s not just the creature he sees, but the atrocities it commits.
Since marrying Annie his visions have been quiet and Doug is grateful. Now Annie is pregnant with their first child—a child that promises to be special—and their world is in the process of coming apart, beginning with the destruction of their home and forcing them to run for their lives, back into the world of Annie’s childhood, the De Roché dynasty, to a murdered mother and a cruel and enigmatic father.


Song of Ariel — Book 3 of the Blue Light Series begins four years after Doug and Annie McArthur are forced to take refuge in the Maine Wilderness. Ariel has grown into a beautiful and gifted child wise beyond her years. Their life, although hard, has been peaceful and relatively quiet.
But the tide is about to turn. When they sense something isn't right in the world Doug leaves the shelter of their wilderness cabin to investigate. In a heartbeat their quiet life is shattered by an unspeakable violence, and once again they are forced to run for their lives, this time to a place where they will encounter a truth more fantastic than anything they could ever have imagined.

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Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Cabot and his family are buying a new home, Farnham House. Things are starting to get strange when Mr Carlisle, the vendor, agrees to repair the old furnace in the basement. He's a strange shadowy man nobody seems to know or have seen in the last 50 years (great character, absolutely spooky). Sam who retired from the army after his helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan is having bad dreams every night now in their new home. He sees 'shadow people' and something seems to be lurking in the well next to the house (an inspector of the water authorities dies on the attempt to take a sample of the water). Is there a connection between the going-ons in the the house and why Sam survived Afghanistan? Compelling, partly nailbiting horror story about a haunted house (very well done) and a great evil character (Mr Carlisle). The denouement at the end is also very interesting and surprising. Overall a nice 'cocktail' for every horror fan. Some parts reminded me on 'Amityville' (the furnace) and how Sam falls deeper and deeper into madness. I can only recommend the book. It's a quick read and very haunting!

[Jen from Quebec :0) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one started off wonderfully and was very engaging....then, as the book continued, it became very disjointed and hard to follow and then BAM- a very very sudden ending that didn't really match the vibe of the rest of the book. This was a very uneven read. Great premise, though...--Jen from Quebec :0)

[J.C. Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the world of terrifying, ghoulish, and bizarre ghost stories, haunted house, and haunted people. This creepy story takes its reader on a psychological whirlwind of terror.
Lock your doors, wrap your shawl around you tight, and take hold of a love one’s hand if you must, but steady yourself for a twisted, terrifying read.
The well-written author, Mark Edward Hall, takes his readers a wicked ride. The main character Sam Cabot, whose life quickly, spirals downward and out of control when you moves his family into the old Farnham House. Stories have gone around the Davenport community for years about the house, those associated with the home, and the death that has taken place over the years. However, Sam’s wife Linda and he find the home charming and just the fixer-upper they have been dreaming of. At the time, the two, let along their young son, could ever imagine the evil waiting to unfold turning their dream into a depraved nightmare.
To say I like, The Haunting of Sam Cabot would be a gross understatement. I live for this kind of stories. What I liked most about the story is the mounting tension and suspense the author build in his reader. Very well written, to be a horror/ghost story lovers delight.

[Bob · Rating 1 out of 5]

i should start a shelf here for half-read books. i'm trying real hard not to waste my time reading crappy books. that means abandoning them in various places once i've decided there's little chance of them improving. this is one of those books. two major things bothered me about this book. one, the main character, sam, acts, reacts and feels emotions that simply don't make any sense in any world i've lived in. granted, in the book he's supposed to have been influenced by this nebulous evilness that resides in the house. but things didn't even make sense in that context. his anger, fear, restlessness, alienation from wife and family, etc. just did not in any way make sense. even in the most bizarre stories, some credibility must be maintained. not in this book. the other thing that bothered me is a growing prejudice i'm developing against a plot device i'm seeing in more and more books, that being, dream sequences. it seems if a writer can''t think of any other way to give away plot points and explain things, they throw in some dream sequence that is supposed to enlighten us. in rare occasions, this works. i have to go back to the book Rosemary's Baby to think of the last time i thought it really worked well. i just don't find dreams all that interesting. or enlightening. after the second chapter-long dream sequence in this book, i decided i'd had enough. i gave up. chalk this one up as another freebie that wasn't worth the price.

[Tommy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first unfamiliar with this author, I didn't know what to expect. It was a haunting story, and I've read a lot of those, but I heard about this title recently and noticed that it's been getting some good reviews. So I checked it out for myself.

This is really good. Much of the story's focus remains around the main character, Sam Cabot, and the story is told in first person, which, for this particular type of story, works well. The character's voice drew me into the story from the beginning. There was a bit at the very end that didn't seem to "fit in" with the rest of the story's logic(or illogic, if you prefer), but it didn't detract from the story. By the conclusion, I was left thinking, "Ahhh. Now THIS is horror."

It's one of the best horror stories I've read lately, and I'll have to check out more of this author's work in the future.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but exciting! This author definitely takes inspiration from Stephen King. I love a good haunted house story and this one has a nice little twist that I didn't expect!

[Wendy Unsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the classic storyline - family see old house and fall in love with it, family move in, things start to go bump in the night. It's a short book and easy to read. There were a couple of twists that I liked but there were also, for me, some unlikely reactions to things that were going wrong. All in all, though an enjoyable read.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A family moves to an old home which they plan on restoring. Only strange things happen to Sam the longer they are there. He slowly deteriorates mentally and emotionally as he becomes more and more obsessed with the house's massive furnace.

I liked the way the horror was slow and dark but it reminded me too much of Jack Torrence in the Shining and that kind of took away for me.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its not an original story.
Young couple falls in love with the old run down house and must have it.
Creepy things start to happen, but with a twist, this was a fun novella that kept me turning pages. With our stormy weather I guess I was just in the mood for a scary story. . .

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good creepy Halloween story. A little slow in the middle but worth reading.

[reni · Rating 1 out of 5]

IF FURNACE BAD, WHY SEXC

Garbage writing, garbage storytelling, it's jan 9th and i already know this is going to be one of the worst books i read all year. God, where do i even start??

Spoilers for the entire book because 1. i can't yell comfortably without spoilers 2. trust me it's not worth reading anyway so save yourself the time and the trouble.

The premise and the story idea itself was semi-decent, although it was every single horror trope/cliché packed into one: haunted house, writer MC, kid with special needs, a mysterious and suspicious old man, house burning down, and a cheap plot twist that was done about a hundred times before. The only thing that stood out to me in the entire plot is that the main character lowkey wants to fuck the furnace.

The main character was supposed to be a war veteran with PTSD, but the PTSD was only mentioned so it could be used against the character when strange things started happening to him, it was an easy way to dismiss all his troubles by saying "oh no your nightmares came back, it's because of your past issues, that's all".

The writing was all tell, no show, the writer went on and on for pages telling us what happened and who acted like what, and what was his wife like, and what he noticed about the people around him, instead of showing us through character interactions, which 1. made the book very boring 2. made the characters feel empty. No one had an actual personality and no one ever did or said anything interesting and everything we find out, we do so because the character said that it happened.

The writing is FULL of filler words and expressions like "to tell you the truth" and "if you want the truth" and "i'm not going to lie to you", it's annoying and repetitive and simply bad writing. Expressions are repeated within one or two pages (like the sexy furnace "whispering in its alien language").

Here is an actual quote from the book:
"This is the monster that lives in your basement, not the one that lives in your pants. The monster you named the Hulk." - i would like to clarify though, that the hulk is the sexy furnace, not his dick.

or another one, a personal favourite of mine:
"I came awake with a sudden wrenching jolt, as if i had just been shat from the bowels of Satan."

For the first half of the book, barely anything happens, except the main character has a bad dream which is described longer than any other thing that happens in the book. Throw in some "oh look at me i'm so smart" quotes, e.g. when the character (in his dream!) looks at the dead bodies of his parents and sees blood in the coffins and goes "but that's not right!! the mortician would have drained all the blood and filled them up with formaldehyde which the liquid they always use to preserve the bodies!!" wow thanks, never would have known if you don't tell me that.

The book, like I said, ends with a cheap plot twist and then we all get to find out what happened and uuuh yeah, the literal devil appears completely out of nowhere, which wasn't set up in any way, because the story started as a haunted house but then somehow turned into "satan feeds dead bodies to the sexy furnace and also there is a weird well in the backyard".

I'm so tired. This rant review is already longer than the book should be. Ugh.

[Michele Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for Monster Librarian

Sam, his wife and son have just bought a dilapidated monster of house in the countryside, determined to see the old hulk rehabilitated and livable for the first time in over forty years. But things aren't adding up, like the previous owner, who keeps visiting despite having already replaced the bits he agreed to, and the creepy old heater in the basement. Then one of the roofers tells Sam about the strange murders that took place in the basement long ago, and hints about ghostly visions and occurrences that have scared off the town folk since. Not even these disturbing tales touch the surface of what really lives in Farnham House.
The Haunting of Sam Cabot is holds reader attention very well. It's a classic haunted house tale with a heavy dose of foreshadowing and an abbreviated length to keep eyes glued to the pages. Some of the events will be familiar to the well-read. Also, this books uses a method of storytelling wherein the author withholds information from the reader to aid in the final reveal, which will aggravate some readers. However, the book is solid and readable and in this age of so many ghost investigation and haunted house shows, it deserves a place in public collections. Private collectors should adjust their buying decision to their own taste.

[Carol Tilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Scary!

The main character of this book, Sam Cabot, stuffers greatly with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Besides the nightmares, things are not as they should be. The question poised here is could Sam be hallucinating or is he being manipulated by a possible malevolent being. All Sam wanted to do, was to fix up an old abandoned house with his wife and son and become the author he always dreamt he could be. Life does not always allow us to have what we want.

Even though this book is very scary, it is a quick easy read. I was impressed with the authors familiarity and description of some issues associated with PTSD, as they were spot on. This is the first book I have read by this author but it is likely I would be open to read his other works. However, I will leave the lights on when I do so.

[Greg Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some might say that haunted houses have become a cliche in dark fiction, but in the end it's how you tell the story that gives it its originality.

The same can be said for Mark Edward Hall's "The Haunting of Sam Cabot" by Damnation Books.

Once you start reading, Hall just won't let you go. It's like being caught in quicksand.

His prose has a hypnotic quality, taking you deeper into Sam's head and the horrors that affect him.

Although you know very early that there's something wrong with the house the plot keeps you guessing and the dread and atmosphere builds to a climax you would never have seen coming.

Hall is definitely an author to watch.

[Lori Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in one day

I liked this book so much, ended up reading it in one day! I love the paranormal and this filled the bill. Sam and his wife and so wanted to move closer to her parents. The house they found was huge and needed work done on it....inside and out. Something started to take over Sam's body. He was having a lot of nightmares. This is the first book by this author I have read and won't be the last!!

[Barb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked it at first, but got sick of it because of all his dreams.

[Kathy Pero · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a relatively good book - one you can read in a couple of days. It has the makings of being an even better book, but doesn't quite get there. I believe the choice of having a first-person narrator may be the reason it struggles a bit. I understand the reasoning behind making that choice, but, because of it, there appears to be some awkwardness in transition, which could easily cause confusion in some readers. It's a formulaic plot, but still works for what it is - a fun, scary story for Halloween.

[Dana Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK horror story. I enjoyed the author's writing style and I liked the twist at the end (although I did figure something like that was going to happen about halfway through the story). This is a pretty quick read if you're looking for something short.

This is most likely just me, but when they were describing the heating system for the house, I just kept picturing Kevin from Home Alone and his mental battles with their furnace lol. I think it made it a bit less scary for me :)

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true page Turner

I love a good mystery but I read this late into the night. And boy did I have some weird dreams. Books don't normally do that to me but this one did. Almost as good as watching a good thriller movie at night. Poor Sam was overwhelmed by the house

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine writing

The author has talent. You become wrapped up in the story and in the characters themselves. While not my style of supernatural thriller, this is very well written and I enjoyed most of the story.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Enjoyable

A different take on the haunted house genre. Also great descriptions of PTSD - finally!
The story let's you decide what was real, imagined and they grey area between. I would recommend this novel

[Doug Hohbein · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Extremely creepy with a brisk pace. No pages wasted on filler or complicated back stories. Sam devolves into madness in fast forward and it's a chilling ride. It is a bit of a mash up of two classic horror movies, but I won't name them as it would be a bit of a spoiler.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good haunted house story! I downloaded it on my Kindle years ago and came across it when I was looking for a haunted house story. The ending was kind of open-ended and left for interpretation. But I enjoyed it!

[Casey527 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy!

I enjoyed going on this ride. Wish it was scarier but it was still good. The descent of the characters was creepy and well done.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely, extremely creepy. Messes with your head in a big way. The ending was a bit of a shocker, too. Loads of scary fun!

[Elizabeth Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting

I chose four stars because the spooky value is pretty high. The story pulled me in and carried me along. Loved the ending.

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't exactly what I expected. Not terribly scary, but highly enjoyable.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange things are happening to Sam and something is wrong with his new home.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had a pretty good plot and would make a good horror movie.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting

Amazing story. Creepy and a page turner.
Ghosts, evil spirits? I don't want to give to much away. A must read.