Staff Only

by Ellis Hart

Kindle Edition

Published February 23, 2026

About the author

I'm an independent author who lives in Orlando, Florida, with his wife, three children, and delightfully curious cat, Jovie. The House That Held Her is my debut novel, and I am incredibly proud of it. After eight rewrites, four different endings, and many characters killed, saved, and killed again, I think The House That Held Her will have you turning pages faster than ever.

I'm always eager to connect with fellow book lovers. If you’d like to chat about this novel or swap reading recommendations, you can reach out via any of my official author platforms.

Reviews

[Joshua Waselynchuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect novella I was looking for right before starting a fantasy book.

This taking place at a thriller readers retreat was the perfect vibe. Thoroughly enjoyed

[Cara bunnypop_bookstagram · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun thriller with a little dark edge to it.

I really enjoyed this all taking place at a thriller readers retreat! If the police ever need someone to assist with a case they should consult more thriller readers and authors 😂

Chapter 13 was my favourite and had me on the edge of my seat… click, click, click!!!

Would’ve loved this to be longer to get a better feel for the characters and delve more into the back stories. But we will get to see more of Nora’s sleuthing at least when book 2 is out April 18th!

If you’re looking for a quick read that is fun, creepy (looking at you 13) and will keep you guessing then definitely pick this one up!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[Meaghan Elizabeth 🌙 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun novella with a creepy book retreat theme. This is a classic who done it murder mystery and I was hooked from the very beginning. I absolutely love Ellis’s books and I couldn’t wait to read this one. It is fast paced and will have you on the edge of your seat with anticipation to find out who the killer is. Thank you, Ellis, for another great read!🫶🏻

[Brooke | brookesbooks88 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but packs a punch! This had me on the edge of my seat at times. Told over three acts with a timeline of a weekend at a book retreat.
A locked room murder mystery, with added tension.
I just love the way Ellis writes, he has this way of making you hold your breath throughout but you don’t notice until you let it go.
I always find rating a novella quite difficult but not this, classic beginning, middle and end, lacking in character depth as suspected from a story this short but no complaints whatsoever.

[Kelly Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first time I read anything from this author. After meeting him at the actual creepy book club retreat, I was very intrigued by the premise of this. Many women had suggested someone needed to write a murder at a book retreat. This did not disappoint. The hallway scene was definitely intense. Ellis, I need to know more about Nora and I can’t wait to see her in future Novella‘s taking place at other retreats. It was great to meet you and I thoroughly enjoyed this. I am one of the women who enjoy murder. Fictionally. Thank you.

[Raymond Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone here loves murder… fictionally

This is a classic murder mystery short story, and I absolutely loved how it’s set around a bookish event filled with book lovers, BookTokers, and Bookstagrammers — it felt so current and fun!

It’s a very quick entertaining read and has a satisfying twist. Perfect if you’re in the mood for something light but still packed with mystery.

Plus, it’s only a couple of quid on Kindle, so it’s an easy add to your TBR

Fun, fast-paced, and perfect for book lovers who enjoy a little fictional murder on the side.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short novella that keeps you hooked for the whole thing. It was so quick that I wasn't really wondering who did it because it was too short to take too many guesses and the main character said everything I was thinking. This was so much fun and if this was longer I would take even more of this book. The writing is fun and easy to comprehend and thrilling and exciting. I cant wait to read the second in the series and I already know that I will be reading the next one in the series when he writes it!

[Caitlin Bunting · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced short thriller. I really enjoyed the plot of this book and how we had a book in a book element which I love reading about. I would have loved for this one to be a bit longer as the vibes were hitting.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Ellis for this fast-paced, short story!

[Megan Haymans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a classic murder mystery short story. So fun, I loved it!

[Caitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love mini stories from Ellis Hart!!

[Nattaly ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, quick read. Kept me hooked wanted to know what was going to happen. I do think I was expecting more, but nonetheless it was a good read.

[Brandi Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun short read, probably more of a short story.

[Sierra Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun quick read by an amazing author. The concept of a book retreat thriller is top tier!