What do you think?
Rate this book
Something Bad Happened Here: A Horrifying Haunted House Novella
Lost and unmoored after her mother’s death, Carmen drifts from place to place. Moving from one Airbnb to the next, she is a ghost in the towns she passes through—an outsider, never quite belonging.
With her inheritance dwindling away, and determined to stop drifting, Carmen decides it’s time to settle. Time to buy a little house, close the door, and try to rebuild her life.
When she finds a surprisingly cheap property on a nice street, Carmen thinks she’s struck gold, until the estate agent hesitates. The house has a history, she warns. Something unspeakable happened there. A murder so brutal she can barely bring herself to describe it.
But Carmen isn’t easily spooked. The house wasn’t to blame. And a bargain is a bargain. Ghosts aren’t real. Hauntings are just superstition.
Yet, as Carmen turns her key in the lock, a thought haunts
What if she’s wrong?
What if walls really do remember?
Something Bad Happened Here is a chilling haunted house story which deals with themes of spirits and possession. It will appeal to fans of The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty and Come Closer by Sara Gran.
With her inheritance dwindling away, and determined to stop drifting, Carmen decides it’s time to settle. Time to buy a little house, close the door, and try to rebuild her life.
When she finds a surprisingly cheap property on a nice street, Carmen thinks she’s struck gold, until the estate agent hesitates. The house has a history, she warns. Something unspeakable happened there. A murder so brutal she can barely bring herself to describe it.
But Carmen isn’t easily spooked. The house wasn’t to blame. And a bargain is a bargain. Ghosts aren’t real. Hauntings are just superstition.
Yet, as Carmen turns her key in the lock, a thought haunts
What if she’s wrong?
What if walls really do remember?
Something Bad Happened Here is a chilling haunted house story which deals with themes of spirits and possession. It will appeal to fans of The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty and Come Closer by Sara Gran.
Audible Audio
Published February 23, 2026
42 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Zoe Rosi
5 books114 followersI am a thriller and horror author from Oxford, UK.
I write dark but entertaining books about the kind of people you probably wouldn't want to meet.
To watch some videos about my books, visit my Instagram page @zoerosiauthor or visit www.zoerosi.co.uk.
I write dark but entertaining books about the kind of people you probably wouldn't want to meet.
To watch some videos about my books, visit my Instagram page @zoerosiauthor or visit www.zoerosi.co.uk.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
February 27, 2026
Narrated by Andy Stevenson
Presented by Xpresso Book Tours
This started pretty dull and never really improved, unfortunately.
An okay listen in lieu of nothing else, but ultimately disappointing.
A woman moves to a new area after the death of her mother, wanting some time away from everything. Unfortunately, the cheap house she moves into was once the scene of a grizzly murder, and now strange things are happening that she can't explain.
Firstly, I'm not sure why we needed to go through all the boring process of her acquiring the house. Completely superfluous stuff, and the changing perspective didn't really add much.
There was a lot of excess stuff in this one that just contributed nothing to the story, so by the time the horror started to make itself known it wasn't enough to erase the tedium of the whole thing.
Then the time jumps around a little bit, making it hard to follow what's happening when.
I also had a problem with the narrator, and question the choice to have a male narrator on a book told from a female perspective. This guy made the ladies sound like ridiculous caricatures and it gave the book a sense of parody rather than anything dark or ominous. I wouldn't recommend the audio version for this reason. Perhaps in print there's a little more to get behind.
Some interesting ideas but poorly executed, and not really enough to make the excess stuff worth slogging through. Added to that, painful narration of the audio version. Okay in a pinch, but otherwise not much here.
With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC
Presented by Xpresso Book Tours
This started pretty dull and never really improved, unfortunately.
An okay listen in lieu of nothing else, but ultimately disappointing.
A woman moves to a new area after the death of her mother, wanting some time away from everything. Unfortunately, the cheap house she moves into was once the scene of a grizzly murder, and now strange things are happening that she can't explain.
Firstly, I'm not sure why we needed to go through all the boring process of her acquiring the house. Completely superfluous stuff, and the changing perspective didn't really add much.
There was a lot of excess stuff in this one that just contributed nothing to the story, so by the time the horror started to make itself known it wasn't enough to erase the tedium of the whole thing.
Then the time jumps around a little bit, making it hard to follow what's happening when.
I also had a problem with the narrator, and question the choice to have a male narrator on a book told from a female perspective. This guy made the ladies sound like ridiculous caricatures and it gave the book a sense of parody rather than anything dark or ominous. I wouldn't recommend the audio version for this reason. Perhaps in print there's a little more to get behind.
Some interesting ideas but poorly executed, and not really enough to make the excess stuff worth slogging through. Added to that, painful narration of the audio version. Okay in a pinch, but otherwise not much here.
With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC
December 2, 2025
Nope.
The two stars here is generous. I mean, I finished it but it was a bit of a struggle.
For most of the book, almost nothing happens. As you get to the end, your meek and bleak little haunted house story (sort of) takes a left turn and you've got frantic parking lot sex, boozing it up with a homeless guy and...the thing that happens in the end.
Our MC has zero personality for the whole of the book. The book starts with another POV character who just disappears partway through. Nothing happens to her. She's just...no longer important to the story so she poofs.
So, again...Nope. Just nope.
The two stars here is generous. I mean, I finished it but it was a bit of a struggle.
For most of the book, almost nothing happens. As you get to the end, your meek and bleak little haunted house story (sort of) takes a left turn and you've got frantic parking lot sex, boozing it up with a homeless guy and...the thing that happens in the end.
Our MC has zero personality for the whole of the book. The book starts with another POV character who just disappears partway through. Nothing happens to her. She's just...no longer important to the story so she poofs.
So, again...Nope. Just nope.
March 13, 2026
Something Bad Happened Here by Zoe Rosi is a haunted house story that unfortunately fails to create the eerie atmosphere expected from the genre. I have previously read this author and really enjoyed her work, but this book did not live up to my expectations. The main character, Carmen, often sounded more unintentionally funny than truly devastated, which weakened the emotional impact of the story. Moments that were supposed to feel terrifying ended up feeling odd or even humorous. The suspense never fully builds, and the tension feels inconsistent throughout. The climax also could have been stronger, as it arrives suddenly and feels somewhat abrupt and underdeveloped.
March 27, 2026
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the audio arc! I liked the colors used for the cover, and thought the premise was interesting, so I wanted to give this a go! The narration by Andy Stevenson wasn’t but, but wasn’t my favorite. Just seemed like an odd choice for this mostly one character perspective.
The book opens on Carmen. She’s grieving the loss of her mother, the only true constant in her life. She’s been popping around just sort of adrift. Staying at AirBnBs with no real place to call home. Her stuff is in storage and she doesn’t feel comfortable enough where she’s staying for it anyway. So a bit of a house hunt ensues, and wouldn’t you know it, there’s an undervalued home in the town she wants! It just happens to be the site of a heinously graphic murder, but what could really go wrong? And look at the new appliances!
I remember thinking while listening to this that it felt like a haunted house story with a setup from someone that’s never read one. And I don’t mean that in any way as insulting or to sway readers against it, it just really stuck out as a thought to me. The opening is long, not really slow, but noticeably longer than the actual section of the book where things start happening. In that sense it felt kind of reminiscent of The Haunting of Hill House to me. I enjoyed the setup, and I think the writing was solid, but if you take your time to set up a character, the length of the story should suit their journey.
The second half of the novella, I did struggle a bit with. It felt like the beginning of a larger picture, like it was missing a part three or something. And while I am a fan of writing open endings, I’m not so sure about reading them personally. Carmen’s deterioration needed more explaining in my opinion. I did feel her grief, that desire to speak to someone just one more time, but I never felt like she was spiraling. And I think the reader needed that before there could be a satisfying break.
The more “choose your own” style of, is it possession or is it a mental breakdown, I did enjoy though. However, this does feature a rather rough sexual encounter that I can’t say I’m a fan of. I enjoyed the ghost “incidents” and even the fact that the murder in question was inspired by a true event, but wow was it dark. Even to read it fictionalized was a lot. It did read like setting up a story just to include that real-life murder, which is why I think it just needed a little more. I enjoyed what I listened to, just wish it was longer.
A murder-heavy haunting novella that blends grief and longing with an ending open to interpretation.
The book opens on Carmen. She’s grieving the loss of her mother, the only true constant in her life. She’s been popping around just sort of adrift. Staying at AirBnBs with no real place to call home. Her stuff is in storage and she doesn’t feel comfortable enough where she’s staying for it anyway. So a bit of a house hunt ensues, and wouldn’t you know it, there’s an undervalued home in the town she wants! It just happens to be the site of a heinously graphic murder, but what could really go wrong? And look at the new appliances!
I remember thinking while listening to this that it felt like a haunted house story with a setup from someone that’s never read one. And I don’t mean that in any way as insulting or to sway readers against it, it just really stuck out as a thought to me. The opening is long, not really slow, but noticeably longer than the actual section of the book where things start happening. In that sense it felt kind of reminiscent of The Haunting of Hill House to me. I enjoyed the setup, and I think the writing was solid, but if you take your time to set up a character, the length of the story should suit their journey.
The second half of the novella, I did struggle a bit with. It felt like the beginning of a larger picture, like it was missing a part three or something. And while I am a fan of writing open endings, I’m not so sure about reading them personally. Carmen’s deterioration needed more explaining in my opinion. I did feel her grief, that desire to speak to someone just one more time, but I never felt like she was spiraling. And I think the reader needed that before there could be a satisfying break.
The more “choose your own” style of, is it possession or is it a mental breakdown, I did enjoy though. However, this does feature a rather rough sexual encounter that I can’t say I’m a fan of. I enjoyed the ghost “incidents” and even the fact that the murder in question was inspired by a true event, but wow was it dark. Even to read it fictionalized was a lot. It did read like setting up a story just to include that real-life murder, which is why I think it just needed a little more. I enjoyed what I listened to, just wish it was longer.
A murder-heavy haunting novella that blends grief and longing with an ending open to interpretation.
February 27, 2026
Something Bad Happened Here had an intriguing premise, but overall it left me wanting more. The story is quite short, and I honestly think it would have benefited from being longer. With more development, the characters and events could have felt more fleshed out and impactful.
While the concept itself was interesting, parts of the plot felt unrealistic, which made it harder to fully immerse myself in the story. Some events seemed to unfold too conveniently, and I found myself wishing for a bit more depth and explanation to make everything feel believable.
That said, it’s a quick read and has a solid foundation. With more detail and expanded storytelling, this could have been a much stronger and more compelling book.
While the concept itself was interesting, parts of the plot felt unrealistic, which made it harder to fully immerse myself in the story. Some events seemed to unfold too conveniently, and I found myself wishing for a bit more depth and explanation to make everything feel believable.
That said, it’s a quick read and has a solid foundation. With more detail and expanded storytelling, this could have been a much stronger and more compelling book.
March 1, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for the eALC of Something Bad Happened Here by Zoe Rose.
That was incredibly rude and mean and please give me another one! This might be my new favorite take on a haunted house.
I was a little confused by the choice of narrator, but you know what, he killed it. And I completely lost it at “what a sturdy fence!” Ha!
That was incredibly rude and mean and please give me another one! This might be my new favorite take on a haunted house.
I was a little confused by the choice of narrator, but you know what, he killed it. And I completely lost it at “what a sturdy fence!” Ha!
April 25, 2026
The premise of this book was amazing... It took over 50% of the book for anything worthy of note happened and honestly... It wasn't brilliant.
The pacing didn't work for me.
It wasn't what was advertised and it didn't work me as a horror or a thriller.
I was disappointed to be honest.
2.5 stars rounded to 3
The pacing didn't work for me.
It wasn't what was advertised and it didn't work me as a horror or a thriller.
I was disappointed to be honest.
2.5 stars rounded to 3
February 24, 2026
Thankyou so much #NetGAllery for the audiobook arc.
the start of it was a bit boring, but as the story progressed, i was too interested and wanted to know what happens next, this was a light interesting read.
the start of it was a bit boring, but as the story progressed, i was too interested and wanted to know what happens next, this was a light interesting read.
October 3, 2025
A good creepy cover, a wicked title & the intrigue & allure of possession during spooky season…? Uhmm. Yes please! I’m helpless to resist.
Unfortunately….. this novella read like it was an afterthought. Surface level, excessive fluff & an MC whose inner thoughts were audible-sigh & eye-roll inducing. All of it needless, senseless & incredibly annoying.
Dubbing this as horror was a downward dog kinda stretch. It was like the author was trying to get in enough words for this to qualify as a novella. “Fledgling” is a word that comes to mind. 🤷🏻♀️
Sorry.
Thanks to NG and the pub for this arc in exchange for review. I am always grateful.
Pub: 10.25.2025.
Unfortunately….. this novella read like it was an afterthought. Surface level, excessive fluff & an MC whose inner thoughts were audible-sigh & eye-roll inducing. All of it needless, senseless & incredibly annoying.
Dubbing this as horror was a downward dog kinda stretch. It was like the author was trying to get in enough words for this to qualify as a novella. “Fledgling” is a word that comes to mind. 🤷🏻♀️
Sorry.
Thanks to NG and the pub for this arc in exchange for review. I am always grateful.
Pub: 10.25.2025.
October 11, 2025
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the digital Arc of this on. This is coming out October 25th, 2025 which is a perfect time for it.
Here we are following Carmen who is an Editor and is looking for a change of pace. She happens upon a house for sale that is too good to be true. You know where this is going and therein lies the rub.
The writing was good and I appreciated the quality as there was nary a misspelling or any grammatical mishaps.
Ultimately I landed in a solid 3 stars. I think this is a decent Halloween/Fall pick and would be good for readers of Sarah Pinborough
Here we are following Carmen who is an Editor and is looking for a change of pace. She happens upon a house for sale that is too good to be true. You know where this is going and therein lies the rub.
The writing was good and I appreciated the quality as there was nary a misspelling or any grammatical mishaps.
Ultimately I landed in a solid 3 stars. I think this is a decent Halloween/Fall pick and would be good for readers of Sarah Pinborough
October 30, 2025
Carmen is looking for a fresh start after the passing of her mum.
She contacts an estate agent to book in a viewing. She is made aware of the property's dark history - a brutal murder that took place in the 70's.. but Carmen doesn't want to know the story behind it. She isn't superstitious. A house is a house, and she is happy to bag a bargain and settle down!
Things go downhill from there. Carmen can't explain the strange noises and occurances that keep happening. Has she made a mistake accepting this house?
.
.
.
I devoured this book in one sitting. Zoe Rosi writes book that are so easy to binge!
Something Bad Happened Here has a brutal story behind it. The tension builds throughout and I felt increasingly uncomfortable reading this. Towards the end I was squirming out of my seat!
This is a perfect spooky novella for this time of year. Love a haunted house horror 🙌!
She contacts an estate agent to book in a viewing. She is made aware of the property's dark history - a brutal murder that took place in the 70's.. but Carmen doesn't want to know the story behind it. She isn't superstitious. A house is a house, and she is happy to bag a bargain and settle down!
Things go downhill from there. Carmen can't explain the strange noises and occurances that keep happening. Has she made a mistake accepting this house?
.
.
.
I devoured this book in one sitting. Zoe Rosi writes book that are so easy to binge!
Something Bad Happened Here has a brutal story behind it. The tension builds throughout and I felt increasingly uncomfortable reading this. Towards the end I was squirming out of my seat!
This is a perfect spooky novella for this time of year. Love a haunted house horror 🙌!
October 21, 2025
4.25 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story was perfect for the fall season. It was creepy, full of dread, and the fact it was inspired by true events makes it even more terrifying. I enjoyed the character development of our FMC Carmen. She was really having a rough time in her life and tried to make the best out of her situation. I found myself relating to her in several ways, which also added to my terror while reading this.
I do wish this was a bit longer - while the backstory of the house and Carmen were well-developed, I would have liked more to the haunting and those events, since most of the terrifying moments were at the end of the story. However, this is a novella, and the abruptness of the ending and the shocking terror once the events unfolded actually added to the fear I felt for Carmen while reading.
This book kind of made me think of The Amityville Horror, so if you liked that book or movie, definitely check this out!
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story was perfect for the fall season. It was creepy, full of dread, and the fact it was inspired by true events makes it even more terrifying. I enjoyed the character development of our FMC Carmen. She was really having a rough time in her life and tried to make the best out of her situation. I found myself relating to her in several ways, which also added to my terror while reading this.
I do wish this was a bit longer - while the backstory of the house and Carmen were well-developed, I would have liked more to the haunting and those events, since most of the terrifying moments were at the end of the story. However, this is a novella, and the abruptness of the ending and the shocking terror once the events unfolded actually added to the fear I felt for Carmen while reading.
This book kind of made me think of The Amityville Horror, so if you liked that book or movie, definitely check this out!
October 8, 2025
Short chapters made this book move fast. Imagine finding a house for sale that you have an interest in buying only to find out something bad had happened years earlier. It sure didn’t bother Carmen. She loved her new house. Some paranormal things start happening to make this story “spooky”. This was a DNF book for me. It got too weird at 85% for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published October 25, 2025.
January 18, 2026
3.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads. I enjoyed this book, even though it is profoundly sad at times. This is a story about grief and mental health disguised as a haunted house story. I feel so heartbroken for the main character Carmen, who just wants to find some peace and quiet after caring for her mom through the end of her life. I also like that the author left the ending purposely ambiguous, allowing the reader to determine for ourselves what happened in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2026
I don't usually check reviews but when I went to add this to my "currently reading" I noticed it had an extremely low rating. I looked over a few before reading and then read more after and while I can understand some of the ratings, I think my biggest problem was having a male narrator for a female MC. Otherwise it was a short, quick read. Not amazing but not horrendous.
February 28, 2026
The concept is strong, and I can absolutely see this working for the right reader. Unfortunately, I felt disconnected from the start and had a hard time staying invested.
I pushed through because I kept hoping it would shift but it never quite did for me.
Not every book is for every reader, and this one just wasn’t my match.
I pushed through because I kept hoping it would shift but it never quite did for me.
Not every book is for every reader, and this one just wasn’t my match.
March 9, 2026
Taking a whole star off for the narrator alone.
October 31, 2025
bone chilling
Loving all the thrills I get from reading Zoe’s books they are fast paced and leave you uneasy. I love it I am torn between needing to know and glad I don’t
Loving all the thrills I get from reading Zoe’s books they are fast paced and leave you uneasy. I love it I am torn between needing to know and glad I don’t
February 20, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
I really enjoyed this audio book. Andy Stevenson did a really good job at all the voices. The story was fun and shocking. It kept me thinking what was going to happen next. I really liked Carmen and how she wanted to believe everything was all ok whereas if I was in her situation I would be long gone. I wish the book was longer and gave a definite ending rather than leaving it open for interpretation. I would have liked to see what happened next. When the book ended I was left wanting more. I would definitely check out Zoe’s other books!
Thank you to Zoe and Xpresso Audi0books for the ARC
I really enjoyed this audio book. Andy Stevenson did a really good job at all the voices. The story was fun and shocking. It kept me thinking what was going to happen next. I really liked Carmen and how she wanted to believe everything was all ok whereas if I was in her situation I would be long gone. I wish the book was longer and gave a definite ending rather than leaving it open for interpretation. I would have liked to see what happened next. When the book ended I was left wanting more. I would definitely check out Zoe’s other books!
Thank you to Zoe and Xpresso Audi0books for the ARC
December 20, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me an ARC.
March 2, 2026
I wanted to like this, I really did, but the only reason I finished was because it was short, I needed something to listen to at work, and I intended to give an Honest Review for the audio ARC (via Netgalley) for this book.
But this book is just, well nothing. Its boring, full of so much unneeded filter, the scares are the most basic cheap tricks you get from a lazy haunted house, Carmen isn’t even a character, and the ending of this book is nonsense and felt so junky and rushed that I wondered if three chapters were missing in the middle of this.
This book is heavy on just telling you things. There were so many lines that were like “she told her about this” and “she told her about that” and “she filled her in on everything”, you don’t even get any substantial dialogue between characters – and when you do, the dialogue is bland and stale. Its just so much, let me tell you these things and be done with it, as opposed to actually crafting a compelling story.
The biggest blunder with this, is that we learn about the murder of the children within the like first three chapters (and these chapters are so short mind you). We’re given a monotone, straight forward story about how these kids were killed, and what happened to the guy who did it, but Carmen doesn’t know any of this. There are two chapter of the realtor who only exists to give us an internal monologue about how “ya, the house is creepy, those kids were tortured and murdered, sure weird someone’s going to buy the place” and then we never see the realtor again. She is there only to lazily throw the backstory at us.
It's such a waste, because Carmen doesn’t even know, and is choosing not to know what happened, so telling the reader just cheapened it. There was an interesting part about a comment concerning the sturdiness of the fence, and the realtor's reaction to Carmen's saying that, that if we weren't in the realtor's annoying POV at the time (where she just keeps thinking about how messed up a comment that was, and doesn't think to ask if Carmen knew what happened there) then it would have impacted hardened when we learned With Carmen what had taken place. We could have looked back with her at the realtor's uncomforted, and been like wow, ya that was a crazy thing to say. But instead, we're just left sitting with this information that amounted to very little, so early into the book - especially when we never really come back to it and instead meander on about the order in which she put the sheets on her bed.
And there’s nothing about those murders that is built upon later in the book - no look into it that gives a new light to the situation. If we’d learned about it before Carmen had, but when she finally learned about it, there was new information or something everyone had missed, it might have been better. But as its stand, the book just shows you all its cards within the first few chapters, and you're left holding those cards asking, why should I even care.
Speaking of Carmen, she’s a nothing character. She starts out interesting, dealing with the loss of her mother, but she is paper thin. Everything we learn about her is so surface level. And the worst part, is that she has only One reaction when the haunting starts – screaming What The Fuck! Like, the first time when the guy says there was a man in her living room, ya thinking WTF makes sense, but that's her response to every event!! Something weird happens, “what the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck”. It got so boring and repetitive, and I’m not a prude, I have nothing against cursing in a novel, but come on, change it up just once. And once’s the demon starts talking to her (she’s possessed? I don’t even know) she just becomes so rude and catty its comical (especially towards children). There’s an entire character flip for someone who wasn’t even a real character in the first place.
We don’t even get anything close to being in the actual house until chapter 15! Before that, it's just so much pointless meandering about how she went to the office to get the key, she went through her Instagram and started posting again, she created an ad on Canva and how she did that and posted it onto a local page…. Like give me some buildup of the character and atmosphere, but this was just like listening to someone’s check list of what they did that day. Half of this already very short story could be removed, and it wouldn’t change a thing.
And when the haunting starts, it's disappointing. Doors go bang. Smoke alarms go off. She hears some kids crying once. The window opens. There’s a handprint on the mirror. Her word document goes crazy, deleting a bunch of text and she now has 666 words written – this is what finally scares her – and then there’s a man’s voice that talks in her ear and makes her do crazy things. All of this takes place over a month, two months, within like one week of just chaos in that time? It's very unclear. This felt like one of those bad Amityville Horror spin off movies, but even the one about the killer lamp was interesting. Like nothing happens the whole book, and all of a sudden, she’s struggling to remember who she is, and the voice just wants to take her over and make her do violence. Why? How did we even get here? None of this was earned.
Normally I don’t complain about the narrator, but this guy just wasn’t it. Pretty much every character in this book is a woman, so why is this guy reading it? Especially because the voices he does for these women are bad – they all sound the same, like grannies who’d been smoking too long, all raspy and with this weird semi-vocal fry. Like, Carmen is 36 I believe, why does she sound like a Nan. This did not take away/hinder the star rating but is something to consider.
I couldn’t even enjoy the ending because by that point, I’d been so beaten down by the boredom and the stupidity of everything happening. What even was the point? Honestly, I hated this.
I was planning on giving this a 2-star read. Ya, it was boring and unoriginal, but it wasn’t unoffensive. I dropped to one star though for chapters 30-33.
But this book is just, well nothing. Its boring, full of so much unneeded filter, the scares are the most basic cheap tricks you get from a lazy haunted house, Carmen isn’t even a character, and the ending of this book is nonsense and felt so junky and rushed that I wondered if three chapters were missing in the middle of this.
This book is heavy on just telling you things. There were so many lines that were like “she told her about this” and “she told her about that” and “she filled her in on everything”, you don’t even get any substantial dialogue between characters – and when you do, the dialogue is bland and stale. Its just so much, let me tell you these things and be done with it, as opposed to actually crafting a compelling story.
The biggest blunder with this, is that we learn about the murder of the children within the like first three chapters (and these chapters are so short mind you). We’re given a monotone, straight forward story about how these kids were killed, and what happened to the guy who did it, but Carmen doesn’t know any of this. There are two chapter of the realtor who only exists to give us an internal monologue about how “ya, the house is creepy, those kids were tortured and murdered, sure weird someone’s going to buy the place” and then we never see the realtor again. She is there only to lazily throw the backstory at us.
It's such a waste, because Carmen doesn’t even know, and is choosing not to know what happened, so telling the reader just cheapened it. There was an interesting part about a comment concerning the sturdiness of the fence, and the realtor's reaction to Carmen's saying that, that if we weren't in the realtor's annoying POV at the time (where she just keeps thinking about how messed up a comment that was, and doesn't think to ask if Carmen knew what happened there) then it would have impacted hardened when we learned With Carmen what had taken place. We could have looked back with her at the realtor's uncomforted, and been like wow, ya that was a crazy thing to say. But instead, we're just left sitting with this information that amounted to very little, so early into the book - especially when we never really come back to it and instead meander on about the order in which she put the sheets on her bed.
And there’s nothing about those murders that is built upon later in the book - no look into it that gives a new light to the situation. If we’d learned about it before Carmen had, but when she finally learned about it, there was new information or something everyone had missed, it might have been better. But as its stand, the book just shows you all its cards within the first few chapters, and you're left holding those cards asking, why should I even care.
Speaking of Carmen, she’s a nothing character. She starts out interesting, dealing with the loss of her mother, but she is paper thin. Everything we learn about her is so surface level. And the worst part, is that she has only One reaction when the haunting starts – screaming What The Fuck! Like, the first time when the guy says there was a man in her living room, ya thinking WTF makes sense, but that's her response to every event!! Something weird happens, “what the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck”. It got so boring and repetitive, and I’m not a prude, I have nothing against cursing in a novel, but come on, change it up just once. And once’s the demon starts talking to her (she’s possessed? I don’t even know) she just becomes so rude and catty its comical (especially towards children). There’s an entire character flip for someone who wasn’t even a real character in the first place.
We don’t even get anything close to being in the actual house until chapter 15! Before that, it's just so much pointless meandering about how she went to the office to get the key, she went through her Instagram and started posting again, she created an ad on Canva and how she did that and posted it onto a local page…. Like give me some buildup of the character and atmosphere, but this was just like listening to someone’s check list of what they did that day. Half of this already very short story could be removed, and it wouldn’t change a thing.
And when the haunting starts, it's disappointing. Doors go bang. Smoke alarms go off. She hears some kids crying once. The window opens. There’s a handprint on the mirror. Her word document goes crazy, deleting a bunch of text and she now has 666 words written – this is what finally scares her – and then there’s a man’s voice that talks in her ear and makes her do crazy things. All of this takes place over a month, two months, within like one week of just chaos in that time? It's very unclear. This felt like one of those bad Amityville Horror spin off movies, but even the one about the killer lamp was interesting. Like nothing happens the whole book, and all of a sudden, she’s struggling to remember who she is, and the voice just wants to take her over and make her do violence. Why? How did we even get here? None of this was earned.
Normally I don’t complain about the narrator, but this guy just wasn’t it. Pretty much every character in this book is a woman, so why is this guy reading it? Especially because the voices he does for these women are bad – they all sound the same, like grannies who’d been smoking too long, all raspy and with this weird semi-vocal fry. Like, Carmen is 36 I believe, why does she sound like a Nan. This did not take away/hinder the star rating but is something to consider.
I couldn’t even enjoy the ending because by that point, I’d been so beaten down by the boredom and the stupidity of everything happening. What even was the point? Honestly, I hated this.
I was planning on giving this a 2-star read. Ya, it was boring and unoriginal, but it wasn’t unoffensive. I dropped to one star though for chapters 30-33.
April 3, 2026
A haunted house story? Sign me up! Unfortunately, I didn’t like it as much as I wanted and I actually felt very disappointed by the ending. I couldn’t believe when the narration ended, that it was actually the end.
I feel sorry because I actually liked the writing style, so I’ll read something else by this author, to see how I get on.
The narration by Andy Stevenson was very good, so that was a positive, plus the suspense created throughout the book was also perfect.
This is my opinion of course, and please try the book if it intrigues you, I just don’t think this story as short as it is, was for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
I feel sorry because I actually liked the writing style, so I’ll read something else by this author, to see how I get on.
The narration by Andy Stevenson was very good, so that was a positive, plus the suspense created throughout the book was also perfect.
This is my opinion of course, and please try the book if it intrigues you, I just don’t think this story as short as it is, was for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
October 13, 2025
Something Bad Has Happened Here by Zoe Rosi
3.55 rounded up to 4🔮🔮🔮🔮orbs
Pub. Date: Oct. 25, 2025
Lighthouse Books
A house with a dubious history located 30 minutes outside of Oxford….
💡 Orbs Prologue: Blink, blink, blink… My small red light alerts others that I am on and functioning. A silent period has resided over this residence, my home, since the previous owners decided to move away, leaving a certain musty odor in their place. That is the pattern in this house. People come and go, unable to deal with what lives beneath the surface. Carmen is the latest in a long list of people who saw potential in this well-cared-for home, giddy with an exuberance to settle down here. Upon Carmen’s first couple of days, she is unable to sleep. I, on the other hand, have been terribly busy. At 3 am, or rather the witching hour, I wake up. Blaring through my speakers, my voice is alarming. A shrill escapes my body, but why? I smell no smoke and feel no heat. In the background, doors begin flapping like a bird trying to maintain flight in the midst of a storm. Welcome to your new home, Carmen. I hope you enjoy your new life!
🔩 Nuts & Bolts Is Carmen experiencing a midlife crisis? Not exactly, but she is wracked by the pain of losing her mother. Unable to shake this depression, Carmen is determined to navigate life and start anew. With a sizable inheritance, Carmen decides she needs to purchase a home, hoping it might bring more sunshine to her rather rainy existence. Upon contacting the realtor about a potential home, she is informed it has a murderous history, but this is no issue for Carmen, as she views the home as a good investment for the price. At first, the home simply thrusts confusion like a dagger into the situation. The sound of children crying inexplicably douses those within with fear. Where is it coming from? Outside, most likely, considering the background of this property. Readers are sucked into a vortex of devilish happenings and bear witness to Carmen as she slowly attempts to manage that which can not be managed. Can she survive the invisible onslaught?
👍 Orbs Pros: Easy, fun, and quick! Author Zoe Rosi takes our minds on a journey through the past and an act of sheer abhorrence. This revulsion bleeds suspiciously into Carmen’s current predicament, the home full of promise yet marred with a demented spirit hell-bent on chaos.
👎 Orbs Cons: A worn-out trope. Loosely written, without a certain amount of precise complexity. Reads like a B-horror movie.
Loosely Recommended! I like B-horror movies. I like their roughness and lack of attention to detail, almost focusing on the ridiculousness. We simply have a short novella where the main character, Carmen, isn’t overly likable. As such, I felt no deep emotions for what she was going through; for heaven's sake, if you can blatantly ignore all the warning signs put in front of your face and purchase the property anyway, you deserve what you get. I am sorry for the loss of your mother, Carmen; however, I am entirely unsympathetic to your blatant disregard for the crazy happenings and utter abandonment by the previous tenants of this tarnished abode. That said, I “still” enjoyed this novel. I think for those that don’t demand much in the way of an intricate story, this is perfect for the spooky season; think of it like a Scooby Snack for Halloween.
💡 Orbs Epilogue: Shrill, shrill… Carmen pokes me with the end of her broomstick handle, coaxing me to be quiet. As I comply, the silence embarks. Soon asleep, I notice out of my periphery, Carmen slinking downstairs. Her gorgeous blue eyes have somehow changed to a darkened, lifeless brown. She looks terrible, as if something is tearing the very fabric of her reality. Another night, another round of blaring trebles out of me. I am being driven mad by my own set of issues. There is no fire, so why am I falsely alerting Carmen? An invisible maestro is conducting my sounds, something with the power to overtake those within these walls. Take my batteries; my sanity is breaking. I must drive Carmen away, for then the peace will return. Those unseen forces are protecting their legacy, and I am simply caught in the middle. Pray for me, dear reader; pray for the innocence of an overactive smoke alarm.
Many thanks to Lighthouse Books for the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
3.55 rounded up to 4🔮🔮🔮🔮orbs
Pub. Date: Oct. 25, 2025
Lighthouse Books
A house with a dubious history located 30 minutes outside of Oxford….
💡 Orbs Prologue: Blink, blink, blink… My small red light alerts others that I am on and functioning. A silent period has resided over this residence, my home, since the previous owners decided to move away, leaving a certain musty odor in their place. That is the pattern in this house. People come and go, unable to deal with what lives beneath the surface. Carmen is the latest in a long list of people who saw potential in this well-cared-for home, giddy with an exuberance to settle down here. Upon Carmen’s first couple of days, she is unable to sleep. I, on the other hand, have been terribly busy. At 3 am, or rather the witching hour, I wake up. Blaring through my speakers, my voice is alarming. A shrill escapes my body, but why? I smell no smoke and feel no heat. In the background, doors begin flapping like a bird trying to maintain flight in the midst of a storm. Welcome to your new home, Carmen. I hope you enjoy your new life!
🔩 Nuts & Bolts Is Carmen experiencing a midlife crisis? Not exactly, but she is wracked by the pain of losing her mother. Unable to shake this depression, Carmen is determined to navigate life and start anew. With a sizable inheritance, Carmen decides she needs to purchase a home, hoping it might bring more sunshine to her rather rainy existence. Upon contacting the realtor about a potential home, she is informed it has a murderous history, but this is no issue for Carmen, as she views the home as a good investment for the price. At first, the home simply thrusts confusion like a dagger into the situation. The sound of children crying inexplicably douses those within with fear. Where is it coming from? Outside, most likely, considering the background of this property. Readers are sucked into a vortex of devilish happenings and bear witness to Carmen as she slowly attempts to manage that which can not be managed. Can she survive the invisible onslaught?
👍 Orbs Pros: Easy, fun, and quick! Author Zoe Rosi takes our minds on a journey through the past and an act of sheer abhorrence. This revulsion bleeds suspiciously into Carmen’s current predicament, the home full of promise yet marred with a demented spirit hell-bent on chaos.
👎 Orbs Cons: A worn-out trope. Loosely written, without a certain amount of precise complexity. Reads like a B-horror movie.
Loosely Recommended! I like B-horror movies. I like their roughness and lack of attention to detail, almost focusing on the ridiculousness. We simply have a short novella where the main character, Carmen, isn’t overly likable. As such, I felt no deep emotions for what she was going through; for heaven's sake, if you can blatantly ignore all the warning signs put in front of your face and purchase the property anyway, you deserve what you get. I am sorry for the loss of your mother, Carmen; however, I am entirely unsympathetic to your blatant disregard for the crazy happenings and utter abandonment by the previous tenants of this tarnished abode. That said, I “still” enjoyed this novel. I think for those that don’t demand much in the way of an intricate story, this is perfect for the spooky season; think of it like a Scooby Snack for Halloween.
💡 Orbs Epilogue: Shrill, shrill… Carmen pokes me with the end of her broomstick handle, coaxing me to be quiet. As I comply, the silence embarks. Soon asleep, I notice out of my periphery, Carmen slinking downstairs. Her gorgeous blue eyes have somehow changed to a darkened, lifeless brown. She looks terrible, as if something is tearing the very fabric of her reality. Another night, another round of blaring trebles out of me. I am being driven mad by my own set of issues. There is no fire, so why am I falsely alerting Carmen? An invisible maestro is conducting my sounds, something with the power to overtake those within these walls. Take my batteries; my sanity is breaking. I must drive Carmen away, for then the peace will return. Those unseen forces are protecting their legacy, and I am simply caught in the middle. Pray for me, dear reader; pray for the innocence of an overactive smoke alarm.
Many thanks to Lighthouse Books for the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
March 29, 2026
Final Grrl Horror
No Spoilers Book Review
Something Bad Happened Here by Zoe Rosi (audiobook, released February 17, 2026) is one of those horror stories that feels deceptively calm at first and then slowly becomes darker and darker the further you go.
Right away, the audiobook stood out to me because of the narration style. Instead of being told directly through the characters’ voices, the story is largely delivered through a narrator who recounts the events. The narrator has a cheerful British tone that almost feels comforting at first, which is exactly what makes the story work so well. Hearing such horrific events described in that calm, almost pleasant voice creates a really interesting contrast. It took me a little time to get used to the style because it’s not something I’ve heard very often in horror audiobooks, but once it clicked, the juxtaposition between the tone of the narration and the darkness of the story actually became one of my favorite parts.
The story follows Carmen, a woman who decides to purchase a house after her mother’s death in order to start a new chapter of her life. The catch is that the house has a disturbing reputation because of violent murders that happened there decades earlier. Carmen isn’t particularly bothered by the house’s history and assumes that whatever happened there is firmly in the past. As the story unfolds, however, her connection to the house begins to change, and what initially seemed like a fresh start slowly turns into something much more unsettling.
One thing I thought was especially interesting is that the author mentions being inspired by a real-life story about a house with a violent past. Knowing that element after finishing the book adds another layer to the experience, especially considering how disturbing the crimes behind the inspiration were. The book itself doesn’t linger in graphic detail, but it does touch on difficult subject matter, so it’s worth noting that there are references to violence involving children. It’s handled more as part of the story’s history than as something explicitly shown, but it’s still something readers may want to be aware of going in.
As the story progresses, the tone steadily grows darker. Carmen’s situation becomes increasingly unsettling, and the narrative slowly pulls you deeper into what’s happening in the house. I really appreciated that slow descent because it builds a sense of dread rather than relying on constant shocks. By the time the story reaches its final stretch, things have taken a much more sinister turn than the opening might lead you to expect.
The one area where the book didn’t fully land for me was the ending. It finishes in a way that feels intentionally ambiguous, leaving a lot open for the reader to interpret. I understand the appeal of that kind of ending, and I suspect the author wanted readers to fill in the blanks themselves, but for me it felt a little abrupt. I was left with quite a few questions, and I personally would have liked just a bit more resolution to fully wrap things up.
That said, I genuinely enjoyed the story and found it surprisingly compelling. It’s not a very long audiobook, but it tells a complete and intriguing story with a unique narrative approach that stood out to me. The contrast between the charming narrator and the increasingly grim subject matter gives the book its own distinct tone, and it kept me interested all the way through.
If I had to compare the vibe to something, I’d say readers who enjoy supernatural stories with a possession angle or darker psychological elements might find this one appealing. It reminded me a bit of The Exorcist, though it’s far less graphic and told in a much more restrained, almost storybook-like way.
Overall, I ended up liking this book more than I expected to. It’s a unique, atmospheric horror story with an unusual narrative style that really works once you settle into it. I’d definitely be interested in reading more from Zoe Rosi in the future.
Rating: 4/5
No Spoilers Book Review
Something Bad Happened Here by Zoe Rosi (audiobook, released February 17, 2026) is one of those horror stories that feels deceptively calm at first and then slowly becomes darker and darker the further you go.
Right away, the audiobook stood out to me because of the narration style. Instead of being told directly through the characters’ voices, the story is largely delivered through a narrator who recounts the events. The narrator has a cheerful British tone that almost feels comforting at first, which is exactly what makes the story work so well. Hearing such horrific events described in that calm, almost pleasant voice creates a really interesting contrast. It took me a little time to get used to the style because it’s not something I’ve heard very often in horror audiobooks, but once it clicked, the juxtaposition between the tone of the narration and the darkness of the story actually became one of my favorite parts.
The story follows Carmen, a woman who decides to purchase a house after her mother’s death in order to start a new chapter of her life. The catch is that the house has a disturbing reputation because of violent murders that happened there decades earlier. Carmen isn’t particularly bothered by the house’s history and assumes that whatever happened there is firmly in the past. As the story unfolds, however, her connection to the house begins to change, and what initially seemed like a fresh start slowly turns into something much more unsettling.
One thing I thought was especially interesting is that the author mentions being inspired by a real-life story about a house with a violent past. Knowing that element after finishing the book adds another layer to the experience, especially considering how disturbing the crimes behind the inspiration were. The book itself doesn’t linger in graphic detail, but it does touch on difficult subject matter, so it’s worth noting that there are references to violence involving children. It’s handled more as part of the story’s history than as something explicitly shown, but it’s still something readers may want to be aware of going in.
As the story progresses, the tone steadily grows darker. Carmen’s situation becomes increasingly unsettling, and the narrative slowly pulls you deeper into what’s happening in the house. I really appreciated that slow descent because it builds a sense of dread rather than relying on constant shocks. By the time the story reaches its final stretch, things have taken a much more sinister turn than the opening might lead you to expect.
The one area where the book didn’t fully land for me was the ending. It finishes in a way that feels intentionally ambiguous, leaving a lot open for the reader to interpret. I understand the appeal of that kind of ending, and I suspect the author wanted readers to fill in the blanks themselves, but for me it felt a little abrupt. I was left with quite a few questions, and I personally would have liked just a bit more resolution to fully wrap things up.
That said, I genuinely enjoyed the story and found it surprisingly compelling. It’s not a very long audiobook, but it tells a complete and intriguing story with a unique narrative approach that stood out to me. The contrast between the charming narrator and the increasingly grim subject matter gives the book its own distinct tone, and it kept me interested all the way through.
If I had to compare the vibe to something, I’d say readers who enjoy supernatural stories with a possession angle or darker psychological elements might find this one appealing. It reminded me a bit of The Exorcist, though it’s far less graphic and told in a much more restrained, almost storybook-like way.
Overall, I ended up liking this book more than I expected to. It’s a unique, atmospheric horror story with an unusual narrative style that really works once you settle into it. I’d definitely be interested in reading more from Zoe Rosi in the future.
Rating: 4/5
March 20, 2026
I want to thank Netgalley, the author and the publisher for sharing this audiobook with me but I have to be honest in all of my reviews or what’s the point?
Something Bad Happened Here but it wasn’t a haunted house, or a demon or any of those supernatural things. It was a thin plot and an absolutely terrible choice when it came to the narration. Not that he was a bad narrator. He wasn’t. He may be a fine dapper fellow for all I know. This is nothing personal against him, but he was such a poor choice for this book. The main character and most of the secondary characters are women and he reads their parts in a falsetto that made me cringe and he narrates the other parts as if the book were a cozy mystery which it isn’t, well, at least in its last ¼ it isn’t. This choice bewilders me.
Carmen is drowning in grief. Since her beloved mother passed away, she’s been lost. Trying to find her footing, she’s been renting an Airbnb and spending her days reading books and drinking wine. I mean, sounds good to me if you can pull it off, lol. Then one day she decides to start looking for a home near her childhood town and pays cash for the cheapest house that looks nice in pictures but, as she’s told by the realtor, is the site of a gruesome murder scene. She doesn’t bother to look up the murder because why tempt fate? A house is a house is a house, right?
Personally, I am far too nosy to stop myself from Googling things like a murder house when I'm thinking of buying a murder house where I will live all by my lonesome, but she resists the temptation even when vaguely creepy things start to occur. She orders furniture, she interviews for a freelance job, she drinks some drinks, she ponders her garden and frets over her introverted nature and invites an old friend over. Sooo, maybe it IS a cozy mystery after all? Have I been tricked by a blurb again? But then, oh but then, the 80% or so mark hits and things go absolutely off the rails. Next to nothing but a whole lot of dull telling and rarely showing happens for ¾ of the book and then I felt brutalized by the rapid tone shift but yet strangely felt nothing for the boring main character. It was wild. There are a few other issues I had, a lack of atmosphere, a second POV that is dropped like a hot potato and a lack of emotion and connection in a grief book, but I feel like I need to stop nitpicking.
This book may please people dipping a little toe into the horror genre (but look out for that ending!) who enjoy true crime turned fiction stories. Turns out, this book was inspired by a horrendous true crime and I’m not sure how I feel about any of this except that I know I don’t feel great about that final ending.
Something Bad Happened Here but it wasn’t a haunted house, or a demon or any of those supernatural things. It was a thin plot and an absolutely terrible choice when it came to the narration. Not that he was a bad narrator. He wasn’t. He may be a fine dapper fellow for all I know. This is nothing personal against him, but he was such a poor choice for this book. The main character and most of the secondary characters are women and he reads their parts in a falsetto that made me cringe and he narrates the other parts as if the book were a cozy mystery which it isn’t, well, at least in its last ¼ it isn’t. This choice bewilders me.
Carmen is drowning in grief. Since her beloved mother passed away, she’s been lost. Trying to find her footing, she’s been renting an Airbnb and spending her days reading books and drinking wine. I mean, sounds good to me if you can pull it off, lol. Then one day she decides to start looking for a home near her childhood town and pays cash for the cheapest house that looks nice in pictures but, as she’s told by the realtor, is the site of a gruesome murder scene. She doesn’t bother to look up the murder because why tempt fate? A house is a house is a house, right?
Personally, I am far too nosy to stop myself from Googling things like a murder house when I'm thinking of buying a murder house where I will live all by my lonesome, but she resists the temptation even when vaguely creepy things start to occur. She orders furniture, she interviews for a freelance job, she drinks some drinks, she ponders her garden and frets over her introverted nature and invites an old friend over. Sooo, maybe it IS a cozy mystery after all? Have I been tricked by a blurb again? But then, oh but then, the 80% or so mark hits and things go absolutely off the rails. Next to nothing but a whole lot of dull telling and rarely showing happens for ¾ of the book and then I felt brutalized by the rapid tone shift but yet strangely felt nothing for the boring main character. It was wild. There are a few other issues I had, a lack of atmosphere, a second POV that is dropped like a hot potato and a lack of emotion and connection in a grief book, but I feel like I need to stop nitpicking.
This book may please people dipping a little toe into the horror genre (but look out for that ending!) who enjoy true crime turned fiction stories. Turns out, this book was inspired by a horrendous true crime and I’m not sure how I feel about any of this except that I know I don’t feel great about that final ending.
December 7, 2025
📚Something Bad Happened Here
✍🏻Zoe Rosi
Blurb:
Lost and unmoored after her mother’s death, Carmen drifts from place to place. Moving from one Airbnb to the next, she is a ghost in the towns she passes through—an outsider, never quite belonging.
With her inheritance dwindling away, and determined to stop drifting, Carmen decides it’s time to settle. Time to buy a little house, close the door, and try to rebuild her life.
When she finds a surprisingly cheap property on a nice street, Carmen thinks she’s struck gold, until the estate agent hesitates. The house has a history, she warns. Something unspeakable happened there. A murder so brutal she can barely bring herself to describe it.
But Carmen isn’t easily spooked. The house wasn’t to blame. And a bargain is a bargain. Ghosts aren’t real. Hauntings are just superstition.
Yet, as Carmen turns her key in the lock, a thought haunts her:
What if she’s wrong?
What if walls really do remember?
Something Bad Happened Here is a chilling haunted house story which deals with themes of ghosts and possession. It will appeal to fans of Come Closer by Sara Gran and A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay.
My Thoughts:
Something Bad Happened Here is a great engaging novella of terror, traditional haunting and possession. Our MFC, Carmen is consuming by grief after losing her Mother and wants a new start. Finding a house thats a bargain and having it disclosed that it was a Murder House, Carmen moves in, after all, she doesn't believe in ghosts. found the pacing of the book constant and fairly quick paced. The atmosphere and tone of the book becomes dank and dark the further you move through the book to the point it becomes oppressive, which I liked. The ending did feel a little rushed but really enjoyed the ambiguity and the openness. I really bonded with Carmen, having lost someone close to me, she felt very relatable,
Thanks NetGalley, Lighthouse Books and Author Zoe Rosi for the advanced copy of "Something Bad Happened Here" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#LighthouseBooks
#ZoeRosi
#SomethingBadHappenedHere
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✍🏻Zoe Rosi
Blurb:
Lost and unmoored after her mother’s death, Carmen drifts from place to place. Moving from one Airbnb to the next, she is a ghost in the towns she passes through—an outsider, never quite belonging.
With her inheritance dwindling away, and determined to stop drifting, Carmen decides it’s time to settle. Time to buy a little house, close the door, and try to rebuild her life.
When she finds a surprisingly cheap property on a nice street, Carmen thinks she’s struck gold, until the estate agent hesitates. The house has a history, she warns. Something unspeakable happened there. A murder so brutal she can barely bring herself to describe it.
But Carmen isn’t easily spooked. The house wasn’t to blame. And a bargain is a bargain. Ghosts aren’t real. Hauntings are just superstition.
Yet, as Carmen turns her key in the lock, a thought haunts her:
What if she’s wrong?
What if walls really do remember?
Something Bad Happened Here is a chilling haunted house story which deals with themes of ghosts and possession. It will appeal to fans of Come Closer by Sara Gran and A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay.
My Thoughts:
Something Bad Happened Here is a great engaging novella of terror, traditional haunting and possession. Our MFC, Carmen is consuming by grief after losing her Mother and wants a new start. Finding a house thats a bargain and having it disclosed that it was a Murder House, Carmen moves in, after all, she doesn't believe in ghosts. found the pacing of the book constant and fairly quick paced. The atmosphere and tone of the book becomes dank and dark the further you move through the book to the point it becomes oppressive, which I liked. The ending did feel a little rushed but really enjoyed the ambiguity and the openness. I really bonded with Carmen, having lost someone close to me, she felt very relatable,
Thanks NetGalley, Lighthouse Books and Author Zoe Rosi for the advanced copy of "Something Bad Happened Here" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#LighthouseBooks
#ZoeRosi
#SomethingBadHappenedHere
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 23, 2026
This review is for the audiobook version.
I do think that I may have given this book a higher rating if I’d read a physical copy and not listened to it.
The book starts off with a chipper sounding British man’s accent that made me feel like we were about to listen to a lovely cozy set in the Oxfordshire countryside.
Carmen, grieving for her mother, decides it’s time to invest in a home and finds a deal too good to be true. Why is it too good to be true? Because “something terrible happened” there, murder. However, as Carmen contemplates if it’s worth looking at she decides not to ask/find out what happened. She doesn’t want to focus on the negativity but thinks it’s still a home that needs to house somebody and she needs a home.
We as the reader find out what actually did happen, a triple murder/suicide with mutilation that involved small children, which is absolutely horrific, especially knowing that this was based on a true story. However, the narrator‘s voice as it was doesn’t feel right for this horror story. My brain kept feeling like we were listening to a cozy and then terrible details come out. It was jolting, in a not good way. The only part of the narration that felt “horror”-ish was when he was saying the dialogue in the voice of the demonic presence. That only happens a few times and the voice is very good, but overall the voices of the females he does, and his quaint chipper old man voice kept bringing my brain out of the horror theme. By the time I got to the ending, I was disappointed, even though I knew this was labeled a horror. It didn’t feel like it was going to end as a horror. The ending is open to interpretation.
Which, for some readers is a good thing. I’m fine with it in some circumstances but because the narrator had me in the cozy vibes, it was unsettling.
I feel like not enough happens in this for it to be a horror.
This may be a good choice for someone wanting to slip a toe into the horror genre.
Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I do think that I may have given this book a higher rating if I’d read a physical copy and not listened to it.
The book starts off with a chipper sounding British man’s accent that made me feel like we were about to listen to a lovely cozy set in the Oxfordshire countryside.
Carmen, grieving for her mother, decides it’s time to invest in a home and finds a deal too good to be true. Why is it too good to be true? Because “something terrible happened” there, murder. However, as Carmen contemplates if it’s worth looking at she decides not to ask/find out what happened. She doesn’t want to focus on the negativity but thinks it’s still a home that needs to house somebody and she needs a home.
We as the reader find out what actually did happen, a triple murder/suicide with mutilation that involved small children, which is absolutely horrific, especially knowing that this was based on a true story. However, the narrator‘s voice as it was doesn’t feel right for this horror story. My brain kept feeling like we were listening to a cozy and then terrible details come out. It was jolting, in a not good way. The only part of the narration that felt “horror”-ish was when he was saying the dialogue in the voice of the demonic presence. That only happens a few times and the voice is very good, but overall the voices of the females he does, and his quaint chipper old man voice kept bringing my brain out of the horror theme. By the time I got to the ending, I was disappointed, even though I knew this was labeled a horror. It didn’t feel like it was going to end as a horror. The ending is open to interpretation.
Which, for some readers is a good thing. I’m fine with it in some circumstances but because the narrator had me in the cozy vibes, it was unsettling.
I feel like not enough happens in this for it to be a horror.
This may be a good choice for someone wanting to slip a toe into the horror genre.
Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
March 19, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and to Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with an advance listening copy of this audiobook.
Something Bad Happened Here has an intriguing premise and a strong atmospheric foundation. The setting is well established, and there is a consistent sense of unease throughout the story.
However, I found the pacing to be quite slow, particularly in the first half, with much of the early portion focused on exposition and background. Even as the story progressed, the plot was slow to develop, and I found myself waiting for a clearer sense of direction.
I also struggled to connect with the main character, who felt underdeveloped. I found myself wanting more depth and personality to better anchor the story and its emotional stakes.
While the central event is introduced early, much of the narrative centers on the protagonist’s repeated attempts to rationalize what is happening, which became repetitive over time. As the story moved toward its conclusion, the pacing shifted noticeably, with several major developments occurring in quick succession. This made the overall progression feel uneven.
The ending, in particular, felt abrupt and underdeveloped. A late shift in perspective, combined with the introduction of new context near the conclusion, left key elements open to interpretation in a way that felt less intentional and more unresolved. As a result, the resolution did not feel fully earned.
The central premise leans quite dark and morbid, contributing to a heavier tone that may not appeal to all readers.
As I experienced this through the audiobook format, I do want to note that the narration impacted my enjoyment. Narration is subjective, but I found it difficult at times to stay immersed, particularly with character voice differentiation and emotional delivery. The voice used for the male spirit also felt somewhat theatrical, which pulled me out of key moments.
Overall, while the concept and atmosphere showed promise, the pacing, character development, and execution—particularly in the final portion—made it difficult for me to stay engaged.
Something Bad Happened Here has an intriguing premise and a strong atmospheric foundation. The setting is well established, and there is a consistent sense of unease throughout the story.
However, I found the pacing to be quite slow, particularly in the first half, with much of the early portion focused on exposition and background. Even as the story progressed, the plot was slow to develop, and I found myself waiting for a clearer sense of direction.
I also struggled to connect with the main character, who felt underdeveloped. I found myself wanting more depth and personality to better anchor the story and its emotional stakes.
While the central event is introduced early, much of the narrative centers on the protagonist’s repeated attempts to rationalize what is happening, which became repetitive over time. As the story moved toward its conclusion, the pacing shifted noticeably, with several major developments occurring in quick succession. This made the overall progression feel uneven.
The ending, in particular, felt abrupt and underdeveloped. A late shift in perspective, combined with the introduction of new context near the conclusion, left key elements open to interpretation in a way that felt less intentional and more unresolved. As a result, the resolution did not feel fully earned.
The central premise leans quite dark and morbid, contributing to a heavier tone that may not appeal to all readers.
As I experienced this through the audiobook format, I do want to note that the narration impacted my enjoyment. Narration is subjective, but I found it difficult at times to stay immersed, particularly with character voice differentiation and emotional delivery. The voice used for the male spirit also felt somewhat theatrical, which pulled me out of key moments.
Overall, while the concept and atmosphere showed promise, the pacing, character development, and execution—particularly in the final portion—made it difficult for me to stay engaged.
February 27, 2026
Something Bad Happened Here by Zoe Rosi had a premise that immediately caught my attention. A woman grieving her mother’s death moves into a cheap house with a violent history, convinced the past can’t really touch her. On paper, that setup promises a tense haunted-house story with psychological depth.
In reality, the execution didn’t quite deliver for me.
The book leans heavily into atmosphere and internal reflection, which works at first. Carmen’s grief and sense of being untethered after her mother’s death create an interesting emotional starting point. However, as the story progresses, the pacing slows to a crawl. A lot of time is spent inside Carmen’s thoughts rather than advancing the plot, and the tension never quite builds into the chilling haunted-house experience the premise suggests.
There are moments where the idea behind the story shines through. The concept that houses can hold memories, that trauma can linger in spaces the way it lingers in people, is genuinely compelling. Unfortunately, those ideas never fully develop into something as unsettling or gripping as they could have been.
The characters also felt somewhat distant. Carmen spends most of the story reacting internally rather than driving the narrative forward, which made it difficult for me to stay invested in what was happening around her.
To the author’s credit, the writing itself is clean and readable, and the novella format makes it a quick read. It just never quite reaches the emotional or psychological payoff that the premise seems to promise.
Overall, Something Bad Happened Here has an intriguing concept and some interesting ideas about grief and haunted spaces, but the slow pacing and limited narrative momentum made it feel more muted than chilling.
It’s not a terrible read, but for me it lands somewhere in the middle.
In reality, the execution didn’t quite deliver for me.
The book leans heavily into atmosphere and internal reflection, which works at first. Carmen’s grief and sense of being untethered after her mother’s death create an interesting emotional starting point. However, as the story progresses, the pacing slows to a crawl. A lot of time is spent inside Carmen’s thoughts rather than advancing the plot, and the tension never quite builds into the chilling haunted-house experience the premise suggests.
There are moments where the idea behind the story shines through. The concept that houses can hold memories, that trauma can linger in spaces the way it lingers in people, is genuinely compelling. Unfortunately, those ideas never fully develop into something as unsettling or gripping as they could have been.
The characters also felt somewhat distant. Carmen spends most of the story reacting internally rather than driving the narrative forward, which made it difficult for me to stay invested in what was happening around her.
To the author’s credit, the writing itself is clean and readable, and the novella format makes it a quick read. It just never quite reaches the emotional or psychological payoff that the premise seems to promise.
Overall, Something Bad Happened Here has an intriguing concept and some interesting ideas about grief and haunted spaces, but the slow pacing and limited narrative momentum made it feel more muted than chilling.
It’s not a terrible read, but for me it lands somewhere in the middle.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews