The House at Hanger Hill: A Novel

by Ashleigh Mounser

A searing, chilling debut suspense novel about a family home with a history, haunting three generations of women—for fans of Jean Hanff Korelitz and Gillian Flynn.

For as long as Betty can remember, Hanger Hill has been more than a it’s a place haunted by whispers. Some of the rumors are vague. Others are disturbingly specific. She remembers only some of it… the flick of a cat’s tail. The smell of rot. Screams coming from below the kitchen floor. Pages of old diaries curling amongst flames.

On Betty’s eighteenth birthday, she finds the courage to ask her strange, reclusive mother to tell the real story of her her mother had been a young woman, reeling from the suicide of her grandmother, when she inherited her family home in the town where her troubled sister drowned. Moving from the city with her long-term boyfriend, she began renovating the house in which she spent so much of her childhood. At first, she was convinced that the project would lift her out of her debilitating grief, but instead she found herself isolated, soon overcome by creeping solitude as her relationship broke down and tensions within the house rose.

As her mother spins her story, Betty evades questions from the police officer who is circling, convinced that the case of the deaths at Hanger Hill should be reopened. Then, she discovers her great-grandmother’s diaries, and the passages inside reveal a terrible truth at the heart of her family.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Horror, Fiction, Australia, Mystery Thriller

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 16, 2027

About the author

ASHLEIGH MOUNSER is an Australian writer who has been published across print and media. Mounser received a Bachelor of Creative Writing from the University of Wollongong and a Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting at the Australian Film, Television, and Radio School. She was Sydney Morning Herald’s Young Writer of the Year and recipient of three arts grants from the Bouddi Foundation for the Arts. The House at Hanger Hill is her debut adult novel.

source: Amazon

Reviews

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
GENRE: Psychological Gothic Thriller
PUBLICATION DATE: February 16, 2027

OVERALL IMPRESSION: A disturbing, character-driven story with a sinister feel, The House at Hanger Hill is an impressive debut that deals with some dark, heavy themes.

🥳 What I loved

📖 Premise/Atmosphere: Monsour does an excellent job in creating an unsettling, claustrophobic setting in which I was instantly absorbed and fully invested.

📖 Writing: This does not read like a debut! The writing is crisp and immersive with no awkward or overdone prose. Monsour skillfully crafted a narrator that keeps you guessing which garners star points from me!

📖 Characters: “Mama” is one giant question mark! I couldn’t decide if I loved or hated her, and my opinion flip flopped throughout the entire book. Points back to that impressive writing!

📖 Pacing: Although not much “happens” beyond the walk down memory lane, the pacing is perfect. It kept my attention and I never felt a lag in momentum or that dreaded “how much is left” feeling. This is a huge point for me.

📖 Ending: 🤐 You must read it to see what I mean because I can’t say more than that!


🤔 Things to consider

CONTENT WARNING AHEAD: This is not an easy read as it deals with some very heavy subjects that may be triggering for some readers. I know I had a bit of trouble with animal cruelty, which is where this lost one star point for me as it was a bit extreme, even for a thriller.

⚠ CW: animal cruelty, generational trauma, suicide/death, isolation, thoughts of madness

FINAL VERDICT: A very impressively written debut, recommended for fans of Shirley Jackson or Paula Hawkins. 4⭐

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, and Ashleigh Mounser for providing a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are entirely my own.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I blurbed this one!

Delightfully unsettling. The sort of tale that seeps into your bones and refuses to let go. Mounser excels in creating unease bubbling under the surface of the mundane. I loved every moment.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, The House at Hanger Hill, by Ashleigh Mounser, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a freaky and creepy read, you never know who you can trust, do you?

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️½

The House at Hanger Hill by Ashleigh Mounser
Publication date: February 16, 2027
Minotaur Books

This is one of those books that is just deeply, deeply unsettling.

The House at Hanger Hill is a slow-burn gothic suspense novel with a touch of horror and a strong supernatural undercurrent. But this isn’t really a story about a murderer lurking around the corner. It’s about a house, generations of women, family secrets, and all the things that refuse to stay buried.

And wow, does this family have some things buried.

The story moves through multiple generations of women connected to Hanger Hill, and I really loved that aspect of it. These are strong, complicated female characters, and the house itself almost becomes another character as the history slowly unfolds.

There are a lot of generations and relationships to keep straight, though. My biggest request for the finished book: PLEASE give us a family tree at the beginning! 😂 I found myself mentally trying to map out who belonged to whom more than once.

There are also plenty of surprises. A few twists came so completely out of nowhere that I wished there had been a little more groundwork or exposition leading up to them, but overall, this was a really effective creepy read. The atmosphere is excellent, and Mounser knows how to create that feeling that something is just slightly wrong long before you understand why.

This reminded me of When the Night Comes Knocking and Something in the Walls. It has that same creepy-horror-movie-date-night energy: slow-building dread, family secrets, supernatural elements, twists, and the literary equivalent of a few jump scares. 👀🏚️

If you like suspense that leans more toward generational secrets and supernatural unease than traditional murder mystery, put this one on your 2027 list.

3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Publishing Group for the advanced reading copy!

[Kristi Lamont · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of The House at Hanger Hill by Ashleigh Mounser, from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

⭐ 2.75 ⭐

This book had so much potential.

Alas, it did not live up to it.

I’m not sure where things turned off uninteresting/sloggy to me, but I do know that I was less than halfway through it yesterday when I reluctantly had to put it down and—oh horror of horrors—socialize with some friends.

So I made sure I had enough time blocked off this afternoon to enjoy finishing it in one fell swoop.

Y’all? That did not come to pass. Instead I bounced back and forth between the book, social media, texts, and word games, and—in the end—had to force myself to finish it. I guess part of why is because I’d figured out one major plot point yesterday, and then another became sort of screamingly clear early on in this afternoon’s reading. Also, by the time I finished I wanted to seriously hurt everyone involved in naming the primary male protagonist Lip. So, so very offputting and distracting.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad book. It just didn’t scratch the particular spooky season itch I’ve been having. Also, and I’m gonna sound horribly provincial or something by saying this, but I kept thinking to myself, “Australia just seems all wrong for this kind of horror. Should be set in the UK.”

PS
Re social media: If you haven’t checked out Threads, do yourself a favor and spend a little time on/with it. I am guaranteed to honk laughing at least once a day at something on there, and usually a lot more than that. And with things the way they are in the world today, who doesn’t need a good laugh??

DESCRIPTION
A searing, chilling debut suspense novel about a family home with a history, haunting three generations of women—for fans of Jean Hanff Korelitz and Gillian Flynn.

For as long as Betty can remember, Hanger Hill has been more than a house: it’s a place haunted by whispers. Some of the rumors are vague. Others are disturbingly specific. She remembers only some of it… the flick of a cat’s tale. The smell of rot. Screams coming from below the kitchen floor. Pages of old diaries curling amongst flames.

On Betty’s eighteenth birthday, she finds the courage to ask her strange, reclusive mother to tell the real story of her family: her mother had been a young woman, reeling from the suicide of her grandmother, when she inherited her family home in the town where her troubled sister drowned. Moving from the city with her long-term boyfriend, she began renovating the house in which she spent so much of her childhood. At first, she was convinced that the project would lift her out of her debilitating grief, but instead she found herself isolated, soon overcome by creeping solitude as her relationship broke down and tensions within the house rose.

As her mother spins her story, Betty evades questions from the police officer who is circling, convinced that the case of the deaths at Hanger Hill should be reopened. Then, she discovers her great-grandmother’s diaries, and the passages inside reveal a terrible truth at the heart of her family.

[Jackie · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

Wow, that ending. I love when a psychological thriller makes me think I have things figured out, only to realize how much I’ve missed. Darcy was quite the unreliable narrator, and I think that’s what made this one work so well for me. At first, I really didn’t suspect just how twisted she was. The more I learned, the more I questioned everything she’d told us.

And that final chapter…so clever. I loved how Mounser brought everything full circle without spelling it all out. Such a subtle but chilling way to end the story. This is exactly why I love psychological thrillers. Just when you think you’ve figured someone out, you realize you never really knew them at all.

This was an impressive debut from Ashleigh Mounser. The writing was sharp. The storytelling was clever. I really appreciated how she kept me questioning things right up until the end. I’m already eager to see what she comes up with next.

A special thank you to St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read this one ahead of its release. There’s something especially exciting about discovering a story before it reaches everyone else’s shelves, and I genuinely appreciate being trusted with an early copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

[Brian Sibanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating story. The twists left me rethinking what I originally thought, highly recommend.

[Cozy Crystal Chapters · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review: Thank you to @netgalley the author @ashleighmounser @stmartinspress s for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review!

​Title: The House at Hanger Hill
Author: Ashleigh Mounser
Pub Date: Feb 16 2027
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

For as long as Betty can remember, Hanger Hill has been more than a home, it’s a place haunted by whispers, where strangers knew her address long before she knew her own name.

I really enjoyed this one ❤️ I don't want to give away to much but You can compare it to Shirley Jacksons The Haunting of Hill House. Please read the trigger warnings before diving in.

​Think:
Triple Timelines
Three Generations of Secrets
Cold Case Mystery
Haunted Manor
Unreliable Narrator & Fragmented Memories
Sinister Family Secrets
Trigger Warnings

Blurb: For as long as Betty can remember, Hanger Hill has been more than a house: it’s a place haunted by whispers. Some of the rumors are vague. Others are disturbingly specific. She remembers only some of it… the flick of a cat’s tale. The smell of rot. Screams coming from below the kitchen floor. Pages of old diaries curling amongst flames.

On Betty’s eighteenth birthday, she finds the courage to ask her strange, reclusive mother to tell the real story of her family: her mother had been a young woman, reeling from the suicide of her grandmother, when she inherited her family home in the town where her troubled sister drowned. Moving from the city with her long-term boyfriend, she began renovating the house in which she spent so much of her childhood. At first, she was convinced that the project would lift her out of her debilitating grief, but instead she found herself isolated, soon overcome by creeping solitude as her relationship broke down and tensions within the house rose.

As her mother spins her story, Betty evades questions from the police officer who is circling, convinced that the case of the deaths at Hanger Hill should be reopened. Then, she discovers her great grandmother’s diaries, and the passages inside reveal a terrible truth at the heart of her family.

[Taya · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

We are so back. Demolished this in a day.

[Teri Graves · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

⭐ 4.5 stars

What a remarkable debut! If I could offer only one compliment, it would be this: I could not put this book down. And I mean that quite literally. I found myself reading in the middle of the night, sacrificing precious sleep because I simply had to know what happened next. That doesn’t happen often.

At its heart, this is a deliciously unsettling story about a house, a family’s troubled history, and the secrets that refuse to stay buried.

The story unfolds as Betty listens to her mother recount the disturbing events surrounding the house her mother inherited from her own grandmother. Much of the novel takes place within her mother’s recollections, and initially I found myself struggling to move between the two perspectives. I also questioned how someone could recount events from so long ago with such extraordinary precision. Certain conversations and characters’ behaviors struck me as peculiar, too.

And then, as the story unfolded, I began to reconsider everything.

That is where Mounser’s storytelling truly shines. Details I had questioned took on entirely new meaning, and what initially seemed like weaknesses in the narrative became part of what made it so effective. I love when an author makes me question not only what I think I know, but how I’ve arrived at those conclusions.

I couldn’t help getting Shirley Jackson vibes, particularly in the way Mounser blurs the boundaries between psychological horror and the supernatural. The prose may not yet have Jackson’s refinement, but the atmosphere, ambiguity, and sheer power of the storytelling are impressive, especially for a debut.

I’ve always thought houses absorb something of the people who inhabit them, whether darkness or light. This novel explores that idea in a particularly chilling way. Sometimes the most frightening thing about a haunted house isn’t what might be lurking within its walls, but the people who have lived there.

I loved the entire experience of reading this book, not simply its revelations. Mounser kept me invested from beginning to end, and the final pages made me appreciate the journey even more.

What an exciting debut. I can’t wait to see what Ashleigh Mounser writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[The Starry Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

The House at Hanger Hill is a psychological mystery thriller about the family monsters that haunt and consume...

Betty asks her Mother to recount her life and her strange experience at her family's home at Hanger Hill. Betty's Mother tells her story of her struggles restoring her deceased grandmother's home that she inherited after her tragic death. She begins restoring her grandmother's house with her boyfriend when eerie things begin to unfold. As Betty's Mother tells her story, a police investigation involving Hanger Hill House reopens and with it the secrets and darkness that has been haunting her family for generations...

The House at Hanger Hill was a psychological suspense story that blurred the lines between fact and fiction, truth and lies, and memories and manipulations. There was an eerie sense of doom that lived just beneath the text of this gripping story. It's clear that Betty's Mother was an unreliable narrator as we the reader questioned her perception of events. I was constantly wondering whether it was mental illness or in fact supernatural? The end of the story, everything blurry comes into focus just enough to offer a unexpected twist, one that I think was indeed supernatural and slowly growing throughout the story.

This book explored blackmail, guilt tripping, and calculating behaviour that is intergenerational. Something looking to survive will always look for a host to consume, a way in, and a way out. The manipulations of the characters were chilling and some of the best I have read in a novel. Ashleigh Mounser manipulated the readers in the same way, offering red herrings and clues that led to a much deeper tale and warning about feminine rage, abuse, and trauma. The layered complexity of this story kept me engaged as a reader from beginning to end. The fact that I still am questioning what I read and what I thought I knew makes this a psychological tour de force.

The House at Hanger Hill would make a good film. I look forward to reading more from the author.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free ARC via NETGALLEY in exchange for an honest review.

[Suesyn Zellmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, I’ll note that stories that include harming animals (especially pet types) automatically disgust me, especially when it’s for nothing more than exploitation. I’m not talking about when a pet sadly gets loose and an accident occurs, let’s say. I mean when you write at least one gruesome scene that does not turn out to be a dream or misunderstanding. Then it’s continually referred to afterwards, so it sticks in your mind. Why? I’m not even a fan of cats, and it bothered me. That’s pretty much a good representation of this book as a whole – not enough quality content, so let’s just shock people with how awful these characters are.

There are three generations of women in this story – Betty is the teenager in the present, and the bulk of her narrative is her getting her mother to tell her the true full story of their home on Hanger Hill. So her mother is really the main character that we see from the perspective of the most. Her mother, Betty’s grandmother, is Elisabet, and that’s how she refers to herself too often – Elisabet’s daughter. Gee, why is that? Why does she never say her actual name? Big spoiler if you’ve never read a mystery with twists before, but the rest of us see it coming from the start.

I would have better appreciated the attempts at misdirection as far as who the true villains were, had it not been dampened by the overlong narratives and needless animal violence. And the main characters give off this whole ‘men are useless because I’m bored of him now’ vibe, especially Betty with the cop’s son whose name I can’t remember. It just makes females look vain and terrible and males pathetic and weak. And this female doesn’t agree at all. But if any of this sounds like a story you want to delve deeper into, be my guest.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the free advance reading copy of this book.

[Megg · Rating 5 out of 5]

OBSESSED. This is exactly the kind of book that reminds me why I love horror. Dark, creepy, and filled with this constant undercurrent of unease and dread that had me completely hooked.

The narrator is so unreliable that I genuinely found myself wanting to map out the timelines just to make sure I could piece together what was actually happening. I felt like a detective, constantly questioning what I was being told and trying to connect the dots. There are multiple narrators, time jumps, and so many twists and turns, but the payoff is absolutely worth it.

There is a bit of a slow build initially, but it never felt boring. I was invested the entire time, and every time I had to put the book down, I couldn’t wait to pick it back up. It’s the kind of book you find yourself thinking about when you’re not reading it, and wanting to stop mid-chapter just to talk about what’s happening.

My one small criticism is that I wish the family tree and “who’s who” had been a little clearer, but honestly I could argue that the confusion is intentional and contributes to the unsettling atmosphere. I constantly felt like I couldn’t quite get my bearings, which made the whole experience even creepier.

Between the psychological horror, deeply fucked-up family dynamics, unreliable narration, and Australian setting (which isn’t common I would say), this was such a win for me. It actually pulled me out of a reading slump, and now that I’m finished, I’m genuinely sad I don’t get to read it anymore.

An easy five stars and an enthusiastic recommendation for anyone who loves psychological horror and thrillers.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy! All opinions are my own.

[Regina · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

I'm not even sure where to start with this review, but I will say that this book has left me deeply unsettled. It was more slow-burn, psychological madness than haunted house, which was not a bad thing, just not what I was expecting. The prose was beautiful and carried this heavy, claustrophobic sense of dread that just sat like a lump on my chest the entire time. And I loved the author's use of personification. It definitely upped the creepy factor in my opinion. I did have a little trouble following along with parts of the story, as the narrator wasn't always clear. And for some reason, even though Betty's chapters were clearly marked, I kept confusing her for her mother. It's possible that my brain just wasn't functioning at 100% and it was a me problem, but nevertheless, having more labels would have been a plus. I'm actually extremely impressed that this was a debut. The pacing was super slow, but the story was very compelling. It's one of those stories that just sinks its teeth in and doesn't let up. If you enjoy psychological, gothic reads and don't mind the slow burn, then this book is right up your alley. I really enjoyed it and will look for more from this author in the future.

***3.5 stars

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for gifting me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Rudi McKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The House at Hanger Hill by Ashleigh Mounser

There is something irresistible about a creepy house, buried secrets, and the feeling that something isn't quite right. I love stories that use their setting to create an atmosphere of unease, where the house itself feels like it has a history it doesn't want anyone uncovering.

Ashleigh Mounser drew me into a story that blends mystery, suspense, and an unsettling atmosphere. I enjoyed the sense of tension and the questions that kept building as the story unfolded. There is something particularly fun about trying to piece together what is really happening while wondering which secrets are still waiting to come to light.

I am always drawn to stories with dark settings and an undercurrent of dread, especially when there is a mystery at the center pulling everything together. This one has the kind of premise that makes you want to keep turning pages and find out what is hiding behind closed doors.

For readers who enjoy atmospheric mysteries, unsettling secrets, and houses with stories of their own to tell, this is one to add to the list.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

[Stacy · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Well, this was different than I expected and I'm honestly not sure how to describe it. My husband asked how my book was and I told him it was strange, but when he asked why I couldn't really explain it. Most of the book is very mundane. A lot of it is just Betty's mother alone at the house as she seems to slowly unravel. She fixes up the house and garden and reads her grandmother's diaries when she finds them, but she also loses track of time and has gaps in her memory. There really isn't a lot happening, but there's a sense of unease the whole time. I had the feeling that something was going on that I didn't quite understand. Once I got to the twists, I realized how cleverly done it was. I sort of suspected one of the twists, but I did not see most of them coming. The House at Hanger Hill is an atmospheric, unsettling slow-burn with an unexpected ending. I'm still not entirely sure if I would recommend it or not. 3.25 stars.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

[Hayley Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my word this was sensational! Per usual I was expecting some sort of haunted house novel, and this is not it. But what this book turned out to be was fantastic! It's twisty, atmospheric, strange, intense and claustrophobic. Everything I like my horror/thriller novels to be. I did not see that ending coming and trust me my mouth had dropped by the end of it. I'm not sure even the smartest person would see the ending coming. The different points of view sometimes were a little hard to follow, I kept reminding myself who was who, but I don't feel like it took away from the experience too much. I also felt that the book took a tad longer for me to get into....probably by chapter 10 I was fully locked in, but I think it almost added to the book as a whole. It gave a slow burn aspect to it. I think those who love horror/thrillers but want something a tad more out of the box will love this book. I will be recommending it to everyone I know! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read it early!

[Jennifer Horn · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked and wanting more right up until the very end! The twists and turns were abundant, and the author managed to fool me all the way through. I love when a thriller keeps me guessing, and The House at Hanger Hill absolutely delivered.

The storytelling was brilliant. The interwoven timelines were easy to distinguish and follow, which made the story flow seamlessly rather than becoming confusing or disjointed. I also loved how the author sprinkled subtle clues throughout the narrative, only to tie everything together so neatly by the end.

Everything felt thoughtfully crafted, and I really appreciated how all the pieces came together. This is exactly the kind of psychological thriller I love: clever, twisty, and full of surprises that keep you second-guessing yourself.

Brilliant storytelling from beginning to end! Definitely a standout read for me.

[Keyana]

I really enjoyed this book and think it will be a hit when it comes out !! The ending did have me completely shocked and I saw one of the twists coming but man what a wild ride it was at the end ! I feel like I cannot explain this book without giving away some of the plot because there is so many moving parts. I will admit i took a star away because it was difficult for me to keep up with the different perspectives in the beginning. I wasn't sure who was talking and not only do the character perspective switch, but the time frames do as well. In the end it all comes together and i understood more clearly why it was written the way it was but you def have to see it through to the end to understand. Overall I'd recommend this book to my friends !

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Betty’s mother is a little unhinged, rambling around the titular house and garden she inherited from her grandmother before Betty was born. Betty is aware of the deaths that occurred in the house, but her mother is only now admitting the truth to her only child. We get alternate perspectives of Betty and her mum’s full confession. And it. Is. A doozy.

The unreliable narrator device can be fun if done successfully, but here, it didn’t quite work. Between the dream sequences and the gaps in her memory, it felt like an excuse for gaps in the plot itself. The creepy factor was there and the setting of The House and its atmosphere were conveyed well. The potential was there, but it left me wanting more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

[Mairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one very strong debut. A mystery set in Australia, narrated in a dual time line that through me for a loop.

We are following Becky who lives with her reclusive mother, and we quickly realize that the house they live in has a sinister history. A cop keeps following Becky, hoping that she would "tell the truth".

The story of what happened in The House at Hanger Hill is narrated by Becky's mother who has decided to tell her what really happened to her great-grandmother who is known to have taken her life in that same house. The story was very well crafted, and I did not see the sick twist coming in the end. There was not a signal moment where I wanted to put the book down; I kept wanting to know how the story was going to end.

I recommend!

[Leilani · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The House at Hanger Hill" by Ashleigh Mounser was an incredibly captivating read that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The deeper I got into the story, the more convinced I became that it would make an amazing movie. My only challenge was keeping track of all the family members. At times, I found myself confused about who was who and had to flip back through previous chapters for a refresher. Because of that, I agree with other readers who suggested including a family tree. Although, I can understand how that might reveal details the author intended to keep hidden until later in the story. Overall, Ashleigh Mounser delivered a fantastic read, and I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to experience this book early.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC of “The House at Hanger” Hill in exchange for my honest review.

[Caesar Murillo · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Creepy, addicting, and beautifully unsettling! The House at Hanger Hill is a brilliantly crafted gothic thriller dripping with tension. Ashleigh Mounser nails the slithering, psychological dread of a home haunted by secrets across three generations of women. The diary entries and small-town cold case investigation kept me guessing until the very end. Fans of dark, atmospheric suspense will adore this debut! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

[Debbie T · Rating 3.75 out of 5]

I struggled a bit with this one. It was a slow read for me, but I stuck with it to see how everything would play out. There was plenty of suspense and a lot of secrets along the way. It just took me a little longer to get through than I expected.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Christine Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mounser writes some of the most vivid and beautiful prose I have ever had the pleasure of reading! This story was so compelling, so dark and twisty, and surprisingly funny, and I could not put it down!

[Holly · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This was so well written and enjoyable to read. But wow. The story was bonkers. Twists and secrets left me wondering how did what. I didn’t know who to root for.

The ending was mostly satisfying. All questions are answered…but…

[Amber Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. I liked the twists and the ending. It was a bit of a slow burn, but I still enjoyed it. I think Ashleigh Mounser did a nice job with her debut book.

[Franny Ann Reads · Rating 1.5 out of 5]

I found this book to be very slow and structured poorly. I did not enjoy or feel empathy for any of the characters. It seemed predictable and chaotic.

[michellereadsatmidnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted a copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

4 Stars

Such an interesting play on the haunted house story. Is it the house? Is it the people? Is it nothing at all? There are creepy neighbors, unreliable characters, and something eerie going on the whole time.

I loved tried to piece together what was going on the whole time.