HOUSE OF DEAD THINGS

by Alice Blanchard

A spine-chilling supernatural thriller about a murder victim who haunts the house where she was killed, and the innocent family she torments.

But are they innocent? Is she?

HOUSE OF DEAD THINGS

Life is pretty quiet in the small town of Frozen Falls, Vermont.

When a beautiful young librarian is found murdered in the basement of a literary genius long past his prime, it is up to Detective Ellie Hornsby to solve the gruesome homicide.

This isn’t the first time Ellie has encountered Professor Truman Ravenhill. He was the prime suspect in another murder case 4 years ago, when the love of his life—his muse—was stabbed and strangled to death in her kitchen. Now the professor has gone missing.

When 38-year-old Harlan Ravenhill and his son Jake inherit Truman’s estate, they decide to renovate the rundown Edwardian house, but as soon as demolition begins, it stirs up something that threatens to destroy them, unless they band together with Detective Ellie Hornsby to solve an unspeakable mystery.

From the award-winning author of “Trace of Evil,” “It’s Me Violet” and the bestselling “The Breathtaker” comes a richly layered ghost story wrapped inside a brutal murder mystery about love and obsession that will keep you riveted through its final, electrifying moments.

For fans of The Woman in Black, The Silent Companions, The Little Stranger, Heart-Shaped Box, Ghost Story, Penpal, Turn of the Screw, The Twisted Ones, Dark Matter (Michelle Paver), The Whistling, Neil Gaiman, Peter Straub, Julia Heaberlin, Ruth Ware, Krysten Ritter, Charlie Donlea and Shirley Jackson.

“Blanchard’s prose is swift and cinematic.” — Publisher’s Weekly

“Blanchard’s artistry whips up excitement. She writes so well that she rattles the rafters.” — New York Times Book Review

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300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 24, 2026

About the author

Alice Blanchard is an award-winning author of thrillers, mysteries and suspense novels. Her bestseller, “The Breathtaker,” was an official selection of NBC’s Today Show Book Club, her debut mystery, “Darkness Peering,” was a New York Times’ Notable Book, and "Trace of Evil” was an Amazon Best Mystery and an Indie Next Pick.

Her story collection won the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Short Fiction, and she has received a PEN Fiction Award, a New Letters Literary Award and a Centrum award, among other honors. Her books have been published in 16 countries.

Alice's Amazon Page: amazon.com/author/alice-blanchard
Website: www.aliceblanchard.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/aliceblanchard.author/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alicebooks33...
Twitter: twitter.com/AliceBooks333

Reviews

[Lori Albertson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this Alice Blanchard story wasn’t for me. It started out great, but then it went downhill fast.

This was a Goodreads Giveaway digital win which I’m grateful I got.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked "How to Sell a Haunted House" this one has similar vibes, only it's darker and weirder. It's a psychological thriller with a ghostly twist. In "House of Dead Things" a widowed father and his son move into the house where he grew up and plan on renovating and selling it. Meanwhile, the police believe that his father killed a local librarian in the basement before he disappeared. Also his father is the primary suspect in the killing of his neighbor across the street years before. As soon as they move in, trouble starts, and the grandson starts seeing a ghost. there are some really good twists and turns and it was fun to read.

[Ami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a creepy intense psychological thriller about a novelist who may or may not be a killer, as there is a dead body found in his basement, and he's gone missing. I got hooked on the mystery, and the surprising twists, and would recommend to anyone who likes psychological thrillers, with a very satisfying ending.

[Lauren]

This was a Goodreads digital giveaway, and I’m grateful to be chosen, but this book was not for me. The dialogue seems out of touch, like what teen would say “eff that” instead of the full word to their friend, but then nonchalantly drop the fuck bomb to their dad? And likewise, what dad would offer a beer to his teen son, tell him to man up and ask for a section of the paper in a better way, but also say “I don’t effing know” in a police questioning? The writing is incredibly repititive, which makes it surprising when a restated fact is all of a sudden changed? Does the dad always get up at 5 or 6am because depending on the chapter, that changes. Also, the author drops the R slur at 18% and that was the final nail in the coffin for me. I’m intrigued by the mystery, but the writing around it really needed a good or better editor.

[Jennifer Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to3
I'm not really sure how I feel about this one. It was ok. Seemed like the story was pushed and wasn’t a natural flow to it.

[Wendy Shores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh you HAVE to read this one. It will leave you thinking you know where it's going and BAM! Out of the blue you find you are wrong yet again. I don't give very many books 5 stars but this one gets it. I couldn't put it down. If you love psychological thrillers, this is the one for you!!! Fantastic read!

[cathey dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page turner

I enjoyed the characters and the twisting ghost story. The ending was great and it made me smile with glee.