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House 23: A Thriller
Joseph Lee lost his wife, the love of his life. She was slain in their home, right under his nose. As if the grief weren’t enough, Lee was also blamed for her murder. At the end of the day, the detectives didn’t have any proof that Lee was the murderer, but that didn’t stop the community from shunning him or his friends from ignoring him. They didn’t need proof, they said.
Left to stew in his own self-loathing, a miserable existence of solitude and narcotics, Lee is alone with his regrets and his remorse. But his life is about to change—there is hope yet for this hopeless man. A beautiful woman who looks uncannily like his deceased wife moves into the vacant house across the road, sparking something in Joseph Lee that he thought was long dead.
But after the light at the end of the tunnel there is even more darkness for Lee. This beautiful lookalike, and the house she now calls home, are hiding terrible secrets that will unravel everything Lee thought he knew about himself, his street, and his wife.
Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.
Left to stew in his own self-loathing, a miserable existence of solitude and narcotics, Lee is alone with his regrets and his remorse. But his life is about to change—there is hope yet for this hopeless man. A beautiful woman who looks uncannily like his deceased wife moves into the vacant house across the road, sparking something in Joseph Lee that he thought was long dead.
But after the light at the end of the tunnel there is even more darkness for Lee. This beautiful lookalike, and the house she now calls home, are hiding terrible secrets that will unravel everything Lee thought he knew about himself, his street, and his wife.
Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors.
208 pages, Paperback
First published February 17, 2013
226 people are currently reading
1625 people want to read
About the author
Eli Yance
3 books9 followersEli Yance lives in Northumberland, England, with his wife and dogs. He doesn’t spend nearly enough time with the former and spends far too much time with the latter. Eli started writing at a very young age, penning his first complete novel when he was just eleven and publishing his first short story at eighteen. He is also the author of the upcoming novel The Consequence.-- Scribd
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
February 28, 2016
The book started quite well... was well written, the conversations flowed, I related to the characters, there was some mystery and suspense, the book had possibilities. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
The book fell flat from about half way through and deteriorated It was as if the author had lost interest and slapped on any old ending to get the book over with! I found myself skimming pages, waiting for something to re-capture my attention.
And the ending itself? Well - it did end - again, somewhat weakly.
To be fair, there was a twist, but it was disappointing. Maybe I'd just lost interest by then and wanted to get it over with too.
The book fell flat from about half way through and deteriorated It was as if the author had lost interest and slapped on any old ending to get the book over with! I found myself skimming pages, waiting for something to re-capture my attention.
And the ending itself? Well - it did end - again, somewhat weakly.
To be fair, there was a twist, but it was disappointing. Maybe I'd just lost interest by then and wanted to get it over with too.
November 5, 2013
I got to page 65 before deciding that my life is just too short! So it's only fair to say that I'm reviewing only the first 65 pages.
Whilst I imagine there's a good plot here and undoubtedly some twists along the way, I just don't care. The main character Joseph Lee is an insufferable and self-absorbed oik and I really couldn't care less about his fate. I had sympathy for his loss following his wife's murder, but he quickly forgot his grief at the appearance of a neighbour bearing an uncanny resemblance to his late wife. The author left me with no compassion once Joseph called her his "ex-wife" in his mind, and why would a widower think of her by her Christian and surname? There were so many passages that not only didn't ring true, but beggared belief, and I did something that I so rarely do- I gave up on a book. I had another look at the reviews before abandoning it though, and once I realised that the same author wrote Fairwood another struggle, I decided not to waste any more of my time.
It's interesting to see that Eli Yance is supposed to be a pseudonym of a best-selling horror writer- I'd like to respectfully suggest that Mr. Yance be consigned to the way of all things and the best-selling author be allowed to write his/her best-selling work.
Whilst I imagine there's a good plot here and undoubtedly some twists along the way, I just don't care. The main character Joseph Lee is an insufferable and self-absorbed oik and I really couldn't care less about his fate. I had sympathy for his loss following his wife's murder, but he quickly forgot his grief at the appearance of a neighbour bearing an uncanny resemblance to his late wife. The author left me with no compassion once Joseph called her his "ex-wife" in his mind, and why would a widower think of her by her Christian and surname? There were so many passages that not only didn't ring true, but beggared belief, and I did something that I so rarely do- I gave up on a book. I had another look at the reviews before abandoning it though, and once I realised that the same author wrote Fairwood another struggle, I decided not to waste any more of my time.
It's interesting to see that Eli Yance is supposed to be a pseudonym of a best-selling horror writer- I'd like to respectfully suggest that Mr. Yance be consigned to the way of all things and the best-selling author be allowed to write his/her best-selling work.
May 7, 2014
What can I say about this book. For starters I felt like it was written on a grade school level. Found numerous misspellings and words omitted, way more than in any other book I have read. Did anyone bother to proofread this book?! The story itself just seemed silly, slow to get going and when things started happening, it was just too unbelievable. Don't know if I would try this author again or not.
November 14, 2014
What happens if you live your life in a bubble: you never put yourself out there, you don’t take chances? You don’t pay attention to the world around you, and you never build relationships? Are you safe? This book explores that theory that if you decide to live your life outside of the norm and inside of your very small comfort zone, you are seemingly safe. That is, until you slowly open yourself up to the outside world and begin to build relationships.
The main character suffers a tremendous loss and isolates himself into his small, self-destructive world. The reader cannot blame him for his choices, as he is acting naturally to what has happened. When a charming couple befriends him, he slowly warms to the possibility of healing and moving on.
Be warned that the first half of this book is very slow. The writing is descriptive and emotional, but devoid of action and excitement. This half of the book could probably be trimmed up quite a bit as to not bore the reader so much. It wasn’t painful to read, just very sleepy to read.
The second half of the book has more action and more thrills. The storytelling is weaker here as the author kind of throws in the kitchen sink to conclude the book. It is very graphic and not for the squeamish. You’ve been warned.
I found it hard to really like the book because of the dichotomy of the two parts. I also didn’t like how messy (story-wise) the ending became. Two many characters and motives with previously unknown information. The reader is caught as unawares as the main character is.
A confusing thing throughout the book is why the author chooses to address the main character by his last name, rather than his first name. No other character is addressed by their last name. It was distracting. Also confusing is why it took the police so long to appear at the end of the book.
The title and picture cover are a great sell for the book, but have nothing to do with the book until the very end. It’s very misleading. I definitely felt misled until about 80% of the book was read.
Above all the criticisms, I did enjoy the writing style and choices of words. It made the book easy to read and boosted my rating to 3 stars.
The main character suffers a tremendous loss and isolates himself into his small, self-destructive world. The reader cannot blame him for his choices, as he is acting naturally to what has happened. When a charming couple befriends him, he slowly warms to the possibility of healing and moving on.
Be warned that the first half of this book is very slow. The writing is descriptive and emotional, but devoid of action and excitement. This half of the book could probably be trimmed up quite a bit as to not bore the reader so much. It wasn’t painful to read, just very sleepy to read.
The second half of the book has more action and more thrills. The storytelling is weaker here as the author kind of throws in the kitchen sink to conclude the book. It is very graphic and not for the squeamish. You’ve been warned.
I found it hard to really like the book because of the dichotomy of the two parts. I also didn’t like how messy (story-wise) the ending became. Two many characters and motives with previously unknown information. The reader is caught as unawares as the main character is.
A confusing thing throughout the book is why the author chooses to address the main character by his last name, rather than his first name. No other character is addressed by their last name. It was distracting. Also confusing is why it took the police so long to appear at the end of the book.
The title and picture cover are a great sell for the book, but have nothing to do with the book until the very end. It’s very misleading. I definitely felt misled until about 80% of the book was read.
Above all the criticisms, I did enjoy the writing style and choices of words. It made the book easy to read and boosted my rating to 3 stars.
June 6, 2023
1 star--I didn't like it. I should have read my friends' reviews of this one before picking it up! Clunky writing and some men-writing-women characterization. I finished it because it was so short, but it's not to my taste.
October 26, 2020
this book has everything:
-truly despicable main character that you actively root against
-copious fatphobia
-objectification of women
-complete lack of understanding of pacing
-“plot twists” so inscrutable you’ll think you accidentally picked up a different book
-no redeemable characters
-snooze fest until about 60% of the way in
second star is for keeping my attention.....eventually
-truly despicable main character that you actively root against
-copious fatphobia
-objectification of women
-complete lack of understanding of pacing
-“plot twists” so inscrutable you’ll think you accidentally picked up a different book
-no redeemable characters
-snooze fest until about 60% of the way in
second star is for keeping my attention.....eventually
October 20, 2024
The MC is not likeable.. at all.
Probably a spoiler, but to think about yourself and that you can "finally" have the woman you want because of a tragedy is weird af. Like the guy literally just died, and the first thing you think of is, "I can have her now" again, weird as fuck.
Thinking someone is yours without them saying so is creepy and made this book really uncomfortable to read.
The twists weren't that surprising and lacked an element of excitement.
I'm glad it's over, will never read again.
Probably a spoiler, but to think about yourself and that you can "finally" have the woman you want because of a tragedy is weird af. Like the guy literally just died, and the first thing you think of is, "I can have her now" again, weird as fuck.
Thinking someone is yours without them saying so is creepy and made this book really uncomfortable to read.
The twists weren't that surprising and lacked an element of excitement.
I'm glad it's over, will never read again.
August 5, 2024
The Past..
Is never quite what we remember and sometimes we learn things later that change or color that past.
There are interesting ideas and characters here but it doesn't really feel like it comes together well. It feels forced and out of left field by the 3rd act.
Is never quite what we remember and sometimes we learn things later that change or color that past.
There are interesting ideas and characters here but it doesn't really feel like it comes together well. It feels forced and out of left field by the 3rd act.
December 23, 2022
This slim novel wasn’t a bad read. I found the audiobook version of it on Scribd to listen to. There are some solid characters, and good dialogue. The end was interesting. It kept me entertained while crocheting for 6 hours off & on, not including breaks.
David deVries is the narrator for the audiobook version of this novel.
3 stars
David deVries is the narrator for the audiobook version of this novel.
3 stars
December 14, 2021
Este libro podría ser una buena película.
Me entretuve.
Me entretuve.
January 28, 2023
This was wild to me. So many twists and turns. I definitely feel like it lacked something though.
August 18, 2025
House 23 turned out to be a fairly mediocre thriller for me. While the concept had potential, the execution felt flat and very uniform, never quite hitting the tension or atmosphere I was looking for. I didn’t find myself connecting with Joseph Lee as a main character, which made it harder to get pulled into the story. On top of that, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off with Riso and Zala early on, so the reveals didn’t land with much surprise.
That said, it was a quick and easy read you can fly through in a sitting or two. Unfortunately, it just didn’t stick with me afterward. Entertaining in the moment, but ultimately forgettable.
That said, it was a quick and easy read you can fly through in a sitting or two. Unfortunately, it just didn’t stick with me afterward. Entertaining in the moment, but ultimately forgettable.
August 31, 2024
I listened to this via audiobook and it was really good. If you like domestic thrillers then I think you should check this one out.
April 22, 2023
When the neighborhood accompanied by family and friends accuse Lee of murdering his loving and rich wife despite being acquitted by the police investigation, Lee becomes a recluse. He developed a routine that helped him avoid causing eyes and pointy fingers until a friendly couple occupy the neighboring house. His life is turned around for which, he paints again and has the courage to leave the house for walks and social gathering.
This is how the first 2/3 of the novel depicts Lee’s life which sounds interesting but it is not. Lee is anti social with a disdain towards people including his family. He has no skill or a job who was supported by his ambitions driven wife. It is strange that they don’t hold any memories together as Lee remembers Jennifer as the woman who amended his relationship with his family/brother and made him someone as he was a nobody. I don’t recall calling a marriage, happy if one partner has no regards towards his worth while the other partner is out of the living nest all the time. The Austrian couple is suspicious but Lee being Lee relishes on their kindness with no degree of doubt at their constant focus on him.
Then, the third part kicks in! The couple’s identity is revealed with Jennifer’s ( Lee’s wife) murderer returns to the scene with no apparent reason , and a scheme to implicate Lee in several crimes are intermixed. A novel shouldn’t progress with coincidences; they have their value as supporting factors but as primary factors, I don’t think the author was able to articulate a good storyline. Funny enough, I don’t know if Lee’s house is 23 or is it the neighbors’ house?
This is how the first 2/3 of the novel depicts Lee’s life which sounds interesting but it is not. Lee is anti social with a disdain towards people including his family. He has no skill or a job who was supported by his ambitions driven wife. It is strange that they don’t hold any memories together as Lee remembers Jennifer as the woman who amended his relationship with his family/brother and made him someone as he was a nobody. I don’t recall calling a marriage, happy if one partner has no regards towards his worth while the other partner is out of the living nest all the time. The Austrian couple is suspicious but Lee being Lee relishes on their kindness with no degree of doubt at their constant focus on him.
Then, the third part kicks in! The couple’s identity is revealed with Jennifer’s ( Lee’s wife) murderer returns to the scene with no apparent reason , and a scheme to implicate Lee in several crimes are intermixed. A novel shouldn’t progress with coincidences; they have their value as supporting factors but as primary factors, I don’t think the author was able to articulate a good storyline. Funny enough, I don’t know if Lee’s house is 23 or is it the neighbors’ house?
January 16, 2016
I received a free kindle copy of House 23 by Eli Yance in an Amazon promotion.
I gave it five stars because it kept me guessing the entire time. I like a mystery, a suspense thriller that can entertain me. This one qualified!
Joseph Lee was falsely accused of murdering his wife but couldn't be convicted because of lack of evidence. His life plummets into despair. Then new neighbors show up at House 23 & it seems his life will improve. Unfortunately things are not always what they seem.
Twists & turns abound & the characters are well fleshed. I recommend this novel.
Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B...
I gave it five stars because it kept me guessing the entire time. I like a mystery, a suspense thriller that can entertain me. This one qualified!
Joseph Lee was falsely accused of murdering his wife but couldn't be convicted because of lack of evidence. His life plummets into despair. Then new neighbors show up at House 23 & it seems his life will improve. Unfortunately things are not always what they seem.
Twists & turns abound & the characters are well fleshed. I recommend this novel.
Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B...
August 29, 2017
This was a quick read, only 200 pages. A man's wife was murdered in their home, while he was in the shower. He was suspected of killing her, but no proof. He becomes sort of a hermit, not going out, ordering what he needs online. One day, a beautiful couple move in across the street, and the female looks so much like his ex-wife! It brings him back to life, in a way. They become very friendly, having dinner together, watching movies. Then, it happens. The true story of who this couple is, who killed his wife, all the answers come out. I liked it, but the story could have had a better ending, in my opinion. Not a bad story, pretty good. Read it.
October 25, 2020
Great story
I have this 5 stars because it is a good story. The hit and miss use of words is not worth even one star. When the hero of the book is 'implemented ' in a crime that's a real 'turn out for the books' but still a distraction from the story. It's a brilliant idea for a story and I can see the errors might have sneaked through if it's been self published. If this book has been released by a publishing house the proof reader needs to take a refresher. Please don't spoil a story by using poor English. It interrupts the flow of the book
I have this 5 stars because it is a good story. The hit and miss use of words is not worth even one star. When the hero of the book is 'implemented ' in a crime that's a real 'turn out for the books' but still a distraction from the story. It's a brilliant idea for a story and I can see the errors might have sneaked through if it's been self published. If this book has been released by a publishing house the proof reader needs to take a refresher. Please don't spoil a story by using poor English. It interrupts the flow of the book
March 6, 2022
Wee Spoiler….
The first half was pretty good. It had me wanting to know if he did indeed kill his wife. The 2nd half felt like it was written by someone else.
When Zala and Riso moved in across the street, I thought maybe there was a twist and Zala would be his wife’s cousin or something. Nope just scammers.
Sooo the killer was just bonkers and it made absolutely no sense at all.
Best part it was a super quick read!
The first half was pretty good. It had me wanting to know if he did indeed kill his wife. The 2nd half felt like it was written by someone else.
When Zala and Riso moved in across the street, I thought maybe there was a twist and Zala would be his wife’s cousin or something. Nope just scammers.
Sooo the killer was just bonkers and it made absolutely no sense at all.
Best part it was a super quick read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2022
This book was kind of boring, ngl. I saw the twists coming. Not specifically the reasons behind, but I knew something was off about certain characters. It was fast paced and that helped me get through it.
I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and I felt the mc was ok but still I didn’t care much what happened to him. It kept me entertained and that’s why I give it 2 stars, because honestly there was nothing else that really did it for me.
I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and I felt the mc was ok but still I didn’t care much what happened to him. It kept me entertained and that’s why I give it 2 stars, because honestly there was nothing else that really did it for me.
Read
December 26, 2017The cover of this book was so lusciously ominous looking, you know that saying, don't judge a book by its cover, that term described this book perfectly, this book was so amazingly boring, I knew where this story was going, I still dragged myself through it though just to see if at some point the author would redeem himself, but no, boring and predictable to the end
November 30, 2022
This book started well...very promising.
Ultimately, about half way through, I realized I wasn't enjoying the book anymore. The characters weren't relatable and the main character was so unlikeable, I initially thought he was the villain of the story.
Overall, I forced myself to finish the book but I wouldn't recommend it. Reading of it feels like a waste of time.
Ultimately, about half way through, I realized I wasn't enjoying the book anymore. The characters weren't relatable and the main character was so unlikeable, I initially thought he was the villain of the story.
Overall, I forced myself to finish the book but I wouldn't recommend it. Reading of it feels like a waste of time.
June 17, 2019
I was put off this book by the number of negative reviews, but there's a reason I don't take heed of other people's opinions. I enjoyed the book tremendously and there were several twists to keep you guessing
March 1, 2013
Loved this one, kept me interested all the way through, and got it while it was free on Amazon so even better!
Want to read
August 23, 2014FREE ON AMAZON 23/08/2014
June 28, 2017
Pretty predictable tale....
July 8, 2020
The best thing I can say about this one is I'm glad it's over. Seriously terrible. The one star is generous,
July 17, 2013
Too much gratuitous violence.
October 22, 2022
3.5
This isn’t bad but it just never quite got to that point where you found yourself trapped in the story where you just couldn’t put it down. Still, the writing is good and with a few tweaks here and there it could be very good.
When Joseph Lee’s wife was murdered, slain in their home while he was there, he went into a depression. It didn’t help that the entire community he lived in blamed him for her murder. When it all came down to it though the detectives just didn’t have enough evidence or proof that he was the murderer. However, he was already shunned and cut out of family and friends' lives.
Now, he is left alone with his self loathing. He has an absolutely miserable existence that consists mostly of narcotics and solitude. All he has left are his regrets and remorse. However, his life is about to change when he gets new neighbors. The woman looks uncannily like his slain wife and all of a sudden Joseph feels sparks like he never thought he would again. Soon enough though it becomes apparent that things aren’t quite what they seem. Terrible secrets begin to unravel and Lee realizes that everything he knew about himself, wife, and neighbors may not be how they appear.
This was alright. It did have times where you just couldn’t put it down. It got very good at one point but I think the end was just overdone and a bit out there (for lack of a better description and to avoid spoilers). Is it worth reading? Sure. It’s always good to see what you think about a book for yourself but it wasn’t a top ten for me.
This isn’t bad but it just never quite got to that point where you found yourself trapped in the story where you just couldn’t put it down. Still, the writing is good and with a few tweaks here and there it could be very good.
When Joseph Lee’s wife was murdered, slain in their home while he was there, he went into a depression. It didn’t help that the entire community he lived in blamed him for her murder. When it all came down to it though the detectives just didn’t have enough evidence or proof that he was the murderer. However, he was already shunned and cut out of family and friends' lives.
Now, he is left alone with his self loathing. He has an absolutely miserable existence that consists mostly of narcotics and solitude. All he has left are his regrets and remorse. However, his life is about to change when he gets new neighbors. The woman looks uncannily like his slain wife and all of a sudden Joseph feels sparks like he never thought he would again. Soon enough though it becomes apparent that things aren’t quite what they seem. Terrible secrets begin to unravel and Lee realizes that everything he knew about himself, wife, and neighbors may not be how they appear.
This was alright. It did have times where you just couldn’t put it down. It got very good at one point but I think the end was just overdone and a bit out there (for lack of a better description and to avoid spoilers). Is it worth reading? Sure. It’s always good to see what you think about a book for yourself but it wasn’t a top ten for me.
April 3, 2021
It's always a pleasure to read writing that is well done. That way, you don't feel obligated to critique constantly or worse, to give up in spite of the cost to pocket and of time. This book doesn't disappoint. There aren't a lot of anticipatory surprises in the tale about neighbours because they can be guessed, but there aren't many new book plots coming out, in any event. Or perhaps they're all used up? The story is solid, and although somewhat predictable, the style of the author's work, leads you to love your protagonist more and more as you go along. The action scenes are almost visual, especially in the last few chapters. What begins as quiet, becomes a shriek. Nothing escapes a pen, that smashes and drips and sprays. You hear sounds and see vivid sights and feel the blows. It's that intense! I'd recommend this novel not only for its superior telling, but also for its unique three dimensional power.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2024
A silly, guilty pleasure thriller. A man whose wife was murdered a year ago still lives in the house he inherited from her while the town thinks he is a murderer (and also he is, apparently, a secretly excellent painter). Then an Austrian couple moves in next door, a beautiful woman and her cheerful barbecue-enjoying lout husband. But she also happens to look like his dead wife and she is WAY too into him. Did I mention he's also a sexist idiot and a piece of shit? Takes a tiny horror turn in the climactic action. Dumb and predictable, but reasonably well-written and enjoyable in an LOL WTF way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews