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Winthrop House #1
A House by the Sea
Something has always lived in Winthrop House...
After his book becomes a best-seller, novelist Jack Ripley moves into a house on the edge of Cutler Harbor with his wife and two daughters. Nearly a century old, Winthrop House is newly-restored and boasts a gorgeous oceanfront view.
But everything is not what it seems.
Though picturesque, Jack learns that the house has been shunned for decades by the locals, owing to a number of mysterious disappearances and inexplicable deaths on the grounds.
The Ripleys begin to grapple with the property's vile reputation, learning more about its sordid history and experiencing strange things within its walls. What was once a dream home quickly becomes a nightmare for the family as they encounter the terrifying presence that has existed there since times immemorial.
After his book becomes a best-seller, novelist Jack Ripley moves into a house on the edge of Cutler Harbor with his wife and two daughters. Nearly a century old, Winthrop House is newly-restored and boasts a gorgeous oceanfront view.
But everything is not what it seems.
Though picturesque, Jack learns that the house has been shunned for decades by the locals, owing to a number of mysterious disappearances and inexplicable deaths on the grounds.
The Ripleys begin to grapple with the property's vile reputation, learning more about its sordid history and experiencing strange things within its walls. What was once a dream home quickly becomes a nightmare for the family as they encounter the terrifying presence that has existed there since times immemorial.
245 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 18, 2016
180 people are currently reading
524 people want to read
About the author
Ambrose Ibsen
58 books660 followersOnce upon a time, a young Ambrose Ibsen discovered a collection of ghost stories on his father's bookshelf. He was never the same again.
Apart from horror fiction, he enjoys good coffee, brewed strong.
Apart from horror fiction, he enjoys good coffee, brewed strong.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
March 6, 2021
Awesome Haunting!
This was a great classical ghost story with very fast pacing and edge of your seat thriller!
A little backstory for you readers:
Author, Jack Ripley decides to move him and his family to a house a/k/a Winthrop House which overlooks the ocean. The house has been standing there for near a century and has just recently been renovated. The house is surrounded by mystery as people have disappeared and died on the property.
As the family settles in to the home they are not aware of what the house has in store for them and if they had known they would probably be running for their lives!
Evil lies in wait for the Ripley family and when it is awoken there will be hell to pay!
There was a little bit of world building in the beginning of the book, but the more I became involved in the story the more I could not put the book down! Tension is tight and the pace picks up near the halfway mark of the book! This was my first book by this author, but it will not be my last! Five delicious ride into terror stars!
This was a great classical ghost story with very fast pacing and edge of your seat thriller!
A little backstory for you readers:
Author, Jack Ripley decides to move him and his family to a house a/k/a Winthrop House which overlooks the ocean. The house has been standing there for near a century and has just recently been renovated. The house is surrounded by mystery as people have disappeared and died on the property.
As the family settles in to the home they are not aware of what the house has in store for them and if they had known they would probably be running for their lives!
Evil lies in wait for the Ripley family and when it is awoken there will be hell to pay!
There was a little bit of world building in the beginning of the book, but the more I became involved in the story the more I could not put the book down! Tension is tight and the pace picks up near the halfway mark of the book! This was my first book by this author, but it will not be my last! Five delicious ride into terror stars!
September 23, 2024
Some people .....
3.5 stars
I will say this... Jack....good ole boy ..!!!yep...!!! It's been fun! (Sarcasm) He wouldn't accept a ghost, demon, or spirit even if it popped up out of a hellmouth, in his morning shower; and appeared cross-dressed- Bugs Bunny -Style to give him a big sloppy kiss and an exploding cigar!!
GAH!!!!
I'm on to book two!
The legend was interesting and is keeping me tied in. Jack was just a two-faced pain in the butt. But oh, I guess in the end I didn't really mind so much.
3.5 stars
I will say this... Jack....good ole boy ..!!!yep...!!! It's been fun! (Sarcasm) He wouldn't accept a ghost, demon, or spirit even if it popped up out of a hellmouth, in his morning shower; and appeared cross-dressed- Bugs Bunny -Style to give him a big sloppy kiss and an exploding cigar!!
GAH!!!!
I'm on to book two!
The legend was interesting and is keeping me tied in. Jack was just a two-faced pain in the butt. But oh, I guess in the end I didn't really mind so much.
June 7, 2017
A HOUSE BY THE SEA (Winthrop House Book 1) is the first book I've read by author Ambrose Ibsen. I found his writing style to be very smooth and easy to follow. His scene changes blended effortlessly into each other without ever feeling "forced".
After writing a best-selling novel, Jack is finally in a position to buy his wife, Darcy, and girls, Amy and Abigail, the house by the sea that they'd always dreamed of. What he doesn't chose to acknowledge are the various rumors of Cutler Harbor being a "hot spot" of supernatural activity. In fact, even the realtor's attempt at disclosing some of the rumors associated with the new house they have chosen are quickly silenced by Jack, who refuses to hear anything negative relating to his new home.
". . . People have always regarded this house as . . . haunted . . . "
The action from then begins as more of a "slow burn". Very little occurs during the first third or so. Mainly, small, unsettling things begin happening to all of the family members when they're on their own: a feeling of being watched, half glimpsed shadows where there should be none, and sounds indicative of someone walking around, but without anyone ever being seen.
". . . even in the tallest of tales, there was often a granule of truth to be found . . . "
Six year old Abigail has the most "concerning" of experiences, although true to form of most young children, she simply accepts the idea of a strange new friend that others can't see, without question. A chance meeting with a man in town blatantly reveals some of the rumors.
". . . that place has had something of a strange reputation since the day it was first built."
Of course, Jack scoffs at the rumors, and ignores his family's increasing unhappiness--going so far as to accuse his wife of being "ungrateful".
". . . what had fist seemed like a blessing . . . was now becoming a curse."
Even Jack eventually begins to dwell on the rumors, although still insists on proving his family an neighbors wrong. Yet mentally, a lingering doubt remains: ". . . That particular spot where your house sits . . . isn't right somehow. . . "
The atmosphere in the story continues to build until even the reader feels a sense of claustrophobia when reading the scenes situated in this house. The wrongness of the home is impossible to ignore, taken in conjunction with the other happenings occurring to the family members.
". . . There area some places that were never meant to be lived in . . ."
Through all his determination to see things work out with the new house, even Jack has his secret doubts that he refuses to voice. The last third of the novel speeds up appreciatively before ending on the final, jarring conclusion.
". . . In the end . . . there are some fights that you simply can't win . . ."
This House by the Sea may just be one of them.
Recommended.
After writing a best-selling novel, Jack is finally in a position to buy his wife, Darcy, and girls, Amy and Abigail, the house by the sea that they'd always dreamed of. What he doesn't chose to acknowledge are the various rumors of Cutler Harbor being a "hot spot" of supernatural activity. In fact, even the realtor's attempt at disclosing some of the rumors associated with the new house they have chosen are quickly silenced by Jack, who refuses to hear anything negative relating to his new home.
". . . People have always regarded this house as . . . haunted . . . "
The action from then begins as more of a "slow burn". Very little occurs during the first third or so. Mainly, small, unsettling things begin happening to all of the family members when they're on their own: a feeling of being watched, half glimpsed shadows where there should be none, and sounds indicative of someone walking around, but without anyone ever being seen.
". . . even in the tallest of tales, there was often a granule of truth to be found . . . "
Six year old Abigail has the most "concerning" of experiences, although true to form of most young children, she simply accepts the idea of a strange new friend that others can't see, without question. A chance meeting with a man in town blatantly reveals some of the rumors.
". . . that place has had something of a strange reputation since the day it was first built."
Of course, Jack scoffs at the rumors, and ignores his family's increasing unhappiness--going so far as to accuse his wife of being "ungrateful".
". . . what had fist seemed like a blessing . . . was now becoming a curse."
Even Jack eventually begins to dwell on the rumors, although still insists on proving his family an neighbors wrong. Yet mentally, a lingering doubt remains: ". . . That particular spot where your house sits . . . isn't right somehow. . . "
The atmosphere in the story continues to build until even the reader feels a sense of claustrophobia when reading the scenes situated in this house. The wrongness of the home is impossible to ignore, taken in conjunction with the other happenings occurring to the family members.
". . . There area some places that were never meant to be lived in . . ."
Through all his determination to see things work out with the new house, even Jack has his secret doubts that he refuses to voice. The last third of the novel speeds up appreciatively before ending on the final, jarring conclusion.
". . . In the end . . . there are some fights that you simply can't win . . ."
This House by the Sea may just be one of them.
Recommended.
May 3, 2017
I was gifted an audible version of this to review and the narration was good. I almost gave it up because the first 2 hours (1/3 of the book) where nothing but doors creaking and hearing footsteps when no one was there, I know the author was trying to build suspense but it was boring. After that it got a little better and I was able to finish it. I still didn't really care for the story, it wasn't anything original just your everyday haunted house tale complete with a ghost hunter, a psychic, and a house that was built on a plot of land that native Indians once feared. Other than the pacing of the story it was well written though, it had good character development and great imagery. I think I would probably give this author another shot but this book just didn't do it for me.
January 30, 2021
I received this audio book in exchange for a honest review.
Jack is ajerk successful author. His space opera is on the NY best seller list. So with all that money, he finally buys his wife a house by the sea. Just like he promised when they were first married. So what if the it's one of the most haunted houses in Maine? It was a great deal. Jack is a jerk. I did not like his character at all. His whole family is experiencing things, his young daughters worst of all but he is not a quitter and these things will not run him off!
Winthrop House has quiet a history, from disappearances, jackal headed beings, to sacrificing children. But nope, Jack isn't hearing it. His daughter and wife take matters into their own hands. Daughter Amy reaches out to a ghost hunter and his wife gets in touch with her friend, Rebecca whom claims to have psychic abilities. The ghost hunter is a bust. He runs out of the house, scared shitless and never to return to the house. Once Rebecca shows up, all hell breaks loose. Jack has no other option but to accept what has been happening.
This isn't my favorite by this author but I liked it enough to continue with the series.
Jack is a
Winthrop House has quiet a history, from disappearances, jackal headed beings, to sacrificing children. But nope, Jack isn't hearing it. His daughter and wife take matters into their own hands. Daughter Amy reaches out to a ghost hunter and his wife gets in touch with her friend, Rebecca whom claims to have psychic abilities. The ghost hunter is a bust. He runs out of the house, scared shitless and never to return to the house. Once Rebecca shows up, all hell breaks loose. Jack has no other option but to accept what has been happening.
This isn't my favorite by this author but I liked it enough to continue with the series.
October 17, 2021
Gosh, what a creepy ass book!! I started listening to this when I was home alone one night, but had to stop until the next morning. My boys were gone with their dad to visit his father, and there's me thinking it was a good idea to start a ghost book at night!! Ya, that didn't last long, I stopped listening and picked up a book instead.
This follows the story of Jack and his family. Jack wrote a bestselling novel and with some of his fortune, he decided to buy a house that was a real good deal. He couldn't figure out why this seemingly amazing house was so cheap. Well after he moves in, he hears the story of Winthrop House and the mysterious disappearances and inexplicable deaths on the grounds. Soon after the family start hearing things, seeing doors open for no reason and other strange occurrences. Jack does all he can to rationalise these things but somethings are too hard to explain, and when Jack finally decides to take a stand, it may be too late.
This was a run of the mill, hauntingly good, ghost story, but with a twist ;) I loved finding out, along with the family, about the house and it's previous freaky occupants! A story about a haunted house is spooky enough, but add in a weird demonic ghost and it makes for good reading! Also, that ending... Will there be a book 2??
In all, this was a quick, spooky and entertaining read. I definitely couldn't read it at night though, as I'm a scaredy cat ;)
James Foster is a phenomenal narrator. He has so many tones, voices and cadences that really bring a book to life. He knows how to tell a good story and must have been a bard in a former life!! Lol.
I received a free copy of this but voluntarily reviewed it. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
This follows the story of Jack and his family. Jack wrote a bestselling novel and with some of his fortune, he decided to buy a house that was a real good deal. He couldn't figure out why this seemingly amazing house was so cheap. Well after he moves in, he hears the story of Winthrop House and the mysterious disappearances and inexplicable deaths on the grounds. Soon after the family start hearing things, seeing doors open for no reason and other strange occurrences. Jack does all he can to rationalise these things but somethings are too hard to explain, and when Jack finally decides to take a stand, it may be too late.
This was a run of the mill, hauntingly good, ghost story, but with a twist ;) I loved finding out, along with the family, about the house and it's previous freaky occupants! A story about a haunted house is spooky enough, but add in a weird demonic ghost and it makes for good reading! Also, that ending... Will there be a book 2??
In all, this was a quick, spooky and entertaining read. I definitely couldn't read it at night though, as I'm a scaredy cat ;)
James Foster is a phenomenal narrator. He has so many tones, voices and cadences that really bring a book to life. He knows how to tell a good story and must have been a bard in a former life!! Lol.
I received a free copy of this but voluntarily reviewed it. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
June 18, 2017
Jack Ripley and his family, move from Cleveland, Ohio, to Cutler Harbor, Maine. Jack jump at the chance to purchase The Winthrop House. It was the perfect house by the sea, that he had always wanted. There was only one thing that bother Jack, it was the price. The house by the sea, was a steal and Jack could not pass this up. Jack was a best selling author, who first book topped the charts for many weeks. The house by the sea, had a bad reputation. What was once their dream house. turned into a living nightmare. The locals, could tell you about the mysterious disappearances, and the deaths, that took place on the grounds. Once the family moved in, strange things began to happen. Footstep were heard, kitchen cabinet doors were opening and closing by themselves, and there was reasonable explanation, why these things were happening. Jack, doesn't believe in ghosts and accused his wife Darcy, of being ungrateful. Jack goes to his study, to work on his new book. but can't concentrate on it. The publisher is putting the pressure on Jack, to deliver a rough draft of it. Six year old Abigail has a new friend. The problem with the new friend is, no one else can see her. Jack is determined to learn more about the house that he and his family are living in. Jack travels to the local Historical Society over in the next town. He hopes to find out about his cursed house and the land around it. There are a lot of twists and turns along the way, that keeps you interested in the story right up until the very end. Ibsen characters were developed in a way that made the story stronger. This is the first book that I have read by Ibsen but it will not be the last. I recommend this book!
February 22, 2021
A family buys a new house…. and experiences tons of scary things! So, kids, never buy a house that is infamous. ;D
After finishing the Beckoning Dead series, or well finishing it up to the third book. I wanted to continue and I decided this would be the first book! I was in the mood for a Haunted House story and I hoped that Ambrose Ibsen would give me a good one!
Meet the Ripley family (awesome name btw). Dad, Jack, has earned lots of money and finally can buy a house for his family and move out of the leaky hell that is their old home. I don’t really get why he would buy this one given the history. Really, for me? I don’t care that it is cheap. I wouldn’t buy a house if people warned me about it. But hey, if our family hadn’t bought the house we wouldn’t have this awesomely spooky story that gave me many chills.
In this book we get not just the POV of the dad (Jack), but also of his daughters (Amy and Abigail), his wife (Darcy), and later also Becca’s (a friend) POV. I was delighted with all these POVs as it gave an even clearer image on the haunting, plus made everything ten times more scary. We see how each is affected. Amy sees a lot of The Jackal Man and has some frightening things happening. Abigail has a ghost lurking around and sees The Jackal Man (I found the ghost more scary as he kept being so close to Abigail and forced her to play with him). Darcy hears and sees some weird things. Jake also has some experiences but doesn’t want to believe. Doesn’t want to see.
Out of the POVs I liked Amy’s the most followed by Darcy. They were both great characters.
But the worst one was Jack. I am just sick and tired that the man of the horror stories are always sceptical and rude and get more and more aggressive as the problems get more severe. If we could just dump that stupid ass trope I would love it. Let the man be supportive of his wife. Doesn’t have to mean they move out of the hosue, but he could at least listen to her and find ways to make the house better, or make plans to get something to be done about the house. I just wanted to kick Jack in the sea quite a few times throughout the book. He just pissed me off. The worst wasn’t even how he kept denying there was something, despite that things happened to him as well, the thing that pissed me off the most was how he treated his wife and his kids. He treats his wife as shit. She is scared, she is afraid. Not just for herself but also for the kids. And what do you do? Shout at her. Get pissed. Tell her she should stop being entitled and whiny and so on. I was just disgusted with this guy. And later on he also had an opinion on various other people. Like how he talked about Becca was just so NOPE for me. If someone talked so much shit about a dear friend of mine? I would have definitely said something about it. Fuck that shit. Sorry for my language. I could probably go on, but I just want to stop thinking about Jack.
With each new day and each new things learned about the house and the previous occupants things got scarier and scarier. It was very well written and I was having goosebumps many times while reading! I loved the ghosts, the Jackal Man was perfection.
The ending, I am a bit on the fence about it. The last few pages were very well done, but that last page just has me scratching my head on what I think about it… .I am unsure.
But all in all, despite Jack being a pest and a horrible person, despite being confused about the last page, I had so much fun reading this one and I am happy I read it! Recommended if you want a spooky and scary read!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
After finishing the Beckoning Dead series, or well finishing it up to the third book. I wanted to continue and I decided this would be the first book! I was in the mood for a Haunted House story and I hoped that Ambrose Ibsen would give me a good one!
Meet the Ripley family (awesome name btw). Dad, Jack, has earned lots of money and finally can buy a house for his family and move out of the leaky hell that is their old home. I don’t really get why he would buy this one given the history. Really, for me? I don’t care that it is cheap. I wouldn’t buy a house if people warned me about it. But hey, if our family hadn’t bought the house we wouldn’t have this awesomely spooky story that gave me many chills.
In this book we get not just the POV of the dad (Jack), but also of his daughters (Amy and Abigail), his wife (Darcy), and later also Becca’s (a friend) POV. I was delighted with all these POVs as it gave an even clearer image on the haunting, plus made everything ten times more scary. We see how each is affected. Amy sees a lot of The Jackal Man and has some frightening things happening. Abigail has a ghost lurking around and sees The Jackal Man (I found the ghost more scary as he kept being so close to Abigail and forced her to play with him). Darcy hears and sees some weird things. Jake also has some experiences but doesn’t want to believe. Doesn’t want to see.
Out of the POVs I liked Amy’s the most followed by Darcy. They were both great characters.
But the worst one was Jack. I am just sick and tired that the man of the horror stories are always sceptical and rude and get more and more aggressive as the problems get more severe. If we could just dump that stupid ass trope I would love it. Let the man be supportive of his wife. Doesn’t have to mean they move out of the hosue, but he could at least listen to her and find ways to make the house better, or make plans to get something to be done about the house. I just wanted to kick Jack in the sea quite a few times throughout the book. He just pissed me off. The worst wasn’t even how he kept denying there was something, despite that things happened to him as well, the thing that pissed me off the most was how he treated his wife and his kids. He treats his wife as shit. She is scared, she is afraid. Not just for herself but also for the kids. And what do you do? Shout at her. Get pissed. Tell her she should stop being entitled and whiny and so on. I was just disgusted with this guy. And later on he also had an opinion on various other people. Like how he talked about Becca was just so NOPE for me. If someone talked so much shit about a dear friend of mine? I would have definitely said something about it. Fuck that shit. Sorry for my language. I could probably go on, but I just want to stop thinking about Jack.
With each new day and each new things learned about the house and the previous occupants things got scarier and scarier. It was very well written and I was having goosebumps many times while reading! I loved the ghosts, the Jackal Man was perfection.
The ending, I am a bit on the fence about it. The last few pages were very well done, but that last page just has me scratching my head on what I think about it… .I am unsure.
But all in all, despite Jack being a pest and a horrible person, despite being confused about the last page, I had so much fun reading this one and I am happy I read it! Recommended if you want a spooky and scary read!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
September 6, 2024
This was interesting and I enjoyed the story but Jack was insufferable and incredibly unlikeable. So many of Jack’s lines made me want to reach through the book and smack him. To me, this felt like one of those books where you can tell that a man wrote it.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the author’s writing style either. It almost felt like parts of the story’s progression were missing too to me.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the author’s writing style either. It almost felt like parts of the story’s progression were missing too to me.
September 29, 2020
I’ve heard of this author but never had the pleasure of reading him until now. It turns out he truly is creepy as others have said, as I found – to some surprise – as the story unfolded. At first I wasn’t as impressed; the writing style was fine and easy to relate to, characters sound, but it just wasn’t grabbing my interest much until around the middle.
Haunted houses have tropes, clichés, patterns we come to expect when digging in to these tales, which may be one reason I wasn’t as into it. This one dealt the steady hand of things readers expect: a friend who has a psychic lean, so-called expert investigators, trying to communicate with the dead, researching the local legend and history of the house, feelings of chill, drawings, dreams, night disturbances. The story starts taking it further, though, since this isn’t any ordinary spook or demon. There’s more than one thing involved with this house and I wasn’t sure of the true enemy, or if both were the true enemies. There’s a twist with the ending as well that cements this as truly chilling and makes it stand out.
Jack isn’t that nice of a character, really, but I like flawed mains. Him being a writer is a perk since I like writer leads. The ghost hunter is especially amusing for various reasons. This house has a dark history and, like many haunted location stories, becomes a character in its own right. Being set on the sea and having to do with the water makes it even more chilling.
Not all questions are answered, and I don’t fully get everything. Some of it’s open-ended. I like answers, so that was slightly frustrating, but not enough to dislike the story. A perk is the villain was unusual in its way, which makes the story different than many of a similar vein.
I was reading this in bed with the lights off by the light of my Oasis 3. My cat was on the blanket and my bedroom door was left over, looking into the dark hallway, as I generally do so the cat can go in and out at will. I’ll admit when the book ended that I genuinely got freaked out. I felt like a 10 year old as it reminded me of creepy stuff I went through as a teenager with the Ouija board. I then had to get up to go to the bathroom – yep, that wasn’t fun. I swear that door moved a bit…
I look forward to reading more from this author.
Haunted houses have tropes, clichés, patterns we come to expect when digging in to these tales, which may be one reason I wasn’t as into it. This one dealt the steady hand of things readers expect: a friend who has a psychic lean, so-called expert investigators, trying to communicate with the dead, researching the local legend and history of the house, feelings of chill, drawings, dreams, night disturbances. The story starts taking it further, though, since this isn’t any ordinary spook or demon. There’s more than one thing involved with this house and I wasn’t sure of the true enemy, or if both were the true enemies. There’s a twist with the ending as well that cements this as truly chilling and makes it stand out.
Jack isn’t that nice of a character, really, but I like flawed mains. Him being a writer is a perk since I like writer leads. The ghost hunter is especially amusing for various reasons. This house has a dark history and, like many haunted location stories, becomes a character in its own right. Being set on the sea and having to do with the water makes it even more chilling.
Not all questions are answered, and I don’t fully get everything. Some of it’s open-ended. I like answers, so that was slightly frustrating, but not enough to dislike the story. A perk is the villain was unusual in its way, which makes the story different than many of a similar vein.
I was reading this in bed with the lights off by the light of my Oasis 3. My cat was on the blanket and my bedroom door was left over, looking into the dark hallway, as I generally do so the cat can go in and out at will. I’ll admit when the book ended that I genuinely got freaked out. I felt like a 10 year old as it reminded me of creepy stuff I went through as a teenager with the Ouija board. I then had to get up to go to the bathroom – yep, that wasn’t fun. I swear that door moved a bit…
I look forward to reading more from this author.
January 16, 2021
The house has a history...
No spoilers: Author Jack Ripley and his family score a large house by the sea very cheaply... a house which he otherwise could never afford...
Quickly strange things start to happen... the youngest daughter talks to a man in a dark suit who appears only to her... he has smoke for a face...
... and there is an infestation of crickets in the kitchen which makes the house a deal breaker for Ripley's wife Darcy... the trashman and mailman won't come near the house...
On a trip into the little village of Cutler, an old local, Benjamin, tells the family that the house and land have a long history...
...the local Indians shunned the land because of a deep and vast hole in the ground which could never be filled... Winthrop House was built over the hole...
Over the years many people attempting to stay in the house have come up missing... and during the house's vacancy, something moved in...
3 stars. The first 50% of the story was pretty slow moving and the story itself predictable. After that it looked like it was going to pick up and get interesting but then... it went back to predictable and worst of all it left MANY unanswered questions.
I will not be reading the sequel because if that story is told like this one, I might just kick myself for wasting money.
If you're looking for some great novels about haunting try these: THE SEARCH FOR JOSEPH TULLY by William H. Hallahan, THE COLDWATER HAUNTING by Michael Richan, FORSAKEN by Andrew Van Wey. All three are excellent!
No spoilers: Author Jack Ripley and his family score a large house by the sea very cheaply... a house which he otherwise could never afford...
Quickly strange things start to happen... the youngest daughter talks to a man in a dark suit who appears only to her... he has smoke for a face...
... and there is an infestation of crickets in the kitchen which makes the house a deal breaker for Ripley's wife Darcy... the trashman and mailman won't come near the house...
On a trip into the little village of Cutler, an old local, Benjamin, tells the family that the house and land have a long history...
...the local Indians shunned the land because of a deep and vast hole in the ground which could never be filled... Winthrop House was built over the hole...
Over the years many people attempting to stay in the house have come up missing... and during the house's vacancy, something moved in...
3 stars. The first 50% of the story was pretty slow moving and the story itself predictable. After that it looked like it was going to pick up and get interesting but then... it went back to predictable and worst of all it left MANY unanswered questions.
I will not be reading the sequel because if that story is told like this one, I might just kick myself for wasting money.
If you're looking for some great novels about haunting try these: THE SEARCH FOR JOSEPH TULLY by William H. Hallahan, THE COLDWATER HAUNTING by Michael Richan, FORSAKEN by Andrew Van Wey. All three are excellent!
March 28, 2017
Why Anubis?
It was a good story. I liked the setting, the characters were likable, but the Jackal Headed Man bothered me. I kept thinking about Anubis the Egyptian God of the dead. Just didn't fit the story. The end of the story was rather rushed. I wanted to know where the creature came from and why it was summoned. That was the weak point of the plot for me. There were no surprises. It had a good creep factor though. I gave it four stars because it held my interest and I liked the writers style. As to plot and character development, could use some work.
It was a good story. I liked the setting, the characters were likable, but the Jackal Headed Man bothered me. I kept thinking about Anubis the Egyptian God of the dead. Just didn't fit the story. The end of the story was rather rushed. I wanted to know where the creature came from and why it was summoned. That was the weak point of the plot for me. There were no surprises. It had a good creep factor though. I gave it four stars because it held my interest and I liked the writers style. As to plot and character development, could use some work.
May 5, 2019
Good read
This book was not filled with the gripping, dripping writing in other works of Ibsen's that I've quickly favorites, but it was still good, still entertaining. I don't recommend this as a first book of this author, but do recommend it once you've been immersed into this brilliant author's body of works.
This book was not filled with the gripping, dripping writing in other works of Ibsen's that I've quickly favorites, but it was still good, still entertaining. I don't recommend this as a first book of this author, but do recommend it once you've been immersed into this brilliant author's body of works.
July 20, 2017
I was surprised by this book. I like a good haunted house story and this one didn't disappoint. It is rare that I will keep reading a book from start to finish without a break but my attention was held waiting to see what was going to happen next. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
July 19, 2023
'A House by the Sea' is another great story by Ambrose Ibsen. Visually strong, layered and incredibly exciting. I couldn't stop reading after starting this awesome ghost story.
In my experience, 'A House by the Sea' is about crossing boundaries. This is reflected in various ways, namely in the background with regard to the construction of the house and the history of the previous occupants. The author thus creates a contrast between the natural and the supernatural, in which crossing the border between the two causes a reversal: intense, creepy and exciting.
In addition, the antagonist in 'A House by the sea' is very film-worthy! And that's because it can be interpreted in many different ways. In my experience, he represents the price to pay to fulfill the greatest desire. The portrayal of the antagonist is described with a lyrical precision, reinforcing his function as a macabre psychopomp.
The author also deserves credit for the almost use of symbolism in the story. An example of this is the house. It originally stands for a protected and safe place. What Ibsen does is turn the meaning around and also give it a layering. Each character's relationship with Winthrop House is different, making the place beyond unsafe and anything but safe, creating a macabre dynamic that heightens the tension.
There is also a funny twist that shows that fear is not only oppressive but also a source of inspiration and creativity. That forms the right counterpart for the threshold in the creative process of the main character.
And so 'A House by the Sea' becomes a book that is compelling and exciting through the almost poetic visual representation of the symbolism in the story, the tension and the twist.
In my experience, 'A House by the Sea' is about crossing boundaries. This is reflected in various ways, namely in the background with regard to the construction of the house and the history of the previous occupants. The author thus creates a contrast between the natural and the supernatural, in which crossing the border between the two causes a reversal: intense, creepy and exciting.
In addition, the antagonist in 'A House by the sea' is very film-worthy! And that's because it can be interpreted in many different ways. In my experience, he represents the price to pay to fulfill the greatest desire. The portrayal of the antagonist is described with a lyrical precision, reinforcing his function as a macabre psychopomp.
The author also deserves credit for the almost use of symbolism in the story. An example of this is the house. It originally stands for a protected and safe place. What Ibsen does is turn the meaning around and also give it a layering. Each character's relationship with Winthrop House is different, making the place beyond unsafe and anything but safe, creating a macabre dynamic that heightens the tension.
There is also a funny twist that shows that fear is not only oppressive but also a source of inspiration and creativity. That forms the right counterpart for the threshold in the creative process of the main character.
And so 'A House by the Sea' becomes a book that is compelling and exciting through the almost poetic visual representation of the symbolism in the story, the tension and the twist.
September 30, 2023
This had all the haunted house tropes, and I LOVED it! Creepy and had a creepy ending. Not a lot of set up at the beginning. Fast-moving story.
June 23, 2017
Poltergeist Look Out!!
Jack has just moved in with with his family to his dream house...but it turns into a nightmare.
The locals call a legend the Jackal Man and he has plans for Jack.
Will Jack survive or will he simply become another ghost story?
Pick this up, you'll love it!!!
Jack has just moved in with with his family to his dream house...but it turns into a nightmare.
The locals call a legend the Jackal Man and he has plans for Jack.
Will Jack survive or will he simply become another ghost story?
Pick this up, you'll love it!!!
June 14, 2017
I can't say that I fully enjoyed this book. It was a nice creepy atmosphere and reminiscent of other haunted house books I've read. I liked the characters enough to keep reading and I wanted to find out what happened. But overall I was just... underwhelmed. Not sure if it was the writing or the story or just not to my taste. Oh well, it was worth a shot.
June 3, 2019
Interesting idea, execution not so great
I give Mr. Ibsen credit for an interesting idea, but was left really disappointed with the results.
The central idea of the story is either too specific or not specific enough. A house built on a hole in the earth? Creepy and unsettling. A "Jackal Man"? Interesting. A house haunted by nearby water? Familiar, but has possibilities. But these three things are never fit together in a coherent fashion (why does a mammalian biped emerge from and return to the water?) And the ambiguities aren't ambiguous enough to be that kind of "weird stuff happens" that can ramp up the fear.
Sadly, this lack of follow-through carries though the whole book. The pacing is just weird, with fairly important plot points being given a, "two days ago..." summary, while we get repetition after repetition of Jack's writer's block (another interesting idea, his potential horror novel that could have shown the gradual influence of the malevolent force, is mentioned once and never brought up again; why?) Amy's "further emails" to Brian go unanswered, for apparently the hour or so before we see him again. It's a strange combination of lack of pacing and just not doing the work to develop the scenes that would make all this matter.
And I'm sorry to say that there's a lot of sloppiness. At one point, a character orders food in a diner, and then continues what he was going to say. The other character asks a short question, and the first character takes a bite of his food, which was apparently teleported to his table in five seconds, before answering. And that's far from the only example of narrative error. That doesn't even get into the misplaced modifiers and comma splices ( "however" is not a coordinating conjunction).
If Mr. Ibsen really does read these reviews, my advice is that you need an editor, both for content and for sentence-level issues, who will be much harder on your work. Honestly, my strongest reaction to this book was a desire to throw it into Word, then turn on track changes and go to town. In fact, if Mr. Ibsen does read this, I'm offering my (free) one-time services as a critical reader. I know, I know: arrogant. But I am offering.
I give Mr. Ibsen credit for an interesting idea, but was left really disappointed with the results.
The central idea of the story is either too specific or not specific enough. A house built on a hole in the earth? Creepy and unsettling. A "Jackal Man"? Interesting. A house haunted by nearby water? Familiar, but has possibilities. But these three things are never fit together in a coherent fashion (why does a mammalian biped emerge from and return to the water?) And the ambiguities aren't ambiguous enough to be that kind of "weird stuff happens" that can ramp up the fear.
Sadly, this lack of follow-through carries though the whole book. The pacing is just weird, with fairly important plot points being given a, "two days ago..." summary, while we get repetition after repetition of Jack's writer's block (another interesting idea, his potential horror novel that could have shown the gradual influence of the malevolent force, is mentioned once and never brought up again; why?) Amy's "further emails" to Brian go unanswered, for apparently the hour or so before we see him again. It's a strange combination of lack of pacing and just not doing the work to develop the scenes that would make all this matter.
And I'm sorry to say that there's a lot of sloppiness. At one point, a character orders food in a diner, and then continues what he was going to say. The other character asks a short question, and the first character takes a bite of his food, which was apparently teleported to his table in five seconds, before answering. And that's far from the only example of narrative error. That doesn't even get into the misplaced modifiers and comma splices ( "however" is not a coordinating conjunction).
If Mr. Ibsen really does read these reviews, my advice is that you need an editor, both for content and for sentence-level issues, who will be much harder on your work. Honestly, my strongest reaction to this book was a desire to throw it into Word, then turn on track changes and go to town. In fact, if Mr. Ibsen does read this, I'm offering my (free) one-time services as a critical reader. I know, I know: arrogant. But I am offering.
October 21, 2017
This book rates 3.75 stars from me. I liked some parts and really liked other parts while there were still other parts that I did not like at all. The lead in is slow and it took me a while to get into the story fully. The characters were just what you would expect from those in the horror genre, stereotypes without a good fleshing out. You have the overwrought and hysterical mother, the unbelieving sarcastic father, the angst ridden teenager who hides her knowledge, and finally the young and impressionable child who is led astray. Now that is not to say that it is a bad thing but it does make it hard to enjoy sometimes when you know what to expect.
The land on which Winthrop House sits has been shunned since before the settlers came to the area. The natives did not build or go to the area because it was said to inhabited by some type of creature. When the house was eventually built on the land it was shunned by all the locals and bought by an out of town family who knew nothing of its history. Things did not get better with tenants and when they died it was left empty for years.
When Jack Ripley makes it big with a best selling novel he wants to keep a promise to his wife, she wanted a house by the sea. They think Winthrop house is the perfect place for their family to settle and grow. For a few weeks it is, then things start to happen that dampens his wife's love of the house. When things start to escalate even Jack has to take notice and decide whether he wants the house more than to have his family safe.
This was not super scary but had some moments that caught me by surprise. This was the first book I have read by this author and while it gave me mixed feelings I want to explore other books they have written, including the second book about this house. The ending is what made it for me. I would recommend this to anyone who likes ghost stories or haunted house stories.
The land on which Winthrop House sits has been shunned since before the settlers came to the area. The natives did not build or go to the area because it was said to inhabited by some type of creature. When the house was eventually built on the land it was shunned by all the locals and bought by an out of town family who knew nothing of its history. Things did not get better with tenants and when they died it was left empty for years.
When Jack Ripley makes it big with a best selling novel he wants to keep a promise to his wife, she wanted a house by the sea. They think Winthrop house is the perfect place for their family to settle and grow. For a few weeks it is, then things start to happen that dampens his wife's love of the house. When things start to escalate even Jack has to take notice and decide whether he wants the house more than to have his family safe.
This was not super scary but had some moments that caught me by surprise. This was the first book I have read by this author and while it gave me mixed feelings I want to explore other books they have written, including the second book about this house. The ending is what made it for me. I would recommend this to anyone who likes ghost stories or haunted house stories.
December 4, 2016
I have listened to several other books by Ambrose Ibsen and have enjoyed each one. They have all been very entertaining and enjoyable stories. This one is no exception. It's an entertaining and interesting nice little creepy ghost story with a twist.
When a realtor tells you a house has strange past….listen!
If you like a good old fashioned ghost story you will not be disappointed. Loved the reference to his other book. That was a nice little way to put that in there.
James Foster does a fantastic job with the narration as usual. Love listening to books he narrates. Nice voice easy to listen to for long periods of time. Clearly spoken. Nice even pace. Great character voices. He is able to pull you into the story and bring it to life through his narration. Very enjoyable.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher
September 8, 2016
Great read
Great storyline, spooky and realistic. I truly enjoyed this book. There was maybe one editing error, but flawless compared to some books on kindle. I hope to read more by this author.
Great storyline, spooky and realistic. I truly enjoyed this book. There was maybe one editing error, but flawless compared to some books on kindle. I hope to read more by this author.
October 3, 2016
House by the Sea is a fun read.
The House By The Sea is a good, suspenseful read. I love the location the author chose for this story and it flowed really well. It was easy to become engrossed in the characters lives. I recommend this for a quick read.
The House By The Sea is a good, suspenseful read. I love the location the author chose for this story and it flowed really well. It was easy to become engrossed in the characters lives. I recommend this for a quick read.
January 10, 2017
Suspenseful creepy story
I was wanting a horror story, and I surely got one! All the creepiness I needed here living in this house by the sea. I read it in a couple of hours, and it was intense. Loved it!
I was wanting a horror story, and I surely got one! All the creepiness I needed here living in this house by the sea. I read it in a couple of hours, and it was intense. Loved it!
May 12, 2017
The writing was excellent. I never got the urge to stop reading, but there was no tension, nothing especially horrifying. At no point did I want to cover my eyes and discard the book. So I'm a little bit disappointed.
October 22, 2017
I've read haunted house stories in which the protagonist starts as a skeptic, but I really don't like this pig-headed, closed-minded, and arrogant skeptic of a protagonist.
However, he finally changes his attitude...87% of the way into the book.
However, he finally changes his attitude...87% of the way into the book.
September 14, 2016
Interesting
It was a real page turner, kept you guessing & unique! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to more
From this author
It was a real page turner, kept you guessing & unique! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be looking forward to more
From this author
April 30, 2017
House by the sea
Why oh why must people move into haunted houses and then feel like everyone else is crazy for telling them about it!
Why oh why must people move into haunted houses and then feel like everyone else is crazy for telling them about it!
May 14, 2017
Interesting story
I didn't rate this book a five, because it was a little slow starting. I'm glad that l kept reading though, as it turned interesting.
I didn't rate this book a five, because it was a little slow starting. I'm glad that l kept reading though, as it turned interesting.
May 18, 2017
Exciting read
I loved the book ir was very intense and spine tingling. Please read it you will not be disappointed in it.
I loved the book ir was very intense and spine tingling. Please read it you will not be disappointed in it.
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