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Corona Heights #1
The Thin Wall
KNOCK…
The sounds she heard could not be explained
KNOCK… KNOCK…
The chill she felt could not be shaken
KNOCK… KNOCK… KNOCK…
The horror she experienced could not be forgotten
Fiona Graves did not expect much from Corona Heights, just a quiet place to rest her head while she went about the business of rebuilding her life. On the surface, the setup was perfect: cheap rent, a great location, and total anonymity.
Beneath the surface, however, Corona Heights was something else entirely.
Cursed with paper thin walls, the building kept few of its tenants’ secrets. But one secret had remained safely buried for years, until Fiona’s strange encounter with her neighbor – an eight-year-old girl named Olivia – threatened to unearth it, and the unimaginable consequences inherent in its being.
As she wages a personal crusade to regain the love and trust of her estranged son, Fiona must also confront the ever-tightening grip of an addiction she has yet to overcome, a neighbor whose erratic behavior grows more dangerous by the hour, and a seemingly innocent little girl whose dark connection to Corona Heights threatens not only the child’s life, but the life that Fiona is trying so desperately to reclaim.
And it all begins with a foreboding message from the girl whose face Fiona cannot see, but whose voice is hauntingly clear.
“Don’t ignore the knocking…”
The sounds she heard could not be explained
KNOCK… KNOCK…
The chill she felt could not be shaken
KNOCK… KNOCK… KNOCK…
The horror she experienced could not be forgotten
Fiona Graves did not expect much from Corona Heights, just a quiet place to rest her head while she went about the business of rebuilding her life. On the surface, the setup was perfect: cheap rent, a great location, and total anonymity.
Beneath the surface, however, Corona Heights was something else entirely.
Cursed with paper thin walls, the building kept few of its tenants’ secrets. But one secret had remained safely buried for years, until Fiona’s strange encounter with her neighbor – an eight-year-old girl named Olivia – threatened to unearth it, and the unimaginable consequences inherent in its being.
As she wages a personal crusade to regain the love and trust of her estranged son, Fiona must also confront the ever-tightening grip of an addiction she has yet to overcome, a neighbor whose erratic behavior grows more dangerous by the hour, and a seemingly innocent little girl whose dark connection to Corona Heights threatens not only the child’s life, but the life that Fiona is trying so desperately to reclaim.
And it all begins with a foreboding message from the girl whose face Fiona cannot see, but whose voice is hauntingly clear.
“Don’t ignore the knocking…”
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2016
177 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
E.M. Parker
10 books12 followersE.M. Parker's obsession with the paranormal began at the tender age of eleven when he was gifted a children's copy of Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death. It blossomed a year later when an ordinary trip to the library resulted in an extended stay in Stephen King's Pet Sematary. And now it is on full display in his debut novel.
THE THIN WALL is the first story set in Corona Heights, an apartment building with as many dark secrets as it has tenants. Having thoroughly mined its shadowy corridors, E.M. is convinced that for every one of those secrets, there is a new story waiting to be told.
He lives in Denver, CO with his wife and son. And he is always on the lookout for new ways to feed his obsession.
THE THIN WALL is the first story set in Corona Heights, an apartment building with as many dark secrets as it has tenants. Having thoroughly mined its shadowy corridors, E.M. is convinced that for every one of those secrets, there is a new story waiting to be told.
He lives in Denver, CO with his wife and son. And he is always on the lookout for new ways to feed his obsession.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 11, 2023
I had a hard time connecting with the characters but that's just me. This is worth a read. Others may be pulled in more than I was.
September 21, 2022
A thrilling supernatural tale!
This was a very good ghost story, and to think, I nearly gave up on it after the first few chapters. A recovering alcoholic mother, jobless and in financial difficulties, goes to live in a strange apartment block. Still, the rent is cheap and she is living near her estranged husband and son. However, there is a reason the rent is so low and why most other tenants don't stay very long and she is about to discover the awful truth.
This was a very good ghost story, and to think, I nearly gave up on it after the first few chapters. A recovering alcoholic mother, jobless and in financial difficulties, goes to live in a strange apartment block. Still, the rent is cheap and she is living near her estranged husband and son. However, there is a reason the rent is so low and why most other tenants don't stay very long and she is about to discover the awful truth.
July 6, 2017
Having uprooted her life from Washington to Denver in the hopes of getting custody of her son, Fiona settles into the Corona Heights apartment complex and finds herself in a creepy building in E.M. Parker's The Thin Wall. After having been arrested for drunk driving with her son in the car, Fiona's life hit rock bottom, forcing her to face her alcoholism and other issues. But the apartment keeps drawing Fiona's attention. Her next door neighbors, Natalie and Noah, get in screaming matches in between their loud metal music that drives her crazy, while Fiona has conversations with Olivia, Natalie's 10-year-old daughter, through the very thin wall separating their bedrooms. Then the janitor who lives down the hall turns up dead, apparently of suicide, but with some questionable features.
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation
Read the rest of this review, more reviews, and other wonderful, geeky articles on FangirlNation
May 21, 2017
Fiona loses custody of her son but follows him and her ex husband to a different state. She finds a place to live there and things start to happen, weird things. The story was unique and very captivating to read. This story was full of twists and turns. I enjoyed it! * I received this book from the author and this is my honest review*
April 21, 2017
Extraordinary story with excellent writing.. Thoroughly engrossing.
October 3, 2022
Recommended read
A really good read, loved the storyline and the characters, a good haunting story, hoping to read more from this author, recommended reading
A really good read, loved the storyline and the characters, a good haunting story, hoping to read more from this author, recommended reading
January 29, 2018
Fiona Graves was arrested for drunk driving while having her son in the car. Her alcoholism was taking over her life and that was her lowest, so she entered rehab. Her husband got full custody of their son and moved. Now 2 years later and Fiona has moved closer to her son and found an apartment in Corona heights. Seems ideal because of where it's located and how cheap the rent is, but this apartment isn't all it seems and Fiona is experiencing some strange things.
I loved this book!! Fiona is a deeply flawed character but is determined to change her life around. Alcohol has ruled her life but when she is caught with her son in the car while intoxicated, it was her lowest point. I admired the fight she put into staying sober and loved how good the author wrote those parts. My father is an alcoholic and I've seen him try to stay sober, so everything the author wrote about this resonated with me. It made me feel more for Fiona because her son was more important to her than anything, and she kept that focus when she thought about relapsing.
The plot of this was awesome!! Living in an apartment where the walls are so thin that you could hear everything in other peoples apartment would be a nightmare for me. Living in an apartment where you hear parents of a little girl being so cruel to her, would be even worse. But when you add in the other things happening in Fionas life, it just made for an even better read.
In all, this was a suspenseful, exciting and entertaining read. When I started it, I was immediately drawn into the world and became invested in the characters, both Fiona and Olivia. My heart broke for the two of them, Olivia because of the way she was treated and Fiona for her battle to be part of her son's life again. I can not wait for the next in this series!!
Anna Castiglioni brought the creepiness of the apartments to life!! She captured the atmosphere perfectly and gave me chills. Her tones and voices were really easy to define and she gave each character their own personalities. She portrayed Olivia perfectly too!!
I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
I loved this book!! Fiona is a deeply flawed character but is determined to change her life around. Alcohol has ruled her life but when she is caught with her son in the car while intoxicated, it was her lowest point. I admired the fight she put into staying sober and loved how good the author wrote those parts. My father is an alcoholic and I've seen him try to stay sober, so everything the author wrote about this resonated with me. It made me feel more for Fiona because her son was more important to her than anything, and she kept that focus when she thought about relapsing.
The plot of this was awesome!! Living in an apartment where the walls are so thin that you could hear everything in other peoples apartment would be a nightmare for me. Living in an apartment where you hear parents of a little girl being so cruel to her, would be even worse. But when you add in the other things happening in Fionas life, it just made for an even better read.
In all, this was a suspenseful, exciting and entertaining read. When I started it, I was immediately drawn into the world and became invested in the characters, both Fiona and Olivia. My heart broke for the two of them, Olivia because of the way she was treated and Fiona for her battle to be part of her son's life again. I can not wait for the next in this series!!
Anna Castiglioni brought the creepiness of the apartments to life!! She captured the atmosphere perfectly and gave me chills. Her tones and voices were really easy to define and she gave each character their own personalities. She portrayed Olivia perfectly too!!
I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.
January 29, 2023
Just a Little Paranormal
A trip to move Denver leaves a high riser gone to seed with noisy people. A murder in a unit on her floor, finds her in several issues. The story is exciting and engrossing. A young girl is dealing with a twin has been missing for years. As the actions from the missing twin leads to the murder of the twin here. Q
A trip to move Denver leaves a high riser gone to seed with noisy people. A murder in a unit on her floor, finds her in several issues. The story is exciting and engrossing. A young girl is dealing with a twin has been missing for years. As the actions from the missing twin leads to the murder of the twin here. Q
January 30, 2023
A very engaging ghost story
The author has written a very engaging ghost story that has its fair share of chills and jeopardy, but also a lot of warmth. That’s hard to do, so well done! I look forward to future works.
The author has written a very engaging ghost story that has its fair share of chills and jeopardy, but also a lot of warmth. That’s hard to do, so well done! I look forward to future works.
January 23, 2023
creepy
This story kept you guessing until
the end . I could not put it down. Great twist at the end
This story kept you guessing until
the end . I could not put it down. Great twist at the end
January 18, 2023
Good book!
This book is well written and creepy!
I wasn't always able to tell where the story was going or where it would end up! Very enjoyable!
This book is well written and creepy!
I wasn't always able to tell where the story was going or where it would end up! Very enjoyable!
October 19, 2021
The story is a 5 star story its dark and twisty and just what you want from a horror story. The issue lies in the horrid main character. From the beginning Fiona's character is annoying in how bad of decisions she makes while actively saying its a bad decision she just keeps going, then the constant hypocritical attitude like she's holier-than-thou (not saying that she is wrong about the other bad parents but she really has no room to talk) and she never gets better; 3/4 of the way through she actively plans a felony while saying if I had more time to think I could have come up with something better right after reminding us that she has been stuck with nothing but her thoughts and the growing silence of the house. I wish the book had a better protagonist like Sullivan I loved her chapters more of her would have been amazing but Fiona was torture. The only plot issue I had was the end we never actually learned what happened there was a lot vague details and presumed reason but even Fiona "experiencing" some of it we never see the actual cause.
January 25, 2020
Average at best
I was surprised to discover this book was written by a man. To me it had a strong 'chick book's feel to it. I have read so many of these cheaper kindle books.lately where the heroic woman is threatened by an evil man. It's really getting quite tiring. In this case the evil make could have been left out of the book altogether and nothing would have been lost. The story itself was an average ghost story that really offered nothing new.
I was surprised to discover this book was written by a man. To me it had a strong 'chick book's feel to it. I have read so many of these cheaper kindle books.lately where the heroic woman is threatened by an evil man. It's really getting quite tiring. In this case the evil make could have been left out of the book altogether and nothing would have been lost. The story itself was an average ghost story that really offered nothing new.
April 6, 2018
Audible:This was a really good ghost house story.A mom,who lost custody of her son after driving drunk,moves cross country to be near him.She takes an apartment in a weird building.She gets trouble from the living and the dead.Anna Castiglioni was a fine narrator.“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”
October 20, 2018
Do you believe in ghosts or spirits?
I do not believe in ghosts or spirits, but this book got me thinking! You move in to the Corona Heights and you see and feel stuff happening...is it your mind?. Are you sober? Are you tripping? You have driven to Denver and you picked a place to live, but you feel stuff happening! you will enjoy this book regardless!
I do not believe in ghosts or spirits, but this book got me thinking! You move in to the Corona Heights and you see and feel stuff happening...is it your mind?. Are you sober? Are you tripping? You have driven to Denver and you picked a place to live, but you feel stuff happening! you will enjoy this book regardless!
October 6, 2017
Don't skip this one..
Great story, great character development. I love Iris. There were editing errors in the last third of the book. Not enough to detract from the story in any way. Great twists.
Great story, great character development. I love Iris. There were editing errors in the last third of the book. Not enough to detract from the story in any way. Great twists.
August 19, 2017
Thin walls
I really enjoyed this book,good characters and great storyline.I would recommend thus book if you like paranormal fiction or just fancy a good book
I really enjoyed this book,good characters and great storyline.I would recommend thus book if you like paranormal fiction or just fancy a good book
September 27, 2017
I listened to the Audible version and it was great fun on a boring commute. Looking forward to the next installments.
October 1, 2017
Great book
Loved it. Kept me guessing and page turning.. Looking forward to reading the next one to see what's going on with Corona Heights
Loved it. Kept me guessing and page turning.. Looking forward to reading the next one to see what's going on with Corona Heights
February 16, 2018
Excellent read
I was Leary as I had never heard of e m parker before. I really enjoyed this book. Kept my interest the whole way thru. Will be looking for more by this author.
I was Leary as I had never heard of e m parker before. I really enjoyed this book. Kept my interest the whole way thru. Will be looking for more by this author.
February 2, 2019
Escape
I read to escape. This book definitely took my away. I’d like to know about iris. Can’t wait read book 2
I read to escape. This book definitely took my away. I’d like to know about iris. Can’t wait read book 2
October 4, 2019
This story was very compelling and I liked that it ended on a happy ending...for everyone mostly as it would seem.
May 21, 2020
What’s up with corona heights?
I had a hard time putting this book down it kept my attention the whole time. A great mystery and a must read.
I had a hard time putting this book down it kept my attention the whole time. A great mystery and a must read.
February 5, 2023
paranormal
At first I didn’t like Fiona but she grew on me. I think this book is a little drawn out but I enjoyed it.
At first I didn’t like Fiona but she grew on me. I think this book is a little drawn out but I enjoyed it.
May 12, 2023
Awesome
This book is a page turner...the mystery becoming lost but enticing....have you second guessing who and why...so ready for book 2
This book is a page turner...the mystery becoming lost but enticing....have you second guessing who and why...so ready for book 2
April 16, 2017
This is a very captivating story that revolves around the new life of a character that I think has a lot of depth, Fiona. Fiona is trying to rebuild her life in a new town, and finds herself faced with many problems there.
The way she deals with these issues and tackles them is interesting and there's a lot to be learned from it. The writing style in the book is very good, and really makes you feel the emotions of the characters. The plot is very fast-paced, interesting and the kind that keeps you glued to the book until you finish it. It has a lot if twists and turns that are unexpected, enhancing the reading experience a lot by creating excitement in the reader's mind.
I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone of any age because this is a unique fictional novel that no avid reader of fiction would want to miss.
The way she deals with these issues and tackles them is interesting and there's a lot to be learned from it. The writing style in the book is very good, and really makes you feel the emotions of the characters. The plot is very fast-paced, interesting and the kind that keeps you glued to the book until you finish it. It has a lot if twists and turns that are unexpected, enhancing the reading experience a lot by creating excitement in the reader's mind.
I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone of any age because this is a unique fictional novel that no avid reader of fiction would want to miss.
April 25, 2017
Great book. I was invited by the author to read it and review and I am so happy he thought of me. The grabs you from the first page. Fiona is recently divorced and trying to reconnect with her 8 year old son. She moves to the city where her exhusband and son have moved to and then starts rebuilding her life so they can have a future. She is a recovering alcoholic and worries that she will relapse. the descriptions of her feelings are exactly true for anyone who has gone through a similar situation. She moves into a cheap apartment building where odd things begin to happen. The writing style makes you wonder right up to the end who is the bad guy or gal and what happened. It is a believable supernatural story, what she imagines and what actually happens are all twisted up into some pretty awful happenings. Her neighbor Iris tries to help Fiona cope with what is happening without revealing too much information. I'll be reading more novels by this author as well as novels under his other name. he has a gift for writing supernatural stories.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews