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The Demonic
Danni Morgan thought she knew fear, but she is about to find out what it is to be truly afraid.
Years ago a young girl ran away from her childhood home and vowed never to go back. It was a place of fear, pain and misery at the hands of an abusive father. But now her father is dead, and she is forced to break that vow and return home - to lay his body to rest and face up to the ghosts of her past. However, Danni is about to learn that some ghosts are more real than others. Something beyond her understanding waits for her there, lurking in the shadows. An evil that intends to kill her family and claim her very soul.
Experience supernatural horror in the vein of The Conjuring, Insidious and the legendary Ghost Watch. The Demonic will get under your skin, send chills down your spine and have you sleeping with the lights on!
Years ago a young girl ran away from her childhood home and vowed never to go back. It was a place of fear, pain and misery at the hands of an abusive father. But now her father is dead, and she is forced to break that vow and return home - to lay his body to rest and face up to the ghosts of her past. However, Danni is about to learn that some ghosts are more real than others. Something beyond her understanding waits for her there, lurking in the shadows. An evil that intends to kill her family and claim her very soul.
Experience supernatural horror in the vein of The Conjuring, Insidious and the legendary Ghost Watch. The Demonic will get under your skin, send chills down your spine and have you sleeping with the lights on!
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2017
2221 people are currently reading
2692 people want to read
About the author
Lee Mountford
62 books1,056 followersI am an author with a huge love of horror.
Of course, other genres float my boat as well; Sci-Fi, Thrillers, pretty much any Dark Fiction, but Horror is what I call home.
My first novel, Horror in the Woods, was released on in May 2017, and the second, The Demonic, on the the following July hitting multiple best seller lists. Since then, I have authored a number of horror novels that have terrified fans for the past few years.
You can find out more about me on my website, but also, don't forget to claim your FREE ebooks
: http://eepurl.com/dIaS0r
- Lee
Of course, other genres float my boat as well; Sci-Fi, Thrillers, pretty much any Dark Fiction, but Horror is what I call home.
My first novel, Horror in the Woods, was released on in May 2017, and the second, The Demonic, on the the following July hitting multiple best seller lists. Since then, I have authored a number of horror novels that have terrified fans for the past few years.
You can find out more about me on my website, but also, don't forget to claim your FREE ebooks
: http://eepurl.com/dIaS0r
- Lee
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 334 reviews
May 14, 2018
3.5 stars.
This was quite an enjoyable, spooky, creepy, haunting tale, about a family of four: Jon,, Danni, Leah and Alex - who head (reluctantly for Danni) to Bishop's Hill, so Danni can lay her father to rest - and take care of business - with her newly inherited property, which she has no interest in.
It's a place, Danni Morgan escaped from years earlier, because of her abusive father; and now, she's going back in the hope of putting the past behind her. Her husband, Jon, believes it'll be therapeutic, that it will give her some closure - if she faces up to her demons - as opposed to running away from them.
The property, which was once a farmhouse (originally named Dunton Farm) is a detached two-storey house - with an old mill, and they meet with a solicitor, Winston Goldacre to take care of the paperwork - inside the house.
Whilst the adults are in the kitchen, Alex and Leah, decide to do a bit of exploring (snooping), and head upstairs to have a look around. Alex goes into a room with the door handle missing, then turns around to his sister; and sees the apparition of an old woman, behind her, smiling at him, causing him to scream.
They're not alone.
In conclusion: This was the first book I read by the author - and it was pretty good. At the end of the book, the author explains, where he got the inspiration for the story, which is loosely based on real-life events: The Brass Farm Murders, which took place in 1683. So that was intriguing - and very gruesome.
There's also two short stories at the end of the book: The Muse, by Norman Turrell and The Haunting of Elderfield Hall, by Raven Blackwood.
This was quite an enjoyable, spooky, creepy, haunting tale, about a family of four: Jon,, Danni, Leah and Alex - who head (reluctantly for Danni) to Bishop's Hill, so Danni can lay her father to rest - and take care of business - with her newly inherited property, which she has no interest in.
It's a place, Danni Morgan escaped from years earlier, because of her abusive father; and now, she's going back in the hope of putting the past behind her. Her husband, Jon, believes it'll be therapeutic, that it will give her some closure - if she faces up to her demons - as opposed to running away from them.
The property, which was once a farmhouse (originally named Dunton Farm) is a detached two-storey house - with an old mill, and they meet with a solicitor, Winston Goldacre to take care of the paperwork - inside the house.
Whilst the adults are in the kitchen, Alex and Leah, decide to do a bit of exploring (snooping), and head upstairs to have a look around. Alex goes into a room with the door handle missing, then turns around to his sister; and sees the apparition of an old woman, behind her, smiling at him, causing him to scream.
They're not alone.
In conclusion: This was the first book I read by the author - and it was pretty good. At the end of the book, the author explains, where he got the inspiration for the story, which is loosely based on real-life events: The Brass Farm Murders, which took place in 1683. So that was intriguing - and very gruesome.
There's also two short stories at the end of the book: The Muse, by Norman Turrell and The Haunting of Elderfield Hall, by Raven Blackwood.
February 20, 2020
Strange things happened in the old farm house at Bishops Hill. When Danni's father dies she goes back to her childhood home to organise the funeral and inheritance matters. Her father was a very evil man who once tried to kill her. Now after his death the evil is coming back. Her husband Jon seems to be obsessed by a demon acting as a kind of puppet master. Will she, Jon and both children survive? A nailbiting fight between Danni and the demon begins anew. If you like a speed-up version of Amityville Horror this is exactly your stuff. The atmosphere in the old house is extremely sinister and the characters are well drawn. The monster is eerie and insidious. Really enjoyed the novel and its ending. Also the background information of the author on the origin of his ideas is quite interesting. Recommended!
October 8, 2023
Spook Factor!
Small backstory:
Danni Morgan along with her husband, Jon and their two children Alex and Leah have gone back to Danni's old homestead where she grew up as her father passed away and she has now inherited the house and property. Though Danni has bad memories of growing up there so it is all she can do to even step foot on the property let alone decide to stay there.
Danni just wants to go through the house and figure out what needs to be done as she would just rather sell it then go back home to her life with her family. Danni and Jon decide to just stay a day or so but well laid plans ended up going awry as the children start experiencing paranormal activity right away. Jon doesn't want to believe anything is going on within the house as he is just oblivious to what is happening around him whereas Danni starts realizing that something is going on within the house.
When apparitions among other crazy things start happening all Danni wants to do is just get out of the house alive with her family but the entities that live there do not want the family to leave and they will do whatever it takes to keep them all there!
That is about all I can give out on a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This was my second time reading this story as I read it back in 2017 and I remember that it was a scary ride the first time I read it as I remember leaving lights on. This time I still felt that it was scary but I didn't have to leave lights on this time around as I have become immune I think to horror stories - I just endure it all in the dark! :)
This book just seeps "creepiness and spooky vibes" by just looking at the cover and what lies between the pages is just as creepy. The demon/occult vibes just radiate off the pages and I could feel those vibes escalate throughout the story. The author, Lee Mountford has a way to pull the reader into his world and literally makes you feel as if you are experiencing the same thing as the characters. This book just brings on the dreaded feeling as you walk the halls of the house, you can feel that creepy atmosphere surround you as the haunting takes you to a level of heightened awareness!
I have read a few horror fiction books where the demonic/occult is weaved into the storyline and this book is right up there with all those great occult stories. This book almost reads like one of those "true paranormal" reads as with the demonic haunting pulsating out of the book it truly felt that this book could be considered "true" as the demon that haunts the place is as bad as what a true demon would be probably be like in the true stories. Giving this book five "Demon Danger" stars!
Small backstory:
Danni Morgan along with her husband, Jon and their two children Alex and Leah have gone back to Danni's old homestead where she grew up as her father passed away and she has now inherited the house and property. Though Danni has bad memories of growing up there so it is all she can do to even step foot on the property let alone decide to stay there.
Danni just wants to go through the house and figure out what needs to be done as she would just rather sell it then go back home to her life with her family. Danni and Jon decide to just stay a day or so but well laid plans ended up going awry as the children start experiencing paranormal activity right away. Jon doesn't want to believe anything is going on within the house as he is just oblivious to what is happening around him whereas Danni starts realizing that something is going on within the house.
When apparitions among other crazy things start happening all Danni wants to do is just get out of the house alive with her family but the entities that live there do not want the family to leave and they will do whatever it takes to keep them all there!
That is about all I can give out on a small backstory so if you want to know more then go read this book!
Thoughts:
This was my second time reading this story as I read it back in 2017 and I remember that it was a scary ride the first time I read it as I remember leaving lights on. This time I still felt that it was scary but I didn't have to leave lights on this time around as I have become immune I think to horror stories - I just endure it all in the dark! :)
This book just seeps "creepiness and spooky vibes" by just looking at the cover and what lies between the pages is just as creepy. The demon/occult vibes just radiate off the pages and I could feel those vibes escalate throughout the story. The author, Lee Mountford has a way to pull the reader into his world and literally makes you feel as if you are experiencing the same thing as the characters. This book just brings on the dreaded feeling as you walk the halls of the house, you can feel that creepy atmosphere surround you as the haunting takes you to a level of heightened awareness!
I have read a few horror fiction books where the demonic/occult is weaved into the storyline and this book is right up there with all those great occult stories. This book almost reads like one of those "true paranormal" reads as with the demonic haunting pulsating out of the book it truly felt that this book could be considered "true" as the demon that haunts the place is as bad as what a true demon would be probably be like in the true stories. Giving this book five "Demon Danger" stars!
September 1, 2017
THE DEMONIC: A Supernatural Horror Novel, is the first book I've read by author Lee Mountford. What an incredible introduction this was to his work! We start off with Danni Morgan, her husband Jon, and their two children, Leah and Alex. As they are traveling to Danni's hometown of Bishop's Hill--a place she ran away from due to her father's horrific abuse--we learn that the purpose of the trip is to bury her hated father, and check out the homestead she inherited before putting it on the market. Both Jon and young Alex (who was born with Cerebral Palsy) have a scientific, logical approach to matters, whereas Danni and Leah are somewhat more "sensitive" in general.
"It is what it is."
First of all, I found the atmosphere to be all-encompassing, at ALL times. Mountford begins by setting the mood with the feelings of each of the family members on the way to Bishop's Hill. Danni is quite understandingly (as we are soon to learn) apprehensive and uneasy about the return. She makes it quite clear that she is only going there to see the man she ran from put in the ground--permanently. She wanted nothing more than to get through the ordeal and go home: ". . . Her real home, the one she had made for herself. Not this fading echo of one . . ."
Everything from the dying, sombre town, to the neglected, dusty farm home that is Danni's inheritance, just combines to put the reader in a perpetual state of depressive unease. I even found myself jumping at noises in my own home while reading this! Accompanying this pervading feeling of dread is the constant sense of being watched by unseen eyes and half glimpsed shadows at all times.
". . . We aren't alone here."
In terms of characterization, Mountford is--again--at the top of his game. We see and "feel" these characters as their moods shift, and their thoughts and feelings begin to alter to fit their surroundings. The one person to retain his stubborn decision to stay a few days is Jon, whereas the rest of the family are growing more frantic to leave each time they get out for a short respite.
". . . There is something evil there. And it will kill you all . . . "
I can honestly say that this book took hold of me and never let up. Even when I was sure that the tension would have to relax momentarily, it didn't. The entities inhabiting this cursed place continuously became more terrifying on a mental level as each page progressed.
". . . He was trapped between two places: . . . a prision in life and in death, but also somewhere else. Somewhere worse . . . "
I simply can not do the overall oppressive "fear" that this novel evoked enough justice. Imagine your worst nightmare, and regardless of how hard you try to wake up, things only get more frantic and hopeless. These characters were ones I could feel--each rapid heartbeat, each moment of desperately wanting to escape the "nightmare" they found themselves in, became my universe for a while. The task they had come to complete became something that nobody could have foreseen.
". . . Simply turning people and taking lives was not enough. Lives were finite. This was eternal . . . "
Overall, all of the elements that I look for in a good novel were present here at all turns. Lee Mountford has a very strong, fluid writing style that was able to captivate and carry me along right from the start. The atmosphere was so absolute that I honestly felt like I was in HIS reality during the course of this tale.
"Existing without really living."
It's been a long time since a novel actually scared me. THE DEMONIC did just that.
Highly recommended!
"It is what it is."
First of all, I found the atmosphere to be all-encompassing, at ALL times. Mountford begins by setting the mood with the feelings of each of the family members on the way to Bishop's Hill. Danni is quite understandingly (as we are soon to learn) apprehensive and uneasy about the return. She makes it quite clear that she is only going there to see the man she ran from put in the ground--permanently. She wanted nothing more than to get through the ordeal and go home: ". . . Her real home, the one she had made for herself. Not this fading echo of one . . ."
Everything from the dying, sombre town, to the neglected, dusty farm home that is Danni's inheritance, just combines to put the reader in a perpetual state of depressive unease. I even found myself jumping at noises in my own home while reading this! Accompanying this pervading feeling of dread is the constant sense of being watched by unseen eyes and half glimpsed shadows at all times.
". . . We aren't alone here."
In terms of characterization, Mountford is--again--at the top of his game. We see and "feel" these characters as their moods shift, and their thoughts and feelings begin to alter to fit their surroundings. The one person to retain his stubborn decision to stay a few days is Jon, whereas the rest of the family are growing more frantic to leave each time they get out for a short respite.
". . . There is something evil there. And it will kill you all . . . "
I can honestly say that this book took hold of me and never let up. Even when I was sure that the tension would have to relax momentarily, it didn't. The entities inhabiting this cursed place continuously became more terrifying on a mental level as each page progressed.
". . . He was trapped between two places: . . . a prision in life and in death, but also somewhere else. Somewhere worse . . . "
I simply can not do the overall oppressive "fear" that this novel evoked enough justice. Imagine your worst nightmare, and regardless of how hard you try to wake up, things only get more frantic and hopeless. These characters were ones I could feel--each rapid heartbeat, each moment of desperately wanting to escape the "nightmare" they found themselves in, became my universe for a while. The task they had come to complete became something that nobody could have foreseen.
". . . Simply turning people and taking lives was not enough. Lives were finite. This was eternal . . . "
Overall, all of the elements that I look for in a good novel were present here at all turns. Lee Mountford has a very strong, fluid writing style that was able to captivate and carry me along right from the start. The atmosphere was so absolute that I honestly felt like I was in HIS reality during the course of this tale.
"Existing without really living."
It's been a long time since a novel actually scared me. THE DEMONIC did just that.
Highly recommended!
August 26, 2021
Edit : I didn’t know there were other books written in this universe at the time. I have read the first and I have the one after this ready to go. I liked how freaky the first one was. I’m starting to like the author. :) 6/2019
Um. Always carry your own copy of keys. Mmhmm. Yes, Bc you might need a back up. Marriage is a team effort these days, remember: this is not the days of the cavemen ! So, one person doesn’t decide how the other adult deals with difficult x10 issues steeped back in early childhood, and then also for everyone else involved in a difficult, weird/ creepy & super awkward situation.
Communicate ... agree... and if it’s not about you.. for Pete’s sake .. stop trying to step into the spotlight.
Couldn’t stand the husband in this one. Can you tell?! He tried to way over rationalize everything even when something he couldn’t rationalize um.., made some serious contact. Idiot.
If you are going to argue where “your children can’t hear you”... make sure they actually can’t see you or hear you. Yes, brilliant.
Also if they are scared and in a strange house that not even the mom is comfortable in.... do the family thing and stop being such a tyrant ! Hotel! Quit being a cheapskate and get to a hotel !! Go!
Parts of this were good and creepy but I wanted to yell at the book.
Also I didn’t like the end, unless it means there is a series coming.
Um. Always carry your own copy of keys. Mmhmm. Yes, Bc you might need a back up. Marriage is a team effort these days, remember: this is not the days of the cavemen ! So, one person doesn’t decide how the other adult deals with difficult x10 issues steeped back in early childhood, and then also for everyone else involved in a difficult, weird/ creepy & super awkward situation.
Communicate ... agree... and if it’s not about you.. for Pete’s sake .. stop trying to step into the spotlight.
Couldn’t stand the husband in this one. Can you tell?! He tried to way over rationalize everything even when something he couldn’t rationalize um.., made some serious contact. Idiot.
If you are going to argue where “your children can’t hear you”... make sure they actually can’t see you or hear you. Yes, brilliant.
Also if they are scared and in a strange house that not even the mom is comfortable in.... do the family thing and stop being such a tyrant ! Hotel! Quit being a cheapskate and get to a hotel !! Go!
Parts of this were good and creepy but I wanted to yell at the book.
Also I didn’t like the end, unless it means there is a series coming.
November 5, 2023
Evil and Scary!
The Demonic is a very scary and evil book. It is full of creepy ghost people and an ugly, dangerous monster.
I’m not sure how to describe this, but I think the whole story is a bit of an attitude.
An example of a horrific situation where you have to hold your breath to get out of danger.
This family has to go back home to find safety, for they are not going to live if they do not.
The atmosphere is so creepy and horrifying that you can’t open your eyes at all with your imagination.
This is a very scary book and it doesn’t even make any difference to the supernatural. It just want to send you running and hiding.
Get out of my way, please! I’ve got some running and hiding to do.
Five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
The Demonic is a very scary and evil book. It is full of creepy ghost people and an ugly, dangerous monster.
I’m not sure how to describe this, but I think the whole story is a bit of an attitude.
An example of a horrific situation where you have to hold your breath to get out of danger.
This family has to go back home to find safety, for they are not going to live if they do not.
The atmosphere is so creepy and horrifying that you can’t open your eyes at all with your imagination.
This is a very scary book and it doesn’t even make any difference to the supernatural. It just want to send you running and hiding.
Get out of my way, please! I’ve got some running and hiding to do.
Five stars. ✨✨✨✨✨
October 7, 2025
I SURVIVED. Yet I am not sure that is a good thing for others who may be interested in this book. You see I am quite the scaredy cat when it comes to certain types of horror. Possession themes really, which of course means people and houses. It just freaks me out. It gets in my mind especially at night where my imagination runs so wild I scare the bejeezus out of myself and don't even want to get up to go to the washroom when I really so have to.
I have mentioned quite a few times that my wife won't let me have certain books in our home. I had to return The Exorcist when I bought it. I remember a former born again partner of mine who believed items, like a book like The Exorcist, would be a bad omen to own bringing evil with it wherever it goes. When I tried to sell The Exorcist book privately prior to my costly $8 return to Amazon no one wanted to touch it believing the same type of beliefs. Like wow, but I swear, so true!
So I got this 3 months ago and had it with the September House and various other Haunted House stories on my book shelf many by Mountford. Yet getting to this book was a long time coming and I only got it as I am sticking to my October pledge to read a lot of horror. Funny but I tried to conceal my reading of it from my wife but she saw it and didn't say a thing. Interesting, maybe these evil books have gotten a hold of her so to speak and I think we all know what I am saying ......... duh duh duh...........
Yet when I read these possession books they only scare the bejeezus out of me if they involve the devil. I know I have ranted on religion in past reviews but down at heart I am a Catholic and Catholicism terrifies its followers vis a vis evil and of course the devil. This is where this book missed the mark as the entity involved is clearly evil but maybe more alien than devil though the entity is never defined. When horror goes down such paths with me, non devil evil, I kind of lose faith with it so to speak, or maybe put better I just can't buy into the whole damn premise.
Also due to my wimpiness I kind of stay away from these type of books even though at a certain level I do crave them. This book is about a woman and her family who go back to her house where her father committed all kinds of atrocities against her. He has now passed and Danni (our lead) needs to deal with the estate. Reading it, it just seemed I have read this story before and yeah how many variations on a haunted house can actually happen?
The story is very well written and this will not be my last Mountford read. I really liked his writing and will give him ample attempts to scare me. As the story progresses we learn of this evil entity who takes possession of those it wants to in the home and turns them against their loved ones. We learn what really happened to our lead character Danni's mom and her father. The entity has a personal vengeance against Danni too as she escaped the entity at 16 years of age never to return back. As mentioned a well done story though familiar too.
It clearly has several moments of fear in it and as mentioned just well written and easy to follow. I really liked it and maybe I liked it because I got to sleep peacefully at night which might not bode well for other readers.
Also, as a footnote I noticed a review on Sam Holland's The Puppet Master . I went to look for the book and it too is parked in the area where The Demonic and September House and a slew of other ominous books are housed on my shelf and I have noticed some books missing including the Puppet Master and the 20th which is its prequel. Amazon confirms my buys in April 2024. In fact I have noticed about 5 books missing and no one reads what I read and only family comes over. Are my evil books eating up my not so evil books? Duh, duh, duh, you really have to wonder. Like what the heck is going on? I have searched and searched for about 5 titles and cannot find them. lol.
Anyway an interesting read and more Mountford to follow for sure. An easy four stars :)
I have mentioned quite a few times that my wife won't let me have certain books in our home. I had to return The Exorcist when I bought it. I remember a former born again partner of mine who believed items, like a book like The Exorcist, would be a bad omen to own bringing evil with it wherever it goes. When I tried to sell The Exorcist book privately prior to my costly $8 return to Amazon no one wanted to touch it believing the same type of beliefs. Like wow, but I swear, so true!
So I got this 3 months ago and had it with the September House and various other Haunted House stories on my book shelf many by Mountford. Yet getting to this book was a long time coming and I only got it as I am sticking to my October pledge to read a lot of horror. Funny but I tried to conceal my reading of it from my wife but she saw it and didn't say a thing. Interesting, maybe these evil books have gotten a hold of her so to speak and I think we all know what I am saying ......... duh duh duh...........
Yet when I read these possession books they only scare the bejeezus out of me if they involve the devil. I know I have ranted on religion in past reviews but down at heart I am a Catholic and Catholicism terrifies its followers vis a vis evil and of course the devil. This is where this book missed the mark as the entity involved is clearly evil but maybe more alien than devil though the entity is never defined. When horror goes down such paths with me, non devil evil, I kind of lose faith with it so to speak, or maybe put better I just can't buy into the whole damn premise.
Also due to my wimpiness I kind of stay away from these type of books even though at a certain level I do crave them. This book is about a woman and her family who go back to her house where her father committed all kinds of atrocities against her. He has now passed and Danni (our lead) needs to deal with the estate. Reading it, it just seemed I have read this story before and yeah how many variations on a haunted house can actually happen?
The story is very well written and this will not be my last Mountford read. I really liked his writing and will give him ample attempts to scare me. As the story progresses we learn of this evil entity who takes possession of those it wants to in the home and turns them against their loved ones. We learn what really happened to our lead character Danni's mom and her father. The entity has a personal vengeance against Danni too as she escaped the entity at 16 years of age never to return back. As mentioned a well done story though familiar too.
It clearly has several moments of fear in it and as mentioned just well written and easy to follow. I really liked it and maybe I liked it because I got to sleep peacefully at night which might not bode well for other readers.
Also, as a footnote I noticed a review on Sam Holland's The Puppet Master . I went to look for the book and it too is parked in the area where The Demonic and September House and a slew of other ominous books are housed on my shelf and I have noticed some books missing including the Puppet Master and the 20th which is its prequel. Amazon confirms my buys in April 2024. In fact I have noticed about 5 books missing and no one reads what I read and only family comes over. Are my evil books eating up my not so evil books? Duh, duh, duh, you really have to wonder. Like what the heck is going on? I have searched and searched for about 5 titles and cannot find them. lol.
Anyway an interesting read and more Mountford to follow for sure. An easy four stars :)
October 15, 2017
When Danni Morgan's father passes away, she inherits her childhood home. Though she's not the least bit eager to return, her husband, Jon, convinces her that it's for the best--that it will bring closure to old, unhealed wounds. She and her family plan to spend a night there while they get things in order and place the house on the market. Almost immediately, weird things begin to happen--from ghostly encounters to dubious mishaps. Though Danni suspects that something is very wrong, Jon insists that everything is fine--that the kids are just spooked and feeding off her anxieties. He criticizes her as weak and adamantly refuses to let their children grow up to become so feeble-minded. The more fearful his family gets, the more cold-hearted and controlling he grows, to the point where he becomes physically and mentally abusive. Danni realizes that Jon's free will has been compromised by dark, malevolent forces. Can she set aside her fears to save her family?
Well-written and engrossing, this story is perfect for the Halloween season. Suspension of disbelief will be necessary as this is a supernatural story, after all. Also, I should mention that you're likely to find some of the characters frustrating--particularly Jon and Danni. I started hated Jon increasingly more throughout the book and thought Danni made some incredibly stupid choices. But in my opinion, it was like those movies where you shout at the screen for the characters to do something (or refrain from doing something) that seems so obvious. Despite the frustrations, the story was entertaining and kept me immersed all the way to the ending, which I found quite satisfying.
Well-written and engrossing, this story is perfect for the Halloween season. Suspension of disbelief will be necessary as this is a supernatural story, after all. Also, I should mention that you're likely to find some of the characters frustrating--particularly Jon and Danni. I started hated Jon increasingly more throughout the book and thought Danni made some incredibly stupid choices. But in my opinion, it was like those movies where you shout at the screen for the characters to do something (or refrain from doing something) that seems so obvious. Despite the frustrations, the story was entertaining and kept me immersed all the way to the ending, which I found quite satisfying.
January 6, 2018
So they stay in this house even though the mom is scared shitless by things that happened to her there as a young girl, and even though within minutes of being in the house again her kids are seeing strange people and the dad is thrown down the stairs.... AND it's all to save a bit of money on a hotel and for the mom to get over her "childhood demons".... really? Alrighty then. Really dumb. /rollseyes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2023
Demonic Ventriloquist Dumfounded! Meat Puppet Gives Game Away! "Well, there I was, about to crush the puny humans and issue an enormous 'Bwahahahahaha,' when my latest meat puppet decides to speak for itself! Now I'm being flayed by the other fiends back at club Hell! They won't let me live this down for the rest of eternity! Oh, the ignominy!" - A. Demon - The Loquacious Lament
Magnificent, subtle, intelligent horror.
I love characters that demonstrate agency and rise to the occasion, and I absolutely loathe the opposite. This is the best Mountford book I've read. It's sharp, simply expressed, yet measured in its approach to a family's encounter with a legacy of evil.
Strongly Recommended, 5 'Cleanse It With Fire,' stars
Read this in October 2023 with the fine folk over at Castle Terror.
Magnificent, subtle, intelligent horror.
I love characters that demonstrate agency and rise to the occasion, and I absolutely loathe the opposite. This is the best Mountford book I've read. It's sharp, simply expressed, yet measured in its approach to a family's encounter with a legacy of evil.
Strongly Recommended, 5 'Cleanse It With Fire,' stars
Read this in October 2023 with the fine folk over at Castle Terror.
December 3, 2023
A fun and spooky little novella by Mountford that I wish had been developed more. Our main protagonist, Danni, starts the tale heading with her husband and two kids to the estate of her estranged father, who recently passed. Danni ran away over 20 years ago and has not been back to her hometown since. Nonetheless, her father left her the house/estate and her and her husband Jon need to sign paperwork and all that. They decided to stay at the house until everything was sorted and her father in the ground.
Right away Mountford dials up the tension. Both the kids think they see something at the house the first day; bizarre people/monsters that suddenly appear and vanish. Even Jon gets a 'friendly' push down the stairs but rationalizes he tripped. Danni hates the dilapidated house and is itching to leave. Their son finds some gruesome stories about the place, or at least the old farm that used to exist on the lot; the only remnants of that is an old stone mill. Danni never understood why her father turned so mean and abusive after her mother died when she was a kid, and ran away after some terrible sexual abuse.
Well, no more on the plot, but yeah, this is a haunted house story for sure and a good one at that. Don't let GR fool you on the page count; this is only a little over 200 pages, not 270 (my paperback has some short stories from different authors tacked on for length). This would have been a fine novel if fleshed out more but as a novella it felt undeveloped. Some good foo and an apt ending, along with good pacing, made this a quick read, but I wanted more. 3.5 spooky stars!
Right away Mountford dials up the tension. Both the kids think they see something at the house the first day; bizarre people/monsters that suddenly appear and vanish. Even Jon gets a 'friendly' push down the stairs but rationalizes he tripped. Danni hates the dilapidated house and is itching to leave. Their son finds some gruesome stories about the place, or at least the old farm that used to exist on the lot; the only remnants of that is an old stone mill. Danni never understood why her father turned so mean and abusive after her mother died when she was a kid, and ran away after some terrible sexual abuse.
Well, no more on the plot, but yeah, this is a haunted house story for sure and a good one at that. Don't let GR fool you on the page count; this is only a little over 200 pages, not 270 (my paperback has some short stories from different authors tacked on for length). This would have been a fine novel if fleshed out more but as a novella it felt undeveloped. Some good foo and an apt ending, along with good pacing, made this a quick read, but I wanted more. 3.5 spooky stars!
April 4, 2018
**I received this audiobook in exchange for a honest review**
ok, first off- Hannibal Hills (yes that's what audible says) did a GREAT job narrating this book. sexy accent and he does a good, creepy voice for the ghost. I like it! the recording was great, top quality.
This is the first thing I've read or listened to by Lee Mountford and wow! He just throws you right in and does not waste any time. The story is well written, flows easy and is creepy. In the audio version (don't know if it's in the other versions) Mr. Mountford includes a note about the story at the end. I won't spoil it for anyone but I'm so glad he did, it made the story even better. If you enjoy creepy ass ghost stories that don't waste any time getting to the good stuff, this one is for you.
ok, first off- Hannibal Hills (yes that's what audible says) did a GREAT job narrating this book. sexy accent and he does a good, creepy voice for the ghost. I like it! the recording was great, top quality.
This is the first thing I've read or listened to by Lee Mountford and wow! He just throws you right in and does not waste any time. The story is well written, flows easy and is creepy. In the audio version (don't know if it's in the other versions) Mr. Mountford includes a note about the story at the end. I won't spoil it for anyone but I'm so glad he did, it made the story even better. If you enjoy creepy ass ghost stories that don't waste any time getting to the good stuff, this one is for you.
March 7, 2018
“I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."
Reviews appear to be a bit mixed for this one. I listened to it on audio and really enjoyed it. I thought the story was well done and I thought Hannibal’s narration was spot on. Nice.
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 based on entertainment value and strong narration.
Reviews appear to be a bit mixed for this one. I listened to it on audio and really enjoyed it. I thought the story was well done and I thought Hannibal’s narration was spot on. Nice.
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 based on entertainment value and strong narration.
October 19, 2025
DANNI MORGAN THOUGHT SHE KNEW FEAR, BUT SHE IS ABOUT TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS TO BE TRULY AFRAID.
Danni had escaped her abusive father and left behind everything that reminded her of her loving mother, now Danni has to return to the house one more time. She has returned to bury the body of the man that tormented her for so very long. Her past is tinted with the awful memories of what she had to endure while growing up. The things that were done to her, were inhumane to say the least. Her once loving father seemingly had turned into a monster after her mother committed suicide in the farm’s mill. He had abused Dani in every way possible or imaginable.... some were "unimaginable"! To say that she was not interested in going back to that awful place would have been the understatement of the entire century.
Her husband had other plans. He thought that if she went back to the farm, one more time and faced her fears, that she would be able to overcome them and leave everything behind once and for all. He had the questionable, less than brilliant idea of staying in that awful nightmare of a house because he was sure that that would help Danni. As soon as the family settles in, weird and scary things start to happen. Alex, the son, swears that he saw a scary old lady with a black smile. The poor child couldn’t even begin to imagine what was about to unfold. The daughter, Leah, then decided that she wanted to take a shower. She quicky changes her mind after seeing a man, standing by the bathroom door, looking at her and giving her a predatory smile.
Guess what? Dear old Jon... I started calling him "the utterly stupid husband", believes that the kids just have an "overactive imagination" and they just need more time to get use to the spooky old house. The "utterly stupid husband" will come to regret ever suggesting going to that "hell hole" of a house. As the story goes on, we learn what truly happen while Danni was growing up. We can also see the true evil that lurks inside that house. The evil that took her mother's life and immediately went after her father and never let him go. If you are thinking about reading this, I have to warn you that the things that were done to Dani are sick by any sane persons understanding and completely unbelievable.
I hated the "utterly stupid husband". Everything that happened to him was SOOO deserved. He was unwilling to see anything for what it was...only as being either "black or white". According to him, everything has a totally "reasonable" explanation. I wanted to shake him until he understood that there are things that science simply CAN NOT explain. Things that we cannot, and I don’t think we ever will be able to comprehend...we just have to accept them, try and avoid them, and move on. I couldn't imagine why he was so willing to put his family in so much danger just to teach them a lesson and to prove a point. The man deserved to meet the evil that lived in that house head on!
And the ending...? I know that it’s a horror story, dah...that’s why I read it, but I totally hated the way it ended. Those two children had had enough, especially the son, He didn't need anything else. That's all I'm going to say about that...only it wasn't the ending that I thought or hoped, would happen.
The story was very well written and had the right number of spooky happenings that I required for a good horror story, but it also had the ability to make me really angry. I believe if you read it, you will completely understand.
Danni had escaped her abusive father and left behind everything that reminded her of her loving mother, now Danni has to return to the house one more time. She has returned to bury the body of the man that tormented her for so very long. Her past is tinted with the awful memories of what she had to endure while growing up. The things that were done to her, were inhumane to say the least. Her once loving father seemingly had turned into a monster after her mother committed suicide in the farm’s mill. He had abused Dani in every way possible or imaginable.... some were "unimaginable"! To say that she was not interested in going back to that awful place would have been the understatement of the entire century.
Her husband had other plans. He thought that if she went back to the farm, one more time and faced her fears, that she would be able to overcome them and leave everything behind once and for all. He had the questionable, less than brilliant idea of staying in that awful nightmare of a house because he was sure that that would help Danni. As soon as the family settles in, weird and scary things start to happen. Alex, the son, swears that he saw a scary old lady with a black smile. The poor child couldn’t even begin to imagine what was about to unfold. The daughter, Leah, then decided that she wanted to take a shower. She quicky changes her mind after seeing a man, standing by the bathroom door, looking at her and giving her a predatory smile.
Guess what? Dear old Jon... I started calling him "the utterly stupid husband", believes that the kids just have an "overactive imagination" and they just need more time to get use to the spooky old house. The "utterly stupid husband" will come to regret ever suggesting going to that "hell hole" of a house. As the story goes on, we learn what truly happen while Danni was growing up. We can also see the true evil that lurks inside that house. The evil that took her mother's life and immediately went after her father and never let him go. If you are thinking about reading this, I have to warn you that the things that were done to Dani are sick by any sane persons understanding and completely unbelievable.
I hated the "utterly stupid husband". Everything that happened to him was SOOO deserved. He was unwilling to see anything for what it was...only as being either "black or white". According to him, everything has a totally "reasonable" explanation. I wanted to shake him until he understood that there are things that science simply CAN NOT explain. Things that we cannot, and I don’t think we ever will be able to comprehend...we just have to accept them, try and avoid them, and move on. I couldn't imagine why he was so willing to put his family in so much danger just to teach them a lesson and to prove a point. The man deserved to meet the evil that lived in that house head on!
And the ending...? I know that it’s a horror story, dah...that’s why I read it, but I totally hated the way it ended. Those two children had had enough, especially the son, He didn't need anything else. That's all I'm going to say about that...only it wasn't the ending that I thought or hoped, would happen.
The story was very well written and had the right number of spooky happenings that I required for a good horror story, but it also had the ability to make me really angry. I believe if you read it, you will completely understand.
August 17, 2017
Great Story!!!
Danni has to go back to her childhood home to bury her father and also try to find closure.
Danni and her family have to also deal with malevolent ghosts from the past as well as a creepy entity that lives in the mill on the property.
Will the family find the closure they seek or simply become one of the ghosts that haunt the place? Pick this up!!!!
Danni has to go back to her childhood home to bury her father and also try to find closure.
Danni and her family have to also deal with malevolent ghosts from the past as well as a creepy entity that lives in the mill on the property.
Will the family find the closure they seek or simply become one of the ghosts that haunt the place? Pick this up!!!!
April 2, 2018
I feel like maybe I read a different book to some reviewers. This is not a good book. It doesn't matter if a story has been told 1000 times before if you tell it well. However, this wasn't, it was just really bad. The writing is bad, the attempt at American style English is painful and misplaced, the characters are so cringe and hack, the plot development is dreadful. The characters are so unreal that there is nothing to relate to that makes this exciting, suspenseful, interesting etc. In summary, it's just really badly written. Give it a miss.
November 22, 2025
This is the first Lee Mountford book ive read, was surprisingly disappointed, considering its rave reviews. The premise of the novel is a good one, but its execution leaves a lot to be desired. It picked up pace and fright scares towards the end, but don't go into this novel with high expectations . I found it average at best
May 29, 2018
A grisly tale, based in part on a real-life story of murder on a farm in England in the 1600s. A story of a family facing off against a demonic presence on the old family farm they've inherited. I liked the story a lot, until the end- the entire book was a slow build and then BANG!- the end seemed way too rushed and inadequate after the huge build. Bummer. --Jen from Quebec :0)
November 21, 2017
I did not find this book scary. The characters were annoying. The most interesting parts were what the author based on real historical events.
February 15, 2025
I'm not sure if it's just the mix of Hannibal Hills narration and Lee Mountford's writing, but I just always enjoy my time when consuming their work.
December 9, 2017
Danni escaped from a horrible home when she was young. Now, with family in tow, she reluctantly heads back to bury her father and settle the estate. What Danni didn’t know was that her father wasn’t always evil and cruel, he was once a loving husband and father, until they moved to Bishop’s Hill. There was an evil there waiting for new souls...and Danni is now unknowingly bringing it more.
The flow was great and the characters seemed quite real and relatable. The slow change in personalities from the start of the story to the end (as per the aforementioned evil) was done very well. While the writing was solid and smoothly written, I felt the plot was a bit too formulaic. Having been a die-hard Stephen King fanatic for years, I have read about most horrors, ghosts, demons and the like in abundant quantities. The Demonic just feels like a step back for me.
If you haven’t read horror before or at least haven’t read nearly as many as I have, you’ll probably really like this.
The flow was great and the characters seemed quite real and relatable. The slow change in personalities from the start of the story to the end (as per the aforementioned evil) was done very well. While the writing was solid and smoothly written, I felt the plot was a bit too formulaic. Having been a die-hard Stephen King fanatic for years, I have read about most horrors, ghosts, demons and the like in abundant quantities. The Demonic just feels like a step back for me.
If you haven’t read horror before or at least haven’t read nearly as many as I have, you’ll probably really like this.
July 25, 2017
WOW
I am SPEECHLESS!!!!! This book grabs you and won't let go. The best part is that it seems so real! It is truly one of the best horror books I have read. This family has no idea of the scares and pure terror that awaits them. And the ending....WOW.......you just have to read to find out!!!!
I am SPEECHLESS!!!!! This book grabs you and won't let go. The best part is that it seems so real! It is truly one of the best horror books I have read. This family has no idea of the scares and pure terror that awaits them. And the ending....WOW.......you just have to read to find out!!!!
October 1, 2017
Not a difficult read. It was entertaining in the way cliche, genre fiction is entertaining: you know exactly where to go in order to scratch that genre itch. And in that way, this book succeeds.
Don't expect anything groundbreaking: not in the writing style, the story, or characters. Stock characters included the technologically-absorbed daughter, the disabled son who resents needing looked after, Mr. Fix-It Dad, and the aloof mother with daddy issues.
The actual horror scenes were good enough to satisfy both creepy and gory aesthetic. The rest of the exposition fell flat, and in the end led to a painfully predictable climax. If this book had been any longer of a novel, I wouldn't have bothered to finish it.
Don't expect anything groundbreaking: not in the writing style, the story, or characters. Stock characters included the technologically-absorbed daughter, the disabled son who resents needing looked after, Mr. Fix-It Dad, and the aloof mother with daddy issues.
The actual horror scenes were good enough to satisfy both creepy and gory aesthetic. The rest of the exposition fell flat, and in the end led to a painfully predictable climax. If this book had been any longer of a novel, I wouldn't have bothered to finish it.
September 25, 2017
Lots of up's, but far more let down's.
I have to admit I didn't care for this story very much. It had very good leads in's but when it came to the climax , I left very let down. It didn't hold up to my standards.
I have to admit I didn't care for this story very much. It had very good leads in's but when it came to the climax , I left very let down. It didn't hold up to my standards.
October 13, 2018
This is one of those ghost stories where you ask what the hell people are doing staying where they are. Maybe we can rationalize that they are being influenced by something demonic that is warping their collective judgement.
January 20, 2023
2.5 stars. This was pretty much your typical haunted house story, which is usually my thing, but it just felt the same as every other haunted house story so it didn’t really stand out to me as anything special. I did like the last little twist though.
April 19, 2018
My original The Demonic audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Danni Morgan has returned to her childhood home where her mother left her and her father tortured and molested her. Returning to bury her hated father, Danni brings her supportive husband and two children to her father’s funeral. There she encounters a demonic evil so great and consuming that no one is safe from its touch. No one and her life is about to change yet once again as she faces the demonic evil head on.
I expected this to be scary but the level of horror this audiobook induced is by far greater than any I have heard. I couldn’t put it down! It was refreshingly terrifying!!!! If you enjoy horror – this is the book for you!
Lee Mountford built the suspense, horror and mind-numbing terror expertly. When listening to the book and one begins to catch glimpses out of the corner of one's eye of something moving but nothing there … you know it’s truly a work of art!
Hannibal Hills performed the voices with skill. His performance left one shuddering to one’s core when the demonic evil spoke. He was spectacular! His talent carried the terror beyond the pages and gave them a voice.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
Danni Morgan has returned to her childhood home where her mother left her and her father tortured and molested her. Returning to bury her hated father, Danni brings her supportive husband and two children to her father’s funeral. There she encounters a demonic evil so great and consuming that no one is safe from its touch. No one and her life is about to change yet once again as she faces the demonic evil head on.
I expected this to be scary but the level of horror this audiobook induced is by far greater than any I have heard. I couldn’t put it down! It was refreshingly terrifying!!!! If you enjoy horror – this is the book for you!
Lee Mountford built the suspense, horror and mind-numbing terror expertly. When listening to the book and one begins to catch glimpses out of the corner of one's eye of something moving but nothing there … you know it’s truly a work of art!
Hannibal Hills performed the voices with skill. His performance left one shuddering to one’s core when the demonic evil spoke. He was spectacular! His talent carried the terror beyond the pages and gave them a voice.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
August 29, 2017
The idea was great but not enough detail for me.
September 30, 2017
Not very scary
I don't recommend this book. I did not find it scary. It was too predictable. Even the ending was predictable.
I don't recommend this book. I did not find it scary. It was too predictable. Even the ending was predictable.
October 13, 2019
"Death is a part of life," Jon said. "And, unfortunately, it comes to us all."
Danni has packed her family into their SUV to make the 250-mile trip to her hometown for her father's funeral . She hasn't spoken to her father in 20 years, but Jon, her husband, thinks it will be good for her to face her past and go back home. For the record, I HATED Jon.
Immediately upon arriving, the solicitor that meets the family is acting weird. Alex, the couple's son, sees an old woman dressed in black standing behind her sister within 10 minutes of their arrival. Later that night, Leah, their teenage daughter, sees a strange man watching her in the shower. But Jon dismisses his children and being upset, despite the fact that he is subsequently pushed down the stairs.
The next day after the funeral, Danni learns that her father attacked a local woman who came to his home a few years earlier. She warns Danni to get her family out of the house, as she saw something unexplained while being attacked. Despite Danni's misgivings and worry about her children, Jon goes into complete asshole mode. So the family goes back to the horrible house, where things take a really bad turn...
I didn't like this as much as the other Mountford books I've read, but it was enjoyable. But damn, did I hate the husband. I could understand encouraging his wife to go home and get some closure, but once we are told what happened in that house and why she left, I definitely hated him, even without the evil influence of the house. And then after what happens...
Overall, good, but not a great read.
Danni has packed her family into their SUV to make the 250-mile trip to her hometown for her father's funeral . She hasn't spoken to her father in 20 years, but Jon, her husband, thinks it will be good for her to face her past and go back home. For the record, I HATED Jon.
Immediately upon arriving, the solicitor that meets the family is acting weird. Alex, the couple's son, sees an old woman dressed in black standing behind her sister within 10 minutes of their arrival. Later that night, Leah, their teenage daughter, sees a strange man watching her in the shower. But Jon dismisses his children and being upset, despite the fact that he is subsequently pushed down the stairs.
The next day after the funeral, Danni learns that her father attacked a local woman who came to his home a few years earlier. She warns Danni to get her family out of the house, as she saw something unexplained while being attacked. Despite Danni's misgivings and worry about her children, Jon goes into complete asshole mode. So the family goes back to the horrible house, where things take a really bad turn...
I didn't like this as much as the other Mountford books I've read, but it was enjoyable. But damn, did I hate the husband. I could understand encouraging his wife to go home and get some closure, but once we are told what happened in that house and why she left, I definitely hated him, even without the evil influence of the house. And then after what happens...
Overall, good, but not a great read.
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