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Dark Corners Collection #7
Oak Avenue
A young wife and mother—new to this town and to its secrets—learns just how much she doesn’t know in this tingly tale of all the things hiding in the dark at the top of the stairs, from bestselling author Brandi Reeds.
While renovating her Victorian home, Ana Clementine finds an ornate door buried under forty years of earth. Once she restores it to the attic, she starts hearing whispers, her loving husband becomes a stranger, and her baby daughter learns a chilling new word. Maybe Ana has unlocked the house’s secrets. Or maybe she’s becoming just a little unhinged herself.
Brandi Reeds’s Oak Avenue is part of Dark Corners, a collection of seven heart-stopping short stories by bestselling authors who give you so many new reasons to be afraid. Each story can be read in a single sitting. Or, if you have the nerve, you can listen all by yourself in the dark.
While renovating her Victorian home, Ana Clementine finds an ornate door buried under forty years of earth. Once she restores it to the attic, she starts hearing whispers, her loving husband becomes a stranger, and her baby daughter learns a chilling new word. Maybe Ana has unlocked the house’s secrets. Or maybe she’s becoming just a little unhinged herself.
Brandi Reeds’s Oak Avenue is part of Dark Corners, a collection of seven heart-stopping short stories by bestselling authors who give you so many new reasons to be afraid. Each story can be read in a single sitting. Or, if you have the nerve, you can listen all by yourself in the dark.
72 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 519 reviews
October 9, 2020
Oak Avenue is a short story by Brandi Reeds and I was enjoying it so much until it just ended, in a place that was not a good ending, in my opinion. Ana Clementine and her husband Edison have just moved into a decrepit Victorian house very close to his childhood home. While Edison is out of town for work, strange things happen, people act strangely when Ana asks them about the house, and Edison starts acting differently, when he comes home.
Then things happen to maybe fix the problems but next thing we know, more creepiness. Maybe I'm missing a lot but I'd like more answers, because I have a lot of questions. I felt the spookiness of the story but there was no payoff for me.
This was a Kindle Unlimited selection.
Published September 27th 2018
Brandi Reeds’s Oak Avenue is part of Dark Corners, a collection of seven heart-stopping short stories by bestselling authors who give you so many new reasons to be afraid.
Then things happen to maybe fix the problems but next thing we know, more creepiness. Maybe I'm missing a lot but I'd like more answers, because I have a lot of questions. I felt the spookiness of the story but there was no payoff for me.
This was a Kindle Unlimited selection.
Published September 27th 2018
Brandi Reeds’s Oak Avenue is part of Dark Corners, a collection of seven heart-stopping short stories by bestselling authors who give you so many new reasons to be afraid.
November 3, 2018
Okay this one was pretty good! So there were 3 out of the 7 shorts that I really enjoyed. It had some creep going on, although, I had a moment where I was gonna change my mind and then it all worked out!
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Happy Reading!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
October 31, 2018
Ana and Edison Clementine and their baby Sabrina move into an old Victorian house they bought a couple of weeks ago. Work takes Edison away a lot and Ana is left alone with Sabrina. Since Ana is a restoration specialist she is trying to bring the house back to its former glory. One day, some men who are cutting down a few dead trees in their yard show her that they came upon a buried, old ornate door. Ana thinks it's beautiful and she wants to restore it and put in the house. At night Ana hears noises and goes into the hallway. The attic door is wide open and there is a very cold draft coming down the attic steps. When Ana goes to shut the door she hears a voice saying her name, but there is no one there. Scared, Ana hurries back into her room. When her husband Edison comes home she tells him about it, but he puts her fears down to overwork.
The more time they spend in the house, the stranger Edison is acting... he starts drinking and staying out late, he becomes mean and threatening. This isn't like Edison at all. Other strange things start happening. Ana wants to leave the house and never come back. What dark secrets is this house holding?
This was an absorbing and spooky read. I liked Ana and I felt sorry for her since she was new to town and the town didn't take well to newcomers. I found the atmosphere in the house creepy and sinister. I wondered what was going to happen to Ana, and I was curious about the history of the old house.
This short story was part of Amazon's "Dark Corners" series and it was fun to read around Halloween.
The more time they spend in the house, the stranger Edison is acting... he starts drinking and staying out late, he becomes mean and threatening. This isn't like Edison at all. Other strange things start happening. Ana wants to leave the house and never come back. What dark secrets is this house holding?
This was an absorbing and spooky read. I liked Ana and I felt sorry for her since she was new to town and the town didn't take well to newcomers. I found the atmosphere in the house creepy and sinister. I wondered what was going to happen to Ana, and I was curious about the history of the old house.
This short story was part of Amazon's "Dark Corners" series and it was fun to read around Halloween.
January 11, 2023
Ana Clementine and her husband Eddy move to her husband’s hometown with their young daughter. It’s always been Eddy’s dream to own this beautiful Victorian home, so they move there. Once there, Ana determines to do some renovations to make it more her home.
From the start, the landscaping guy (she needs some work done) dismisses her and will only work with her husband. Next, a beautiful ornate door is found buried near her home. Ana sees beauty in the door and wants to restore it. While trying to get that worked out, her Eddy begins acting strangely.
I think this was to be a sort of haunted house thing, but I’m not sure. Short stories can be difficult to provide a total story arc, and for me, this one didn’t work. The ending was a bit strange. I enjoyed the first hour or so, and then it got convoluted.
I can’t say I’d recommend it; however, it did keep me entertained for a couple of hours.
From the start, the landscaping guy (she needs some work done) dismisses her and will only work with her husband. Next, a beautiful ornate door is found buried near her home. Ana sees beauty in the door and wants to restore it. While trying to get that worked out, her Eddy begins acting strangely.
I think this was to be a sort of haunted house thing, but I’m not sure. Short stories can be difficult to provide a total story arc, and for me, this one didn’t work. The ending was a bit strange. I enjoyed the first hour or so, and then it got convoluted.
I can’t say I’d recommend it; however, it did keep me entertained for a couple of hours.
October 4, 2020
Eddie has always hoped to own the historic old Victorian home on Oak Avenue.
So, when he get the opportunity to purchase it, nothing will dissuade him.
Not the exorbitant price, despite it being in need of so many renovations that it is almost UNINHABITABLE.
Not the fact that the townsfolk including your own parents will make your wife and daughter feel UNWELCOME.
AND, not even the fact that things keep on happening in the home which are making your family feel UNEASY, to say the least.
Will anything be UNACCEPTABLE to Eddie?
Or does he want this house at any cost?
This short story is part of the Dark Corners collection on Amazon.
Perfect for the Halloween season as each author will give you a new reason to be afraid- and a great way to sample the work of an author you have been curious about, as I was with this author-Brandi Reeds.🎃
So, when he get the opportunity to purchase it, nothing will dissuade him.
Not the exorbitant price, despite it being in need of so many renovations that it is almost UNINHABITABLE.
Not the fact that the townsfolk including your own parents will make your wife and daughter feel UNWELCOME.
AND, not even the fact that things keep on happening in the home which are making your family feel UNEASY, to say the least.
Will anything be UNACCEPTABLE to Eddie?
Or does he want this house at any cost?
This short story is part of the Dark Corners collection on Amazon.
Perfect for the Halloween season as each author will give you a new reason to be afraid- and a great way to sample the work of an author you have been curious about, as I was with this author-Brandi Reeds.🎃
October 4, 2020
A couple and their 15-month old daughter move into an old, Victorian home. Ana, the wife, plans to restore it to its former glory. After finding a beautiful, vintage door buried under a dead tree, strange things start to happen. Whispers, an attic door that won’t stay shut, odd behavior, her daughter saying a word that is not in her vocabulary...
This is a creepy little story that sets the mood for this month. 🎃🍁 The writing is excellent, and it really packs a wallop for a short story. The ending leaves some things open, and I would have enjoyed a few more chapters...or maybe a full novel.
All in all, a fun read!
This is part of Amazon’s Dark Corners collection.
This is a creepy little story that sets the mood for this month. 🎃🍁 The writing is excellent, and it really packs a wallop for a short story. The ending leaves some things open, and I would have enjoyed a few more chapters...or maybe a full novel.
All in all, a fun read!
This is part of Amazon’s Dark Corners collection.
December 26, 2020
This was my least favourite short story in the amazon dark corners collection. I didn't find it scary, more frustrating and annoying? And that ending was weak ☹️
January 31, 2019
Oak Avenue by Brandi Reeds is a scary haunting of a small family that buys and old house in the husband's home town. All the small town people know the husband but seem to despise the wife for being an outsider. The longer they stay there, the stranger the husband gets...The house also has a mind of it's own too! Creepy!
February 10, 2024
Thank God, A Good One! 👍🏽
A very short horror story that’s part of a collection. It has some good scares and lots of suspense.
The collection is very mixed.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
A very short horror story that’s part of a collection. It has some good scares and lots of suspense.
The collection is very mixed.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
January 18, 2024
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Horror + Short Story
Oak Avenue is the last book in the Dark Corners series. The tale follows Ana, a young mother, as she and her daughter relocate to an old, enigmatic house on Oak Avenue, where Ana begins to experience a series of terrible events. Her escalating terror and resolve to shield her daughter make Ana an engaging protagonist. Still, the supporting characters do not get enough attention; they are underdeveloped and need more work, for sure.
The author skillfully heightens Ana's growing sense of unease by incorporating a variety of disturbing sounds, including whispers, creaking floors, and strange visions. Nevertheless, the storyline is overly reliant on tired haunted house clichés, which sacrifices originality in favor of scariness.
I have a major issue with the conclusion. Although the main threat was addressed, the resolution felt hasty and unclear, leaving numerous intriguing questions unanswered. The overall impact was diminished for me, leaving me with a feeling of incompleteness. But other readers might be interested in this, so it is up to you to decide.
Genre: Horror + Short Story
Oak Avenue is the last book in the Dark Corners series. The tale follows Ana, a young mother, as she and her daughter relocate to an old, enigmatic house on Oak Avenue, where Ana begins to experience a series of terrible events. Her escalating terror and resolve to shield her daughter make Ana an engaging protagonist. Still, the supporting characters do not get enough attention; they are underdeveloped and need more work, for sure.
The author skillfully heightens Ana's growing sense of unease by incorporating a variety of disturbing sounds, including whispers, creaking floors, and strange visions. Nevertheless, the storyline is overly reliant on tired haunted house clichés, which sacrifices originality in favor of scariness.
I have a major issue with the conclusion. Although the main threat was addressed, the resolution felt hasty and unclear, leaving numerous intriguing questions unanswered. The overall impact was diminished for me, leaving me with a feeling of incompleteness. But other readers might be interested in this, so it is up to you to decide.
February 16, 2025
slightly under 3 stars
shortish review for busy readers:
Not a bad haunted house tale, but it all remained oddly distant, with brief flashes of gripping clarity that manifested in a few sharp scenes, only to dissolve quickly into the swimmy story fabric.
Some of the supernatural scenes are quite frightening, I'll give Ms Reeds that. (I'll never see taking up old carpet the same again!) But the majority are simply OTT cliched evil or slightly botched attempts at misleading the reader. Is she imagining it? Yes? No? Maybe so? And the "innocent woman as helpless victim of controlling abusive men" trope to raise tension is also a bit of a snore.
In short, not a bad attempt, but lacking the originality and enough sustained, gripping substance to make it a keeper.
shortish review for busy readers:
Not a bad haunted house tale, but it all remained oddly distant, with brief flashes of gripping clarity that manifested in a few sharp scenes, only to dissolve quickly into the swimmy story fabric.
Some of the supernatural scenes are quite frightening, I'll give Ms Reeds that. (I'll never see taking up old carpet the same again!) But the majority are simply OTT cliched evil or slightly botched attempts at misleading the reader. Is she imagining it? Yes? No? Maybe so? And the "innocent woman as helpless victim of controlling abusive men" trope to raise tension is also a bit of a snore.
In short, not a bad attempt, but lacking the originality and enough sustained, gripping substance to make it a keeper.
August 9, 2025
1.5 ⭐
Honestly, it had a lot of potential, but little by little it declined and I lost interest.
Honestly, it had a lot of potential, but little by little it declined and I lost interest.
October 12, 2020
3,5⭐️
Being October, I thought I should get onboard with the Halloween spirit and read some haunted house story, and “Oak Avenue” was a good choice.
Well-written, suspenseful, spooky, tense, I liked how the author made me doubt if what Ana was experiencing was real, due to stress and lack of sleep or to old straight gaslighting by her husband.
I was enjoying it right until the end, which was a bit abrupt and left me with more questions than answers.
Anyway, super quick read with some really creepy moments that was a fun way to get into Halloween mood. 🎃 👻
Being October, I thought I should get onboard with the Halloween spirit and read some haunted house story, and “Oak Avenue” was a good choice.
Well-written, suspenseful, spooky, tense, I liked how the author made me doubt if what Ana was experiencing was real, due to stress and lack of sleep or to old straight gaslighting by her husband.
I was enjoying it right until the end, which was a bit abrupt and left me with more questions than answers.
Anyway, super quick read with some really creepy moments that was a fun way to get into Halloween mood. 🎃 👻
March 30, 2023
OK
As in a few short stories, the ending is abrupt but it can leave the reader to think of a decent ending. I was interested in the storyline except for haunted house bit but that’s me. I think a lot of people will like this.
As in a few short stories, the ending is abrupt but it can leave the reader to think of a decent ending. I was interested in the storyline except for haunted house bit but that’s me. I think a lot of people will like this.
August 10, 2025
Story 3.5 stars**
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Amy Landon
Audio 4 stars**
Narrator Amy Landon
September 25, 2020
This story was not for me...too many tropes that wind me up and I started to skim read after only about 30%...I couldn't get on with this story at all (and it's only a short one!).
Tropes I really dislike;
1. Things happening to people and nobody believes them...usually applies to women
2. People witholding information for no good reason (and making it worse by saying afterwards when challenged things like 'oh you asked if there was a fridge in the kitchen so I said no because you didn't ask if there was one in the utility room which there was but you didn't ask that' !!)
3. Husbands who are complete dickheads
4. People who don't help people for no good reason...but then they do (whhhyyyyyyy???)
5. People being labelled as 'going mad' 'over-tired' 'unstable' but nobody actually helping with those things
6. People being labelled as 'going mad' 'over-tired' 'unstable' because everyone is witholding information from them so they are unable to understand what is going on
Let's leave it there.
Tropes I really dislike;
1. Things happening to people and nobody believes them...usually applies to women
2. People witholding information for no good reason (and making it worse by saying afterwards when challenged things like 'oh you asked if there was a fridge in the kitchen so I said no because you didn't ask if there was one in the utility room which there was but you didn't ask that' !!)
3. Husbands who are complete dickheads
4. People who don't help people for no good reason...but then they do (whhhyyyyyyy???)
5. People being labelled as 'going mad' 'over-tired' 'unstable' but nobody actually helping with those things
6. People being labelled as 'going mad' 'over-tired' 'unstable' because everyone is witholding information from them so they are unable to understand what is going on
Let's leave it there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2018
Ana Clementine's husband buys an old victorian house in his hometown. He's dreamed of living in the house since he was just a boy. He even paid more than asking price for the run-down house. Ana moves in with her young daughter, and starts trying to make the old house a home. Strange things start happening almost immediately....and Ana realizes the old house harbors dark secrets.
Oak Avenue is the final story in the Amazon/Audible Dark Corners Collection....an anthology of seven darkly emotional stories written by bestselling authors. I'm reviewing each story on its own as they are novella length, and many of the authors are new to me.
I really enjoyed this story. Not many of the tales in the collection are actually horror....or even really scary in any way. This story definitely had the haunted, creepy house vibe to it from the start but morphed into a combination of horror and morality tale about the cycle of abuse. Loved it! Very well-written and enjoyable!
I listened to the audio book version of this story. The audio book is just over two hours long. Amy Landon does an amazing job narrating. She does a great job of building suspense and reads at a nice, even pace. All in all, Oak Avenue is one of the most enjoyable stories in the Dark Corners Collection, IMHO.
Oak Avenue is the final story in the Amazon/Audible Dark Corners Collection....an anthology of seven darkly emotional stories written by bestselling authors. I'm reviewing each story on its own as they are novella length, and many of the authors are new to me.
I really enjoyed this story. Not many of the tales in the collection are actually horror....or even really scary in any way. This story definitely had the haunted, creepy house vibe to it from the start but morphed into a combination of horror and morality tale about the cycle of abuse. Loved it! Very well-written and enjoyable!
I listened to the audio book version of this story. The audio book is just over two hours long. Amy Landon does an amazing job narrating. She does a great job of building suspense and reads at a nice, even pace. All in all, Oak Avenue is one of the most enjoyable stories in the Dark Corners Collection, IMHO.
October 8, 2018
I listened to this while cleaning and walking the dog. It was a quick listen, but it just didn't work well as a short story. I thought the beginning had promise and it seemed like I was getting into a good ghost story, but not much was fleshed out and it ended up feeling jumbled and boring.
December 8, 2024
Haunting
Anastasia and her daughter moved into the new house when Edison wasn’t home. It was lonely, but she was after all the restoration specialist. Ana finds a beautiful Victorian door and hopes to restore it as part of the house. Suddenly the attic door pops open and she hears “Hey Ana”, but no one is there.
Is Ana losing her mind, or is there something strange in their new home? Five stars.
Anastasia and her daughter moved into the new house when Edison wasn’t home. It was lonely, but she was after all the restoration specialist. Ana finds a beautiful Victorian door and hopes to restore it as part of the house. Suddenly the attic door pops open and she hears “Hey Ana”, but no one is there.
Is Ana losing her mind, or is there something strange in their new home? Five stars.
June 2, 2024
I enjoyed the first, say, 75% - give or take (hence three stars) - and forgot about my disbelief, but then it just got really silly. I really hate that.
August 15, 2020
A new mother moves to the hometown of her husband and dreams of restoring a Victorian home to its glory days, but some strange things begin to happen. Of course, no one in the town seems to believe her.
I liked this one and thought it had all the ingredients to make my hair stand up. I think I wanted to feel a little more terrified though.
Goodreads review published 15/08/20
I liked this one and thought it had all the ingredients to make my hair stand up. I think I wanted to feel a little more terrified though.
Goodreads review published 15/08/20
June 24, 2025
This was about a 3.5 ⭐️ for me. It’s a too short story about a young family who moves from the city into what may or may not be a secluded old Victorian home. It didn’t feel fresh and it felt a bit rushed but I liked some of the concepts, and hated most of the characters which is always fun.
November 17, 2022
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I never thought I’d say this, but I’m kind of disappointed that this isn’t a full-length novel…because it was too fast. *gasp, horror, shock* I KNOW. Honestly, I never thought “the plot moved too quickly” would be a complaint I would ever have in my life. My feelings about this story have totally caught me off guard.
I liked Brandi Reeds' writing style, but my rating reflects what didn’t work for me. Though the creepy atmosphere is set immediately, the plot was too rushed and stilted to fit the short-story vibe for me.
Ana and her husband have bought an old Victorian, which needs a lot of work, in his small hometown full of gossip, history and ghost stories. While her husband is away working endlessly to support their small family, Ana starts renovation projects around the house, including having old trees cut down and dug up around the property.
Underneath one old tree, an antique door is found buried in the ground. Instead of discarding it, Ana brings it in, cleans it up and re-finishes it with the intention of installing the original piece back into the home. But once the door is out of the ground, creepy things start happening – noises, figures, things moving on their own and the influence of behaviour. Ana’s husband is not himself when he’s home, and when Ana confronts him about his jacked-up behaviour, he claims to have no idea what she’s talking about.
The question of whether Ana is in a legit haunted house, or just losing her mind, is heavy-handed right from the beginning because so much had to happen and be explained in only a few dozen pages. The progress from normal to banana-sandwich went by so quickly that there wasn’t time to flesh out the characters, the town or the spooky shit in a way that was satisfying.
That’s not to say it wasn’t chalked full of creepy moments - it was. But it needed more space to expand on the history of the house, Ana’s marriage, her relationship with her in-laws, the grumpy old bitch historian and what exactly happened in the house that required a door to be buried in the ground.
I mean, that’s so weird it needs more than a paragraph to really explain.
This novel was like Amityville Horror but if it had done a few lines of coke.
A spooky story, but the wrong format for it. Still, I’m interested to read more by Brandi Reeds if this is any indication of the kind of creepy she can write.
3.5 stars | ⭐⭐⭐½ rounded down
I never thought I’d say this, but I’m kind of disappointed that this isn’t a full-length novel…because it was too fast. *gasp, horror, shock* I KNOW. Honestly, I never thought “the plot moved too quickly” would be a complaint I would ever have in my life. My feelings about this story have totally caught me off guard.
I liked Brandi Reeds' writing style, but my rating reflects what didn’t work for me. Though the creepy atmosphere is set immediately, the plot was too rushed and stilted to fit the short-story vibe for me.
Ana and her husband have bought an old Victorian, which needs a lot of work, in his small hometown full of gossip, history and ghost stories. While her husband is away working endlessly to support their small family, Ana starts renovation projects around the house, including having old trees cut down and dug up around the property.
Underneath one old tree, an antique door is found buried in the ground. Instead of discarding it, Ana brings it in, cleans it up and re-finishes it with the intention of installing the original piece back into the home. But once the door is out of the ground, creepy things start happening – noises, figures, things moving on their own and the influence of behaviour. Ana’s husband is not himself when he’s home, and when Ana confronts him about his jacked-up behaviour, he claims to have no idea what she’s talking about.
The question of whether Ana is in a legit haunted house, or just losing her mind, is heavy-handed right from the beginning because so much had to happen and be explained in only a few dozen pages. The progress from normal to banana-sandwich went by so quickly that there wasn’t time to flesh out the characters, the town or the spooky shit in a way that was satisfying.
That’s not to say it wasn’t chalked full of creepy moments - it was. But it needed more space to expand on the history of the house, Ana’s marriage, her relationship with her in-laws, the grumpy old bitch historian and what exactly happened in the house that required a door to be buried in the ground.
I mean, that’s so weird it needs more than a paragraph to really explain.
This novel was like Amityville Horror but if it had done a few lines of coke.
A spooky story, but the wrong format for it. Still, I’m interested to read more by Brandi Reeds if this is any indication of the kind of creepy she can write.
3.5 stars | ⭐⭐⭐½ rounded down
August 9, 2020
This is an eerie, unsettling story about an old crumbling mansion that requires extensive renovations. This once impressive Victorian home has been bought by a young couple with the goal of restoring it to its former glory. It was the husbands desire to move to this small town where he grew up and where his parents still reside nearby. The house had once been restored in the 1970s with tacky shag carpets, wallpaper, and furnishings. These features added to the deterioration from time and dirt has made the house ugly. The wife, Ana, who has specialized in home restorations is ready for the hard work involved, even with a small girl to look after. Her husband frequently travels on work-related business.
Workmen clearing the lot have discovered a beautifully preserved Victorian door buried in the earth. Ana begins restoring it. She becomes unnerved by strange voices and mysterious sounds. A malign force seems to be inhabiting the house. Adding to her sense of unease is the feeling that the town does not accept newcomers. Her husband does not believe her frightening experiences. The only friendly person is a kind man who was a high school rival of her husband. They were seen talking in town and gossip has turned an innocent encounter into an affair. Weird inexplicable events in the house have so frightened Ana, that she wants them to move away.
Her once loving, easygoing husband is drinking heavily, and being mentally and physically abusive towards Ana, and enraged that she is friendly with his old rival. This was an atmospheric, haunting story but I felt the ending was weak.
Workmen clearing the lot have discovered a beautifully preserved Victorian door buried in the earth. Ana begins restoring it. She becomes unnerved by strange voices and mysterious sounds. A malign force seems to be inhabiting the house. Adding to her sense of unease is the feeling that the town does not accept newcomers. Her husband does not believe her frightening experiences. The only friendly person is a kind man who was a high school rival of her husband. They were seen talking in town and gossip has turned an innocent encounter into an affair. Weird inexplicable events in the house have so frightened Ana, that she wants them to move away.
Her once loving, easygoing husband is drinking heavily, and being mentally and physically abusive towards Ana, and enraged that she is friendly with his old rival. This was an atmospheric, haunting story but I felt the ending was weak.
November 11, 2020
Another short story from the Dark Corners Collection, this one had haunted house vibes from the very start. You know what you are getting here, great for people who love a haunting story.
It was a frustrating read for me, I just wanted to yell over and over: leave the house, leave the house, LEAVE THE DAMN HOUSE! But instead had to read about all the creepy incidences being a bad dream or the workings of an old draughty house. Typical eh!?
It was a little clichéd and a little predictable but the ending wasn’t bad. It is quite well told though so still a reasonably enjoyable read. I can’t get overly excited about it so I’m rounding down from 3.5*/5 (I can't decide if this is a little harsh or not).
It was a frustrating read for me, I just wanted to yell over and over: leave the house, leave the house, LEAVE THE DAMN HOUSE! But instead had to read about all the creepy incidences being a bad dream or the workings of an old draughty house. Typical eh!?
It was a little clichéd and a little predictable but the ending wasn’t bad. It is quite well told though so still a reasonably enjoyable read. I can’t get overly excited about it so I’m rounding down from 3.5*/5 (I can't decide if this is a little harsh or not).
October 1, 2018
I have to say this was a creepy good story! It was short and I read it in one sitting. Although I liked the writing, I felt as if I wanted to know more of what was going on. And the ending was basically a cliff hanger. It really needed to be wrapped up a little more instead of leaving me with unanswered questions.
October 31, 2025
4.5 Stars for Oak Avenue: Dark Corners Collection, Book 7 (audiobook) by Brandi Reeds read by Amy London.
As a home remodeler this story is particularly disturbing. The idea of uncovering an item that the previous owner had buried and it seems to unleash a spirit that’s not happy that you’re living in this house is pretty scary. You just never know what’s going to happen when you start demolition.
As a home remodeler this story is particularly disturbing. The idea of uncovering an item that the previous owner had buried and it seems to unleash a spirit that’s not happy that you’re living in this house is pretty scary. You just never know what’s going to happen when you start demolition.
February 26, 2020
Well after that downer of a story this was better. And yes, it's actually horror. I think Reeds did a good job with a haunted house story with some teeth to it. It made me think a little bit of Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House". The ending was a nice surprise (in a bad way) so I liked that too.
Newcomer Ana moves back to her husband's hometown into a ramshackle Victorian home. Ana loves to restore homes, but the old house seems dark and something seems to be taking over her husband. With her toddler daughter to care for, Ana tries to find help with the local populace, but it seems as if deaf ears and eyes are turned away.
I liked Ana and felt for her. You get how increasingly alone she feels with no job and nothing to do but focus on her daughter and the home. Her husband changes slightly as soon as they move in and then you get to see the bigger ways. And you get the vibe the in-laws don't like her at all.
I could picture the home and the little town that wanted nothing to do with her. A solid ending to this collection which was honestly 90 percent a miss with me.
Newcomer Ana moves back to her husband's hometown into a ramshackle Victorian home. Ana loves to restore homes, but the old house seems dark and something seems to be taking over her husband. With her toddler daughter to care for, Ana tries to find help with the local populace, but it seems as if deaf ears and eyes are turned away.
I liked Ana and felt for her. You get how increasingly alone she feels with no job and nothing to do but focus on her daughter and the home. Her husband changes slightly as soon as they move in and then you get to see the bigger ways. And you get the vibe the in-laws don't like her at all.
I could picture the home and the little town that wanted nothing to do with her. A solid ending to this collection which was honestly 90 percent a miss with me.
October 8, 2018
I hated this story. I can't stand stories where the author relies on people being cruel and/or mysoginistic to the protagonist in order to create emotional tension. I want to be frightened, not angry!
October 3, 2018
Anastasia's husband, Edison, has just bought an old house in his home town. 'The Churchill house' is a place he's always dreamed of owning, and Anastasia, a restoration expert, is trying to see the dilapidated interior as an exciting project. But she feels lonely: the people of the town are unwelcoming, and at the beginning of the story we find her struggling to get taken seriously by a tree surgeon who won't trust 'Eddie's wife' to make decisions about the property. Then there's the weirdness the house seems to seethe with: whispers in the dark, doors that open by themselves, out-of-character behaviour from Edison, and a garbled new word from the couple's baby daughter.
This is perhaps the most conventional of the stories in the Dark Corners series. A newcomer in a small town, unfriendly locals, a house with secrets and even, possibly, a madwoman in the attic – plenty of overused tropes are present and correct. Yet it works. Anastasia is sympathetic; definitely a character you root for. When it comes to the house, the devil is in the details (70s shag pile carpet stapled to the walls!) On the whole, Reeds stays on the right side of cliche, and although it doesn't do anything new I enjoyed this story.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
This is perhaps the most conventional of the stories in the Dark Corners series. A newcomer in a small town, unfriendly locals, a house with secrets and even, possibly, a madwoman in the attic – plenty of overused tropes are present and correct. Yet it works. Anastasia is sympathetic; definitely a character you root for. When it comes to the house, the devil is in the details (70s shag pile carpet stapled to the walls!) On the whole, Reeds stays on the right side of cliche, and although it doesn't do anything new I enjoyed this story.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
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