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Mystery House #1
Secrets of the Greek Revival
Alternative title and cover for B019ATLCWG:
Ellen and her two best friends share a mid-life crisis by hatching a plan to renovate an 1860's Greek revival in the nearby historic district of San Antonio. Although Ellen isn’t one to believe in ghosts, she comes face to face with something inexplicable in the attic. Her ghost-enthusiast friends convince her that they must help the spirit find closure, and as they dig deeper into the past, they uncover a shocking history that someone in the neighborhood doesn’t want exposed. But Ellen and her friends don't give up easily. They realize they've been called to give voice to the invisible women who suffered behind the walls of the house for decades.
Ellen and her two best friends share a mid-life crisis by hatching a plan to renovate an 1860's Greek revival in the nearby historic district of San Antonio. Although Ellen isn’t one to believe in ghosts, she comes face to face with something inexplicable in the attic. Her ghost-enthusiast friends convince her that they must help the spirit find closure, and as they dig deeper into the past, they uncover a shocking history that someone in the neighborhood doesn’t want exposed. But Ellen and her friends don't give up easily. They realize they've been called to give voice to the invisible women who suffered behind the walls of the house for decades.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2015
1993 people are currently reading
2894 people want to read
About the author
Eva Pohler
113 books1,739 followersEva Pohler is a USA Today bestselling author of over forty novels in multiple genres, including mysteries, thrillers, and young adult paranormal romance based. Her books have been described as "addictive" and "sure to thrill"--Kirkus Reviews.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews
June 10, 2018
This was a corker of a find from Instafreebie! My first book by this author, I was instantly drawn not only to the story but also to the lives of the three protagonists Ellen, Sue and Tanya. The characters were very life-like and the writing flowed smoothly making for a very easy, fast paced read. While the book is essentially a cosy read with a paranormal element it does deal with the shocking subject of historical abuse of mental health patients, as well as the everyday but distressing subjects of empty nester syndrome, the mortality of your parents and the loneliness of the aged and infirm.
While this book looks to be part of a series it does work well as a standalone. Recommended reading.
While this book looks to be part of a series it does work well as a standalone. Recommended reading.
December 15, 2019
3 semi-secretive STARS ★★★✬✩
⤐ Preface.
I sencerely appologise for the very thin reviews past, present and future. I'm neither in the mood nor can I afford the time to to my usual glorious stuff. (Does self-praise stink? I'm a firm believer it shouldn't. Know your talents and cherish them.)
⤐ Overall.
I've listened to another audiobook by this author before and was pleasantly surprised to move away from the long exhausted YA genre. The story was interesting from minute one on but disappointed further down the road.
Characters. Relatable and diverse if looked at in their context, but overall unremarkable. Typical housewives of the US, the MCs contributed to the all-American flair of the audiobook.
World(-building). Decent and quick - everything came together nicely and quickly.
The arch of suspense. It rose and rose. I was so on board with this until it suddenly plummeted, never reaching the actual peak. That was the most disappointing part and also the main reason I couldn't give this a higher rating.
⤐ What’s happening.
Imagine you want to open up a BnB with your best buds and the targeted object turns out to be haunted. I for one would've skedaddled the heck outta there. Not so our three MCs. They decide to get to the roots of the haunting - which will, in turn, haunt them long after the seances have ended.
_____________________
writing quality + easy of reading = 3*
pace = 3*
plot/story in general = 4*
plot development = 4*
characters = 4*
enjoyability = 3*
insightfulness = 1*
_____________________
Many thanks to the author Eva Pohler, who provided me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review.
This book is for you if… paranormal mystery with a very local dimension hits all your buttons. The resolution might be disappointing to some.
⤐ Preface.
I sencerely appologise for the very thin reviews past, present and future. I'm neither in the mood nor can I afford the time to to my usual glorious stuff. (Does self-praise stink? I'm a firm believer it shouldn't. Know your talents and cherish them.)
⤐ Overall.
I've listened to another audiobook by this author before and was pleasantly surprised to move away from the long exhausted YA genre. The story was interesting from minute one on but disappointed further down the road.
Characters. Relatable and diverse if looked at in their context, but overall unremarkable. Typical housewives of the US, the MCs contributed to the all-American flair of the audiobook.
World(-building). Decent and quick - everything came together nicely and quickly.
The arch of suspense. It rose and rose. I was so on board with this until it suddenly plummeted, never reaching the actual peak. That was the most disappointing part and also the main reason I couldn't give this a higher rating.
⤐ What’s happening.
Imagine you want to open up a BnB with your best buds and the targeted object turns out to be haunted. I for one would've skedaddled the heck outta there. Not so our three MCs. They decide to get to the roots of the haunting - which will, in turn, haunt them long after the seances have ended.
Con:
⇢ not all spirits are benign
⇢ seriously underequipped
⇢ life already problematic as it is
Pro:
⇢ ghost apparently is a crazy cat lady
⇢ supportive friends can surpass all evil
⇢ unexpected help
_____________________
writing quality + easy of reading = 3*
pace = 3*
plot/story in general = 4*
plot development = 4*
characters = 4*
enjoyability = 3*
insightfulness = 1*
_____________________
Many thanks to the author Eva Pohler, who provided me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review.
July 3, 2018
If you like a good mystery, Eva Pohler is the one!! Mystery House: San Antonio was the best mystery I have read besides Agatha Christie.
This book is faced paced and exciting. My emotions were all over the plave. Every single emotion came out of me. Sadness, excitement, fear, anger and so many other emotions. It gets to you at the end.
Would I recommend Eva Pohler?? You get your kibbles I recommend her books!!! Now on to the next Eva Pohler book or trilogy. The Gatekeepers Trilogy.
This book is faced paced and exciting. My emotions were all over the plave. Every single emotion came out of me. Sadness, excitement, fear, anger and so many other emotions. It gets to you at the end.
Would I recommend Eva Pohler?? You get your kibbles I recommend her books!!! Now on to the next Eva Pohler book or trilogy. The Gatekeepers Trilogy.
October 6, 2020
I was expecting a juicy ghost story.
I did not get it.
I was expecting intelligent characters.
I did not meet even one.
I was expecting a story that did not have overtones of misogyny or racism, and that wasn't saturated with rampant fatphobia.
You guessed it... this book had all that.
A trio of women with more money than sense buy an old home purported to be haunted. They drank a lot of coffee. They ate lots of broccoli cheese soup. I'm assuming they suffered from a lot of gas, but thankfully that did not make it into the story.
The ending was so bland and anticlimactic I was a little angry at myself for reading the entire book. Ellen's marital problems were never really explained or solved, but were just an annoying background hum. The one black character (a nurse) has her dialogue written to show a lack of grammatical correctness, even though she was a professional woman. A waitress was described as a "bag of bones." Seriously, why? When all she did was bring them (yet more) coffee. And between Sue and Millie, the negative stereotypes around fat women were applied with a liberal hand. It was pretty frustrating and spoke to the shallowness of the story as a whole.
The lack of detail was stunning. I had no solid idea of what the house looked like other than it's a "Greek revival." I have no idea what that means. Sue's "famous dip" is mentioned more than once, without even the tiniest detail of what it was. Could've been a tub of tuna and mustard for all the reader knew. These are just a few examples of an issue that ran throughout the book.
The actual "ghost" was such a lame story. Especially when it all becomes clear as to what had happened. The shift from "wild feral girl living in the attic" to "settled pregnant lady living with her boyfriend" is so sudden and unexpected it was as though the author got tired of that plot line and wanted to be done. There was no foreshadowing of that shift.
The whole book reads like a first draft. Instead of "show, don't tell," which is one of the golden rules of writing, we got, "tell, don't show." I'm not sure if the editor was drunk or lazy or not very good, but the manuscript should've had a lot more work done before being released upon the innocent readers of the world.
I did not get it.
I was expecting intelligent characters.
I did not meet even one.
I was expecting a story that did not have overtones of misogyny or racism, and that wasn't saturated with rampant fatphobia.
You guessed it... this book had all that.
A trio of women with more money than sense buy an old home purported to be haunted. They drank a lot of coffee. They ate lots of broccoli cheese soup. I'm assuming they suffered from a lot of gas, but thankfully that did not make it into the story.
The ending was so bland and anticlimactic I was a little angry at myself for reading the entire book. Ellen's marital problems were never really explained or solved, but were just an annoying background hum. The one black character (a nurse) has her dialogue written to show a lack of grammatical correctness, even though she was a professional woman. A waitress was described as a "bag of bones." Seriously, why? When all she did was bring them (yet more) coffee. And between Sue and Millie, the negative stereotypes around fat women were applied with a liberal hand. It was pretty frustrating and spoke to the shallowness of the story as a whole.
The lack of detail was stunning. I had no solid idea of what the house looked like other than it's a "Greek revival." I have no idea what that means. Sue's "famous dip" is mentioned more than once, without even the tiniest detail of what it was. Could've been a tub of tuna and mustard for all the reader knew. These are just a few examples of an issue that ran throughout the book.
The actual "ghost" was such a lame story. Especially when it all becomes clear as to what had happened. The shift from "wild feral girl living in the attic" to "settled pregnant lady living with her boyfriend" is so sudden and unexpected it was as though the author got tired of that plot line and wanted to be done. There was no foreshadowing of that shift.
The whole book reads like a first draft. Instead of "show, don't tell," which is one of the golden rules of writing, we got, "tell, don't show." I'm not sure if the editor was drunk or lazy or not very good, but the manuscript should've had a lot more work done before being released upon the innocent readers of the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2023
Read as Audiobook
Golden Girls Meet Goonies! This was such a heartwrenching read! There's multiple plot lines and they are all relevant & contribute to the main plot. Join Ellen, Sue and Tonya as they purchase & renovate a historical haunted house almost lost to the ravages of time. The truth will shock & horrify you. Triggers for mental health, paedophilia, incest, animal cruelty, guns, death of a loved one, relationship issues.
I don't like to read the synopses of thriller, mystery, suspense and/or horror stories. I go in with few expectations but to be entertained and Secrets of the Greek Revival definitely accomplished the mission with some added depth and emotion. You get the main plot of three middle aged friends investing in this old haunted house with historical value, looking to renovate it and turn it into a bed & breakfast (possibly). Then come the subplots which turn out to be the "meat & potatoes" of this particular saga set in San Antonio, Texas.
Eva Pohler does a wonderful job of weaving the events detailing the sordid history of the house in a way that doesn't detract from the gravity of what happened but still remaining "light". The story takes many unexpected turns with a warm gooey ending. I will be reading the next one set in Oklahoma so I highly recommend picking this up for a listen (the accents) or a physical/digital read, if you're looking for a quick but intriguing story for the fall season! Enjoy!
Golden Girls Meet Goonies! This was such a heartwrenching read! There's multiple plot lines and they are all relevant & contribute to the main plot. Join Ellen, Sue and Tonya as they purchase & renovate a historical haunted house almost lost to the ravages of time. The truth will shock & horrify you. Triggers for mental health, paedophilia, incest, animal cruelty, guns, death of a loved one, relationship issues.
I don't like to read the synopses of thriller, mystery, suspense and/or horror stories. I go in with few expectations but to be entertained and Secrets of the Greek Revival definitely accomplished the mission with some added depth and emotion. You get the main plot of three middle aged friends investing in this old haunted house with historical value, looking to renovate it and turn it into a bed & breakfast (possibly). Then come the subplots which turn out to be the "meat & potatoes" of this particular saga set in San Antonio, Texas.
Eva Pohler does a wonderful job of weaving the events detailing the sordid history of the house in a way that doesn't detract from the gravity of what happened but still remaining "light". The story takes many unexpected turns with a warm gooey ending. I will be reading the next one set in Oklahoma so I highly recommend picking this up for a listen (the accents) or a physical/digital read, if you're looking for a quick but intriguing story for the fall season! Enjoy!
January 20, 2018
Goodness, I’d forgotten how much I loved Pohler’s writing. Her knack for storytelling is phenomenal. I feel like I became part of the story. The solid plot of this novel combines with the intricate descriptions to create a whole that I could really picture. There was a definite eerie feeling to the entire tale. The Story was mysterious but also very emotional. I enjoyed the history aspects as well as the mystery that winds its way through the tale. The historical psychology aspects were shocking & well researched. All in all, this novel was some good, clean fun. It was a fun story with characters that I truly enjoyed getting to know and a plot that kept me on my toes.
Pohler has created some compelling & unique characters who are one of a kind & stand out without being too weird to connect with. The complex character development made them into friends, rather than simply storybook characters. Loved the different combining viewpoints of the characters and how each of their personalities stood out while also melding together. I appreciated how the characters’ entire lives came out in the story. It was about so much more than the mystery house. Hopes and dreams, laughter and fears filled the pages of this novel.
My final thoughts on this one? Holy Smokes! Holy Smokes! Holy Smokes! Talk about a novel that was simultaneously hard hitting, thought provoking, and endlessly fun.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
Pohler has created some compelling & unique characters who are one of a kind & stand out without being too weird to connect with. The complex character development made them into friends, rather than simply storybook characters. Loved the different combining viewpoints of the characters and how each of their personalities stood out while also melding together. I appreciated how the characters’ entire lives came out in the story. It was about so much more than the mystery house. Hopes and dreams, laughter and fears filled the pages of this novel.
My final thoughts on this one? Holy Smokes! Holy Smokes! Holy Smokes! Talk about a novel that was simultaneously hard hitting, thought provoking, and endlessly fun.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
June 5, 2020
This is a well put together mystery set in a haunted house. A group of three middle age women are looking for a house to restore as a project and they find one in San Antonio Texas...the only problem is it's said to be haunted! Each woman has a different idea about ghosts and how to handle the problem. I admit when I first got this book I didn't realize it was a mystery - I thought it was a creepy story! But I really enjoyed it.
This story has a lot of nice details added to it, both from the 1880s and the 1930s in relation to the history of the house..and the house has lots of secrets. It was interesting enough that I kept reading. There were a few things that was rather easy to guess but then I enjoyed seeing that I had guseed correctly!
The neighborhood of the house has many suspicious characters too..lots of sneaking around, snooping and all of that activity that one loves in a good mystery!
One minor thing mentioned in the story is a bit disturbing. I subtracted a star for that. It's hinted at but not really described.
This story has a lot of nice details added to it, both from the 1880s and the 1930s in relation to the history of the house..and the house has lots of secrets. It was interesting enough that I kept reading. There were a few things that was rather easy to guess but then I enjoyed seeing that I had guseed correctly!
The neighborhood of the house has many suspicious characters too..lots of sneaking around, snooping and all of that activity that one loves in a good mystery!
One minor thing mentioned in the story is a bit disturbing. I subtracted a star for that. It's hinted at but not really described.
March 9, 2020
This one was so promising but ultimately disappointing. Great premise - a group of middle aged women decide to buy a house to flip. That house is rumored to be haunted and they will need to solve the mystery. It really needed a couple of rounds with a good editor. The pacing was glacial, with lots of irrelevant tangents interrupting the tension, and some plot twists were less believable than a Scooby Doo plot. The ending was unsatisfying. It was so promising I’m tempted to try another in the series to see if they get better, because it could have been a new favorite series.
November 25, 2018
I loved it. Terrific mystery.
February 21, 2019
I was mostly on board for this until the very end, but the conclusion was an utter disappointment. I was moving steadily through it, eager to see how all of the pieces were going to come together. And they did come together in the end—abruptly, neatly, and perfectly, in a shockingly happy ending. In normal circumstances, that would not necessarily be a bad thing, but after a lot of tension, twists and turns, everything just...stopped. In a handful of pages, all of the tension was destroyed by a few sentimental “payoffs,” and then tied up in a bow. I kept expecting there it be some kind of last-minute twist, some kind of turn back that would give the whole thing a different layer.
I will say one positive thing, though—I love the local flavor. Maybe this wouldn’t matter as much to someone outside of Texas, but the reference to H-E-B just made my night. And even if I hadn’t known where this was set, I could have figured it out from the main characters. Only in Texas would three middle-aged women decide to host a seance with margaritas, dip and a pistol (just in case). And they’re always “Just sayin’.” Disappointing ending aside, it was those little touches that made the book so personal and enjoyable for me.
I will say one positive thing, though—I love the local flavor. Maybe this wouldn’t matter as much to someone outside of Texas, but the reference to H-E-B just made my night. And even if I hadn’t known where this was set, I could have figured it out from the main characters. Only in Texas would three middle-aged women decide to host a seance with margaritas, dip and a pistol (just in case). And they’re always “Just sayin’.” Disappointing ending aside, it was those little touches that made the book so personal and enjoyable for me.
January 24, 2020
Thank you, Eva Pohler, for the complimentary audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion! As a fan of mystery/suspense novels, I just had to have this book ;-) And you did not disappoint! I finished this book in one sitting. It has suspenseful, paranormal, and even a few romantic elements here and there.
I like the characters and the idea of flipping a haunted house. That was creative! I love the ending and what happens to the characters and the house. This is definitely a great first book in a series.
I like the characters and the idea of flipping a haunted house. That was creative! I love the ending and what happens to the characters and the house. This is definitely a great first book in a series.
May 6, 2016
Disappointing and frustrating. It was fragmented and kept wandering from the main focus of the story to side lines of secondary stories.
December 4, 2018
This is a lovely mystery set in the States where several close friends buy a house to do up and flip. The house is supposedly haunted, though the friends are not so gullible. They do find, however, that the house has a history, which needs to be unravelled.
A lovely read. Well written.
Fabulous.
A lovely read. Well written.
Fabulous.
January 24, 2019
Sorry to say this was not very good. The writing was simplistic and unimaginative. The story had potential but that potential was not realized.
May 18, 2020
Granted I have never met any ghosts but I find it hard to believe that one would just move into the neighbour's house while someone is renovating theirs. DNF
September 18, 2024
DNF at 70%. Girl wtf
October 26, 2021
This was the Nook serial read for October. We don't get books like this as often for the serial reads, so I was excited to read this. I enjoyed getting to know Ellen and her friends and uncovering the mystery behind the house they were fixing up. It's a good mix of humor and spooky with some heartfelt moments thrown in the mix. I would definitely continue this series.
March 15, 2024
3.5 Stars
January 29, 2020
Audiobook Review
Performance 4
Story 3
Overall 4
Secrets of the Greek Revival was my introduction to Eva Pohler. I was hesitant going in since Pohler was both author and narrator on the project. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised by just how great of a job she did.
The story was filled with twists and turns with secrets revealed that I did not see coming. I gave the story 3 stars because I felt like the story could have ended sooner. With the number of storylines within the main story, it was necessary to finish but it seemed a bit drawn out.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the story and narration. I will be looking for additional stories in the series.
Performance 4
Story 3
Overall 4
Secrets of the Greek Revival was my introduction to Eva Pohler. I was hesitant going in since Pohler was both author and narrator on the project. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised by just how great of a job she did.
The story was filled with twists and turns with secrets revealed that I did not see coming. I gave the story 3 stars because I felt like the story could have ended sooner. With the number of storylines within the main story, it was necessary to finish but it seemed a bit drawn out.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the story and narration. I will be looking for additional stories in the series.
January 15, 2024
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW. This series has potential.
Admittedly, I was not only drawn to the awesome cover and premise of SECRETS OF THE GREEK REVIVAL, but I loved that the main characters are a trio of empty-nester women, dealing with the trials and tribulations that we women-of-a-certain-age contend with (“…and she may have pee’d a little.”) and how they rely on girlfriends to do it.
My feeling is that the book needed a good content editor to sharpen up the dialogue to move the story from telling to showing, to expand the character development for readers to better relate to, empathize with, or detest the characters, to enrich the descriptions for readers to better visualize the settings, and to cut blocks of extraneous information and unneeded plot elements that distract readers from the basic intriguing mysteries. And there are plenty of mysteries to be solved.
Given there are now twelve books in this series, my guess is that the author has figured out a lot of things since writing and narrating this first installment. I'm also going to assume that since the author continues to narrate this (and others) series, that she has since figured out how to improve the quality of the recordings and has gotten more polished and professional in her narration.
Despite this first book's shortcomings, the bones are there, Pohler is a creative storyteller, and there is clearly potential as the friends travel around to find new ghostly adventures and to define themselves (as visible -- not invisible) in this stage of life. If I try another, I'll likely jump to the most recent books or perhaps wait on book 13, VOICES IN THE VAPORS coming July, 2024.
Admittedly, I was not only drawn to the awesome cover and premise of SECRETS OF THE GREEK REVIVAL, but I loved that the main characters are a trio of empty-nester women, dealing with the trials and tribulations that we women-of-a-certain-age contend with (“…and she may have pee’d a little.”) and how they rely on girlfriends to do it.
My feeling is that the book needed a good content editor to sharpen up the dialogue to move the story from telling to showing, to expand the character development for readers to better relate to, empathize with, or detest the characters, to enrich the descriptions for readers to better visualize the settings, and to cut blocks of extraneous information and unneeded plot elements that distract readers from the basic intriguing mysteries. And there are plenty of mysteries to be solved.
Given there are now twelve books in this series, my guess is that the author has figured out a lot of things since writing and narrating this first installment. I'm also going to assume that since the author continues to narrate this (and others) series, that she has since figured out how to improve the quality of the recordings and has gotten more polished and professional in her narration.
Despite this first book's shortcomings, the bones are there, Pohler is a creative storyteller, and there is clearly potential as the friends travel around to find new ghostly adventures and to define themselves (as visible -- not invisible) in this stage of life. If I try another, I'll likely jump to the most recent books or perhaps wait on book 13, VOICES IN THE VAPORS coming July, 2024.
February 24, 2017
A gripping tale full of suspense and secrets...
The Gold House has been rumored to be haunted, but that doesn't stop Ellen from wanting to buy it. She and her friends, Tanya and Sue initially wanted to restore homes and flip them until finding Gold House. The rumors enticed them, but Ellen being a unbeliever could only see the the beauty behind the magnificent structure she wanted to restore. Unexplainable things happen that change all of their lives forever. They begin a dangerous quest digging into the real history behind the Gold House. What they find will blow your mind!
My heart was racing throughout this entire book. If you believe in ghosts or even if you don't, I suggest reading by a lamp. I jumped several times as if a movie were playing inside my mind. The Mystery House is that good! When you learn what happened there, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. The three women in this book are wonderful. This is definitely a must-read. 5 stars for Eva! Well done!!
The Gold House has been rumored to be haunted, but that doesn't stop Ellen from wanting to buy it. She and her friends, Tanya and Sue initially wanted to restore homes and flip them until finding Gold House. The rumors enticed them, but Ellen being a unbeliever could only see the the beauty behind the magnificent structure she wanted to restore. Unexplainable things happen that change all of their lives forever. They begin a dangerous quest digging into the real history behind the Gold House. What they find will blow your mind!
My heart was racing throughout this entire book. If you believe in ghosts or even if you don't, I suggest reading by a lamp. I jumped several times as if a movie were playing inside my mind. The Mystery House is that good! When you learn what happened there, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. The three women in this book are wonderful. This is definitely a must-read. 5 stars for Eva! Well done!!
October 26, 2021
I read this book as part of Barnes and Noble's serial reads program for Nook. The novel had problems from the beginning. I couldn't decide if it was supposed to be a ghost story or a cozy mystery. A ghost story would have been more interesting. It changed direction part way through the novel. It had too many plotlines running at the same time and none of them were well developed. Most of the characters were flatter than pancakes. One character in particular used the same phrase every single time she appeared. It got to the point where I could predict when Millie would say "this and that." I was grateful when she was referred to in passing and not allowed to speak. A sharper focus and fewer plotlines would have helped the novel greatly. Scenes did not unfold naturally. The heavy doses of dialog caused a crisis of "telling" the reader what happened instead of "showing" the reader. I sincerely doubt I would have finished the book if I was reading a physical copy. My apologies to the author for the poor review. Better editing could have saved this book.
June 3, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Secrets of the Greek Revival by Eva Pohler, but I can't decide how to classify it. Contemporary Nancy Drew thirty years older? Compelling Women's Fiction? Midlife Crisis? Coming of Age (Upper middle age that is). Edgy paranormal mystery with twists. Historical Fiction? All of these elements combined could have created chaos, but author Eva Pohler blended them into a novel that I could not put down (as in I started after midnight and finished after 8 AM). The highly relatable friend humor kept this haunting tale from taking me down as the hand of history reached through the years to affect lives into the 21st century. When I first heard about this first book in The Mystery House series, I was attracted to both the mystery element and the plan to renovate a gorgeous house from the 1800's and was pleased to find a new-to-me series that had quite a few books. I am even more pleased about that now that I have read one of the books of the series and can look forward to spending more time with Ellen, Sue, and Tanya.
June 7, 2020
Great light-hearted mystery! Three empty-nester best friends are at the point in their lives when they need a new purpose/adventure. They decide to buy an old historic fixer-upper home to renovate & eventually flip. The home has a haunted history & the women decide to solve it’s mysteries while restoring it to it’s former glory. Just the right amount of humor & fright. This is the first of a four book series. I can’t wait to read the next one!
October 14, 2019
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator (who is the author) did a good job. I do have to say that the police should have been called more than once in this story. I did enjoy the story and the 3 main characters and plan to check out more in this series.
March 19, 2021
I purchased this book for the paranormal storyline promised. Had I known there would be child molestation and rape, I wouldn't have purchased.
January 11, 2024
I just couldn’t get into this one. Not written very well, all over the place, and no clear understanding.
February 21, 2023
Content warnings for parental death and mentions of sexual abuse.
This stars three friends who I suppose you could say are going through a bit of a mid-life crisis. All of them have something going on at home that's dragging down their mood. Ellen feels like she and her husband are gradually growing more and more distant from each other, and she isn't sure what to do about it. Tanya's mother has dementia and can't remember who she is most days. Meanwhile, Sue lets her own mother badger her.
To get their minds off things, they're debating buying and renovating an old Greek Revival house near one of San Antonio's historic districts. The house may be haunted, which the three friends have varied feelings about. Ellen doesn't believe in ghosts, but after some research she learns that this house does have a lot of history - it used to house several female psychiatric patients. The more Ellen learns about how they were treated, the more determined she is to get the house and turn it into something that can shine a light on their lives. While Ellen, Tanya, and Sue try to renovate the house and uncover its mysteries, they must simultaneously deal with someone or something who wants them off the property.
This is one of those rare cozy mysteries that isn't about a murder. Although a lot of it's focused on the house's history, that isn't entirely disconnected from the fate of living, breathing people in the present, as Ellen and her friends gradually discover.
Overall, I thought this was a decent read, although I felt about a decade too young for it. Or maybe the issue was that I'm neither married nor a mother - I could sympathize with Ellen's feelings of invisibility and distance from her husband now that their son had moved out, but I didn't relate to that as much as I did, say, to all three characters' issues with their parents.
The story did have some confusing aspects, though. The ending came across as largely positive/happy, which didn't really gel with what we'd learned about one of the characters. This is kind of a spoiler but I don't know how else to say it:
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
This stars three friends who I suppose you could say are going through a bit of a mid-life crisis. All of them have something going on at home that's dragging down their mood. Ellen feels like she and her husband are gradually growing more and more distant from each other, and she isn't sure what to do about it. Tanya's mother has dementia and can't remember who she is most days. Meanwhile, Sue lets her own mother badger her.
To get their minds off things, they're debating buying and renovating an old Greek Revival house near one of San Antonio's historic districts. The house may be haunted, which the three friends have varied feelings about. Ellen doesn't believe in ghosts, but after some research she learns that this house does have a lot of history - it used to house several female psychiatric patients. The more Ellen learns about how they were treated, the more determined she is to get the house and turn it into something that can shine a light on their lives. While Ellen, Tanya, and Sue try to renovate the house and uncover its mysteries, they must simultaneously deal with someone or something who wants them off the property.
This is one of those rare cozy mysteries that isn't about a murder. Although a lot of it's focused on the house's history, that isn't entirely disconnected from the fate of living, breathing people in the present, as Ellen and her friends gradually discover.
Overall, I thought this was a decent read, although I felt about a decade too young for it. Or maybe the issue was that I'm neither married nor a mother - I could sympathize with Ellen's feelings of invisibility and distance from her husband now that their son had moved out, but I didn't relate to that as much as I did, say, to all three characters' issues with their parents.
The story did have some confusing aspects, though. The ending came across as largely positive/happy, which didn't really gel with what we'd learned about one of the characters. This is kind of a spoiler but I don't know how else to say it:
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
February 5, 2024
This book was so insane.
I got this book from the author's stand at this past GalaxyCon in the fall. She was kind enough to personalize it and everything, so thank you Eva! I wasn't initially sold on it as a horror novel, but I promised I'd give more indie authors a chance so I took it home writing it off as a palate cleanser. Boy did this clean my palate. It was like eating a tide pod.
While this wasn't an effective horror for me, it was a very competent drama. Every chapter plays out like a soap opera, or a Real Housewives of Orange County episode. It was just chock full of nonsense and overly complicated hidden agendas, passive aggressive moments, characters we just suddenly learn about 20 pages before the end, and margaritas. Every chapter I was in laughing hysterics over some ridiculous thing someone in one of the chapters had done. Laughing like, "Oh my god! I can't believe they did that! Is everyone here doing bumps? Where is this going?"
The pacing is not good, the plot is ridiculous, and the thought processes are asinine. Why is it rated so well? Because Eva does something so well that none of that matters: she makes you care. NONE of these characters were particularly likeable to me or relatable in any way whatsoever. Somehow though, I still felt very invested in finding out what happens because they were so funny to watch. Watching these upper class white women in San Antonio buy and renovate a "haunted" house is so funny and enjoyable that I couldn't care less about anything else. They held a seance with dip and margaritas. But even beyond that, it did make me a little sniffly at parts where I got invested.
Eva also is very good at making realistic characters. I don't know Tanya, Sue, or Ellen. But I do know several women with behaviors and speech patterns like them. Any of these women could have been my friends moms, or their aunties. Even if the plot was ridiculous and character reactions were weird in places, these all felt like real people. Just real people on an MTV reality show.
Overall, this had well written characters and an extremely entertaining plot that had me laughing so much at how insane it was.
I got this book from the author's stand at this past GalaxyCon in the fall. She was kind enough to personalize it and everything, so thank you Eva! I wasn't initially sold on it as a horror novel, but I promised I'd give more indie authors a chance so I took it home writing it off as a palate cleanser. Boy did this clean my palate. It was like eating a tide pod.
While this wasn't an effective horror for me, it was a very competent drama. Every chapter plays out like a soap opera, or a Real Housewives of Orange County episode. It was just chock full of nonsense and overly complicated hidden agendas, passive aggressive moments, characters we just suddenly learn about 20 pages before the end, and margaritas. Every chapter I was in laughing hysterics over some ridiculous thing someone in one of the chapters had done. Laughing like, "Oh my god! I can't believe they did that! Is everyone here doing bumps? Where is this going?"
The pacing is not good, the plot is ridiculous, and the thought processes are asinine. Why is it rated so well? Because Eva does something so well that none of that matters: she makes you care. NONE of these characters were particularly likeable to me or relatable in any way whatsoever. Somehow though, I still felt very invested in finding out what happens because they were so funny to watch. Watching these upper class white women in San Antonio buy and renovate a "haunted" house is so funny and enjoyable that I couldn't care less about anything else. They held a seance with dip and margaritas. But even beyond that, it did make me a little sniffly at parts where I got invested.
Eva also is very good at making realistic characters. I don't know Tanya, Sue, or Ellen. But I do know several women with behaviors and speech patterns like them. Any of these women could have been my friends moms, or their aunties. Even if the plot was ridiculous and character reactions were weird in places, these all felt like real people. Just real people on an MTV reality show.
Overall, this had well written characters and an extremely entertaining plot that had me laughing so much at how insane it was.
April 13, 2022
Before I ever started this book, I was intrigued: old house, haunted, mystery AND it's set in one of my favorite cities - San Antonio ... this book was meant for me! The story was well developed, as well as the characters, but it was the solving of the mystery that refused to let me put the book down. Along the way, we learn about some of the horrible "treatments" for women in "rest homes" that were supposed to be held in the eyes of science, but were really nothing more than abuse.
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