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The House
The day began when Sheriff Frank Watkins discovered two bodies and three heads. Then things got strange.
Nine strangers with nine secrets so dark they plan to take them to their graves. One house is willing to accommodate them all.
The House--Where secrets go to die. Enter if you dare!
Nine strangers with nine secrets so dark they plan to take them to their graves. One house is willing to accommodate them all.
The House--Where secrets go to die. Enter if you dare!
411 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 16, 2019
193 people are currently reading
325 people want to read
About the author
Paul Carro
18 books21 followersPaul Carro is an active Horror Writers Association member and author of the acclaimed horror novel The House. His short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies, and he edits The Little Coffee Shop of Horrors Anthology series. His screenplay Penance is set up with legendary film producer Michael Phillips. Paul has served as a producer/writer in film and reality TV, and he resides in Santa Monica, California.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 9, 2025
nope... this was a DNF for me. it just droned on and on. no one needs to know every single detail about a house, or landscape.
March 2, 2021
I liked the story and loved the picture of the creepy old house that graces the cover and drew me to take it and demanded that I give it a home with its millions of brothers and sisters that already reside there. Also the reference to the two bodies and three heads was a “must know where the third head belonged” for me. It would have been nice if Mr. Carro had told us all little more abut the house, made at least some of the characters a little more likeable. The ending was…well… “The End”….I even checked to see if pages were missing. Nope...just “That’s All Folks!” I know that some readers love it if a budding romance or a steamy sex scene can possibly break out in a story. This one tried to produce one of those… however for a romance or sex… steamy or otherwise…to rear it’s head during all this bloodshed seem completely ludicrous and highly unlikely at the most. I just have SOOO much fun with these stories.
April 11, 2025
This was a fun story where we meet nine strangers, who all have their dirty little secrets to put to the grave. Through various means, they all meet in a strange-looking house as their secrets become exposed. I must say this was quite the creative story idea I've read in a while. To be honest, I had to re-read portions as I felt a bit lost. What won me over was the character development. I could tell this was more of a character-driven story, which is perfect for this story.
Part of the fun is reading about how each character got to the point where they enter 'the house'. Towards the end, let's just say these people end up paying for their sins.
If you can work your way through the multiple POVs, you'll be rewarded with a fun story that is quite unpredictable. Just be ready to pay careful attention as you read.
The book earns a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
Part of the fun is reading about how each character got to the point where they enter 'the house'. Towards the end, let's just say these people end up paying for their sins.
If you can work your way through the multiple POVs, you'll be rewarded with a fun story that is quite unpredictable. Just be ready to pay careful attention as you read.
The book earns a solid 4 out of 5 stars.
February 10, 2024
The House by Paul Carro has one of the stranger premises I've seen in a while, and while I was a little unsure at first, I was quickly won over by the writing and the character development.
Each of the characters that find their way into the house, which pops up in the middle of nowhere, have secrets to hide and are about to pay the piper for past misdeeds.
Part of the fun of this book is hearing about the troubled pasts of each character, all of which are entertaining in their own right. Will the house make them pay for those indiscretions? You'll need to read it to find out.
Each of the characters that find their way into the house, which pops up in the middle of nowhere, have secrets to hide and are about to pay the piper for past misdeeds.
Part of the fun of this book is hearing about the troubled pasts of each character, all of which are entertaining in their own right. Will the house make them pay for those indiscretions? You'll need to read it to find out.
June 19, 2021
Did not finish.
Read to chapter 20 and dislike just about every page of it.
Not for me
Read to chapter 20 and dislike just about every page of it.
Not for me
June 16, 2020
Gripping
A real page turner. Reminded me a lot of early Stephen King. It Would make a good although really scary movie
A real page turner. Reminded me a lot of early Stephen King. It Would make a good although really scary movie
August 1, 2021
Ugh. Authors need to stop self publishing books without content editors reviewing it first. Paul Carro is obviously creative, and this could've been a great book with various tweaks. It was a great story but the book itself was terrible.
So many inconsistencies. Silly formatting errors (one chapter was justified to the left). Verbiage mistakes (could give a rat's ass? Its COULDN'T). Various other problems that would have been corrected with a good editor.
ALL characters have the exact same voice. Why would you create so many characters and not develop them? If you're not great at character development (which I find occurs often, it is a complex task to take on) then make LESS characters. There didn't need to be a specific amount of people in The House.
What else can I say? Another excellent idea ruined by publishing what should have been considered a first or second draft.
So many inconsistencies. Silly formatting errors (one chapter was justified to the left). Verbiage mistakes (could give a rat's ass? Its COULDN'T). Various other problems that would have been corrected with a good editor.
ALL characters have the exact same voice. Why would you create so many characters and not develop them? If you're not great at character development (which I find occurs often, it is a complex task to take on) then make LESS characters. There didn't need to be a specific amount of people in The House.
What else can I say? Another excellent idea ruined by publishing what should have been considered a first or second draft.
May 21, 2020
Too hard to read
“If he was wearing the jacket at the time of the accident, then yes, it’s highly odd. If he wasn’t, then it’s perfectly understandable,” Watkins deducted.
This is an excerpt from the book. So Watkins subtracted? Doesn’t make sense. I would imagine that he meant deduced. However, even that does not fit here. “Remarked” would be a much better word to utilize for this sentence and scenario.
I continued reading, hoping that this would be an anomaly. Unfortunately, this was a trend that continued throughout the book.
Great premise...very poor writing.
“If he was wearing the jacket at the time of the accident, then yes, it’s highly odd. If he wasn’t, then it’s perfectly understandable,” Watkins deducted.
This is an excerpt from the book. So Watkins subtracted? Doesn’t make sense. I would imagine that he meant deduced. However, even that does not fit here. “Remarked” would be a much better word to utilize for this sentence and scenario.
I continued reading, hoping that this would be an anomaly. Unfortunately, this was a trend that continued throughout the book.
Great premise...very poor writing.
March 1, 2020
Demonic Karma
Understated title for a novel that had lots of action. Some spots-could have been tied up a little better, but still a quality horror story. If this is the author’s first horror novel, can’t wait to read more from him.
Understated title for a novel that had lots of action. Some spots-could have been tied up a little better, but still a quality horror story. If this is the author’s first horror novel, can’t wait to read more from him.
September 2, 2025
The setup here is pretty straightforward: a large house suddenly appears in a rural section of a northeaster US town. Trapped in the house is a group of people, all of whom have secrets the house seems to know about.
I liked a lot of this. The mysterious nature of the house was compelling. The characters – many of whom are scumbags – were developed and intriguing.
It did start to feel a bit repetitive to me, with many characters following the path of confronting some aspect of their past in the house’s hallways and rooms.
I’m a fan of efficient and terse writing, and the prose here is wordier with various literary flourishes. Not my thing, but I know lots of people love that style.
That said, I would read more by this author. I give it four severed fingers/plucked eyeballs/whatever out of five.
I liked a lot of this. The mysterious nature of the house was compelling. The characters – many of whom are scumbags – were developed and intriguing.
It did start to feel a bit repetitive to me, with many characters following the path of confronting some aspect of their past in the house’s hallways and rooms.
I’m a fan of efficient and terse writing, and the prose here is wordier with various literary flourishes. Not my thing, but I know lots of people love that style.
That said, I would read more by this author. I give it four severed fingers/plucked eyeballs/whatever out of five.
May 31, 2021
What the fuck was this supposed to be? It started with two boys seeing a scary lady up in the window, and with them thinking she is a witch they take off running! Then it just goes to this 4 storey house appearing from the ground in an empty field with messed up people who have WAY toooooo much baggage stuck all in this house! THIS IS NOT A HORROR STORY!!! Sorry................i got to page 148 and I DNF'd ANOTHER BOOK!!!! WHAT THE HELL? These are getting expensive, and WAY too MTV meets The Cabin in the Woods, but in NOT A GOOD way at all. Sorry Paul Carro.
Richard
no stabs!
Richard
no stabs!
January 1, 2021
Not the best, but not the worst horror novel.
Lots of different characters, none that catch your interest including the hero.
And I found that two of the characters catching feelings for eachother during this nightmare of overkill bloodshed kind of ridiculous.
The end...Why? Why did any of this happen? Then again I'm not interested in why.
Sorry to the author for the not so great review.
Lots of different characters, none that catch your interest including the hero.
And I found that two of the characters catching feelings for eachother during this nightmare of overkill bloodshed kind of ridiculous.
The end...Why? Why did any of this happen? Then again I'm not interested in why.
Sorry to the author for the not so great review.
January 10, 2021
Amazing
This one kept me up reading it. Brilliant storytelling I can't wait to read more from this author. A real breath of fresh air in a genre that's gotten a little too predictable.
This one kept me up reading it. Brilliant storytelling I can't wait to read more from this author. A real breath of fresh air in a genre that's gotten a little too predictable.
March 1, 2021
it was terrible but I finished it. This guy tried way to hard too hard. There really is no need to use big complicated words when regular ones will do. You're writing a two bit horror novel, not Gravity's Rainbow.
July 7, 2020
Excellent horror story! Fast-paced and creepy. Just the way I like them!
February 13, 2021
Can a house be evil??
The answer is yes! This is a great take on the haunted house trope. I am looking forward to more books by this author.
The answer is yes! This is a great take on the haunted house trope. I am looking forward to more books by this author.
March 26, 2021
Very good!
This is a great read! I will follow this author and recommend him to friends. There is a freshness to his prose and characters that is very enjoyable.
This is a great read! I will follow this author and recommend him to friends. There is a freshness to his prose and characters that is very enjoyable.
October 12, 2021
Pretty good. Kind of a cross between Horror/Sci-fi. Wasn't crazy about the ending, but the storyline and characters keep you coming back.
January 4, 2022
Good story
Read
March 27, 2022DNF
November 11, 2023
Not for me
I've read two hundred pages and just could not get into it. Just could not not into it. 1 evil houses out of 5
I've read two hundred pages and just could not get into it. Just could not not into it. 1 evil houses out of 5
April 21, 2024
House of horror
A very unique way to make people pay gor their crimes. Great horror story. a little too wordy at times.
A very unique way to make people pay gor their crimes. Great horror story. a little too wordy at times.
October 14, 2025
a lot going on. some things too long some things felt left undone.
November 29, 2023
Very unique take on a haunted house story. You're not sure what is going on at first as nine people who do not know one another find themselves trapped. But then holy cow do the bad things begin. A cool, unique take with a bit of tragedy built in as well. Creepy and fun.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews