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The Konrath Dark Thriller Collective #6
Haunted House
BEYOND AFRAID...
It was an experiment in fear.
Eight people, each chosen because they lived through a terrifying experience. Survivors. They don't scare easily. They know how to fight back.
BEYOND TRAPPED...
Each is paid a million dollars to spend one night in a house. The old Butler House, where those grisly murders occurred so many years ago. A house that is supposedly haunted.
BEYOND ENDURANCE...
They can take whatever they want with them. Religious items. Survival gear. Weapons. All they need to do is last the night.
But there is something evil in this house. Something very evil, and very real. And when the dying starts, it comes with horrifying violence and brutal finality.
There are much scarier things than ghosts.
Things that will kill you slowly and delight in your screams.
Things that won't let you get out alive.
HAUNTED HOUSE by J.A. KonrathPeople are dying to leave...
Konrath, author of AFRAID, TRAPPED, and ENDURANCE, brings back some favorite characters from those earlier novels and puts them through his own unique brand of hell. One that hurts real bad. One that will scare you to death.
Are you brave enough?
If you are a more sensitive (or adventurous) reader, the Konrath scale rates specific categories from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) to give you some idea if this is your kind of book.
HAUNTED HOUSE by JA Konrath
Scary - 8
Violent - 8
Funny - 3
Sexy - 2
Crossover - Characters from HAUNTED HOUSE appear in THE LIST, WEBCAM, AFRAID, TRAPPED, ENDURANCE, ORIGIN, SERIAL KILLERS UNCUT, and HOLES IN THE GROUND
It was an experiment in fear.
Eight people, each chosen because they lived through a terrifying experience. Survivors. They don't scare easily. They know how to fight back.
BEYOND TRAPPED...
Each is paid a million dollars to spend one night in a house. The old Butler House, where those grisly murders occurred so many years ago. A house that is supposedly haunted.
BEYOND ENDURANCE...
They can take whatever they want with them. Religious items. Survival gear. Weapons. All they need to do is last the night.
But there is something evil in this house. Something very evil, and very real. And when the dying starts, it comes with horrifying violence and brutal finality.
There are much scarier things than ghosts.
Things that will kill you slowly and delight in your screams.
Things that won't let you get out alive.
HAUNTED HOUSE by J.A. KonrathPeople are dying to leave...
Konrath, author of AFRAID, TRAPPED, and ENDURANCE, brings back some favorite characters from those earlier novels and puts them through his own unique brand of hell. One that hurts real bad. One that will scare you to death.
Are you brave enough?
If you are a more sensitive (or adventurous) reader, the Konrath scale rates specific categories from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) to give you some idea if this is your kind of book.
HAUNTED HOUSE by JA Konrath
Scary - 8
Violent - 8
Funny - 3
Sexy - 2
Crossover - Characters from HAUNTED HOUSE appear in THE LIST, WEBCAM, AFRAID, TRAPPED, ENDURANCE, ORIGIN, SERIAL KILLERS UNCUT, and HOLES IN THE GROUND
284 pages, Paperback
First published April 22, 2013
542 people are currently reading
2585 people want to read
About the author
J.A. Konrath
199 books3,014 followersJoe Konrath has written over twenty novels in the Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thriller series. They do not have to be read chronologically to be enjoyed, but the order is: Whiskey Sour, Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Shot of Tequila, Fuzzy Navel, Cherry Bomb, Dead On My Feet, Serial Killers Uncut (with Blake Crouch), Shaken, Stirred (with Blake Crouch), Dying Breath, Everybody Dies, Rum Runner, Last Call, White Russian, Shot Girl, Chaser, Old Fashioned, Bite Force, and Witch Brew. More coming soon.
Wow, that's a lot of Jack.
If you like your thrillers on the dark side, check out the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, which includes the books The List, Origin, Afraid, Trapped, Endurance, Haunted House, Webcam, Disturb, What Happened To Lori, The Nine, Second Coming, and Close Your Eyes.
Joe also wrote the Stop A Murder mystery puzzle series, where you become the sleuth and solve brain teasers to try and catch a killer.
He also wrote the sci-fi trilogy, Timecaster, Timecaster Supersymmetry, and Timecaster Steampunk. Even if you don't think you like sci-fi, give them a try. They feature Joe's well-known characters from his other series, and are insane.
With Ann Voss Peterson he wrote the Codename: Chandler thrillers, including Flee, Spree, Three, Hit, Exposed, Naughty, Fix (with F. Paul Wilson), Rescue, and Free.
And, finally, he writes erotica under the pen name Melinda DuChamp, also with Ann Voss Peterson. Those books are probably too spicy for you, so only the brave and bold should seek them out.
Joe writes a lot. You should probably read everything.
You can visit Joe and sign up for his newsletter at www.JAKonrath.com/mailing-list.php
Wow, that's a lot of Jack.
If you like your thrillers on the dark side, check out the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, which includes the books The List, Origin, Afraid, Trapped, Endurance, Haunted House, Webcam, Disturb, What Happened To Lori, The Nine, Second Coming, and Close Your Eyes.
Joe also wrote the Stop A Murder mystery puzzle series, where you become the sleuth and solve brain teasers to try and catch a killer.
He also wrote the sci-fi trilogy, Timecaster, Timecaster Supersymmetry, and Timecaster Steampunk. Even if you don't think you like sci-fi, give them a try. They feature Joe's well-known characters from his other series, and are insane.
With Ann Voss Peterson he wrote the Codename: Chandler thrillers, including Flee, Spree, Three, Hit, Exposed, Naughty, Fix (with F. Paul Wilson), Rescue, and Free.
And, finally, he writes erotica under the pen name Melinda DuChamp, also with Ann Voss Peterson. Those books are probably too spicy for you, so only the brave and bold should seek them out.
Joe writes a lot. You should probably read everything.
You can visit Joe and sign up for his newsletter at www.JAKonrath.com/mailing-list.php
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 378 reviews
September 20, 2018
Good...4 STARS?
I will confess that I am not a big fan of haunted house stories. They almost always have this formula to follow - but the formula had to come from somewhere, right?
When I think back of really scary, good haunted house movies, there are a few I'd seen when I was probably too young:
THE AMITYVILLE HORROR stands out, as well as POLTERGEIST and THE SHINING.
They scared the hell out of me, so I don't have anything bad to say about them.
Since then, though, not a lot of movies on this subject managed to impress me. Yes, I said 'not a lot' and not 'none'.
I am also a fan of THE GRUDGE, THIR13EN GHOSTS and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (just the first one, though).
The reason I'm throwing movies out there is because I tend to take a pass on most of the haunted house books - that formula thing again.
So, what to expect from Mr. Kilborn's version:
I have to say that it will be a much more enjoyable experience if you've read AFRAID, TRAPPED and ENDURANCE, and to some extent perhaps ORIGIN. You will know the characters and what they are all about, so it will be easier to relate and understand their experiences and motivation.
Six of these characters, as well as one from the Blake Crouch universe, are lured to a haunted mansion where they have to spend (and survive) one night to win a million dollars.
--------------------------------------------
Hmm, the premise is nothing unusual, but the characters are all damaged, which does give it an interesting angle.
The first half may seem a bit slow, especially if you are not familiar with these characters, but when it picks up speed, it's relentless and fast.
But, (you saw the but coming, didn't you), I did not enjoy the ending. The way he chose to resolve the story just doesn't sit that well with me - it might be nothing more than personal taste.
So, close to the end I was thinking five stars, but I have to knock one down at the end.
Recommended for fans of horror, but it is not in the league of the first three Kilborn novels.
I will confess that I am not a big fan of haunted house stories. They almost always have this formula to follow - but the formula had to come from somewhere, right?
When I think back of really scary, good haunted house movies, there are a few I'd seen when I was probably too young:
THE AMITYVILLE HORROR stands out, as well as POLTERGEIST and THE SHINING.
They scared the hell out of me, so I don't have anything bad to say about them.
Since then, though, not a lot of movies on this subject managed to impress me. Yes, I said 'not a lot' and not 'none'.
I am also a fan of THE GRUDGE, THIR13EN GHOSTS and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (just the first one, though).
The reason I'm throwing movies out there is because I tend to take a pass on most of the haunted house books - that formula thing again.
So, what to expect from Mr. Kilborn's version:
I have to say that it will be a much more enjoyable experience if you've read AFRAID, TRAPPED and ENDURANCE, and to some extent perhaps ORIGIN. You will know the characters and what they are all about, so it will be easier to relate and understand their experiences and motivation.
Six of these characters, as well as one from the Blake Crouch universe, are lured to a haunted mansion where they have to spend (and survive) one night to win a million dollars.
--------------------------------------------
Hmm, the premise is nothing unusual, but the characters are all damaged, which does give it an interesting angle.
The first half may seem a bit slow, especially if you are not familiar with these characters, but when it picks up speed, it's relentless and fast.
But, (you saw the but coming, didn't you), I did not enjoy the ending. The way he chose to resolve the story just doesn't sit that well with me - it might be nothing more than personal taste.
So, close to the end I was thinking five stars, but I have to knock one down at the end.
Recommended for fans of horror, but it is not in the league of the first three Kilborn novels.
June 8, 2022
You can meet the characters that are offered the million dollars to stay the night in the Butler House (it's a real place),and learn their frightening experiences that qualified them to receive the invitation in the previous 8 books. It was interesting to be brought back around to so many familiar characters, to be able to see them all in one setting. I think the idea of the book is brilliant. They all receive visits from mysterious government agents inviting them to take part in a fear study from which they'll receive a million dollars. This unlikely start is actually the best part of the book, as it builds the tension of what is to come nicely. Unfortunately the pacing is a bit off, it takes half of the book to get to the point of the test and then when it does get started it throws it all at you at once. It switches from the tense build up to shock horror very quickly, the writing is still good, but it all becomes a bit rushed. The reveal is also a bit disappointing, although there is a bit of a fun tease there. So while the book didn't quite attain the early promise it is far, far from a bad book. The writing is great and it is...in spite of the subject matter, a fun read, especially if you enjoy purer visceral horror.
In case you dare to rent a room!! Pretty place with a nasty reputation.
In case you dare to rent a room!! Pretty place with a nasty reputation.
June 27, 2016
It's hard not to love a book that ties together some of your favorite characters from previously-unconnected novels. :)
June 26, 2016
Eight people were selected to take part in a fear experiment at the old Butler House. Each person would be paid a million dollars for spending a night in this haunted house. Each one of the chosen people has had a terrifying experience in there past. For the eight participants in this experiment the biggest fear is fear of the unknown. Will their past experiences help them to survive this one?
October 12, 2013
DISAPPOINTING quality wise. Years ago I became a HUGE fan of Konrath when he was putting out complexly plotted books, that were perfectly edited and interacting with fans. Now that he has gotten rich that quality has disappeared (the last 3 releases have been wanting in quality). This book had a number of errors. First, were the NUMEROUS editing errors of wrong word usage, misspelling, and more than once using the wrong character name! Second, was lack of character development. Okay so, many of the characters were stars from previous books. In this book they open as fearful and weak and all displaying the same traits. Then there is no progression or development until 80+ % into the book they suddenly all at the same time, with no interaction with each other, change personality 180° and give up so they have no fear. Third, the plot has problems. The beginning was disjointed bouncing around between nine different people's POV. Made it hard to stay focused. Then later in the book you'd get scenes saying one character's name when it was obviously a different character. Fourth, the reveal had to be explained. Meaning the only clue was one line of dialog in the first part of the book by a secondary character and then suddenly at the end a character TELLS how he figured it out. Fifth, it was suppose to be scary. Anticipatory fear was sadly missing from this book. All you had was gruesome things popping out around each and every corner. It was too over the top to be believed. I'm sure you've all seen those squeal #8 horror movies where it is startling monsters that jump out are the only scares. That's what this was like.
The epilogue pages regarding F* & B* were excellent. Unfortunately given the declining quality in the last three books...as much as I want to read Origin #2, the next Chandler, and the next Jack Daniel books I'm NO LONGER comfortable with them being an automatic buy. I'll wait for a copy from the library, because it is clear this author needs to get his head back in the game and plot and EDIT the stories he should show us. 2.5/5 stars(less)
The epilogue pages regarding F* & B* were excellent. Unfortunately given the declining quality in the last three books...as much as I want to read Origin #2, the next Chandler, and the next Jack Daniel books I'm NO LONGER comfortable with them being an automatic buy. I'll wait for a copy from the library, because it is clear this author needs to get his head back in the game and plot and EDIT the stories he should show us. 2.5/5 stars(less)
July 18, 2013
Ok, here go's. the short chapters for each off the characters made the book feel kind of like I was channel surfing, it was choppy and by the time I got back to a character I didn't really care what was about to happen to him or her anymore. most of the time I forgot who was doing what and I didn't figure it out until it switched back to a difren't person. over half of the book was getting the characters to the house, then about 30% was cheap jump out and scare you type thrills in which everyone is completely terrified but around 80% in the cop figures everything out because of some obscure thing that a secondary character says. it makes no sense to me at all and the bad guy had to explain everything to us, then all of a sudden for some reason the characters that have been completely terrified the entire book all decide they are no longer scared and start fighting back at the same time with no interaction between each other or reason to quit being scarred. the entire story is full of holes like the fact that the stuff that the bad guy is extracting from their blood had to be removed with a machine that is hooked up to you while you are scared yet no one is hooked up except for the cop after he figures it out, or the couple who figure out the ghosts are fake but then they run into the other family on their way out and apparently forgot that they are not ghosts until they figure it out again later. the entire book is full of typos and wrong words used, it is worse than a lot of the never heard of authors I have downloaded freebies from in the past. some of konrath attempts at humor made me chuckle and other stuff was completely retarded like the monkey riding on a dog with a tiny gun racing to the rescue. even the fact that he tried to add some humor is a huge disappointment because it is suposed to be a kilborn novel and none of those up to this one had any humor, they where dark, violent, and scary with no comic relief. that's what I expected of this one as well. this is the first review that has ever made me wish goodreads did half stars because this one didn't even deserve one star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2014
This book was fabulous!
It was funny, it was nerve wrecking, it brought back memories on certain characters you loved frokm previous books, you loved the new ones...like Moni and her dirty tounge and bad ass attitude lol and the super intelligent monkey with a helmet and a little gun :)))
It started creepy, became horror, ended happy end and kind with a good dose of humor.
If it weren't for all these characters that are binded together in one book I would have hated the ending...but if it was a bad ending I would have been very dissapointed.
I just loved this book and I can't understand the low ratings...maybe people didn't read the other author's books...whatever, I enjoyed it a lot - and recommend it even more to anyone who hasn't read it!
Angel - thanks for recommending me this and giving me the chance to read it ;)
It was funny, it was nerve wrecking, it brought back memories on certain characters you loved frokm previous books, you loved the new ones...like Moni and her dirty tounge and bad ass attitude lol and the super intelligent monkey with a helmet and a little gun :)))
It started creepy, became horror, ended happy end and kind with a good dose of humor.
If it weren't for all these characters that are binded together in one book I would have hated the ending...but if it was a bad ending I would have been very dissapointed.
I just loved this book and I can't understand the low ratings...maybe people didn't read the other author's books...whatever, I enjoyed it a lot - and recommend it even more to anyone who hasn't read it!
Angel - thanks for recommending me this and giving me the chance to read it ;)
November 5, 2018
Absolutely ridiculous, but fun enough and one hell of a ride.
June 29, 2017
Das Cover hat mich hier sofort angesprungen und ich hab mich auf eine gruselige Gänsehautgeschichte gefreut, auf einen Horrorschocker, bei dem sich die Nackenhaare aufstellen - und ich wurde leider mal wieder enttäuscht.
"Das Haus strömt das Böse förmlich aus,
so wie ein Sumpfin kalten Nächten Dämpfe absondert." Pos 1838
Ja, das klingt schon gut, aber leider kommt man im Haus erst nach der Hälfte des Buches an. Der Anfang zieht sich ewig hin, denn alle Beteiligten werden erstmal in einer großen Aktion eingeladen. Jede Figur wird vorgestellt, jeder von ihnen hat übermäßige Ängste und Albträume und jeder von ihnen wird auf andere Art zu dem Haus gelockt. Großer Magnet dafür ist natürlich die in Aussicht gestellte 1 Million Dollar als Gewinn, wenn man eine Nacht in dem sagenumwobenen Butler Haus überlebt.
Das ganze hätte man wirklich abkürzen können, denn in einem Horror Buch erwarte ich nicht so einen langen Vorspann. Es gibt auch eine "Vorstellung" zur Hintergrundgeschichte des Hauses, in dem schon viel schreckliches passiert ist: das hätte wahrscheinlich Spannung erzeugen sollen. Da es aber als eine Art Info-Seite aus dem Internet präsentiert wurde, hatte man zwar eine Überblick über das Grauen, was dort vorgefallen ist, aber wirklich Stimmung hat es bei mir nicht erzeugt. Die Geschichte des Hauses reicht weit zurück und die Vorkommnisse sind wirklich grauenhaft - da hatte der Autor schon einige originelle Ideen, aber es kam einfach keine Atmosphäre auf.
Wie leider in der ganzen Geschichte. Denn nachdem die Figuren alle endlich im Haus angekommen waren wurde zwar versucht, mit kleinen Details den langatmigen Einstieg wettzumachen, aber dann passierte eins nach dem anderen so rasend schnell, dass gar keine Stimmung mehr aufkommen konnte! Die Ideen dazu waren, wie gesagt, gar nicht mal so schlecht, aber es wurde dann einfach alles in das letzte Drittel gepresst. Die Perspektivwechsel haben mehr oder weniger für Spannung gesorgt, da natürlich immer in einem effektvollen Moment gewechselt wurde, aber dadurch kam ich weder an die Figuren und vor allem ihr Ängste ran, noch konnte mich die Handlung in ihren Bann ziehen.
Ich war eigentlich nur neugierig, was jetzt wirklich hinter dem "Experiment" steckt. Die Aufklärung war dann schon okay, aber insgesamt war das ganze irgendwie unglaubwürdig. Natürlich: es ist Horror und da muss man das nicht wirklich erwarten. Aber auch was die Charaktere betrifft kam mir einiges nicht rund vor. Die unfreiwillige Komik in manchen Szenen hat auch nicht so richtig dazu gepasst.
Am Ende hab ich dann erfahren, dass es zu jeder der Figuren schon eine "Vorgeschichte" gibt. Anscheinend wurden hier alle Charaktere, zu denen der Autor schon Horrorbücher geschrieben hat, in "Das Angstexperiment" gepackt. Es heißt, das wäre für das Buch nicht relevant, aber ich denke, wenn man all die anderen Bücher gelesen hat, kommt man vielleicht mit den Figuren besser klar und kann sich auch in der Handlung besser zurechtfinden.
Gruselig war es für mich also leider gar nicht - trotz nachts und alleine lesend - und bei dem Genre erwarte ich keine lange Einführung, durch die die Spannungsmomente dann erst in der zweiten Hälfte geballt und viel zu schnell abgearbeitet werden.
Ein schönes Zitat hab ich trotzdem noch gefunden
"Das war die wahre Ironie. Der einzige Moment, in dem man wirklich tapfer sein konnte,
war der, in dem man eine Heidenangst hatte." Pos. 2850
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
"Das Haus strömt das Böse förmlich aus,
so wie ein Sumpfin kalten Nächten Dämpfe absondert." Pos 1838
Ja, das klingt schon gut, aber leider kommt man im Haus erst nach der Hälfte des Buches an. Der Anfang zieht sich ewig hin, denn alle Beteiligten werden erstmal in einer großen Aktion eingeladen. Jede Figur wird vorgestellt, jeder von ihnen hat übermäßige Ängste und Albträume und jeder von ihnen wird auf andere Art zu dem Haus gelockt. Großer Magnet dafür ist natürlich die in Aussicht gestellte 1 Million Dollar als Gewinn, wenn man eine Nacht in dem sagenumwobenen Butler Haus überlebt.
Das ganze hätte man wirklich abkürzen können, denn in einem Horror Buch erwarte ich nicht so einen langen Vorspann. Es gibt auch eine "Vorstellung" zur Hintergrundgeschichte des Hauses, in dem schon viel schreckliches passiert ist: das hätte wahrscheinlich Spannung erzeugen sollen. Da es aber als eine Art Info-Seite aus dem Internet präsentiert wurde, hatte man zwar eine Überblick über das Grauen, was dort vorgefallen ist, aber wirklich Stimmung hat es bei mir nicht erzeugt. Die Geschichte des Hauses reicht weit zurück und die Vorkommnisse sind wirklich grauenhaft - da hatte der Autor schon einige originelle Ideen, aber es kam einfach keine Atmosphäre auf.
Wie leider in der ganzen Geschichte. Denn nachdem die Figuren alle endlich im Haus angekommen waren wurde zwar versucht, mit kleinen Details den langatmigen Einstieg wettzumachen, aber dann passierte eins nach dem anderen so rasend schnell, dass gar keine Stimmung mehr aufkommen konnte! Die Ideen dazu waren, wie gesagt, gar nicht mal so schlecht, aber es wurde dann einfach alles in das letzte Drittel gepresst. Die Perspektivwechsel haben mehr oder weniger für Spannung gesorgt, da natürlich immer in einem effektvollen Moment gewechselt wurde, aber dadurch kam ich weder an die Figuren und vor allem ihr Ängste ran, noch konnte mich die Handlung in ihren Bann ziehen.
Ich war eigentlich nur neugierig, was jetzt wirklich hinter dem "Experiment" steckt. Die Aufklärung war dann schon okay, aber insgesamt war das ganze irgendwie unglaubwürdig. Natürlich: es ist Horror und da muss man das nicht wirklich erwarten. Aber auch was die Charaktere betrifft kam mir einiges nicht rund vor. Die unfreiwillige Komik in manchen Szenen hat auch nicht so richtig dazu gepasst.
Am Ende hab ich dann erfahren, dass es zu jeder der Figuren schon eine "Vorgeschichte" gibt. Anscheinend wurden hier alle Charaktere, zu denen der Autor schon Horrorbücher geschrieben hat, in "Das Angstexperiment" gepackt. Es heißt, das wäre für das Buch nicht relevant, aber ich denke, wenn man all die anderen Bücher gelesen hat, kommt man vielleicht mit den Figuren besser klar und kann sich auch in der Handlung besser zurechtfinden.
Gruselig war es für mich also leider gar nicht - trotz nachts und alleine lesend - und bei dem Genre erwarte ich keine lange Einführung, durch die die Spannungsmomente dann erst in der zweiten Hälfte geballt und viel zu schnell abgearbeitet werden.
Ein schönes Zitat hab ich trotzdem noch gefunden
"Das war die wahre Ironie. Der einzige Moment, in dem man wirklich tapfer sein konnte,
war der, in dem man eine Heidenangst hatte." Pos. 2850
© Aleshanee
Weltenwanderer
September 20, 2013
3.5 stars
An interesting concept of bringing together some characters in Kilborn's other horror books and having the survivors face their fears by signing up to stay overnight in a house with a bad history; the winner gets a million bucks. There were some frightening situations and I did enjoy the turn the story took near the end, but it seemed to have lost some steam and my interest in the last several chapters. The ending does make me want to re-read Kilborn's fantastic Origin. It was a fun, gory book, though and I enjoyed catching up with the characters.
***
I'm about 1/4 of the way through this, and it starts off with a bang and is holding my interest very steady; tried fighting sleep last night to keep reading. Not sure how cliche it will turn once they're in the haunted house as haunted house stories are wont to do, but the introduction of the characters is done well with some creepy, throwaway descriptions that caught me off guard. This is the kind of horror writing I love.
An interesting concept of bringing together some characters in Kilborn's other horror books and having the survivors face their fears by signing up to stay overnight in a house with a bad history; the winner gets a million bucks. There were some frightening situations and I did enjoy the turn the story took near the end, but it seemed to have lost some steam and my interest in the last several chapters. The ending does make me want to re-read Kilborn's fantastic Origin. It was a fun, gory book, though and I enjoyed catching up with the characters.
***
I'm about 1/4 of the way through this, and it starts off with a bang and is holding my interest very steady; tried fighting sleep last night to keep reading. Not sure how cliche it will turn once they're in the haunted house as haunted house stories are wont to do, but the introduction of the characters is done well with some creepy, throwaway descriptions that caught me off guard. This is the kind of horror writing I love.
June 22, 2014
I found this to be an interesting read after I read the authors previous book, Endurance. It uses characters from the authors other books in a *Survivor All-Stars* type fashion. It isn't necessary to read the other books first but I would have liked to, as I assume most would. I would continue on with the series or read some of the earlier works, but not at the top of my to do list.
Selected people are invited to take part in a "fear study" conducted at the infamous Butler House. The invitees will be familiar to readers of previous books. The overnight guests are subjected to situations that are real/not real, imagined/unimaginable, or just plain horrific.........you decide
Selected people are invited to take part in a "fear study" conducted at the infamous Butler House. The invitees will be familiar to readers of previous books. The overnight guests are subjected to situations that are real/not real, imagined/unimaginable, or just plain horrific.........you decide
August 29, 2013
Another great, gory and suspenseful story from a true master of horror and terror. This book contains characters from the author's previous books, brought together for a chance to win a million dollars if they can survive the night in a haunted house. No spoilers here, but a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed!
March 16, 2014
This was a great horror book - finished reading this book in two days - couldn't put it down. A real page turner. This was the first time I've read anything by this author, so I'm looking forward to reading the rest of his books. If you like horror novels, you'll love this book!
July 14, 2017
J. A. Konrath hat bereits einige Bücher in der Jack-Daniels-Reihe herausgebracht sowie unter dem Pseudonym Jack Kilborn. Ich habe die Bücher von Jack Kilborn vor einiger Zeit bereits gelesen und fand sie teilweise sehr gut für ihr Genre. Besonders 'Das Hotel' ist mir extrem im Gedächtnis geblieben und hat mir tatsächlich sehr viel Unbehagen beschert.
Daher war ich sehr erfreut darüber, dass im 'Angstexperiment' viele bereits bekannte Gesichter aus den vorherigen Romanen auftauchen. Das macht direkt Lust sich die Jack-Daniels-Reihe mal genauer anzuschauen.
Anfangs werden nach und nach die Personen vorgestellt und man erfährt ein wenig zur Vorgeschichte. Wer die anderen Bücher nicht gelesen hat, und die aber vielleicht noch lesen möchte, braucht sich aber keine Sorgen machen. Es wird zwar quasi gespoilert, wer als Überlebender aus den vorherigen Geschichten hervorgeht, aber trotzdem nimmt es einem nicht zu viel weg. Theoretisch gesehen ist es ja meist sowieso wahrscheinlich, dass der Hauptcharakter lebend aus der Story kommt.
Durch die Vorstellung der Charaktere beginnt die Story recht langsam und kommt tatsächlich erst ab der Hälfte in Fahrt. Jedoch empfand ich die Einführung der Figuren als keineswegs langweilig, ich denke aber trotzdem, dass dies nicht jedermanns Geschmack ist.
Insgesamt hat mir das Buch gut gefallen und es ließ sich sehr schnell durchlesen durch den angenehmen Schreibstil. Oft passieren so viele Dinge Schlag auf Schlag, so dass ab der Hälfte die Story rasant an Fahrt aufgenommen hat.
Viele Szenen sind durchaus etwas absurd und fast schon lachhaft, aber ich finde genau diesen Stil des Autors sehr unterhaltsam. Wer aber z.B. auch nichts mit Richard Laymon anfangen kann, der wird hier wohl auch nicht glücklich.
*Rezensionsexemplar
Daher war ich sehr erfreut darüber, dass im 'Angstexperiment' viele bereits bekannte Gesichter aus den vorherigen Romanen auftauchen. Das macht direkt Lust sich die Jack-Daniels-Reihe mal genauer anzuschauen.
Anfangs werden nach und nach die Personen vorgestellt und man erfährt ein wenig zur Vorgeschichte. Wer die anderen Bücher nicht gelesen hat, und die aber vielleicht noch lesen möchte, braucht sich aber keine Sorgen machen. Es wird zwar quasi gespoilert, wer als Überlebender aus den vorherigen Geschichten hervorgeht, aber trotzdem nimmt es einem nicht zu viel weg. Theoretisch gesehen ist es ja meist sowieso wahrscheinlich, dass der Hauptcharakter lebend aus der Story kommt.
Durch die Vorstellung der Charaktere beginnt die Story recht langsam und kommt tatsächlich erst ab der Hälfte in Fahrt. Jedoch empfand ich die Einführung der Figuren als keineswegs langweilig, ich denke aber trotzdem, dass dies nicht jedermanns Geschmack ist.
Insgesamt hat mir das Buch gut gefallen und es ließ sich sehr schnell durchlesen durch den angenehmen Schreibstil. Oft passieren so viele Dinge Schlag auf Schlag, so dass ab der Hälfte die Story rasant an Fahrt aufgenommen hat.
Viele Szenen sind durchaus etwas absurd und fast schon lachhaft, aber ich finde genau diesen Stil des Autors sehr unterhaltsam. Wer aber z.B. auch nichts mit Richard Laymon anfangen kann, der wird hier wohl auch nicht glücklich.
*Rezensionsexemplar
December 17, 2023
A few years ago, one of my coworkers bought what he thought was a Lamborghini. I mean it looked like a Lamborghini. It sounded like a Lamborghini. it drove like a Lamborghini, and it even smelled like a Lamborghini. However, it had a Mitsubishi Spyder engine and thus technically wasn't a Lamborghini. Still a great and awesome car, just not what he thought it was,.....
This book reminded me of that. It looked like a Haunted House book, just look at the title. It read like a Haunted House book. And it sounded like a Haunted House book. But this may or may not have been a book about a haunted house and because of that I was a little disappointed. It was still a great book. In fact, of all the books I've read this year, I would place this one in my top 5. It's just not what I expected.
This book reminded me of that. It looked like a Haunted House book, just look at the title. It read like a Haunted House book. And it sounded like a Haunted House book. But this may or may not have been a book about a haunted house and because of that I was a little disappointed. It was still a great book. In fact, of all the books I've read this year, I would place this one in my top 5. It's just not what I expected.
November 28, 2013
Potential brilliance, gone bad
The Plot: A group of people, scattered across the United States have been solicited to spend one night in the infamous Butler Mansion. If they survive the weekend, they are guaranteed one million dollars. Who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity? The main characters were exactly that: caricatures: undeveloped and flat. Very disappointed
The pros: The idea of the plot was intriguing.
The cons: Too many too count. Misspellings, poor punctuation, overuse of cliques, redundant phrasing, unwanted filler and a shotgun plot—it’s scattered everywhere!
For those who aren’t convinced of the errors, let’s show a few of them using kindle references:
1) Page 3 loc 84 “Real, and coming somewhere in the unlit room.” Subject? Missing word?
2) Page 12 loc 172 “That’s your solution.” The preceding sentence suggests this is question.
3) Page 12 loc 176 “The sound paralyzed Mal, adrenaline ripping through his body making his heart seem ready to pop.” This is two sentences, thus the comma should be a semi-colon. There are a slew of these
4) Page 22 Loc 328 “I am his his his…lover.” Is this supposed to be invoking stuttering? Read it out loud and it’s not stuttering or rambling. It’s just words with no inflection or development, and it is repeated and repeated and repeated over, and over, and over, and over….you get the point.
5) Page 63 loc 916 “Quite the opposite, he was experiencing something that only happened rarely. like when a perp…” When did the word of a new sentence not become capitalized? And yes, there’s a bunch of these mistakes.
That’s a sampling of the eighty-four I ran across
Why are characters still being developed seventy-five percent into the story? By this time, I didn’t really care. And what’s up with the monkeys being hero/anti-heroes? This was absurd and just plain juvenile.
Many of the sentences didn’t even have a subject? How does that happen or were they just dangling, rambling thoughts?
I have a real problem when authors attempt to leave cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, or in this case, POV segments. It reminded me of “Where Darkness Dwells,” by Glen R. Krisch. Entire segments written in the attempt to build up suspense in the last few sentences of a two to four thousand word chapter/segment; doesn’t work.
I understand that the author is well known and accomplished; at this rate he will be swallowed up in Butler Mansion as the surroundings consume him into obscurity.
Two stars.
The Plot: A group of people, scattered across the United States have been solicited to spend one night in the infamous Butler Mansion. If they survive the weekend, they are guaranteed one million dollars. Who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity? The main characters were exactly that: caricatures: undeveloped and flat. Very disappointed
The pros: The idea of the plot was intriguing.
The cons: Too many too count. Misspellings, poor punctuation, overuse of cliques, redundant phrasing, unwanted filler and a shotgun plot—it’s scattered everywhere!
For those who aren’t convinced of the errors, let’s show a few of them using kindle references:
1) Page 3 loc 84 “Real, and coming somewhere in the unlit room.” Subject? Missing word?
2) Page 12 loc 172 “That’s your solution.” The preceding sentence suggests this is question.
3) Page 12 loc 176 “The sound paralyzed Mal, adrenaline ripping through his body making his heart seem ready to pop.” This is two sentences, thus the comma should be a semi-colon. There are a slew of these
4) Page 22 Loc 328 “I am his his his…lover.” Is this supposed to be invoking stuttering? Read it out loud and it’s not stuttering or rambling. It’s just words with no inflection or development, and it is repeated and repeated and repeated over, and over, and over, and over….you get the point.
5) Page 63 loc 916 “Quite the opposite, he was experiencing something that only happened rarely. like when a perp…” When did the word of a new sentence not become capitalized? And yes, there’s a bunch of these mistakes.
That’s a sampling of the eighty-four I ran across
Why are characters still being developed seventy-five percent into the story? By this time, I didn’t really care. And what’s up with the monkeys being hero/anti-heroes? This was absurd and just plain juvenile.
Many of the sentences didn’t even have a subject? How does that happen or were they just dangling, rambling thoughts?
I have a real problem when authors attempt to leave cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, or in this case, POV segments. It reminded me of “Where Darkness Dwells,” by Glen R. Krisch. Entire segments written in the attempt to build up suspense in the last few sentences of a two to four thousand word chapter/segment; doesn’t work.
I understand that the author is well known and accomplished; at this rate he will be swallowed up in Butler Mansion as the surroundings consume him into obscurity.
Two stars.
December 4, 2013
It is hard to know who to recommend Haunted House by Jack Kilborn to. To horror fans? Absolutely. It is a tight if stereotypical package of gore horror. Yet its gimmick may narrow the scope. Horror writer Jack Kilborn and his attached-at-more-than-the-hip mystery author friend J. A. Konrath have previously written six horror and mystery novels titled Afraid, Endurance, Trapped, Serial Killers:Uncut, Origin, and The List. In this novel, Kilborn brings back all the main characters of those books through the premise of a scientist inviting them to spend the night in a haunted house and having the chance to win one million dollars if they survive the night. They should have listened to the old saying to never bet against the house. But then we wouldn't have a story, would we?
I've read all the previous novels except The List and Serial Killers. I'm also a big Kilborn fan. So it was a little bit like homecoming week for me. Yet I couldn't think about how indifferent most readers would be to this gimmick if they haven't read the others. Kilborn clearly sets it up as a stand alone but in order to do that he needs to leave out essential information in the previous books...like WHAT HAPPENED?!!. This results in characters that are too cardboard when they didn't need to be. As for the plot, it is fairly conventional for most gore horror buffs and very predictable. I won't give away the ending but I kept waiting for the Scooby Doo Gang to show up.
Even with that said, this is a fun roller-coaster ride. It's not up to the normal Kilborn/Konrath levels of pulp fun and tension but still worth reading. If you can, read at least a few of the previous novels first.
I've read all the previous novels except The List and Serial Killers. I'm also a big Kilborn fan. So it was a little bit like homecoming week for me. Yet I couldn't think about how indifferent most readers would be to this gimmick if they haven't read the others. Kilborn clearly sets it up as a stand alone but in order to do that he needs to leave out essential information in the previous books...like WHAT HAPPENED?!!. This results in characters that are too cardboard when they didn't need to be. As for the plot, it is fairly conventional for most gore horror buffs and very predictable. I won't give away the ending but I kept waiting for the Scooby Doo Gang to show up.
Even with that said, this is a fun roller-coaster ride. It's not up to the normal Kilborn/Konrath levels of pulp fun and tension but still worth reading. If you can, read at least a few of the previous novels first.
June 6, 2013
Haunted House - A Novel of Terror (Jack Kilborn)
Eight people are selected to spend the night in The old Butler House, noted to be haunted. Each person who was selected had their own terror haunting them from their past. But they have an offer that seems too good to be true, 1,000,000.00. It is a lot of money and each person has their reason to accept this offer.
There is something evil going on in this house, it is filled with horror and violence and fear. Soon people begin to die in horrifying, brutal ways. It becomes a fight to get out alive, who will survive and who won't make it? And what exactly is going on? What is the motive for the selected requests to be at Butler House.
Fast paced horror novel, with secrets, terror and surprises.
Eight people are selected to spend the night in The old Butler House, noted to be haunted. Each person who was selected had their own terror haunting them from their past. But they have an offer that seems too good to be true, 1,000,000.00. It is a lot of money and each person has their reason to accept this offer.
There is something evil going on in this house, it is filled with horror and violence and fear. Soon people begin to die in horrifying, brutal ways. It becomes a fight to get out alive, who will survive and who won't make it? And what exactly is going on? What is the motive for the selected requests to be at Butler House.
Fast paced horror novel, with secrets, terror and surprises.
July 10, 2013
Phew, I'm exhausted from sitting on the edge of my seat and following this harrowing tale - brilliant.
Fabulous writing of a story of terror, where the characters were both believable and realistic, which brought alive the very real fear that can haunt us all.
I've never read anything by this author before, and despite not knowing the back stories of the characters, there was enough detail so that from the first I was invested in their lives.
An excellent read, if you like the psychological stance of horror, where conquering 'fear' is explored, but be warned, there is blood!
Highly recommended.
Fabulous writing of a story of terror, where the characters were both believable and realistic, which brought alive the very real fear that can haunt us all.
I've never read anything by this author before, and despite not knowing the back stories of the characters, there was enough detail so that from the first I was invested in their lives.
An excellent read, if you like the psychological stance of horror, where conquering 'fear' is explored, but be warned, there is blood!
Highly recommended.
March 8, 2022
These books…this series… never lets me down!
I love the cheesy, dark humor and fast paced gory thrill of it all!!
I love the cheesy, dark humor and fast paced gory thrill of it all!!
July 4, 2017
Ja ja, das Butler-Haus. Da geht es wirklich nicht mit rechten Dingen zu. Das müssen die Teilnehmer des Angstexperiments dann leider auch am eigenen Leib erfahren.
Das Buch ist ein spannender Horror-Roman. Durch die wenigen Seiten nahm die Geschichte auch relativ zügig Fahrt auf. Die Charaktere wurden detailliert vorgestellt und man (in diesem Falle ich) kam während des Lesens nicht mit den Figuren durcheinander. Das, was ich erwartet habe, habe ich bekommen: einen soliden Thriller/ Horror-Roman, allerdings hätte der Story ein paar Überraschungen ganz gut getan. Sehr geradlinig lief die Geschichte ab.
Man merkte, dass dem Autor seine Charaktere sehr am Herzen lagen und er sich von ihnen nur schwer trennen konnte.
Die mitspielenden Charaktere tauchten bereits in anderen Konrath & Kilborn-Geschichten auf. Auch wenn es nicht notwendig ist, die Vorgängerromane vor dem Angstexperiment zu lesen, kann ich es durchaus empfehlen, da mich dieses Buch auf die anderen Geschichten neugierig gemacht hat, ich nun aber nicht weiß, ob mir das Angstexperiment nicht schon zuviel aus den früheren Geschichten gespoilert hat. Deshalb lohnt es sich bestimmt, vorher einen Blick in die anderen Bände wie z. B. Origin oder Trapped zu werfen.
Würden Menschen, die einem großen Trauma ausgesetzt waren, sich freiwillig wieder an einen Ort begeben, von dem sie nicht wissen, welch unvorstellbare und vielleicht auch grausige Dinge sie erwarten, nur um ihre Angst zu kurieren?
Dass anscheinend die Mehrheit der Charaktere risikofreudig "ja" sagt und sich beherzt in ihren nächsten Alptraum stürzt, war ein Punkt, den ich sehr fragwürdig fand und nicht nachvollziehen konnte.
Mein Fazit
Ein kurzweiliger Horror, der Lust auf die Vorgänger-Bände macht.
Das Buch ist ein spannender Horror-Roman. Durch die wenigen Seiten nahm die Geschichte auch relativ zügig Fahrt auf. Die Charaktere wurden detailliert vorgestellt und man (in diesem Falle ich) kam während des Lesens nicht mit den Figuren durcheinander. Das, was ich erwartet habe, habe ich bekommen: einen soliden Thriller/ Horror-Roman, allerdings hätte der Story ein paar Überraschungen ganz gut getan. Sehr geradlinig lief die Geschichte ab.
Man merkte, dass dem Autor seine Charaktere sehr am Herzen lagen und er sich von ihnen nur schwer trennen konnte.
Die mitspielenden Charaktere tauchten bereits in anderen Konrath & Kilborn-Geschichten auf. Auch wenn es nicht notwendig ist, die Vorgängerromane vor dem Angstexperiment zu lesen, kann ich es durchaus empfehlen, da mich dieses Buch auf die anderen Geschichten neugierig gemacht hat, ich nun aber nicht weiß, ob mir das Angstexperiment nicht schon zuviel aus den früheren Geschichten gespoilert hat. Deshalb lohnt es sich bestimmt, vorher einen Blick in die anderen Bände wie z. B. Origin oder Trapped zu werfen.
Würden Menschen, die einem großen Trauma ausgesetzt waren, sich freiwillig wieder an einen Ort begeben, von dem sie nicht wissen, welch unvorstellbare und vielleicht auch grausige Dinge sie erwarten, nur um ihre Angst zu kurieren?
Dass anscheinend die Mehrheit der Charaktere risikofreudig "ja" sagt und sich beherzt in ihren nächsten Alptraum stürzt, war ein Punkt, den ich sehr fragwürdig fand und nicht nachvollziehen konnte.
Mein Fazit
Ein kurzweiliger Horror, der Lust auf die Vorgänger-Bände macht.
September 15, 2017
J.A. Konrath - Das Angstexperiment
eBook - 322 Seiten
Ich liebe Horrorfilme, ich liebe Horrorbücher - war klar, dass mich hier kein Weg daran vorbei führen würde.
Der Autor hält sich nicht lange mit Nebensächlichkeiten auf - ich bin es auch nicht anders von ihm gewohnt :)
Wir kommen direkt zur Sache, lernen die Charaktere kennen, erfahren etwas über die Lokation, dann geht's auch schon zur Sache.
Die Atmosphäre im Butler-Haus kann der Autor wirklich sehr gut rüber bringen, es wirkt authentisch, man fühlt sich, als wäre man mittendrin.
Ich muss gestehen - auch als eingefleischter Horrorfan haben sich mir hier und da regelrecht die Fussnägel aufgerollt.
Allerdings bin ich mir sicher, sollte "Das Angstexperiment" irgendwann mal verfilmt werden, würde sich dieser Effekt deutlich verstärken.
Es ist immer eine Sache, sich das ganze Spektakel im eigenen Kopf vorzustellen - es zu sehen ist (zumindest für mich) eine andere Sache.
Das Ende und somit die Auflösung war dann leider gar nicht mehr so furchtbar spannend und gruselig und kam viel zu schnell.
Daher von mir gute 4 Sterne, vielleicht sogar 4,5…
* digitales Rezensionsexemplar von NetGalley & Amazon
eBook - 322 Seiten
Ich liebe Horrorfilme, ich liebe Horrorbücher - war klar, dass mich hier kein Weg daran vorbei führen würde.
Der Autor hält sich nicht lange mit Nebensächlichkeiten auf - ich bin es auch nicht anders von ihm gewohnt :)
Wir kommen direkt zur Sache, lernen die Charaktere kennen, erfahren etwas über die Lokation, dann geht's auch schon zur Sache.
Die Atmosphäre im Butler-Haus kann der Autor wirklich sehr gut rüber bringen, es wirkt authentisch, man fühlt sich, als wäre man mittendrin.
Ich muss gestehen - auch als eingefleischter Horrorfan haben sich mir hier und da regelrecht die Fussnägel aufgerollt.
Allerdings bin ich mir sicher, sollte "Das Angstexperiment" irgendwann mal verfilmt werden, würde sich dieser Effekt deutlich verstärken.
Es ist immer eine Sache, sich das ganze Spektakel im eigenen Kopf vorzustellen - es zu sehen ist (zumindest für mich) eine andere Sache.
Das Ende und somit die Auflösung war dann leider gar nicht mehr so furchtbar spannend und gruselig und kam viel zu schnell.
Daher von mir gute 4 Sterne, vielleicht sogar 4,5…
* digitales Rezensionsexemplar von NetGalley & Amazon
May 14, 2019
This book is seriously a mess. It is structurally awful. And yet, i loved reading it. If there is such a thing as macho literary junk food, then this is it. If you are looking for a ghost story, look elsewhere. If you want the sort of over the top nonsense that characterized 1980s slasher flicks, then this is the place.
Truthfully, I'll never admit to anyone i read this. Truthfully, I'll read another of Kornrath, er...Kilborns novels because sometimes you just need thr worst junkfood money can buy.
Truthfully, I'll never admit to anyone i read this. Truthfully, I'll read another of Kornrath, er...Kilborns novels because sometimes you just need thr worst junkfood money can buy.
September 11, 2024
I haven't read any of the other books in this series so I have no idea how they actually played into this.
But it was a great quick read (listen) and actually had me a little spooked a few times. It also has its funny moments and I really loved them.
Rob Shapiro does a fantastic job narrating this on Audible, too.
But it was a great quick read (listen) and actually had me a little spooked a few times. It also has its funny moments and I really loved them.
Rob Shapiro does a fantastic job narrating this on Audible, too.
January 18, 2024
I have no idea why I thought I WOULDN'T love it! Once again; Konrath takes the typical horror/suspense trope and makes it something so original and unique you don't forget it! Warning: This book has some very gruesome scenes of violence in it. I LOVED it! Can't wait to start the next one.
5 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
5 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
April 8, 2018
#no-stars
I expected a spooky haunted house story... sadly there was just a lot of disgusting gore/splatter. My first and last book by this author.
I expected a spooky haunted house story... sadly there was just a lot of disgusting gore/splatter. My first and last book by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2014
Kilborn's modern take on the gothic horror story is a mess. The concept of the story is promising: the survivors of horrors in his other book are gathered to a haunted house for a study on fear, something they are all intimately acquainted with. But the clunky prose, perfunctory story-telling, and clumsy execution fails to bring the story to the level of its concept.
The pacing and proportion of the story's action to its introduction is strange, with the first half of the book being devoted to setting up the story and its characters, and the last half with a very choppy series of events that comprise the haunted house portion of the story. Unfortunately, neither part was done very well, so the story is ultimately unsatisfying.
An inordinate amount of time is spent introducing the characters and their backstories, without actually providing any insight into any of them, other than that they are survivors of some horrific incidents, but they suffer constant fear and anxiety because of it. There is little to bring a reader to care for them, other than sympathy, because the characters are nothing but survivors with PTSD. It's difficult to difficult to differentiate between them, except by the path their fear has led them to take. Kilborn helpfully included links to brief synopses of their origin stories, and this is the only way I could've remembered who was who. While this was a great feature, it would have been far more effective to actually take some time on the characterization and condensing the "invitation and travel" sequences.
Once the characters are introduced, have dithered about their responses to the invitation, and have serendipitously met and bonded along the way, everyone arrives at the haunted house. At last. A few new characters are introduced - the psychic, the ghost-hunter, and the skeptic - and their introductions are so perfunctory, they might as well have shirts on with "Cannon-fodder or Conspirators? Tune in and find out!" on them. Yes, it's that obvious. I don't even think it should qualify as a spoiler, since the author didn't even have the time to pretend they matter. Most authors at least try to give some cagey POV moments with this type of character, to keep you guessing.
The ghosts haunting the home are introduced, but there are so many of them, and they're all blandly awful. Again, it would be difficult to differentiate them, except Kilborn helpfully provides us with details that set them apart: one giggles, one smells, etc. But really, they're just generic psychopathic assholes with deep masochistic streaks.
The action begins, and it's a rat-a-tat-tat drive-by of gore, confusion, and POV-hopping. While rapidly shuttling between scenes and POV can be an excellent technique for ratcheting up the tension, here it seems more intended to convince the reader that things are terrifying, when it's really just difficult to care about their fates at all. The gore and violence seems to just happen, and except for two storylines - one involving a black mass, the other involving a monkey - they aren't particularly interesting. Gore has its place in horror, but this was just sad and unhorrifying.
Since the structure of the story is clearly based on Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House," let me say that I love the gothic haunted house tale, and it's hard to go wrong with it in my eyes. There have been "updated" versions of the story, of which "Hell House" by Richard Matheson is probably my favorite. This story tries to up the ante with gore, but it fails to do go anywhere because the tension wasn't set at the beginning. Edward Lee's "Flesh Gothic" does a far better job at telling a gooey, gory, gothic tale because his characters are distinct, and the violence and perversions feel dirty, with a strong undercurrent of sex and the occult. A few ass references and repeated mentions of figging just aren't very titillating.
Ultimately, the story fails to rise to the level of its conceits. It reads much more like a fleshed-out draft than a completed novel. The spelling and grammar issues plus the sloppy storytelling make it clear that the story needs a date or two with an editor. Really disappointed, because Kilborn is usually good for a fun/queasy grindhouse story.
The pacing and proportion of the story's action to its introduction is strange, with the first half of the book being devoted to setting up the story and its characters, and the last half with a very choppy series of events that comprise the haunted house portion of the story. Unfortunately, neither part was done very well, so the story is ultimately unsatisfying.
An inordinate amount of time is spent introducing the characters and their backstories, without actually providing any insight into any of them, other than that they are survivors of some horrific incidents, but they suffer constant fear and anxiety because of it. There is little to bring a reader to care for them, other than sympathy, because the characters are nothing but survivors with PTSD. It's difficult to difficult to differentiate between them, except by the path their fear has led them to take. Kilborn helpfully included links to brief synopses of their origin stories, and this is the only way I could've remembered who was who. While this was a great feature, it would have been far more effective to actually take some time on the characterization and condensing the "invitation and travel" sequences.
Once the characters are introduced, have dithered about their responses to the invitation, and have serendipitously met and bonded along the way, everyone arrives at the haunted house. At last. A few new characters are introduced - the psychic, the ghost-hunter, and the skeptic - and their introductions are so perfunctory, they might as well have shirts on with "Cannon-fodder or Conspirators? Tune in and find out!" on them. Yes, it's that obvious. I don't even think it should qualify as a spoiler, since the author didn't even have the time to pretend they matter. Most authors at least try to give some cagey POV moments with this type of character, to keep you guessing.
The ghosts haunting the home are introduced, but there are so many of them, and they're all blandly awful. Again, it would be difficult to differentiate them, except Kilborn helpfully provides us with details that set them apart: one giggles, one smells, etc. But really, they're just generic psychopathic assholes with deep masochistic streaks.
The action begins, and it's a rat-a-tat-tat drive-by of gore, confusion, and POV-hopping. While rapidly shuttling between scenes and POV can be an excellent technique for ratcheting up the tension, here it seems more intended to convince the reader that things are terrifying, when it's really just difficult to care about their fates at all. The gore and violence seems to just happen, and except for two storylines - one involving a black mass, the other involving a monkey - they aren't particularly interesting. Gore has its place in horror, but this was just sad and unhorrifying.
Since the structure of the story is clearly based on Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House," let me say that I love the gothic haunted house tale, and it's hard to go wrong with it in my eyes. There have been "updated" versions of the story, of which "Hell House" by Richard Matheson is probably my favorite. This story tries to up the ante with gore, but it fails to do go anywhere because the tension wasn't set at the beginning. Edward Lee's "Flesh Gothic" does a far better job at telling a gooey, gory, gothic tale because his characters are distinct, and the violence and perversions feel dirty, with a strong undercurrent of sex and the occult. A few ass references and repeated mentions of figging just aren't very titillating.
Ultimately, the story fails to rise to the level of its conceits. It reads much more like a fleshed-out draft than a completed novel. The spelling and grammar issues plus the sloppy storytelling make it clear that the story needs a date or two with an editor. Really disappointed, because Kilborn is usually good for a fun/queasy grindhouse story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2018
Great book. Lots of twists and turns. Full of action from page 1 to the end. Made me really care about each and every person in depth. Would recommend it to all my horror loving friends.
January 6, 2017
“Looks like you invited the wrong goddamn dominatrix to your little party, bitch!”
Jack Kilborn brings together eight of his surviving characters from previous five books in the Konrath/Kilborn collective. Most of these characters I was familiar with, except for one from a short story I never read, but it was still pretty cool to see them all together in one book. However, while it was a bit of fun, this is one of Konrath's weaker entries as the writing was choppy, the humor was misplaced, and the horror wasn't very horrific.
This story is about yet another crazy doctor experimenting on people, but this time the doctor wants to eradicate fear. He uses the survivors' fears of their captivity and past abuse to harvest their fear for his experiment. However, the haunted house appears to be a lot more real than the survivors expected. This was a pretty cool concept, but I felt as if the characters were mostly caricatures of themselves. The only two who stayed mostly true to who I thought was Tom Mankowski from The List, and Frank Belgium from Origin. Maybe there were just too many characters in this one story for Konrath to keep their individuality, but it seemed as if many of the characters were... out of character.
The other aspect of this story that I didn't particularly care for was the plot. It read just like many of Kilborn's other stories, and was just a bit too similar to Endurance. I may have liked this book more if I hadn't read it right after the previous book, or as a standalone. I've since read past this novel in the collective, and don't see any way this connects to other novels (yet), so I kind of feel as if I could have skipped this book altogether. However, despite the problems with this book I did still enjoy reading it. It was a pretty fun and quick read. Yet, I wouldn't recommend this as a must-read. Haunted House is the book you read on a lazy rainy afternoon when you have nothing better to do. This review was originally posted on I Was Angelized_1st
Jack Kilborn brings together eight of his surviving characters from previous five books in the Konrath/Kilborn collective. Most of these characters I was familiar with, except for one from a short story I never read, but it was still pretty cool to see them all together in one book. However, while it was a bit of fun, this is one of Konrath's weaker entries as the writing was choppy, the humor was misplaced, and the horror wasn't very horrific.
This story is about yet another crazy doctor experimenting on people, but this time the doctor wants to eradicate fear. He uses the survivors' fears of their captivity and past abuse to harvest their fear for his experiment. However, the haunted house appears to be a lot more real than the survivors expected. This was a pretty cool concept, but I felt as if the characters were mostly caricatures of themselves. The only two who stayed mostly true to who I thought was Tom Mankowski from The List, and Frank Belgium from Origin. Maybe there were just too many characters in this one story for Konrath to keep their individuality, but it seemed as if many of the characters were... out of character.
The other aspect of this story that I didn't particularly care for was the plot. It read just like many of Kilborn's other stories, and was just a bit too similar to Endurance. I may have liked this book more if I hadn't read it right after the previous book, or as a standalone. I've since read past this novel in the collective, and don't see any way this connects to other novels (yet), so I kind of feel as if I could have skipped this book altogether. However, despite the problems with this book I did still enjoy reading it. It was a pretty fun and quick read. Yet, I wouldn't recommend this as a must-read. Haunted House is the book you read on a lazy rainy afternoon when you have nothing better to do. This review was originally posted on I Was Angelized_1st
February 5, 2021
This book was so amazing! I can't wait to read more from this author...like a modern King
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