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The Beckoning Dead #1
Der Spuk von Beacon Hill
Sadie ist 25, arbeitet als Bibliothekarin und hat eine besondere Gabe: Sie ist empfänglich für das Übernatürliche. Ein Freund bittet Sadie, sich mit einem seltsamen Ereignis zu befassen. In einem angeblichen Spukhaus in der Stadt ist ein Mädchen verrückt geworden. Sie versucht seither sich umzubringen, weil sie, so behauptet das Mädchen, von dem Geist einer toten Frau terrorisiert wird. Diesen Geist nennt sie »die Madenmutter«. Obwohl sie ihre Gabe immer unterdrückt hat, möchte Sadie helfen und betritt das unheimliche Haus. Doch die Geschichte der Madenmutter ist keine Erfindung von einem gestörten Teenager. Der Geist der Toten ist real – und sehr bösartig ...
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2019
614 people are currently reading
2300 people want to read
About the author
Ambrose Ibsen
61 books665 followersOnce upon a time, a young Ambrose Ibsen discovered a collection of ghost stories on his father's bookshelf. He was never the same again.
Apart from horror fiction, he enjoys good coffee, brewed strong.
Apart from horror fiction, he enjoys good coffee, brewed strong.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 221 reviews
February 27, 2022
Three youths explore an old deserted house. It's the haunted house of Beacon Hill. Ophelia, one of them, takes something with her. Can Sadie and August, two librarians, help Ophelia to overcome the ghostly creature haunting her? What about Sadie's past? What happened in the old house and its former owner? Is there anything behind those beckoning dead? The author comes up with quite an eerie haunted house tale here. Many references to a past and uncanny sidelines. Couldn't put it down and am looking forward to part 2 of that series as some questions remained unanswered but of concern. Quite an intriguing tale with good ingredients here. Really recommended!
September 13, 2020
This man is the boss of creepy creature stories. I’m finding something to snuggle with. Shiver 🥶
Edit: Review time
It’s come time to announce that I am a big fan of Ambrose Ibsen. The things he comes up with seriously creeps me out so much. Not much does either. Not in this way. Darcy Coates has the ghosts category, Ibsen has the whatevers and Creepy crawlies, the master of tension is ... well I won’t go on with that now; but this was great! It’s also a new series !
I love his Series starting with “The Sick House” and the character !
Back to this we have a woman named Sadie who is a librarian and loves it, just like many of us would love to be ❤️(those of us that are not) and enjoys a quiet life. She makes silly bets with her coworker whom wears quirky bow ties (love it) . Things are pretty normal.
Meanwhile back at the farm, someone who used to live near her gparents (Ophelia) and her teenage friends decide to sneak into a dark, stone house rumored to be haunted with a local legend in place.
After this Sadie’s life isn’t so normal anymore. It becomes paranormal ! This is gonna be a great series.
More highlights next time I sync.
Edit: reread w/D 2nd read of series
Seriously. Even creepier and more jarring the second time. Moving directly on to the second and continuing buddy read.
Edit: Review time
It’s come time to announce that I am a big fan of Ambrose Ibsen. The things he comes up with seriously creeps me out so much. Not much does either. Not in this way. Darcy Coates has the ghosts category, Ibsen has the whatevers and Creepy crawlies, the master of tension is ... well I won’t go on with that now; but this was great! It’s also a new series !
I love his Series starting with “The Sick House” and the character !
Back to this we have a woman named Sadie who is a librarian and loves it, just like many of us would love to be ❤️(those of us that are not) and enjoys a quiet life. She makes silly bets with her coworker whom wears quirky bow ties (love it) . Things are pretty normal.
Meanwhile back at the farm, someone who used to live near her gparents (Ophelia) and her teenage friends decide to sneak into a dark, stone house rumored to be haunted with a local legend in place.
After this Sadie’s life isn’t so normal anymore. It becomes paranormal ! This is gonna be a great series.
More highlights next time I sync.
Edit: reread w/D 2nd read of series
Seriously. Even creepier and more jarring the second time. Moving directly on to the second and continuing buddy read.
October 3, 2025
The Haunting of Beacon Hill
by Ambrose Ibsen
This was a pretty good ghost and possible possession story. I liked the main characters and the plot. It was an enjoyable ghost/horror story.
by Ambrose Ibsen
This was a pretty good ghost and possible possession story. I liked the main characters and the plot. It was an enjoyable ghost/horror story.
November 3, 2019
A slowly building ghost story that was more thrilling than scary. Almost everything in this book is way cool including the tone and mood that is maintained throughout it just takes a lot to cross that line into scary for me. The ghost/spirit is pretty unique and while the totality of what is really going on was only hinted at this book does a good job of setting up the rest of the series. The Haunting of Beacon Hill really picks up steam around the time the house's history is revealed and the other characters backstories are filled in. I knew going in this was the first of a series so the cliffhanger ending didn't bother me, in fact it just ramped up by anticipation for book two. If you are thinking about reading this, come for the haunted house but stay for the spirit/ghost hunting librarians.
Like any other book junkie who can never have too many books, I've bought other novels by Mr. Ibsen in the past but this is the first one I have actually read. Ambrose Ibsen is also one of the reasons why you should not overlook those $.99 books when cruising for your next read because while his books might not be that expensive I can tell even from only reading one that he cares about the stories he tells and that he does not want to rip his readers off.
Hurry up books two and three, this one gets four stars from me.
Like any other book junkie who can never have too many books, I've bought other novels by Mr. Ibsen in the past but this is the first one I have actually read. Ambrose Ibsen is also one of the reasons why you should not overlook those $.99 books when cruising for your next read because while his books might not be that expensive I can tell even from only reading one that he cares about the stories he tells and that he does not want to rip his readers off.
Hurry up books two and three, this one gets four stars from me.
January 27, 2023
Eine tolle und spannende Spukhaus Geschichte, die ich fast nicht aus der Hand legen konnte! Auch die Protagonisten Sadie und August fand ich mega cool. Hätte für mich tatsächlich noch etwas düsterer sein können, aber das ist Geschmackssache👻
Das Buch endet allerdings mit einem krassen Cliffhanger, werde mich nun also an die englischen Ausgaben machen, da es die Folgebände nicht auf Deutsch gibt🙁 (Edit 2023: Die Reihe ist nun vollständig auf Deutsch erhältlich!)
Das Buch endet allerdings mit einem krassen Cliffhanger, werde mich nun also an die englischen Ausgaben machen, da es die Folgebände nicht auf Deutsch gibt🙁 (Edit 2023: Die Reihe ist nun vollständig auf Deutsch erhältlich!)
November 10, 2020
3.5 stars rounded down
HMMMM.....so all in all this wasn't too bad, and would probably have merited a higher rating if not for a couple of things that really grated on my nerves.
But first, the good: points scored on the premise. This was what kept me reading and overlooking (for the most part) the previously-mentioned (and soon-to-be elaborated on) nerve-grating elements. I won't go into detail in order to avoid spoilers, but the story checked several boxes of the supernatural elements. YAY!
Onto the less-than-good (IMO):
#1....the writing was just off for me. Old-fashioned words like "therein", "hitherto", "thusly" etc....long, drawn-out sentences with words that, no joke, seemed like a thesaurus was used in an attempt to make it sound...more gothic?...more academic?...either way, just TOO MUCH. PLEASE STOP THAT. Kind of felt like Joey Tribbiani's letter to the adoption agency on Friends.
#2....the characters were terribly stereotyped....the geeky, nerdy, loner, librarians, down to the old-fashioned name for Sadie, and bow-tie wearing August.
I don't know, maybe I'm being too harsh, but all this made it just too distracting for me to really enjoy the story, which, as mentioned, had its merits.
But I seem to be in the minority here, so take this review with a grain of salt ;)
HMMMM.....so all in all this wasn't too bad, and would probably have merited a higher rating if not for a couple of things that really grated on my nerves.
But first, the good: points scored on the premise. This was what kept me reading and overlooking (for the most part) the previously-mentioned (and soon-to-be elaborated on) nerve-grating elements. I won't go into detail in order to avoid spoilers, but the story checked several boxes of the supernatural elements. YAY!
Onto the less-than-good (IMO):
#1....the writing was just off for me. Old-fashioned words like "therein", "hitherto", "thusly" etc....long, drawn-out sentences with words that, no joke, seemed like a thesaurus was used in an attempt to make it sound...more gothic?...more academic?...either way, just TOO MUCH. PLEASE STOP THAT. Kind of felt like Joey Tribbiani's letter to the adoption agency on Friends.
#2....the characters were terribly stereotyped....the geeky, nerdy, loner, librarians, down to the old-fashioned name for Sadie, and bow-tie wearing August.
I don't know, maybe I'm being too harsh, but all this made it just too distracting for me to really enjoy the story, which, as mentioned, had its merits.
But I seem to be in the minority here, so take this review with a grain of salt ;)
Read
November 17, 2021This was a dnf for me.
I was in a mood to pick up a horror novel and I randomly came across the audio on storytel. Luckily I found this on kindle unlimited as well!
If I remember correctly, the book follows a girl (don't remember her name) who gets called to help another girl who is possessed by a ghost. I just really didn't care at all!
The writing didn't impress me, found the characters pretty plain. Almost read like fan fic to me (nothing wrong with fan fics but this wasn't particularly good to me). I don't want to rate the book because I think this was just me, all others seem to enjoy this one. I couldn't care any less.
I would not stop anyone from picking up this tho!
I was in a mood to pick up a horror novel and I randomly came across the audio on storytel. Luckily I found this on kindle unlimited as well!
If I remember correctly, the book follows a girl (don't remember her name) who gets called to help another girl who is possessed by a ghost. I just really didn't care at all!
The writing didn't impress me, found the characters pretty plain. Almost read like fan fic to me (nothing wrong with fan fics but this wasn't particularly good to me). I don't want to rate the book because I think this was just me, all others seem to enjoy this one. I couldn't care any less.
I would not stop anyone from picking up this tho!
October 29, 2023
Angenehme Grusel-Atmosphäre, passend zu Halloween 🎃.
October 10, 2023
SpookTober read #3
I loved Sadie and her sidekick, bow-tie wearing, August. Adorable characters! Bonus points for the characters being librarians.
This was a perfectly fantastic creepy, ghost story.
After putting the book on my bedside table I pulled the covers over my head and hid under the covers like a little kid 😂
And this is why…
She hears the sound of footsteps creeping, crawling towards her bed and a deep, throaty voice whispers, ‘There you are…I’ve been looking for you.’
Sounds nightmarish, doesn’t it?
Had me creeped out. Might need to read something lighter before bed especially when hubby works nights.
Onto the next instalment to find out what ghostly creature is wanting Sadie.
I loved Sadie and her sidekick, bow-tie wearing, August. Adorable characters! Bonus points for the characters being librarians.
This was a perfectly fantastic creepy, ghost story.
After putting the book on my bedside table I pulled the covers over my head and hid under the covers like a little kid 😂
And this is why…
She hears the sound of footsteps creeping, crawling towards her bed and a deep, throaty voice whispers, ‘There you are…I’ve been looking for you.’
Sounds nightmarish, doesn’t it?
Had me creeped out. Might need to read something lighter before bed especially when hubby works nights.
Onto the next instalment to find out what ghostly creature is wanting Sadie.
December 2, 2020
I'm all for a good scary story. While the story was scary and I thought it was okay, I felt like there wasn't really anything original to it, ie. an old huge haunted house, said house is being haunted by a cruel person who was murdered, a ghost that possesses one person only to find a better person, and then there's no happy ending because it's not that easy to get rid of an evil spirit when finding info online. There were no surprises whatsoever. Yet, there were so many unanswered questions.
The narrator did an all right job. I couldn't help but wonder how the laugh for Mother Maggot was written though. There were also times when she would pronounce words...questionably. For example, "libarry" instead of "library." The first time I heard this I went back to confirm. Yup, she repeatedly said "libarry." This is also the second narrator I've come across who is sure to pronounce the "t's" in words when it's usually quiet.
There was a part after visiting the house the first time when Sadie and August are heading back to the staircase. I'm not sure what shape the staircase was set up in, but there was a line: "They flopped across the lower steps." There was no mention of them having fallen. This was just a line that stood out to me.
I found it questionable that Sadie was so scared of Mother Maggot that she would have gone back to the house to look for the mirror - at night - when she didn't know if the mirror even had anything to do with the ghost.
I was a little confused by the ending. I tried to find the part when August tells Sadie about Mother Maggot and who she must have been, but for whatever reason, it was avoiding me. I couldn't remember how long the house had been empty/when Mother Maggot had died, but thought it was a very long time. Yet I was under the impression the reader was to assume that Mother Maggot was Sadie's mother, correct? Unless I was misinterpreting that part of the story.
I received a free audiobook code in exchange for an unbiased review.
The narrator did an all right job. I couldn't help but wonder how the laugh for Mother Maggot was written though. There were also times when she would pronounce words...questionably. For example, "libarry" instead of "library." The first time I heard this I went back to confirm. Yup, she repeatedly said "libarry." This is also the second narrator I've come across who is sure to pronounce the "t's" in words when it's usually quiet.
There was a part after visiting the house the first time when Sadie and August are heading back to the staircase. I'm not sure what shape the staircase was set up in, but there was a line: "They flopped across the lower steps." There was no mention of them having fallen. This was just a line that stood out to me.
I found it questionable that Sadie was so scared of Mother Maggot that she would have gone back to the house to look for the mirror - at night - when she didn't know if the mirror even had anything to do with the ghost.
I was a little confused by the ending. I tried to find the part when August tells Sadie about Mother Maggot and who she must have been, but for whatever reason, it was avoiding me. I couldn't remember how long the house had been empty/when Mother Maggot had died, but thought it was a very long time. Yet I was under the impression the reader was to assume that Mother Maggot was Sadie's mother, correct? Unless I was misinterpreting that part of the story.
I received a free audiobook code in exchange for an unbiased review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2020
Another great ghost story by this author! I really enjoyed this one.
February 10, 2021
It starts with a haunting… which will ignite a chain reaction. Things are lurking in the dark. A scary and awesome book in a series I want to continue reading.
I am normally not a star at summarising books, but this one. I can. Very easily even! Namely: NOPE. And that until infinity and infinity and infinity. NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE.
This book was a freaking NOPE fest. And I mean that in a good way of course. But HOLY HELL this was a scary ride, and yes, I will continue the ride as there are two more books in the series.
I loved how the book started and how scary that was. I mean I knew that I was going to scared poopless if I continued the book. IF this was how it began, I just could get how much more NOPE it would get. Also, if you are being followed in a dark and very spooky house with tons of shadows doing come play with us, then DON’T LOOK IN THE MIRROR. NOPE.
Meet Sadie, a girl who has a fun job at as a librarian (JEALOUS) but whose life is going to be flipped over entirely when an old neighbour of hers calls her and asks for help with a possession or something thereabouts. I can hear you ask me why would anyone ask a librarian for help with a possession case? Well, um, Sadie can (or could) see things. Not that Sadie wants to see things. And I don’t freaking blame her given that we see through her all the scary crap that is lurking around. And that they are all beckoning for her. YEP, NOPE. I actually felt sorry for her that she had worked so hard to suppress things and then things come back.
Things really got scary throughout this novel and at times I was just NOPING out loud at my Kindle Reader. There are moments that will freaking terrify. The possession and what happens after, HOLY. I was so into my book that when I went to say hi to my hamsters, I was even startled by my hamster who was staring at me from a place she normally never was (doesn’t help she is all white with very black eyes and the room was dark). That is how much the book affected me. Every sound. Every shadow that moved had me startled and looking around. This book is scary and I love it. Haha. I thought at times things couldn’t get scarier, oh how wrong I was. How wrong…
I loved finding out more about what was lurking in Beacon Hill, what the past was. And while the house was superscary, I also loved seeing people go in there and get terrified.
August x Sadie? Mm, I wasn’t always a fan of how Sadie acted. In the beginning I was unsure about August as we saw him through Sadie’s judgemental eyes, but later on I saw a great friend. A great guy who was there for Sadie and who listened to her. And who also helped out with all the weird crap happening in this book. I think it is a blessing for him that he cannot see whatever is lurking in corners.
Americans are so weird. Haha, I already know this, but every time I read a book I keep coming back to it. In this one they were talking how x was murdered on the first floor. Yes? Then they continue saying (in that same sentence) that they only have to check out the rooms on the ground floor. I had to read that sentence 5 times + google things to make sure that ground floor is first floor. Because while I do know that Americans use the first floor for THE GROUND FLOOR, I didn’t realise they also used Ground Floor for that. WHY? Why would you call it first floor and then ground floor. MAKE UP YOUR MIND. flips some tables
Also, why didn’t August and Sadie make a hole before entering the damned house? I mean, I would have freaking done that. Hello? Saves you time from demonic gore ghosts that are hunting you. Also, hello? They knew that Ophelia was saved by being pulled through a window. Why didn’t they just circle the house and find that window? Open it up further or just enter as it was big enough. Fuck yeah that there is going to be a ghost just saying HELLO there, but it is easier and faster.
There are some parts that had me just shaking my head at the stupidity (if you are in a dark hospital don’t go wandering off). But that is standard for horror stuff, people do stupid things.
The ending, or well the last page had me freaking NOPE so hard and had me trying not to puke out my innards. I am not going to spoil anything, but DANG. That is one way to end a book. Be warned.
I love that there is also another plot going on. Because the ghosts know Sadie. They were waiting for her. There are nightmares in which Sadie sees her mother, who died. I am quite curious what is going on with that, what happened in the past. What was dad and the grandparents hiding? I cannot wait to read more of it in the next books. Yes. I will continue. Despite this being so much nope and superscary.
All in all, I cannot wait to dig deeper into this series and maybe even check out other books by this author! Currently writing this on 28-1, I got another book waiting for me, but after that? More horror, yas! weeps a little as she is also scared so badly. I would highly recommend this if you love horror, ghosts, don’t mind some gore and WTF is that? moments.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I am normally not a star at summarising books, but this one. I can. Very easily even! Namely: NOPE. And that until infinity and infinity and infinity. NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE.
This book was a freaking NOPE fest. And I mean that in a good way of course. But HOLY HELL this was a scary ride, and yes, I will continue the ride as there are two more books in the series.
I loved how the book started and how scary that was. I mean I knew that I was going to scared poopless if I continued the book. IF this was how it began, I just could get how much more NOPE it would get. Also, if you are being followed in a dark and very spooky house with tons of shadows doing come play with us, then DON’T LOOK IN THE MIRROR. NOPE.
Meet Sadie, a girl who has a fun job at as a librarian (JEALOUS) but whose life is going to be flipped over entirely when an old neighbour of hers calls her and asks for help with a possession or something thereabouts. I can hear you ask me why would anyone ask a librarian for help with a possession case? Well, um, Sadie can (or could) see things. Not that Sadie wants to see things. And I don’t freaking blame her given that we see through her all the scary crap that is lurking around. And that they are all beckoning for her. YEP, NOPE. I actually felt sorry for her that she had worked so hard to suppress things and then things come back.
Things really got scary throughout this novel and at times I was just NOPING out loud at my Kindle Reader. There are moments that will freaking terrify. The possession and what happens after, HOLY. I was so into my book that when I went to say hi to my hamsters, I was even startled by my hamster who was staring at me from a place she normally never was (doesn’t help she is all white with very black eyes and the room was dark). That is how much the book affected me. Every sound. Every shadow that moved had me startled and looking around. This book is scary and I love it. Haha. I thought at times things couldn’t get scarier, oh how wrong I was. How wrong…
I loved finding out more about what was lurking in Beacon Hill, what the past was. And while the house was superscary, I also loved seeing people go in there and get terrified.
August x Sadie? Mm, I wasn’t always a fan of how Sadie acted. In the beginning I was unsure about August as we saw him through Sadie’s judgemental eyes, but later on I saw a great friend. A great guy who was there for Sadie and who listened to her. And who also helped out with all the weird crap happening in this book. I think it is a blessing for him that he cannot see whatever is lurking in corners.
Americans are so weird. Haha, I already know this, but every time I read a book I keep coming back to it. In this one they were talking how x was murdered on the first floor. Yes? Then they continue saying (in that same sentence) that they only have to check out the rooms on the ground floor. I had to read that sentence 5 times + google things to make sure that ground floor is first floor. Because while I do know that Americans use the first floor for THE GROUND FLOOR, I didn’t realise they also used Ground Floor for that. WHY? Why would you call it first floor and then ground floor. MAKE UP YOUR MIND. flips some tables
Also, why didn’t August and Sadie make a hole before entering the damned house? I mean, I would have freaking done that. Hello? Saves you time from demonic gore ghosts that are hunting you. Also, hello? They knew that Ophelia was saved by being pulled through a window. Why didn’t they just circle the house and find that window? Open it up further or just enter as it was big enough. Fuck yeah that there is going to be a ghost just saying HELLO there, but it is easier and faster.
There are some parts that had me just shaking my head at the stupidity (if you are in a dark hospital don’t go wandering off). But that is standard for horror stuff, people do stupid things.
The ending, or well the last page had me freaking NOPE so hard and had me trying not to puke out my innards. I am not going to spoil anything, but DANG. That is one way to end a book. Be warned.
I love that there is also another plot going on. Because the ghosts know Sadie. They were waiting for her. There are nightmares in which Sadie sees her mother, who died. I am quite curious what is going on with that, what happened in the past. What was dad and the grandparents hiding? I cannot wait to read more of it in the next books. Yes. I will continue. Despite this being so much nope and superscary.
All in all, I cannot wait to dig deeper into this series and maybe even check out other books by this author! Currently writing this on 28-1, I got another book waiting for me, but after that? More horror, yas! weeps a little as she is also scared so badly. I would highly recommend this if you love horror, ghosts, don’t mind some gore and WTF is that? moments.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2024
This was genuinely terrifying. I couldn’t stop reading it and it gave me a pit in my stomach.
The pace was nice and easy to follow. I appreciate a good research montage and likable characters!
I’m dying for the sequel.
The pace was nice and easy to follow. I appreciate a good research montage and likable characters!
I’m dying for the sequel.
February 23, 2022
Mixed feelings about this one. If you were to ask me overall if I enjoyed it, I wouldn't really know how to answer. I mean, I WAS intrigued and I DID listen up until the end, but I'd be lying if I said this was a GOOD ghost story.
To me, it simply wasn't. Nothing about it was creepy. In fact, if I'm being completely honest, I felt like I was in an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark the entire time. Literally the dialogue, the way the scenes played out, the flow, I seriously could've been watching this on Snick on a Saturday night. If I would've read this book when I was 10 or 11 then yeah! Mother Maggot would've probably scared me enough to sleep with the lights on and my head under the covers but as an adult? No.
Ambrose Ibsen TRIED. He really did and there were a few points where I had hope, but it was all wrong. His writing style just doesn't gel with me, (obviously considering my comments up top) and I found it choppy and puzzling. The flowery language that he used was random and broken up - once second it felt like I was reading a novel attempting to mimic a gothic writing style, and the next paragraph read like a contemporary YA adventure. It wasn't cohesive and honestly it was very annoying. The plot itself was far-fetched, even for a supernatural story, and I found myself rolling my eyes at a lot of the events. I listened to the audiobook and while the performer had a pleasing voice, it wasn't enough to make the story SCARY. If anything I feel that it added to the cheesiness.
I only give one star ratings to books I DNF, so this one gets two because I DID finish it, if only to find out how the whole silly thing came to an end. And it was indeed silly.
To me, it simply wasn't. Nothing about it was creepy. In fact, if I'm being completely honest, I felt like I was in an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark the entire time. Literally the dialogue, the way the scenes played out, the flow, I seriously could've been watching this on Snick on a Saturday night. If I would've read this book when I was 10 or 11 then yeah! Mother Maggot would've probably scared me enough to sleep with the lights on and my head under the covers but as an adult? No.
Ambrose Ibsen TRIED. He really did and there were a few points where I had hope, but it was all wrong. His writing style just doesn't gel with me, (obviously considering my comments up top) and I found it choppy and puzzling. The flowery language that he used was random and broken up - once second it felt like I was reading a novel attempting to mimic a gothic writing style, and the next paragraph read like a contemporary YA adventure. It wasn't cohesive and honestly it was very annoying. The plot itself was far-fetched, even for a supernatural story, and I found myself rolling my eyes at a lot of the events. I listened to the audiobook and while the performer had a pleasing voice, it wasn't enough to make the story SCARY. If anything I feel that it added to the cheesiness.
I only give one star ratings to books I DNF, so this one gets two because I DID finish it, if only to find out how the whole silly thing came to an end. And it was indeed silly.
August 26, 2021
This story was up and down for me I mean the main character Sadie kind of got on my nerves but she grows on you her and her friend August work in a library which I think is really cool and sadie has a gift of seeing ghosts it had some jump scares and okay that ending was messed up so I may do the second book in time.
January 15, 2023
Eine absolut klassische Geistergeschichte, die mich tatsächlich so manches Mal gegruselt hat.
Der Stil war recht ordentlich, beziehungsweise die Übersetzung, auch wenn so manche Beschreibungen sich einfach zu oft wiederholt haben und auch wenn mich der Sprecher des Hörbuchs hie und da mal ein wenig aus der Bahn geworfen hat, indem bestimmte Wörter so ausgesprochen wurden, wie man sie meines Erachtens nach eigentlich nicht aussprechen sollte...
Die beiden Protagonisten waren anfangs ein wenig speziell; beide eher Charaktere mit ihren eigenen Besonderheiten, haben sie sich gen Ende doch ein wenig in meine Herzen geschlichen, gerade auch weil ich das Konzept sehr mag, dass Sadie Geister sehen kann, was im Laufe der Geschichte immer mehr an Bedeutsamkeit gewinnt und ein tieferes Plotkonstrukt erahnen lässt, sodass ich auch richtig Lust auf die Folgebände bekommen habe.
Der Stil war recht ordentlich, beziehungsweise die Übersetzung, auch wenn so manche Beschreibungen sich einfach zu oft wiederholt haben und auch wenn mich der Sprecher des Hörbuchs hie und da mal ein wenig aus der Bahn geworfen hat, indem bestimmte Wörter so ausgesprochen wurden, wie man sie meines Erachtens nach eigentlich nicht aussprechen sollte...
Die beiden Protagonisten waren anfangs ein wenig speziell; beide eher Charaktere mit ihren eigenen Besonderheiten, haben sie sich gen Ende doch ein wenig in meine Herzen geschlichen, gerade auch weil ich das Konzept sehr mag, dass Sadie Geister sehen kann, was im Laufe der Geschichte immer mehr an Bedeutsamkeit gewinnt und ein tieferes Plotkonstrukt erahnen lässt, sodass ich auch richtig Lust auf die Folgebände bekommen habe.
February 2, 2025
Leider hat mich das Buch so gar nicht überzeugen können. Es war mein erstes Horrorbuch, daher hatte ich wenig Erwartung und ich bin auch generell leicht zu erschrecken und gruseln.
Das Positive zuerst: der Schreibstil war super angenehm und das Buch hat sich schnell lesen lassen.
Aber... die Handlung ließ doch sehr zu wünschen übrig. Die großen Zusammenhänge waren nur angedeutet, manches wurde angeteasert und gar nicht mehr aufgeklärt. Für die gruseligen Szenen bemühte sich der Autor wenig, stattdessen verließ er sich meines Erachtens darauf, dass der Leser solche Szenen aus Horrorfilmen kennt.
Leider mochte ich auch keinen der Chataktere. Sie waren entweder unsympathisch oder völlig "drüber" dargestellt. Für August ist es beispielsweise kein Problem, dass Sadie Geister sieht, er springt gleich voll auf den Zug auf. Er ist aber der einzige, der nicht egoistisch agiert, die anderen sind recht Ich-zentriert und unsympathisch.
Das Buch als ganzes war für mich gruseliger als die darin dargestellten Szenen... schade.
Das Positive zuerst: der Schreibstil war super angenehm und das Buch hat sich schnell lesen lassen.
Aber... die Handlung ließ doch sehr zu wünschen übrig. Die großen Zusammenhänge waren nur angedeutet, manches wurde angeteasert und gar nicht mehr aufgeklärt. Für die gruseligen Szenen bemühte sich der Autor wenig, stattdessen verließ er sich meines Erachtens darauf, dass der Leser solche Szenen aus Horrorfilmen kennt.
Leider mochte ich auch keinen der Chataktere. Sie waren entweder unsympathisch oder völlig "drüber" dargestellt. Für August ist es beispielsweise kein Problem, dass Sadie Geister sieht, er springt gleich voll auf den Zug auf. Er ist aber der einzige, der nicht egoistisch agiert, die anderen sind recht Ich-zentriert und unsympathisch.
Das Buch als ganzes war für mich gruseliger als die darin dargestellten Szenen... schade.
August 25, 2019
Best Deal on Amazon
Years ago I discovered the writer Ambrose Ibesen . Whether I bought them for 99cents or got them for free on Kindle Unlimited I always enjoyed them and noticed over the years that each book was better then the next. I started to look forward till his next book and advised him in my review's too put more work into his book covers and perhaps add some length to his books. This book is perhaps his best and for someone who reads 3 or 4 books a week and who's favorite genre is horror I can't for the life of me understand how this writer is not on th New York Times bestseller list. This book and many of his previous books are that good. Grab this book and his earlier works before he is discovered by some big publisher. I warn you you will not be able to put this one down!
Years ago I discovered the writer Ambrose Ibesen . Whether I bought them for 99cents or got them for free on Kindle Unlimited I always enjoyed them and noticed over the years that each book was better then the next. I started to look forward till his next book and advised him in my review's too put more work into his book covers and perhaps add some length to his books. This book is perhaps his best and for someone who reads 3 or 4 books a week and who's favorite genre is horror I can't for the life of me understand how this writer is not on th New York Times bestseller list. This book and many of his previous books are that good. Grab this book and his earlier works before he is discovered by some big publisher. I warn you you will not be able to put this one down!
October 17, 2024
Eine Spukhaus-Geschichte, die sich meiner Meinung nach vom Einheitsbrei abhebt. Ich habe das Buch in einem Rutsch durchgelesen und es hat mir extrem gut gefallen. Die Protagonisten sind gut und glaubwürdig ausgearbeitet, der Schreibstil lässt sich angenehm lesen und die Geschichte ist sehr spannend.
Edit: Ich habe dieses Buch noch einmal gelesen, einfach weil die Nachfolgebände noch hier auf dem SUB stehen und ich den Inhalt dieses Buches nicht mehr so ganz erinnern konnte. Wieder hat es mich sehr gut unterhalten, einzig fand ich, das Sadie manchmal etwas zu zögerlich auf mich wirkte. Dafür dass sie schon seit Kindesbeinen an Geister sehen kann, hat mich das etwas gestört. Daher einen halben Stern Abzug von den Ursprünglich fünf Sternen, denn es war trotzdem eine richtig gute Geschichte. Dieses Mal habe ich sie gehört statt gelesen und fand das ganze super gelesen.
Edit: Ich habe dieses Buch noch einmal gelesen, einfach weil die Nachfolgebände noch hier auf dem SUB stehen und ich den Inhalt dieses Buches nicht mehr so ganz erinnern konnte. Wieder hat es mich sehr gut unterhalten, einzig fand ich, das Sadie manchmal etwas zu zögerlich auf mich wirkte. Dafür dass sie schon seit Kindesbeinen an Geister sehen kann, hat mich das etwas gestört. Daher einen halben Stern Abzug von den Ursprünglich fünf Sternen, denn es war trotzdem eine richtig gute Geschichte. Dieses Mal habe ich sie gehört statt gelesen und fand das ganze super gelesen.
December 7, 2020
Forgettable, but enough to keep me entertained for today. Reminds me of those horror movies I used to watch that are all the same, yet you still watch them anyway.
January 10, 2025
After having read Ibsen‘s short stories late last year I became an instant fan. I love these old school horror vibes. Ibsen‘s style is not hardcore horror, it’s creepy but not gory. I really like this.
The first of the Beckoning Dead series now.. it is everything I said above but, for me, minus the creepy factors. It is a haunted house story. There are ghosts and possessions and everything. But over all this story didn’t work for me too well. If you have read any other haunted house ghost story then it’s likely that this one will be.. well.. quite boring for you. It delivers what is to be expected but nothing new. In addition, for me the characters stayed kind of flat. I didn’t like them and couldn’t warm up to Sadie and even disliked Augustus.
It’s a solid story in itself and it works as a standalone, so if you wanna give this series a try, go for it. You don’t have to commit to the whole series.
Writing ⭐️
Characters 💫
Plot 💫
Enjoyment 💫
Atmosphere 💫
The first of the Beckoning Dead series now.. it is everything I said above but, for me, minus the creepy factors. It is a haunted house story. There are ghosts and possessions and everything. But over all this story didn’t work for me too well. If you have read any other haunted house ghost story then it’s likely that this one will be.. well.. quite boring for you. It delivers what is to be expected but nothing new. In addition, for me the characters stayed kind of flat. I didn’t like them and couldn’t warm up to Sadie and even disliked Augustus.
It’s a solid story in itself and it works as a standalone, so if you wanna give this series a try, go for it. You don’t have to commit to the whole series.
Writing ⭐️
Characters 💫
Plot 💫
Enjoyment 💫
Atmosphere 💫
probably-not
August 16, 2025Oh dear. “Liberry” and “liberian” huh?
December 27, 2020
So, never having read anything by this author; Ambrose Ibsen I really enjoyed going on this haunted mansion story and finding out what in the hell was haunting and living in the mansion on Beacon Hill. The story starts out with a group of young girls daring each other to venture into their local 'haunted mansion' Beacon Hill.....and Girl, oh Girl, did things go wrong with this scary dare!
Ibsen's writing was very easy to ease myself into, and it was very well done without throwing your typical gore, sex and violence 'in your face scares'. He brings you along getting to know the characters which is something that i ususally don't like but in this case, it works out very well.
Sadie is a young 26 year old librarian who LOVES her job and books.....(as so do I!) and one day when she was young, was one of the girls i spoke of earlier....and after her and her friends escape a very life threatening experience in Beacon Hill she never spoke of it again. She was the only one that saw and could see ghosts, but can she really?
One day at work she encounters a young girl around 6 who is very precocious and asking all kinds of questions about why is Sadie a librarian and so on and so on, well her mother realizes she was Saides childhood friend and remembers that Sadie 'had a way with Ghosts, and seeing things that no one else saw'. When she asks Sadie for some help, because now her daughter seems to be haunted by a ghost, Sadie goes back to Beacon Hill. Is she ready to bring up the ghosts of her past and the past of the scary mansion on the hill?
I learned to love the characters of Sadie, and August! August with his obsession with bowties was the best, however Sadie gets kind of annoying at times but you get over it. Ophelia, the 'haunted daughter' of her friend reminded me of a character in the film 'The Haunting' and she is very creepy at times. Ibsen knows how to write a suspense filled ghost story, even though it started out slow a bit, it kept me interested and i could not wait to find out the creepy past of Beacon Hill. Will definitely be listening to the next book in the 'series' The Haunting of Rainier Asylum. It's funny because growing up in the Seattle area of Tacoma, there is a Beacon Hill in Seattle, as well as an old Rainier Asylum......Hmmmm? Was surprised that the book took place in Montpelier Vermont.
September 16, 2022
Spannendes Horror Buch, das mir tatsächlich Gänsehaut bereitet hat. Ein Mädchen begeht nach einem nächtlichen Besuch im Beacon Hill Haus einen Selbstmordversuch. Sadie, die seit ihrer Jugend Geister sehen kann, soll ihr helfen. Viele klassische Horror Elemente vereint in einer guten Story, spannend und fesselnd geschrieben. Der Autor erfindet das Genre defintiv nicht neu, erzählt aber sehr bildhaft und schafft dadurch den Gruselfaktor. Das Buch kann man sich gut verfilmt vorstellen, ich sehe die Bilder beim Lesen schon vor mir. Ich freue mich sehr auf den nächsten Teil, den ich auch sicherlich wieder nur im Hellen lesen werde.
February 28, 2022
If I could give it a 0, I would, but I can’t. So, I’ll give it a 1
The story line is paper thin and doesn’t come to a head until the last 15 pages. There’s absolutely no character development and the relationships between characters leaves much to be desired. If you can get past the grammatical errors, unnecessarily wordy paragraphs, and use of “five word words” that serve not purpose; you’ve got yourself a middle school creative writing assignment at best.
The story line is paper thin and doesn’t come to a head until the last 15 pages. There’s absolutely no character development and the relationships between characters leaves much to be desired. If you can get past the grammatical errors, unnecessarily wordy paragraphs, and use of “five word words” that serve not purpose; you’ve got yourself a middle school creative writing assignment at best.
October 17, 2021
Mir liefen einige Gänsehautschauer über den Rücken. Besonders das Ende war noch einmal sehr spannungsgeladen.
Einzig was mir nicht ganz gefiel, war die Sprache. Die Sprache war sehr gut und erlesen, passte jedoch nicht zur Atmosphäre, meiner Meinung nach, und wirkte hier etwas gekünstelt.
Einzig was mir nicht ganz gefiel, war die Sprache. Die Sprache war sehr gut und erlesen, passte jedoch nicht zur Atmosphäre, meiner Meinung nach, und wirkte hier etwas gekünstelt.
February 20, 2023
I enjoyed this story but bloody hell, I had to push myself through the audiobook version. The narrator sounds like a robot.
2.5⭐️
Unfortunately I am marking this one less than I maybe would have if I had physically read the book. Maybe I'll try it some time again in the future.
2.5⭐️
Unfortunately I am marking this one less than I maybe would have if I had physically read the book. Maybe I'll try it some time again in the future.
September 2, 2019
Creepy, gruesome and downright scary.. Great story!
October 27, 2020
Ich beobachte das Programm vom Festa Verlag immer ganz genau denn dort finden sich immer wieder tolle Geister und Gruselgeschichten die mich total ansprechen. Passend zu Halloween ist nun Der Spuk von Beacon Hill erschienen und der Klappentext verspricht eine spannende Geistergeschichte:
Ophelia und zwei ihrer Freunde wollen eine Mutprobe im alten Haus auf dem Beacon Hill absolvieren, in dem es spuken soll. Also Ophelia aus dem Haus kommt, ist nichts mehr wie es einmal war. Das Mädchen scheint verrückt geworden zu sein und behauptet von einem bösen Geist terrorisiert zu werden. Als sie versucht sich umzubringen, bitten ihre Eltern die Bibliothekarin Sadie um Hilfe. Sadie ist empfänglich für das Übersinnliche versucht aber seit Jahren schon ihre Gabe so gut es geht zu unterdrücken. Dennoch will sie Ophelia helfen und betritt das Haus auf dem Haus auf dem Beacon Hill und muss feststellen das der Geist keineswegs nur Einbildung ist. Er ist abgrundtief böse und hat es nun auf Sadie abgesehen ...
Ambrose Ibsen hat hier ein grusliges Szenario erschaffen, eine übersinnliche Bibliothekarin, ein altes Spuk Haus und einen abgrundtief bösen Geister, der vor nichts halt, macht. Daraus erschafft er eine schaurig schöne Geistergeschichte die eine Gänsehaut verursacht. Der Einstieg in die Geschichte ist mir sehr leicht gefallen da man direkt in die Geschichte katapultiert wird, zum Haus auf den Beacon Hill. Was mir sehr gut gefallen hat, ist das die Geschichte nicht nur die aktuellen Geschehnisse beleuchtet, sondern auch die Vergangenheit des Hauses, dessen Bewohner und vor allem die des Geistes. Dadurch bekommt der Leser einen rundum Blick auf die Ereignisse und was dazu geführt hat.
Der Schreibstil von Ambrose Ibsen ist dabei sehr einfach und leicht zu folgen. Er schafft es von der ersten Seite an Spannung aufkommen zu lassen und diese bis zum Ende zu halten. Immer wieder gelingt es ihm den Horror und Grusel der Geschichte auf den Leser zu übertragen was einem bei manchen Szenen kalte Schauer über den Rücken jagt. Das einzige Manko war die schnelle Abhandlung des Endes, hier hätte man sich ruhig noch ein paar Seiten Zeit nehmen können.
Unsere Protagonistin Sadie ist richtig gut ausgearbeitet und ich konnte mich gut in sie hineinversetzen. Sie hat in ihrem Leben durch ihre Gabe schon einiges mitgemacht was natürlich seine Spuren hinterlassen hat. Trotzdem stellt sie sich mutig gegen das Böse und versucht es zu bekämpfen. Ihren Kollegen August mochte ich auch sehr gerne, obwohl er teilweise sehr undurchsichtig und seltsam ist. Als Team waren die beiden aber Badass.
Mit Der Spuk von Beacon Hill liefert Ambrose Ibsen eine klassische Geistergeschichte ab, die dem Leser das Fürchten lehrt. Durch die spannende Geschichte, die düstere Atmosphäre und eine tolle Protagonistin weiß das Buch den Leser zu unterhalten. Ich kann es kaum erwarten mich mit Sadie ins nächste Gruselabenteuer zu stürzen, denn es wird noch mindestens zwei in sich abgeschlossene Geschichten rund um die Bibliothekarin geben. Es gibt allerdings noch keine Erscheinungstermine für The Haunting of Rainier Asylum und The Haunting of Winslow Manor.
Band 1 der Reihe erhält eine absolute Halloween Leseempfehlung und sehr gute 4 von 5 Sternen
4 von 5 Sternen
Ophelia und zwei ihrer Freunde wollen eine Mutprobe im alten Haus auf dem Beacon Hill absolvieren, in dem es spuken soll. Also Ophelia aus dem Haus kommt, ist nichts mehr wie es einmal war. Das Mädchen scheint verrückt geworden zu sein und behauptet von einem bösen Geist terrorisiert zu werden. Als sie versucht sich umzubringen, bitten ihre Eltern die Bibliothekarin Sadie um Hilfe. Sadie ist empfänglich für das Übersinnliche versucht aber seit Jahren schon ihre Gabe so gut es geht zu unterdrücken. Dennoch will sie Ophelia helfen und betritt das Haus auf dem Haus auf dem Beacon Hill und muss feststellen das der Geist keineswegs nur Einbildung ist. Er ist abgrundtief böse und hat es nun auf Sadie abgesehen ...
Ambrose Ibsen hat hier ein grusliges Szenario erschaffen, eine übersinnliche Bibliothekarin, ein altes Spuk Haus und einen abgrundtief bösen Geister, der vor nichts halt, macht. Daraus erschafft er eine schaurig schöne Geistergeschichte die eine Gänsehaut verursacht. Der Einstieg in die Geschichte ist mir sehr leicht gefallen da man direkt in die Geschichte katapultiert wird, zum Haus auf den Beacon Hill. Was mir sehr gut gefallen hat, ist das die Geschichte nicht nur die aktuellen Geschehnisse beleuchtet, sondern auch die Vergangenheit des Hauses, dessen Bewohner und vor allem die des Geistes. Dadurch bekommt der Leser einen rundum Blick auf die Ereignisse und was dazu geführt hat.
Der Schreibstil von Ambrose Ibsen ist dabei sehr einfach und leicht zu folgen. Er schafft es von der ersten Seite an Spannung aufkommen zu lassen und diese bis zum Ende zu halten. Immer wieder gelingt es ihm den Horror und Grusel der Geschichte auf den Leser zu übertragen was einem bei manchen Szenen kalte Schauer über den Rücken jagt. Das einzige Manko war die schnelle Abhandlung des Endes, hier hätte man sich ruhig noch ein paar Seiten Zeit nehmen können.
Unsere Protagonistin Sadie ist richtig gut ausgearbeitet und ich konnte mich gut in sie hineinversetzen. Sie hat in ihrem Leben durch ihre Gabe schon einiges mitgemacht was natürlich seine Spuren hinterlassen hat. Trotzdem stellt sie sich mutig gegen das Böse und versucht es zu bekämpfen. Ihren Kollegen August mochte ich auch sehr gerne, obwohl er teilweise sehr undurchsichtig und seltsam ist. Als Team waren die beiden aber Badass.
Mit Der Spuk von Beacon Hill liefert Ambrose Ibsen eine klassische Geistergeschichte ab, die dem Leser das Fürchten lehrt. Durch die spannende Geschichte, die düstere Atmosphäre und eine tolle Protagonistin weiß das Buch den Leser zu unterhalten. Ich kann es kaum erwarten mich mit Sadie ins nächste Gruselabenteuer zu stürzen, denn es wird noch mindestens zwei in sich abgeschlossene Geschichten rund um die Bibliothekarin geben. Es gibt allerdings noch keine Erscheinungstermine für The Haunting of Rainier Asylum und The Haunting of Winslow Manor.
Band 1 der Reihe erhält eine absolute Halloween Leseempfehlung und sehr gute 4 von 5 Sternen
4 von 5 Sternen
November 12, 2020
Passend zur Jahreszeit habe ich im Moment total Lust auf gruselige Bücher. Und was bei mir immer einen wunden Punkt trifft sind Geister, besonders wenn diese in Häusern spucken. So kam Der Spuk von Beacon Hill genau richtig.
Der Anfang war vielversprechend. Jugendliche, die neugierig sind und sich in ein Geisterhaus schleichen, alt bekannt aber nicht minder schlecht deswegen. Ophelia sieht etwas in dem Haus, etwa das sie nicht mehr loslässt und bis nach Hause verfolgt. Maden Mutter. Und ich kann euch sagen, die Werte Dame ist kein schöner Anblick.
Sadie arbeiten in einer Bibliothek und liebt Bücher, da war sofort Sympathie meinerseits gegeben. Ophelia Mutter zieht sie zurate, da sie damals als Teenager komische Dinge gesehen haben will. Doch Sadie hat lange versucht dies alles zu verdrängen und nun kommen Dinge zutage, die lieber hätten ruhen sollen.
Ich liebe Spukhäuser Geschichten und so waren meine Erwartungen hoch. Der Schreibstil ist eher einfach gehalten, manche Dialoge wirken etwas hölzern. Im Austausch mit anderen wurde mir gesagt, dass dies wohl an der Übersetzung liegt und es im Original besser sein soll. Das hat den Lesespaß aber nicht gemindert, Langeweile kam beim Lesen keine auf.
Es gab einige gruselige Szenen, bei denen ich nicht gerne dabei gewesen wäre. Die Autorin schafft es eine schaurige Atmosphäre zu erschaffen, sodass ich als ich ins Bad musste, im Flur doch lieber das Licht angemacht habe. Das Ende setzt dem dann nochmal die Krone auf und ich dachte nur noch, Was echt jetzt. Das Rad wurde hier sicherlich nicht neu erfunden, aber doch weiß der Spuk von Beacon Hill zu unterhalten und zu gruseln.
Fazit:
Eine tolle Lektüre, wenn man es schaurig mag und Lust auf eine Geisterhausgeschichte hat, einzig der etwas platte Schreibstil macht einem die Geschichte etwas madig. Vorsicht Wortspiel, welches bestimmt noch niemand im Zusammenhang mit diesem Buch benützt hat ;-)
Der Anfang war vielversprechend. Jugendliche, die neugierig sind und sich in ein Geisterhaus schleichen, alt bekannt aber nicht minder schlecht deswegen. Ophelia sieht etwas in dem Haus, etwa das sie nicht mehr loslässt und bis nach Hause verfolgt. Maden Mutter. Und ich kann euch sagen, die Werte Dame ist kein schöner Anblick.
Sadie arbeiten in einer Bibliothek und liebt Bücher, da war sofort Sympathie meinerseits gegeben. Ophelia Mutter zieht sie zurate, da sie damals als Teenager komische Dinge gesehen haben will. Doch Sadie hat lange versucht dies alles zu verdrängen und nun kommen Dinge zutage, die lieber hätten ruhen sollen.
Ich liebe Spukhäuser Geschichten und so waren meine Erwartungen hoch. Der Schreibstil ist eher einfach gehalten, manche Dialoge wirken etwas hölzern. Im Austausch mit anderen wurde mir gesagt, dass dies wohl an der Übersetzung liegt und es im Original besser sein soll. Das hat den Lesespaß aber nicht gemindert, Langeweile kam beim Lesen keine auf.
Es gab einige gruselige Szenen, bei denen ich nicht gerne dabei gewesen wäre. Die Autorin schafft es eine schaurige Atmosphäre zu erschaffen, sodass ich als ich ins Bad musste, im Flur doch lieber das Licht angemacht habe. Das Ende setzt dem dann nochmal die Krone auf und ich dachte nur noch, Was echt jetzt. Das Rad wurde hier sicherlich nicht neu erfunden, aber doch weiß der Spuk von Beacon Hill zu unterhalten und zu gruseln.
Fazit:
Eine tolle Lektüre, wenn man es schaurig mag und Lust auf eine Geisterhausgeschichte hat, einzig der etwas platte Schreibstil macht einem die Geschichte etwas madig. Vorsicht Wortspiel, welches bestimmt noch niemand im Zusammenhang mit diesem Buch benützt hat ;-)
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