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Gothic Horror Mash-up #2
Fall of the House of Crain
Dr. John Montague is on a mission to uncover the truth behind the afterlife, and Hill House is where he’ll find it. The eighty-year-old mansion’s warped exterior hides a soul just as gnarled and twisted.
With his three assistants to help him discover the source of the house’s supernatural forces, Dr. Montague intends to live inside the crumbling building until he has the proof he needs. But when they hear incessant knocking on the walls at all hours of the night, a bloody message is found scrawled across a wall, and a friend begins to go mad, Dr. Montague fears he’s in over his head.
He calls his ex-wife for help, who is an accomplished medium, but that only seems to awaken the house further. Can he unmask Hill Houses’ secrets before it drives him insane, or will he become one more casualty to its horrors?
With his three assistants to help him discover the source of the house’s supernatural forces, Dr. Montague intends to live inside the crumbling building until he has the proof he needs. But when they hear incessant knocking on the walls at all hours of the night, a bloody message is found scrawled across a wall, and a friend begins to go mad, Dr. Montague fears he’s in over his head.
He calls his ex-wife for help, who is an accomplished medium, but that only seems to awaken the house further. Can he unmask Hill Houses’ secrets before it drives him insane, or will he become one more casualty to its horrors?
291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 28, 2021
11 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 14, 2022
3.5 Stars
I am really enjoying these Gothic mashup novels. I previously read and enjoyed Dracula Ascending so I was eager to read more in this companion series. This story is completely unrelated to the previous book in the series readers could certainly read this book first without spoiling anything.
I have read The Haunting of Hill House and so it was really fun to see all the similarities to the original work. I have read a few stories from Edgar Allen Poe but I will admit that I did not catch those references as much. I would most recommend this book to readers who have already read Shirley Jackson's classic because they will get the most out of this novel.
I am not usually a huge fan of haunted house stories so the fact that I enjoyed this one so much is testament to the author's ability to write a compelling story. I would recommend this one to any fans of horror classics.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author for review.
I am really enjoying these Gothic mashup novels. I previously read and enjoyed Dracula Ascending so I was eager to read more in this companion series. This story is completely unrelated to the previous book in the series readers could certainly read this book first without spoiling anything.
I have read The Haunting of Hill House and so it was really fun to see all the similarities to the original work. I have read a few stories from Edgar Allen Poe but I will admit that I did not catch those references as much. I would most recommend this book to readers who have already read Shirley Jackson's classic because they will get the most out of this novel.
I am not usually a huge fan of haunted house stories so the fact that I enjoyed this one so much is testament to the author's ability to write a compelling story. I would recommend this one to any fans of horror classics.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author for review.
June 1, 2022
Thank you to the author for a copy to review!
This was a really fun mashup of The Haunting of Hill House and some of Edgar Allan Poe stories.
I’m not a big fan of The Haunting of Hill House, mainly because of the fact that I found it to be pretty boring. I will also say that gothic horror is pretty hard for me to love because of the fact that the stories are on the slow side.
However, I think the author did a great job of connecting all the stories, speeding them up, and making them more exciting.
I would say this is a really good starting point for someone who isn’t sure how to get into gothic horror, or for someone who doesn’t typically enjoy the standard gothic horror story.
This was a really fun mashup of The Haunting of Hill House and some of Edgar Allan Poe stories.
I’m not a big fan of The Haunting of Hill House, mainly because of the fact that I found it to be pretty boring. I will also say that gothic horror is pretty hard for me to love because of the fact that the stories are on the slow side.
However, I think the author did a great job of connecting all the stories, speeding them up, and making them more exciting.
I would say this is a really good starting point for someone who isn’t sure how to get into gothic horror, or for someone who doesn’t typically enjoy the standard gothic horror story.
August 6, 2022
Reading this book made me weirdly happy. This is one of Cindy Winget's "Gothic Horror Mash-Up" books, and it takes the plot of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and interjects little bits of Edgar Allan Poe stories into the mix.
The setting is Hill House, the main cast remains the same as in Jackson's book, but a dozen of Poe's characters come and go, from the well-known to the obscure. Poe resides in the atmosphere, too, in the crack that runs down the front façade of Hill House and the ravens which circle overhead. A bit of Oscar Wilde shows up in one scene, as well, and some rather well-known spiritual skeptics come to dinner later in the book.
I assume most know the story of Hill House, so I won't rehash it here, but Winget has taken two masters of Gothic and psychological horror and slammed their creations together in a way which is well-plotted and brilliant. I grinned each time another little snippet of Poe crept into Hill House. This is a great read for anyone enamored of the old classics.
The setting is Hill House, the main cast remains the same as in Jackson's book, but a dozen of Poe's characters come and go, from the well-known to the obscure. Poe resides in the atmosphere, too, in the crack that runs down the front façade of Hill House and the ravens which circle overhead. A bit of Oscar Wilde shows up in one scene, as well, and some rather well-known spiritual skeptics come to dinner later in the book.
I assume most know the story of Hill House, so I won't rehash it here, but Winget has taken two masters of Gothic and psychological horror and slammed their creations together in a way which is well-plotted and brilliant. I grinned each time another little snippet of Poe crept into Hill House. This is a great read for anyone enamored of the old classics.
April 19, 2021
Thrilling and Terrifying
This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through! I loved the spin on the original story of Hill House. There were twists in this story that left me truly terrified. I haven't felt like this since I read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. I highly recommend this book for the perfect spooky thrill. Something that'll really make you scared of what goes bump in the night.
I hope this review helps! Happy Reading, and Blessed Be.
Lily Ashtree
This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through! I loved the spin on the original story of Hill House. There were twists in this story that left me truly terrified. I haven't felt like this since I read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. I highly recommend this book for the perfect spooky thrill. Something that'll really make you scared of what goes bump in the night.
I hope this review helps! Happy Reading, and Blessed Be.
Lily Ashtree
August 26, 2023
Holy moly...this book was an absolute blast! As someone who fell in love with the Haunting as a young girl, this book brought back a lot of memories but is also such a fresh take on a classic. I also adored all the Poe references.
A dash of history, ghosts, romance and huge looming haunted hauses...it all adds up to a great read.
If you are a fan of Darcy Coates or cozy horror, you really need to give this one a read.
Usually I walk alone, but I want to share my love of this book with everyone! It needs more hype!
A dash of history, ghosts, romance and huge looming haunted hauses...it all adds up to a great read.
If you are a fan of Darcy Coates or cozy horror, you really need to give this one a read.
Usually I walk alone, but I want to share my love of this book with everyone! It needs more hype!
July 5, 2023
2.5
Most of it was entertaining, but it dragged at times, there were a couple of characters introduced near the end for no reason other than to insert an Easter egg that didn't add anything to the story, and overall, I guess I was expecting something darker, spokier, maybe a good twist at the end... maybe my expectations were too high because of the Hill House series, even though the Hill House book wasn't as good either IMO.
Most of it was entertaining, but it dragged at times, there were a couple of characters introduced near the end for no reason other than to insert an Easter egg that didn't add anything to the story, and overall, I guess I was expecting something darker, spokier, maybe a good twist at the end... maybe my expectations were too high because of the Hill House series, even though the Hill House book wasn't as good either IMO.
March 25, 2021
Very compelling Mashup homage
I lost count of the other works being paid homage to in this mashup. I was somewhat disappointed that I did not catch any Lovecraft references but Poe did influence him so I suppose it still sits in the same vein. Eleanor I found to be a tragic figure, but the two Drs were even sadder to me.
I lost count of the other works being paid homage to in this mashup. I was somewhat disappointed that I did not catch any Lovecraft references but Poe did influence him so I suppose it still sits in the same vein. Eleanor I found to be a tragic figure, but the two Drs were even sadder to me.
February 4, 2023
Since The Haunting of Hill House has been a favorite of mine for over 50 years, this book was just fun. I loved the story staying fairly true to Shirley Jackson's book and I also picked up on some Poe (actually hard to miss) and other authors. Not a terribly long read (for me, listen). It was just an easy fun book.
September 17, 2021
creepy!!!
This book was so creepy.( I had nightmares after reading it) It was also written so well that I had a hard time putting it down. All the characters have great growth and you truly feel for each of them. Great story!
This book was so creepy.( I had nightmares after reading it) It was also written so well that I had a hard time putting it down. All the characters have great growth and you truly feel for each of them. Great story!
January 4, 2026
I had a lot of fun reading this book. It was spooky and creepy. Exactly what I wanted it to be. I'm not normaly a mashup person but I loved picking out all the different story mentions. Turns out I've read way more Poe than I thought. Good book. Highly recommended. I'm definetly going to check out the first book in this series now.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews