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The Haunted House From Hell
When Catherine Porter murders her only son and takes her own life, no one can understand why. Vilified for her crimes, she becomes synonymous with everything evil and wicked amongst the locals, and parents begin using her name to scare their errant children into behaving.
Soon after her death, reports begin to circulate that her ghost has been seen inside her old house. Over the years, the sightings continue, sending most of the house's occupants running from the property, screaming into the night, never to return.
When the Jefferson family moves in, they decide to hold a séance to finally rid the property of its unwanted guest. But in doing so, they unleash something even more terrifying: a malevolent force that will stop at nothing to take back its domain.
Soon after her death, reports begin to circulate that her ghost has been seen inside her old house. Over the years, the sightings continue, sending most of the house's occupants running from the property, screaming into the night, never to return.
When the Jefferson family moves in, they decide to hold a séance to finally rid the property of its unwanted guest. But in doing so, they unleash something even more terrifying: a malevolent force that will stop at nothing to take back its domain.
354 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2021
121 people are currently reading
527 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
July 13, 2021
Wow! This was a spooky haunted tale!
A small backstory:
The Jeffersons (William and Celia) along with their two young daughters move into a home that is known as the Porter House and which is known throughout the town as being haunted as a woman (Catherine Porter) killed her son in the house. Though William and Celia really do not believe in ghosts and hauntings they just throw caution to the wind and ignore the warnings/whispers of the towns people.
Not too long after getting settled though an apparition appears of an old woman and she seems to linger in the daughters bedrooms. But the parents kind of ignore the claims of their daughters of seeing the ghost until things start happening to them as well. When Celia encounters the ghost of the old woman along with feeling cold drafts in the house she freaks out to the point that she contacts paranormal investigators to help her out with the ghost. Things go from bad to worse as the paranormal investigators encounter another entity that is far more powerful and malevolent which is far beyond their capability so they will need to enlist someone to help them get rid of the entity as when it gets angry there will be hell to pay for all involved!
Thoughts:
This was a new author to me and I was impressed how the story slowly builds up the suspense and mystery of the haunting. Everything that happens within the house just goes slow at first with a sighting here and there with whispers/voices, cold drafts, and doors slamming on their own, which is the basic routine of a haunting.
About half way through the book the story escalates slightly as more things are happening (physical contact with the family and an evil voice making itself known) as the entity has manifested itself more throughout the storyline, but the last half of the book I read within 12 hours as I just could not put it down as the haunting skyrocketed with the entity causing havoc with the family!
This story was super spooky in the last half of the book which with me reading it during the night when things were quiet had me jittery as I kept thinking I was seeing shadows flitting in the corner of my room and I had some crazy dreams. Normally I don't have weird dreams when reading ghost stories as I consider myself desensitized to horror but some spooky stories sometimes creep under my skin and invade my dreams if I am really into the storyline which I was deep into this book!
I have more books by this author which I will be stepping into at some point and looking forward to reading more of his work. Giving this one five "Hellish Haunting" stars!
A small backstory:
The Jeffersons (William and Celia) along with their two young daughters move into a home that is known as the Porter House and which is known throughout the town as being haunted as a woman (Catherine Porter) killed her son in the house. Though William and Celia really do not believe in ghosts and hauntings they just throw caution to the wind and ignore the warnings/whispers of the towns people.
Not too long after getting settled though an apparition appears of an old woman and she seems to linger in the daughters bedrooms. But the parents kind of ignore the claims of their daughters of seeing the ghost until things start happening to them as well. When Celia encounters the ghost of the old woman along with feeling cold drafts in the house she freaks out to the point that she contacts paranormal investigators to help her out with the ghost. Things go from bad to worse as the paranormal investigators encounter another entity that is far more powerful and malevolent which is far beyond their capability so they will need to enlist someone to help them get rid of the entity as when it gets angry there will be hell to pay for all involved!
Thoughts:
This was a new author to me and I was impressed how the story slowly builds up the suspense and mystery of the haunting. Everything that happens within the house just goes slow at first with a sighting here and there with whispers/voices, cold drafts, and doors slamming on their own, which is the basic routine of a haunting.
About half way through the book the story escalates slightly as more things are happening (physical contact with the family and an evil voice making itself known) as the entity has manifested itself more throughout the storyline, but the last half of the book I read within 12 hours as I just could not put it down as the haunting skyrocketed with the entity causing havoc with the family!
This story was super spooky in the last half of the book which with me reading it during the night when things were quiet had me jittery as I kept thinking I was seeing shadows flitting in the corner of my room and I had some crazy dreams. Normally I don't have weird dreams when reading ghost stories as I consider myself desensitized to horror but some spooky stories sometimes creep under my skin and invade my dreams if I am really into the storyline which I was deep into this book!
I have more books by this author which I will be stepping into at some point and looking forward to reading more of his work. Giving this one five "Hellish Haunting" stars!
April 8, 2022
THE HAUNTED HOUSE FROM HELL, by Mark L'estrange, is a story of one truly haunted house, and a mystery of what caused it to become that way. The prologue immediately got my attention, and honestly, I wish we could have read more of what went on during that time frame. For the short time I read about Catherine and her son, I wanted to know MORE.
After that, MANY years later, a family moves into this house that nobody has apparently been able to stay in more than a couple of weeks. A married couple, and their two young daughters, move there from London. The very first night they see a ghost. At this point, I'm starting to think it will be a fast paced book, but it ended up feeling like a lot of unnecessary conversations, with very little action until the last 20% or so. I never really felt connected to these characters, but instead, wanted to know more about the ghosts, and why they remained. (Honestly, I didn't care for the main couple and their relationship at all, but the girls and secondary characters were more exciting).
The end was much better in terms of excitement/action, and we did get a brief explanation about the former occupants. Still, I felt that a book on them--or at least with chapters included throughout the book that took you back to the past--would have kept my attention better. A very good idea, that I felt could have done with less dialog and more action.
After that, MANY years later, a family moves into this house that nobody has apparently been able to stay in more than a couple of weeks. A married couple, and their two young daughters, move there from London. The very first night they see a ghost. At this point, I'm starting to think it will be a fast paced book, but it ended up feeling like a lot of unnecessary conversations, with very little action until the last 20% or so. I never really felt connected to these characters, but instead, wanted to know more about the ghosts, and why they remained. (Honestly, I didn't care for the main couple and their relationship at all, but the girls and secondary characters were more exciting).
The end was much better in terms of excitement/action, and we did get a brief explanation about the former occupants. Still, I felt that a book on them--or at least with chapters included throughout the book that took you back to the past--would have kept my attention better. A very good idea, that I felt could have done with less dialog and more action.
July 22, 2025
When Catherine Porter murders her only son and takes her own life, no one can understand why. Vilified for her crimes, she becomes synonymous with everything evil and wicked amongst the locals, and parents begin using her name to scare their errant children into behaving. Soon after her death, reports begin to circulate that her ghost has been seen inside her old house. Over the years, the sightings continue, sending most of the house's occupants running from the property, screaming into the night, never to return. When the Jefferson family moves in, they decide to hold a séance to finally rid the property of its unwanted guest. But in doing so, they unleash something even more terrifying: a malevolent force that will stop at nothing to take back its domain.
I ask you, what ghost-story loving junkie wouldn't want to read something with a title like that?! How ever could I have resisted? We first meet The Jeffersons...William and Celia... along with their two young daughters who are moving into the house that known to the locals as the "Porter House" and the entire town knows that it is haunted. Catherine Porter had murdered her son in that house. William and Celia don't believe in ghosts...so how can there being a haunting? They throw "caution to the wind"...ignore the warnings and the whispers of the towns people, and move right in.
We didn't have long to wait before a ghost appeared...an old woman that seemed to be making herself at home in their daughter's bedrooms. Believe it or not...the parents simply ignored their daughters claims of having seen the ghost until more things begin to happen...and they are happening to them. Whole different story now. The wife, Celia, encounters the ghost of the same old woman along with feelings of cold drafts in the house. SHE FREAKS OUT! and contacts some paranormal investigators to help with the ghost. Things now go from bad to worse as the paranormal investigators encounter another entity that is far more powerful and malevolent and is far, far beyond even their capability... and they decide that they will need to ask someone else to help them to get rid of the ghost. They know they had angered this ghost and there is going to be hell to pay for everyone.
I liked how the story slowly built up the suspense and mystery of the haunting. Everything that was happening within the house went slow at first with just a sighting here and there along with whispers...voices, cold drafts, doors slamming on their own...typical things you would expect from a haunting. But about halfway through the book the story escalates as more things begin to start happening. There's now actual physical contact being felt by the family and an evil sounding voice making itself known as the entity starts to manifest itself more throughout the storyline. That was a good start to the climax of the story... actually the last half of the book. I could not just put it down. The haunting had greatly escalated to the point that the entity was no longer being sneaky but was constantly causing havoc that began to cause bodily harm, to the family.
This story was beyond just spooky. The last half of the book when things were quiet had me jittery, which I have read enough ghost stories in my lifetime that I thought I was immune...but obviously I'm NOT. This was a story that creeped under my skin and stayed with me long after the book was closed.
I have more books by this author that I will be diving into soon, but I'm giving these one five well deserved stars.
I ask you, what ghost-story loving junkie wouldn't want to read something with a title like that?! How ever could I have resisted? We first meet The Jeffersons...William and Celia... along with their two young daughters who are moving into the house that known to the locals as the "Porter House" and the entire town knows that it is haunted. Catherine Porter had murdered her son in that house. William and Celia don't believe in ghosts...so how can there being a haunting? They throw "caution to the wind"...ignore the warnings and the whispers of the towns people, and move right in.
We didn't have long to wait before a ghost appeared...an old woman that seemed to be making herself at home in their daughter's bedrooms. Believe it or not...the parents simply ignored their daughters claims of having seen the ghost until more things begin to happen...and they are happening to them. Whole different story now. The wife, Celia, encounters the ghost of the same old woman along with feelings of cold drafts in the house. SHE FREAKS OUT! and contacts some paranormal investigators to help with the ghost. Things now go from bad to worse as the paranormal investigators encounter another entity that is far more powerful and malevolent and is far, far beyond even their capability... and they decide that they will need to ask someone else to help them to get rid of the ghost. They know they had angered this ghost and there is going to be hell to pay for everyone.
I liked how the story slowly built up the suspense and mystery of the haunting. Everything that was happening within the house went slow at first with just a sighting here and there along with whispers...voices, cold drafts, doors slamming on their own...typical things you would expect from a haunting. But about halfway through the book the story escalates as more things begin to start happening. There's now actual physical contact being felt by the family and an evil sounding voice making itself known as the entity starts to manifest itself more throughout the storyline. That was a good start to the climax of the story... actually the last half of the book. I could not just put it down. The haunting had greatly escalated to the point that the entity was no longer being sneaky but was constantly causing havoc that began to cause bodily harm, to the family.
This story was beyond just spooky. The last half of the book when things were quiet had me jittery, which I have read enough ghost stories in my lifetime that I thought I was immune...but obviously I'm NOT. This was a story that creeped under my skin and stayed with me long after the book was closed.
I have more books by this author that I will be diving into soon, but I'm giving these one five well deserved stars.
February 9, 2023
Not good
Content warning for rape
SPOILERS
The story is told in such a passive voice that it’s impossible to really care about any of the characters. It also consists of everything being told, not shown. I was curious what would happen with the ghosts, which is why I kept reading. There is no style to the writing other than a lack of style. In the parts that aren’t just descriptions, the characters are superficial.
It sort of plods along until the 80% mark, at which point the husband, possessed by the male ghost, rapes his wife. She has to beat him off. But once he’s himself again, it’s as if the whole thing didn’t happen and she has no hesitation around her husband (I think anyone in this circumstance would possibly display some hesitation and mistrust—rape is still rape). Along with this, she also shortly after feels like making love—RIGHT AFTER THE RAPE.
I confess I read to the end. The male spirit is banished far too easily (and if the had just listened to the psychic’s advice in the first pace…) It gets more ridiculous. The ending is just a groaner bythe time it gets to the supposed twist ending.
Content warning for rape
SPOILERS
The story is told in such a passive voice that it’s impossible to really care about any of the characters. It also consists of everything being told, not shown. I was curious what would happen with the ghosts, which is why I kept reading. There is no style to the writing other than a lack of style. In the parts that aren’t just descriptions, the characters are superficial.
It sort of plods along until the 80% mark, at which point the husband, possessed by the male ghost, rapes his wife. She has to beat him off. But once he’s himself again, it’s as if the whole thing didn’t happen and she has no hesitation around her husband (I think anyone in this circumstance would possibly display some hesitation and mistrust—rape is still rape). Along with this, she also shortly after feels like making love—RIGHT AFTER THE RAPE.
I confess I read to the end. The male spirit is banished far too easily (and if the had just listened to the psychic’s advice in the first pace…) It gets more ridiculous. The ending is just a groaner bythe time it gets to the supposed twist ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2021
Very poor editing. Poorly fleshed out characters.
I liked the story line, BUT the editing in this book was terrible. A lot of words missing from sentences, there were quite a few misspellings, and the author didn’t use contractions such as “didn’t”. Real people don’t speak without using contractions unless they’re trying to give emphases on something, this is something the editor should have noticed and fixed. The poor editing was very distracting, and the characters were awful. None of them were fleshed out, and the women were like caricatures…. The religious old lady had a thing for the priest, the wife was extremely submissive (think 1950s wife/family concept with the inclusion of modern technology) the heavyset psychic (who appears out of no where, and it doesn’t make sense) is described as fat, lazy, eats too much, and manipulative. It wasnt my favorite. I had to push myself to finish it and the ‘surprise’ at the end is so obvious I had it figured out halfway through the book.
I liked the story line, BUT the editing in this book was terrible. A lot of words missing from sentences, there were quite a few misspellings, and the author didn’t use contractions such as “didn’t”. Real people don’t speak without using contractions unless they’re trying to give emphases on something, this is something the editor should have noticed and fixed. The poor editing was very distracting, and the characters were awful. None of them were fleshed out, and the women were like caricatures…. The religious old lady had a thing for the priest, the wife was extremely submissive (think 1950s wife/family concept with the inclusion of modern technology) the heavyset psychic (who appears out of no where, and it doesn’t make sense) is described as fat, lazy, eats too much, and manipulative. It wasnt my favorite. I had to push myself to finish it and the ‘surprise’ at the end is so obvious I had it figured out halfway through the book.
August 15, 2021
The story was fine, and I actually thought the epilogue was a good way to reveal some motivations. But the characters were unbearably flat and one-note. The husband/father was obsessed with business dealings, stingy with money, and kept finances a secret so as not to bother his wife; the wife/mother constantly fretted and constantly tried to hide her fretting, but also decided not to step up to her husband regarding the danger the family was living in because it might upset him; the "bad" psychic was a selfish, food-obsessed creature who also just happened to be overweight, because fat = lazy and bad; and all the other characters were blandly virtuous.
Also, when you move into a house that turns out to be haunted, and you are not skeptical of the haunting at all, and the haunting stuff seems to be happening mostly in one of your children's bedrooms.....and there are extra bedrooms in your house.....why not move the children to one of the unhaunted/less haunted rooms?
Also, when you move into a house that turns out to be haunted, and you are not skeptical of the haunting at all, and the haunting stuff seems to be happening mostly in one of your children's bedrooms.....and there are extra bedrooms in your house.....why not move the children to one of the unhaunted/less haunted rooms?
October 29, 2022
Zeker een boek om tijdens Halloween te lezen. 😱
June 9, 2024
totally gripping
Loved that I couldn’t put the book down, all those interested in paranormal would firmly enjoy this read. Good book
Loved that I couldn’t put the book down, all those interested in paranormal would firmly enjoy this read. Good book
November 13, 2023
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Unfortunately, this book is not well thought-out, planned, or, indeed, written. The characters are very very very flat, and he doesn't seem to have a very firm grasp of how a woman would be have after having been raped, albeit by a husband who's possessed by an evil spirit. No. A raped woman does not want to "make love" the next morning and "joke" that she's "still sore from last night." That's not how rape works.
The husband can't decide whether he's loving, money-obsessed, cold, somewhat psychologically abusive and dismissive, or what. The wife is an idiot.
And YES, WE GET IT, THE HOUSE WAS COLD EVEN THOUGH ALL THE HEATING WAS TURNED ON. STOP BEING SURPRISED BY IT EVERY TIME YOU WRITE IT.
That alone would've been enough for me to mark this as 1 star, but then you also have the unbelievably uninspired spirits. The mother, who is dead-set on protecting the family, goes off the very first time someone simply insists she do so. The son too. You couldn't have put some more thought into those characters? What their actual motives were? How tied they were to the house? WHY they were tied to the house in the first place and why nobody in the decades and decades and DECADES since their deaths didn't think to sternly, maybe with a stomp, tell them to GO AWAY?
The editors didn't do a good job either. Typos, repeated words, commas where there should, be no commas (see?)... "She clapped her hand over her mouth as if to stifle a scream" was copy-pasted several times throughout the story...
what's with the Mandy character? You really went after her "enormous frame" and "considerable bulk," didn't you. Cause that's relevant to the story.. how? She was in 1 minute of action, an d you gave her a description that went on and on. Yes, we get it, she likes to eat. Oh no, she got stuck behind the table because she didn't pull out her chair. Because she's fat, see. Fat.
Also - there's really no need to describe every single goddamn action. It reads like the author was trying to get to some sort of high school essay word minimum.
I just... i can't. This is not a good book. Neither the writing nor the story itself make me want to pick up another one. Sorry.
Unfortunately, this book is not well thought-out, planned, or, indeed, written. The characters are very very very flat, and he doesn't seem to have a very firm grasp of how a woman would be have after having been raped, albeit by a husband who's possessed by an evil spirit. No. A raped woman does not want to "make love" the next morning and "joke" that she's "still sore from last night." That's not how rape works.
The husband can't decide whether he's loving, money-obsessed, cold, somewhat psychologically abusive and dismissive, or what. The wife is an idiot.
And YES, WE GET IT, THE HOUSE WAS COLD EVEN THOUGH ALL THE HEATING WAS TURNED ON. STOP BEING SURPRISED BY IT EVERY TIME YOU WRITE IT.
That alone would've been enough for me to mark this as 1 star, but then you also have the unbelievably uninspired spirits. The mother, who is dead-set on protecting the family, goes off the very first time someone simply insists she do so. The son too. You couldn't have put some more thought into those characters? What their actual motives were? How tied they were to the house? WHY they were tied to the house in the first place and why nobody in the decades and decades and DECADES since their deaths didn't think to sternly, maybe with a stomp, tell them to GO AWAY?
The editors didn't do a good job either. Typos, repeated words, commas where there should, be no commas (see?)... "She clapped her hand over her mouth as if to stifle a scream" was copy-pasted several times throughout the story...
what's with the Mandy character? You really went after her "enormous frame" and "considerable bulk," didn't you. Cause that's relevant to the story.. how? She was in 1 minute of action, an d you gave her a description that went on and on. Yes, we get it, she likes to eat. Oh no, she got stuck behind the table because she didn't pull out her chair. Because she's fat, see. Fat.
Also - there's really no need to describe every single goddamn action. It reads like the author was trying to get to some sort of high school essay word minimum.
I just... i can't. This is not a good book. Neither the writing nor the story itself make me want to pick up another one. Sorry.
September 26, 2024
A good story, though strangely placid. Unlike I’d thought from the title, things actually take quite a bit of time to get a move on, and while there’s a very good build of dread, there’s also not as many moments of true danger beyond psychological torment. The first half is definitely slower and harder to read, but it picks up and becomes much more chilling fun in the second half.
My main wish was that I could like the main family a little more. Celia, our mother-protagonist, is great and gets suitably dragged through the wringer as the story progresses—but I didn’t much care for William, her husband, until he FINALLY started taking things seriously. I quite liked the side characters, however!
The weight of some situations seemed to fluctuate; some events were hugely impactful and others just sort of… existed? I don’t want to spoil anything, but the end is a mix of very fascinating group sessions (one of which destroys a character marvelously) and a scene in between that really needed to have a lot more damage-fallout afterwards for how heavy things got? Or needed to be an attempt without succeeding, for things to be that peachy? But I still quite liked the finale.
The epilogue made me grin, seeing one final twist. It did make me wish we got more utterly gruesome things throughout, be it in dream sequences or attempted possessions or whatever, but all in all, a solid book. Looking forward to reading more of Mr. L’Estrange’s work!
My main wish was that I could like the main family a little more. Celia, our mother-protagonist, is great and gets suitably dragged through the wringer as the story progresses—but I didn’t much care for William, her husband, until he FINALLY started taking things seriously. I quite liked the side characters, however!
The weight of some situations seemed to fluctuate; some events were hugely impactful and others just sort of… existed? I don’t want to spoil anything, but the end is a mix of very fascinating group sessions (one of which destroys a character marvelously) and a scene in between that really needed to have a lot more damage-fallout afterwards for how heavy things got? Or needed to be an attempt without succeeding, for things to be that peachy? But I still quite liked the finale.
The epilogue made me grin, seeing one final twist. It did make me wish we got more utterly gruesome things throughout, be it in dream sequences or attempted possessions or whatever, but all in all, a solid book. Looking forward to reading more of Mr. L’Estrange’s work!
September 8, 2024
To start- I am usually very picky about books and have no problem not finishing a book. This one was a struggle for most of the book because the story was good but the writing style was not my usual taste. I was just intrigued enough to keep reading but I probably won’t read it again or make it a top recommendation.
The characters were flat, I couldn’t relate to them because I didn’t feel like I knew them. They stayed surface level for me from beginning to end. There was more description on every move the characters made than anything that gave them a personality. More back story on the ghosts would have built the story and given context on how evil the son was and why it was important to keep the spirit of the mother around. I would have loved more build up and more tension. Build up to the haunting- the more bumps in the night and feelings of being watched etc before the first manifestation. Tension between the parents could have been used to push the story forward. I mean, the husband moved his wife and family away from London, doesn’t tell her they are broke or that the house is haunted AND assaults her when possessed. All of the negative feelings those situations were just swept away.
Overall. The story had a lot of potential that it didn’t live up to.
The characters were flat, I couldn’t relate to them because I didn’t feel like I knew them. They stayed surface level for me from beginning to end. There was more description on every move the characters made than anything that gave them a personality. More back story on the ghosts would have built the story and given context on how evil the son was and why it was important to keep the spirit of the mother around. I would have loved more build up and more tension. Build up to the haunting- the more bumps in the night and feelings of being watched etc before the first manifestation. Tension between the parents could have been used to push the story forward. I mean, the husband moved his wife and family away from London, doesn’t tell her they are broke or that the house is haunted AND assaults her when possessed. All of the negative feelings those situations were just swept away.
Overall. The story had a lot of potential that it didn’t live up to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2025
You know how when you're reading or watching a film about a haunted house and you've shouting at the characters and think jeez why aren't they doing anything about it, why wait until it's escalated or someone has died before getting help or moving out....or if I was in that house I would already have done this or called this person and had Ghostbusters round.... well.... this book is that story... they move in shit happens they get shit "sorted".
They are a very upper class couple, very dhaaaaling and gap yaaarrr, put that aside and the premise is cool to start with is pretty cool then the middle is lots of filler that isn't needed and then "activity" ramps up bit weird but ok go with it and then I got to the end. Why. why. why. why. the end completely trashed the book even more.
for the ending alone, I wouldn't even bother. Sorry.
They are a very upper class couple, very dhaaaaling and gap yaaarrr, put that aside and the premise is cool to start with is pretty cool then the middle is lots of filler that isn't needed and then "activity" ramps up bit weird but ok go with it and then I got to the end. Why. why. why. why. the end completely trashed the book even more.
for the ending alone, I wouldn't even bother. Sorry.
December 20, 2024
Actually 3.5 to this book. It had its moments when it was captivating, but overall I felt it was lacking. I wanted to be scared more. The description on the back states "this book contains graphic violence and is not suitable for readers under the age of 18". There was really only one scene in the book that could've fell into that & as someone who's read dark romance with trigger warnings or even extreme horror, I didn't feel that this was to that level or even up to that warning even with that one scene. It was a good ghost read, but I feel like the antics could've been higher & the ending was a bit cliche for the reveal.
July 14, 2023
4.5 stars: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this haunting tale! It is very well written, but also easy to read. The characters were well developed for such a short book and they were easy to feel connected to. I immediately was rooting for them to get the help they needed to manage their haunting. I would have enjoyed a little more into the ghost interacting with the family to add more spooky factor, but an overall delightful read. I was thrilled, spooked, and captivated by the story. I’d definitely read another book by Mark!
November 23, 2025
Pleasantly surprised
I have not read any of Mr. L'Estrange's books but I love a good haunted house book, so I thought I'd give it a go. It was really good. The story was good, characters were good, haunted house was scary but not over done and I couldn't wait to read more. Never lost my interest because from the very beginning you are wondering "what did Catherine's son do"? So after 3 seances and a blessing I still didn't know what this presence was all about. Then at the very end the author gives us Catherine's diary, Oh Shizzle moment. Highly recommend.
I have not read any of Mr. L'Estrange's books but I love a good haunted house book, so I thought I'd give it a go. It was really good. The story was good, characters were good, haunted house was scary but not over done and I couldn't wait to read more. Never lost my interest because from the very beginning you are wondering "what did Catherine's son do"? So after 3 seances and a blessing I still didn't know what this presence was all about. Then at the very end the author gives us Catherine's diary, Oh Shizzle moment. Highly recommend.
May 20, 2024
This would have been a three-star read, because the story was decent, except for two things:
- the APPALLING fatphobia that starts at about the halfway mark (seriously, the character’s name is Mandy Morphatt 😐)
- this book is so poorly edited. e.g. “the scolding liquid burned her tongue, so she blew on the surface a couple of times before trying again. The hot tea soothed helped to soothe her nerves.” And that’s just one paragraph…!
- the APPALLING fatphobia that starts at about the halfway mark (seriously, the character’s name is Mandy Morphatt 😐)
- this book is so poorly edited. e.g. “the scolding liquid burned her tongue, so she blew on the surface a couple of times before trying again. The hot tea soothed helped to soothe her nerves.” And that’s just one paragraph…!
June 21, 2024
Good ghost story
This haunted house story made for a good read. The characters were nicely developed and believeable. The only real drawback to the main characters was how off-handedly they accepted the presence of the spirits in the house. Secondly, the plot built nicely to the finish which came quickly. It could have been fleshed out a bit more.
But these are minor complaints. The overall story was a good one and worth a read.
This haunted house story made for a good read. The characters were nicely developed and believeable. The only real drawback to the main characters was how off-handedly they accepted the presence of the spirits in the house. Secondly, the plot built nicely to the finish which came quickly. It could have been fleshed out a bit more.
But these are minor complaints. The overall story was a good one and worth a read.
October 26, 2025
I love a good haunted house story, and a good one is hard to find. The Haunted House From Hell was a bit predictable, but sufficiently creepy and a little scary to make it fun to read. The idea of a mother and her son as ghosts and the backstory about them makes it intriguing and unusual. The story was actually believable if you believe in ghosts. The family had a good reason to stay in a haunted house and try to remove the resident ghosts. The way they reacted to the haunting seemed right, except that the father was kind of a jerk who drank too much. There was a nice twist at the very end too. Overall a good ghost story.
January 4, 2026
Can I get you a drink?
Can I get you a drink?
Can I get you a drink?
All the characters in this book are cardboard cut-outs. Despite this, I managed to develop a complete loathing for the parents, and their insistence that everyone who stepped through the front door of their house have a whiskey.
There was a decent idea in the plotting of this book, but unfortunately it's almost completely buried under tired horror tropes and hack dialogue.
Can I get you a drink?
Can I get you a drink?
All the characters in this book are cardboard cut-outs. Despite this, I managed to develop a complete loathing for the parents, and their insistence that everyone who stepped through the front door of their house have a whiskey.
There was a decent idea in the plotting of this book, but unfortunately it's almost completely buried under tired horror tropes and hack dialogue.
January 23, 2023
Very ingrossing
I was very impressed with how well thought out this book was. There were no discernible holes or gaps and the story was consistent. I do wish the author had explained a bit about why the evil presence was not interested in showing himself to the oldest daughter. Oh well…it was a very fun read.
I was very impressed with how well thought out this book was. There were no discernible holes or gaps and the story was consistent. I do wish the author had explained a bit about why the evil presence was not interested in showing himself to the oldest daughter. Oh well…it was a very fun read.
July 4, 2023
Such an interesting book. It left me wanting more. I’m not one to read “ghost stories” but this just captivated me from the start. I couldn’t read this at night, creeped me out too much. Honestly, a great read. Well written, loved the layout of how the story is being told. It was my first time reading a book by this author; and can’t wait to read more.
May 5, 2024
Wow, what a book!!!
I won’t spoil the ending - it is a twist that I never saw coming, but made the story that much better. As if this book even needed it, everything about the story was well written - the characters, the seething, the plot - all aspects were literally combined into one of the best books I’ve read in a long time… thank you for this Mark!
I won’t spoil the ending - it is a twist that I never saw coming, but made the story that much better. As if this book even needed it, everything about the story was well written - the characters, the seething, the plot - all aspects were literally combined into one of the best books I’ve read in a long time… thank you for this Mark!
October 31, 2025
OMG!! 😮👍
Just finished your fabulous story this morning - Halloween 2025: surely very appropriate! Glad I read it in the daylight!
Thank you! Great book, great story and, without giving any spoilers, the true name of the evil spirit given, was a neat twist!
Best regards,
Sue Adams
England
Just finished your fabulous story this morning - Halloween 2025: surely very appropriate! Glad I read it in the daylight!
Thank you! Great book, great story and, without giving any spoilers, the true name of the evil spirit given, was a neat twist!
Best regards,
Sue Adams
England
November 26, 2025
Well Written
I liked this novel because I was able to react to Mandy's actions and to Father Gregory's actions. I would have liked to have read more of Mandy's actions. I am glad that none of the characters passed away. I liked William, Molly, Doris, Jennifer and Mitzi. It would have been nice if Dora, like Mandy, had been given more to do. Celia was okay.
I liked this novel because I was able to react to Mandy's actions and to Father Gregory's actions. I would have liked to have read more of Mandy's actions. I am glad that none of the characters passed away. I liked William, Molly, Doris, Jennifer and Mitzi. It would have been nice if Dora, like Mandy, had been given more to do. Celia was okay.
January 2, 2026
2.5
disappointing read to start off 2026. this definitely wasn't the haunted house from hell for me. there is 2 ghosts haunting this house and one is a good ghost protecting the family however they bring in a psychic who gets rid of the good one and leaves the bad one?! like hello? then she just disappeared. the mean ghost wasn't even that bad. not scary not a ghost from hell just a meh read.
disappointing read to start off 2026. this definitely wasn't the haunted house from hell for me. there is 2 ghosts haunting this house and one is a good ghost protecting the family however they bring in a psychic who gets rid of the good one and leaves the bad one?! like hello? then she just disappeared. the mean ghost wasn't even that bad. not scary not a ghost from hell just a meh read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2021
Thrilling
I was absolutely enthralled with this book from the first page. It was a rainy day and I devoured it from beginning to ending. My heart was racing has I kept reading. Couldn’t wait for the end but disappointed when it was done.
I was absolutely enthralled with this book from the first page. It was a rainy day and I devoured it from beginning to ending. My heart was racing has I kept reading. Couldn’t wait for the end but disappointed when it was done.
July 25, 2021
Good read
I enjoyed this book very much. Moved along with dragging. There was a section that was unnecessary but I enjoyed this book. Definitely recommend as held my interest to the very end.
I enjoyed this book very much. Moved along with dragging. There was a section that was unnecessary but I enjoyed this book. Definitely recommend as held my interest to the very end.
July 27, 2021
Good Book
I could not put this book down. When I did I could not e
Wait to pick it up again. It constantly held my interest! So many books ,of this kind, do not hold your intetest. However, this one did and had a great story base.
I could not put this book down. When I did I could not e
Wait to pick it up again. It constantly held my interest! So many books ,of this kind, do not hold your intetest. However, this one did and had a great story base.
June 8, 2023
The Haunted House from Hell
Although it's easy early on to tell where the book is headed, it was such a well written story that you couldn't wait to read more! I look forward to reading more by Mark L'Estrange!
Although it's easy early on to tell where the book is headed, it was such a well written story that you couldn't wait to read more! I look forward to reading more by Mark L'Estrange!
November 6, 2024
This really didn't work for me. I disliked the characters, especially the wife who complains about being broke while fighting with her husband for working too hard. And that ending... the lamest, dumbest one I've read in a while.
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