Tranquil Heights

by Megan Speece

Katie Edgecomb is questioning everything she thought she knew. She thought the family curse was fake, just a scary story her mom told her to keep her from misbehaving. The first-born daughters in each of the last three generations lost their lives on their twenty-fifth birthdays, a series of tragic accidents sending shock waves of grief through multiple generations. It isn't until Katie is faced with the real-time impacts of the curse that she starts to believe it may be more than a story and she sets out to discover the origins of the family's fabled curse. Her only clue lies in an exclusive girls' preparatory academy in Washington that was once an asylum. There, she must face heart-break, ugly truths, and events so terrifying that they threaten to sever her very ties to reality. She has no choice. Katie is pregnant, and she won't let her child become another life claimed by the curse.

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2021

About the author

Megan is a thriller author, horror buff, and dog person. She is currently writing books and helping authors navigate self publishing. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband and two dogs, and can be found spending her weekends at the beach, exploring everything Washington has to offer, or settling in with a good horror movie.

Reviews

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Tranquil Heights" by Megan Speece is an atmospheric and creative story!

The first-born daughter in the last three generations of Katie Edgecomb's family died in a horrific accident on her twenty-fifth birthday. Katie never took it seriously and always thought it was just a far-fetched story her mother told her. That is until her twin sister, Elizabeth died on their twenty-fifth birthday making it a curse through four generations!

Now Katie is driven to find out everything she can about the history of this curse and what took place at Tranquil Heights many years ago. Wilhelmina Darrington, Katie's Great-Great Grandmother, was a private duty nurse at Tranquil Heights when it was a hospital for wayward girls and women in the 1930's! Is that the connection?

Katie wants answers. She just found out she's pregnant and she's convinced her baby is going to be born a girl!

This story is told in two distinct timelines:
- Present: Katie's researching for the answer to the curse.
- Past: Wilhelmina's journal entries from 1934-1935.

The setting of Tranquil Heights is atmospheric, and the history of the facility is stuff made of nightmares. It's creepy, a bit ghostly and a ghastly place where women were treated deplorably during this period in history, all in the name of 'necessary and secretive' care.

I love the blended genres of Suspense and Horror with a bit of Mystery just in time for Halloween. The premise is creative, and the backstory is well presented. However, the ending felt a bit predictable, and it lacked a connective feel through the ‘past’ timeline.

This the first book in the Tranquil Heights series from this author and I believe she has a lot to offer to the reader. I am interested to see what she comes up with next and will definitely be watching for book #2!

Thank you to BookSirens and Megan Speece for a free digital ARC of this book. It is my pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The single most important thing you will do is to remember that it is your power, your control that opens and closes this curtain to the beyond”.

Katie and Liz Edgecomb never believe in the family curse, they thought it was all a joke. Their twenty fifth birthday arrives celebrated with laughter until one of the fraternal twins fulfills the curse. Now Katie must visit the old asylum known as Tranquil Heights, currently a rebuilt school, where it all began. Why is her family infected with the tragic death of every first born daughter? What horrific stories will come to light and will Katie have the capability to finally bring peace?

“What we saw that night was a nightmare come to life. It haunts my dreams”.

Although I like my horror to be a bit more on the gore side, I still enjoyed it. Definitely leans more Young Adult, then adult. Katie grew on me! I want to attempt to give out the minimalist of spoilers. When Katie’s great great grandmother worked at the asylum in 1934, its sole purpose was the care for pregnant women from aristocratic men.

“A light tinkle came from the bells hung from the doorknob, disrupting the otherwise eerie silence of the tiny space”.

The one thing that confused me is that the journal was not in first person. This would make it feel more compatible as Katie is reading the journal. Instead it is as if Wilhelmina wrote more of a memoir compared to a personal journal. Pages were missing adding into the mystery of Tranquil Heights. The journal is the story that kept me driving deeper into the novella as the anticipation grew to the revelation.

“Coincidences were stacking on top of coincidences, and Katie felt as though Tranquil Heights had been waiting for her all these years”.

A perfect October read for paranormal fans! A page turning dual timeline read as well that plummets the reader into a well crafted creepy atmosphere.

Thank you to BookSirens for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Leighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to BookSirens for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Tranquil Heights by Megan Speece is a spooky novella that will appeal to readers who enjoyed new releases like Madam and The Hawthorne School. The story revolves around Katie, a pregnant teacher who joins the faculty of a prestigious girls' academy in Washington. In Katie's family, there is a curse that the firstborn daughter of each generation will die before she turns 25. Now that Katie is pregnant, she has to find out the truth behind the curse so that her unborn daughter does not fall into the same horrifying fate that Katie's sister did.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 2, which occurs before anything tragic happens in the story:

"No, Mom, we won’t light any candles at home tonight. We’ll take the stairs, not the elevator.”— Angela gave her daughters a wistful smile and drifted off into the party, Virginia in tow...
“I am so glad that after tonight we will never have to hear their superstitious drivel again!” Liz exclaimed.
Their mother and grandmother had been pounding family superstitions into their heads since they were young. They had been scared at first, spending many a night shoved into Liz’s twin size bed, holding onto each other for fear that one of them may disappear."

Overall, Tranquil Heights is a creepy novella that would make the perfect Halloween read! I could not put this book down and had to keep reading until I reached the end. One highlight of this book is the atmospheric setting, which is based in a school. I love books that take place in haunted locations. If I had to complain about one thing, I would say that the diary entries / chapters that took place in the past were not that scary. I was much more engaged in the present timeline, and I would have liked if there were more chapters taking place in the present. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in October!

[Maria Isabel Samonte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tranquil Heights is a horror/mystery novella by Megan Speece. The story deals with a deadly family curse and an asylum turned boarding school for girls. The main character, Katie, is trying to stop the curse, where in the firstborn daughter of each generation will die before she turns 25. She is also pregnant, and she won't let her child become another life claimed by the curse.

The book is short and fast paced. I got hooked into the story quickly and there are no dull moments. I was also entertained by the diary entries of Katie's great-great grandmother, Wilhelmina Darrington. As a reader, we get to go back to the time where Tranquil Heights was an asylum for women. Furthermore, there was a dark atmosphere in the story but the horror factor was lacking for me. The white lady parts reminded me of Josette in the 2012 film, Dark Shadow. Also, the explanation for the curse was not enough for me. There were still a lot of plot holes. Nevertheless, I still enjoy the story. I felt was eager to know the history of the curse. The story also showed the inequality between men and women especially in the past. Women are treated as objects that they can put into asylums. I recommend this book, especially this halloween season.

Thank you to BookSirens for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Casarah Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a chilling little ghost story. A family curse that the first born female would die on her twenty fourth birthday was shrugged off by the current generation of twins until one met death in a freak accident on her birthday. The other sister now seeks answers and returns to the epicenter of the curse. This is her story of uncovering the past so that she could protect the life of the baby girl growing inside her.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an adult reader who loves thrillers, I didn’t connect with this book as I had hoped. The story hooked me right away as the character, Katie makes a decision to try and break the family curse of every firstborn daughter dying at the edge of 25 for several generations. The book is short and easy to read but I would have liked a few more details that wouldn’t have made it much longer. I’m avoiding spoilers by not being too detailed but I felt like some occurrences needed more explanation that would have added only a few extra pages. The ghost scenes were really “corny” and reminded me of old horror movies. I think I would rate this book at least 4 stars for teen, pre-teen and maybe even young adult readers but it is not described as being in this genre. A continuing series for young readers would make the book better, hopefully featuring Darla as an explorer of the supernatural in future adventures. Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC!

[Marie Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great thriller/ horror about a family curse that affects the first born daughter on their 25 th birthday. Twins Katie and Liz did not take the story seriously. Tragedy happens to one twin, leaving Katie feeling scared of her unborn baby.

Great read! Highly recommend for all thriller/ horror fans.

[Katy The Sleepy Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. I love the mystery aspect of it and ended up reading it in one day because I just had to find out if the curse would be lifted.

The story centers on a family that is cursed. The firstborn daughters of each generation will die on their 25th birthdays. Katie Edgecomb and her twin sister Liz, were told this story their whole lives yet they believed it to just be a way to keep them in line. That is until Liz dies two minutes to midnight on the night of their birthday. Katie has discovered she's pregnant and with fears she's carrying a girl, she sets out to discover if she can lift the curse.

Tranquil Heights started out as a sanitarium first opening in 1910 to house wealthy tuberculosis patients. In 1932, it was converted to a hospital for wayward girls and women. A place to house the dirty little secrets of elite families. Afterward in 1953, the hospital once again transformed into a full-fledged mental hospital but now accepted men and was private pay for the wealthy until its closure in 1979. The hospital stood empty for 23 years, attracting vagrants, wildlife and teenagers while it decayed until in 2003 when it was bought for a song and renovated back to its former glory and turned into a preparatory academy for girls.

Katies great-great-grandmother worked there from 1934 until she retired in 1967. During this time there was an incident with a patient that she believed is where the curse stemmed from but she refused to divulge what the incident was and who had been involved. While searching for answers, Katie decides its time to visit Tranquil Heights and solve this mystery once and for all. While there she meets Darla, the school museum coordinator and is shown a journal her grandmother kept during her time there. Its within this journal that the mystery starts to unravel.

Katies great-great-grandmother, Wilhelmina Darrington, worked as a private nurse at Tranquil Heights at night on the swing shift and cared for the "wayward" girls that had been used and abused by society's elite. It was a better paying job than that of a regular hospital and in the 1930's, that was something, to have a job at all, was huge. The journal spans a period between 1934-1935. It is during this time period that the "curse" is laid upon her. Unfortunately, several pages of the journal are missing.

Ill stop here as to not give too much away for the rest of the story. Suffice to say, Katie discovers a long ago secret, a heart wrenching story of love and loss and an event so appalling, it threatens everything Katie believes to be real. However, she has no choice, she will not risk her unborn child succumbing to the curse.

All in all. the premise of the story is fantastic. The setting for the bulk of the story is perfect. A school, once a place of sorrow and sadness, now haunted by its former residents. I loved the journal entries and the back and forth between then and now. As a mother I felt the story. I myself have a daughter and cannot imagine a curse that might take her from me. By the end of the book, I had tears in my eyes. It would be the perfect read for the upcoming spooky season. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to more from this author. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.

[Ashley]

This is the book you sit down to read for a few minutes only to look up and realize you’ve been reading for an hour. I can't remember the last time I felt compelled to finish a book in less than 24 hours.

A family curse passed down through generations causes the firstborn female to die on their 25th birthday. Can Katie find the curse’s origin? Can she break the curse?

Tranquil Heights is broken into two storylines - the past, as told through Great-Great Grandma Wilhelmina’s journal, and the present, as lived through Katie. I love this format because I love feeling like I'm growing and learning alongside the protagonist.

Because the reader already knows about the curse, the question becomes “how did it happen?”. The past/journal portions were great at keeping my attention and my curiosity ramping up to the reveal. The more I inched to the truth, the more I needed it. When I got there, I missed it. Because the explanation isn’t explicitly stated, it took some reflection to realize that the rationale behind the curse is built into the story. This is 100% a me problem - I’m a face value, terrible at subtleties type of person - but I’m mentioning it in case someone else got similarly stuck. The answer is there, just not where you think.

The hardest part of writing a three star review for me is that I either liked the book, but didn’t love it, or I really enjoyed a book, but some part of it is holding me back from loving it. Tranquil heights is the latter. The snag for me is that the final push towards resolution isn't something that would be emotionally acceptable to me if I were in the same situation. I can't give specifics without giving it away, but the logic used doesn't appeal to me. On second read, emotions aside, I realize that the logic works and it’s not exactly uncommon, but it’s unlikely I would have reread the ending if I hadn’t been planning to review it, which means I normally would have left this book with that emotional reaction.

On the flip side... In my excitement to uncover the mystery, I thought I read through the descriptions too fast to appreciate the setting, but Tranquil Heights, the location, has been vividly stuck in my mind since I finished the book. Count me in to any offshoots of this book because that place has stories to tell. (Count me in to more from this author in general.)

I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to the release date.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tranquil Heights follows a family that has tragedy strike often. The past few generations have lost a first born daughter on their 25th birthday. After the death of Katie’s twin sister, she makes it her mission to find out why this is happening to her family. Is this actually a curse, or just a horrible coincidence?
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While I gave this a 3 start on Goodreads, It is more of a 2 star for me. I did not want to bring the average down too much for any author that is trying to get her work out there more.

The synopsis seemed right up my alley, and I was excited to get approved and dive in.

The main character and her family didn’t seem to show a ton of emotion after the death of Katie’s twin sister. It was immediately all about the curse they think has taken over their lives. I wanted to see the grieving process more, and use that to push her to know more about the curse.

I really loved that the author took time to highlight issues of rich families being able to afford to get rid of their “problems”. This is something that happens so often in every day life, and needs to be more of a topic.

Then, I had a lot of issues with the way the occult/witch craft was written. I felt as if it was very generic, and that more research should have been done to make it fully believable. A lot of the more action scenes happened so fast, that I couldn’t fully let myself get engrossed in it.

I also feel as if the romance in this book, was a bit odd? I know they’re married, but it was a little cringe and seemed like an after thought. It gave nothing to the book, and could have been left out. I feel like Katie could of developed more as a character if she did this on her own, without Jason being there.

This book may not have been the right pick for me, but I do believe a lot of people will enjoy this. The writing was a little amateur feeling to me, and it took away from my experience. This is just my opinion, and would love for others to read this and give their own.

Thank you to BookSirens for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I liked this book. The main character, Katie, was strong and resourceful. Her twin sister, born slightly before her, was killed in a freak accident on their 25th birthday. The family legend was that they were cursed, which resulted in the oldest daughter of four generations of Katie’s family dying on her 25th birthday. Katie researched the curse and traced it back to Tranquil Heights, a private academy for girls. Tranquil Heights had formerly been a private institution for wealthy patients. Katie’s great grandmother was a nurse at the institution. Katie ends up going to Tranquil Heights to research what happened when her great-grandmother was working there. I’m not going to give away what happened when she went to Tranquil Heights. What I will say is that I stayed up way later than I should have because I needed to know what was going to happen next. Only a book that engages me makes me lose sleep! I received this book as an ARC, but this review is my honest opinion.

[Zoya Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay so first I just want to say that I LOVED this story. It hasn’t left my mind since I read it! It also is super fast paced and keeps you wanting more with every chapter. If you’re looking for a nail biting, page turning, intense, paranormal read, this is the book for you! I was on the edge of my seat the entire book, never able to read fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. I loved reading Katie’s story and her journey to saving her future family and learning so much about the crazy history past generations that suffered under the curse. I honestly wasn’t a huge fan of supernatural related books but reading the synopsis of Tranquil Heights I decided to give it a try and Megan Speece did not disappoint! I’ll 100% be recommending this book to EVERYONE that asks (and doesn’t ask) for a book recommendation!!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

First time reading this author, and WOW, am I impressed!

This book had everything that I expected from reading the blurb and then some. There was intrigue, mystery, suspense, a few scary parts, and a lot of heart.

I have read a lot about the 1900's when women who were outspoken, or different, or who didn't conform were admitted into psychiatric hospitals as a way to control them, and even though this book was fiction, Megan brought this home so well.

Loved the characters and the pace of this book.

Brilliant, well worth reading ... don't wait, do yourself a favour and read this book, NOW!

Well done to the author on a banger of a book!! I will definitely be keeping an eye open for more from this author.

[Carol Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great little story, thoroughly enjoyed reading it and learning about the different characters. Well thought out characters and a good plot. I don’t read a lot of paranormal stories as they are usually really predictable or so far fetched that I can’t relate to them.

This one was quite a “gentle story” even though it included unexplained deaths, curses and paranormal activities.

Enjoyed the way the story developed and all was explained well.

Only but that didn’t really get was the prologue???

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wildly imaginative! An edgy mystery full of dark secrets, shocking plot twists and pulse-pounding, palpable tension. Great, multi-faceted characters. Very unique plot & vivid descriptions. A gritty, intense, fast-paced, riveting, artful melding of stunning psychological thrills and nail-biting suspense. A REALLY great read! Can't wait for this series to continue!!!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

[Chanda Spaulding · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won an e-book copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway. This book was just the right mix of spooky and suspense. An old family curse causes the first born female to die at age 25. Katie loses her twin sister the night of their 25th birthday. Alone and missing her sister she decides to find out why. Katie is lead to an old asylum that had been turned into a school. In order to find answers she must talk with the gosht herself. Can she do it? Will she find out the answers to the question that has been haunting her family for generations?

[Margaret Yelton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspense thrillers are one of my favorite genres, and this book pulled me in right away. I found this to be a quick read once I began to read it, as the storyline centers around a family curse that has affected the firstborn daughter of each generation on their 25th birthday. What follows is one woman's search to find a cure, because she is pregnant. This was a new author for me, and I was very impressed with her writing style. I certainly would recommend this book to others.

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story of ghosts and curses was very enjoyable. I liked that the past scenes were told in journal entires. I found it easy to connect with the characters.

If I could change anything, I wish that we could have gotten more detail about what their power was. I’m still a bit lost there. Another book would be fun!

I received an advanced review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. A spine-tingling paranormal story that kept me reading when I should have been sleeping. In 1935, Tranquil Heights was a home for pregnant girls who are meant to be hidden from society because of secrets the father's don't want anyone to know about. You will want to keep the lights on after reading this story about ghosts and curses and things that go bump in the night. I would highly recommend it. I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Oralee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faced with the reality of a family curse Katie Edgecomb is running out of time to discover the origins of the curse and save herself and unborn child. The journey takes her to a girls Prep school with an evil history and the ugly terrifying realities of her past may make her lose her own grip on reality. A fast paced well written story that takes you on a rollercoaster ride from start to finish.
I received a free review copy for an honest review

[Kindlelover 1220 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the concept of an ancient curse. These stories always catch my interest. The mystery behind one and how one person came upon it. What causes a curse to be placed on a person. The story had me at the synopsis. I wanted to know more. The author did a good job building up the plot. I felt the pain of the main character and the future she feared for her unborn child.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Teresa Calton-Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down! I couldn't read and turn the pages fast enough because I always wanted to know what happened next. This was better than watching a scary movie because you're mind is always jumping ahead trying to figure out what is going to happen next.

[Micheala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is captivating. Full of suspense and adventure. I’m absolutely in love. I couldn’t put it down!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

This is a well written and enjoyable book. It keeps you on your toes till the very end. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short fast paced good ghost story.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ended up really liking this book. I like the message and how it tied in with the story.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel wasn't bad and could say it was a tad on the overdone storyline with a curse, haunted former Asylum type place, and the attempt to find the origin of the curse and break it. The characters were well-developed and interesting but the storyline does have that this has been done before feel to it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Tissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tranquil Heights is the quintessence of a scary story: a curse that dates back generations; ghosts; a former asylum; a protagonist who wants to break said curse and save her unborn daughter.