A House With Good Bones

by T. Kingfisher

A haunting Southern Gothic from an award-winning master of suspense, A House With Good Bones explores the dark, twisted roots lurking just beneath the veneer of a perfect home and family.

"Mom seems off."

Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.

She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.

But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.

To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Gothic, Audiobook, Mystery, Paranormal

247 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 28, 2023

About the author

T. Kingfisher is the vaguely absurd pen-name of Ursula Vernon. In another life, she writes children's books and weird comics, and has won the Hugo, Sequoyah, and Ursa Major awards, as well as a half-dozen Junior Library Guild selections.

This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.

When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.

Reviews

[LTJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A House With Good Bones” by T. Kingfisher is the second novel I’ve read by her as I loved “What Moves the Dead” and couldn’t wait to read more of her work. Her writing style is excellent and when it comes to the horror aspect of her novels, they are top-notch.

Now, before I begin my review, I found two trigger warnings while reading that I wanted everyone to be aware of. They were…

- Sleep paralysis
- Violence against insects

If this triggers you, please do not read this novel. Moving along, this was a solid horror novel that hits you with haunted houses and ghost vibes throughout reading. It’s subtle but once it starts happening, it’s fantastic. If you love bugs in any way, shape, or form, you will love reading this novel.

Insect horror if done right can definitely send chills down your spine and the few situations that happened here did exactly that for me. Besides that, I love Kingfisher’s humor as I had some genuine laugh-out-loud moments in this one. It added a nice touch to the entire reading experience.

Another area that connected with me was all the awesome references Kingfisher threw in here. From The Real Ghostbusters cartoon show, Dungeons & Dragons, La Llorona, The Crow, and even The Shining, these all brought a smile to my face.

The characters were great and I enjoyed the family drama as a whole. It just all makes sense, especially when you get to the second half of the novel. The only thing is, this novel starts off solid then goes into a slow burn. The story fizzled out a bit at around the halfway mark as things started to drag on.

The main protagonist, Sam, is an Entomologist so I get it. There’s a lot of stuff on Entomology that I felt wasn’t really all that needed. Again, if you love insects, the history of them, all sorts of fancy terms, and some horrific situations involving them, this would definitely add another layer of immersion. I don’t mind insect horror but for me, anything to do with roaches would definitely scare the hell out of me. Luckily, no roaches at all here much to my delight.

Thankfully, at around the 75% mark, things started to finally pick up tremendously. My goodness, this novel took a very creepy turn that was a genuine ZOMG horror moment! Once that happened, I made many weird faces while reading because it was that terrifying. It was one of the most unique horror moments I’ve ever experienced. I’ve never read anything so bizarre, freaky, and wild.

Don’t worry, I won’t ruin anything for you but that more than made up for the parts that started to drag. It was perfect timing too since once that happened, the climactic race to the end was so much fun. That buildup to the ending was exciting and action-packed with some nice twists at the end.

I give “A House With Good Bones” by T. Kingfisher a 4/5 as it’s a very good haunted house novel with an insect horror twist. This was another fun read by her as once again, her horror is unique and memorable. I love innovative horror so much and Kingfisher once again delivered as she does best. The only drawback is that this is definitely a slow-burn read with a few parts that dragged on but I assure you, it’s definitely worth it once you get to the spine-chilling parts and big reveal towards the end. I will never look at ladybugs the same ever again.

[Snjez · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seemed interesting in the beginning, but ultimately I just didn't find it scary at all and it didn't give me the vibes I expected from a 'gothic horror'. It even attempts to be funny and quirky at times.

The main problem is that right from the start you know what's happening, while the main character, Sam, is in denial. So what you get is 80% of her being all logical and rational and refusing to see what is obvious, and in the last 20% there's some action that doesn't make too much sense. I can't say that I predicted everything that happens, but nothing surprised me here because the author kept hinting at the same things over and over again.

I liked the overall idea, but not the execution.

I listened to it on audio and while I liked the narrator's voice for Sam, the voices she gave other characters were really not good. Especially Phil.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We stopped checking for monsters under our bed when we realized they were inside us." (Charles Darwin)

Samantha "Sam" Montgomery knows creepy and crawly up close and personal. She's an archaeoentomologist currently living in Tucson, Arizona. Bugs are her thing. Sam is the expert when it comes to identifying insects that burrowed their way into ancient civilizations and cultures. Even things with hard shells that scurry along the floorboards nowadays get her attention.

But she's currently on hiatus from her recent dig. A perfect time to visit her mother, Edith, in North Carolina. After a long, long drive from Arizona, Sam crashes out at her mother's house. Sam notices that there's a noticeable change in her mother. Edith was always a carefree soul. Now she is overly nervous and cautious about everything. And everything within the house seems to have reverted back to when Gran Mae lived there over twenty years ago. Could Edith still be mourning her mother after all this time? Or is Edith showing signs of dementia?

That's when Sam goes up into the attic looking for a replacement for the eerie painting that now hangs over the fireplace. And things eventually will go bump in the night. Strange things. Very strange things. Will Sam get to the root of it all or will the root eventually get to her?

T. Kingfisher has a way with words. A House With Good Bones will have those teeny, tiny hairs on your neck standing in high alert. And at the same time, Kingfisher adds outrageously crazy humor to the dialogue and to situations. I mean laugh out loud moments with Sam's quirky demeanor. So be prepared for chills and thrills here as only T. Kingfisher can deliver.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Tor/orge Books and to the talented T. Kingfisher for the opportunity.

[Teres · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well that was… different?

A House With Good Bones is my first novel by acclaimed author T. Kingfisher so I have nothing to compare it to.

What I can say is that it left me questioning: is paranormal-horror her usual genre?

I do know that she has a rather rabid fan base, so if you are one, perhaps you could kindly let me know.

Our heroine in this story is 32-year-old Samantha Montgomery, an archaeoentomologist. In layman’s terms, she examines dead bugs at archeological sites. A surprisingly applicable skill set as it turns out — there are several infestations she’s going to have to deal with before the book’s conclusion.

On furlough from an archeological dig, Sam has returned to her family home in North Carolina for an extended visit. The bad omens start immediately as Sam is greeted by a vulture perched on the mailbox, keeping a close eye on the house.

It’s pretty clear to Sam from the get go that something strange is afoot on Lammergeier Lane: Mom’s acting quite skittish and odd; the interior of the house has been completely redecorated in a style very unlike her mother’s taste; framed artwork and photographs suddenly fall off the wall; and swarms of ladybugs emerge from the faucets and drains.

Despite these unsettling events, Sam spends the first 80 percent of the book perched on the sofa, eating pizza, drinking boxed wine, and watching British crime shows on television.

With her scientific background and scholarly mind, Sam looks for rational reasons behind the ominous occurrences.

The story is narrated in Sam’s dry, sarcastic voice. We are privy to her lengthy asides about bugs, near constant droll and chatty inner musings, and self-mockery.

Reminiscent of a stand-up comedy routine, I honestly kept waiting to hear a rimshot.

The more serious horror-paranormal elements kick in toward the final 20 percent of the novel with a rather jarring and contrasting dark tonal shift.

Whoa, okay, I guess the comedy routine has ended.

While the humor may be missing during these viscerally climactic scenes, it’s replaced with plenty of nail-biting tension, coupled with gory and creepy details to make any reader squirm.

Given the long buildup in the first 80 percent of the book, Kingfisher resolves the final conflict rather abruptly and ties things up a little too neatly for my taste.

Still, if you’re looking to have your hackles raised, A House With Good Bones ought to do the trick.

Oh, and say hi to Hermes for me. 𓄿

[Chelsea (gofetchabook) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Saying this book was not for me is an understatement. I am sitting here trying to give it a compliment sandwich, but I can’t think of one thing nice to say.

Samantha is is a bug archeologist. I don’t have it in me to go back and look up the proper title she gave herself. She returns home and something is off with her mother. I can’t even describe the big final shebang at the end of the book because I didn’t even follow what was happening. The house sinks into the ground, the roses are alive, her grandmother was maybe an evil witch or sorcerer or something. It was hard to follow.

Eye Twitching Annoyances
- Samantha’s character was “fat” and it was referenced over and over and over and over again. It seemed like the author gave her the personality of the “funny fat girl” that you see in the early 2000’s movies. It added nothing to the plot line for her to continue to make mildly self deprecating “joking” comments about her weight while at the same time embracing it. It just missed the mark. We aren’t in the 90’s anymore. Unless it’s a major part of the story, I don’t see why someone’s body weight matters.

- As mentioned above, Samantha was “funny.” She was essentially that girl that decided she was the funny girl and had to crack one liners about everything. You couldn’t get through four sentences without another *drum drum cymbal* moment because she made a joke. It wasn’t funny. It wasn’t even humorous. The side of my mouth didn’t even twitch up in the slightest. In fact I would probably quit my job if I had to work in a cubicle next to her. It was just incessant. I picture her to also be “one of the guys” and “not like other girls.”

- The bug descriptions. Oh god, the bug descriptions, every time they mentioned a bug there was a whole side explanation of the class, species, fact about it. It was too much, just TOO MUCH!

It added to my displeasure by listening to this as an audiobook. There’s a handyman who comes by who is supposed to be a cute potential love interest for Samantha. However, the “man voice” that the narrator did for him might actually have been the only thing I actually found humorous because he sounded like the elderly grandfather on South Park.

As I said above, the first 75% of the book was boring and annoying. Then all hell broke loose really quickly, no buildup. And I wasn’t even fully sure I understood what was happening.

I’ll leave you with this final thought - I felt like this book was written to be a 90’s sitcom where every few minutes, everything freezes so the main character can say something funny (which usually isn’t actually funny) to the camera about what’s going on, and then stands there patiently while the laugh track plays.

I would have DNF’d this if it wasn’t the only audiobook I had readily downloaded while in the car.

Less than one star.

I’d recommend chewing on a wet wool mitten before I’d recommend reading this book.

[Terrie R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher is a Southern Gothic Horror Fiction Story!

As an archaeoentomologist in Arizona, Sam Montgomery digs for a living. She understands the gentle balances in nature and has a keen sense for when things aren't quite right.

That's exactly what Sam feels when she arrives for a visit at her mother's house in North Carolina and sees vultures flying overhead and one perched on top of the mailbox out front. That's unusual.

The interior of the house that was once charmingly cluttered and colorful, now has white walls, a sterile feel, and decor that's disturbing and dates back to when her grandmother was alive. How odd.

Sam's mother is different, too. She's edgy, forgetful, and distracted. Not her usual easy going self and she's so thin. Could it be dementia?

When Sam starts digging around for answers inside and out, it's alarming what she finds...

A House with Good Bones is my first read by this author and what a treat! It's delightfully written with the perfect slow build beginning, quickening pace in the middle, and full force heightened ending.

Clearly, for me, the highlight of this story was the personable, compassionate, and well educated main character, Sam. I enjoyed her sense of humor and thoughtful use of a colorful word or two that was quite unexpected from someone so well spoken. I appreciate when descriptive language of this type fits into a story so well.

Listening to the audiobook narrator Mary Robinette Kowal was a wonderful experience. She became the character of Sam, as well as giving perfect gender voicing for an eclectic mix of unusual characters, which was no small feat, in my opinion. I will definitely remember this narration.

I'm so glad I finally tried this author's work. It was an entertaining, humorous, creepy, good time that I will definitely repeat again... soon!

A House with Good Bones is a book I highly recommend! 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and T. Kingfisher for an ALC of this book. It has been an honor to give my honest and voluntary review.

[John Mauro · Rating 4 out of 5]

My complete review of A House with Good Bones is published at Grimdark Magazine.

T. Kingfisher combines Lovecraftian horror with a charming sense of humor in A House with Good Bones, her new Southern Gothic novel about unearthing long-lost family secrets.

Kingfisher has crafted an irresistibly delightful narrator in Samantha Montgomery, a thirty-two-year-old post-doctoral scholar in archaeoentomology, a field at the intersection of archaeology and entomology. As the novel opens, Sam has returned to her family home in North Carolina. The bad omens start immediately, as Sam is greeted by a vulture perched on their mailbox, keeping a close eye on the house.

Sam is alarmed at the sight of her mother, who has lost substantial weight and seems unusually anxious. The house itself feels strange, with its brightly colored walls now painted a dull white and old decorations from her late grandmother on display throughout the home. Sam is understandably worried about her mother, determined to uncover what is driving her strange behavior.

Sam is an absolute joy as narrator of A House with Good Bones. Her droll and somewhat garrulous sense of humor kept me chuckling on almost every page. I especially enjoyed Sam’s nerdy digressions on insects and other arthropods, which acted as a lighthearted balance to the dark family secrets that she eventually unearths. Sam’s humor also serves as an effective vehicle to provide biting commentary on racism and generational conflict in the Old South.

The problem with A House with Good Bones is that the main plot twist is painfully obvious from early in the book, although Sam herself is oblivious to the clues. Nevertheless, it is a treat to read Sam’s thoughts as she employs her scientific training to attempt rationalization of the irrational. Kingfisher is especially adept at presenting the mind of a scientist at work.

The horror aspects of A House with Good Bones kick into overdrive in the last fifth of the book, causing the narrative style to shift accordingly. The humor is largely missing during these final climactic scenes, replaced with enough gory detail to make any reader squirm. The final conflict is resolved too abruptly, especially given the long buildup in the first eighty percent of the novel. Ultimately the various plot threads are tied up a little too easily for my taste. Still, I greatly enjoyed the journey.

Notwithstanding its shortcomings in the final part of the book, A House with Good Bones is a charming and highly entertaining read. Although I was underwhelmed by its rather predictable horror aspects, Kingfisher kept me smiling throughout most of the novel.

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars - I would describe the tone of T Kingfisher's horror as normcore; she's not going to create a creepy atmosphere with flowery prose or elaborately described settings. Rather, she uses very ordinary people in very ordinary settings and then allows the dread to grow. I LOVED what this did metaphorically; basically a take on the white millennials' growing horror that their parents are being taken over by racism via alt right sources. There are some technical critiques I could make but this was just 100% for me

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

HAPPY HALLOWEEKEND!!!

[A Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual Rating 3.5
After Sam’s archaeological fieldwork is put on pause, she decides to stay with her mom in North Carolina. Especially since her brother recently called and told her something seemed odd with their mom. Sam does notice a few small changes, but nothing too alarming. But things escalate, and she starts to wonder if maybe she was wrong. As more questions arise and spookier things begin to happen, Sam does her best to cling to facts and discover what she can about their family’s dark past.

This was an eerie read that was fast-paced and difficult to put down. I loved the details included relating to archaeology and how it was incorporated throughout the work. They were relatable and legitimate, and the quote comparing the value of burials versus trash heaps/middens sounded like it came from a true archaeologist. I enjoyed the sass of the main character and her personality overall, though there wasn’t much growth or development beyond how she’s initially introduced. She definitely wasn’t a serious protagonist, and I think this actually detracted some from the atmosphere of this work (it missed the southern gothic mark for me).

The slow build of the tension and spookiness was well done, though it did take a while for that to get started. The history that was incorporated added some interesting details to this read. I had a bit of a hard time with how absurd some of the big reveals felt, but I enjoyed the ride getting to them.

Also, shoutout to the narrator for doing the BEST southern old lady voice I’ve heard in a long time. This slow burn, spooky work of magical realism was solid entertainment despite the few qualms I had with it. My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Nina · Rating 1 out of 5]

1⭐️

This book is basically the embodiment of that cringy self deprecating humor that was popular in like the 2010s. (think Jennifer Lawrence and when she went to every interview talking about pizza). The way we are hit over the head with this relentless quirky unfunny humor makes this reading experience insufferable. On top of that, the storyline was nonsensical. Something about flowers and a hand in a photograph. The characters were not compelling at all. The internal monologue of the MC was annoying. She thinks she’s really smart and logical and tries to display this way of thinking when lukewarm bizarre things start happening in her mother’s house but this “logical” way of rationalizing things in her internal monologue quickly just became her going in circles in her head and became really redundant to read about. Poor writing, poor execution, and poor character work.

[JaymeO · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welcome to the war of the roses!

Sam, an archaeoentomologist, drives halfway across the country to stay with her mom at her childhood home after her archaeological dig is postponed. When she arrives, she notices strange happenings at her Gran Mae’s house on Lammergeier Lane. She is greeted by a vulture sitting on the mailbox, the brightly colored walls have been repainted white, her gran’s confederate wedding painting has been rehung over the fireplace, and she finds a jar of teeth buried under the rose bushes. To make matters worse, her mom isn’t acting right. Sam must uncover the house’s secrets before it’s too late.

T. Kingfisher is one of my favorite horror novelists. I enjoyed The Twisted Ones and The Hollows and couldn’t wait to read her newest offering. I love reading Gothic thrillers, and this seemed like one that I would enjoy. Sam is hilarious and her quirky sense of humor captured my attention immediately. She is a great protagonist, but most of the book is spent listening to her inner monologue. There are just a few characters in this book, and it took a very long time for them to begin to interact with one another. This book follows a Lovecraftian plot line that ultimately wasn’t as compelling as I had hoped.

While this is my least favorite of Kingfisher’s horror novels, I am still a fan and am looking forward to reading her next thriller.

3.5/5 stars rounded down

Expected publication date: 3/28/23

Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor Nightfire for the ARC of A House with Good Bones in exchange for an honest review.

[EveStar91 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam Montgomery plans on spending some time with her mother in A House With Good Bones during a break from her work, but soon finds that she has to protect her mother from the supernatural in this Southern Horror novel. The Gothic horror story is fast paced and Sam soon finds herself out of her academic depths and having to deal with the paranormal (not at all nice and normal) as she deals with hauntings, powered rosebushes, vultures and even underground boogeymen. Sam's character, especially her humour as she tries to keep herself from going down the slippery slope to believing in aliens, made this an enjoyable read, even though I don't usually read a lot of horror.

🌟🌟🌟
[One star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the character arcs; Half a star for the story; Half a star for the writing; Half a star for the world-building and description - Three stars in total.]

[K.J. Charles]

Marvellous horror in the Southern Gothic vein, with the choking weight of family oppression and fear intermingled with Crowleyesque Thelemic occultism, also roses. It's an excellently creepy horror in itself (lurking fear rather than overt gore) but what really lifts it is the superb character voice. Sam is wonderfully drawn and a masterclass in how to do characterful narration without it becoming distractingly or self consciously quirky. Terrific.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

T. Kingfisher is a little hit and miss for me, but A House with Good Bones was definitely a hit! It's smart, Southern gothic horror about a house that seems to be haunted by the main characters racist, emotionally abusive grandmother. Sam is a scientist and a skeptic, but coming home to stay with her mom for awhile something seems....off. And things devolve from there.

While this has humor and light, quirky narration style, it also has scenes that are truly creepy and disturbing. But Sam is pretty unflappable for much of the book, always seeking a logical explanation and that balances things quite well. She's also a fat woman who is comfortable in her own skin and I LOVED how this tackled fatphobia in the medical industry among other things. I don't know that I've seen this kind of thing included in a book casually like that before and I was so impressed.

So yeah, definitely among my favorite things I've read from T. Kingfisher. I seem to do well with a lot of her horror and that's certainly what this is. With a side of family trauma! It's also worth noting that Sam's job is studying insects from archaeology sites, and there are a fair amount of insects in the book in both creepy and non-creepy ways. The audio narration is also excellent. I received an advance copy of the audiobook for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book by T. Kingfisher, A House with Good Bones has relatable, likable characters, weird ancestors, and a haunted house. What more could you ask for?

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

In 2023, i keep picking up books by this author in hopes they will become a new favorite, but they just keep not winning me over the way i had hoped that they would. I did enjoy a few things in this story, like the discussions on body image and fatphobia in all medical spaces, and how our main character studies insects (i keep reading books accidentally about archaeologist careers and it’s starting to get freaky), and i even loved the brief mention of playing civ (the amount of hours i have clocked in on those games could be its own horror story). But ultimately, i just didnt enjoy this one, or the setting, or the characters we were introduced to. I also feel like this story wanted to go places, but never went deep enough talking about anything. And… it was just incredibly boring. The last bit of this book just doubles down with the spooky twists, but those didn’t feel good either. I’ll be honest, I knew within 20% of this book that it wasn’t going to be for me, so I hope I can just learn to be better with dnfing again. I am very much not the popular opinion of this book upon its release in april 2023, so maybe don’t let my bad feelings deter you!

trigger + content warnings: racism, brief mention of kkk, loss of a parent in past, one line/question sentence/question about cancer, vomit mention (animal), lots of talk + descriptions of insects and arachnids, child abuse in past, anxiety, nightmares + sleep paralysis, a lot of talk of fatphobia + fatphobia within medical spaces + fatphobia towards a child in past, brief mention of heart attack in past, body horror, blood depiction, child death/abuse in past, cannibalism, anti amish sentiment.

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[Dannii Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I know a lot about plants, a couple of things about vultures, and a little bit about uncanny things. Everything I know is telling me that something very bad is going on at your mother’s house. That’s all.”

The tone is set for Samantha Montgomery's return to her childhood home when she pulls into the driveway and spies a massive black vulture perched on the mailbox and staring at the house. This presence can be explained but the hordes of insects that infiltrate the house and the return of those thought long dead cannot.

Whilst this premise was definitely an unsettling one and the book itself did feature some scenes that made my skin crawl, I also found it one devoid of tension. I didn't dislike it for that but it did emit a different vibe from many other horror books that I have read. I was more intrigued than distressed and eager to find answers to the many mysteries for how well they were penned than for how unsettling I found the reading experience. Make of that what you will.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, T. Kingfisher, and the publisher, Titan Books, for this opportunity.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. reading vlog: https://youtu.be/7PxmhBJLuxk

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Who says you can never go home again?

Sam Montgomery's brother called to tell her that something was off with their mother, Edith. So, Sam goes home. She is looking forward to spending time with her mother while enjoying a break from her job as an archaeoentomologist (Bugs are her thing).

Sam instantly notices that her mother is not quite herself. Her mother is guarded and anxious. She is no longer the carefree mother she knew. Soon other things begin to seem different in the house as well. Her mother has repainted the walls. They were once painted vibrant colors that gave the house life and a cool vibe, but her mother has since painted the walls the colors her Gran Mae liked while she lived there.

Then there are the ladybugs and the rose petals. By themselves they do not seem strange but trust me, they are very, very strange in this book. Plus, when vulture watch your house and only your house, be afraid because that is just creepy. How many times a day can the hairs stand up on the back of your neck? How many strange occurrences can you endure before you begin asking questions or get the heck out of there?

This was a creepy and gothic feeling book. I would have been out of there lickety-split. But not Sam or her mother. As the tension mounts and things get creepier by the second, the characters find themselves in danger.

I enjoyed how T. Kingfisher set the stage. It was both atmospheric and gothic. The characters were interesting and there was more to several of them than meets the eye. The creep vibe in this book was strong as was the writing. It had the right amount of tension and what-did-I-just-read moments. I didn't feel that this book was scary but enjoyed how creepy it was. It's strange, a little out there, yet entertaining and tense.

Fans of T. Kingfisher will enjoy this one.


Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Sadie Hartmann]

A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES by T. Kingfisher

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: THE TWISTED ONES, WHAT MOVES THE DEAD

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978125082...

Release Date: March 28th, 2023

General Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Thriller/Suspense, Southern Gothic

Sub-Genre/Themes: Comedy, Multi-Generational Family Saga, Mothers & Daughters, Magical Realism/Occult/Paranormal, Female POV

Writing Style: First-Person POV, Compelling, Intricately Plotted, Character-Driven, Dialogue

What You Need to Know: You need to know that I listened to the audiobook and I thought it was great. I had a tedious task that would take about 5-6 hours so I decided to listen to a book while I accomplished my task and this was what I chose. It was perfect because there is a small cast of important characters that are mostly all women and it was narrated by a woman, so there were no awkward child voices (which I hate). There was one male character, Phil, and the narrator chose to have a sort of dopey voice for him that I didn’t care for but that’s really my only complaint on the audiobook.
You also should know that while there are some creepy scenes, and a sense of dread building, for the most part, this book is light horror–even humorous. It doesn’t lean into traditional horror elements until the end

My Reading Experience: This will be a memorable experience for me. I needed to sign stacks upon stacks of my books which, by my estimation, was going to take about 5-6 hours. To keep my mind occupied, I decided to get an audiobook. Typically, I don’t have a lot of time for something like that, so I was eager to settle in with it. Over the course of three days (about 2 hours each day), I listened to this book and had the best time.
Sam is a quirky lady. We get the privilege of being inside her head as she heads out to rural neighborhood in North Carolina to spend some time with her mom in her deceased grandmother’s house.
Immediately she notices things are a bit “off”. Her mom is acting strange. During her stay, we get to know the family dynamics through scenes of hilarious dialogue and weird, random stuff happening in the house/garden. A few interesting characters are introduced, a neighbor who had a bit of an on-going competition with the deceased grandma and the gardener, Phil. Who may or may not be, a love interest for Sam.
If bugs give you the heebie-jeebies, this one is pretty unsettling. I loved all the fascinating trivia and descriptions but people who get wigged out over that stuff will have a difficult time. The building dread as Sam continues to uncover family secrets does unfurl slowly. Toward the end, things dive into horror headlong and it gets pretty gruesome but up to that point, I’d say this is a solid horror comedy; lighthearted and fun.

Final Recommendation: This is perfect for when you are craving something a little less dark and brooding. It’s a great summer read. The MC has a feisty, bubbly personality. Her asides and self-depricating humor sprinkled throughout keeps the mood of the book on the sunnier side. She’s an interesting, dynamic character with her quirky worldview and specialized job as an archaeoentomologist (studies historical bugs) There’s also witchcraft, family drama and secrets, and an exciting climax. A very entertaining, enjoyable read. I had a good time.

Comps: MOTHERTHING by Ainslie Hogarth, HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE by Grady Hendrix

[Katie Colson · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.5

I really enjoyed this. Of her works, this is most comparable to The Hollow Places. There's a similar wit, characters and story structure. If you enjoyed one, you'll enjoy the other. I don't think this is as good as The Hollow Places but it's still damn good on it's own.

The relationship between mother and daughter was particularly well done and the scary vibes of the jar of teeth and the ever present danger lingering in the house worked really well for me. I was consistently ill at ease during this read. You know something's wrong and I figured out what it was well before the character. But that didn't matter. What mattered was following her through the absolute terror her childhood home had morphed into.

I would definitely suggest this read though I don't think it's in my top 5 of T. Kingfisher books.

[Zala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun time, though not my favorite Kingfisher. 3.5 stars

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In any gothic novel the atmosphere is the most important character, and I think this book was lacking a little in that area.
However, the plot was creative and the book was overall funny and enjoyable.
I loved all the characters but Sam, our protagonist, was so endearing. Her strength, humor and intellect set her apart from so many poorly written heroines out there. She felt like a real person, and I want to be her new best friend.

[Mai H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I didn't hate this, I also didn't love it. The scariest thing about this haunted house story was the racism. I didn't find Sam fully fleshed out as a character. I found the gardener creepy. Mom was confusing, but I suppose she was written that way. I have no words for grandma.

HEMLOCK | THORNHEDGE

🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio

[Shannon The Co-Captain · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is NOT Southern Gothic. This author clearly hates the South. Saying the grandmother was racist because she loved an old historical photo where the man was wearing a confederate uniform is the most ridiculous idea. The constant reference to being “fat” was a huge turnoff. I didn’t like the audio narration either. I hated everything about the book. It makes me sick to think people have such ignorant and narrow views to what is and what is not racism. Disgusting.

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samantha Montgomery is a scholar in archeoentomology (who knew?) and she is returning to her family home because there are concerns about her mother's state of health. She finds a vulture sitting on the mailbox, which would be a concern to anyone, and now you know you are reading a book by T. Kingfisher

There is some horror in this book and also a lot of humour. Everything is outside the norm. The vultures had me right from the beginning, especially the one who later on saves the day. This is not the kind of horror to keep you awake at night even if you do like roses, but it is still lots of fun! Not my favourite of this author's books but still very good.

[Sheyla ✎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it well enough.

Sam Montgomery is an archaeoentomologist who just finished a job in Arizona. After her brother calls her to tell her something seems off with their mother, she decides to go visit her in North Carolina. Sam is excited to spend her time off watching crime tv shows and drinking wine.

Sam's mother is usually a carefree, easy-going, and stress-free woman but when Sam sees her, she can't believe this thin, jumpy, and distracted person is her mother. In addition, her home feels off too. Her mother had painted all the walls white like when her Gran Mae was alive instead of the vibrant colors they were the last time she visited. Is her mother getting dementia or is someone harassing her? And why are all these crows watching the house and her every move?

A House with Good Bones had an entertaining character to keep my interest throughout. The gothic elements were well-balanced. Furthermore, the narrator, Mary Robinette Kowal did a fantastic job of keeping things moving for me.

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Macmillan Audio via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
This is another cozy horror book like the previous ones I have read by T Kingfisher. This is now my favourite of all her horror books.

The story was more charming than scary with focusing on themes surrounding family. I appreciated the discussions surrounding weight stigma and health at every size. I felt this protagonist was a particular well realized woman.

I prefer darker stories but I would recommend this one to those enjoy lighter supernatural tales.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

They say you can’t go home again, but of course you can. It’s just that when you get there, somebody may have repainted and changed the fixtures around.

A little Southern gothic, a little folk horror, and a whole lotta heart. T. Kingfisher has truly become one of my favorite authors of all time, and this might be my favorite book of hers I've read so far. A House with Good Bones is equal parts dark and twisty + hilarious and charming, with a main character that has stuck with me so much that I doubt a week goes by without thinking of her (which is saying something, since I'm writing this review 6 months after reading the book).

She had on leopard-print leggings and an oversized T-shirt that read OREGON: FIFTY MILLION BANANA SLUGS CAN’T BE WRONG.

First of all, I don't know where T comes up with these characters, but I need her to never, ever stop because they're incredible. Sam is hilarious enough on her own, but then you go adding in her mom and Gail and Hermes (the one-winged vulture) and there were times I forgot I was reading a horror book because I was laughing so hard. (Of course, loving those characters so much certainly amped up the stakes when shit hit the fan, too!)

“Vultures are extremely sensitive to the dead. Particularly when the dead are doing things they shouldn't be.”

All of the fun elements aside, A House with Good Bones is, in fact, a horror novel, and I loved the horror aspects just as well. There's an ominous air to the story from the very first page and it slowly builds upon itself as things progress, until suddenly you realize that T's been leading you to the deep end all along while she distracted you with laughs and hospitality, and now it's too late to get out. I won't spoil anything, but I loved the big reveals in the end and found one particular development very unsettling!

I could hop into an ER carrying my severed leg and squirting blood from the stump and the doctor would congratulate me on having dropped all that leg weight and tell me to keep up the good work.

One last thing: I can't possibly finish this review without mentioning the discussions on fatphobia, particularly in the medical field, and how incredibly relatable and accurate they were. Sam is a fat woman who is fully content in her skin and knows that society's issues with her size don't reflect on who she is as a person, and I loved every bit of her for it.

The bottom line is: If you like gothic horror that will make you laugh and smile just as much as it will creep you out, I can't recommend this one highly enough. 5 stars, all the stars, and consider me always eagerly awaiting the next T. Kingfisher novel.

I read a final copy I purchased myself, but for the sake of disclosure, I was also sent an early review copy by the author/publisher. All thoughts are honest and my own.

✨ Representation: Sam, the main character, is fat

✨ Content warnings for: racism, fat-shaming, verbal and emotional abuse (all previous CWs are challenged in-text), insects, cannibalism, violence, brief gore

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