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Mouse Trap
Death haunts the Scott family home.
Twenty years ago, Dakota Scott’s baby brother died falling down the back stairs. Twenty-four hours ago, her older brother, Lennox, wasted away into nothing in the same house. Two deaths, just floors apart, yet no one suspects a connection.
Settling Lennox’s affairs lures Dakota back to the family’s old Victorian home overlooking Astoria. It has changed over the years—what was once a happy home is now filled with sadness, strange memories, and lights that won’t stay lit.
In the ever-growing darkness, a sinister force has awakened from a long slumber, and it is far from finished with Dakota. Her life and sanity hang in the balance—alongside everything she holds dear.
Fans of Shirley Jackson, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Elizabeth Engstrom will love the quiet horror in this modern gothic tale.
Twenty years ago, Dakota Scott’s baby brother died falling down the back stairs. Twenty-four hours ago, her older brother, Lennox, wasted away into nothing in the same house. Two deaths, just floors apart, yet no one suspects a connection.
Settling Lennox’s affairs lures Dakota back to the family’s old Victorian home overlooking Astoria. It has changed over the years—what was once a happy home is now filled with sadness, strange memories, and lights that won’t stay lit.
In the ever-growing darkness, a sinister force has awakened from a long slumber, and it is far from finished with Dakota. Her life and sanity hang in the balance—alongside everything she holds dear.
Fans of Shirley Jackson, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Elizabeth Engstrom will love the quiet horror in this modern gothic tale.
113 pages, Paperback
Published January 3, 2023
9 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Caryn Larrinaga
26 books212 followersCaryn Larrinaga is an internationally best-selling mystery and horror author. She has won multiple awards for her work, including the League of Utah Writers Gold Typewriter and the Cat Writers Association Muse Medallion. In 2021, she was named Writer of the Year by the League of Utah Writers.
In addition to her novels and short story collections, Caryn has written for tabletop RPGs, podcasts, literary journals, newspapers, and zines. Her work has been adapted for audio, short films, and a forthcoming animation. Her spooky supernatural whodunit, DONN'S HILL, topped the Amazon best seller lists for psychic mysteries and cozy animal mysteries.
Watching scary movies through split fingers terrified Caryn as a child, and those nightmares inspire her to write now. Her 90-year-old house has a colorful history, and the creaking walls and narrow hallways send her running (never walking) up the stairs. Exploring her fears through writing makes Caryn feel a little less foolish for wanting a buddy to accompany her into the tool shed.
Caryn lives near Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and their clowder of cats. She is an active member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association, the Cat Writers Association, and the League of Utah Writers.
Visit www.carynlarrinaga.com for free short fiction and true tales of haunted places.
In addition to her novels and short story collections, Caryn has written for tabletop RPGs, podcasts, literary journals, newspapers, and zines. Her work has been adapted for audio, short films, and a forthcoming animation. Her spooky supernatural whodunit, DONN'S HILL, topped the Amazon best seller lists for psychic mysteries and cozy animal mysteries.
Watching scary movies through split fingers terrified Caryn as a child, and those nightmares inspire her to write now. Her 90-year-old house has a colorful history, and the creaking walls and narrow hallways send her running (never walking) up the stairs. Exploring her fears through writing makes Caryn feel a little less foolish for wanting a buddy to accompany her into the tool shed.
Caryn lives near Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and their clowder of cats. She is an active member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association, the Cat Writers Association, and the League of Utah Writers.
Visit www.carynlarrinaga.com for free short fiction and true tales of haunted places.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
January 4, 2023
Dakota receives word that her agoraphobic older brother has passed away in their family home leaving Dakota to return to Astoria in order to clean up the house and sell it if she chooses as he's left everything to her in his will.
Returning home brings back old, disturbing memories. Mostly of their little brother Kai's death as a child falling down the basement steps as he searched for the Whisper Lady.
Two deaths, twenty years apart, could they be connected by a dark force at play?
"What's down there?" "Listen," Kai lisped. "This is boring." she complained." Kai held a finger up to his lips. "Shhh. She can hear you." "Who?" "The Whisper Lady."
A short little horror novella that, while well written, didn't really give me the spooks as I was hoping for. I do believe that someone that's either horror adverse or just wants to get a taste for the genre will be pleased as it isn't gory or terribly frightening. For me, I need just a bit more darkness to satisfy my horror craving. 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Timber Ghost Press for my complimentary copy.
Returning home brings back old, disturbing memories. Mostly of their little brother Kai's death as a child falling down the basement steps as he searched for the Whisper Lady.
Two deaths, twenty years apart, could they be connected by a dark force at play?
"What's down there?" "Listen," Kai lisped. "This is boring." she complained." Kai held a finger up to his lips. "Shhh. She can hear you." "Who?" "The Whisper Lady."
A short little horror novella that, while well written, didn't really give me the spooks as I was hoping for. I do believe that someone that's either horror adverse or just wants to get a taste for the genre will be pleased as it isn't gory or terribly frightening. For me, I need just a bit more darkness to satisfy my horror craving. 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Timber Ghost Press for my complimentary copy.
July 31, 2023
TW: Language, death of sibling, grieving, death of child, language, drinking
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Twenty years ago, Dakota Scott’s baby brother died falling down the back stairs. Twenty-four hours ago, her older brother, Lennox, wasted away into nothing in the same house. Two deaths, just floors apart, yet no one suspects a connection.Settling Lennox’s affairs lures Dakota back to the family’s old Victorian home overlooking Astoria. It has changed over the years—what was once a happy home is now filled with sadness, strange memories, and lights that won’t stay lit.
Release Date: January 3rd, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 113
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. I am in love with the writing
2. This book creeped me out so much
What I Didn't Like:
1. Ending felt rushed
Overall Thoughts:
I found it odd that Dakota and her family would have to identify the body. Usually the medical examiner does that. I mean Lennox did have his finger prints and his teeth so it seems unnecessary for them to have to do this.
I loved that the author wrote how Dakota is able to slowly go into this depressive state. When people try to get her out of the house she's telling herself to stay in order a pizza. When they want her to get up she wants to go back and take another nap. It was perfect of a monster sucking the life from you and draining your energy.
So I have to say I just could not read this book at night. For whatever reason it just made me creeped out. The night I was close to finishing it (5 pages) I had to stop reading it because I was sure someone was standing on the other end of my bedroom. Mad props to the author for that writing style that made me feel that way. I even had a nightmare that I was taking care of my aunts house and when I entered it something was overtaking me.
Final Thoughts:
I think the ending was just too quick and too rushed. This whole story is building up to something and boom one chapter it's over and she's moving on. It made it feel like the stakes in the book weren't that dire.
I would definitely love to read anything this author puts out.
Recommend For:
• Haunted houses
• Dealing with grief
• Loss of a family member
• Depression
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Twenty years ago, Dakota Scott’s baby brother died falling down the back stairs. Twenty-four hours ago, her older brother, Lennox, wasted away into nothing in the same house. Two deaths, just floors apart, yet no one suspects a connection.Settling Lennox’s affairs lures Dakota back to the family’s old Victorian home overlooking Astoria. It has changed over the years—what was once a happy home is now filled with sadness, strange memories, and lights that won’t stay lit.
Release Date: January 3rd, 2023
Genre: Horror
Pages: 113
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
What I Liked:
1. I am in love with the writing
2. This book creeped me out so much
What I Didn't Like:
1. Ending felt rushed
Overall Thoughts:
I found it odd that Dakota and her family would have to identify the body. Usually the medical examiner does that. I mean Lennox did have his finger prints and his teeth so it seems unnecessary for them to have to do this.
I loved that the author wrote how Dakota is able to slowly go into this depressive state. When people try to get her out of the house she's telling herself to stay in order a pizza. When they want her to get up she wants to go back and take another nap. It was perfect of a monster sucking the life from you and draining your energy.
So I have to say I just could not read this book at night. For whatever reason it just made me creeped out. The night I was close to finishing it (5 pages) I had to stop reading it because I was sure someone was standing on the other end of my bedroom. Mad props to the author for that writing style that made me feel that way. I even had a nightmare that I was taking care of my aunts house and when I entered it something was overtaking me.
Final Thoughts:
I think the ending was just too quick and too rushed. This whole story is building up to something and boom one chapter it's over and she's moving on. It made it feel like the stakes in the book weren't that dire.
I would definitely love to read anything this author puts out.
Recommend For:
• Haunted houses
• Dealing with grief
• Loss of a family member
• Depression
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 28, 2023
Dakota gets news that her older brother has passed away unexpectedly. So, with her parents, she heads back to Astoria, Oregon, to the house she grew up in where he had resided for the last several years and where he was found deceased. For the most part, the behemoth Victorian is a mausoleum to their childhood, most of the rooms untouched, exactly as they were while they were growing up. Especially the bedroom of their brother who died young.
"A forgotten feeling rose up in her. The knowledge, the incontestable fact that something foul and malignant hid in the darkness, filled her so quickly that she wretched."
This was so intriguing from page one to the very end. I was captivated and fully invested. I loved the ominous writing, the setting of the house, the family history and mysterious characters. This has a great spooky atmosphere that will have you looking at childhood board games much differently.
"A forgotten feeling rose up in her. The knowledge, the incontestable fact that something foul and malignant hid in the darkness, filled her so quickly that she wretched."
This was so intriguing from page one to the very end. I was captivated and fully invested. I loved the ominous writing, the setting of the house, the family history and mysterious characters. This has a great spooky atmosphere that will have you looking at childhood board games much differently.
February 9, 2023
Grief. Overwhelming, heart-wrenching, all-consuming, drowning grief. The kind that eats your soul and devours all sense of happiness. That's exactly what this book captured for me. This felt so real and raw that I found myself unable to tear myself from the pages if this story until I had read the last sentence. This story is fast-paced, but hits so hard you won't see the end coming until it's staring back at you from the shadows in the corner of your room. Go read this book!
Read
January 27, 2023I was ambivalent about this until the big reveal of the "mouse trap" which I loved! So the spookiness wasn't at the level I'd usually like but the plotting was really well crafted and thoughtful.
January 7, 2023
Caryn Larrinaga's Mouse Trap is delightfully creepy.
I was surprised by how quickly the pages flew by and the ending came much too soon.
Ms. Larrinaga wrote some compelling and believable characters and the dialogue never seemed stilted or flat but genuine.
The description for the book--"Death haunts the Scott family home.
Twenty years ago, Dakota Scott’s baby brother died falling down the back stairs. Twenty-four hours ago, her older brother, Lennox, wasted away into nothing in the same house. Two deaths, just floors apart, yet no one suspects a connection. Settling Lennox’s affairs lures Dakota back to the family’s old Victorian home overlooking Astoria. It has changed over the years–what was once a happy home is, now filled with sadness, strange memories, and lights that won’t stay lit." sets up the premise for the book.
The comparisons to Shirley Jackson by the publisher are not unwarranted. Ms. Larrinaga deftly captures the same vibe and atmosphere present in stories like "We Have Always Lived in the Castle".
Thanks to #NetGalley, #TimberGhostPress, and Caryn Larrinaga for the ARC of #MouseTrap.
I was surprised by how quickly the pages flew by and the ending came much too soon.
Ms. Larrinaga wrote some compelling and believable characters and the dialogue never seemed stilted or flat but genuine.
The description for the book--"Death haunts the Scott family home.
Twenty years ago, Dakota Scott’s baby brother died falling down the back stairs. Twenty-four hours ago, her older brother, Lennox, wasted away into nothing in the same house. Two deaths, just floors apart, yet no one suspects a connection. Settling Lennox’s affairs lures Dakota back to the family’s old Victorian home overlooking Astoria. It has changed over the years–what was once a happy home is, now filled with sadness, strange memories, and lights that won’t stay lit." sets up the premise for the book.
The comparisons to Shirley Jackson by the publisher are not unwarranted. Ms. Larrinaga deftly captures the same vibe and atmosphere present in stories like "We Have Always Lived in the Castle".
Thanks to #NetGalley, #TimberGhostPress, and Caryn Larrinaga for the ARC of #MouseTrap.
Read
February 1, 2023Dakota and her adoptive parents return to their former home to settle affairs and pack up belongings after her brother's sudden death in the house. They all knew he did not like to go out but his funeral drives that point home when the attendees are people he only ever knew from the internet.
Dakota and her parents have never recovered from the first death in the home 20 years ago. The house was meant to be a place full of love and laughter. They had planned to adopt many more children, adding on bedrooms as needed. After the death of their toddler staying in the home became unbearable, and the thought of more children was just too painful. Everyone eventually went their separate ways and only Lennox stayed behind, never wanting to leave the house.
Dakota is wracked with guilt over not having visited Lennox more, and when she learns the reason why he never left the house it's all the more heartbreaking.
Mouse Trap is more a story of grief and loss than the scares I was expecting.
It's heavy with guilt and regret, loneliness and despair. I would recommend it for fans of more subtle horror with a dose of family drama as opposed to anyone looking for chills.
Dakota and her parents have never recovered from the first death in the home 20 years ago. The house was meant to be a place full of love and laughter. They had planned to adopt many more children, adding on bedrooms as needed. After the death of their toddler staying in the home became unbearable, and the thought of more children was just too painful. Everyone eventually went their separate ways and only Lennox stayed behind, never wanting to leave the house.
Dakota is wracked with guilt over not having visited Lennox more, and when she learns the reason why he never left the house it's all the more heartbreaking.
Mouse Trap is more a story of grief and loss than the scares I was expecting.
It's heavy with guilt and regret, loneliness and despair. I would recommend it for fans of more subtle horror with a dose of family drama as opposed to anyone looking for chills.
February 7, 2023
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
***
This is another quick read. Despite only being a hundred or so pages, it's a full story with a developed plot and main character. I was impressed with the amount of detail the author was able to work into the book.
It's mildly creepy but a great little tale of overcoming awful things and leaving stronger.
***
This is another quick read. Despite only being a hundred or so pages, it's a full story with a developed plot and main character. I was impressed with the amount of detail the author was able to work into the book.
It's mildly creepy but a great little tale of overcoming awful things and leaving stronger.
January 21, 2023
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Mouse Trap by Caryn Larrinaga.
I don't want to give a synopsis to this story, because it's already short, you could easily read it in a day. Also, it's written to spookily and well that my recap won't do it justice, so here's what I'll say.
I was gripped from the get go. I LOVED the stage, the characters, the very foreboding shadowing, and especially the rich world that Larrinaga was about to paint in such a tiny package. I don't do scary movies, but I LOVE scary books, and this one absolutely hit the mark.
I don't want to give a synopsis to this story, because it's already short, you could easily read it in a day. Also, it's written to spookily and well that my recap won't do it justice, so here's what I'll say.
I was gripped from the get go. I LOVED the stage, the characters, the very foreboding shadowing, and especially the rich world that Larrinaga was about to paint in such a tiny package. I don't do scary movies, but I LOVE scary books, and this one absolutely hit the mark.
January 16, 2023
A very entertaining quick read. I really enjoyed this.
I wanted more...hope there's #2 somewhere in the near future.
A new author to follow for sure.
Thank you to Netgalley and Caryn Larrinaga for providing me with this ARC.
Happy reading all!
I wanted more...hope there's #2 somewhere in the near future.
A new author to follow for sure.
Thank you to Netgalley and Caryn Larrinaga for providing me with this ARC.
Happy reading all!
January 5, 2023
this novella packed quite a punch. the horror aspect was very slow and subtle, but i didn't mind. in this story, the haunted house trope was used to explore grief and it was done in a hauntingly beautiful way. in the span of just a hundred or so pages the author managed to spin such a tragic, yet hopeful tale that had me shedding a tear or two for the characters.
thank you to timber ghost press and netgalley for providing this arc!
thank you to timber ghost press and netgalley for providing this arc!
February 10, 2023
Mouse trap was a really fun story. The plot was fast paced and fun. I loved how the author played with present and past events. The information was given to the reader in the perfect pace. The characters were interesting and fun. Tho they might have lacked a little dept. The relationships filled a little forced. Yet the story did make sense. I didn’t feel the scares I usually like. But I did liked how how it embodied the relationships and how they could change. The mixture between child play and adult life was an interesting concept. Overall a fun book to read.
Thank you net galley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you net galley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2023
A good read if you're after a short ghost story!
January 26, 2023
Mouse Trap is a horror novella about grief, both as a family and as an individual. It begins with Lennox, the eldest adopted child of the Scott family, living his last moments in the family home. Soon after his sister Dakota receives the sad news from her parents. They all go back to Astoria for the funeral.
Unfortunately this isn't the first time the family has suffered a terrible loss. Twenty years ago the youngest child in the family also died by falling down the basement stairs after claiming to hear the Whisper Lady. The family hasn't been the same since. Especially Lennox. He became attached to the house and would no longer leave it. For the past several years the family home was all his. Coming back home brings back dark memories for Dakota and literal darkness as curtains keep closing and light bulbs burn out. Is the Whisper Lady real after all?
The creepiness builds slowly. We're mostly in Dakota's head and we can see stuff happening that she herself cannot. The grief and trauma the family has been through is depicted well. There is an unbelievably heavy feeling which is very effective for portraying the horror until we finally see it for ourselves.
The relationships in the present day were mostly there for convenience and those characters seemed to swap out as the story needed. Everything that was really important happened in the house.
Mouse Trap is a quick read that is sure to please horror readers.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read.
Unfortunately this isn't the first time the family has suffered a terrible loss. Twenty years ago the youngest child in the family also died by falling down the basement stairs after claiming to hear the Whisper Lady. The family hasn't been the same since. Especially Lennox. He became attached to the house and would no longer leave it. For the past several years the family home was all his. Coming back home brings back dark memories for Dakota and literal darkness as curtains keep closing and light bulbs burn out. Is the Whisper Lady real after all?
The creepiness builds slowly. We're mostly in Dakota's head and we can see stuff happening that she herself cannot. The grief and trauma the family has been through is depicted well. There is an unbelievably heavy feeling which is very effective for portraying the horror until we finally see it for ourselves.
The relationships in the present day were mostly there for convenience and those characters seemed to swap out as the story needed. Everything that was really important happened in the house.
Mouse Trap is a quick read that is sure to please horror readers.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read.
January 9, 2023
A great read that was easy to fall into with its simple yet still elegant prose that always kept on point, which is what I like to see in a novella.
This story follows Dakota, a young woman who has created a happy life for herself, yet finds herself pulled back into both the current plus past grief and trauma of losing a loved one under mysterious circumstances. I found it a quiet horror with a slow yet steady build up, but what impressed me the most was the way the author wrote of grief and how differently people process and deal it.
It gives off the feel of a more modern horror with some gothic elements, using things we ourselves might have found ourselves enjoying during our own childhoods such as board games like the titular Mouse Trap. I also appreciated the delicate way that video game, particularly MMO, addiction was dealt with.
A solid debut, and I admit that I initially rated it a 4* because I usually prefer my horror a bit scarier but thinking over it, I thought that this was a fantastic read and deserved to be rated as a book in itself and not as a book in its genre.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for letting me read this in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!
This story follows Dakota, a young woman who has created a happy life for herself, yet finds herself pulled back into both the current plus past grief and trauma of losing a loved one under mysterious circumstances. I found it a quiet horror with a slow yet steady build up, but what impressed me the most was the way the author wrote of grief and how differently people process and deal it.
It gives off the feel of a more modern horror with some gothic elements, using things we ourselves might have found ourselves enjoying during our own childhoods such as board games like the titular Mouse Trap. I also appreciated the delicate way that video game, particularly MMO, addiction was dealt with.
A solid debut, and I admit that I initially rated it a 4* because I usually prefer my horror a bit scarier but thinking over it, I thought that this was a fantastic read and deserved to be rated as a book in itself and not as a book in its genre.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for letting me read this in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!
April 18, 2023
Mouse Trap is your next super fast and hard to put down read. After her brother's sudden death, Dakota returns to her family home where he lived alone. What was once a happy home is now filled with sadness, strange memories, and lights that won’t stay lit. This is the second death for this Victorian home, her younger brother Kai also died there twenty years ago. Tasked with getting the house ready for sale, Dakota finds herself feeling watched and unnerved. In the ever-growing darkness, a sinister force has awakened from a long slumber, and it is far from finished with Dakota. Her life and sanity hang in the balance—alongside everything she holds dear.
The plot is well-paced and full of unexpected twists and turns, keeping the reader wondering and guessing until the very end. Larrinaga's writing brings to life the sights, sounds, and fear incited in the story's world, making you check over your own shoulder once or twice during your reading session. Mouse Trap is a chilling and enjoyable read, perfect for a single sitting, that is sure to satisfy fans of ghostly horrors and fans of Darcy Coates and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
The plot is well-paced and full of unexpected twists and turns, keeping the reader wondering and guessing until the very end. Larrinaga's writing brings to life the sights, sounds, and fear incited in the story's world, making you check over your own shoulder once or twice during your reading session. Mouse Trap is a chilling and enjoyable read, perfect for a single sitting, that is sure to satisfy fans of ghostly horrors and fans of Darcy Coates and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
January 7, 2023
This is a solid horror novella. The author does a great job of telling a clear and concise story.
Our main character Dakota finds out that her brother died. She moved away for school/work but her brother lived as a shut-in in the house where they grew up. Dakota wrestles with a lot of guilt for not making more of an effort to stay connected with her brother, not visiting more, not trying to help him overcome his issues, etc. Meanwhile, as she stays in the house, she starts to fall into lethargic/depressed state while slightly weird things may be happening - lightbulbs burning out, blinds closing on their own.
The book kept me engaged throughout. Often, horror short stories and novellas can struggle with setting a clear world and providing satisfactory resolution, but this book did a great job of that. This was my first time reading this author and I look forward to checking out her other writings.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this advance review copy.
Our main character Dakota finds out that her brother died. She moved away for school/work but her brother lived as a shut-in in the house where they grew up. Dakota wrestles with a lot of guilt for not making more of an effort to stay connected with her brother, not visiting more, not trying to help him overcome his issues, etc. Meanwhile, as she stays in the house, she starts to fall into lethargic/depressed state while slightly weird things may be happening - lightbulbs burning out, blinds closing on their own.
The book kept me engaged throughout. Often, horror short stories and novellas can struggle with setting a clear world and providing satisfactory resolution, but this book did a great job of that. This was my first time reading this author and I look forward to checking out her other writings.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this advance review copy.
January 2, 2023
Thank You to Timber Ghost Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
I really love how during the entire story, I didn’t know if The Whisper Lady was an entity Kai saw or if she was born from Dakota’s grief any time she couldn’t process it. At the end of the book, The Whisper Lady is the visual of Dakota’s bottled up emotions exploding, which I found brilliant. This story left my spine tingling, I enjoyed how the book got it’s title.
I look forward to reading more works from Caryn Larrinaga!
I really love how during the entire story, I didn’t know if The Whisper Lady was an entity Kai saw or if she was born from Dakota’s grief any time she couldn’t process it. At the end of the book, The Whisper Lady is the visual of Dakota’s bottled up emotions exploding, which I found brilliant. This story left my spine tingling, I enjoyed how the book got it’s title.
I look forward to reading more works from Caryn Larrinaga!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2023
This novella is a quick read! Although it was an interesting concept and the fast pace made it easy to read, I didn’t really connect with the story and found it lacked depth. I also think the ending/solution was rushed and slightly unsatisfying. I didn’t dislike this book so I found it hard to determine whether I thought this was a 2 star or 3 star but I decided to round up.
Thank you to Netgalley, Timber Ghost Press and Caryn Larrinaga for this ARC ebook. I didn’t get to my advanced copy in time so Mouse Trap was already published in January 2023
Thank you to Netgalley, Timber Ghost Press and Caryn Larrinaga for this ARC ebook. I didn’t get to my advanced copy in time so Mouse Trap was already published in January 2023
March 7, 2023
Firstly, I love the cover of this book! What a great design!
Secondly, this was definitely a spooky “cozy” horror story. Nothing too gruesome or scary, and there is hope for the characters.
It’s definitely a plot centred around grief and loss, and how we work our way through the darkness.
Definitely give this book a read, it’s a nice palate cleanser after a splatterpunk book in my opinion!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Timber Ghost Press for a copy!
Secondly, this was definitely a spooky “cozy” horror story. Nothing too gruesome or scary, and there is hope for the characters.
It’s definitely a plot centred around grief and loss, and how we work our way through the darkness.
Definitely give this book a read, it’s a nice palate cleanser after a splatterpunk book in my opinion!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Timber Ghost Press for a copy!
April 14, 2023
Thank you Netgalley, Timber Ghost Press and Caryn Larrinaga for the ARC of this book.
Wow what a thrilling, super quick and utterly addictive horror book.
This one will have you hooked from the first page and you will power through it in one sitting.
Great plot, well written and a spooky, creepy read.
Highly recommend this for anyone who loves a haunted house read!
Wow what a thrilling, super quick and utterly addictive horror book.
This one will have you hooked from the first page and you will power through it in one sitting.
Great plot, well written and a spooky, creepy read.
Highly recommend this for anyone who loves a haunted house read!
January 5, 2023
Larrinaga is a master of mystery storytelling. Steeped in vivid realism, this slow-burn paranormal tale might have you question your own thoughts by its conclusion. What's real and what's inexplicable is blurred. This story will haunt you beyond the last page!
January 6, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Timber Ghost Press for this ARC! I really enjoyed this spooky novella. It was right parts clever and creepy. This was my first read by this author, but certainly not my last!
March 18, 2025
Generic
This was a pretty generic haunted house story. Nothing really stood out as unique. I wasn't very pulled in by the story. Not bad, but not very entertaining either.
This was a pretty generic haunted house story. Nothing really stood out as unique. I wasn't very pulled in by the story. Not bad, but not very entertaining either.
February 9, 2023
A good, quick horror read that seemed like it couldn’t decide whether to be more psychological thriller or true horror at times. The tension builds at the perfect pace for the length leaving you scared just enough to want to keep reading.
January 6, 2023
After receiving a phone call from her adoptive parents, Dakota finds out that her agoraphobic brother has passed away. She quickly packs her things and heads back to her hometown, where not only her brother's belongings wait for her, but also a sinister force that has been dormant for over twenty years. The question is: Can evil ever truly go away?
When I first started reading Mouse Trap I knew it was going to be a book full of grief, but I wasn't prepared for how beautifully Caryn Larrinaga would portray Dakota's emotions as she deals with the death of her brother. Sure, in its essence this is a book about a supernatural monster, but the true horror lies in the way humans punish themselves over the death of our loved ones. Not only is Dakota devastated that her brother passed, but she is also riddled with guilt and regrets. And to be quite honest, these emotions can be way scarier than a specter waiting in the dark. That is not to say, that the supernatural elements weren't scary, they were just more of a slow, creeping burn.
All in all, I really enjoyed Mouse Trap and I hope to read more from the author in the future.
When I first started reading Mouse Trap I knew it was going to be a book full of grief, but I wasn't prepared for how beautifully Caryn Larrinaga would portray Dakota's emotions as she deals with the death of her brother. Sure, in its essence this is a book about a supernatural monster, but the true horror lies in the way humans punish themselves over the death of our loved ones. Not only is Dakota devastated that her brother passed, but she is also riddled with guilt and regrets. And to be quite honest, these emotions can be way scarier than a specter waiting in the dark. That is not to say, that the supernatural elements weren't scary, they were just more of a slow, creeping burn.
All in all, I really enjoyed Mouse Trap and I hope to read more from the author in the future.
January 3, 2023
20 years ago Dakota Scott's baby brother, Kai, died falling down the back stairs. Now her other brother wasted away in the same house. Dakota returns to her childhood home to deal with Lennox's things and make arrangements for his funeral. However, when she returns she quickly realizes there is a malevolent force at work in the house and it is feeding off of the family's sorrow and despair.
I was immediately intrigued by the premise of Mouse Trap by Caryn Larrinaga. This plot sounded wild and absolutely dreadful. I am extremely impressed by the writing in this novel. This was a quick read but the overall feeling of climbing dread and atmospheric spookiness was phenomenal. The sadness of our MC was palpable. I thought I knew where the story was headed about halfway through but I never expected that ending! For fans of creepy atmospheric books, this one is a perfectly thrilling dread-filled novel that was released on January 3rd- and you NEED it!
I was immediately intrigued by the premise of Mouse Trap by Caryn Larrinaga. This plot sounded wild and absolutely dreadful. I am extremely impressed by the writing in this novel. This was a quick read but the overall feeling of climbing dread and atmospheric spookiness was phenomenal. The sadness of our MC was palpable. I thought I knew where the story was headed about halfway through but I never expected that ending! For fans of creepy atmospheric books, this one is a perfectly thrilling dread-filled novel that was released on January 3rd- and you NEED it!
January 13, 2023
Overall good book. I hoped for a lot more, but did enjoy the build up. love books centered around a house – haunted house, or anything where the location, atmosphere, or setting contributes to the “issue”. I appreciated that aspect of this book. I enjoyed the past and talk about their lives and childhood in the house. As an introvert, the staying home messed with me too.
An all round good read. I received this book from Netgalley to provide an up art review.
An all round good read. I received this book from Netgalley to provide an up art review.
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