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The Riverhouse
When painter Shane Bellamy attempts to relaunch his life by moving into a remote summer cottage on the Missouri river, he becomes enthralled by the property’s original owners, famed depression-era artist Gustav Wilhelm and his wife, Marlena; painting their long-dead secrets of betrayal and revenge in a series of increasingly bizarre works, Shane finds that he has not only recreated their dark story on canvas, he has brought it dreadfully back to life all around him.
Visit the official website: www.riverhousebook.com
In the wake of his divorce and the loss of his New York art job, Shane is bereft and directionless. The cottage provides the perfect escape: small, picturesque, and lonely. There, he becomes fascinated with the history of the cottage, and that of its larger sister property, the Riverhouse, now demolished.
Shane embarks on an unusual painting project: recreating the Riverhouse on canvas, as it might have looked when it was first built. As the painting develops, surprising Shane both with its style and its strange, silent strength, he finds that the image is a sort of portal, inviting him into the Riverhouse’s past. He learns of its owners, portrait artist Gustav Wilhelm, known for his arrogance as much as his genius, and of Wilhelm’s wife, the beautiful but ignored Marlena. Their story blooms in Shane’s mind like a dark rose, full of deepening mystery and harrowing secrets.
Gradually, Shane comes to realize that the decades’ old drama isn’t yet finished. Ghosts haunt the cottage, particularly the intriguing Marlena, and Shane finds himself inexplicably drawn to her, despite her otherworldly hatred of his tentative new love, art agent Christiana.
Eventually, Shane finds himself caught in the spiraling collision course of his own life and that of the Riverhouse, which has secretly risen from its dead foundation. He knows he should escape and yet he cannot seem to walk away. After all, he thinks, ghosts can’t harm the living. Can they?
Visit the official website: www.riverhousebook.com
In the wake of his divorce and the loss of his New York art job, Shane is bereft and directionless. The cottage provides the perfect escape: small, picturesque, and lonely. There, he becomes fascinated with the history of the cottage, and that of its larger sister property, the Riverhouse, now demolished.
Shane embarks on an unusual painting project: recreating the Riverhouse on canvas, as it might have looked when it was first built. As the painting develops, surprising Shane both with its style and its strange, silent strength, he finds that the image is a sort of portal, inviting him into the Riverhouse’s past. He learns of its owners, portrait artist Gustav Wilhelm, known for his arrogance as much as his genius, and of Wilhelm’s wife, the beautiful but ignored Marlena. Their story blooms in Shane’s mind like a dark rose, full of deepening mystery and harrowing secrets.
Gradually, Shane comes to realize that the decades’ old drama isn’t yet finished. Ghosts haunt the cottage, particularly the intriguing Marlena, and Shane finds himself inexplicably drawn to her, despite her otherworldly hatred of his tentative new love, art agent Christiana.
Eventually, Shane finds himself caught in the spiraling collision course of his own life and that of the Riverhouse, which has secretly risen from its dead foundation. He knows he should escape and yet he cannot seem to walk away. After all, he thinks, ghosts can’t harm the living. Can they?
378 pages, ebook
First published April 10, 2010
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805 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 26, 2012
Yesterday morning I started the tenth chapter, and I ended up with finishing the whole novel last night.
In a way, I was happy to be done with it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I didn’t like it – I was utterly impressed by it, actually – but it wasn’t exactly what you would call pleasant reading.
If I was to find an adjective fit to describe it, according to my first impression, I would say “convincing”. This is among the features that I recognize and appreciate the most in the style of George Norman Lippert's works, be they novels or short stories: everything turns out to be quite different from what you’d have expected it to be, but that’s exactly what makes it so overwhelmingly involving, so painstakingly accurate in depicting sorrow, loss and loneliness that sometimes you have to fight the urge to snap the (e)book shut. Its tragic unpredictability makes you feel that it indeed is real life, thus preventing any sort of detachment from the events told.
As it is said in the novel, “Life is just a lot more complicated and interesting than most art would have us believe. It isn’t just emo abstract ugliness and it isn’t just clown’s faces on black velvet. I mean, it is those things too, but those are just the boundaries… Just the hard edges. Most of life happens in the middle, between those two extremes. That’s where most of us live and work and move every day. That’s what I want from art.” Well, in my opinion, this book truly fulfilled the requirement.
In a way, I was happy to be done with it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I didn’t like it – I was utterly impressed by it, actually – but it wasn’t exactly what you would call pleasant reading.
If I was to find an adjective fit to describe it, according to my first impression, I would say “convincing”. This is among the features that I recognize and appreciate the most in the style of George Norman Lippert's works, be they novels or short stories: everything turns out to be quite different from what you’d have expected it to be, but that’s exactly what makes it so overwhelmingly involving, so painstakingly accurate in depicting sorrow, loss and loneliness that sometimes you have to fight the urge to snap the (e)book shut. Its tragic unpredictability makes you feel that it indeed is real life, thus preventing any sort of detachment from the events told.
As it is said in the novel, “Life is just a lot more complicated and interesting than most art would have us believe. It isn’t just emo abstract ugliness and it isn’t just clown’s faces on black velvet. I mean, it is those things too, but those are just the boundaries… Just the hard edges. Most of life happens in the middle, between those two extremes. That’s where most of us live and work and move every day. That’s what I want from art.” Well, in my opinion, this book truly fulfilled the requirement.
April 2, 2011
I'm finding it hard to know where to begin here...
This is one of those books that just surprises, in a good way.
I began this book somewhat slowly, and right from the start we get to it's one fault. It is a slow read, and I can understand impatient people that simply give up on the first half of the book.
It isn't a particularly long book, mind you, at only 420 pages, but reading it takes time. More time than I'm used to at least. I am certain that some descriptions and character development COULD have been shortcut and edited for a quicker read, but I think that would have detracted from the material. After reading it all, however, I believe I see why it takes so long.
It's actually clawing at your soul, and your brain actively works against it.
I read the first 10% in a week, only reading a part a time and getting into the story and the characters.
But after that point the story started grabbing me and refusing to let go. I was awake longer and longer into the night, refusing to put the book down until mere physical exhaustion turned out the lights.
Last night I found myself at 2am, shivering and miserable from tiredness, and finally managed to put the book down, but that's when the fun started.
Despite being dead tired, I couldn't fall asleep. I realized that I was afraid of the dark.
Seriously? Afraid of the dark? Me?? I haven't been afraid of the dark since I was a small child, and have been enjoying horror and ghost stories for close to 2 decades. I have often been uncomfortable after a specifically good read, but never really scared. Never really waiting for something to come out of the dark and get me.
It was a horrifying experience, but a genuinely perplexing and interesting one none the less. I had to get out of bed again and watch comedies and chatter on Facebook and whatnot for 2 hours before I felt that I had put the book behind me well enough. And finally I slept.
After dinner tonight I decided I'd read the rest of it a lot earlier in the evening, in case I'd have similar problems :) So here I am, thoroughly spent on body and soul, actually suffering physically after reading a book.
I say that is the mark of a great book. What about you?
This is one of those books that just surprises, in a good way.
I began this book somewhat slowly, and right from the start we get to it's one fault. It is a slow read, and I can understand impatient people that simply give up on the first half of the book.
It isn't a particularly long book, mind you, at only 420 pages, but reading it takes time. More time than I'm used to at least. I am certain that some descriptions and character development COULD have been shortcut and edited for a quicker read, but I think that would have detracted from the material. After reading it all, however, I believe I see why it takes so long.
It's actually clawing at your soul, and your brain actively works against it.
I read the first 10% in a week, only reading a part a time and getting into the story and the characters.
But after that point the story started grabbing me and refusing to let go. I was awake longer and longer into the night, refusing to put the book down until mere physical exhaustion turned out the lights.
Last night I found myself at 2am, shivering and miserable from tiredness, and finally managed to put the book down, but that's when the fun started.
Despite being dead tired, I couldn't fall asleep. I realized that I was afraid of the dark.
Seriously? Afraid of the dark? Me?? I haven't been afraid of the dark since I was a small child, and have been enjoying horror and ghost stories for close to 2 decades. I have often been uncomfortable after a specifically good read, but never really scared. Never really waiting for something to come out of the dark and get me.
It was a horrifying experience, but a genuinely perplexing and interesting one none the less. I had to get out of bed again and watch comedies and chatter on Facebook and whatnot for 2 hours before I felt that I had put the book behind me well enough. And finally I slept.
After dinner tonight I decided I'd read the rest of it a lot earlier in the evening, in case I'd have similar problems :) So here I am, thoroughly spent on body and soul, actually suffering physically after reading a book.
I say that is the mark of a great book. What about you?
January 9, 2011
This was a very good haunted house story.The characters were sympathetic and believable.The only criticism that I have it is that it was probably a few pages loner than it had to be and dragged just a little bit in the middle.
Otherwise a very solid book and who can beat the price of 99 cents on Kindle?
Otherwise a very solid book and who can beat the price of 99 cents on Kindle?
December 1, 2018
I don’t typically enjoy ghost/creepy/paranormal books but this one was engrossing. Like others, I thought some descriptions became long and I didn’t like his killing off of a major character.
But I do think that G. Norm ought to be as famous as Stephen King.
But I do think that G. Norm ought to be as famous as Stephen King.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2014
Devastated by the double-whammy loss of both his wife and his job, commercial artist Shane Bellamy retreats to his summer home in Missouri to regain his bearings. He's aware he's sharing the cottage with a harmless but mischievious ghost, but he soon finds there's another being hanging around, perhaps not so harmless. He is suddenly compelled to create a painting that's definitely not part of his freelance art job; in fact, it's a portrait of a house that no longer stands - the "sister" house of the cottage he's inhabiting.
The author slowly builds the tension (my favorite kind) and gives up little secrets while moving the story forward toward a "wtf!" climax. Very well done; I'll be browsing his other works.
The author slowly builds the tension (my favorite kind) and gives up little secrets while moving the story forward toward a "wtf!" climax. Very well done; I'll be browsing his other works.
July 13, 2011
I'm giving this a horror tag because it involves ghosts -- the whole story is about a haunting -- but it's not horror in the slasher vein. This was a 99cent book that I downloaded to read on Jet's kindle while awaiting the shipment of my replacement kindle and access to books I already had.
The plot is good, sometimes verging on VERY good, but the writing is a bit simplistic and that takes away from the book as a whole. It did keep me interested until the end, however, and I was curious about how it would finally wrap up the whole way through. Definitely worth the 99cents and I recommend it if you are in the mood for a spooky story.
The plot is good, sometimes verging on VERY good, but the writing is a bit simplistic and that takes away from the book as a whole. It did keep me interested until the end, however, and I was curious about how it would finally wrap up the whole way through. Definitely worth the 99cents and I recommend it if you are in the mood for a spooky story.
September 19, 2012
I think this is my favorite Lippert. You can't get in a hurry when reading one of Lippert's books, but for me, this is part of their charm. Rest assured, he is going somewhere, and when he gets there, you'll be glad you went along for the ride.
May 7, 2020
Lippert got me again.
Without spoiling too much, there is a line in book about a man wanting to burn a painting the first time he saw it, but then seeing the woman in the painting he couldn't take his eyes off of it, needing to know what she was was looking, to known what was coming. That's probably the most accurate description of this book, and quite frankly Lippert's writing style. Part of my wants to burn the book and stop reading it... But I have to know what's coming. I have to know how it ends. This book is his artistry at its finest and part of me hates him for it, because I shouldn't like it, but I do. I am entranced by his writing and a slave to his material. In the end I blame his James Potter series, as it put a curse on me that destined me to the slavery of his master's words.
Without spoiling too much, there is a line in book about a man wanting to burn a painting the first time he saw it, but then seeing the woman in the painting he couldn't take his eyes off of it, needing to know what she was was looking, to known what was coming. That's probably the most accurate description of this book, and quite frankly Lippert's writing style. Part of my wants to burn the book and stop reading it... But I have to know what's coming. I have to know how it ends. This book is his artistry at its finest and part of me hates him for it, because I shouldn't like it, but I do. I am entranced by his writing and a slave to his material. In the end I blame his James Potter series, as it put a curse on me that destined me to the slavery of his master's words.
January 12, 2022
This book has been in my kindle library with a long time. It’s the story of Shane Bellamy, an artist who does commercial painting and has just lost his job and his wife. He decides to go and live in the remote summer cottage he and his wife bought and starts doing commission commercial work and also gets the idea to paint the original house to which his cottage belonged. It’s just been demolished and while on his bike ride Shane sees the site and gets the sense of what the Riverhouse once was. He goes back and starts to paint it and finds that it becomes an obsession. There are ghosts and spectres hanging around and it seems that Shane’s life is heading in a strange direction. As I got into the story it drew me in and I found myself reading it in any spare moments I had. Got to the end tonight at 2.30 am. The ending was good enough but there was one bit that just made it lose a star.
February 16, 2022
I'm writing this as I'm still in shock. I have chills down my arms of happiness, fear, relief, and excitement all in one balled up feeling after binging the last few hours of this book in audio format. The Riverhouse is an indescribably intriguing and entrancing story. I don't want to describe anything more except to say that "on the edge of your seat" does not even cut it. I was on my tiptoes stretched across a railing about to fall off into the depths beyond the fog as I sought the answers to all the mysteries intertwined in this plot - and in the end, they were all deliciously revealed. The cliff edges, the borderlands, the veil between what is real, what is unreal, what is sane and what is insane, and what is yet undefinable is traversed freely in this masterful story. Read it.
Want to read
March 6, 2014Description: In the wake of his divorce and the loss of his New York art job, Shane Bellamy is bereft and directionless. The remote cottage on the Missouri river provides the perfect escape: small, picturesque, and lonely. There, Shane becomes fascinated with the history of the cottage, and that of its larger sister property, the Riverhouse, now demolished.
Inspired, he embarks on an unusual art project, one that almost seems to have a life of its own. As the painting develops, surprising Shane both with its style and its strange, silent strength, he finds that the image is a sort of portal, inviting him into the Riverhouse's past. He learns of it owners, portrait artist Gustav Wilhelm, known for his arrogance as much for his genius, and of Wilhelm's wife, the beautiful but ignored Marlena. His painting progress, and the story blooms in Shane's mind like a dark rose, full of deepening mystery and harrowing secrets…
Gradually, Shane comes to realize that the decades' old drama isn't yet finished. Ghosts haunt the cottage, particularly the intriguing Marlena, and Shane cannot help being inexplicably drawn to her, despite her obvious dangers. As a result, Shane finds himself caught in the spiraling collision course of his own life and that of the Riverhouse. He knows he should escape, and yet he cannot seem to walk away. After all, he thinks, ghosts can't harm the living. Can they?
In the end, the power of the story draws Shane into its embrace, like a man walking right up to a cliff's edge, believing he can stop anytime, not knowing that there is someone behind him, sneaking up, waiting for just the right moment, the perfect moment, to give one 'little' push.
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Inspired, he embarks on an unusual art project, one that almost seems to have a life of its own. As the painting develops, surprising Shane both with its style and its strange, silent strength, he finds that the image is a sort of portal, inviting him into the Riverhouse's past. He learns of it owners, portrait artist Gustav Wilhelm, known for his arrogance as much for his genius, and of Wilhelm's wife, the beautiful but ignored Marlena. His painting progress, and the story blooms in Shane's mind like a dark rose, full of deepening mystery and harrowing secrets…
Gradually, Shane comes to realize that the decades' old drama isn't yet finished. Ghosts haunt the cottage, particularly the intriguing Marlena, and Shane cannot help being inexplicably drawn to her, despite her obvious dangers. As a result, Shane finds himself caught in the spiraling collision course of his own life and that of the Riverhouse. He knows he should escape, and yet he cannot seem to walk away. After all, he thinks, ghosts can't harm the living. Can they?
In the end, the power of the story draws Shane into its embrace, like a man walking right up to a cliff's edge, believing he can stop anytime, not knowing that there is someone behind him, sneaking up, waiting for just the right moment, the perfect moment, to give one 'little' push.
Genre: Thriller/Horror
February 27, 2013
I always enjoy reading a good mystery, a good ghost story, a good horror story, a good love story--this book had it all. In addition, I like that it is set in and around St. Louis, where I live. I could picture the art museum, galleries, the river and a house such as the one described in the book.
The author takes care to give us the back story about the former owners of the house, in addition to the current inhabitant(s), before getting into the heart of the ghost and horror portions of the book. As I read the book alone in my own big house, at night, I found myself being truly terrified at points, wanting to put the book down and turn all the lights on in the house. But I didn't; the book wouldn't let me.
The moral dilemmas posed throughout the book make it thought-provoking as well as entertaining.
Great read.
The author takes care to give us the back story about the former owners of the house, in addition to the current inhabitant(s), before getting into the heart of the ghost and horror portions of the book. As I read the book alone in my own big house, at night, I found myself being truly terrified at points, wanting to put the book down and turn all the lights on in the house. But I didn't; the book wouldn't let me.
The moral dilemmas posed throughout the book make it thought-provoking as well as entertaining.
Great read.
August 5, 2013
Glad to see Lippert isn't a one trick pony. This book is utterly different from the JP series & Ruins. It's a bit slow in the beginning, but not boring-slow. More like a glimpse into the aftermath of a poor guy's life as he starts over. Shane is relatable and likable. I loved reading about his painting technique (foreman vs muse). The relationship between Christiana & Randy was frighteningly accurate. There are no wizards in this book, but there are some pretty creepy ghosts, so my fantasy/paranormal obsession was satiated. Where the first half was slow, the second half was a wild ride. There's no picture-perfect ending, but the ending does wrap up nicely. Well done, George! I'm a huge fan of JP, I can't wait for the next Camelot installment, and now I'm itching for another stand-alone like The Riverhouse!
March 2, 2014
The Riverhouse is a really great ghost story that really keeps you guessing. I love Lippert's writing style, and his likable characters. Shane Bellamy is trying to pick up the pieces of his shattered life after losing, both, his job and his marriage in one day. He moves in to what was he and his wife's former vacation home outside of St. Louis, Missouri. He quickly learns that living in the house full time is quite different from the occasional week-long vacation. His property is haunted by a sad, desperate woman, who begins communicating with Shane through his artwork. Anyone who loves a good ghost story should definitely read The Riverhouse. One thing that did annoy me throughout the book was that Shane continually refers to himself as middle aged. To me, middle age begins in someone's 40s, and Shane is supposed to only be thirty-five.
March 22, 2013
I would actually give this book 3.5 stars. I would have given it 4 stars until I got towards the end of the book. At that point it just got a little too weird and I really didn't like the fact that a certain character was killed off. Otherwise, I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It moved a little slow at times but it had some nice plot twists and suspense.
February 6, 2011
The book wasn't bad - but I felt it was a slow read. It took me a week to read the whole thing, and that is pretty unheard of for me. I normally finish books in a day or two. That being said, there were some unexpected twists once the action did start towards the end.
August 6, 2011
If I could give this 3.5 stars, I would. But since I can't, I'm rounding up and giving it 4. This book dragged a bit in places, but it was so different from anything I usually read and I found it intriguing.
June 30, 2015
This is an excellent novel, and definitely a must read for Stephen King fans. I have loved Lipperts narration in the James Potter series. But this one makes me appreciate the variety in his writing styles even more.
March 5, 2014
***Spoiler*** I'm giving this 1Star because of a character he killed at the end. Really just made the whole book a waste of time! Come on, really?
I liked all his other books, and I liked this one, but for the character that he killed. It did not have to end that way.
I liked all his other books, and I liked this one, but for the character that he killed. It did not have to end that way.
September 10, 2013
I tried to like this book but I thought it dragged. It was scary in parts and I wanted to see how it would end. So I kept on reading and then was very disappointed. Most of the characters were thrown in at the end in a jumble. The ending was just too weird for my liking. So, 2 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2011
This was such a great book to read. It really keeps your interest peaked from beginning to end.
February 27, 2011
A good, old fashioned ghost story.
May 8, 2011
I enjoyed this book. It had a good twist at the end.
July 11, 2011
I don't generally read ghost stories, but this one kept me interested. It was an enjoyable read.
January 22, 2012
I don't usually read ghost stories, thank goodness I finished this during daylight hours! Freaky, creepy, psychologically weird! I think I would have left a lot sooner than the characters!
July 9, 2012
This was a great book! It was perfectly crrepy and full of unexpected plot twists. Loved it!
October 12, 2013
Since I liked the author's fan fiction James Potter series, I thought I'd try one of his original works. "The Riverhouse" is a fun, ghost story.
February 25, 2011
Just not my type of book. Not much for a ghost or horror story.
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