catynatt 's review for:

The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates

4.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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This was the first properly scary book I’ve read since getting into horror. I needed a cup of peppermint tea and a dog snug to calm down when I finished. It was spine tingling, gasp-inducing, adrenaline pumping spirit action with macabre mystery solving and a good kitty. I thought the twist was well-hinted at, though I figured it out beforehand, but the explanation was a letdown since there was no way for the reader to figure it out without being told in a third act infodump. This also made it underdeveloped and left me going “…really?”. As an insufferable know-it-all, it irked me that they kept referring to Edith as her great-aunt when she was actually her first cousin, twice removed. I would not buy this book, but I would read it again. I already have this author’s newest release in hand and her backlist on hold at the library.