by Rachel Hawkins, Ash Parsons & Vicky Alvear Shecter

3 / 5 stars
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I struggle a bit with reviewing books like this one because often things that I want to critique or praise are pretty integral to the story, and in a mystery like this one it feels kind of spoilery to share that kind of detail. So I’ll try to keep things relatively general – this story ended up being a little more intense than I anticipated, which sort of took me off-guard. I wasn’t super into it after the first couple of chapters and actually stepped away to finish another novel. But ultimately this one ended up being a quick read (I basically read 80% of the book in one night).

Once the cast of characters arrives at the haunted Ashbury Manor the action picks up and stays pretty steady through the end of the story. The book is pretty atmospheric as well. I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to scary stuff and there were a few times I wondered if reading the story alone, in the dark, was a wise choice for me. That said, while the overall vibe of the story was spooky, it never actually scared me and I had no trouble sleeping after finishing. So if you’re not a wimp and interested in a truly terrifying horror story, this one probably isn’t what you’re looking for.

I do take issue with a few events of the story, but as I mentioned I don’t want to give too much detail because it feels like a spoiler. Suffice to say a couple of characters do things that basically no one, no one ever, would do while managing the situation they’re in.

Overall a good story, pretty satisfactory explanation for the events, and while the character development isn’t extensive, it’s enough to make you care about the outcome.

Thank you to Netgalley and Serial Box for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.