The Darkling

by R.B. Chesterton

In the 1940s, Coden, Alabama was a hideaway for movie stars - an isolated playground tucked among live oaks and placid bay waters where pleasure and vice could be indulged. By the summer of 1974 Coden''''s glamour has faded, but it doesn''''t bother Mimi Bosarge, who is just happy to have a job as a live-in tutor with the wealthiest family in town, the Hendersons. When the Hendersons generously open their arms to Annie, a troubled teenager with no recollection of her past, Mimi''''s greatest concern is creating a curriculum for the family''''s new ward.But it soon becomes obvious that something is wrong. Annie seems suspiciously savvy for her young age, and Mimi can''''t quell the unnerving sense that there is something malicious about the waiflike beauty.

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Fiction, Paranormal, Gothic, Ghosts, Southern Gothic

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Humorous mystery author Carolyn Haines creates darker novels under her pen name of R.B. Chesterton.

Reviews

[Amber at Fall Into Books · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Darkling had the recipe for a successful thriller/mystery type novel, but fell short for me in many ways. The pacing lagged, the plot was predictable, and the characters annoyed me. The writing itself is good, but the rest of the book is pretty bad. I would recommend checking this one out from the library before you buy it.

Mimi is obnoxious and a bit too passive for my tastes. She just doesn't assert herself nearly enough. She thinks a lot of things, but she doesn't really do enough, in my opinion. Annie is obviously creepy and obnoxious, and I couldn't stand her. Margot gets on my nerves until she disappears because she is such a brat... you get the idea. Everyone was just annoying in some fashion.

The plot could have been good, but it is so repetitive and the pacing is so slow that I just couldn't get into it. The writing drew me in, and Chesterton has some good descriptions, but I felt the world-building was lacking and the plotting was off. Chesterton overdoes the tension aspect, and in doing so basically repeats the same "intense and mysterious" scenes constantly in an effort to keep the reader interested. Because of this, it felt like the story didn't progress much, or at all, for long periods of time, which led to me getting SO FREAKING BORED. Also, I got so annoyed with the tension-building parts that I didn't even care what happened by the end. I just wanted to finish it.

As I said, if the synopsis of the book interests you, check it out from the library first.

[Zelda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many other reviewers have stated this, and so will I: take this out at the library first, or page through it on amazon or the bookstore. I'm sure many readers will enjoy the slow pace and the older style of the book and the characters, but there are those who may be disappointed.

Mimi, the main character, is twenty-one but she feels about sixty on the page. She's quite frankly annoying, passive and does things you want to slap her for (she rants and tries to make the other characters see her point of view without proof, and they don't believe her, but she keeps on and on and on, constantly saying she's going to 'get more proof', but never really succeeding. Doesn't stop her from trying and failing, again and again).

Bob and Berta, the perfect Californian couple with their three equally blonde children, can't see the harm in the new girl, Annie, that they take into their home (without reason, who takes in a sixteen-year-old when you have three children of your own, one of who is sixteen as well?) They give the new girl the room promised to their own daughter (Margo), again without any reason. This upsets the rebellious Margo, who disliked Annie from the moment she landed because she was competition to her parents' love. Annie acts all innocent, but Mimi can see right through her. Events transpire, there's a lot of scenes with Mimi running through the woods to no real end, and there is an otherworldly creature that threatens everyone and causes creepy feelings but not much more.

There are parts of the book that I enjoyed, mostly when the creepy stuff started happening in the beginning. But eventually, when the same thing happens over and over without any real reason, and the threats are basically empty, the wonderful chill you get becomes a yawn. The story becomes repetitive, with Mimi looking more and more deranged, even to the reader, as the story progressed. To me, the ending didn't explain much, and left me wondering exactly what the hell happened and why, even the long explanation at the end did nothing to clear the confusion.

I started skipping paragraphs just to be done with the story, one of those things you do when you have invested too much time to give up but have pushed on WAY past being bored.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new chapter in the books I have read by Carolyn Haines, "The Darkling" is unlike any book I have read written by her. The very first suspenseful chapter starting with a scene right from Hitchcock's "The Birds" lets you know this is not her usual lighthearted Southern belle mystery.

I started reading this in the evening but the raised hairs on my arms told me that if I wanted to sleep I needed to wait until daylight to read this book. I was correct. The suspense kept going throughout the whole book as you wondered just what was going on with this family in their newly revamped southern mansion that had been home to a rich and eccentric family with many secrets with lots of tales of money, wealth and fame in its history.

The recent renovation by the new family brings back many secrets of the once thriving old mansion. The story in this book keeps you on the edge of your seat as you read on to see what is causing the mysterious sightings and deaths of the new people involved in the renovation. A definite must read to anyone who loves a good ghost story!!

[Lisa Anders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh…..

[Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Darkling is a throwback to the genre that once was horror. The tales of terror and dark corners that move ever so slightly. The sense that out of the corner of your eye, there is something watching and waiting that you cannot see when you turn and look directly its way. Small novels like The Lady in Black, The Other by Thomas Tryon and the Thing in The Mirror by the late great H P Lovecraft.
There is an unease to this book. A creepiness factor that does not romanticize the setting and youthful girls that fill its pages.

"Is there a girl all alone and hungry out in the woods? " Erin's worry was clear.
"Of course not. Annie's just pulling your leg." And I was going to break hers when I got a chance. "Did Annie describe this girl?"
"Donald told me he saw something coming back from Crystal Mirror Lake." She swallowed. "He said you saw it, too. A girl who looked like Margo."
I'd been foolish to think a nine-year-old boy wouldn't tell. "We saw something, Erin. It was too quick, but it wasn't a girl. I don't know what it was. It could have been the light. The path there is really shady and the trees probably moved in the breeze."
She looked at me hard. "Sometimes I think I see something, just on the edge of the woods. A girl with dark hair. Like what you saw the night Margo disappeared. Before I can be certain, she's gone."

In July of 1974, in the city of Coden, Alabama, the stately mansion of Belle Fleur has a new family to call it home. The Hendersons, Bob and Berta, their three children, Margo, Erin and Donald. Living with them is the children's tutor, Mimi. Into this family comes the orphan teenage girl Annie, who has lost her memory through some untold trauma. Yet can recall the oddest facts.
Annie's arrival sets forth a chain of events that will cost the fall of the Henderson household and the descent into fear and darkness of their Tutor Mimi.

"...As I walked down the shady trail to the stables, I realized it was mid-October. Margo had been gone for two months. It truly was as if she'd vanished into thin air. Not a single trace of her had been found anywhere.
Except for that strange creature I'd seen near Crystal Mirror Lake.
In the split second I'd had to really look, it had looked exactly like Margo. I knew it had to be a trick of light shifting through the leafy branches of the trees combined with my desire for Margo to come home. But it had looked so much like her. Until it began to change..."

The tale is told through the eyes, the heart and the fears of the Tutor Mimi, who's loyalty and love for the Henderson's knows no bounds. She views Annie as the evil that has stepped into their lives and in time, feels that there are creatures in the woods that mean her and her charges harm. Creatures brought to Belle Fleur by the orphan girl; Annie.
There is more to Annie then first appears and her lost tale of abandonment and amnesia do not ring true. But there is much more to Mimi as well and the mansion of Belle Fleur holds tales of its own.
In the end you must decide as the reader if the fears and dangers of Belle Fleur are real or is this a descent into madness triggered by terrible and tragic events for Mimi.
In the end, what is in the woods and who is the Darkling.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the summer of 1974 and very little is happening in the backwater of Coden, Alabama. So when a wealthy, good-looking Californian family called the Hendersons come to town, they cause quite a stir, and Mimi - an intelligent, hardworking and reserved local girl - is delighted to be employed as tutor to their three children. Mimi is completely devoted to the Hendersons and sees herself as part of the family, so she is naturally suspicious when they decide to take in Annie, an orphaned teenage girl. Annie is beautiful, enigmatic and seems oddly mature for her age, but Mimi slowly becomes convinced that she is more dangerous than anyone suspects, and is somehow responsible for a spate of strange incidents in and around the Hendersons' home. When the family's eldest daughter Margo goes missing, Mimi sets about investigating Annie's past and trying to get to the bottom of the menacing presence looming over Belle Fleur.

From my holiday notebook: Atmospheric supernatural mystery, set in a beautifully evoked small Alabama town. Started extremely well, actually even better than I expected, with one of the main strengths of the narrative being the fact that the heroine was so likeable. Had this not been the case, I would probably have found myself siding with the 'evil', since I didn't share the protagonist's enthusiasm for the Henderson family. Unfortunately, like many stories of this kind, it went downhill the further it went into fantasy territory, and ended up being a bit silly. I think it could have had a more interesting and less repetitive resolution, but I did like the sinister note of the ending, especially the suggestion that Mimi has been somewhat dishonest all along and may even be the real villain.

Additional notes: I honestly felt this started so well that, had I based my opinion on the first few chapters, I could have seen it becoming a favourite. It initially reminded me of an American version of F.G. Cottam's books. However, after that it started to falter, and thinking about it now I can see that it had more problems than just the eventual over-the-top fantasy silliness I mentioned above. The pacing wasn't perfect and the story dragged quite a bit at several points. Thankfully, the characterisation remained strong - Mimi (for me at least) was very likeable, and Annie so hateful I never even considered rooting for her. (Several other reviews have been critical of the fact that Mimi's voice feels way older than the character, but as the first chapter makes clear, she is telling this story from the perspective of the present, looking back on the events of her youth. She IS sixty years old when she's telling the story, which is probably why she often sounds it!) The other major strength of the book was the way it portrayed the setting: wonderfully rich to the point of almost being claustrophobic, really highlighting how small and contained the characters' world actually is. Should you happen to have a particular interest in Southern gothic and/or horror, I would recommend this, but probably not otherwise.

[Carol - Reading Writing and Riesling · Rating 4 out of 5]

My View:
This novel is best read late at night, or around a camp fire or when snuggled up safe and warm in bed. It is horror story reminiscent of Rebecca by English author Daphne du Maurier, first published in 1938. Anyone who has read Rebecca (no matter how long ago they read the novel) will be able to recall it’s brooding oppressive threat of harm, of impending doom. Chesterton masters this effect – creating an atmosphere filled with tension, feeding the reader hints, giving clues as to what may possibly happen next, something sinister, something evil. Allowing the reader to connect the dots, to use their imagination, is a very powerful tool that works to create the tension that can be felt in your muscles, in your shoulders, in the tightness in your stomach as you read this book and anticipate the evil deeds that you know will follow.

About page seventy I actually put this book down and left it to see for a few days – this story really affected my imagination. I knew bad things were going to happen, I couldn’t stop them, I could see them coming and I wanted a little break from the tension. Saying this – this is not a gory, blood thirsty riot of microscopic detailed carnage; it is tension created by anticipation, tension created by the written word.
Chesterton does a great job – I have not felt this level of intense involvement in a novel for a very long. Reading this book is like viewing the shower scene in Hitchcock’s Psycho - you don’t exactly know what is behind that screen but you do know it is going to be...bad.

A great Gothic style read.

[Natasha Ewendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Darkling is haunting, unique and beautifully told. With edge-of-your-seat tension, a shocking twist about the main characters Mimi and Annie, and a surprise ending, it has all the twists and turns a great horror should have. The book touches on questions of sanity and the unseen, keeping the reader in constant suspense. Nothing is as it seems and the nefarious undercurrent will keep the hair on the back of your neck on high alert.
It’s hard not to love the Alabama setting, rich history and fabulous characterisation. Steeped in Southern traditions and ghostly descriptions, the book is charming as well as chilling. The ‘70s setting and the description of the estate really took me into a different time and place. The scene-setting was flourished with food descriptions that made me yearn for the South.
Carolyn Haines, who wrote this book under the pen name RB Chesterton, is an expert wordsmith with shades of Daphne du Maurier in her writing style. It’s easy to see how Carolyn has published 67 books and won awards for her writing. From the first words I was swept away by the mesmerising turn of phrase and exquisite storytelling. Haines instantly cocoons you in the story and makes you feel as though you’re really there. The use of first-person narration, a style of writing that is hard to do well, for Mimi is engaging and draws you further into the story. The book hits emotional notes where it should and gives the reader just the right amount of downtime to get to know the characters and let the story and creepiness absorb right in.
I was thrilled to find this modern gothic tale. Some writers use a break-neck pace to throw you off the scent of a poorly written book or to distract you from gaping holes in the storyline. It’s such a pleasure to read an author who knows how to weave a horror tale properly without having to resort to this or to other gimmicks. In today’s world where constant exhausting action is given precedence above the essential elements of story, depth and writing ability, it was fantastic to sink into a book that reflects all the qualities literature was once (and should still be) valued for. If more people wrote like Haines there would be less need for readers such as myself to have to plunder our already disintegrating-from-overuse Victorian gothic horror stocks for the 50th time in order to get a satisfying read.
For readers over the age of thirty who roll their eyes at the horror market’s laser focus on high action and constant gore at the expense of story and substance, this book is a breath of fresh air. Some younger readers seeking instant gratification and high action may find the delightful subtleties and wonderful prose are lost on them, but I’d encourage anyone who likes a good scare to give it a read. If you love classic gothic horror, enjoy a damn good ghost story and appreciate exceptional writing, this book creates a world you won’t want to leave – however scary it may be.

[Carrie Pate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Darkling by R. B. Chesterton is, in short, and excellent piece of fiction. Set in southern Alabama, this novel combines the allure of a graceful Southern Gothic with the page-turning drive of a suspense. Full of anticipation and suspense, this book is simply terrifying in a Hitchcock sort of way… if Hitchcock set his films under the moss-covered shade trees of the South.

When a family purchases a bed and breakfast and manor with a Golden Age tragic past, they don’t expect to be plagued by evil. It’s all up to the children’s live-in tutor to save them from the evil force destroying them all, one by one. Because of the plot-twists, this is all I am going to say for the summary.

This novel is not suitable for small children, but teenagers will thoroughly enjoy it. It’s a pleasure to read a dark, Gothic piece that is truly engrossing, romantic, and beautifully written. It will appeal to fans of the now popular darker novels, suspense, thriller, or horror readers, fans of good Southern literature, or anyone who likes a well-written book. R.B. Chesterton has a treasure in this novel. It hearkens to both Wuthering Heights and Cristobel.

This novel is scary all the way through, which is part of its hook and keeps the pages turning. That said, this may not be a bedtime book. I know I kept the lights on at least one night after reading it.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that we readers love or hate, judging by the comments. It's a throwback--old-fashioned horror/Gothic with a Romantic Suspense heroine from Holt or Whitney or Barbara Michaels. It's a style I enjoy--although there were times when heroine Mime really was too stupid to live. The story is told first person by Mimi, looking back to 1974, and remembering her job as a tutor with the Henderson family at an old estate, Belle Fleur. The pace moves at a slow burn with a sense of uneasiness and foreboding from the very first. When the family fosters a mysterious waif, things move beyond merely creepy with mysterious sounds and ghosts in the house, figures in the woods. Horror--that tension and uneasiness and the supernatural elements--without a lot of gore, although there are several deaths. Old-fashioned storytelling, a haunting, creepy story of secrets that lead to the unraveling of a family. The ending is open. I have lots of questions about whether the narrator is really reliable. It's a story that has stayed with me. I'd give it to readers of Ira Levin's Rosemary's Baby, Michael Koryta's So Cold the River, Sarah Waters' The Little Stranger, and maybe novels by Bentley Little, although his have more gore.

[Rebecca Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

The DARKLING by R B Chesterton the pseudonym for Carolyn Haines recipient of many awards. Wow! I could not put this book down. Mimi's the live in governess and tutor for the new family in town. The Henderson's have bought the run down estate in Coden, Alabama and restored it to its original beauty and extravagance. Bur, Mimi's grandmother asks the Henderson's to foster a 16 year old girl who has amnesia and everything turns evil. Where did this young girl come from and what is going on around her. Annie is not what she seems and people start dying or going a bit insane. Before all of this comes to an end the terrible true must come out. Very good book, hard to put down, the end is surprising and I wanted to get there quickly. The book will be released in April. Get it!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book went straight to my fav shelf!!! This kept me guessing till the end, definitely full of suspense.

[Nesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.
Evil is patient. That's one thing this book highlights. It waits, and it's confident in its waiting. I finished most of this book in one sitting, and closed its cover at 4:30 in the morning today. It's one of those books that grips you and doesn't allow the world outside the pages to interfere.

It paints a picture of classic America, albeit somewhat stereotyped. With California culture, fair skin & blonde hair shouldering much of the concept of innocence and vulnerability (Notice the title, and then notice that the main, vulnerable characters in the story are portrayed as 'light; Darkness consumes light in the story), the Hendersons symbolize wealth, happiness, and a strange sense of being foreign in the tiny, once-wealthy Alabama town. And they are.

Mimi Bosarge, the protagonist (or is she? I'll let you decide.) in the novel, is a strong, female character. One of the things I really appreciated about Ms. Haine's descriptions of Mimi is that you don't really realize she's beautiful unless other characters point it out. Instead you see the character for what she is. Strong. Able. Brave. Independent. A Survivor. She's a governess, but she's also the protector. She's juggling having her own life and also trying to be a part of someone else's, all the while her past remains a mystery, something she shares with Annie, the malevolent new-comer.

I won't write about Annie, as she's pretty much the whole plot. But I will say that the backdrop for the story was incredible. An old estate, coupled with a 1920's hotel called the Paradise Inn, brings to mind scenes in The Shining, where jazz music and flappers could randomly be heard in an empty room. If any criticism could be made, I feel that the Paradise Inn could have been highlighted and used for more creepy parts. Thankfully, where the Paradise Inn wasn't used, the woods and bayou were artfully incorporated.

It felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland at times, where the evil smiling nester seemed to be a more sinister Cheshire cat, and Mimi, playing Alice, was following it down the rabbit role. In other places, the story brought out so much southern culture that I felt my inner anthropologist cheering in delight. Again, if any criticism, I wanted more!

I loved it so much, I contacted the author and told her so. The way the story is told reminds me of the way that time pushes forward mercilessly, leaving history and memory to sort of...sort out the mess of tragedy, which rarely, if ever happens. It gives you everything that the horror genre of today desperately needs. You can really tell the author loves ghost stories, and you're left hoping she writes a sequel!

Thank you, Carolyn Haines! I'll be on the look-out for Mimi's revenge!

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew-eee! It takes a lot to make me shudder, but this book did just that! I guarantee The Darkling will give you goosebumps on the warmest of summer days. Probably not the best bedtime read, unless you want some seriously creepy dreams. The southern setting coupled with a mystery and predatory evil makes it beautifully macabre. The story preys on universal fears and makes use of horror culture, such as the woods, monster under the bed and the timely arrival of an innocent stranger. It might sound cliche, but what makes this novel special is how the events are delivered, through the girth of character. Writing a good horror is harder than one might think (hence, why some end up almost humorous). The author must be aware of what scares people and why. Tension and timing is fundamental and withholding just enough to let the imagination provide the special effects is essential. Lack in these areas and the horror fizzles. Chesterton proves to be an expert and delivers a chilling tale that makes the reader think twice about going for a nice walk in the woods after dinner.

The woods? Really? Everyone knows that something is going to happen, right? You may think you know what is coming, but a few twists might prove any skeptic wrong. Suddenly, every place and every person night or day, is fair game. How does Chesterton manage this? By understanding what ultimately frightens people. In this case, fear of being loved, control, helplessness, powerlessness and insecurity. Here, the thematic horror runs deeper than any ghastly gore splattered on the wall. It's the threat of undoing that is terrifying and I believe most readers will relate. If you were gleefully disturbed by or got the 'willies' from the horror movies The Omen or Orphan (Eeesssttteeerrr), then The Darklingis right up your dark alley.

[Penni · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW! this books is amazing!

I must say that for the first 90 pages or so I was thinking 'OK so this is an easy read but its all just laying the foundations, I'm not really bothered about it yet...but then bit by bit it got me hooked (line and sinker!!). I couldn't put it down, I was gripped, and exhausted, I kept having to put it down and relax my shoulders and take a few deep breaths before I could start reading again.

Its hard to review without spoilers but I wasn't expecting the twist at the end, but I guess thats why its a twist eh! and I like the way the author sort of left it open for the possibility of a sequel...if there is I'd read it without a doubt!

I will definately be recommending this book to everyone I know, I kept thinking it would make a fabulous film, although I think I'd be watching it from behind my hands alot of the time! LOL! I find it much easier to read stuff like this than watch it!

Overall 4 out of 5...great book!

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my full review: http://bit.ly/10l8PnV

My opinion: Gotta say that I enjoyed this quick read, but it was a very easy read. The writing was good, not great, but the story got told in a way that flowed really well. I thought it had much more of a Young Adult or New Adult feeling to it versus being an adult novel.

I must say that I do agree with other readers who encourage the getting this book from a library versus purchasing it or at least take a look at it at a brick/mortar store. I can't put my finger on it, but there wasn't an overwhelming feeling of knocking my socks off that would having me screaming from the mountain tops to purchase it. Maybe for the younger reader it would though.

[Marla · Rating 1 out of 5]

I want to advocate for a "couldn't finish" option. I'm trying to remember why I requested this book from the library. Oh yeah. "creepy, gothic ghost story." I wanted to like it. I'm shy on books to read right now, so I kept at it. It was formulaic. All American, beautiful, blonde family moves into a creepy old house with their clueless nanny. They foster a poor, poor, under privileged orphan with amnesia who may or may not also be a deranged killer and/or ghost. Creepy things happen but no one believes the nanny, blah blah. She's passive and predictable. (Why did I pick this book up?)It read with the simplicity of a young adult novel. I marked it as "read" so I wouldn't accidently try and read it again. Honestly, I couldn't make it even halfway.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could have read this in one sitting, the story and idea were so good. Unfortunately there was a lot of unnecessary waffle, maybe it was needed to help understand the story, but I like my horrors short and sweet. This did make you wonder in several occasions who was the baddie/spook.
It was well written but needed to be a bit pointier.
3 stars and a follow up for the new family would be interesting :)

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm. This was weird, creepy, repetitive, and did I mention creepy? It also reminded me of Orphan and the Supernatural episode about changelings.

Review to come.

[Amber Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good. I saw it on the library shelf a few times but I always passed it up. This book was spooky and suspenseful and when I had time to really read it, I finished it in one sitting. This book would make a great movie but it would be a movie that would semi frustrate me because you and the main character know someone is bad news but the rest don't so you have the rest of the movie/book to feel fustrated at the characters because they don't know the full story. So if you're into that this book is right up your alley. I also loved the ending of it, it was perfect.

This book reminded me of a Stephen King book with the setting and the type of story that it is although he would probably take it a bit darker at certain parts. But this book is pretty dark.

Can't recommend this book enough. If you like Stephen KIng and horror/mysteries go for it.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. Slow to get started, but needed to build the foundation for the book. Once it got going (I'd say around page 100) the pace picked up and was hard to put down.

The ending still left you thinking about the story after you put it down. I like that the pieces aren't completely put together for you as many good mysteries are so that the reader can think about the possibilities.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a quick and good mystery.

[Melanie Solar · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a lot of potential. I was intrigued from the start, however, it lost me a little along the way, and towards the end it begins to get a little disjointed. I'm still not really sure how the book ended, even though I read the ending about 3 times. The author hints at things, but doesn't really follow through with some of the hints, so what's the point? Anyway, it was a good spooky read with a disappointing finish.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise, and I like that much of the underlying logic was not explained. It dragged on for awhile however; though this truly seemed to be a book about extended horror and a slow build-up, I felt the slowness as a frustration. Still, it was well-written and gave me something interesting to think about.

[Zion · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was good but the ending left me dissatisfied. I get the whole loop scenario but I didn't understand how Annie was involved with the supernatural to keep her youthful or what the odd supernatural being was that kept shapeshiftimg into people. The general confusion made this book interesting but the lack of payoff at the end was disappointing.

[Stefanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing about this story made any sense. Instead of slowly revealing the creepy origins of Annie or the reason behind the "haunting" of the house and lands, the protagonist just gets more annoying and crazy herself. Disappointing.

[Elizabeth Jensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book about a murder mystery and a haunted house in Alabama.

[Carrie Dalby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy Southern Gothic horror with a south Mobile county setting. Quick pacing, a few twists I weren't expecting, and a great Gothic ending.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think a lot was left unanswered, and not in a good way, but overall the plot was interesting.

[Holly Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, easy read. I enjoyed the “older” feel of the book.
I wish it went into more detail of the past, specifically in regards to Mimi, Annie, and Cora.

[Coni]

Dnf at 8% (this fic has 90 chapters (!!!!!))
It started great but eventually the story wasn’t my cup of tea.
Note: wasn’t reading the actual book, I was reading an aO3 fic with the same name.