Their Hearses

by E.L. Giles

Years ago, John Berryman was responsible for the deaths of his two children and their nanny. But John Berryman was never seen or heard from again. He simply...vanished.

Now, decades later, someone has finally purchased John Berryman's rambling old house.

Marc Larose is no stranger to loss. He hopes to bring the decaying structure to its former glory, a warm place where his family can heal and begin anew, but if these walks could talk, they'd speed of death. Only, Marc isn't listening.

Something vengeful still lingers in the shadows of the old willow, and it has its eyes set on Marc. It isn't long before he is caught in the tangles of mystery, fear, and deceit, where forces beyond his control are vying for his very soul.

Will Marc figure out who...or what...is haunting his new home before he becomes its next victim?

Genres: Horror

150 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2024

About the author

Eric Labrie Giles is a Canadian author of horror and science fiction. Since 2018, Eric has published over fifty short stories, drabbles, novellas, and novels. His latest horror novel, Benighted, was released in 2023 and is the first part of a series. Eric is currently working on the second book.

Eric is a member of the Horror Writers Association


www.elgilesauthor.com www.facebook.com/elgilesauthor
Instagram: e.l.giles_author

Reviews

[Cherise Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It takes someone who has lost everything to rebuild from the ashes of his loss. It takes sacrifices and blood. It takes unconditional love and dedication.”

I went into this expecting a typical haunted house story. However, I got something much deeper, more complex and much more mind boggling.

The book opens up with a brutal murder scene and complete and utter chaos. Then we are catapulted into the mind and life of an already grief stricken man-Marc Larose. Very early on, we find out the source of his grief and just how unstable he is. Overcome by loss, anger and failure.
Yet, as the story progresses and things become more and more unhinged, Marc continues to spiral into complete and utter madness.

The majority of this book has a very chaotic energy, but not in a negative way. It showcases the stages of grief and how it can affect the mind in a very disturbing way. Was it spooky? Not in the traditional way you would expect. However, what it lacks in spook, it makes up for in disturbing imagery and an intriguing storyline.

There was a twist at the end that I did not see coming which made things even more interesting. I was so captivated by Marc and his weakening grip on reality so I don't expect the book to go in the direction it did. However, I wasn't mad at it. I think with a little more fine tuning, this would've been a 5⭐ read for me.

Nonetheless, it was still a good one that really explores the many cycles of grief, loss and the desperation of trying to recapture what once was. Not the typical haunted house story but a solid story that I really enjoyed.
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ARC received from Horror Smith Publishing. All opinions are 100% my own.

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mired in grief over the death of his son, Marc Larose leaves his wife and daughters behind while he works on a decrepit old house where he hopes to move them for a fresh start away from the tragedy that has broken their family.

The house has had its own share of death. It was the site of a brutal mass murder, and something there still hungers for death. There is an entity that feeds off suffering and grief, and Marc is a plentiful source. It has plans for him and his family. At first, Marc tells himself that the creepy happenings could be chalked up to the locals playing pranks, but before long he is totally under the influence of the house and ready to give in to its horrific requests.

The backstory of the house and the multiple tragedies that occurred there gave this story a well-constructed beginning. It was atmospheric, dark, and terrifying. The concept of a haunted man buying a haunted house was brilliant.

As the book progressed, there were some missing details that I felt were pertinent to the story and created a bit of a plot hole. I can't say much about that without spoiling it for you so I'll just say it has to do with the disappearance of the murderer. I feel that it would have been better to address that instead of Marc's strange proclivities.
My Thanks to Horrorsmith Publishing.

[Zoe Ov · Rating 4 out of 5]

This read is a solid 4 star and perfect for haunted house horror lovers! Thanks to the author E. L. Giles and Horrorsmith Publishing for the ARC read. We start with grieving father Marc Larose attempting to start a new chapter with his wife and remaining children by buying renovating a house. This house turns out to be more than Marc bargained for even with prior knowledge of the house’s horrifying past. This story grips as you race to the end to see if house or man win!

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Let the hearses take us to our last resting place. Cancer was hers. Desperation would be mine. Innocence was our sons’."

At first glance,'Their Hearses' appears to be another ghost story or tale of a haunted house, and in many ways, it is. But it's not just any haunting. At its very core, it's built upon the pain and grief of its characters. It truly is grief horror at its absolute finest.

This particular book illicited quite a few of my emotions... sorrow, anger, fear... as a mother, I thankfully can't imagine the pain, but I can almost understand the will to do anything to be with your children again. In many ways, this story is just as heartbreaking as it is disturbing.

This was my first Giles book, but it won't be my last. I'm going to check them out now, starting with "Will-O The Wisp."
While I didn't read "Will-O The Wisp" first I don't think it HAS to be read to enjoy this particular book, it looks like it would provide more details into the Berryman Family and murders, so use your own discretion.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

E.L. Giles' 'Their Hearses' is an awesome, brilliant addition to his short story "Will-O'-The-Wisp," (freely given to his newsletter subscribers)! To be honest, I had no idea where the story itself might go after "Will"; and, indeed, Giles turns the whole thing literally on its head, going for the haunted house trope, never forgetting where it all began and where the evil originated. The main character is again a family man, though one who can't handle the loss of his son. When the child's murderer is released from prison, the father's grief grows more and more complicated; in an attempt to care for the rest of his family (his wife and two daughters), he buys a new house and prepares to move his family into it. Guess whose house it is! Things turn dark very fast (the Amityville House vibes are present in this story as well), but there's a really interesting twist in the end that hits harder than the short story! It's a fitting, though a bit unexpected, tragic end to the novelette. This is a must-read for haunted house horror fans!

[Balthazarinblue · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Losing his son to a drunk driver almost broke Marc. Now, the culprit's release from prison looms, and the weight of grief and anger crushes down on him the point that he can hardly breathe. Marc needs to get away from it, to start a new life for himself, his wife, and their remaining children. He pins his hopes for the future on a derelict house with good bones. It just needs a little elbow grease to fix it up. Marc hopes the hard work will purge some of the heaviness he feels. He refuses to hear the history of the Berryman home. To Marc, the past carnage is irrelevant: terrible things happen everywhere. The worst has already happened to him. It couldn't possibly get worse.

This had a very vintage horror vibe to it. A classic haunted house story with a malevolent entity that preys on your most negative emotions. The classics are classics for a reason, right? The formula works well! Unfortunately, this has a weird sexual angle to it that is also reminiscent of 70s/80s horror fiction in a negative way. It didn't add much to the story and felt a little out of place.

I'd recommend this to fans of Graham Masterton and Shaun Hutson.

I received this ebook for free as part of Horrorsmith Publishing's ARC team.

[Dez Nemec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marc is a mess. His life hasn’t been the same since a drunk driver killed his son, and things aren’t looking better as the driver is about to be released from prison. After seeing Desperation House, he decides to buy it and breathe life into it, hoping for a new start for his family. But the locals call it Desperation House for a reason. In the 1950s, John Berryman murdered his two young sons and their 17-year-old babysitter in the house before disappearing. Drug addicts have been using it as a shelter. There have been strange deaths, disappearances, and mysterious sightings on the property as well. But after all Marc has been through, he doesn’t care. But then he starts seeing his dead son on the property...

“Somehow he had found in this house his counterpart.”

For a horror book, this was heartbreaking. I can't imagine what it was like to go through what Marc did, but I definitely see why he reacted to...well, no spoilers, but let's just say everything. I have recently seen the term "grief horror" being kicked around and that is definitely this book. A nice, quick little gut punch to the feels.

[Summer R Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and the publisher or publishers for all your hard work! I'm leaving this review voluntarily and happily!

This is a book about depression, grief, and loss. A parent dealing with the loss of a child and no help. His marriage crumbling and everything is going downhill for him. So what's he to do? He buys a house and hopes to rebuild it and move his family into it in hopes of fixing his marriage and having his family happy again. Yet this house holds such horrible secrets. What's to happen to the main character the longer he remains there?

This book is somewhat a mix between a haunted house and the darker side of what a parent would be willing to do to be happy again. Dark themes are in this book due to the nature of child loss and death. It's medium paced and then speeds up. It was definitely worth the read, and the only thing I wish it could have done was go into detail a bit more on the ghost and how she manifested like she did. Otherwise, I enjoyed the book.

[Emilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You know what it is to be robbed of someone you love. What would you do to be reunited again?”

Following the tragic death of his son, Marc Larose purchases an old, dilapidated home with the intention of fixing it up and starting fresh with his family. Unfortunately for Marc, the house was the scene of a grisly crime 20 years prior. This history will make itself known, as something has set its sights on Marc.

Their Hearses is not your average haunted house story. E.L. Giles weaves a very heavy tale of grief in this novel. Be prepared for a heart-wrenching story of loss and despair and how it can warp one’s mind. Giles’ prose paints a grotesque picture of a man who is at his very limit, and the lengths he will go to see his son one last time. If you are someone who enjoys grief horror, this is definitely a book worth checking out.

[thebeespot72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t prepared for a horror story to pull the heartstrings, but that drew me to “Their Hearses,” as it is described as “grief h0rror”. Though a shorter read, Author E.L. Giles, through his words, encapsulates the pain, guilt, and, of course, all the emotional grief of losing a child but carries that out with those elements of a haunting novel. He provides the perfect imagery with enough aspects of “what just happened” for me to the end.

Note that the themes in “Their Hearses” do include the unaliving of children as well as a parent grieving for the loss of their child.

[Morgan jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was set after the will-o-the-wisp short story and wow did this one live up to showing the evil that lurks in that house and how it all began. Death and grief were big topics and how people do the wrong things thinking it is right and how that leaves more horror in the wake of the situation. I think this book was written so well, very gripping almost makes you feel like you’re in the house yourself. Ending was really good kinda made you feel bad and sad for him as he tried to fix his mistakes and it didn’t work.

[Jordynn Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨Arc Review✨

This books gives classic horror movie vibes! This books plays on every parent’s worst fear! The guilt and grief of losing a child. So good!

[Kristina Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reason number one why you never buy the murder house - it is ALWAYS haunted! It doesn’t help that the family who buys is has also suffered a terrible loss, and the husband decides to go renovate it ALONE. Nope. You can only imagine what happens next.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of haunted house stories, I was both excited and a bit apprehensive when I picked up "Their Hearses" by E.L. Giles. The premise immediately grabbed my attention: a man attempting to rebuild his life and his home, only to be confronted by the lingering malevolence of a tragic past.

Giles crafts a chilling atmosphere right from the beginning. The story of John Berryman and the mysterious vanishing act that followed the deaths of his children and their nanny sets a perfect backdrop for Marc Larose's tale. Marc, burdened with his own sorrows, moves into the decaying Berryman house, hoping to restore it and his fractured family. The narrative skillfully intertwines Marc's personal struggles with the eerie, unsettling presence that lurks within the walls.

What stands out in "Their Hearses" is the palpable sense of dread that Giles sustains throughout the book. The descriptions of the house and its ominous surroundings are vivid and haunting, making you feel like you're right there, hearing the creaks and whispers that Marc tries so hard to ignore. The tension builds steadily, and the mystery of what exactly haunts Marc keeps you turning pages.

Marc is a well-developed character, and his journey from skepticism to terror is convincingly portrayed. His interactions with the house's spectral inhabitants are genuinely frightening, and you can't help but root for him as he tries to unravel the secrets of his new home. The supporting characters add depth to the story, and the plot twists keep you guessing.

A notable addition to "Their Hearses" is the smaller story about the Berrymans, titled "Will-O'-The-Wisp." This companion piece delves into the events of that fateful night years before Marc and his tragedy. It provides a gripping backstory for John Berryman, shedding light on his psyche and the motivations behind his actions. This extra layer of context enriches the main narrative and adds depth to the haunting presence that Marc faces.

However, despite this added context from "Will-O'-The-Wisp," there were moments where I still wished for more exploration of John Berryman's character within "Their Hearses" itself. While the mystery adds to the suspense, a deeper dive into Berryman's psyche and motivations could have further enriched the narrative.

Overall, "Their Hearses" is a gripping read that will satisfy fans of the haunted house genre. E.L. Giles has crafted a compelling tale of mystery, fear, and resilience. Will the house or Marc win? You'll have to read it to find out, and I assure you, the journey is worth it.

[Ian Gielen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An evocative story that focuses heavily on grief, pain and the love of a parent who would do almost anything to bring back a child they'd lost to an unfortunate car accident.

Their Hearses is a follow on to the excellent short story Will-O'-The-Wisp and expands upon it with beautiful and heartfelt prose which really explores the tortured mind of its main character Marc Larose who is struggling to continue on with life after his child's death. Using the last of his money, he buys an old decrepit house in a small town in the hopes that needs restoration and he hopes to use it to make a fresh start for him and his family.

Little does he know the tragedy that befell others who lived in the house before him and those around it. The spirit that haunts the house uses his grief and pain for its own end and Marc struggles to differentiate between right and wrong and his desire to make his life whole again.

The story also expands upon the John Berryman story that was featured in Will-O'-The-Wisp and resolves some threads around it.

It is a brilliantly written and haunting tale with tight prose that tugs at your heart-strings.

[Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Their Hearses' is a blend of haunted house and grief horror as it follows a man who lost his son in a horrifying accident and is trying to escape his failing marriage and the town where his son's killer is soon to be released from prison. He finds a dilapidated house in an out-of-the-way town where, unbeknownst to him, a triple murder had taken place many years prior, and there's more than just memories lingering there...

This felt a little generic for me: couple loses kid, they fall apart a little, one of them is desperate to salvage the relationship so does something off-the-wall and inevitably gets caught up with a spirit with nefarious intentions who says it can bring their kid back if they do something horrible first. It was also a very quick read, though I think being longer would've helped round the plot out a bit more. There were a few holes and inconsistencies that could've been shored up if this story was a little longer.

That's not to say that this was a bad book; it was a perfectly fine book. It had some really good elements and a solid foundation...it just didn't blow me away. I couldn't really understand Marc's motivations since I never got to know much of his family or his son. They were more abstracts to me than actual characters, so they didn't seem important enough for what Marc was willing to do.

Thank you to Horrorsmith Publishing for the ebook!

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to talk about Grief. Yes, with a big, fat, uppercase G at the beginning of it. Deep sorrow, usually due to the loss of a loved one. A feeling so complex that humans had to identify and delineate five separate stages just to better understand it. Anyone who has experienced it knows that it's nearly impossible to convey all of its terrible nuances, the complexity of emotions that it triggers, the chasm it can rend between the person who is trudging through it and the people around them who are not. Everyone experiences it in their own way, and even those affected by the same loss are not always able to connect their grief to each other. There is loneliness at the heart of it, an emptiness. A feeling of something having been taken from you, and a desperate need to get it back, if it were possible, no matter the cost.
Grief is centered squarely in the black heart of Their Hearses.
When Marc Larose loses his son in a terrible car accident, his life, for all intents and purposes, is over. His relationship with his wife has deteriorated, a coldness growing between them as she processes her own grief, and even his two young daughters can't seem to bring them both together. He lost his job, his motivation, his purpose. And now, the man who killed his son is about to be released from prison as if nothing ever happened. It's time for a change, and Marc knows it's either that or death or madness.
Enter the Desolation House, as it's called by the locals, formerly owned by John Berryman. Sure, it was the site of a terrible murderous rampage, a father taking the lives of his two sons and their babysitter and burying them in the back yard. And yes, those who've dared to breach its walls to explore, to gawk, to hide in the shadows and drink and drug their problems away have all met unfortunate ends. But for Marc, he sees a new beginning in the rotten floorboards, in the crumbling plaster, in the bloodstained walls. For the first time in years, he sees a future, one for him and his wife and his daughters. Only, something else already calls the Desolation House home. And it's been waiting for a long, long time.
Short, tight, and evocative prose, and enough terror to make your skin crawl in more ways than one. I bring up grief not only because it is so central to the theme of Their Hearses, but also for anyone who has never read EL Giles His book Benighted also deals heavily with the theme of grief, and if you're into having holes gouged out of your heart, then both that book and Their Hearses may just be the rusty scalpel you're looking for.

[Barb (Boxermommyreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I have discovered that I may not be that big of a fan of grief horror. However, I do not think that should reflect negatively on this book or the author as Giles has done a great job with his latest book. This book filled me with sadness, an overwhelming feeling of dread, and anxiety - not bad for 125 pages!

Marc lost his son to a tragic accident over a year ago. Since then, he has distanced himself from his wife and daughters. Hoping to rebuild his family, he has purchased a fixer-upper in a local town. Marc starts to work on the place and as he does, learns that maybe has has made a mistake. The home is the location of a triple homicide, with two victims being young children, similar in age to his children. Marc starts to become obsessed with a particular location under a weeping willow on the property, and also with the spirit telling him how he can be reunified with his lost son.

This novella is technically a sequel to Giles' book Will-o the Wis but the publisher is clear it can also be read as a standalone. However, as a completist, I did pick up the other book first and I think it made reading Their Hearses that much more intense. Marc is full of grief and Giles makes the reader experience his grief alongside Marc. It didn't take long before I felt like I was falling into the same despair as the main character.

My main problem with this book was basically that I may have read it too closely to a recent death of a family member, so it only intensified an already present feeling of dread and depression. So, as I said, I found Their Hearses to be well-written and quite interesting, but I will probably be staying away from grief horror for a while. If you enjoy this subgenre of horror though, this is definitely a book you will want to grab.

[Pamala Garito · Rating 3 out of 5]

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Not sure about this one. I was very off put by some of the over sexualized scenes. I didn't find any benefit they gave to the story itself. I'm also bothered by how John remained in the same town for all that time(~ 23 years) and no one notices or recognizes him. I think John's segment that is presented as a" for further reading" would have been better incorporated into the main story.

What I did enjoy was how this story at times made you question if it was hallucination or paranormal. Marc is a man dealing with unimaginable heartbreak and trauma mixed in with addiction to prescription drugs. So you are made to wonder if this is all in his head. The story embraces the concept of darker paranormal preying on the broken to fulfill their own desires. Ending left me pondering if Maggie would be stronger given her being further along in her mourning than Marc or John had been, or if she would be Clara's next victim. So I appreciated the food for thought at the end as it helps make the book stay with you even after you are done reading.

Horror genre wise, there are many types of horror. I found this one to be less scary and more disturbing and psychological.

[Laci Rambo · Rating 5 out of 5]

❗️If you have a child loss trigger, this book may not be for you.❗️

You jump right into the chaos with this one. The first chapter really sets the tone for the rest of the book. It’s already gruesome and shocking. I’m not a big fan of some of the wording though. I feel like the author could have used less big, filler words to describe things. There are parts in this book that make me want to cry for the character’s and their situations. It’s sad, morbid, gory, depressing, unnerving, and chilling. All the things that make a great ghost/haunted house story. With as much as the words, “desolation”, and “desolation house” appear, it would have been a fitting title for the book instead of “Their Hearses”, but I digress. The title doesn’t make the book, the story does and it’s a great story. I really appreciate the extra story at the end of the book that delves into the rest of John Berryman’s stay at “Desperation House” (see, it would have been a great title to the book). All in all, this was a great read and a refreshingly classic scary story. I would definitely recommend!

[Shannon pumpkinqueen73 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A grief horror story with some paranormal activity.
The story encapsulates the effects that death of a loved one can have on a parent and spouse and how a house can absorb those feeling and fester on those emotions.
Fascinating haunted house story where E.L Giles throws the reader right into an active crime scene; very descriptive.
“All the blood….”
The book starts out with the crime scene of a murder that took place in a house and the murderer at large. Jumps ahead to a man who lost his son in a tragic accident and how grief has taken over. He purchases the “murder”house without knowing all the information in an attempt to rebuild his family. But the house has different plans….
I liked the ending and appreciate the story, maybe I’m not a fan of grief horror, because the story faltered a bit for me.
Thanks to Horror Smith Publishing for the ARC and the short story Will-O The Wisp that is about the original murder at the house.

[Alexandra Nisneru · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second read by E. L. Giles, and I am being reinforced in the idea that his writing has a poetic lull that I rarely encounter. It makes the story even deeper, because it makes the reader open their souls for the author's words and experience the story in a completely different perspective. You can feel the anguish of the characters, their passion and obsession, and downfall into madness. You see with closed eyes the decay of the building, the putrid smell of the rot, the pit of despair that is contained into a house that has never met hapiness.
This is what makes E.L. Giles, his ability to give life to the words in a way that not many can.

[Katlyn Blanchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can i say i love a good horror book. The fast paced and the book not being dragged out is one thing i absolutely love. The ending was good i figured it was going to go the route that mark would actually live, im so glad the author did kill him off. The ending where maggie heard her sons voice was great, would be nice to get a second book. The only thing i didnt love was i was hoping the bartender had actually fit into the story and wasnt just a side character. Also adding in the short story about johns i counters with clara

[Kaila Tomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the surface this book is your normal paranormal haunted house horror story, but it goes a bit deeper than that. There’s a lot of desperation. It shows a lot of grief and in a horror setting shows how far someone can go to end their own suffering. How turned around the loss of a loved one can make a person.
The story follows Marc Larose after the loss of his son. Marc buys a house to try and fix up, hoping that the new start will also fix the rest of his life and his marriage. But then the nightmares start, leading Marc to discover the full past of the previous owners.

[ChanaReadsHorror · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book.
It was full of great supernatural horror and I love a good haunted house story.
We follow a man by the name of Marc, who has recently lost his son and is trying to find any spark of life within himself. He decides to buy and move into an old house, that was the scene of a gruesome crime at the hands of John Berryman. As he is trying to fight his own demons, he is confronted by the evils that haunted John.
This book will tug on your heartstrings as well as keep you on your seat.

[Leighah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very emotionally heavy book. If you like books that delve into what it feels like after losing someone then this is the book for you. Even tho this is not one of my preferred sub genres. I did like how the author was able to turn the most mundane activity into something you would never wish to do yourself. The story of the house and the tree was good but I would have liked a bit more of a backstory as to why Clara became the way she did. I felt like there was more to it than what was explained.

[Svea Neitzke · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a sequel to his short story, Will-O'-The-Wisp. The evil spirit in it feeds off grief and drives people to do the unthinkable. I enjoyed how emotionally charged this haunted house story is. It really touches on the power grief has over people. The ending has an unexpected twist too! I couldn't believe it went in that direction. I highly recommend this book!

[T.L. Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Grief Horror book. I don't have children, so I can only imagine the pain he went through and the burden he had to carry during an investigation like this one. This book deals with depression, grief, loss, personal ghosts, and real hauntings. So, prepare yourself.

After reading this, I wanted to read the first part of the story, "Will-O'-The-Wisp."

[Vincent Heselwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing the short story "Will O the Wisp" I was excited to see what Giles would do with the story. This novel does not disappoint. By creating a fantastically eerie sense of place and incrementally cranking up the tension, the author instills a real and lasting sense of dread in the reader. A great piece of work that stays with you long after you've finished reading it.

[Tarin Slayton · Rating 4 out of 5]

While grief horror is not my normal go to, this book was able to grab and hold my attention. The writing is so descriptive which slows the story down a bit and causes it to sound more like beautiful poetry than just a book. You can really feel the chaos and anxiety that come with grief and loss. It is so much more than just a haunted house.