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The Carrow Haunt
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Horror (2018)"The dead are restless here..."
Remy is a tour guide for Carrow House, a notoriously haunted building. When she's asked to host seven guests for a week-long stay to research Carrow's phenomena, she hopes to finally experience some of the sightings that made the house famous.
At first, it's everything they hoped for. Then a storm moves in, cutting off their contact with the outside world, and things quickly become twisted. Doors open on their own. Seances go disastrously wrong. Red liquid seeps from behind the wallpaper. Their spirit medium wanders through the house during the night, seemingly in a trance.
Then one of the guests dies under strange circumstances, and Remy is forced to consider the possibility that the ghost of the house's original owner, a twisted serial killer, still walks the halls.
But by then it's too late to escape.
Remy is a tour guide for Carrow House, a notoriously haunted building. When she's asked to host seven guests for a week-long stay to research Carrow's phenomena, she hopes to finally experience some of the sightings that made the house famous.
At first, it's everything they hoped for. Then a storm moves in, cutting off their contact with the outside world, and things quickly become twisted. Doors open on their own. Seances go disastrously wrong. Red liquid seeps from behind the wallpaper. Their spirit medium wanders through the house during the night, seemingly in a trance.
Then one of the guests dies under strange circumstances, and Remy is forced to consider the possibility that the ghost of the house's original owner, a twisted serial killer, still walks the halls.
But by then it's too late to escape.
370 pages, Paperback
First published March 26, 2018
1663 people are currently reading
23452 people want to read
About the author
Darcy Coates
70 books14.4k followersDarcy Coates is the USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen horror and suspense novels.
She lives in the Central Coast of Australia with her family, cat, and a collection of chickens. Her home is surrounded by rolling wilderness on all sides, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
You can hear about her next book by joining her newsletter: www.darcycoates.com/updates
She lives in the Central Coast of Australia with her family, cat, and a collection of chickens. Her home is surrounded by rolling wilderness on all sides, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
You can hear about her next book by joining her newsletter: www.darcycoates.com/updates
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,328 reviews
March 26, 2024
The End!
Remy loves haunted houses. The Carrow House is a famous haunted house. She works there, giving tours.
One day, Mark, one of the tour members, hires her for a private visit of Carrow House. Remy reluctantly agrees.
As she and the other guests settle in, strange things begin to happen.
She also notices Mark is behaving suspiciously. Is he behind the strange goings? Why did he want them there? What is his end game?
Darcy Coates loves to lead you around with unsuspecting clues, then snatch them away from you. As soon as you think you have figured things out, you are turned towards a new direction.
Wonderful ghost story.
Four stars. 💫💫💫💫
Remy loves haunted houses. The Carrow House is a famous haunted house. She works there, giving tours.
One day, Mark, one of the tour members, hires her for a private visit of Carrow House. Remy reluctantly agrees.
As she and the other guests settle in, strange things begin to happen.
She also notices Mark is behaving suspiciously. Is he behind the strange goings? Why did he want them there? What is his end game?
Darcy Coates loves to lead you around with unsuspecting clues, then snatch them away from you. As soon as you think you have figured things out, you are turned towards a new direction.
Wonderful ghost story.
Four stars. 💫💫💫💫
March 9, 2020
I was genuinely shocked by how good this was... well, for at least half the book. Maybe a little over that and then majorly disappointed by the rest. Now if you've read many of the reviews that may come as a surprise as I've noticed at least a few of the reviews note that they felt the book picked up around the 60% mark. This no doubt will come down to personal taste.
So to explain my disappointment, let me first start by saying that the haunted house sub-genre is my favorite style of horror novel. Good or bad, I'm more likely to enjoy a haunted house story over any other. It's also a genre that frankly is often formulaic... but it can be. It is hard to reinvent the ghost story without losing the charm of how the tale is told. It is so difficult to do anything new with the haunted house story, that it usually comes down to how one puts their own spin on essentially the same story. When told well (Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House or King's The Shining) it is borderline sublime. When told poorly... it is just boring.
This is not boring and as I said, for a little over halfway, I would have called it sublime. It took its time, starting with a literal tour of the house. It built up every room, they spoke of murders committed in each one... this had so much potential to present literally a different haunting in each room and I found the ideas fascinating! Even better, it presented a situation where the characters not just leaving the moment things got too spooky felt natural... hell, we didn't even have the annoying "just the house settling" moments of denial, as our crew here was actively looking for ghosts and thus accepting of the weirder aspects of the house.
Then, sadly, the book went in a different direction becoming something bearing a close resemblance to a locked door mystery and while the hauntings were still in effect, only one was really built into anything from a plot standpoint.
This was made even more disappointing as frankly
This started off such a wonderful slow burn horror, presenting itself as something like an actual tour of a fictional haunted house and that concept was so intriguing, to see it go off in a different direction was not only disappointing, but to see it resolve the entire story in the way that it did was just a shame.
I'm still giving the book 3/5 stars as the ending was written competently enough that I didn't feel the book was a waste of time, but it certainly did not hold up to the brilliant start.
So to explain my disappointment, let me first start by saying that the haunted house sub-genre is my favorite style of horror novel. Good or bad, I'm more likely to enjoy a haunted house story over any other. It's also a genre that frankly is often formulaic... but it can be. It is hard to reinvent the ghost story without losing the charm of how the tale is told. It is so difficult to do anything new with the haunted house story, that it usually comes down to how one puts their own spin on essentially the same story. When told well (Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House or King's The Shining) it is borderline sublime. When told poorly... it is just boring.
This is not boring and as I said, for a little over halfway, I would have called it sublime. It took its time, starting with a literal tour of the house. It built up every room, they spoke of murders committed in each one... this had so much potential to present literally a different haunting in each room and I found the ideas fascinating! Even better, it presented a situation where the characters not just leaving the moment things got too spooky felt natural... hell, we didn't even have the annoying "just the house settling" moments of denial, as our crew here was actively looking for ghosts and thus accepting of the weirder aspects of the house.
Then, sadly, the book went in a different direction becoming something bearing a close resemblance to a locked door mystery and while the hauntings were still in effect, only one was really built into anything from a plot standpoint.
This was made even more disappointing as frankly
This started off such a wonderful slow burn horror, presenting itself as something like an actual tour of a fictional haunted house and that concept was so intriguing, to see it go off in a different direction was not only disappointing, but to see it resolve the entire story in the way that it did was just a shame.
I'm still giving the book 3/5 stars as the ending was written competently enough that I didn't feel the book was a waste of time, but it certainly did not hold up to the brilliant start.
November 18, 2021
Read with my Horror Aficionados Group! I thought it was pretty good! I’ve read a few of her books and generally enjoy them!
What - pray tell - goes bump in the night 😉
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
What - pray tell - goes bump in the night 😉
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
December 8, 2020
Wow! The second time around with this book was just as scary and chilling as the first time around!
A little backstory:
Tour guide, Remy loves taking people through Carrow House explaining things that have happened within its walls as the house is known for being haunted. People from previous tours have literally disappeared through the years or ended up dead. When one of Remy's tourists (Mark) shows an interest in the house and tells her that he would love to have her host a week long stay for seven guests, Remy thinks nothing of it as she has personally never seen anything happen as long as she has been a tour guide. The seven guests arrive which includes a psychic medium and a ghost hunter in the mix along with other people that are interested in the ghostly house. Once everyone meets and greets along with picking out the rooms they will be staying in, the house seems to settle down.
The house goes into full active mode when the medium decides to conduct a séance and then all hell breaks loose as the paranormal energy increases to the point of slamming doors, breaking glass, footsteps in upper rooms of the house, and apparitions gliding along the hallways!
What is haunting Carrow House? Will the guests make it out alive? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book.
This book was one of the most scariest so far by author, Darcy Coates! The author, captured the ghostly essence of the house and throws the reader right into the haunting.
I felt every emotion of the characters as I delved into the storyline and the atmosphere of the haunting just stayed with me as I read the book! I became so immersed in the book that I felt the dread and trepidation of the characters as they endured the paranormal activity in the house!
Chills and thills is the name of the game in this book! This was a classic ghost story and it will be going on my favorites shelf! Giving this one five "chill factor" stars!
A little backstory:
Tour guide, Remy loves taking people through Carrow House explaining things that have happened within its walls as the house is known for being haunted. People from previous tours have literally disappeared through the years or ended up dead. When one of Remy's tourists (Mark) shows an interest in the house and tells her that he would love to have her host a week long stay for seven guests, Remy thinks nothing of it as she has personally never seen anything happen as long as she has been a tour guide. The seven guests arrive which includes a psychic medium and a ghost hunter in the mix along with other people that are interested in the ghostly house. Once everyone meets and greets along with picking out the rooms they will be staying in, the house seems to settle down.
The house goes into full active mode when the medium decides to conduct a séance and then all hell breaks loose as the paranormal energy increases to the point of slamming doors, breaking glass, footsteps in upper rooms of the house, and apparitions gliding along the hallways!
What is haunting Carrow House? Will the guests make it out alive? No spoilers here as you will just have to read the book.
This book was one of the most scariest so far by author, Darcy Coates! The author, captured the ghostly essence of the house and throws the reader right into the haunting.
I felt every emotion of the characters as I delved into the storyline and the atmosphere of the haunting just stayed with me as I read the book! I became so immersed in the book that I felt the dread and trepidation of the characters as they endured the paranormal activity in the house!
Chills and thills is the name of the game in this book! This was a classic ghost story and it will be going on my favorites shelf! Giving this one five "chill factor" stars!
April 22, 2018
THE CARROW HAUNT is the latest novel from author Darcy Coates. This novel had so much in terms of genre-overlap! We have horror in many forms: supernatural, psychological, a long-dead serial killer, gruesome deaths, ghosts, gore, and bodies. Also present is a strong thriller/detective element that had me second guessing just about every idea that I attempted to predict.
"Welcome, dear ones, to the dreaded Carrow House."
Remy Allier gives guided tours through the area's "most haunted house" once a week, when the weather permits. Located in an island-like area, with only one bridge spanning Carrow's land to the "mainland", the isolation of the location is as absolute as it can get. As a tour guide, Remy knows all aspects of Carrow's long and sullied history. Built by John and Marie Carrow as a sanitarium initially, a tragic fire led to it being renovated into a Grand Hotel.
Their biggest mistake was in the hiring of a certain gardener, by the name of Edgar Porter.
" . . . in small towns like the ones nearest Carrow House, there was a pervasive subconscious assumption that the rich and influential couldn't be criminals . . . "
Even after the initial saga was over, the estate carried with it an unmistakable taint. The series of deaths and disappearances continued on, unabated, until it was eventually left untenanted. A spoiled rich teenager, April Mahon, had the former hotel purchased for herself. She took great pains in having the original furnishings restored to how it was in its murderous heyday.
". . . There's a recurring theme of tragedy befalling anyone who lives in the building . . . aside for brief research-related stays, no human has attempted to live in it since."
After one tour, Remy is approached by a rich businessman, Mark Sulligent, with a proposition to rent Carrow House for a two week period. He plans on studying the psychic phenomena through various means; a medium, a modern-day ghost hunter, and a few select individuals with an interest in Carrow.
". . . Two weeks in the state's most haunted house. This is either going to be a great decision or the worst experience of my life."
One of Darcy Coates' greatest strengths in this novel is in her choice of characters. Each and every one of them carries a unique personality--some quite at odds with others--and I found every individual to be both mentally captivating and original. I never caught myself attempting to figure out "who was who" for they were all completely fleshed out as the novel progressed.
". . . It took a certain kind of person to appreciate a malevolent supernatural entity."
Whether you like or dislike their personalities, each character remains "true" to themselves and behaves exactly as the author has led us to believe they will. We have some very mysterious individuals, as well as those that go through no deception in showing just who they are and what they think of the others.
". . . It was the truth, but delivered with the subtlety of a sledgehammer . . . "
When things start to get heated, Coates leaves us with a genuine feeling for each of the house's "guests", and I couldn't help but speculate on what other motives these individuals may have been harboring that led them to this place.
". . . Carrow is supposed to have unusually high energy levels. It's part of the reason its spirit activity is so elevated."
As for the atmosphere in this book, words alone can't even begin to do it justice! The first third or so of this novel sets the background, characters, and present situation to absolute perfection. I felt completely immersed in the shadows at Carrow as if I were a "silent observer", actually IN the gothic mansion, myself. After that point, the action ramps up exponentially, and the oppressive, disquieting feeling becomes nearly overwhelming at times. This is where it became impossible to distance myself, mentally, and I began to carry the book everywhere I went.
" . . . .people can be afraid of things. Horribly, permanently afraid . . . the fear takes root in their lives and twists them and controls them . . ."
Carrow House, itself, is as much a character as any other here. Its unique location, connection to so many horrific and gruesome deaths all throughout its history, and ability to seemingly hold so many spirits and dark secrets within its walls, make it one of the most formidable forces there.
". . . now that it has guests, it's waking up."
Overall, a supernatural horror novel that captured my attention from the very beginning, tightening it's hold over me the further my reading progressed. There was truly so much that I found "new " going on in this story, that I never once was able to guess at an accurate conclusion. Coates managed to keep throwing new twists into the mix, just at the points when I thought I might possibly manage a "guess". This tactic combined with the omnipresent foreboding atmosphere, made for a novel that I never wanted to put down.
Highly recommended!
"Welcome, dear ones, to the dreaded Carrow House."
Remy Allier gives guided tours through the area's "most haunted house" once a week, when the weather permits. Located in an island-like area, with only one bridge spanning Carrow's land to the "mainland", the isolation of the location is as absolute as it can get. As a tour guide, Remy knows all aspects of Carrow's long and sullied history. Built by John and Marie Carrow as a sanitarium initially, a tragic fire led to it being renovated into a Grand Hotel.
Their biggest mistake was in the hiring of a certain gardener, by the name of Edgar Porter.
" . . . in small towns like the ones nearest Carrow House, there was a pervasive subconscious assumption that the rich and influential couldn't be criminals . . . "
Even after the initial saga was over, the estate carried with it an unmistakable taint. The series of deaths and disappearances continued on, unabated, until it was eventually left untenanted. A spoiled rich teenager, April Mahon, had the former hotel purchased for herself. She took great pains in having the original furnishings restored to how it was in its murderous heyday.
". . . There's a recurring theme of tragedy befalling anyone who lives in the building . . . aside for brief research-related stays, no human has attempted to live in it since."
After one tour, Remy is approached by a rich businessman, Mark Sulligent, with a proposition to rent Carrow House for a two week period. He plans on studying the psychic phenomena through various means; a medium, a modern-day ghost hunter, and a few select individuals with an interest in Carrow.
". . . Two weeks in the state's most haunted house. This is either going to be a great decision or the worst experience of my life."
One of Darcy Coates' greatest strengths in this novel is in her choice of characters. Each and every one of them carries a unique personality--some quite at odds with others--and I found every individual to be both mentally captivating and original. I never caught myself attempting to figure out "who was who" for they were all completely fleshed out as the novel progressed.
". . . It took a certain kind of person to appreciate a malevolent supernatural entity."
Whether you like or dislike their personalities, each character remains "true" to themselves and behaves exactly as the author has led us to believe they will. We have some very mysterious individuals, as well as those that go through no deception in showing just who they are and what they think of the others.
". . . It was the truth, but delivered with the subtlety of a sledgehammer . . . "
When things start to get heated, Coates leaves us with a genuine feeling for each of the house's "guests", and I couldn't help but speculate on what other motives these individuals may have been harboring that led them to this place.
". . . Carrow is supposed to have unusually high energy levels. It's part of the reason its spirit activity is so elevated."
As for the atmosphere in this book, words alone can't even begin to do it justice! The first third or so of this novel sets the background, characters, and present situation to absolute perfection. I felt completely immersed in the shadows at Carrow as if I were a "silent observer", actually IN the gothic mansion, myself. After that point, the action ramps up exponentially, and the oppressive, disquieting feeling becomes nearly overwhelming at times. This is where it became impossible to distance myself, mentally, and I began to carry the book everywhere I went.
" . . . .people can be afraid of things. Horribly, permanently afraid . . . the fear takes root in their lives and twists them and controls them . . ."
Carrow House, itself, is as much a character as any other here. Its unique location, connection to so many horrific and gruesome deaths all throughout its history, and ability to seemingly hold so many spirits and dark secrets within its walls, make it one of the most formidable forces there.
". . . now that it has guests, it's waking up."
Overall, a supernatural horror novel that captured my attention from the very beginning, tightening it's hold over me the further my reading progressed. There was truly so much that I found "new " going on in this story, that I never once was able to guess at an accurate conclusion. Coates managed to keep throwing new twists into the mix, just at the points when I thought I might possibly manage a "guess". This tactic combined with the omnipresent foreboding atmosphere, made for a novel that I never wanted to put down.
Highly recommended!
November 8, 2018
This book started out as a Haunting of Hill House style ghost story and quickly devolved into goofy (bad) cheesiness. Also, I can’t be the only one who noticed that author is obsessed with having her characters lick their lips. Like so often it could be a drinking game. “Remy licked her lips and started up the stairs...” “Remy licked her lips and replied that she would go check on the others...” “Mark licked his lips and said he would be the one to go out into the storm...” And so on. Just stop with all the lip licking. Stop. It.
December 4, 2020
This was a decent and interesting plot for a haunted house!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!
Thanks to the Horror Aficionados group on Goodreads for doing a group read for this book. I would not have gotten to it sooner if they had not put this together.
The Carrow Haunt is the second book that I've read by Darcy Coates and I enjoyed this one as well!
I thought the characters, action and all the spooky moments were done well in this book.
I was not expecting the plot to go in the direction that it did and I liked that!
The Carrow Haunt starts with Remy, our ghost tour guide doing a paranormal tour for the legendary and haunted Carrow House.
What Remy doesn't realize during this tour is one of the people in her group wants to come back to the Carrow House and do a two week investigation on the place.
What happened at this house and are all the hauntings and murders that have been reported true?
Remy agrees to this two week investigation because she would also like to know more about the suspected murders, but also, money talks.
The two week paranormal investigation consists of Remy, the person in her group, a famous medium, a ghost hunter that uses special ESP equipment, the owner of the property, and a few others.
Seven guests all together. During this two week period, each guest will challenged, tested and brought to their breaking points with the Carrow House and it's inhabitants.
**Spoiler Alert**
I think the only thing that I would have liked a bit different was the ending.
Definitely read this one if you like haunted house plots and spooky books about things that go bump in the night!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars!
Thanks to the Horror Aficionados group on Goodreads for doing a group read for this book. I would not have gotten to it sooner if they had not put this together.
The Carrow Haunt is the second book that I've read by Darcy Coates and I enjoyed this one as well!
I thought the characters, action and all the spooky moments were done well in this book.
I was not expecting the plot to go in the direction that it did and I liked that!
The Carrow Haunt starts with Remy, our ghost tour guide doing a paranormal tour for the legendary and haunted Carrow House.
What Remy doesn't realize during this tour is one of the people in her group wants to come back to the Carrow House and do a two week investigation on the place.
What happened at this house and are all the hauntings and murders that have been reported true?
Remy agrees to this two week investigation because she would also like to know more about the suspected murders, but also, money talks.
The two week paranormal investigation consists of Remy, the person in her group, a famous medium, a ghost hunter that uses special ESP equipment, the owner of the property, and a few others.
Seven guests all together. During this two week period, each guest will challenged, tested and brought to their breaking points with the Carrow House and it's inhabitants.
**Spoiler Alert**
I think the only thing that I would have liked a bit different was the ending.
Definitely read this one if you like haunted house plots and spooky books about things that go bump in the night!
January 28, 2021
I dragged this book out as long as possible because I did not want it to end.
I love haunted house stories. I love murderous ghosts, interesting and memorable characters, and locked-in whodunnit thrillers. Darcy Coates has delivered all in spades.
For me The Carrow Haunt was a five star read right up to
But regardless, I am physically restraining myself from going out and buying everything with the author's name on it. I can't wait to jump into more of her work.
I love haunted house stories. I love murderous ghosts, interesting and memorable characters, and locked-in whodunnit thrillers. Darcy Coates has delivered all in spades.
For me The Carrow Haunt was a five star read right up to
But regardless, I am physically restraining myself from going out and buying everything with the author's name on it. I can't wait to jump into more of her work.
February 2, 2019
I had a really fun time reading this spooky little book. Darcy’s words flow smoothly, and paint vivid descriptions of her scenes that really bring them to life. This story follows a team of people assembled to investigate a legendary haunted house. It’s a familiar premise, but Darcy’s execution and the colorful bunch of characters are what make it fun. If you like haunted house stories with minimal gore, check out Darcy’s books.
August 31, 2020
Edit: This was a dynamic haunting story. I loved it. You had your medium ( not fake), the tour guide, the skeptic, the tag-a-long, and your rich girl owner who is desperately a want-to-be medium (to the actual medium’s chagrin) the horribly gory history of the House, and an actually truly very haunted house right on the sea. Everyone has their reason to be there and they are all mixed in with your folks interested in ghosts and others interested in the house and still others are just ready to conquer their fear. Recommended. Will read again. This was great. Way to go Darcy!
Awe-some! My favorite yet!! Reading it to my husband. He is loving the story, which kicks off right away. I loved it!
2nd read: two years later was very different but I saw where she took an opportunity to make some adjustments. I was loving the ARC, but this was good as well. My husband and I both read it. I guess I really loved the one I first read and then there were parts to this one I liked too.
Awe-some! My favorite yet!! Reading it to my husband. He is loving the story, which kicks off right away. I loved it!
2nd read: two years later was very different but I saw where she took an opportunity to make some adjustments. I was loving the ARC, but this was good as well. My husband and I both read it. I guess I really loved the one I first read and then there were parts to this one I liked too.
December 18, 2020
3 stars
Extremely bingeable and well-paced, The Carrow Haunt is a middle-of-the road haunted house story with enough pizzazz to thrill, yet no real substance to generate any lasting impression. It is even difficult to anchor my thought on anything in particular, other than it's an inoffensive execution of the tried-and-true horror sub genre: things go south when a group of people is stranded in an old house with a dark past, and malevolent spirits.
Vanilla almost to a fault, the novel is comfortable staying within the anticipated framework (creepy attic, creepy basement, seance gone wrong, etc.), with only the slightest tiptoe into unexpected territory. In the end, I had a decent time with it, but without any real fresh idea or differentiating factor, I probably won't remember ever reading this book in a couple months time.
**Horror Aficionados December 2020 Group Read Pick**
Extremely bingeable and well-paced, The Carrow Haunt is a middle-of-the road haunted house story with enough pizzazz to thrill, yet no real substance to generate any lasting impression. It is even difficult to anchor my thought on anything in particular, other than it's an inoffensive execution of the tried-and-true horror sub genre: things go south when a group of people is stranded in an old house with a dark past, and malevolent spirits.
Vanilla almost to a fault, the novel is comfortable staying within the anticipated framework (creepy attic, creepy basement, seance gone wrong, etc.), with only the slightest tiptoe into unexpected territory. In the end, I had a decent time with it, but without any real fresh idea or differentiating factor, I probably won't remember ever reading this book in a couple months time.
**Horror Aficionados December 2020 Group Read Pick**
October 9, 2021
The Carrow Haunt - Darcy Coates
5★
I have always...from a very early age...been a fan of ghost stories. So, Darcy Coates stories are perfect. She always manages to include things of my worst nightmare as a child...unseen things grabbing me and catching me off guard. There are plenty of things here to give me delicious nightmares for a month or two. "Welcome, dear ones, to the dreaded Carrow House." Remy Allier...the tour guide...gives guided tours through the area's "most haunted houses" once a week, when the weather permits. Located in an island-like area, with only one bridge spanning Carrow's land to the "mainland", the isolation of the location is as absolute as it can get. Remy knows all aspects of Carrow's long and sullied history. Built by John and Marie Carrow as a sanitarium initially, a tragic fire led to it being renovated into a Grand Hotel. Their biggest mistake was in the hiring of a certain gardener, by the name of Edgar Porter. . . “In small towns like the ones nearest Carrow House, there was a pervasive subconscious assumption that the rich and influential couldn't be criminals . . . " Yeah...Right! The estate had always carried an unmistakable taint...a “wrongness”. Deaths and disappearances continued on...unabated... until it was eventually left abandoned. A spoiled rich teenager, April Mahon, had the former hotel purchased for herself. She took great pains in having the original furnishings restored to how it was in its murderous heyday. ". . . There's a recurring theme of tragedy befalling anyone who lives in the building . . . aside for brief research-related stays, no human has attempted to live in it since." This makes the house itself an unforgettable, unforgiving character...as much “alive” as any of the actual breathing human beings. The story will capture your undivided attention from the very beginning...while tightening it's hold over and making you very aware of who or what is really in charge here.
5★
I have always...from a very early age...been a fan of ghost stories. So, Darcy Coates stories are perfect. She always manages to include things of my worst nightmare as a child...unseen things grabbing me and catching me off guard. There are plenty of things here to give me delicious nightmares for a month or two. "Welcome, dear ones, to the dreaded Carrow House." Remy Allier...the tour guide...gives guided tours through the area's "most haunted houses" once a week, when the weather permits. Located in an island-like area, with only one bridge spanning Carrow's land to the "mainland", the isolation of the location is as absolute as it can get. Remy knows all aspects of Carrow's long and sullied history. Built by John and Marie Carrow as a sanitarium initially, a tragic fire led to it being renovated into a Grand Hotel. Their biggest mistake was in the hiring of a certain gardener, by the name of Edgar Porter. . . “In small towns like the ones nearest Carrow House, there was a pervasive subconscious assumption that the rich and influential couldn't be criminals . . . " Yeah...Right! The estate had always carried an unmistakable taint...a “wrongness”. Deaths and disappearances continued on...unabated... until it was eventually left abandoned. A spoiled rich teenager, April Mahon, had the former hotel purchased for herself. She took great pains in having the original furnishings restored to how it was in its murderous heyday. ". . . There's a recurring theme of tragedy befalling anyone who lives in the building . . . aside for brief research-related stays, no human has attempted to live in it since." This makes the house itself an unforgettable, unforgiving character...as much “alive” as any of the actual breathing human beings. The story will capture your undivided attention from the very beginning...while tightening it's hold over and making you very aware of who or what is really in charge here.
October 3, 2019
4 Stars
This was so spooky and atmospheric, I loved it. The premise of a house haunted by the ghosts of those murdered in it isn't the most unique, but this was so wonderfully crafted I enjoyed every second of it. The characters are likeable, the atmosphere is great and I liked the mystery aspect. The writing was easy to read and perfectly describtive.
This was so spooky and atmospheric, I loved it. The premise of a house haunted by the ghosts of those murdered in it isn't the most unique, but this was so wonderfully crafted I enjoyed every second of it. The characters are likeable, the atmosphere is great and I liked the mystery aspect. The writing was easy to read and perfectly describtive.
September 27, 2025
This is my second Darcy Coates and it was just as good as the first one! She truly masters the haunted house stories!
The Carrow Haunt has a flow that makes you lose track of time. I was totally absorbed and engrossed.
It was a great story and the ending was up to it (although not my favorite style of ending).
Recommended for anyone looking for a haunted house story without blood and gore everywhere ^^
The Carrow Haunt has a flow that makes you lose track of time. I was totally absorbed and engrossed.
It was a great story and the ending was up to it (although not my favorite style of ending).
Recommended for anyone looking for a haunted house story without blood and gore everywhere ^^
December 10, 2018
I used to love this building. Now, I would gladly burn it to the ground.
Not as great as I wanted it to be, but still a lot of fun and spooks.
Having read Hunted back in October, my expectations were high going into this. I wanted more of the interesting characters, exciting readable plot, and of course, the spooks.
And I got some of that? The Carrow Haunt did have some fun. It's a bit like a locked house mystery? Is there a trope for when people are trapped together and slowly picked off one by one, perhaps with a supernatural element? Because my brain is failing me right now.
Anyway, Remy is a haunted house tour guide. Victorian dress, spooky tours, that kind of thing. The Carrow House - serial killers, mysterious fires, and countless reports of ghosts and poltergeists; you name it, Carrow had it. When Remy gets an offer from a rich guest who wants a VIP haunting experience, it's hard to say no. Two weeks living in the house. Two weeks with no contact with the outside world. Two weeks trapped in a haunted house with a medium, a paranormal investigator, and a spook obsessed teen, to name a few.
She knew in her bones that if she got out of Carrow, she would never return to it.
And it doesn't take long for the chills to start multiplying. Sleepwalking, bleeding walls, apparitions, strange sounds, bodies in the foyer; there's pretty much every haunted house staple. It makes use of a lot of classic scares, but unfortunately doesn't leave a lot of room for originality or spontaneity.
Also, it's a pretty good choice if you're a horror newbie or someone looking for lighter horror. Yes, there's bloodshed and ghosts, but nothing terrifying enough to keep you up all night. (Or not terrifying enough to keep me awake at least.)
There are very few surprises to be found. Even when I was enjoying the story, it was always there, a constant predictability that the story never managed to shake. It's not bad, just unfortunately scraping barely over the bar. And sadly the characters fell a bit flat too. I don't mind any of them really. Lucille was annoying, but that was kind of her purpose. I like the idea of Remy. She's smart and brave and level headed. She's the kind of character you should be able to really root for in a fictional battle against supernatural forces. But I couldn't connect with her or get a feel for the nitty gritty of the character. That left me wanting.
The Carrow Haunt isn't a bad book, it's just lacking that magic spark. It's a read I can say I liked, but unfortunately I didn't quite love it.
Not as great as I wanted it to be, but still a lot of fun and spooks.
Having read Hunted back in October, my expectations were high going into this. I wanted more of the interesting characters, exciting readable plot, and of course, the spooks.
And I got some of that? The Carrow Haunt did have some fun. It's a bit like a locked house mystery? Is there a trope for when people are trapped together and slowly picked off one by one, perhaps with a supernatural element? Because my brain is failing me right now.
Anyway, Remy is a haunted house tour guide. Victorian dress, spooky tours, that kind of thing. The Carrow House - serial killers, mysterious fires, and countless reports of ghosts and poltergeists; you name it, Carrow had it. When Remy gets an offer from a rich guest who wants a VIP haunting experience, it's hard to say no. Two weeks living in the house. Two weeks with no contact with the outside world. Two weeks trapped in a haunted house with a medium, a paranormal investigator, and a spook obsessed teen, to name a few.
She knew in her bones that if she got out of Carrow, she would never return to it.
And it doesn't take long for the chills to start multiplying. Sleepwalking, bleeding walls, apparitions, strange sounds, bodies in the foyer; there's pretty much every haunted house staple. It makes use of a lot of classic scares, but unfortunately doesn't leave a lot of room for originality or spontaneity.
Also, it's a pretty good choice if you're a horror newbie or someone looking for lighter horror. Yes, there's bloodshed and ghosts, but nothing terrifying enough to keep you up all night. (Or not terrifying enough to keep me awake at least.)
There are very few surprises to be found. Even when I was enjoying the story, it was always there, a constant predictability that the story never managed to shake. It's not bad, just unfortunately scraping barely over the bar. And sadly the characters fell a bit flat too. I don't mind any of them really. Lucille was annoying, but that was kind of her purpose. I like the idea of Remy. She's smart and brave and level headed. She's the kind of character you should be able to really root for in a fictional battle against supernatural forces. But I couldn't connect with her or get a feel for the nitty gritty of the character. That left me wanting.
The Carrow Haunt isn't a bad book, it's just lacking that magic spark. It's a read I can say I liked, but unfortunately I didn't quite love it.
November 24, 2021
Re-read October 2021
Well, the audio of this wasn't the worst I've ever heard. It also wasn't the best. Women doing men's voices just never seem to go right....
-----------------------------
Now this was awesome!
Remy organizes tours in the haunted Carrow House. The house has a very rich history, with a serial killer who buried his victims in the basement, and several other mysterious deaths in the last 100 years.
When she gets approached by Mark Sulligent, who asks if she’s interested in taking part in an experiment in Carrow House, she doesn’t know what to think. Mark wants to have a group of 7 or 8 people staying at Carrow House to investigate the ghosts. It sounds vague to Remy, but she’s intrigued nonetheless.
And that’s how she finds herself in Carrow House with 7 other people. April is the 17 year old owner of the house. She always wanted a haunted house and her rich parents bought Carrow House for her. She is accompanied by Lucille, who is supposed to watch out for her.
Then we have Mark, who organized the whole thing. Marjorie, a well-known medium and her assistant Bernard. Taj, who wants to capture any ghosts on film. And Piers, who is simply trying to make his retired life less boring.
At first they only encounter some ghosts, who seem to disappear immediately. But then they all feel there is an evil presence in the house. It is not difficult to figure out this must be Edgar, the serial killer. But while Marjorie keeps trying to tell everyone ghosts can’t hurt anyone, they think differently when one of their group is suddenly found dead….
I have to admit it took me almost til halfway before I started liking it. There was nothing wrong with the first half, but somehow it moved a bit too slow for me and I kept putting it down.
Halfway through I figured out what my main issue was (at that time). I didn’t really like any of the characters. Remy, our main protagonist, didn’t seem to have any particular character traits. And the people locked up with her in the house were not that likable. BUT…. then the second half happened. And suddenly I found myself unable to put this book down. And because of the events that were happening, I suddenly started to bond with the characters. I suddenly saw that Remy was actually pretty brave and was a good leader of the group. And once I figured out what was the issue with Mark, I really started to like him. Same with all the other characters, when they were bonding with each other, I felt myself bonding with them.
This book is super creepy. I absolutely loved the whole situation of them being in a haunted house with a killer ghost (and several other ghosts), and not being able to leave because of the storm. I loved how they voted on what to do, leave and possibly die in the storm, or stay and possibly die because of the ghosts.
With this book Darcy Coates immediately made me a fan and I’m going to read all her books now.
Well, the audio of this wasn't the worst I've ever heard. It also wasn't the best. Women doing men's voices just never seem to go right....
-----------------------------
Now this was awesome!
Remy organizes tours in the haunted Carrow House. The house has a very rich history, with a serial killer who buried his victims in the basement, and several other mysterious deaths in the last 100 years.
When she gets approached by Mark Sulligent, who asks if she’s interested in taking part in an experiment in Carrow House, she doesn’t know what to think. Mark wants to have a group of 7 or 8 people staying at Carrow House to investigate the ghosts. It sounds vague to Remy, but she’s intrigued nonetheless.
And that’s how she finds herself in Carrow House with 7 other people. April is the 17 year old owner of the house. She always wanted a haunted house and her rich parents bought Carrow House for her. She is accompanied by Lucille, who is supposed to watch out for her.
Then we have Mark, who organized the whole thing. Marjorie, a well-known medium and her assistant Bernard. Taj, who wants to capture any ghosts on film. And Piers, who is simply trying to make his retired life less boring.
At first they only encounter some ghosts, who seem to disappear immediately. But then they all feel there is an evil presence in the house. It is not difficult to figure out this must be Edgar, the serial killer. But while Marjorie keeps trying to tell everyone ghosts can’t hurt anyone, they think differently when one of their group is suddenly found dead….
I have to admit it took me almost til halfway before I started liking it. There was nothing wrong with the first half, but somehow it moved a bit too slow for me and I kept putting it down.
Halfway through I figured out what my main issue was (at that time). I didn’t really like any of the characters. Remy, our main protagonist, didn’t seem to have any particular character traits. And the people locked up with her in the house were not that likable. BUT…. then the second half happened. And suddenly I found myself unable to put this book down. And because of the events that were happening, I suddenly started to bond with the characters. I suddenly saw that Remy was actually pretty brave and was a good leader of the group. And once I figured out what was the issue with Mark, I really started to like him. Same with all the other characters, when they were bonding with each other, I felt myself bonding with them.
This book is super creepy. I absolutely loved the whole situation of them being in a haunted house with a killer ghost (and several other ghosts), and not being able to leave because of the storm. I loved how they voted on what to do, leave and possibly die in the storm, or stay and possibly die because of the ghosts.
With this book Darcy Coates immediately made me a fan and I’m going to read all her books now.
May 16, 2023
I really enjoyed The Carrow Haunt. There's nothing novel or terribly original about the plot - it's the usual "people go stay in a haunted house with a dark history and bad things happen" storyline - but sometimes that's exactly what I want. And it's well-written and entertaining and the main characters are mostly likeable, much more so than some other haunted house novels that I've read recently (here's looking at you, Kill Creek).
I have to say, though, that I read a few of the reviews before starting this book and one of them mentioned that Coates is obsessed with characters licking their lips, and I definitely agree. Remy actually licked her lips twice on one page toward the end. It wasn't a huge distraction, just something that I couldn't help but notice after it was pointed out.
Overall, this was a terrifically spooky and enjoyable read. 4 stars.
I have to say, though, that I read a few of the reviews before starting this book and one of them mentioned that Coates is obsessed with characters licking their lips, and I definitely agree. Remy actually licked her lips twice on one page toward the end. It wasn't a huge distraction, just something that I couldn't help but notice after it was pointed out.
Overall, this was a terrifically spooky and enjoyable read. 4 stars.
December 20, 2020
I was quite disappointed with this one, what started out as a standard haunted house story turned into a bit of a movie-of-the-week on Lifetime channel
Not for me.
Recommended for my Mum who doesn't read horror, and never will coz she's already in the afterlife, but if she WAS alive this fluffy ghost story sprinkled with romance and a VERY neat and tidy ending where all is well and good would be just her cup of tea.
Not for me.
Recommended for my Mum who doesn't read horror, and never will coz she's already in the afterlife, but if she WAS alive this fluffy ghost story sprinkled with romance and a VERY neat and tidy ending where all is well and good would be just her cup of tea.
August 30, 2018
If you love a good haunted house, seances and intrigue than The Carrow Haunt will keep you reading through the night. This is definitely one of Darcy Coates best books and will keep you guessing all the way to the end.
January 23, 2019
4.5 stars
Wow, did I tear through this one. The beginning reminded me so much of the tour I took at the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. Coates must have been on a lot of haunted house tours, because she has the tour guide character down pat. I was immediately sucked into this story.
Remy is a tour guide at Carrow House, one of the most haunted buildings in the area. Carrow House is isolated and surrounded by the sea on three sides. In order to get to the house you have to cross a bridge, and that's the only way in or out. One night after another successful tour, Remy is asked to host seven guests at Carrow House for a two week paranormal study. Remy loves her job, and while she has some reservations she ultimately decides to host the study.
The guests arrive and almost immediately things start to get weird. As the days pass, the group has a few ghost sightings, and Remy in particular is awoken each night but unusual sounds and disturbances. The group remains optimistic, however, when they discover a guest has died in the middle of the night, the group starts to question continuing the study. They quickly realize that they are unable to leave because of a storm that is raging outside and washing the bridge with large waves that are capable of dragging a vehicle out to sea. The group is isolated, under threat, and completely trapped.
I was so caught up in this story for almost the entire book. Then at the very end Coates lost me. This is the first of her novel's I've read, and like I said I adored almost the entire story, but I sincerely hope all of her novels don't end this way. I will definitely be reading more from Coates, even though I didn't love the ending. This one is a page turner.
Wow, did I tear through this one. The beginning reminded me so much of the tour I took at the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. Coates must have been on a lot of haunted house tours, because she has the tour guide character down pat. I was immediately sucked into this story.
Remy is a tour guide at Carrow House, one of the most haunted buildings in the area. Carrow House is isolated and surrounded by the sea on three sides. In order to get to the house you have to cross a bridge, and that's the only way in or out. One night after another successful tour, Remy is asked to host seven guests at Carrow House for a two week paranormal study. Remy loves her job, and while she has some reservations she ultimately decides to host the study.
The guests arrive and almost immediately things start to get weird. As the days pass, the group has a few ghost sightings, and Remy in particular is awoken each night but unusual sounds and disturbances. The group remains optimistic, however, when they discover a guest has died in the middle of the night, the group starts to question continuing the study. They quickly realize that they are unable to leave because of a storm that is raging outside and washing the bridge with large waves that are capable of dragging a vehicle out to sea. The group is isolated, under threat, and completely trapped.
I was so caught up in this story for almost the entire book. Then at the very end Coates lost me. This is the first of her novel's I've read, and like I said I adored almost the entire story, but I sincerely hope all of her novels don't end this way. I will definitely be reading more from Coates, even though I didn't love the ending. This one is a page turner.
April 20, 2018
The Carrow Haunt is Darcy Coates newest release. It's about a girl named Remy that gives tours of the famously haunted Carrow House. On one of her tours, a guest asks if she will proposition the owner to allow a group of people including Remy, to stay at Carrow House for a couple of weeks in order to study the paranormal phenomena up close and personal. Not willing to pass up a chance to experience some of the sightings she talks about in her tours everyday, Remy agrees to participate; and the owner, a huge paranormal enthusiast, jumps on the chance, with the stipulation that she has to be included in the guest list too. None of the guests are quite prepared though, for the terrifying experience Carrow House has in store for them.
So this is the second book I've ever read by Darcy Coates and I was just as impressed with it as I was with Craven Manor. I love a good ghost and haunted house story and she's delivered in both books. The Carrow Haunt was deliciously creepy and suspenseful! Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I'm definitely looking forward to reading a lot more of her books.
So this is the second book I've ever read by Darcy Coates and I was just as impressed with it as I was with Craven Manor. I love a good ghost and haunted house story and she's delivered in both books. The Carrow Haunt was deliciously creepy and suspenseful! Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I'm definitely looking forward to reading a lot more of her books.
December 13, 2020
Good ghost story!
The Carrie Haunt by Darcy Coates is a good ghost story about a group of people who come together to explore a haunted house, each for their own reasons. There are ghosts, bleeding walls, possession, dead bodies, and evil! A perfect bedtime story!😉
The Carrie Haunt by Darcy Coates is a good ghost story about a group of people who come together to explore a haunted house, each for their own reasons. There are ghosts, bleeding walls, possession, dead bodies, and evil! A perfect bedtime story!😉
August 5, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up for Goodreads.
She knew in her bones that if she got out of Carrow, she would never return to it.
I just love Darcy Coates. Everything I've read from her so far has been really good. She is definitely up there in being one of my favourite authors. This book was no different.
The Carrow Hunt is a spooky, gothic, haunted house horror that instantly gripped me from the very first chapter. I love books that are set in old gothic buildings with a dark history so much. This book delivers on all the things I love in haunted house horror. I liked the pacing. It was steady and kept that momentum all throughout the book. Nothing felt dragged out or unnecessarily prolonged, in my opinion.
The spooky level was moderate, but felt higher when I was reading at night. What I really loved about this was that most of the characters believed in the supernatural. So, no time was wasted trying to convince characters that the house was indeed haunted. Goodness, that really grinds my gears sometimes. I also really enjoyed the different explanations of different spirits/ghosts. It made the experience feel more real.
The characters were also very well crafted and had great banter and chemistry. Even when things got tense. There was some much needed comedic relief at times, something I also enjoy in my reads. The ending was also different. I didn't see it coming at all. I really really enjoyed this one.
She knew in her bones that if she got out of Carrow, she would never return to it.
I just love Darcy Coates. Everything I've read from her so far has been really good. She is definitely up there in being one of my favourite authors. This book was no different.
The Carrow Hunt is a spooky, gothic, haunted house horror that instantly gripped me from the very first chapter. I love books that are set in old gothic buildings with a dark history so much. This book delivers on all the things I love in haunted house horror. I liked the pacing. It was steady and kept that momentum all throughout the book. Nothing felt dragged out or unnecessarily prolonged, in my opinion.
The spooky level was moderate, but felt higher when I was reading at night. What I really loved about this was that most of the characters believed in the supernatural. So, no time was wasted trying to convince characters that the house was indeed haunted. Goodness, that really grinds my gears sometimes. I also really enjoyed the different explanations of different spirits/ghosts. It made the experience feel more real.
The characters were also very well crafted and had great banter and chemistry. Even when things got tense. There was some much needed comedic relief at times, something I also enjoy in my reads. The ending was also different. I didn't see it coming at all. I really really enjoyed this one.
December 26, 2018
"How can you kill the unkillable?"
I've been meaning to read a book by Darcy Coates for forever, and I finally picked up The Carrow Haunt, which is a new release from this year. I ended up really enjoying it!
I can always be drawn in with a haunted house story. The Carrow Haunt has such a fun set-up - it's kind of similar to Hell House, except it doesn't suck (sorry, not sorry). The main character is a tour guide at a haunted inn, and she ends up getting the opportunity to stay there for 2 weeks to study the inn. I love it!
Does this book bring anything new to the haunted house genre? Not really, but it's so damn entertaining. I was addicted to the story, and I couldn't get through it fast enough. It had a couple good spooky scenes, and I enjoyed being creeped out.
I liked the characters, and I absolutely loved that nobody could be trusted in such a creepy environment. I suspected everyone of something at some point. There are some surprising reveals, and I am happy that I didn't automatically solve everything.
The only thing I didn't like was the ending, which is why this wasn't a 5⭐ read for me. I'm not really going to go into why to avoid spoilers, but I feel like it didn't really match with the doom and gloom that had been perfectly built by this book. This is just personal preference, so it may work really well for another reader. It wasn't a terrible ending; I was just a bit disappointed.
I am definitely a Darcy Coates fan now. This is one of the better haunted house stories I've read , and I can't wait to read more from her. If you haven't read her books yet, I highly recommend picking this one up.
I've been meaning to read a book by Darcy Coates for forever, and I finally picked up The Carrow Haunt, which is a new release from this year. I ended up really enjoying it!
I can always be drawn in with a haunted house story. The Carrow Haunt has such a fun set-up - it's kind of similar to Hell House, except it doesn't suck (sorry, not sorry). The main character is a tour guide at a haunted inn, and she ends up getting the opportunity to stay there for 2 weeks to study the inn. I love it!
Does this book bring anything new to the haunted house genre? Not really, but it's so damn entertaining. I was addicted to the story, and I couldn't get through it fast enough. It had a couple good spooky scenes, and I enjoyed being creeped out.
I liked the characters, and I absolutely loved that nobody could be trusted in such a creepy environment. I suspected everyone of something at some point. There are some surprising reveals, and I am happy that I didn't automatically solve everything.
The only thing I didn't like was the ending, which is why this wasn't a 5⭐ read for me. I'm not really going to go into why to avoid spoilers, but I feel like it didn't really match with the doom and gloom that had been perfectly built by this book. This is just personal preference, so it may work really well for another reader. It wasn't a terrible ending; I was just a bit disappointed.
I am definitely a Darcy Coates fan now. This is one of the better haunted house stories I've read , and I can't wait to read more from her. If you haven't read her books yet, I highly recommend picking this one up.
June 20, 2019
This one is recommended for those who like the thrill of a scary haunted house story. Its very strong on plot combining a serial killer haunted hotel, a mystery and lots and lots of action. This cries out to be a movie and it would be spectacular as such.
Personally, I prefer more characterisation and atmosphere build up but I have to admit that Darcy Coates has done an excellent job in plain out writing a haunted house story designed to scare you our of your booties.
Recommended to anyone who thinks that Stephen King’s The Shining was far too slow paced and that the Hotel needed MORE GHOSTS!
Personally, I prefer more characterisation and atmosphere build up but I have to admit that Darcy Coates has done an excellent job in plain out writing a haunted house story designed to scare you our of your booties.
Recommended to anyone who thinks that Stephen King’s The Shining was far too slow paced and that the Hotel needed MORE GHOSTS!
February 14, 2019
Fast and fun and strange. This reminded me of a good time cheesy action horror thriller flick. And I mean that in a good way actually.
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 because this had some good atmosphere throughout.
3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 because this had some good atmosphere throughout.
January 6, 2021
"The dead are restless here..."
Remy is a tour guide for the infamous and haunted Carrow House but she has never held a tour quite like this one. She is approached by a stranger and given the opportunity, along with seven other individuals, to spend a fortnight inside the manor home. Remy knows the house intimately but soon, as they are all about to discover, it proves to have more chilling secrets to uncover than any of them could have dreamed possible.
The book opened with an introduction to our protagonist, Remy, and the haunted setting by inviting the reader along on one of her usual tours. I appreciated how this allowed for a quick immersion to the story and how it ensured the reader was immediately acquainted with the house's history and peculiarities. It also added a level of authenticity that made the later sinister occurrences feel all the more chilling.
Soon, once the group of seven other disparate individuals arrive, the focus opens up to these various new characters and their distinct personalities. Some added levity to the events and others nothing but drama. I appreciated the inclusion of all of them, for the variety they brought to the story-line, but Remy remained my favourite, along with the wealthy and eccentric teenage house owner, April.
The haunted events ensured I found this a super atmospheric and chilling read, but it never delivered the spine-tingling terror I was anticipating. I think this may have been due to the number of characters, who, despite appreciating, all brought along with them their personal worries and woes that also featured alongside the supernatural. One late scene in the book saw Remy isolated and frantic and I found this to deliver the earlier emotions I was anticipating.
I did, despite this, enjoy all of this book's contents. It proved consistently fast-paced, unique in its trajectory, and featuring vivid scenes of both gory and paranormal horror. I am sure another Coates horror will make its way onto my shelves, very soon.
Remy is a tour guide for the infamous and haunted Carrow House but she has never held a tour quite like this one. She is approached by a stranger and given the opportunity, along with seven other individuals, to spend a fortnight inside the manor home. Remy knows the house intimately but soon, as they are all about to discover, it proves to have more chilling secrets to uncover than any of them could have dreamed possible.
The book opened with an introduction to our protagonist, Remy, and the haunted setting by inviting the reader along on one of her usual tours. I appreciated how this allowed for a quick immersion to the story and how it ensured the reader was immediately acquainted with the house's history and peculiarities. It also added a level of authenticity that made the later sinister occurrences feel all the more chilling.
Soon, once the group of seven other disparate individuals arrive, the focus opens up to these various new characters and their distinct personalities. Some added levity to the events and others nothing but drama. I appreciated the inclusion of all of them, for the variety they brought to the story-line, but Remy remained my favourite, along with the wealthy and eccentric teenage house owner, April.
The haunted events ensured I found this a super atmospheric and chilling read, but it never delivered the spine-tingling terror I was anticipating. I think this may have been due to the number of characters, who, despite appreciating, all brought along with them their personal worries and woes that also featured alongside the supernatural. One late scene in the book saw Remy isolated and frantic and I found this to deliver the earlier emotions I was anticipating.
I did, despite this, enjoy all of this book's contents. It proved consistently fast-paced, unique in its trajectory, and featuring vivid scenes of both gory and paranormal horror. I am sure another Coates horror will make its way onto my shelves, very soon.
March 31, 2022
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Suspense > Ghosts
Publication date : March 26, 2018
“. . . Two weeks in the state’s most haunted house. This is either going to be a great decision or the worst experience of my life.”
I don’t normally read books that fall into the horror genre because they are often disturbing, malicious and make me feel uncomfortable. Darcy Coates has something in her books that makes me enjoy them, so I can easily make an exception to her books [even though they are scary and play on your mind too].
THE CARROW HAUNT have all things I'd expect from a ghost story: old haunted house, isolated place, great set of characters [that are flawed but not frustratingly stupid], bleeding walls, slamming doors, cold spots, an eerie atmosphere, seances, a raging storm outside and very creepy ghost inside that has its own devious plans for the guests...
I really enjoy the writing style; how Coates creates the athmosphere and flesh out the characters. The first part of this story may ne slow but it set up the background, characters and situation, so once the action kicks in, I felt completely involved in the story. I anxiously wanted to find out what happens next. The sense of danger threatening the team was so well done. I couldn't figure out how things turn out.
I enjoyed the characters -- each of them carried their own unique personality, they were all captivating and original. Sometimes I read a book with large supporting cast of characters and I find myself wondering "who was who" but Darcy Coates had all of her characters completely fleshed out, so I was never confused.
If you are looking for a well-plotted ghost story with haunted house, creepy atmosphere, heart pounding action, and good ending, then give it a try. If you are looking for lots and lots of gore and blood, sorry, not here.
Publication date : March 26, 2018
“. . . Two weeks in the state’s most haunted house. This is either going to be a great decision or the worst experience of my life.”
I don’t normally read books that fall into the horror genre because they are often disturbing, malicious and make me feel uncomfortable. Darcy Coates has something in her books that makes me enjoy them, so I can easily make an exception to her books [even though they are scary and play on your mind too].
THE CARROW HAUNT have all things I'd expect from a ghost story: old haunted house, isolated place, great set of characters [that are flawed but not frustratingly stupid], bleeding walls, slamming doors, cold spots, an eerie atmosphere, seances, a raging storm outside and very creepy ghost inside that has its own devious plans for the guests...
I really enjoy the writing style; how Coates creates the athmosphere and flesh out the characters. The first part of this story may ne slow but it set up the background, characters and situation, so once the action kicks in, I felt completely involved in the story. I anxiously wanted to find out what happens next. The sense of danger threatening the team was so well done. I couldn't figure out how things turn out.
I enjoyed the characters -- each of them carried their own unique personality, they were all captivating and original. Sometimes I read a book with large supporting cast of characters and I find myself wondering "who was who" but Darcy Coates had all of her characters completely fleshed out, so I was never confused.
If you are looking for a well-plotted ghost story with haunted house, creepy atmosphere, heart pounding action, and good ending, then give it a try. If you are looking for lots and lots of gore and blood, sorry, not here.
December 20, 2020
It was ok.
The first 70% of the book is very slow going. The last little bit was great but is a struggle to get there. The characters were ok, a little basic. The setting was good. I would read more by this author but I wouldn't be in a hurry about it.
The first 70% of the book is very slow going. The last little bit was great but is a struggle to get there. The characters were ok, a little basic. The setting was good. I would read more by this author but I wouldn't be in a hurry about it.
October 8, 2018
4.5 out of 5 stars ! very good and entertaining. loved it. highly recommend!
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