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The House of Dust
Deep in the heat and silence of rural Tennessee, down an untraveled road, sits the forgotten town of Three Summers. Mere miles away, on an overgrown river island, stands the house that once presided over the grand plantation of Angel’s Landing, moss-draped, decrepit. Waiting.
Failing crime writer Bradley Ellison and former prostitute Missy Holiday are drawn to this place, fleeing a world turned against them. For Brad, it is work—he must find a compelling story before the true-crime magazine he writes for judges him expendable. For Missy, it is recuperation—four years at "the club" have left her drained.
But the price of peace is high, and soon Brad and Missy discover that something hides behind the quiet. Something moves in the night. Something that manifests itself in bizarre symbols and disturbing funeral rites. Something that twists back through time and clings in the dust of the ancient house. A presence they must uncover before their own past catches up with them.
Failing crime writer Bradley Ellison and former prostitute Missy Holiday are drawn to this place, fleeing a world turned against them. For Brad, it is work—he must find a compelling story before the true-crime magazine he writes for judges him expendable. For Missy, it is recuperation—four years at "the club" have left her drained.
But the price of peace is high, and soon Brad and Missy discover that something hides behind the quiet. Something moves in the night. Something that manifests itself in bizarre symbols and disturbing funeral rites. Something that twists back through time and clings in the dust of the ancient house. A presence they must uncover before their own past catches up with them.
445 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2021
168 people are currently reading
9229 people want to read
About the author
Noah Broyles
4 books87 followersNoah Broyles was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. He started out scribbling in a notebook, upgraded to a typewriter, and finally graduated to a laptop. He sat down at the age of fourteen to write his first novel and has never stopped. He has a degree in finance/economics from Carson-Newman University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 227 reviews
August 14, 2024
Creepy, haunted, gothic, confusing, depressing, intriguing: The best adjectives I chose to define this book.
The main character Bradley Ellison, a crime writer who is assigned for his new article, declared his decision to end his life at the opening of first chapter. Wow! It was impactful and interestingly intense! Of course I was hooked!
From the melancholic, saddened tone, we realize he was just struggling with his dark past and tragedies changed his entire life. Because of flat tire wrecks, he misses his last interview with the police officer and he thinks it was the last strike.
He barely gathers his thoughts to find a best and less violent way to kill himself but coincidentally a hardly readable sign of an old town intrigues him. As he drives through the place and observes the abandoned stores, empty streets, he sees a ghost from his past and when he’s about to pass out, he startled with banging on the car window. A grey haired woman with grease stained fingers asks him if he’s a doctor. Interestingly he says yes and the woman points her out a strange house and tells him to drive there. That’s the eerie and mysterious opening of the story which also opens the can of worms.
The characterization and complex, lyrical way of storytelling kept my attention alert but I think I got lost and confused because of changing narrations. When the story started as a first person POV as Southern Gothic article writer and then it continued with third narration. The sudden switches between chapters were too compelling to concentrate to the main story.
The noir, mysterious writing style already reminds you of dark, metaphorical, mind bending, poetic David Lynch movies. Your head hurts! Your brain cells on fire! But it is still unique, different and enjoyable style with its creepy, bleak, dark, twisty turns.
Overall: if you love the combination surrealist Lynch style waltzes with dark, depressive, playful, twisty Fincher style : this book truly fits your expectations and fill all the boxes you desire for a original thriller reading.
The confusing narration parts, heavy and extra slow burn style made me lower some points but the uniqueness and boldness to present us creative style writing earned my 3.5 stars which are occasionally rounded up 4 claustrophobic, suicidal, dark past, gothic stars!
Special thanks to Netgalley and Inkshares for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
The main character Bradley Ellison, a crime writer who is assigned for his new article, declared his decision to end his life at the opening of first chapter. Wow! It was impactful and interestingly intense! Of course I was hooked!
From the melancholic, saddened tone, we realize he was just struggling with his dark past and tragedies changed his entire life. Because of flat tire wrecks, he misses his last interview with the police officer and he thinks it was the last strike.
He barely gathers his thoughts to find a best and less violent way to kill himself but coincidentally a hardly readable sign of an old town intrigues him. As he drives through the place and observes the abandoned stores, empty streets, he sees a ghost from his past and when he’s about to pass out, he startled with banging on the car window. A grey haired woman with grease stained fingers asks him if he’s a doctor. Interestingly he says yes and the woman points her out a strange house and tells him to drive there. That’s the eerie and mysterious opening of the story which also opens the can of worms.
The characterization and complex, lyrical way of storytelling kept my attention alert but I think I got lost and confused because of changing narrations. When the story started as a first person POV as Southern Gothic article writer and then it continued with third narration. The sudden switches between chapters were too compelling to concentrate to the main story.
The noir, mysterious writing style already reminds you of dark, metaphorical, mind bending, poetic David Lynch movies. Your head hurts! Your brain cells on fire! But it is still unique, different and enjoyable style with its creepy, bleak, dark, twisty turns.
Overall: if you love the combination surrealist Lynch style waltzes with dark, depressive, playful, twisty Fincher style : this book truly fits your expectations and fill all the boxes you desire for a original thriller reading.
The confusing narration parts, heavy and extra slow burn style made me lower some points but the uniqueness and boldness to present us creative style writing earned my 3.5 stars which are occasionally rounded up 4 claustrophobic, suicidal, dark past, gothic stars!
Special thanks to Netgalley and Inkshares for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
October 2, 2021
I received a free review copy of The House of Dust from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review - my sincerest thanks to both the author and the publisher. :)
This is Southern Gothic at its absolute finest. This book creeps and oozes around you, eventually swallowing you whole, much like some folks in the story.
Mr. Broyles weaves the vivid tapestry for you to tread upon, unravels part of it out from under you, pulling a loose thread slowly until abruptly hog-tying you with the loose strand and stuffing the rest into your mouth as a gag. By this point, you are a hapless victim as the story consumes you while it unfolds towards its inexorable climax. The old is new, the new is old, and we are just caught in the middle; the snake consumes its tail, history repeats. To quote a song from a much-loved band out of Tennessee '10 Years' "Days pass, time flies, you don't realize, today you waste."
He does such an excellent job of bringing these characters to life, building the impending sense of doom and destruction then shattering it with a flash of light, "hope" you think as you read and try to convince yourself, lying to yourself as you know the storm clouds are just boiling out of view. The darkness builds again and rushes through you sweeping you away longer each time until the next patch of light. About halfway through, I realized I was caught up in the town's cycles.
I grew up in the Deep South, and this quote from the book sums it up perfectly:
"The South is a ghost, and so am I. Wandering the ways of the night, we return and return to find the place where we died. Walking circles, running cycles, never reaching beyond, never breaking free. Traveling through time orbiting a black star."
I never grew up elsewhere, but I can attest that it seems there is a nearly constant theme with folks growing up in the South. There is an endemic affecting people who cannot escape the towns, cities, backwaters they were born in, their parents were born in or buried in, their great grandparents, and so on. It doesn't matter if you were born in a place sporting one traffic light, with barely patched, faded roads roiling with heatwaves and maybe a Dollar General, or born in a bustling metropolis into a family of means.
It's impossible to deny the cycle of the South; something about it grips and holds, trying to drag you down into a malaise where you talk about leaving but always put it off until tomorrow. Tomorrow finally comes, except you join your ancestors in the same soil, once again the earth feasting on a bloodline it already knows, welcoming you to your actual home.
Mr. Broyles takes these cycles, centuries-old, and brings them into horrifying life, something almost tangible. This is a triumphant freshman debut.
This is Southern Gothic at its absolute finest. This book creeps and oozes around you, eventually swallowing you whole, much like some folks in the story.
Mr. Broyles weaves the vivid tapestry for you to tread upon, unravels part of it out from under you, pulling a loose thread slowly until abruptly hog-tying you with the loose strand and stuffing the rest into your mouth as a gag. By this point, you are a hapless victim as the story consumes you while it unfolds towards its inexorable climax. The old is new, the new is old, and we are just caught in the middle; the snake consumes its tail, history repeats. To quote a song from a much-loved band out of Tennessee '10 Years' "Days pass, time flies, you don't realize, today you waste."
He does such an excellent job of bringing these characters to life, building the impending sense of doom and destruction then shattering it with a flash of light, "hope" you think as you read and try to convince yourself, lying to yourself as you know the storm clouds are just boiling out of view. The darkness builds again and rushes through you sweeping you away longer each time until the next patch of light. About halfway through, I realized I was caught up in the town's cycles.
I grew up in the Deep South, and this quote from the book sums it up perfectly:
"The South is a ghost, and so am I. Wandering the ways of the night, we return and return to find the place where we died. Walking circles, running cycles, never reaching beyond, never breaking free. Traveling through time orbiting a black star."
I never grew up elsewhere, but I can attest that it seems there is a nearly constant theme with folks growing up in the South. There is an endemic affecting people who cannot escape the towns, cities, backwaters they were born in, their parents were born in or buried in, their great grandparents, and so on. It doesn't matter if you were born in a place sporting one traffic light, with barely patched, faded roads roiling with heatwaves and maybe a Dollar General, or born in a bustling metropolis into a family of means.
It's impossible to deny the cycle of the South; something about it grips and holds, trying to drag you down into a malaise where you talk about leaving but always put it off until tomorrow. Tomorrow finally comes, except you join your ancestors in the same soil, once again the earth feasting on a bloodline it already knows, welcoming you to your actual home.
Mr. Broyles takes these cycles, centuries-old, and brings them into horrifying life, something almost tangible. This is a triumphant freshman debut.
December 12, 2023
My thanks to Noah Broyles, Inkshares and Netgalley.
Wow!
This story was the best kind of messed up. I was genuinely creeped out!
I have no review for this. I've not even the words.
Wow!
This story was the best kind of messed up. I was genuinely creeped out!
I have no review for this. I've not even the words.
May 5, 2021
Many thanks to Net Galley, Inkshares, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
An intriguing opening sentence that had me delving into this eerie and desolate tale of a southern town drenched with rituals and mysteries. The House Of Dust is a debut work by Noah Broyles and simply said, horror fiction fans have another author to watch out for!
Three Summers is a forgotten town and Angel’s Landing, the plantation house that presides over the town is equally forbidding. When Bradley Ellison stumbles upon a body in the garden in this godforsaken place, little did he think that his passion for dark and hidden stories is going to unravel something that is too horrific to even contemplate.
Noah Broyles’ writing effortlessly creates a creepy gothic feel that burns slowly into the minds of the reader. In fact, the first part of the book was too vague and probably deliberately kept obscure for an explosive revelation in the middle but readers by then would be put off by the time it takes to get to that meaty part of the story. The element of horror with the entire town raises the uneasiness and I was hooked into the story wanting to know what exactly is happening in this sleepy town and what kind of abomination or monster is slinking under the earth?
Once you begin reading this novel, there’s a sense of inevitable catastrophe that is layered throughout the story as Brad delves deeper into the mystery surrounding the town. Both Brad and Missy have no choice but to follow the path to destruction or should I say, to the dust, to decipher the quagmire they are mired in. There were parts of the story that kept on tenterhooks but equally, there were parts that became too confusing but the narrative style is unique and different that borders on heavy darkness with some exemplary writing that is gonna make you go even slower than usual to capture the entire depth of the story.
I am a huge fan of horror thrillers but there’s a sense of depressive bleakness, a melancholic thread in this story that I was not too happy about but for all those who love horror fiction with a solid classical touch, then this one is definitely the one to get under your skin!
4 stars for this nightmarish horror!
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Facebook, and Twitter.
"I got off the interstate to commit suicide."
An intriguing opening sentence that had me delving into this eerie and desolate tale of a southern town drenched with rituals and mysteries. The House Of Dust is a debut work by Noah Broyles and simply said, horror fiction fans have another author to watch out for!
Three Summers is a forgotten town and Angel’s Landing, the plantation house that presides over the town is equally forbidding. When Bradley Ellison stumbles upon a body in the garden in this godforsaken place, little did he think that his passion for dark and hidden stories is going to unravel something that is too horrific to even contemplate.
"Have you ever been loved? Really? In a way they’d die for you? Even from one person, it’s quite a thing. But dozens? Hundreds? It’s the light of hundred suns, but instead of burning, you bask. And they’re in love too, with their own devotion."
Noah Broyles’ writing effortlessly creates a creepy gothic feel that burns slowly into the minds of the reader. In fact, the first part of the book was too vague and probably deliberately kept obscure for an explosive revelation in the middle but readers by then would be put off by the time it takes to get to that meaty part of the story. The element of horror with the entire town raises the uneasiness and I was hooked into the story wanting to know what exactly is happening in this sleepy town and what kind of abomination or monster is slinking under the earth?
"Adamah. That name. That thing that seemed to touch all the other things. That presence lurking around the house in symbols and clinging to Three Summers in street and building names. What was Adamah?"
Once you begin reading this novel, there’s a sense of inevitable catastrophe that is layered throughout the story as Brad delves deeper into the mystery surrounding the town. Both Brad and Missy have no choice but to follow the path to destruction or should I say, to the dust, to decipher the quagmire they are mired in. There were parts of the story that kept on tenterhooks but equally, there were parts that became too confusing but the narrative style is unique and different that borders on heavy darkness with some exemplary writing that is gonna make you go even slower than usual to capture the entire depth of the story.
"The South is a ghost, and so am I. Wandering in the ways of the night, we return and return to find the place where we died. Walking circles, running cycles, never reaching beyond, never breaking free. Traveling through time orbiting a black star."
I am a huge fan of horror thrillers but there’s a sense of depressive bleakness, a melancholic thread in this story that I was not too happy about but for all those who love horror fiction with a solid classical touch, then this one is definitely the one to get under your skin!
4 stars for this nightmarish horror!
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Facebook, and Twitter.
September 29, 2021
A writer and a prostitute walk into a decaying mansion…
No, that’s not the beginning of a cheesy joke, but rather the plot of this gothic mystery.
The House of Dust is a terrifying gothic horror thriller that grabs your attention from the very first sentence.
“I got off the interstate to commit suicide.” -Bradley Ellison.
Told in alternating and mirroring timelines, Brad and Missy slowly learn the history of Angel’s Landing and uncover the strange rituals and beliefs of this small town in Tennessee. Who is the Queen of Hearts? What is her purpose? Are people actually being buried alive? Who is Adamah?
While the premise of this book is very intriguing, I found the story to be scarier than other books of this genre. Broyles does a fantastic job depicting the atmospheric and claustrophobic setting, frightening me to the point where I had to put the book down to decompress. While I believe the writing is excellent, I had a hard time reading the ARC, as it was choppy, disjointed, and difficult to follow. Unfortunately, this effected my entire reading experience and I hope that these issues are remedied by the time of publication. While I did appreciate the story, I just don’t think this is my type of book. If you are a horror or zombie junkie, you just found your next favorite read.
Trigger warning: suicide, cults
3.5/5 stars rounded down
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkshares publishing for the ARC of The House of Dust in exchange for an honest review.
No, that’s not the beginning of a cheesy joke, but rather the plot of this gothic mystery.
The House of Dust is a terrifying gothic horror thriller that grabs your attention from the very first sentence.
“I got off the interstate to commit suicide.” -Bradley Ellison.
Told in alternating and mirroring timelines, Brad and Missy slowly learn the history of Angel’s Landing and uncover the strange rituals and beliefs of this small town in Tennessee. Who is the Queen of Hearts? What is her purpose? Are people actually being buried alive? Who is Adamah?
While the premise of this book is very intriguing, I found the story to be scarier than other books of this genre. Broyles does a fantastic job depicting the atmospheric and claustrophobic setting, frightening me to the point where I had to put the book down to decompress. While I believe the writing is excellent, I had a hard time reading the ARC, as it was choppy, disjointed, and difficult to follow. Unfortunately, this effected my entire reading experience and I hope that these issues are remedied by the time of publication. While I did appreciate the story, I just don’t think this is my type of book. If you are a horror or zombie junkie, you just found your next favorite read.
Trigger warning: suicide, cults
3.5/5 stars rounded down
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkshares publishing for the ARC of The House of Dust in exchange for an honest review.
March 27, 2021
I've lived in the South my whole life and, while I love it here, there's no denying that the South is a haunted place with a dark history and a present rooted in tradition. There's an atmosphere of sadness, oppression and decay that permiates the air here. That's what makes the Southern Gothic genre so powerful. It captures that's forboding feeling. It creates a visual for the darkness and allows that darkness to seep into your bones.
Everything that makes the Southern Gothic genre great is displayed in this book. I feel haunted for reading it. I feel unsettled. I feel the tragedy that encapsulates so many regions of the South. I feel it all, and my soul is a little more broken from reading this.
If you're a lover of Southern Gothic literature, I recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Everything that makes the Southern Gothic genre great is displayed in this book. I feel haunted for reading it. I feel unsettled. I feel the tragedy that encapsulates so many regions of the South. I feel it all, and my soul is a little more broken from reading this.
If you're a lover of Southern Gothic literature, I recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2021
Wandering the ways of the night, we return and return to the place where we died.
3.5 stars. The House of Dust is a grim and grimy dig down below the surface, where you never know what might be digging up to meet you. Solidly creepy, but structurally messy, it offers chills aplenty amid a tangled plot.
In the small town of Three Summers, Tennessee, a moss draped house sits bathed in dust, as a cycle rumbles to life again beneath the soil.
The whisper of her breath sank into the walls and came murmuring back changed; prolonged. She was a bug crawling down the throat of something sleeping.
Our two perspectives are of Brad, a suicidal crime writer buried under the guilt of a childhood trauma, and Missy, a former prostitute trying to form the domestic life she's always wanted.
Brad is determined to make a career reviving story out of Three Summers, a town where the citizens eschew footwear, school is in session at 3am, and superstition surrounds a many armed, blind 'angel of the earth,' Adamah. But the longer Brad (and Missy) occupy the house on Angel Island, the clearer it becomes that these bizarre rituals and strange traditions may be inescapable, especially as history seems to repeat itself.
"Adamah is in the dust. Adamah knows our tiredness. So we share with him breath, and he shares with us rest."
So - things I loved; the general atmosphere, all dust and mud - it felt delightfully grimy.
The writing was really effective most of the time. I loved the general ideas of the story as well - Adamah and the rituals around it genuinely unnerved me at times.
Things I liked less - I never particularly cared about the characters. I was interested in what happened to them, but I never felt it on an emotional level.
I also was let down by the ending. At the start of each chapter, we're given a snippet of Brad's final article, which I enjoyed. But it's baffling that at the end of the novel, the entirety of Brad's article is included. Aside from , we've read most of it already, and it repeats the history of the town, which we've already been told several times. It's pointless repetition, which is a sour note to end on.
The House of Dust delivers an eerie Southern gothic atmosphere and some original scares. It doesn't check every mark, especially when it comes to characters, but it was a solid read, especially from a debut author.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Inkshares for the digital review copy!
All quotes may appear differently in final version.
3.5 stars. The House of Dust is a grim and grimy dig down below the surface, where you never know what might be digging up to meet you. Solidly creepy, but structurally messy, it offers chills aplenty amid a tangled plot.
In the small town of Three Summers, Tennessee, a moss draped house sits bathed in dust, as a cycle rumbles to life again beneath the soil.
The whisper of her breath sank into the walls and came murmuring back changed; prolonged. She was a bug crawling down the throat of something sleeping.
Our two perspectives are of Brad, a suicidal crime writer buried under the guilt of a childhood trauma, and Missy, a former prostitute trying to form the domestic life she's always wanted.
Brad is determined to make a career reviving story out of Three Summers, a town where the citizens eschew footwear, school is in session at 3am, and superstition surrounds a many armed, blind 'angel of the earth,' Adamah. But the longer Brad (and Missy) occupy the house on Angel Island, the clearer it becomes that these bizarre rituals and strange traditions may be inescapable, especially as history seems to repeat itself.
"Adamah is in the dust. Adamah knows our tiredness. So we share with him breath, and he shares with us rest."
So - things I loved; the general atmosphere, all dust and mud - it felt delightfully grimy.
The writing was really effective most of the time. I loved the general ideas of the story as well - Adamah and the rituals around it genuinely unnerved me at times.
Things I liked less - I never particularly cared about the characters. I was interested in what happened to them, but I never felt it on an emotional level.
I also was let down by the ending. At the start of each chapter, we're given a snippet of Brad's final article, which I enjoyed. But it's baffling that at the end of the novel, the entirety of Brad's article is included. Aside from , we've read most of it already, and it repeats the history of the town, which we've already been told several times. It's pointless repetition, which is a sour note to end on.
The House of Dust delivers an eerie Southern gothic atmosphere and some original scares. It doesn't check every mark, especially when it comes to characters, but it was a solid read, especially from a debut author.
Thanks to Edelweiss and Inkshares for the digital review copy!
All quotes may appear differently in final version.
June 7, 2021
Entertaining and atmospheric this was a fun read but an underwhelming conclusion and too many unanswered questions kept it from being really great. I don't mind being confused while reading as long as by the end things make sense or are at least somewhat explained or tied together. I loved how things progressed and there was definitely a bunch of cool and original stuff happening, cool cult stuff and weird small town creepiness aplenty but when I read the last page there were big things that happened that were totally abandoned and left hanging and it was hard to square all the rest with those threads unresolved.
I want to thank Netgalley, Inkshares, and Noah Broyles for the review copy of this. Opinions are my own.
I want to thank Netgalley, Inkshares, and Noah Broyles for the review copy of this. Opinions are my own.
April 16, 2021
Open "The House of Dust", leave all logic and happiness behind and step into a smothering nightmare full of dark settings, unsettling characters and confusing tales. You will be in for night of terror, trying to hold on to any scrap of normalcy whilst knowing that all efforts are futile.
The story starts with Brad, a writer of true crime who is on the verge of losing his job with the magazine "Southern Gothic". Through a series of very unsettling events, he finds himself renting an old dilapidated but grand house of a former plantation. A week later he moves in with his fiancee, Jennifer. Two scarred and lost souls trying to start a new lease on life in a extremely remote setting. But make no mistake, although the house is unsettling enough, nothing goes bump in the night - well almost nothing. The true horror lies in the nearby village and its abhorrent inhabitants with their repugnant practices. Are all the events - and utterances - the mere consequences of mass hysteria that has had this village in its grip for decades? Or is something truly more sinister at work?
The writing is beautiful and sentences roll over the pages like flurries of dust on old skin; the characters - although mostly very unlikable - are well crafted and I would have given this book a well deserved 4 star review. However, there is a flaw that has annoyed me, and it has to do with the mix-up of characters. This wickedness already starts in the blurb and it continues on in the book. Does it add to the general feel of confusion? Absolutely ! Does it do any good to the story or the general quality of the book? Nope. I don't mind being misled or guided in the wrong direction and later on have an aha moment. But in this case I felt rather cheated instead, hence the loss of a star.
But all in all a powerful debut of an author that needs to be watched !
A sincere thanks to Netgalley and Inkshares for an advanced copy of this book.
The story starts with Brad, a writer of true crime who is on the verge of losing his job with the magazine "Southern Gothic". Through a series of very unsettling events, he finds himself renting an old dilapidated but grand house of a former plantation. A week later he moves in with his fiancee, Jennifer. Two scarred and lost souls trying to start a new lease on life in a extremely remote setting. But make no mistake, although the house is unsettling enough, nothing goes bump in the night - well almost nothing. The true horror lies in the nearby village and its abhorrent inhabitants with their repugnant practices. Are all the events - and utterances - the mere consequences of mass hysteria that has had this village in its grip for decades? Or is something truly more sinister at work?
The writing is beautiful and sentences roll over the pages like flurries of dust on old skin; the characters - although mostly very unlikable - are well crafted and I would have given this book a well deserved 4 star review. However, there is a flaw that has annoyed me, and it has to do with the mix-up of characters. This wickedness already starts in the blurb and it continues on in the book. Does it add to the general feel of confusion? Absolutely ! Does it do any good to the story or the general quality of the book? Nope. I don't mind being misled or guided in the wrong direction and later on have an aha moment. But in this case I felt rather cheated instead, hence the loss of a star.
But all in all a powerful debut of an author that needs to be watched !
A sincere thanks to Netgalley and Inkshares for an advanced copy of this book.
December 28, 2021
This book was really good. I would have given 5 stars if I hadn't been expecting something deeper and intricate, but it was still really good. And plenty layered. I highly recommend it to anyone who is into gothic horror.
October 13, 2021
A lot of atmosphere cannot overcome a bloated, unwieldy narrative that fails to adequately explain itself. Ambiguity can be a powerful literary tool. It can also be a hot mess. In the case of The House of Dust, it's the latter.
November 2, 2021
3 of 5 stars at https://bibliosanctum.com/2021/10/26/...
I believe there are books that require you to be in a certain mood in order to truly enjoy them, and I can’t help but think The House of Dust is a prime example. This is as Southern Gothic as you can get, set “deep in the heat and silence of rural Tennessee”, a simple yet telling line in the novel’s official description. Yes, it’s dark. Yes, it’s heavy. And sometimes, the story can get a little too bogged down by both these traits.
Our tale opens on a lonely road on the way to a small remote town, where protagonist Bradly Ellison plans to kill himself. But what has happened to bring him to this point? Following a split-structure alternating narrative, The House of Dust reveals the story of Brad, a struggling true crime writer, as well as Missy Holiday, his fiancée and a former escort, as they head to the tumbledown town of Three Summers, Tennessee in a last-ditch attempt to find what they need to save themselves. For Brad, it’s a chance to revive his career before the magazine he writes for fires him, and for Missy, it’s a place she can retreat to and heal from her traumatic past.
The couple has rented a rundown plantation house after Brad gets a lead on a possible story in a nearby town. Strange fate has led them here, after a creepy encounter with an old woman brought the dilapidated house to their attention. In his investigation, Brad makes even more disturbing discoveries about the town, including a possible cultish ritual among its residents as well as whispers related to the worshipping of an angel called Adamah. As the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for. Brad believes he is on to something big here, but the deeper he digs, the more he is haunted by the town’s dark and rotten history.
Maybe it’s the structure of the novel, or simply the disjointed nature of the plot itself, but the beginning of this book presented a huge struggle. The early sections were a mess, with issues ranging from ambiguously surreal situations to the deliberate withholding of information, and as you know, it never sits well with me when an author does that, especially when it feels contrived and forced. It’s also difficult to tease out what’s real versus what is merely a product of the characters’ minds, and when the basis of your entire novel rests on that uncertainty, well then, the storytelling is bound to be a bit weaker.
Fortunately, the narrative eventually smooths out somewhat. Once I caught on to the split format and figured out where we were going with it, it did make things easier, and with that obstacle out of the way, I was also able to appreciate the more positive aspects of the novel. First of all, this is a very atmospheric tale. The heat and oppression of the setting mixes with the strange and dreamlike fugue of the story to create a haunting miasma that’s thick enough to choke on. Speaking of which, we also didn’t get as much about the old plantation house as I would have liked, but that said, it’s also the type of vagueness that encourages readers to use their own imagination to fill in the blanks, and one can argue that might be even more effective.
Still, Noah Broyles makes a few mistakes that many debut authors are prone to, namely overwriting which unnecessarily encumbers the prose and restricts the flow of pacing. This story could have been a lot spookier and more disturbing, but I was tripping over too many wonky transitions and instances of awkward phrasing to really feel all that creeped out. Finer edits and polishing might have fixed some things, but generally I feel this was a very ambitious and thus complicated story, and Broyles might have bit off more than he can chew.
Overall, I love Gothic fiction, as well as horror stories about cults or strange things happening in small forgotten towns. The House of Dust is probably worth reading if, like me, you are a fan of those things as well, with the caveat that the novel is a bit rough around the edges. Still, Noah Broyles has a lot of potential, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for his next projects.
I believe there are books that require you to be in a certain mood in order to truly enjoy them, and I can’t help but think The House of Dust is a prime example. This is as Southern Gothic as you can get, set “deep in the heat and silence of rural Tennessee”, a simple yet telling line in the novel’s official description. Yes, it’s dark. Yes, it’s heavy. And sometimes, the story can get a little too bogged down by both these traits.
Our tale opens on a lonely road on the way to a small remote town, where protagonist Bradly Ellison plans to kill himself. But what has happened to bring him to this point? Following a split-structure alternating narrative, The House of Dust reveals the story of Brad, a struggling true crime writer, as well as Missy Holiday, his fiancée and a former escort, as they head to the tumbledown town of Three Summers, Tennessee in a last-ditch attempt to find what they need to save themselves. For Brad, it’s a chance to revive his career before the magazine he writes for fires him, and for Missy, it’s a place she can retreat to and heal from her traumatic past.
The couple has rented a rundown plantation house after Brad gets a lead on a possible story in a nearby town. Strange fate has led them here, after a creepy encounter with an old woman brought the dilapidated house to their attention. In his investigation, Brad makes even more disturbing discoveries about the town, including a possible cultish ritual among its residents as well as whispers related to the worshipping of an angel called Adamah. As the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for. Brad believes he is on to something big here, but the deeper he digs, the more he is haunted by the town’s dark and rotten history.
Maybe it’s the structure of the novel, or simply the disjointed nature of the plot itself, but the beginning of this book presented a huge struggle. The early sections were a mess, with issues ranging from ambiguously surreal situations to the deliberate withholding of information, and as you know, it never sits well with me when an author does that, especially when it feels contrived and forced. It’s also difficult to tease out what’s real versus what is merely a product of the characters’ minds, and when the basis of your entire novel rests on that uncertainty, well then, the storytelling is bound to be a bit weaker.
Fortunately, the narrative eventually smooths out somewhat. Once I caught on to the split format and figured out where we were going with it, it did make things easier, and with that obstacle out of the way, I was also able to appreciate the more positive aspects of the novel. First of all, this is a very atmospheric tale. The heat and oppression of the setting mixes with the strange and dreamlike fugue of the story to create a haunting miasma that’s thick enough to choke on. Speaking of which, we also didn’t get as much about the old plantation house as I would have liked, but that said, it’s also the type of vagueness that encourages readers to use their own imagination to fill in the blanks, and one can argue that might be even more effective.
Still, Noah Broyles makes a few mistakes that many debut authors are prone to, namely overwriting which unnecessarily encumbers the prose and restricts the flow of pacing. This story could have been a lot spookier and more disturbing, but I was tripping over too many wonky transitions and instances of awkward phrasing to really feel all that creeped out. Finer edits and polishing might have fixed some things, but generally I feel this was a very ambitious and thus complicated story, and Broyles might have bit off more than he can chew.
Overall, I love Gothic fiction, as well as horror stories about cults or strange things happening in small forgotten towns. The House of Dust is probably worth reading if, like me, you are a fan of those things as well, with the caveat that the novel is a bit rough around the edges. Still, Noah Broyles has a lot of potential, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for his next projects.
February 25, 2021
3 stars--I liked the book.
What I enjoyed: If you like the Southern Gothic or Folk Horror genres, this book blends both. The small Southern town in this book is dripping with sinister imagery, with creepy villagers doing creepy things (my favorite!). There's a dreamy, almost paranoid quality to the writing, which mirrors the narrator's (and reader's!) confused state.
What was meh: The book does a narrative "trick" (being vague to avoid spoilers), which I thought didn't add anything to the story and was unfair to readers (I was confused, flipping back pages until I figured out what was going on). I also thought one of the characters, Jennifer, was a blank slate. I would have liked to get to know her better.
I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!
What I enjoyed: If you like the Southern Gothic or Folk Horror genres, this book blends both. The small Southern town in this book is dripping with sinister imagery, with creepy villagers doing creepy things (my favorite!). There's a dreamy, almost paranoid quality to the writing, which mirrors the narrator's (and reader's!) confused state.
What was meh: The book does a narrative "trick" (being vague to avoid spoilers), which I thought didn't add anything to the story and was unfair to readers (I was confused, flipping back pages until I figured out what was going on). I also thought one of the characters, Jennifer, was a blank slate. I would have liked to get to know her better.
I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!
June 30, 2021
Be prepared to travel the weird and wonderful, where nights are for living and days are covered in dust.
Brad and Jen move from Nashville to Three Summers, Tennessee, making a fresh start at Angel's Landing, an old plantation house. Little do they know that for centuries evil has kept its occupants hostage. Cycles of darkness emerge in the scorching heat of the sun.
The House of Dust is a feast for the senses. A captivating story that moves at perfect pace, is artfully crafted and extremely well written. The characters and their environment are vivid from the start. Never a dull moment.
Thank you Netgalley and Inkshares for the ARC.
Brad and Jen move from Nashville to Three Summers, Tennessee, making a fresh start at Angel's Landing, an old plantation house. Little do they know that for centuries evil has kept its occupants hostage. Cycles of darkness emerge in the scorching heat of the sun.
The House of Dust is a feast for the senses. A captivating story that moves at perfect pace, is artfully crafted and extremely well written. The characters and their environment are vivid from the start. Never a dull moment.
Thank you Netgalley and Inkshares for the ARC.
October 5, 2021
If you like novels that make you look over your shoulder or give you the sense you’re being watched by a malevolent being, look no further. I have got to hand it to Broyles for the expert way he captured the essence and feeling of atmospheric heebie jeebies. Told in multiple POVs across two different timelines, House of Dust is an excursion into the dark depths of a small town and their horrifying beliefs.
I was gifted an uncorrected digital copy and did struggle at times with timeline due to the choppiness of the uncorrected format. More than likely that won’t be an issue with the final, but I do recommend paying attention to which character is from what time period and who the POV is for. Like I mentioned, there are excellent scenes that made my skin crawl and at times regretted reading this at night. I found an excellent mix of classic horror story and a hint at Lovecraftian vibes throughout the plot. Some parts are not for the faint of heart with mild animal cruelty and scenarios with children.
This is a fairly lengthy novel. For me, I would’ve preferred a less is more approach. There is a good bit of descriptive scenes and research escapades that went on longer than expected. I found myself more eager for Missy’s POV than Brad’s by the end. Though, Brad brings a lot of juicy background to the story. The length and filler got to me though. Don’t let that dissuade you, I adored what was crafted in these pages and for that alone would recommend to horror readers. I also recommend not going by the synopsis. This is SO much more than that little slice of a blurb and packs a very interesting ride you won’t see coming.
Thank you Inkshares for the opportunity to read and review this perfect Spooktober read for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts are my own. True rating 3.5/5.
I was gifted an uncorrected digital copy and did struggle at times with timeline due to the choppiness of the uncorrected format. More than likely that won’t be an issue with the final, but I do recommend paying attention to which character is from what time period and who the POV is for. Like I mentioned, there are excellent scenes that made my skin crawl and at times regretted reading this at night. I found an excellent mix of classic horror story and a hint at Lovecraftian vibes throughout the plot. Some parts are not for the faint of heart with mild animal cruelty and scenarios with children.
This is a fairly lengthy novel. For me, I would’ve preferred a less is more approach. There is a good bit of descriptive scenes and research escapades that went on longer than expected. I found myself more eager for Missy’s POV than Brad’s by the end. Though, Brad brings a lot of juicy background to the story. The length and filler got to me though. Don’t let that dissuade you, I adored what was crafted in these pages and for that alone would recommend to horror readers. I also recommend not going by the synopsis. This is SO much more than that little slice of a blurb and packs a very interesting ride you won’t see coming.
Thank you Inkshares for the opportunity to read and review this perfect Spooktober read for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts are my own. True rating 3.5/5.
April 23, 2022
This cover is the perfect bit of spooky. The story is full of hair-raising, uncomfortably creepy moments with strange neighbors, plants growing through floorboards and people being buried alive. If you have triggers, this book probably covers all of them. But, somehow I didn't love it. It felt, eastily, 100 pages too long. By midway, I felt like the moments in the town were just beat over my head over and over. I'd figured out a few things so rehashing for more clues was both frustrating and confusing. I did enjoy the one chapter that summarized everything so I could ensure I hadn't missed any clues. Interesting story but a bit of a slog to get to the good parts.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Edelweiss. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Edelweiss. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
February 19, 2023
The first few chapters and the overall atmosphere of the book is the only thing I really enjoyed about this one. I had a really hard time following the storylines and characters and by the end I had just given up. The final chapter did explain most of the story, but I shouldn’t have to rely on that to understand what I just read.
*thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
*thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
February 28, 2021
After reading some other reviews I’ve come to realize this is a book problem and not a me problem: this book is confusing.
I think it’s intentional, at least to an extent. We don’t know our main character’s girlfriend’s name at first. Later we learn about a succession of women who all have names starting with “M” and two of the names are actually the same person (Marilyn? And Missy? I think? I’m not even sure). There’s elements of mystery and the supernatural—buried people, the earth breathing, fallen angels. There’s grotesque elements like a girl with no eyelids.
It just felt too fractured and purposely difficult. Like we know Brad is haunted by something the whole time, but when it’s revealed literally in the last 20-30 pages or so it was entirely underwhelming. I don’t understand why it was left as a big bad secret.
The history of the town was interesting enough but I never felt captivated by it all. The little twists were okay but honestly the whole thing was just meh. No attachment to any of the characters, the plot was confusing and the style of storytelling unclear, and the horror element (which I was most excited for) was lacking.
I think it’s intentional, at least to an extent. We don’t know our main character’s girlfriend’s name at first. Later we learn about a succession of women who all have names starting with “M” and two of the names are actually the same person (Marilyn? And Missy? I think? I’m not even sure). There’s elements of mystery and the supernatural—buried people, the earth breathing, fallen angels. There’s grotesque elements like a girl with no eyelids.
It just felt too fractured and purposely difficult. Like we know Brad is haunted by something the whole time, but when it’s revealed literally in the last 20-30 pages or so it was entirely underwhelming. I don’t understand why it was left as a big bad secret.
The history of the town was interesting enough but I never felt captivated by it all. The little twists were okay but honestly the whole thing was just meh. No attachment to any of the characters, the plot was confusing and the style of storytelling unclear, and the horror element (which I was most excited for) was lacking.
November 28, 2021
The House of Dust is a terrifying gothic horror thriller that grabs your attention from the very first sentence.
Brad and Jen move from Nashville to Three Summers, Tennessee, making a fresh start at Angel's Landing, an old plantation house. Little do they know that for centuries evil has kept its occupants hostage. Cycles of darkness emerge in the scorching heat of the sun.
The atmosphere and the different stories were my favorite part. However the book's pacing is a bit too slow for me and all the stories merge together in a way that can be very confusing for most readers.
Brad and Jen move from Nashville to Three Summers, Tennessee, making a fresh start at Angel's Landing, an old plantation house. Little do they know that for centuries evil has kept its occupants hostage. Cycles of darkness emerge in the scorching heat of the sun.
The atmosphere and the different stories were my favorite part. However the book's pacing is a bit too slow for me and all the stories merge together in a way that can be very confusing for most readers.
October 28, 2022
The House of Dust by Noah Broyles This book was Creepy and Gothic just in time for Halloween, my kind of book. I recommend this book to young adults and adults.
October 20, 2025
⭐️/5
I really only finished this because it was a book club pick and I try not to DNF those. Otherwise, I would have DNFd this one quickly.
Gothic horror is not a genre for me. I know some people love it but it was awful. I can’t even really write a good review because I don’t have a single clue what the fuck happened. I had to google what the ending was. Book club discussion will be fun because I literally have zero idea what I read.
Also it was way too long of a book. I tried physically reading it & listening to it and it was just rough. Do not recommend at all.
Want to read
May 19, 2021I have had my eye on this debut Horror novel for a while.
The synopsis sounds like everything I love in a story. Today I received an ARC and I couldn't be happier!!!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Inkshares. I am so excited to check this one out!
The synopsis sounds like everything I love in a story. Today I received an ARC and I couldn't be happier!!!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Inkshares. I am so excited to check this one out!
June 7, 2022
This book is super weird. It feels overtly convoluted and the plot seems to run in circles. You may be a fan if you like Stephen King novels.
March 17, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Horror isn't something I usually go for: I've read exactly one book before The House of Dust that was meant to be haunting and it didn't really deliver. This one, though, did.
Due to incidents that will not be disclosed in this review (this book is a minefield of spoilers), two people – Brad Ellison, a crime writer, and Missy Holiday, a woman who ran away from prostitution – find themselves in the slow town of Three Summers, a place barely visible on any map. Brad arrives because he senses a story in the air, something that might finally fix his failing career; Missy's there because she wants a new life in a new home. Cue the creepiness: the town's residents seem exhausted all the time, they wake at night and sleep during the day, and every single one of them is weirdly obsessed with dirt. Brad knows he's found his story: he just has to dig a little deeper to uncover the whole bizarre scenario.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well-written this book was, considering it happens to be the author's debut novel. 'The House of Dust' starts off with a very slow pace, to mimic the waiting the reader has to do to discover each fact with Brad; if you prefer faster-paced books then maybe this isn't for you, but if you do give it a chance then know that the main plot twist within (and the other, smaller ones) will make it worth your while. I was unfortunately spoiled for that main twist due to a review I read when I was only a few chapters in – and I still liked that plot point. That says a lot.
There is some mature content, and there is definitely an abundance of death and violence, including violence to animals in one scene. If you're alright with all that, then consider giving this book a chance when it's released.
Horror isn't something I usually go for: I've read exactly one book before The House of Dust that was meant to be haunting and it didn't really deliver. This one, though, did.
Due to incidents that will not be disclosed in this review (this book is a minefield of spoilers), two people – Brad Ellison, a crime writer, and Missy Holiday, a woman who ran away from prostitution – find themselves in the slow town of Three Summers, a place barely visible on any map. Brad arrives because he senses a story in the air, something that might finally fix his failing career; Missy's there because she wants a new life in a new home. Cue the creepiness: the town's residents seem exhausted all the time, they wake at night and sleep during the day, and every single one of them is weirdly obsessed with dirt. Brad knows he's found his story: he just has to dig a little deeper to uncover the whole bizarre scenario.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well-written this book was, considering it happens to be the author's debut novel. 'The House of Dust' starts off with a very slow pace, to mimic the waiting the reader has to do to discover each fact with Brad; if you prefer faster-paced books then maybe this isn't for you, but if you do give it a chance then know that the main plot twist within (and the other, smaller ones) will make it worth your while. I was unfortunately spoiled for that main twist due to a review I read when I was only a few chapters in – and I still liked that plot point. That says a lot.
There is some mature content, and there is definitely an abundance of death and violence, including violence to animals in one scene. If you're alright with all that, then consider giving this book a chance when it's released.
October 11, 2021
I received a copy from NetGalley for review. Thank you to Inkshares, NetGalley, and the author.
A writer for Southern Gothic magazine travels the American South writing articles about the small towns he encounters. His latest town Three Summers, Tennessee may be hiding much more sinister secrets than the average. He uncovers a very strange past that all centers around the people that have lived in The House of Dust over the years.
This story follows multiple perspectives over several different timelines of people who have lived in this old worn down plantation house. These timelines could be hard to follow at times, but became more clear and distinct as the story went on. As a story that covers a century of residents this was not a fast read. At nearly 450 pages it is quite a time investment, but it is an investment worth making.
The setting of this rural Tennessee town was dripping with southern gothic atmosphere. The poverty stricken town and decaying opulence of the plantation house create an undeniable dark mood. A lot of time is spent on creating this ambiance. Cults, crimes, violence, and death are all being caused by something living in The House of Dust.
If you are looking for a chilling folk horror story with a ton of southern gothic atmosphere spanning generations I would recommend this novel for you.
A writer for Southern Gothic magazine travels the American South writing articles about the small towns he encounters. His latest town Three Summers, Tennessee may be hiding much more sinister secrets than the average. He uncovers a very strange past that all centers around the people that have lived in The House of Dust over the years.
This story follows multiple perspectives over several different timelines of people who have lived in this old worn down plantation house. These timelines could be hard to follow at times, but became more clear and distinct as the story went on. As a story that covers a century of residents this was not a fast read. At nearly 450 pages it is quite a time investment, but it is an investment worth making.
The setting of this rural Tennessee town was dripping with southern gothic atmosphere. The poverty stricken town and decaying opulence of the plantation house create an undeniable dark mood. A lot of time is spent on creating this ambiance. Cults, crimes, violence, and death are all being caused by something living in The House of Dust.
If you are looking for a chilling folk horror story with a ton of southern gothic atmosphere spanning generations I would recommend this novel for you.
March 4, 2021
The way this book is written is so beautifully done, it is amazingly curated and well kept even for an ARC. The way the author writes is so descriptive, that I felt present in every scene. I could feel the dirt and dust of the scenes, the blaring headache of the main character in the first chapter, the primal fear. I will warn against themes of suicide! If that is a trigger for you it is prominent in the book’s introduction.
The main character is relatable even with his flaws, and his curiosity matched mine. The other characters are well thought out, and all have small quirks that are recognizably human.
This book is definitely a slow burn, with tension rising every chapter. I’m also a sucker for Southern gothic horrors so you already know how much I loved this book. I would a 100% recommend this.
I want to sincerely thank Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC they provided, I enjoyed this book immensely! I will purchase it when published!
The main character is relatable even with his flaws, and his curiosity matched mine. The other characters are well thought out, and all have small quirks that are recognizably human.
This book is definitely a slow burn, with tension rising every chapter. I’m also a sucker for Southern gothic horrors so you already know how much I loved this book. I would a 100% recommend this.
I want to sincerely thank Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC they provided, I enjoyed this book immensely! I will purchase it when published!
October 14, 2021
Adamah... In Hebrew: Ground Dirt...
No spoilers. 4 stars. Brad Ellison got off the interstate with only 30 miles to go so that he could commit suicide...
... it was a dead, pointless exit in rural Tennessee. The old sign tilting in the honeysuckle read: Three Summers, 2 miles...
Then his tire blew at the ancient Locust River bridge...
Just beyond the bridge lay the bleached bones of Three Summers, deserted in the heat of the day...
As Brad pulled over and parked in the shade, he removed his pistol from the glove box and prepared to do the deed...
... when suddenly an old woman appeared at his window mistaking him for a doctor who had been summoned...
... she directed him to a small island farmhouse where he found a woman dying; The local sheriff in attendance...
The real doctor arrived and pronounced the woman dead... the sheriff asked Brad to ferry the woman to the cemetery in his car...
... where she was promptly buried without a casket. As they piled dirt into the grave, Brad saw her eyes flicker open...
Brad had found the backdoor to Hell and live burial appeased the one below... the angel of the earth known as Adamah...
I would classify this novel as a southern gothic horror and it was rich with description of the Tennessee landscape and people. Before you get turned off, this is not a vampire story.
It is a slow-burning tale and at times a little confusing because it switches between two generations but I enjoyed the story.
I removed a star because there were some loose ends and because the last 10% was a useless recap of the entire story and wasn't really necessary.
No spoilers. 4 stars. Brad Ellison got off the interstate with only 30 miles to go so that he could commit suicide...
... it was a dead, pointless exit in rural Tennessee. The old sign tilting in the honeysuckle read: Three Summers, 2 miles...
Then his tire blew at the ancient Locust River bridge...
Just beyond the bridge lay the bleached bones of Three Summers, deserted in the heat of the day...
As Brad pulled over and parked in the shade, he removed his pistol from the glove box and prepared to do the deed...
... when suddenly an old woman appeared at his window mistaking him for a doctor who had been summoned...
... she directed him to a small island farmhouse where he found a woman dying; The local sheriff in attendance...
The real doctor arrived and pronounced the woman dead... the sheriff asked Brad to ferry the woman to the cemetery in his car...
... where she was promptly buried without a casket. As they piled dirt into the grave, Brad saw her eyes flicker open...
Brad had found the backdoor to Hell and live burial appeased the one below... the angel of the earth known as Adamah...
I would classify this novel as a southern gothic horror and it was rich with description of the Tennessee landscape and people. Before you get turned off, this is not a vampire story.
It is a slow-burning tale and at times a little confusing because it switches between two generations but I enjoyed the story.
I removed a star because there were some loose ends and because the last 10% was a useless recap of the entire story and wasn't really necessary.
October 19, 2022
I actually really enjoyed this book. I only wish that there would have been indicators that some chapters were flash backs as it took me far too long to realized that the main character's wife was named Jennifer and not Missy.
March 12, 2021
I honestly can't believe this is the author's first novel - this was a very strong debut. Broyles manages to convey that nightmarish kind of horror that has you caught in syrup or under water as unseen monsters are closing in with a precise, sharp and beautiful prose that keeps you teetering between admiring his descriptions and biting your fingernails to the quick.
It is dark, creepy, disorienting and frightening, and draws you in with tantalising hints of what is going on. That works as a strength in the first third of the book; after that, I think the pacing suffered a little from the slow speed at which the story developed - which, however, I believe the author used deliberately to add to that nightmarish sense of being trapped.
Parts of the book are set up in a way that is deliberately confusing the reader, and I think that could be annoying to some - particularly as I didn't think that it added anything to the story other than needlessly muddling the waters: the story would have stood just as strongly without it.
However, in the last third he comes into his own again and pulls the story to a very satisfying narrative conclusion that ties everything up beautifully.
I will definitely look out for anything else Broyles publishes in the future!
I was kindly given a free copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
It is dark, creepy, disorienting and frightening, and draws you in with tantalising hints of what is going on. That works as a strength in the first third of the book; after that, I think the pacing suffered a little from the slow speed at which the story developed - which, however, I believe the author used deliberately to add to that nightmarish sense of being trapped.
Parts of the book are set up in a way that is deliberately confusing the reader, and I think that could be annoying to some - particularly as I didn't think that it added anything to the story other than needlessly muddling the waters: the story would have stood just as strongly without it.
However, in the last third he comes into his own again and pulls the story to a very satisfying narrative conclusion that ties everything up beautifully.
I will definitely look out for anything else Broyles publishes in the future!
I was kindly given a free copy of this book by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 30, 2021
The House of Dust by Noah Broyles is a horror thriller book. The plot is good enough about a town worshiping a dark angel and the characters with a disturbed past themselves. But, the story has multiple POV’s and the incidents jump too frequently between present and past.
At a point, I got literally confused with the incidents as I was not able to understand the time line. Also, the story is not creepy enough. I was waiting throughout the whole story for something exciting, but nothing came up.
The best part of the book is that the author at the end has narrated the whole incidents in order of their time line, which finally helped me in understanding the story.
Read full review on bibliophileverse.blogspot.com
At a point, I got literally confused with the incidents as I was not able to understand the time line. Also, the story is not creepy enough. I was waiting throughout the whole story for something exciting, but nothing came up.
The best part of the book is that the author at the end has narrated the whole incidents in order of their time line, which finally helped me in understanding the story.
Read full review on bibliophileverse.blogspot.com
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