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The House That Horror Built

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 2 weeks
A single mother working in the gothic mansion of a reclusive horror director stumbles upon terrifying secrets in the captivating new novel from the national bestselling author of Good Girls Don't Die and Horseman.
Harry Adams has always loved horror movies, so it’s not a total coincidence that she took the job cleaning house for movie director Javier Castillo. His forbidding graystone Chicago mansion, Bright Horses, is filled from top to bottom with terrifying props and costumes, as well as glittering awards from his career making films that thrilled audiences—until family tragedy and scandal forced him to vanish from the industry.
 
Javier values discretion, and Harry has always tried to clean the house immaculately, keep her head down, and keep her job safe—she needs the money to support her son. But then she starts hearing noises from behind a locked door. Noises that sound remarkably like a human voice calling for help, even though Javier lives alone and never has visitors. Harry knows that not asking questions is a vital part of working for Javier, but she soon finds that the sinister house may be home to secrets she can’t ignore.
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    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 11, 2024
      Henry (Good Girls Don’t Die) spins an eerie haunted house tale set in the home of a famous horror director. Having escaped an abusive upbringing and homelessness, single mother Harry Adams now lives paycheck to paycheck while raising her 14-year-old son, Gabriel. Her latest in a string of low-paying gigs is cleaning the mansion of Javier Castillo, who closely resembles Guillermo del Toro in his career trajectory, elaborate home, and frequent collaborators—but that’s where the comparison ends. Castillo has been a recluse since his wife and son vanished in the midst of a murder investigation in which their son was a suspect. He takes an unexpected interest in Gabriel, and Harry doesn’t know how she should feel about the attention the eccentric but renowned filmmaker is showing her son. Meanwhile, strange happenings occur in the house: props move, costumes reach for her, and a strange voice from a perpetually locked room calls out for help. Harry’s motivations are occasionally muddled, making it difficult to fully invest in her plight. Still, Henry captures the epic scale of the best horror movies and her passion for monstrosity comes through clearly. The results are familiar but fun. Agent: Lucienne Diver, Knight Agency.

    • Library Journal

      August 1, 2024

      This haunted-house story for the pandemic era eschews subtlety for gothic bombast. Single mother and out-of-work waitress Harry Adams is stressed because of her dire financial situation. As no restaurants are hiring during the pandemic, she takes a job cleaning the home of reclusive horror-movie director Javier Castillo, who went into hiding after a family tragedy. As a fan of Castillo's work, Harry considers this a dream job, but her dream turns into a nightmare when she realizes that supernatural forces are haunting the mansion. To save herself and her family, Harry must figure out what has possessed the house. Though Castillo might call to mind horror director Guillermo del Toro, Henry (Good Girls Don't Die) seems to draw more of her inspiration from novels like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. She heavily evokes the gothic aesthetic, from the brooding castlelike Castillo home to the novel's gloriously melodramatic ending. Lisa Flanagan adds pop with her narration of the audiobook, especially in the dialogue between Harry and her teenage son Gabe. VERDICT Henry's novel draws readers in not by being terrifying but by being both fun and frightening. Perfect for horror fans who prefer playful eeriness over gore.--James Gardner

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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  • English

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