*thank you to Netgalley and Arcade/Skyhorse Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

DNF @ 34%

Unfortunately I just could not get into how this book was written. The description of the story sounded absolutely amazing but with having the narrator be different from the main character that the story was about, put me off. I tried to get into it but I just wasnt able to. I hope that this is a hit for others but for me it's a miss which I am rather upset about as the book had so much potential. Maybe one day, now that I know what to expect, I'll try again and see if I get a different result. I will add that I think the cover is excellent!

The Dead House by Billy O’Callaghan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Expected publication date: May 1, 2018

Are you looking for a book that is part ghost story and part romantic love story? I wasn’t either. But I found one, and it was actually pretty good. The first half of the book really centers around relationship building among various characters, and it takes a while for the spookier aspects to develop, but once they did, I felt like I was at Girl Scout camp again, hearing a scary story in front of the campfire. Except I didn’t have S’Mores… Sad. I think I need S’Mores. Back to the review…

Billy O’Callaghan paints the picture (see what I did there?) of a talented artist who purchases a run-down cottage overlooking the ocean. After a housewarming party-turned-seance (who brought the darn Ouija board?… Haven’t we learned yet that these things only bring trouble?), strange things start happening at the beautiful cottage. Things will never be the same.

This book was short in length at a little over 200 pages, and almost felt more like a short story to me than a full fledged novel. The author’s writing style was extremely enjoyable, with philosophical notes throughout. Combined, it made for a quick and easy read. I literally flew threw it in several hours.

With the weather warming up, if you’re looking for a good fireside ghost story, this is your book.

-This advance release book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Skyhorse Publishing, Arcade Publishing, and Billy O’Callaghan for the opportunity to review-

This novel is a concise, skillfully wrought ghost story that is bolstered by the lyricism and descriptive ability of the writer. The author has an uncanny ability to describe the Irish coast that really entrances you and ties you to the story. The only reason I am giving this only 4 stars is because I would have loved a segment where we learn more about the history of the spirit haunting Maggie. However, I can see where that would have slowed the pace down, and this is a very quick read, not in the least because you'll want to see what happens next.

Exceptionally creepy book, told from the perspective of a friend staying the night over at a friend's party, a small party that dips into the supernatural when a guest brings out a Ouija board. The book is short, which personally I was thankful for! Just enough scare to make me uneasy and to remind myself why I don't read full-on horror stories! Well done!

PS - to be clear, this is not what I would consider to be horror at all....just a good old fashioned ghost story!

PPS - thank you to NetGalley/book publisher for allowing me to read/review!

My Opinion:
Loved this BOOK! LOVED IT!
Ok, why you may ask? It had me captivated the whole way through, just when I thought I would put it down...I couldn't! I just couldn't.
I wanted to know what Michael thought about what was happening to his best friend Maggie. After she basically gets attacked by her boyfriend, Maggie starts to act differently and after Michael and a bunch of friends conjure up a ghost/spirit, things get worse. I immediately fell in love with how the story was written and executed. Concise, exciting, creepy and hauntingly written. I loved it from the first page till the last.
I really enjoyed how the author did not dwell on the love story in the book and how he detailed the scenery. I could totally picture myself on the beach with Michael and almost felt myself choking, fighting not to be drowned in the water with him. I really enjoyed this book and if you are a horror/thriller/ghost story lover you will totally enjoy this. I highly recommend this book. There was only one part that was a little bit graphic, when we find out what the Master did, so it was not ultra gorey or graphic it was more creepy than anything else.


I give the book 5 of 5 stars!

This was the first horror story I have ever read. I wanted to be frightened because horror movies don't do that to me. I was terrified in the first 2 parts of the book and then nothing. I felt like I started another book. I expected another ending but it was ok. I think the story can go on a little more.
I liked Mike. He tended to have control over the situations even though there was nothing he can do. I'm happy he did not died.

Billy O'Callaghan is a gifted and artistic writer with this stunningly chilling piece of debut fiction. In this lyrical and dripping with atmospheric menace and eeriness, novel, he delivers an unforgettable suspenseful ghost story. It is narrated by Michael Simmons, an art dealer, and close friend of Maggie Turner, an artist, whose paintings he sells at his art gallery. In this tale of love, Irish history and folklore, and friendship, Maggie's violent boyfriend's attack puts her close to death's door. Michael is there for her, offering her refuge, to recuperate from her harrowing trauma. Maggie feels she needs something more to heal her spirits and provide inspiration for her art. To this end she finds a remote abandoned pre-famine cottage amidst a wondrous scenic landscape on the west coast of Ireland. Michael is not convinced this is the best move for Maggie, but supports her financially to acquire the place.

Amidst ongoing renovations, Maggie invites Michael and two women friends for a weekend. Amidst a drunken haze of whisky, a ouija board is whisked out with terror inducing fateful consequences and an encounter with The Master. The following day, they all try to put the previous night's events out of their minds, questioning their sanity as to whether it happened at all. Maggie's art changes dramatically from her past work and Michael ends up marrying one of the women friends, and has a child. In this dramatic novel, we are given the sense of the horrors of Irish history remaining ever prevalent in the present. I found this disturbing and markedly unsettling book utterly compelling with its strong sense of location, painted beautifully with detailed descriptions of mists, rains, and heavy gusts of winds. The air of spookiness and creepiness pervades the novel throughout. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is that I felt it was just too short a read, and I wanted more! Highly recommended! Many thanks to Skyhorse Publishing for an ARC.

I received this book via Netgalley.

This is a beautifully written story, the descriptive style itself is worth reading this book for, especially if you have a love of Ireland.

The main character Mike really came to life but I'm afraid that other than the weekend when all four character's spent the weekend at Maggie's cottage, the others were somewhat lacking.

The ghost story aspect came into it's own on that self same weekend and continued to haunt me until Mike's return trip. When it was taken up again nine years later it just didn't really ring true for me.

In my honest opinion, (and what do I know?) it almost felt as though two short stories were melded together to form one, slightly disappointing novel. I found it hard to believe that The Master had left such a long time elapse before returning but if he'd come back upon the birth of Mike and Ali's daughter and spooked them and the reader the way he did when the child mentioned him, and then not just faded away to an unsatisfactory ending then maybe Billy O'Callaghan would have had two extremely ghostly, spine-chilling stories.

However, it is with O'Callaghan's wordsmanship that one is left just overawed with, simply beautiful.

This atmospheric modern ghost story, set in Ireland and London, is told in first person point of view by Mike, an empathetic, likable guy, who not only represents the artist Maggie, but is her best friend. I must say I was hoping for more examples of art and the workings of an art gallery, but the story focuses on character development between Mike, Maggie, and the ethereal Allison. It was the Irish setting that had me spellbound. I recently traveled the loop around Beara, and the author’s descriptions of the cliffs, ocean and sky took me back to the beauty and isolation of the area. I found myself wondering how Maggie, the recuperating artist, could live there alone, and watched with trepidation (no spoiler here) as she slipped into a shell of her former self. The descriptive language O’Callaghan uses throughout is beautiful. “Of course, the weather got in the way of everything good, the sky filthy shades of mud and rock, a west wind that opened you wide and got to know you from the inside out.”

Thanks to Net Galley and publishers for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Although the scenic descriptions were lovely this story never grabbed my attention. I would definitely not classify it as “horror”, even though it’s a ghost story.

The paranormal activity is merely hinted at until the second half of the book. I was interested enough to finish the story but I never became truly connected to the characters.

An absolutely stunning novel.. Desolate, terrifying & intriguing. I can't wait to read more from this author!

4 stars--I really liked it. Warnings for abuse/sexual assault.

This is a classic haunted house story, and one that actually spooked me! The best thing about this book is the setting. The house in question is one of the abandoned famine cottages in rural Ireland, on the coast and isolated from any nearby villages. The house--surrounded by mist and near an ancient stone circle--almost becomes its own character. It's really powerful imagery and I loved it.

Ghosts and Ireland are two of my favorite things in fiction, so naturally I adored this book.

This is a quick read--my only complaint is I wish it were longer and went into more (scary!) detail. I'll definitely be reading O'Callaghan's next book.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

This is the kind of horror story I love. The writing is beyond gorgeous, with descriptions that, forgive me for the cliche, take your breath away. It is also one of the few recent scary stories I’ve read that truly scared me. And I mean seriously scared me. There’s no gore, no explicit horror, but the pervading sense of menace gets into the reader’s bones.

The novel’s pacing is a bit different than the reader expects, and the protagonist is not Maggie, as the blurb leads us to expect, but her agent, Mike. This makes for a very different, slightly removed viewpoint that is extremely effective. The ending, too, is chilling enough I recommend not reading it at night (as I did!).

If you are looking for a truly frightening read, this one is a must.

Thank you Netgalley and Arcade Publishing for the eARC.
Wow, what a beautifully written book; impossible to put down, I finished it in a day.
Michael Simmons is a busy, successful art dealer in London. One of his artists, Maggie Turner, also has become one of his best friends and when she moves to the Irish west coast, he travels to her new home. The pre-famine house needs a lot of work, but the beautiful surroundings excite Maggie, envisioning the many paintings she can produce. The place spoke to her as soon as she saw it and Michael was happy to loan her the money she needed for renovations. Two of her friends, plus Michael, arrive to spend a weekend for a house party. The first evening they decide, after copious amounts of whiskey, to use the Ouija board one of them brought.
This decision will change their futures irrevocably as it brings forth terrifying forces which will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
The book starts with Michael's current life with his wife and young daughter. He goes back to that fateful night 9 years prior and we are swept into a terrifying story of the dead and their impact on the living.
I don't want to give away more of the story, but it's haunting and you'll really feel empathy for Michael. The ending is a shock and will leave you uneasy, but I found it fitting and satisfying. Great book, highly recommended!

Note: I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me a copy of Billy O’Callaghan’s “The Dead House” in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Set along the isolated shores of Allihies, Ireland, “The Dead House” tempts the reader to believe in the existence of ghosts and the power they can hold over one’s life. The story is narrated by Michael—Mike—an art dealer who attends the housewarming party of his friend and client, Maggie. Also in attendance is Alison, a gallery owner, and Liz, a poet. Though their relationships initially revolve around artistry, their connection deepens into something more sinister after a horrifying late-night experience with a Ouija board.

“The Dead House” not only embraces quintessential Irish superstitions but also makes such beliefs seem real to the skeptic. While I am not a believer in ghosts, per say, I do believe in the existence of demonic forces that can manipulate items such as Ouija boards for their own destructive purposes. The eerie nature of the spiritual realm depicted in the book made me feel uneasy yet gripped all the same. While the story itself is of value here, the real power is in O’Callaghan’s descriptions. His prose—while at times a bit verbose for me—was remarkably vivid. I could see all that Mike described, and that was all the more disturbing.

Despite O’Callaghan’s talent for words, I did find fault in the way he told his tale. I do not doubt his story-telling ability, but I do wish that he had given us more complexity. “The Dead House” has an intriguing premise, yet it felt as if the author was reticent to give us the complete story. Perhaps he wrote with the intention of keeping his readers in the dark, which is commonplace, but something about this felt lacking.

I think the problem for me is that I felt the story did not come to a true end, leaving the plot feeling unfinished. Still, the beauty of this book is that it is concise, and its short length allows for quick reading. While “The Dead House” is not a favorite of mine, I do respect Billy O’Callaghan as a writer, and I would be pleased to read other stories he has crafted.

Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

Chilling, eerie, beautifully written. A terrifying tale of ghosts, possession and the journey of close friends taken down a chilling rabbit hole after gathering for a weekend. This is my first from Billy O'Callaghan and was thoroughly impressed with his ability to write such a chilling, captivating story with such balance and eloquence. I found myself not wanting this story to end. 5 stars, well done.

“Just breathing this air made you want to cry and laugh at the same time. Here the world had simplified itself down to rocks, ocean, sky, wind, and rain…”

“Wildness lay in every direction, something equal parts fearful and sublime, the kind of raw that made my blood itch.”

// I received this ebook from NetGalley for free in return for an honest review //

The Dead House by Billy O'Callaghan
Arcade Publishing - DRC

My first thought when I requested this book was that it was going to be a cookie-cutter haunted house story. You know, a group goes to an old house and finds out it's haunted. Maybe all the characters die but one that passes on the story? We've all read at least one story like that. But I couldn't have been more wrong. And I really, really don't like admitting when I'm wrong.

The Dead House is told from the point of view of Mike, an art dealer who goes to visit his friend and artist Maggie. We learn that Mike helps Maggie purchase a new house, a run down cottage in Allihies in Ireland after Maggie is nearly beaten to death by her then boyfriend. Maggie claims that the cottage is perfect (even though it needs a lot of rennovations) and will allow her to paint again after her tragedy. Once the cottage is finished, Maggie invites Mike and a few friends to a housewarming in the new cottage. During that time a Ouija board is brought out and the group is never the same again.

O'Callaghan's writing takes the reader to another place. I haven't read a book like this before. Just as the story revolves around artists and art, the writing style seems to do the same. The writing is so descriptive that immediately the reader can see the landscape in his or her head. Not many books have done this for me in quite this way. I really appreciated the way the writing sucked me into the story. I felt like I was there with Mike and that the evil he comes in contact with was with me too. The horror that was involved wasn't cliche or stale like I thought it would be. It was more psychological and brought to light in a way that kept me guessing.

However, at some points the sentences seemed too long and at points I lost the pace of the story wondering when a sentence would end. But those times were few and far between so it didn't cause too much of a problem. The only other real "problem" I had with the story was the abrupt ending and epilogue. The story seems to end in mid-thought and runs into an epilogue that didn't seem to fit. The continuing story in the epilogue could have just been added to the end of the book with no qualms. There was no jump in time or change of narration, so it threw me off. Not a huge problem, just a hiccup for me personally.

Overall, The Dead House was a neat little horror story that made me question I whether I will ever even look at a Ouija board again.

I give The Dead House by Billy O'Callaghan 📖📖📖.5 / 5 bookies and recommend it to horror lovers and general readers alike.

#netgalley #thedeadhouse #arcadepublishing #horror #mrsmadonnareads #suspense

I just couldn't get into this book. However, I'm extremely attentive and choosy when it comes to writing style, and because the writing style in this book didn't suit me, I could could not invest.

“Sometimes when the wind lifts, the dead still sing.” ~ The Dead House Dedication

In The Dead House, Billy O’Callaghan delivers a masterfully written story that will have you up late at night questioning if there’s something out there, lurking in the dark.

Summary:

Mike is a successful art dealer in London, who met Maggie through his job. Now, Maggie has become more like a little sister to him, which is why he does everything in his power to see that she’s happy and healing after coming out of an abusive relationship which has left her scarred—physically and emotionally. When Maggie decides to buy an isolated cottage in Allihies, Mike thinks it may be a mistake, but is easily taken in by her excitement and fervor.

To celebrate the new house, Maggie gathers a small group of friends for a housewarming: Mike; Liz, a poet; and Allison, a museum curator. For an added bit of fun, to go with their alcohol, they pull out a Ouija board. What they end up channeling is powerful and dark, a spirit known as “The Master.” He reveals his harrowing past to them, during the height of the potato famine, where he killed a girl and then himself. Everyone parts ways the next day, shaken up and scared but ready to move forward just the same.

Except for Maggie. As the others hear from her less and less, they become worried. When Mike finally goes down to check on her, both she and her artwork have become unrecognizable, and it seems one of her housewarming guests never went home: The Master.

The Good:

- The writing. O’Callaghan is a wordsmith of the rarest kind. His prose is beautiful. He doesn’t simply write scenes; he paints them. Even with that, though, the writing is accessible. It’s not haughty, but easy to follow. There were sentences I found myself reading two or three times, just because I loved them so much and they elicited such a strong response. It’s really hard to find a writer that perfectly balances evocative prose and story, without being too bogged down by either where the other suffers, but O’Callaghan accomplishes just that, which makes the book a pleasure to read.

- The prologue. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going in, but the author lays it all out in the prologue. “This is the truth as I know it to be, this is what I remember,” the main character, Mike, says. Then, following that, he asks the reader a single important question: “Do you believe in ghosts?” The whole tone of the prologue sets the tone of the book really well and immediately had me hooked for the long haul.

- The use of colors and light. I thought this was quite clever and beautiful. Color and light, in many ways throughout the book, are used to set scenes. In fact, that’s what first drew Mike to Maggie and her artwork. “You painted the light,” he says. “You realised what mattered most in what you saw.” As the tone of the book shifts, and as Maggie and her art changes, the colors and the light in the scenes change, too. I thought this was a fantastic, but subtle, way to show how the story progresses.

- The ending! OMG THAT ENDING. I won’t say anything because spoilers (and just so you know, it’s killing me), but the ending was brilliant and creepy and leaves you with lasting tingles running up and down your spine. It’s also open-ended, which makes me wonder if maybe there’s a chance that the Dead House, or at least the characters in it, will be revisited again soon. But oh yes, this had pretty much the perfect ending. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

The Bad:

- This isn’t really Maggie’s story, as the synopsis might lead one to believe, but Mike’s. Sure, Maggie’s story is wrapped into it, but her story is really only maybe 30% - 50% of the book. The rest is Mike’s story, and Mike is a crappy character, in my opinion. I found him entirely unrelatable. In his narrative, Mike implies that he’s fairly average. In terms of finance, he uses descriptions like “comfortable without actually challenging the threshold of serious wealth,” and describes his business as having been “relatively lucrative,” but that, ultimately, he ended up with a “modest definition of financial security.” However, when Maggie calls wanting a loan of 30,000, he doesn’t bat an eye to give it to her. He also thinks nothing of it when that loan goes up to 50,000 and doesn’t even consider whether she can pay that amount back and seems extremely flippant about it. Which tells me two things. First, he’s got enough liquid capital where throwing away 50,000 is nothing (which I assume means, really, he has over 100,000 in liquid assets), and two, we have very different definitions of what it means to live comfortably and have a modest amount of financial security. Since this happened early on in the book, it immediately drove a wedge between me and the main character. That is not where the wedge stopped, though, but they were little things and, ultimately, my personal opinion. So while others may entirely find Mike a relatable character, I did not, which made reading his story difficult, because I really didn’t care about him. I didn’t dislike him, but I was very indifferent towards his character.

- The plot is actually mostly romance, or that’s what it feels like. The budding “thing” growing between Mike and Allison, both up there in years, ended up taking first string over the actual mystery of Dead House and The Master. To the point where if this had been branded as a romance, I wouldn’t have felt cheated, but I did feel a bit cheated to read so much romance in a mystery/thriller. It wasn’t innocuous. There were whole large sections where Maggie was never mentioned, and which revolved around either Mike’s quotidian lifestyle or his deciding whether or not he and Allison could actually become an item. I mean, it really stuck out in small moments, like Allison staying the night and cooking him breakfast, and it goes into detail about what she’s wearing and exactly what’s on his breakfast plate and how he feels about that . . . and why am I reading this? Where are my ghosts? What’s happening with Maggie? I care more about that than the eggs.

- The narrative style. I’m putting this under the bad because it drives me crazy, but I’m mentioning it also partly because some people may love this style. And for those of you who do, well, here you go! This book is about 90% tell and 10% show. Now, parts of this are narration by Mike, which I don’t count among the bad because the narration (such as the prologue) actually works fantastically. However, the rest is just recounting a series of events that happened to the characters. I’d even go so far as to say the first 15% or so of the book (not counting the prologue) could be cut and it would lose nothing. It’s a rehashing of Mike’s life (which I couldn’t care less about, as I have no reason, at this point, to care about Mike) and eventually, how he meets Maggie and Maggie’s life up until she buys the Dead House. For me, telling isn’t engaging. I want to live in a scene. The best scenes in this book are the ones that are happening in real time, so to speak, like the first encounter with the Ouija board (not so much about the Master as, again, that’s more telling than anything) or the end. These scenes ground me there with Mike and create a sense of immediacy and urgency and, to me at least, convey better the emotion and anxiety and fear. Being told someone’s afraid isn’t the same as seeing their terror.

- The Dead House itself had me confused, and I’m actually disappointed that this wasn’t built up more or made a big deal of. There were signs from the realtor who sold Maggie the property that she wouldn’t want it, but they all related to the condition it was in more than anything. Even Mike’s objections to it were based on the condition and the isolation more than anything. However, towards the end of the book, it seems the house itself had quite a reputation in the nearby town, but this was never mentioned anywhere else. It feels like there’s a whole side to this story that could have been expanded and deepened, and if it had done so, this could have easily been one of my favorite reads. I’m almost disappointed that it wasn’t and that so much time was spent on the romance and other aspects instead of building up the mystery that was already in the story.

Overall:

Even though it may seem like there was more bad than good in this review, I thoroughly enjoyed The Dead House. There were absolutely some parts that were slower, which I would have skimmed through for any other author, but O’Callaghan’s writing style is so beautiful and poignant that I didn’t dare skip, just in case I missed something. This was a short, quick read, but an enjoyable one, so I’d recommend checking it out anyway. Especially if there ends up being a sequel. (Please, let there be a sequel.)

Disclaimer: I received a free ARC copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.