Another wonderful title from Mira Grant! In the Shadow of Spindrift House is a spooky, atomospheric horror story with a lovely New England charm. I loved it. Go grab yours now before they're gone!

Straight lines don’t exist in nature. There is no place for them among the curves, the twists, the softened edges. The House stands, all ruler straight lines and sharply measured angles, above a dying town that the sea reclaims street by street. The House stands, holding tight to its secrets and waiting. Harlowe Upton-Jones has been searching for answers for as long as she can remember. It’s what found her the teen detective group that would become her family. It’s what she’s good at. But a teen detective group can only stay teens so long and it’s all Harlowe can hope to do is find one last big case. One last big case to keep the band together or give the group a proper send off. One last big case that might find her the answers she’s been looking for since her parents’ murder. The legends surrounding Spindrift House twist in on themselves bending the Answer Squad’s story into something it was always meant to be, something it was never meant to be.

In the Shadow of Spindrift House by Mira Grant is decidedly Lovecraftian in its horror, which in a lot of ways makes it kind of hard to talk about. The house itself is this inescapable thing for Harlowe, something she’s been keeping back from showing the other members of the Answer Squad for years but that she also knows is the big mystery. The one that could make them hit the big time, the one she hopes will keep her friends together for a little longer. The book is a story of losing battles and inevitabilities, buried family secrets and friends growing up and growing apart.

A lot of the story is driven by Harlowe being desperate to hold on to her present, to avoid facing the future for just a little longer. She doesn’t see any prospects for herself, no colleges that would take her that she could afford to go to, the girl she loves is planning on moving on with her life now that the mysteries are drying up. It’s that desperate fear that takes them to the Spindrift house and let’s Harlowe make excuses to just stay a little longer and a little longer. After all, Addison would be so mad if they left and missed out on the reward money. Or maybe she just imagined the truly creepy things going on, they should just take a little longer and keep looking. There’s a fair amount of that.

In a lot of ways, the atmosphere of the story builds on mundane fears and frustrations. The Answer Squad are at a point in their lives where they can’t really be teen detectives anymore, and Harlowe feels more than a little trapped by the changes she’s staring down. She’s the one with no plan. She’s the one that weird things are happening to in Spindrift house. In a lot of ways it feels like the mundane is the root of all Harlowe and, by extension, the Answer Squad’s troubles within the story. They’re high school graduates, so the local authorities don’t have as much patience for them solving mysteries the police couldn’t. There aren’t many mysteries headed their way anymore, so they can’t support themselves with it, so Addison is getting ready to go make something of herself and start a career. Harlowe feels adrift and scared that she’s going to lose the people closest to her, so she pulls out the nuclear option of final mysteries.

Then Spindrift house itself has this fantastic oppressive atmosphere. The weight of time and all the fears that have driven Harlowe to lead her friends here. The things that are just off, that are wrong in little ways that add up. Then, there’s a reprieve, a moment with the Answer Squad just being a group of friends. It eases up for a little while to let the reader breath and to restart the cycle of rising tension. The writing in In the Shadow of Spindrift House is tight and satisfying even as a number of things begin to feel more and more inevitable.

This is much further on the horror end of things than a lot of things I read. But a slow creeping sort of horror, an internal horror that’s too big to properly fight, as opposed to something more action oriented. That is absolutely to its credit. Grant did a fantastic job here, especially with regard to the atmosphere. So, of course In the Shadow of Spindrift House gets a five out of five from me. It makes me want more of this setting and this type of horror.

Mira Grant is such a spectacularly poetic writer, and she proves it yet again in this book. I started this book thinking it would be Scooby Doo meets House on Haunted Hill, and while I wasn't totally wrong, it became so much more than that. Grant takes the few number of pages and turns them into something horrifying and sad, with so much emotion, and fear. It was creepy. One of the creepiest things I've read in a long time. I want do delve more into it, to learn more about the world, the backstories, everything, but it also didn't feel like I was being cheated.

Five very shiny stars to this book, which reminds me why Grant is at the top of her class.

I love Mira Grant's writing, and this book is no exception. She uses words to create a strange and creepy world, and I truly admired the artwork of her language in this story. That said, I think the plot itself went over my head to a large extent. Haunted house by the sea, strange creatures taking over people... well, I get that it's Lovecraftian, except never having actually read any Lovecraft, I felt like I was just missing something.

So, if you told me that this novella was a mix of Scooby-Doo and Lovecraft, I would have thought something along the lines of "You mean, like Edgar Cantero's Meddling Kids?" (Disclaimer: I have not actually finished reading Meddling Kids due to my only owning the hardcover and a pesky issue with my wrists that make holding a physical book an adventure.) There is no overlap between these stories, other than at the very bones: they both concern a teenage mystery-solving club and Lovecraftian elements. That's it.

This is a story about finding out who you really are, and finding out how deeply you truly know yourself and the people around you. It's about found family (literally, in Harlowe's case), and the fear of "growing up" and moving on without your friends that is all too familiar to some of us. It's also about a horrifically haunted house that's not afraid to scare the pants off of you if you decide that you're going to be dumb enough to sleep there. Seriously, I enjoy being frightened for the fun of it as much as any horror fan, and this short little book does not disappoint in that aspect. I can only imagine how terrifying it must be, for example, to see your friend walking around and smiling as if he's perfectly fine, only to know that something else is wearing his body like a well-fitting suit.

Which brings me to my next point: Grant has leveled up in her skill at frightening people. Certainly, her Newsflesh series was frightening in its own way, and her Parasitology series (which I have not reviewed... yet) had moments of sheer terror, but In The Shadow of Spindrift House shows that Grant has fine-tuned her ability to scare her readers. There are some moments of in-your-face terror, but largely, the fright is a subtler one that creeps in around the edge of your subconscious until you feel unsettled and uncertain about anything. Hats enthusiastically off to Grant in this aspect.

My one complaint is that the story is almost too short. I realize that this is a novella, and I am at peace with the idea that I may never know more, but it's still a little frustrating. There's a lot going on within the broader universe of the tale, but isn't there always with Grant's short fiction? It's a common thought that I've had with her shorter works. We're given a small taste of something so savory and delicious that we can't help but want more, but we are, generally, denied. I truly hope that a fully grown novel is able to sprout from this little seedling. I look forward to seeing what Grant is able to do now that she has gleefully entered Lovecraft's sandbox.

In conclusion: If you're a horror fan, you should read this book. However, given the nature of Subterranean's books (beautiful, but expensive and frequently hard to acquire), if you're not already a fan of Grant's work, I would suggest going for the electronic version. It's definitely worth reading as a new entry into the greater Lovecraftian subgenre. It does things that would make the old man spin in his grave, and that delights me to no end.

4.0 More of a novella, this is short but very atmospheric. Harlowe finds her teen detective club a case at Spindrift house, maybe their last case before splitting up and moving on, but which might also shed light on her family history and her parents murders. The big payday is enough to tempt the other three members too; they enter the house and are changed forever. It is haunting, intriguing (I wanted more) and I liked it. Read during Blue Lake camping.

If it’s possible to call a book in which several people are brutally murdered light and airy, this is the one.

This is pretty standard horror fare relying on a slight variation of the “There’s something wrong with the house! The house will kill us all!” trope.

The book is too short to get much character development (but does that really matter in a BOO! book?) and the plot follows a Lovecraftian thread that we’ve seen many times before.

Still, Grant nails the tone and atmosphere, giving the house sufficient menace while still keeping things light by centering her story around a wink-nudge teen detective agency that solves mysteries that the authorities can’t or won’t.

This is a great novella - reads like a "where are they now" of the Scooby Doo gang. The first chapter is a little unusual, but after that, it's very readable and compelling. The action moves along quickly, and there's an underlying spookiness that pulls you along. It wasn't especially scary, but it partly reminds me of Haunting of Hill House.

I opened my copy, saw this novella was dedicated to "beloved Catherynne Valente," and knew I'd be at home in spite of the obvious Lovecraftian theme evidenced by the cover illustration. Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire) has given us a Lovecraftian tale in the vein of Ruthanna Emrys' recent retellings- a kinder, less racist and xenophobic Lovecraft world. For you see, I've never been a Lovecraft fan, since I find his original works pretty repellant. (See for instance here if you don't understand why I dislike his work.) It is, however, with relish that I read authors like Emrys, or here, Grant/McGuire, spinning Lovecraft's ideas on end, re-envisioning all that was creative in his work, so that it is better, finer, and more of a celebration of diversity.

In the Shadow of Spindrift House gives us the story of Harlowe Upton-Jones, a young woman whose childhood is forever scarred by the murder of her parents. She was found at age four, in a car with their bloody corpses, and few clues as to the reasons for their fate. Raised in Chicago by emotionally absent grandparents, she finds her real home and family with her chosen brother/friend Kevin, and is one of a quartet of teen detectives along with Kevin and his friends Addison and Andy Tanaka. (If they sound like the quartet from Scooby Doo, you wouldn't be wrong...) Harlowe, who is not so secretly in love with Addison, suggests a job that may be the teen detectives' last gig together, since they are outgrowing their situation, including local law enforcement's tolerance for their antics. The gig is in a remote area of Maine, trying to uncover the deed or information about the rightful owner of the mysterious Spindrift House. Located in a place called Port Mercy (RED FLAG), with a slew of intrusive/restrictive conditions set by those contracting them to find this information, you'd think the Scoobies would know from the get-go that this job simply isn't worth the risks. Well, Kevin knows, but Harlowe pushes ahead, trying to do right by her girl Addison. Things don't go well, but they seldom do in haunted houses with dark histories.

This was an engaging, fast read and I enjoyed the audiobook, too. Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, this would be a great sleepover party audiobook. Just hope the power doesn't go out, leaving you in the dark. ;)


I received a Digital Review Copy from Subterranean Press in exchange for an honest review.

Mira Grant is one of my "must reads". I don't care whether it's viruses, zombies, or mermaids from the Mariana Trench, there's something about the way she merges science with fiction. When I saw this available on NetGalley for review, I jumped at the chance to review!



Harlowe and her best friends were the Answer Squad, a Scooby Doo teen gang if I've ever seen one. Feeling the pressure to grow up and do adult things, they go for one last ditch effort at a haunted house to stay the night and discover which warring family actually owns the place. Plenty of hijinks for the Scoobs to get into. Sounds great, right?



I really struggled with the characters in this one. I think that's what kept me from really enjoying it. Harlowe is an emotional null. She's so detached from everything it's hard to feel her love for her friends, or even her apparent infatuation with Addy. We're told that she has these feelings but they didn't really come through to me. When the friends start being knocking off, it was like oh well! Heck, the house felt like more of a solid character than any of the four. A+ for atmosphere. D- for character development. Maybe if this wasn't a novella, more time could have been spent on it and I would have enjoyed it more. I like being shown as a reader instead of just told and their whole backstory and emotional connection was just there on the pages. I didn't really form enough of an attachment to care about what happened to any of them.



Needless to say, In the Shadow of Spindrift House was a different read for this reader who will read anything Mira Grant, and I mean, anything. I didn't find it to "feel" very much like a Mira Grant book. It does have that tone that Mira Grant books do. I can't really explain it other than to say it's a narrator tone. I wonder though if this shouldn't have been marketed under Seannan McGuire instead. While not urban fantasy or fae-related, it feels very much in tune with the Luidaeg's tower in the last Toby Daye book, Night and Silence. I'm not a Lovecraft fan so maybe that's why I didn't love it. Or maybe I'm only an October Daye and Newflesh fan, though I adored her killer mermaid books. I just haven't loved any of her stand alones. Will that stop me from reading them in the future?



Not a chance.

Harlowe and her three best friends were the Answer Squad--teen detectives that investigated the supernatural and solved mysteries in their hometown. But now, they're growing up, Addison's dad is going to stop paying their insurance, and Harlowe is desperate for one last mystery--and one last payout--to keep them together. That's where Spindrift House comes in.

I enjoyed this a lot less than Seanan McGuire's other Mira Grant novels. Maybe she just finds the sea much scarier than I do? I also didn't love any of the characters, though I did enjoy that the premise of "What if some teens that were basically the gang from Scooby Doo grew up? What would they do?" Still, once the house started picking them off, I found it hard to care about them, and so it just wasn't that scary. I'll look forward to the next Mira Grant novel, but I don't think I'll be recommending this one.

In the Shadow of Spindrift House is a book that hits hard on a multitude of fronts. There is the childhood nostalgia of Scooby Doo(minus the talking dog), and the desperate need to avoid the changeover from Adolescence to Adulthood. There is the deep longing to solve a personal mystery that wars with the horror that once learned, knowledge cannot be forgotten.
Mira Grant weaves a story that is both horrible, and terribly sad. The obvious Lovecraftian influences set the tone, but the words and feelings are deep and heartfelt.
All Harlowe Upton-Jones wants is to keep her friends together, as adulthood is slowly, inexorably, tearing them apart. She hits upon the Mystery of Spindrift House, one which if solved, will be more than enough to fund the Answer Squad's adventures for a time and keep them together. The fact that Spindrift House has ties to Harlowe's own murky past is a bonus!
But horror is a matter of perspective, and Spindrift House is full of secrets. We watch through Harlowe's eyes as the one thing she sought to preserve is destroyed.

When I first started reading this book, I almost quit. The language was a little too flowery for me, and I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. I stuck with it because I do like this author whatever name she writers under. After a little bit, the plot picked up, and I found out more what was going on, and I got to know the characters. I’ve read the term Lovecraftian associated with this novella, and I have to agree, with maybe a little horror thrown in. As with this author’s other works, this book was well-written, but I wish it was drawn out a little more to give us more detail. I finished this book wanting to understand a little more of what was going on. This is dark tale of a house who wants an owner, with no real answers. I did like this book, but it really isn’t for me. 3 ½ stars rounded up to 4 because I believe it is a good book to those who like this type. As such, I do recommend this book for those who like this type, and I was provided the e-book which I voluntarily reviewed.

Holy. Wow.

Full review to come, closer to publication date.

Edited June 30, 2019

This was a wonderfully creepy reading experience. I'm still exploring Mira Grant's books and so far she hasn't let me down. She does horror so well!

In the Shadow of Spindrift House was amazing!

A teenage detective agency that investigates the supernatural?
I. Am. In!
A group of friends that go on an adventure to a creepy, spooky, haunted house?
I. Am. In!

It's short so I was a little worried about character development but I shouldn't have been. The characters are thought out and interesting.
The writing is beautiful. Mira Grant (aka Seanan McGuire) is such a wonderful writer. Her way with words is so descriptive and unique.
The storyline was original. At least for me. (I've seen comparisons to Lovecraft but I've never actually read any Lovecraft so...) The monsters, the myths, the whatever you call it, were well described and gave me the shivers.
The ending was a little sad for me. [I mean, there were a lot of deaths, but Kevin not remembering Harlow broke my heart. (hide spoiler)] It tied things up really well, though, and left me with a feeling of "What the hell did I just read?" which is a great feeling for me. It makes the story stick with me. And this is such a richly described story that I know I will enjoy it over and over.

What a fantastic story. I went into it with low expectations because of the low ratings. but I should have known better. I love Mira Grant and all her work, and this book is no exception. I love how atmospheric it is, how weird it is and how heart wrenching it is.

Overall a quick gripping read!

Revisiting H. P. Lovecraft’s work from previously unexplored points of view has become popular again recently, thanks to books by Ruthanna Emrys, Edgar Cantero, and others. Mira Grant—who also writes as Seanan McGuire—offers yet another take on Lovecraft’s Deep Ones in this intense and intensely atmospheric novella. Starting out with a trio of teenage mystery-solvers seeking one last case, this work quickly turns to a tale of the desire to belong, biological imperatives, and epigenetic haunting. I loved it all and wished it had been even longer, although its length also feels perfect and well-planned. Ideal for those enjoying the reclamation of Lovecraft from his racism, sexism, and other biased -isms and anyone who likes a good ghost story.

Thank you to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for the advance ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Scheduled Release: 6/30/2019
Rating: 3.5 / 5

I recently did a reread of Mira Grant’s INTO THE DROWNING DEEP and wrote a review earlier this month. I really enjoyed revisiting INTO THE DROWNING DEEP and I also really loved Mira Grant’s Newsflesh series in years past, so it is safe to say I am a fan! When I saw that she had a new upcoming release, I immediately requested it on NetGalley.

IN THE SHADOW OF SPINDRIFT HOUSE by Mira Grant primarily follows Harlowe Upton-Jones, a young woman whose parents were brutally murdered in front of her when she was a small child. Quite understandably this trauma impacted her in many ways. She suffers from terrible nightmares and migraines and she’s obsessed with finding out what exactly happened to her parents.

Enter Kevin, Addison and Andy, three kids who welcome Harlowe into their found family. Together, the four join forces to form a detective agency, investigating mysteries and the supernatural, hunting down ghosts and just generally getting into trouble. This definitely had a definite Scooby-Doo vibe, though without the pup!

The four friends have left their teen years behind and they need to face “adult” responsibilities like finding jobs that pay enough for practical matters like insurance (chasing ghosts is potentially dangerous work). Harlowe offers her team one last case with a potentially large payout, investigating Spindrift House. The case is not without danger, but it offers Harlowe the opportunity to find some connections to her past and possibly some answers to her own life’s mystery.

Mira Grant really knows how to write an atmospheric setting. Her opening chapter speaks to nature’s dislike of a straight line, describing Spindrift House as a building made up entirely of straight lines and angles. The house is described as unnatural and haunted. The house has a history, actually several, but no one is sure which is the true story. What we do know is that the house sits above a seaside village of Port Mercy, slowly drowning under rising waters and global warming. The detectives have been called in because there is a dispute over who the house actually belongs to.

Harlowe and her team are introduced in the second chapter, secondary to the house itself. There is definitely a strong creep factor in the story telling (in a good way!) that Mira Grant delivers. I don’t want to get into too many details to avoid spoilers, but the atmosphere and the twists in the story definitely kept me hooked.

There were a few issues I had with the story as a whole and I think they mostly revolve around the length of the story. At only 200 pages, there are areas of the narrative which can’t be fully explored. I finished reading and felt that I had lingering questions. Harlowe references past cases they worked as teens and trouble they got into that I would have loved to see fleshed out a bit more. I would have also wanted a bit more about what happened to Harlowe’s parents.

Overall I am definitely glad I got a chance to read IN THE SHADOW OF SPINDRIFT HOUSE. It was a fun dark and spooky novella for a dark, cool night. It would be a perfect read for a vacation by the sea! Keep an eye out for IN THE SHADOW OF SPINDRIFT HOUSE’s release on 6/30/2019!

I LOVE RECEIVING MG/SM DIGITAL ARCS FROM NETGALLEY.

As usual, novella was something completely different for MG. As another reviewed described it, this was The Scooby Gang meets Lovecraft. Funny, spooky, violent, oh my! I hope it turns into a series, I enjoyed it so much.

A group of mystery solving teens takes on one last case before adulthood and insurance runs out. But this last case is special, it seems that the haunted house they are staying at is connected to the orphaned friend in their group. Harlowe doesn’t know anything about her mother’s family but in researching it she finds out about a house that has a complicated ownership and a mystery about who owns the correct owner should be. Near the water in Maine a house sits with three families claiming ownership of it and the large amount of acreage. A large cash prize is awarded to anyone that can stay in the house until they find the original paperwork that will decide who is the correct owner. Everyone who has tried before has died of unknown cases. But this one is personal to Harlowe and the money will allow the other three to set up their adult lives and move on from teenage mystery solving. As the story progresses it becomes less Scooby Doo and more tinged with horror. The last chapter finally speaks the one word that confirms what a well-read reader has seen coming during the story.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley

I woke up at 4AM and couldn’t get back to sleep, so my trusty Kindle kept me entertained. This book has a great premise: 3 families all claim the legal rights to a house that hasn’t been inhabited in more than a generation. Due to the legal battle, the once gorgeous house sits empty. Representatives from the 3 families hire a squad of young detectives to stay at the house for a week and search the house for proof of ownership. If they leave before the week is up or before proof is discovered, they forfeit 3 million dollars. Sounds easy enough, right?! The only problem? The house is haunted and every other attempt has failed and has even resulted in death. How badly does this team need money and why are they so determined to stay????

There are chilling moments and suspenseful situations, but the ending wasn’t clear enough for my liking. Certain things confused me and I felt as though a sequel may be in the works?! If so, I really dislike books that end vaguely so that another can be written. Please don’t leave the readers confused!!! I needed more of an explanation.

3.5 stars

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