Cover Image: The Proctor Hall Horror

The Proctor Hall Horror

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Member Reviews

I loved this one. It's a super creepy read with ghosts and gore. This was well written and I enjoyed the face pace.

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I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Ha perfect book for Halloween Month! I love the cover.

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Dear me, I've only known that this was the 7th book in a series AFTER I was finished reading. 😅 Regardless this story deserves to be in the horror genre. It's very creepy and has an unsettling feel to it. The perfect Halloween read!

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I had never read anything by this author (who is, in his own right, super interesting), but this book was awesome. It was just creepy and spooky and I'll be reading more from this author!

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I received an ARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Proctor Hall Horror is an interesting ghost story that takes place in a haunted house. It's a mystery with twists and turns. Once I stated reading it, the book was hard to put down. It has a diverse cast of characters that add to the plot of the story. The story keeps getting more interesting as it progresses. It's a creepy good read.

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Ah! Horror movie fans will love this, but I think so many other readers out there will, too! Following four college students who visit an abandoned farmhouse that is home to a spooky past on a plantation, the reader better prepare for some spooky and paranormal fun! I know this is a later installment in a series (of which I have read none of) but it felt like it could stand alone to me and I had no trouble at all understanding what was going on. There are all sorts of spooky vibes and creepy atmospheric goodness going on in this and I think this would be a great read for anyone!

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A book of two parts. I enjoyed the first part, a really good, creepy ghost story. But then it changes - it'a almost as if it's another author.
I can understand that the author wanted to add a real twist to the story - but I struggled to get focused and as interested in the second part as in the first.

The book is quite gruesome and graphic in parts, so if you don't like that sort of thing, might be worth giving this one a miss!

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The Proctor Hall Horror by Bill Thompson was received direct from the publisher and I chose to write a review. The book starts out as the standard, though better than average in gore factor, haunted house story. It is also a murder mystery, which was not my cup of tea. Another thing readers should know, if they dont already, it is the seventh book in a series. The reader does not need to read any of the other books (I have not), but just forewarning people. If you like southern Louisiana, a wicked haunted house and murder mysteries, give this book a read, right now.

4 Stars

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Are you looking for a good Halloween horror book to read? The Proctor Hall Horror put you there in an action-packed run. This one got it all from ghosts to paranormal activities. It had me thrilled that I could not put it down.

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The first half of this story is very well written and creepy. It grabbed my attention and kept me there. The main thing that bothered me is that there’s way to many point of views. There are times I had to go back and reread certain parts because I didn’t really know there was a change in characters. The book really could’ve used less point of views.
Now with the second half is where the book lost me. It went from a creepy paranormal story to a not so creepy and not very paranormal story. The change in pace threw me off and kind of made me lose interest. I really do wish I had enjoyed the story better.

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Part ghost story. Part murder-mystery. All awesome.

From the publisher:
Could Fourteen-Year-Old Noah Proctor have slaughtered his family
in their beds, arranged their bodies on a couch and put their heads
on the mantel?
Everyone in town thinks so, but Noah’s not talking.”

Proctor Hall Horror had a ton going on. The story diverged into a bunch of different plot-lines but they all were tied together and into the main plot perfectly. The story was extremely spooky and there were quite a few times that I had to continue reading instead of stopping when I had intended, because I couldn’t leave the story on a cliffhanger, because of this, I finished the book rather quickly. It took me a little over two days to get through.

The characters were extremely relatable. There were many different times that they made decisions that, as the reader, I was able to recognize as stupid and reckless, but they were decisions that I can honestly see real people, myself included, making if we were placed in the same situation.

Going into Proctor Hall Horror, I was not aware that it was part of a series. I’m looking forward to reading more of the Bayou Hauntings.

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Dr Julian Girard, likes to put his students to the test, and each year he assigns them a project, on which they must work as a team, to research and evaluate something from South Louisiana history.

This year he is certain that he has picked the perfect team of four, to tackle his favourite topic, The Proctor Hall Horror.

In 1963, at a plantation house, in South Louisiana, a teenage boy was found, sitting on the stairs of his home, covered in blood.

On further investigation, his parents and sister were found dead, but propped up on the sofa as if they were waiting for someone, however, it was instantly apparent, that they were no longer living, as their heads, were no longer attached to their bodies, but instead, sat upon the mantle, like ghoulish ornaments.

There son, Noah, a mute was believed to be the culprit, but was never convicted, nor did he go to trial as he was deemed insane and unfit for trial. Instead he was lucked up in an asylum, until years later when he was deemed to be no fret to himself or others, released and returned to his old home, to live with the caretakers, who now resided there and had known him all his life.

but the Mystery didn't end there. Years later a young girl vanishes in a storm, her boat found docked in front of Proctor hall, and an item that belonged to her, found discarded by it's door. Again Noah is accused, but when no other evidence is found, he walks yet again.

Determined to succeed in their project and win the notoriously difficult to get A, from their professor, Marisol, April, Micheal and Andy have no idea what they are getting themselves into, and their not alone in wanting to learn the truth about Proctor Hall, a whole host of other interesting characters are about to enter their lives and the Bayou's of Louisiana and not all of them will escape with their lives.

There are a lot of great twists and turns in this book, and plenty of surprises. It's tense and interesting and I won't lie it had me pretty hooked. However, as with a lot of horror books there are a few things that are a little far fetch, that April, suddenly happens to be clairvoyant and never bothered to mention it before, was one of them. I'll admit, that had me rolling my eyes. That things were able to occur with everyone so close and them not hear it, again doubtful, especially when you discover what actually caused those things to happen. You also don't get to really bond with the characters and connect with any of them, but it's not the longest novel in the world and their are an awful lot of characters, and that didn't really effect my enjoyment of the book, as there was so much going on to keep me engrossed and sucked in. And realistically this is a horror, it's job isn't to give you characters that you bond with, it's to keep you on the edge of your seat, get your hairs standing on edge and maybe have you freaked out about going to the bathroom on your own. And this one did a pretty good job of that, I wasn't at any point really scared but I was hooked and intrigued and desperate to find out more and that's good enough for me. So despite the odd unbelievable moments I think I am still gonna give this a pretty decent 4 out of 5. Because I did enjoy it and I'd definitely be interested in reading more by this author in the future.

A big thanks to NetGalley, Bill Thompson and his publishers, for allowing me to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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This was an interesting read with a fascinating plot. You keep reading till the end to find answers.

Unfortunately I felt the characters were lacking and they moved too quickly for the plot. Just as you get interested in one of them, they disappear. It felt disjointed especially at the end, where it all should have come together.

Stating this does not distract from the plot, it just leaves some gaps I wish weren’t there. The characters handling of trauma is also questionable and unrealistic with the horrors they experienced.

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The Proctor Hall Horror by Bill Thompson is the 7th installment of the Bayou Hauntings series. I didn’t realize that this was a series when I began reading this book and I do feel that it could be read as a stand-alone book. The story involves a massacre that occurred in the 1960s where a family was brutally murdered with the exception of 14 year old Noah. Noah doesn’t speak and some people think he may have autism. Many think Noah murdered his family, but he is not fit to stand trial. Years later, a girl goes missing from the same house. Is Noah responsible for the disappearance?

In the present a group of students is researching Proctor Hall for a class dealing with Louisiana culture, which includes tales of the supernatural. They go to the house determined to see if they can find out more about Proctor Hall. Is this house haunted?

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. It was a very fast read. It makes me want to read the other 6 books in the series.

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The Proctor Hall Horror by Bill Thompson is scary as hell and I loved every inch of this story. I have always been drawn to books about ghosts and haunting sand this one did not disappoint me at all. The story starts in 1963 and we meet a 14 yr old mute boy, Noah, whose parents as well as his 12 yr old sister are dead with their decapitated heads placed on the mantle in their home. He is found sitting on the staircase covered with blood and unable to explain the events that happened that day. The police assume that he killed everyone and he is then placed in a mental institution. The home, now called Proctor Hall, has garnered the reputation of the most haunted home in Louisiana. After Noah’s release many years later, he returned to Proctor Hall where things started happening and people were disappearing. Lots of interest was placed on the plantation. Most notably a professor, Julien Girard, has his students study the home and what happened that night every year as they learn about Louisiana’s history. The writer does a great job describing the area as well as keeping the readers focus on the supernatural aspect. I enjoyed the simplicity as well as the development of the characters. The story has enough twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat guessing the whole time. Gripping and gritty, I was afraid to turn my light out so I just kept reading until I finished. This is one you MUST read if you like horror stories that will ensure you get what you paid for. I want to read more by this author.


Thank you netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I love a good horror read and the premise for The Proctor Hall Horror really intrigued me. in 1963, a 14 year old boy sits mute on the stairs in his house. His parents and 12 year old sister inside, murdered, their heads displayed on the mantelpiece. Locked up in an institution for many years after the killings, Proctor Hall gains the reputation as the most haunted plantation in all of Louisiana. Many people over the years are anxious to get to the bottom of the true story of Proctor Hall, including University Professor Julien Girard. He instructs his students every year to investigate as much as they can about the house as part of their assignment in his class on Louisiana culture.

What ensues is scary, tense and edge of your seat gripping as the students and paranormal investigators come up against something horrific occupying the house. It hits the ground running and doesn't let up.

And that is the story up until the 65% mark or so. From that point on, it felt like someone else had written the book. It does a 360 degree turn and becomes more of a stereotypical slasher/murder style read set in an isolated house surrounded by fields and in proximity to a hick town where no one can help. Gone were the chills and thrills of the earlier chapters and I found my attention wandering as I said more than once a total outrageous and disbelieving "REALLY????".

2 stars as the first half was excellent but the second half let it down in my humble opinion.

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I don't know about you but when I read a book about a haunted house, I expect certain things: an atmospheric building with a tragic and/or violent past, a mystery to be solved, plucky heroes who are willing to risk life and limb to unlock the secrets of the house or save their loved one from certain doom. This book has some of that but I felt that it was missing the most important ingredient: a feeling of dread and tension that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

Proctor Hall is the site of a horrific murder and mysterious disappearances over the years and Noah Proctor is at the center of it all. In 1963, when Noah was a teenager, his family members were decapitated and their heads were placed on the fireplace mantel. Noah, found sitting on the staircase, was covered in blood and unable or unwilling to speak. It was assumed that he was the murderer and was sent to an institution for years. After his release and return to Proctor Hall, a number of other people disappeared from the property, never to be found. Move forward to present day and there is renewed interest in the tragedies at Proctor Hall. A group of students from a local college and a local paranormal investigator are all determined to unlock the Hall’s secrets. Unfortunately for them, the Hall isn’t through claiming lives.

I was intrigued by the premise when I read the synopsis but unfortunately, the execution of the story left me feeling disappointed. The author seemed to be undecided as to what kind of book he wanted to write – horror or thriller – and I think that diluted the effect of the story for me. The settings were well described but I felt that the rest of the story was being spoon fed to me, rather than letting my own imagination fill in the blanks. In my opinion, the story would have been much scarier if there had been more action and less talking. For example, the main villain spent a majority of their time in the latter part of the book looking for people that they could “share their secrets with” and talking about all the bad things that have been done instead of actually being a villain. The scenes in the house are pretty repetitive and I would have liked to see the author do more to make them more atmospheric and tension-filled. Instead there was lots of “so & so saw a figure, got really scared and fainted” type action. The various storylines were quick to end with a lot of convenient happenings, which made them less plausible (yes, even for a ghost story). There were some twists in the book but unfortunately they weren't enough to really engage me.

Despite my critique of this book, I would be interested in reading another of Mr. Thompson’s books. I see lots of promise in the premise and would love to see (and experience) more of the thrills that I look for in these kinds of stories. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this horror story. It had gore, but it didn't feel gratuitous to me, and it also had a good spooky feel (more toward the beginning when we didn't have a single clue what was going on). My only thing was, there were occasional scene changes that didn't transition smoothly, more like the way a scratched CD skips; one minute someone is talking and walking, the next minute they're in the car and I have to stop and check to see if I missed a step. Not a big deal at all, and certainly not enough to make me not enjoy the book.

I think sometimes the characters' opinions were a bit... over-expressed? Like, they would have almost the same thought many times, and to the point where it didn't feel like normal repetition, but maybe the author trying a little too hard to get a point across. Again, not enough to make me dislike the book at all, just a thought I had.

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The Proctor Hall Horror grabs your interest right from the beginning. Hard to put down because you want the answers to this gruesome mystery.

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Can I just say how much I love the setting Thompson uses in this series? I love Louisiana for spooky stories, but a haunted plantation in the Bayou?? Perfection!
💜
I can also say that this novel is action packed! There are twists and turns in every chapter, bound to keep the reader on their toes.
🤍
That being said, this novel isn't my favourite. It has many of the qualities of a slasher flick (which I have never loved), with outlandish happenings and flat characters. I also wasn't too keen on the omniscient narration that felt a little jumpy. I would be curious to read more of his work to see if this is just his style, or out of the ordinary

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