After a very successful start, Malice House dropped off a cliff for me around 75% of the way in. It's unfortunate, I hate to say it, but it happens...

This story follows an artist named Haven Marbury. Haven's father, a very famous author, has recently passed away. Because of this, Haven travels from her home in New York City to his property on the West Coast. She has inherited his possibly haunted house and everything in it.

Having recently suffered through a very traumatic break-up, with barely two pennies to rub together, the idea of having a place of her own, far from her ex, is actually a blessing. Once at the house, Haven meets with her father's 0ld-caregiver, a rather disturbing woman in her own right. A woman that in the past has refused to spend one single night at the property.

Unusual happenings begin pretty much right away. It's a big house and definitely spooky. Additionally, it's bringing up a lot of mixed feelings for Haven. Sifting through her father's belongings, Haven discovers an unpublished manuscript called Bedtime Stories for Monsters, which is quite different from his previous works.

It's dark and twisted, right up Haven's alley. She has an epiphany. She needs money. Her father's name on a cover will sell any book. She's an artist. She'll illustrate this book and pitch it to publishers as a father-daughter posthumous collaboration.

Unfortunately, a local group of bibliophiles that her father was a part of, the Ink Drinkers, start continuously trying to insert themselves into the process of deciding what to do with the unpublished manuscript. Haven probably should have kept that discovery to herself.

After that, things start to get really weird. Haven feels like they're crazy, she wants them to stay the heck away from her. It's her father's work. They have no say over what she does with it, or do they?

There's an attractive, though suspicious, neighbor. There's potential poltergeist activity at the house. There are monsters coming to life and attacking. There are crazy locals and a dark, ill-feeling atmosphere.

As mentioned above, I was super intrigued by this in the beginning. I love the idea of fictional stories pulling through into real life. Monsters jumping off the pages and wrecking havoc. Are you kidding?! That's amazing!

There were a few fun twists and as it began to come together as to what was happening, I lifted an eyebrow. Okay, Megan Shepherd. I see you. You are a Horror Gurlie. Me too!

At some point though, it kept going and went too far. It got so convoluted that it was hard to follow. I'm not sure what could have improved, I'm not claiming to be an author here, but it completely lost me by the conclusion.

I liked Haven as a character and enjoyed watching her discover some fairly significant family secrets. I just wish the pace could have been more even. The monstrous elements did build steadily, but they didn't stop at a coherent point. It just devolved into chaos.

The more I think about this, as I am writing this review, the more disappointed I get. I am serious when I say, I really enjoyed the beginning. There are so many elements in this to love, especially if you are a fan of darker fiction. Unfortunately, it just wasn't pulled through to a solid conclusion in my opinion.

With this being said, just because I wasn't crazy about the ending doesn't mean you won't be. If the synopsis sounds intriguing to you, absolutely give it a shot. You could find a new favorite read within these pages.

Thank you to the publisher, Hyperion Avenue, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this one didn't blow me away, I would definitely pick up more Megan Shepherd novels.

Gothic atmosphere, spooky vibes, creepy creatures running amok, I loved this book.

Aspiring artist Haven Marbury is returning to her late father's remote house by the sea to clear it out after his death. Her father has warned her the house is haunted but she chalks it up to the supposed dementia ailing him. Her father has won Pulitzers for his works but she unexpectedly finds a book she's never seen, Bedtime Stories for Monsters. Haven has been shot down by multiple publishers due to her illustrations being too dark but she thinks this could be the book that catapults her work, drawing her illustrations to a book by her famous father that no one even know's exists. After creating these monsters from this book, all of a sudden monsters start appearing in the house, monsters that look just like the ones she's drawn.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book as Megan Shepherd's first adult horror/thriller book. I've read her past Young Adult Fantasy books and immensely enjoyed them. But wow, her adult work is so much better. I know they say authors work improves with each of their books they write and that was definitely the case here.

This book was spooky to the point I didn't want to read it at night. The way these monstrous creatures were described legitimately freaked me out to the point I wanted to look under my bed incase anything was lurking there. The atmosphere only added to the eeriness of this book, everything was rolled together perfectly to creep me out and make my heart rate kick up. The dark and gruesome themes might not be for everyone but I seriously couldn't get enough.

I was expecting a lag somewhere in the story due to it being entirely following Haven's perspective but I honestly didn't get that. The entire story kept me engaged and then I got to the break-neck speed ending and I loved the story even more.

Thanks to Hyperion Avenue for the copy for my review.

The cover of this novel really pulled me in!! I genuinely enjoyed the fantasy aspects that were mixed in. The plot was very intriguing and I was hooked all the way through. Immediately purchased a physical copy when this was published!

A great read by this author. I definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Shepherd artfully blends horror and fantasy in Malice House. This has an unbelievable mystery and truly terrifying moments. Secluded homes are just not a good idea! Haven comes to her father's town shortly after his death. She finds an unpublished manuscript of short stories. All of which are scary as hell. She draws illustrations inspired by the stories and then shit just gets strange and then horrifying. I felt the ending was a little too long but I really enjoyed this creative and scary book. Thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy.

Unfortunately, this book was simply not for me. I felt the story was disjointed and I found it difficult to decipher how the fairy tales at the start of each story meshed with the continuous storyline. As a seasoned horror lover, I don't believe I am the target audience. I do think it is perfect for readers who want to get into reading horror tinged with a bit of fantasy especially new adults.

Damn, this ended up being a dark fantasy, and I dislike fantasy. But it is a well written supernatural tale about art and its power to take on different forms than what its creator intended.

Megan Shepherd is a must buy author for me - no matter what the story, her books are an auto purchase and I’m never disappointed.

This was a really fun read!

Recently separated and left with almost nothing to her name, Haven returns to the home she grew up with, last inhabited by her famous author father who has since passed away. While looking for memorabilia to sell, Haven starts to notice weird happenings around the house. Could it be the work of a local literary group dying to get their hands on Haven's father's unfinished scary monster manuscript or is there actually something sinister and supernatural about Malice house? I think it's clear early on what path the plot will take but you are still in for a deliciously fun twist. I also loved the interwoven monster stories at the beginning of each chapter and I wish they were their own book, very creative! I personally thought the pacing at end was a bit slow with all the fight scenes piled up but definitely worth the rest of the thrills and intrigue!

I’ve loved the thriller books put out lately and this was such a great read. Suggest to everyone looking for an engrossing time.

Malice House by Megan Shepherd is a horror novel.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Hyperion Avenue (for granting my wish - sorry I'm late in my review)  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Haven Marbury has just inherited her father's estate.  Although an acclaimed novelist, Amory Marbury was broke, owing money to everyone.  All that is left for Haven is the rather run-down house, known as Malice House, which her father claimed was haunted, although his dementia may have been to blame for that.  However, it is somewhat perfect timing for Haven, because she and her abusive husband have just parted ways, and she is broke, with nowhere else to go.

When Haven finds a rather bizarre hand-written manuscript entitled Bedtime Stories for Monsters, she thinks she may have struck gold.   It is very different from the books that her father was known for.  These are short stories with strange creatures, witches and despicable humans. With ideas of publishing it with illustrations of her own, she meets with friends of her father's, who try to take over.  Everyone wants a piece of the manuscript, but Haven has become rather attached to the characters in the book, and feels she is the only one that can do the book justice.  If she can't illustrate it, no one can have it.

Haven meets Rafe, the handsome neighbour, who seems to be hiding something.  She also becomes friends with Kylie, the barista and wannabe author at the local bookstore.  Kylie, too, is hiding something.  But when Haven encounters the creature under the that bed attacks her, she starts to doubt her own mind, and trusting anyone becomes an issue.  It appears that her illustrations are coming to life, and Malice House may not be the safety she craves.


My Opinions:
I loved it.  It has a certain rhythm to it, and I didn't want to put it down.  Part of me wants a sequel. 

The chapters are told from Haven's perspective, with blurbs from "Bedtime Stories for Monsters",  so that eventually we are able to read the short stories.

The premise of the story was intriguing, and the twists were unexpected.   A couple of times I thought the book could end, and something else would happen to suck me back in.  It felt like a roller-coaster ride that knew no end.

It's a book of nightmares coming to life.  If, as a child, you thought there might be something under the bed, this will prove you right.  It was a fun, yet horror-driven, read.

It is also a book where the heroine learns she is not who she thought she was.  She is much braver, much deeper, much more talented than she ever thought she was.  She also learned that family can surprise you.

Overall, I just loved this book, and I'll be looking for more from this author.

Malice House is a dark and hauntgood story about Haven, her deceased father, and a creepy old house. The story built quickly and kept me immersed in every twist and turn. Hopefully there is a sequel because I need to know if she goes to find Rafe!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for reviewing an eARC.

I really enjoyed the world-building in this creepy little book. And I really enjoyed the book as a whole. There's really not much to say beyond that.

I liked the beginning, had to trudge through a slow middle, and had to keep up to a fast-paced end. This wasn’t for me, but I can see this as a good read during the spooky season.

Ooo this one was interesting! Not at all what I was expecting but so good! There was a great dash of horror and some genuinely scary moments. I feel like a reread is in order!

(3.5 stars rounded up)

I love books about books and writing, especially when there’s a spooky element to the story, so Malice House seemed right up my alley!

Despite my initial excitement, this was a slow start for me and took me a long time to really get into. There were so many elements of this story that ticked the boxes for me (including a found manuscript, things that go bump in the night, bootlegged horror movies, mysterious and gruesome deaths), but the execution of it all just wasn’t quite right for me.

The pacing felt very slow and dragged for me at times, and I thought the reveal of the main antagonist was not very interesting.

But there were things that I really liked about the story (including Haven, her relationship with the mysterious neighbour, and some big family secrets) and it offered a lot of food for thought in terms of writing, creation, and the nature of ideas and inspiration. So I have very mixed feelings about this book. The things that worked for me really worked, and the things that didn’t really didn’t.

Dark and a little spookier than I normally like. Another great read by Shephard but be wary of monsters! Thank you netgalley for this arc.

This book had me hooked for the first half, it was incredibly promising and had all of the amazing elements of a thriller that I look for. However, towards the end it starts to get more into a fantasy element that made it so much more difficult to believe and to get into. This truly ruined the book for me, as I am not much of a fantasy reader. The setting of this haunted house was done so incredibly well, and had so many horrific and gruesome elements that truly made this book so hard to put down! Definitely will check out another book by this author.

Malice House is a mix of genres—paranormal, horror, and thriller! I understand it might not be a preference for some people, but I enjoyed reading this book. The atmosphere and the creepy story made it more fun. I always love reading stories about haunted houses, ghosts and paranormal sightings, so Malice House was an instant win! Only reason I’m taking away a star is because there were some slow parts around the middle, but its only a few pages, I felt little derailed for the momentum! Other than that, Malice House is a well-written story that hooks you from the start.

Thank you Hyperion Avenue via Netgalley for the arc!

I’m not sure what that was. Dark fantasy, mystery, horror …. It definitely bends the genres, and not always successfully, IMO. Whatever the genre, it is seriously creepy. I am not sure that I liked it, but I couldn’t look away. 2.5 stars, rounded up.