I was reminded of the opening lines of Toni Morrison’s Beloved as I was reading this book. “124 was spiteful. Full of a baby’s venom.”

With a nod to Morrison (and of course Shirley Jackson), Johnny Compton has crafted a suspenseful gothic ghost story about a different kind of spiteful house that feels quite familiar (especially if you’re a seasoned ghost story reader), but also has some distinctive twists.

Eunice Houghton has been waiting for the right person to come to to the Masson House for years and solve the mystery of its curse. When Eric arrives with his two daughters, Dess and Stacy, Eunice immediately recognizes something different about Eric. She knows he’s hiding something, but he seems determined and capable - qualities that will be necessary for his grim task. However, that doesn’t ease her fears about bringing children into the house. She knows exactly what the house is capable of.

Eric, Dess and Stacy move in right away - motivated to solve the mystery of the house’s bitter ghosts in exchange for a large sum of money. As the house reveals its dark secrets, so too do Eunice and Eric. One such secret is of great interest to the ghosts in the house, and Eric is horrified to learn that it involves his young daughter Stacy. He knew they wouldn’t be able to run from the past forever, but what they’re running towards may be even more dangerous.

Taut, chilling and well-paced, The Spite House may not be a wholly unique horror novel, but fans of ghost stories and supernatural suspense will enjoy the detailed writing and recognize the many nods to horror classics. Eric wonders early in the novel, “What harm could a ghost do?” This is a pretty common sentiment in supernatural literature, and I always delight in witnessing a protagonist’s realization of how wrong they were to underestimate a ghost.

I really liked the ideas contained within this story. It had a great and original premise but it ended up being a mixed bag for me. Where it succeeded was in the creation of atmosphere. It manages to create a wonderful feeling of claustrophobia which does a good job of keeping the reader off balance and was integral to creating tension and suspense. Between the family’s paranoia and constantly being on guard to the weird layout of the house that seemed to be closing in around them, it imparted an eerie feeling of emotional suffocation.

Where this novel struggled was in maintaining momentum. I typically love a book with multiple points of views but this one had entirely too many. It bogged the book down and kept it from moving at a brisk pace and made it feel choppy. This detracted from it ever becoming truly horrifying. Still, I did love the originality of the premise and thought it was a really interesting take on a haunted house story.
Thanks to @netgalley and @tornightfire for this arc.

When Eric and his two daughters flea Maryland they stay in different hotel rooms on the way to Texas. He wants to make it there to the place he spent summers with his grandparents but there’s another reason. When they get close to their destination he season add four a house they say is haunted and to him it seems like an answer to a prayer. If they stay there a certain amount of time and report what happens he’ll get enough money to purchase his grandparents home and he and his daughters will have a safe place to live. After a quick interview with the homeowner he Stacy and Desi move in in the strangeness begins immediately but that isn’t the only thing they have to contend with. Not only are they still dealing with the reasons they fled Maryland but a reporter and a crazy man will have something to say about them staying in the haunted house. I found this book more interesting than spooky but I still enjoyed it very much. I also thought the narrator did an awesome job. I listen to headphone audio and half using the Kindle burden and I think I enjoyed the audio version with the narrator much better. That isn’t always the case but was the case this time. I would definitely highly recommend this book I have come to learn either you love or hate this book and I loved it. And highly recommend it. I received this book from NetGalley and McMillan audio but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forget any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Eric Ross, a father who left his entire life behind is on the run with his two daughters from a mysterious past. Unable to stay in same place for too long and desperate for money, Eric comes across a strange ad for a job as a caretaker at a house. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity and all that Eric will need to do is stay in the house long enough to keep a detailed record of everything that goes on within. The job offers a large payout but that's not all that Eric is after, maybe this job can help him solve his mysterious past.

I love a good haunted house story and this was an intresting take on it, I enjoyed reading The Spite House start to finish. The story is told from multiple POVs, this is something I love if done well and I feel that it was. Every character brought new information to the table even with parts of the story overlapping character to character nothing felt repetitive or irrelevant.

If you love haunted houses, family secrets, gothic thrillers, small towns then you should definitely check this book out, it goes much deeper than that but I dont want to give too much away.
Overall a really fantastic read and such a strong debut, I really look forward to seeing more of what Johnny Compton puts out in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire, and Johnny Compton for sharing the digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my authentic review.

The Spite House by Johnny Compton (@comptonwrites), coming from @tornightfire on February 2, 2023, is a Gothic influenced ghost story about a hungry, haunted house. That's the best way I can describe it. While there are some slow burn aspects to the book, when the hauntings occur, the story quickly ramps up the action and the scare factor and things get creepy quickly.

Eric Ross and his two daughters, Dess and Stacey, are on the run from a past none of them asked for or completely understand. When the opportunity arises to make some decent money by providing evidence of the paranormal by staying at the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric jumps at the chance to be able to finally provide his daughters with some stability. But everyone involved, the owner of Masson House, the previous tenants, and the Ross' themselves all have secrets that they feel they need to keep, so nothing is ever as it seems. And when the house itself finally starts to play a part in the haunting, Eric knows that while he's in danger, he needs to follow through with the investigation in order to protect his daughters' futures.

Very rarely do books give me the creeps, but this one did. The descriptions of the initial hauntings and the claustrophobic nature of Masson House all add up to a feeling of pervasive dread throughout. Each chapter is told from a different character's POV; while this may sound confusing, it makes for an interesting read as we see the story unfold through the eyes of each of the characters. As everyone's secrets are laid out throughout the story, each person's motives become clear and while I thought there was going to be a lot of unanswered questions, but Compton ties everything up in a satisfying manner.

Another excellent release from Nightfire! If you're a fan of ghost stories and haunted houses and don't mind a little creepiness in your book, than this is for you!

A huge thank you to @tornightfire and @netgalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#thespitehouse #netgalley #tornightfire #nightfire #horror #horrorbooks #bookreview #arc #frommybookshelf #frommybookshelfblog #book #books #bookstagram #gothic

I love me a good Gothic horror/haunted house story. Johnny Compton mostly achieves this but I think a simpler approach would have been more effective and frightening. I found there to be too many plot threads and a lot of aspects and questions did not get answered by the end of the book. I really wanted to know why all these characters were tied together by this same occurrence. It seemed there was something bigger going on but was never discussed.

Overall, this was a good story. I really liked the characters Compton created and I liked the overall feeling of “looming threat." Can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

3.5/5 - I really like a good haunted house novel, and I think the biggest reason why this book isn’t a 4 or 5 star book for me is that I wanted MORE of the house. I found the buildup and the story leading us to the house to be a bit dragging and repetitive, like, yes, *something* happened, that’s why they’re on the run, but let us never speak of it! But don’t forget, *something* happened! Don’t get me wrong, I liked the characters and thought their creation was full of depth without artifice and believed everything about them, but I felt an impatience for the story to get going for probably like the first 40% of the book. That being said, THAT FRICKIN’ HOUSE! So creepy, I loved it. The things it could do, the things inside of it, the anger surrounding it, the weirdness of the architecture, all great. I just wanted more of it. At about 55%, the story took off at a gallop and I couldn’t stop until I was done. Looking forward to more books by this author.

The Spite House was a creepy, creative, and entertaining haunted house story. I thoroughly enjoyed the alternating chapters in each characters perspective, as I felt that added a lot of depth to the story. The house itself enthralled me! I wish it was real so I could visit it. The ending left me a little underwhelmed, I guess I expected more action than what we saw, but it still resolved the story. Overall this was an incredibly fun read, and I’ll be recommending it to every horror lover I meet.

A father on the run with his two daughters, looking for work and stability for his girls. A mysterious job offer, made by an eclectic old woman who wants to know the secrets of an old spite house on her land.

Eric Ross and his two daughters, eighteen-year-old Dess and seven-year-old Stacey, are making their way across the country, evading authorities and staying under the radar. When Eric spies a job offer for a caretaker of a house with known paranormal activity, he only sees dollar signs and the ability to secure a future for his family. But when they arrive in Degener, Texas, and meet the owner of the property he starts to question the wisdom of bringing his daughters to such a frightening place.

I’m a sucker for a creepy cover and title. Johnny Compton is a new to me author, but I didn’t hesitate to click that request button after reading the blurb and seeing this cover. I’ve read plenty of haunted house-based horror novels, but not one where the house in question was a spite house. There are quite a few POV shifts as the story progresses from introducing Eric and his daughters, then moving to the owner of the spite house and her family’s history, and eventually onto the previous occupants of Masson House.

There are a lot of plot threads to untangle and tie up by the end. There is a tragic, dark history to the house that Eric experiences firsthand through dreams of the original owner. But he has his own reasons for seeking information about its past and how that intersects with his own family history and what sent him, Dess, and Stacey on the run.

All in all, a creepy, scary good time. I look forward to checking out this author’s backlist.

What a phenomenal debut. This is truly one of the better haunted house stories I’ve read in awhile. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more Johnny Compton books in the future.

Thank you to Johnny Compton, the publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC.

The setting for this gothic horror story, was amazing. I had never heard of a spite house before reading this book, and the concept did not disappoint. It left me with chills, and a few nightmares.
The characters in this book were well thought out and had a lot of depth to them. My favorites were Dess, Eunice, and Lafonda. I also enjoyed the dynamic between Dess and Eric, and Dess and Stacy. This book has multiple POVs which usually I do not love, but I think in this case it worked really well and helped propel the story forward.
This book covers a lot of different issues such as familial issues, the corruptible power of money, and racism. I think there was an interesting juxtaposition between the paranormal horror going on in the house,, and the horror of the microaggression that the family faces in Texas.

scare factor: 3.5
Setting: 5
Characters: 5
Overall rating: 4

A horribly claustrophobic gothic haunted house debut! I loved the depth of each character especially THE house! It left me very unnerved and looking over my shoulder at every turn. It beautifully crafts the bond weaved through generations of both love and hate. It truly shows the depth of love for family and what one would do to protect their loved ones even through generations and the unknown. Incredible debut novel and I cannot wait for more work from Mr. Compton!

A creepy tale of a house built by spite and the ghosts that haunt it! Eric Ross is in hiding with his two children, in desperate need of cash flow, he accepts a gig where all he has to do is live in a supposedly haunted house. It’s never that easy, is it? Both his past and the house’s collide in a terrifying conclusion that left me freaked out, curled up in bed at night.
I had a really great time reading this and fell in love with a lot of aspects of this books. First off, I have such love for both of the daughters, Stacy & Dess. Both were calm and collected throughout and it highlighted how “different” the past they are running from is. Next, the house’s petty past in being built. Sadly, I could see that situation actually happening, in the same way we see people erect giant middle fingers to irritate their neighbors. Last, the ending was a perfect one to me. I won’t spoil it but it felt like everyone got what they really wanted/needed in the end. Can’t wait to add a physical copy to my bookshelves!

What a phenomenal debut! This is Southern Gothic horror at it's best. There are some pacing issues and their are a lot of POVs - but I found that the POVs worked, and the pacing left a lot of room for tension.

There are truly so many layers to this story that I know that I missed things. I can definitely see myself picking this one back up again.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

So…
I didn’t like it.

Don’t get me wrong it has its awesome moments that really sucked me in…
But…

I didn’t like it. It took me forever to get into it, and then when I did get into it… well it let me down. I can’t quite explain it but it just didn’t hit all the points for me. It felt hollow to me almost, almost like just as the story got good the story just fell off and then the end came and it was just meh.
I’ll still recommend it, because again how I feel isn’t how someone else will feel about it. This just missed the mark for me.

I loved the back story and the characters but honestly I felt like some of it was overkill. There was a lot of story that was just too much info. Some of it felt as if it was not relevant to the story and could have easily been left out. However I love a ghost story and the story line kept me interested enough that I had to finish it. The ending was great!

Eric Ross and his daughters are running from something, running through Texas, which Eric finds a job offer that he can't refuse. Basically, a wealthy woman is paying to stay in a haunted house. The house in question is a "spite house." Eric takes the job, not really sure what to expect.

This is the leadup to Johnny Compton's "The Spite House," a taut, interesting haunted house story, with masterful tension and suspense. Eric and his daughters Stacey and Dess are so memorable as characters. I was definitely along for the ride until near the end, which confused me a bit. However, I do recommend this book for anyone who likes a more psychological or atmospheric gothic haunted house story.

Single dad Eric Ross along with his two daughters mysteriously up and left his life in Maryland for Texas. Eric is desperate for money when he comes across an ad for the Masson House in Dengener, Texas. The Masson house is notorious for being haunted and the owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity so someone to stay in the house and record any strange occurrences. Eric believes this will be a great opportunity since the job offers a huge payout and because Eric is curious about the supernatural world.

I love ghost stories and especially those about haunted houses so I was immediately drawn to The Spite House’s synopsis.

My favorite part of The Spite House was the atmosphere in the Masson house. I also enjoyed learning about the house’s history, who built it and why. I also really enjoyed learning about the main character Eric and uncovering his mysterious past. There was also an unexpected twist that completely surprised me.

The only thing I didn’t like about this one was there were a lot of things left behind at the end and several issues that went unresolved. But overall I enjoyed The Spite House. Johnny Compton did an excellent job with his debut novel!

The Spite House by Johnny Compton will be available on February 7. Many thanks to Tor Nightfire and Netgalley for the gifted copy!

A modern gothic told with a charming family on the run for SOME REASON we don’t learn until late forces them to move into the dreaded, haunted SPITE HOUSE deep in the heart of Texas.

The first 1/3 of the novel is its most tense, as we first meet the family — the relationship between Eric and his eldest daughter Dess is a real highlight — and see them on the run from their past. The book covers familial issues, systemic racism, and the corruptible power of money in a really refreshing way, which is kicked up a notch once Eunice — the owner of Spite House — is introduced.

Unfortunately, I feel the book lost steam when we arrived at the house. The terrifying thing at the center of the book ended up feeling all the less tense and frightening as we saw and learned more about it. Some of the twists that were intentionally kept from us at the start of the book was also bothersome. We’ve learned so much about these people, so why not trust us and the writing with that information earlier?

All in all, a solid chiller and debut with a ghost story more about the ghosts in our own lives and communities than what simply has returned from the dead. Definitely worth a read and I’m interested in what Compton will do in the future.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thanks to @netgalley and @tornightfire for the review copy!

3.5 stars

The Spite House was a unique twist on a haunted house story. This southern gothic horror novel was set in current-day Texas and follows a single father - Eric Ross - and his two daughters Dess and Stacy as they run from a dark past.

When Eric and his family arrive in Degener, Texas - a town practically owned by a tech millionaire - they are presented with a "great" opportunity - live in the mysterious Masson House and provide proof of its paranormal activity in exchange for a generous payout.

What ensues is a wild and rather complex plot spanning multiple generations of trauma, and obviously, spite. While I loved the multiple perspectives and diverse characters, there were some side plots that were never fully resolved.