Overall this was a good Gothic horror. I felt the build up was a bit too much when measured against the climax which unfolded in the span of the last few chapters and, honestly, felt rushed. This author did a good job of building up the atmosphere but then it read like they remembered they needed an actual resolution to the mystery and, as such, it was left lacking. Not that it was bad but after the build-up it just seemed too quick and then it just ended.

This was my first book by the author and I would read from them again which is telling. This just didn't deliver the way I wanted or expected it to. I would highly recommend for people looking to break into the Gothic genre since it is a good feeler to decide if it is the genre for you.

If you enjoy paranormal horror novels with gothic vibes then you don't want to miss this one! I was surprised to find that it did indeed give me the chills when reading!

Thank you for the ARC of this book. I wanted to like this book but could not. It was slow, predictable, and not at all scary. I really had to force myself to finish it. It took over 90% of the book to have happen what I already knew would happen from the first 10%. Get having the "get on with it already" feeling.

The house that horror built is a fast paste thriller/suspense novel. A single mother works inside a giant Gothic mansion. The owner is a horror director which makes the home even more creepy and scary.

What she doesn't realize is that the house and owner has deep disturbing secrets.

Harry is a single mom who would do anything to provide for her son Gabe. When she finds a position as house cleaner to her favorite horror director who has become a recluse, she jumps at the chance for the job. She needs the position to keep a roof over their heads but when she hears strange knocking, ghostly cries for help, and then old movie props start coming to life in a very threatening manner- Harry has to decide is stress causing her to hallucinate or are Gabe and she in real danger?
Totally creepy -loved it! Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

After a suffocating childhood, Harry struggles through life doing what she can to scrape together a life for her and her son. After losing her job due to Covid, Harry finds herself working as a cleaner of an old, creepy mansion for who was once an acclaimed horror writer and director. Harry soon finds out that there is more to the house and owner than she can even begin to fathom.

Christina Henry masterfully weaves a mystery and horror story in a way that makes it hard to put down! The end comes at you fast and hard and will leave you shocked and wanting more! Fans of Henry’s novels will surely enjoy this read and those who haven’t read her before, will quickly become a fan.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for letting me read this ARC!

A solid horror novel with some unexpected twists! A gothic paranormal horror story set it Chicago, the pacing is medium-fast and easy to move through.

This book gave me all the Grady Hendrix vibes. Loved it! Give me a classic horror/haunting/haunted house story anytime and I'm on board. My only wish is that it would have had a bit more closure at the end. If you are a classic horror movie lover this is your book.

Christina Henry’s newest book is a horror-light tale centered around a reclusive horror director and his gothic manor filled with horror movie memorabilia. First off, the premise is fantastic; it has all the earmarks of a thrilling popcorn read: horror movie references, a central plot involving the disappearance of the director’s wife and son, as well as its possibly haunted house setting.

This was a quick afternoon read that kept me entertained. Most readers familiar with horror/thriller tropes will figure out the twist early on. I was hoping for more of a surprise, but it didn’t really take away from the book’s entertainment value. While the frights are few, they are effective. They managed to give me goosebumps a few times. The director, as well as his films, will seem familiar to anyone who loves Guillermo Del Toro films, especially Pan’s Labyrinth. I think that is part of the fun. The reader gets to be immersed into horror movie magic while reading a spooky story. Definitely not Henry’s best, but I appreciated the effort, and the trip down memory lane.

Great book! I read it in one sitting. I would recommend this book to any reader that is a newbie to the horror genre.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Harry was a cool character and easy to like. I loved the horror memorabilia house setting that this book takes place in. It took me forever to get into the story and I just don’t think this book is for me. I was hoping for a heart racing, horror story and it just wasn’t…

This was a slower burn and not truly a horror story per se, it seemed more focused on our MC Harry's life as a mom then about the backstory of the horror. It has the elements of some horror to be honest and some thriller moments as well and the twist at the end was good, but unfortunately seemed to stop abruptly. Almost like it was an afterthought to finish the book. I enjoyed the last half of this book, but I wish there was a bit more to the horror at the ending. It seemed like there should've been a bit more like it was missing something. But, that's not going to deter me from reading more of her stories though because I really like her writing style. I have a lot more of her work and seeing what it's like has me excited to delve into that part of my TBR!! I liked this book and I would recommend it. Definitely rounding up to a 3 1/2 stars.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

While I typically like this authors novels, this one felt a bit flat. The bones of the story were there, but nothing was fleshed out in any way. It fells awful to have our main character struggle the whole way through the novel (in occasionally easily preventable ways) only for her to end up even worse off than she was at the start. I had hoped for an epilogue of sorts where she possibly sells the story and gets enough money to be secure at the very least. I also didn't find much of this book particularly scary as the characters go from denying anything scary is happening to outright telling hauntings to get lost. This one was a rare swing an a miss for me.

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing and Christina Henry for my copy of The House That Horror Built. I have been waiting for a good horror book, and this was just the one. It’s about Harry, a woman who takes a job cleaning the house of a famous horror movie director, Javier Castillo. She has always loved horror movies, so it seems like the perfect job, even though Castillo has been embroiled by scandal. The house is full of scary movie props and eerie costumes, and Harry is trying to keep her head down and do her job without getting involved with anything in Javier’s life.

Then, she starts hearing noises in the house like someone calling for help. She starts seeing things that couldn’t possibly be real, but are they? Then there is a death on the property, and Harry starts to think there is more going on than she thought, and she can’t ignore it anymore.

Thoughts: This was a chilling horror story that was full of just enough creepy things to keep me on the edge of my seat. While everything seemed normal, there would be something paranormal happening in the corner of my eye as I read, making me wonder what was really going on. I loved Harry and Gabe, both great characters and easy to root for. The setting of the house full of horror memorabilia was a lot of fun and the perfect scene for this creepy story to take place.

This book was a quick read and like a horror for beginners. There wasn’t too much depth in this story, and it was mainly straightforward and easy to follow. I think there could have been more horror in this story, and also more underlying subtext as well. I read it in a few hours and still thought it was a fun popcorn read. 3-stars.

Before I wind up deterring any of you from reading Christina Henry’s stuff, let me say that Alice, Lost Boy and The Girl in Red were all huge winners for me and I do not hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for a dark retelling of a familiar tale. This reimagining of Rebecca, however????

Ooof. What a mess.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review! 

Harry Adams is a struggling single mother who works as a cleaner for a reclusive horror movie director. Javier Castillo left Hollywood after a family scandal. He lives in solitude surrounded by movie props. Harry starts seeing and hearing strange things as she works, but she’s determined to ignore it because she needs the job to support herself and her teenage son.

I really wanted to like this. It has such an intriguing premise, but it does not live up to expectations. Given the title, I thought this would have much more horror than it ended up having. There are spooky moments, but they were mild. To me, the scariest thing was Harry’s poverty and impending homelessness. The pace is very slow, the twist at the end is obvious, and the characters aren’t memorable.

I had such high hopes from the plot description here, but sadly it did not work for me much at all. I think I just don't get along with Christina Henry's writing, unfortunately, but I know so many folks who love it and will adore this very zeitgeisty horror novel. (For some reason it seems like all the major authors are coming out with a cinema-centered horror novel this year, perhaps prompted by the success of Silver Nitrate? It's certainly a trend I'm on board with!)

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Berkley for facilitating my receipt of a pre-release copy! Below is my honest review.

So every time I read a Christina Henry book, I end up loving it. This one was no exception!

This one has the ambience, the slow burn buildup, the modern setting but still gothic style, the character depth.

My head had built up this whole theory about the twist that I thought was going to happen, and while the author went a different way, I loved the actual ending.

All in all, an excellent horror read that I highly recommend.

Thank you for this eARC! This book was unique and a fun one! Loved the spooky atmosphere the author created and the characters! Highly recommend if you need something fast paced!

I was super excited to read Christina Henry's "The House That Horror Built" because I loved "Good Girls Don't Die," but this did not meet my expectations. Harry, the main character, is a down-on-her-luck single mother who's having difficulty paying her family's bills and is about to be evicted so she takes a job cleaning reclusive film director's (Javier Castillo) home. It's filled with props from his films, and Harry's a big fan of his films and horror in general. She starts hearing and seeing things, but she's determined the keep this job.

Nothing happened for so long in this book, but I kept going in the hope it was a slow burn and would build to a big finale. I hoped it would have twists and turns I wouldn't see coming and maybe even the characters would become more likable. None of this occurred. The explanation for the horror elements was just blah, and I didn't really care what happened to any of the characters. They didn't feel like real people or make decisions real people would make.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC.