Do not read this book. This book is offensive and poorly written. The plot hinges on an “evil trans woman” trope. The character in question was beloved and wonderful pre-transition, and post-transition she endangered a lot of people by messing around with the occult (something she should have known better than to do bc she was a paranormal investigator) and uses a young woman (who‘a sole purpose was to teach/absolve the main dude) as a human shield. This character is constantly misgendered and dead named. Her whole transition is used as a device to make her “evil.” Beyond that this book is just poorly written. The horror plot has both too much going on and no substance. The main dude is only given character development through the brutal murder of others (particularly young women). He faces no consequences and is explicitly written to be fate’s special little boy. I have never read a book that I have so hated. I would have given it 0 stars if I could.

Eric Thompson has always been drawn to the paranormal. His beginnings were on YouTube with his best friend, Michael Goode, investigating the mysterious. After that, they were offered a TV show, recording their different creepy adventures. However, after one particular encounter gone horribly wrong, his best friend disappeared, leaving Eric beside himself in multiple ways. Best friend gone. Career in tatters. Barely hanging on.
After a live interview on a daily talk show, an unknown, Michelle Snow, proposed an intriguing opportunity for a comeback: a documentary special at the infamous Morsley Manor in the UK. A new assistant, a new location, a new investigation. What he finds there will change his life forever.

It took awhile to really get into this one. There were a lot of parts that did not always seem very cohesive. Overall, it was ok.

#ThxNetGalley #GeorgeMorrisDe'Ath #TheHauntingatMorsleyManor

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Unfortunately, I struggled immensely with the writing, and while the story itself was intriguing, this book was overall disjointed and chaotic in an unenjoyable way.

First off, this cover is gorgeous. It drew me in right away.

I enjoyed the spooky vibes in the book. It started off pretty strong, but it quickly lost me. The writing just didn't feel like it flowed well for me. There were also just a lot of things going on. I think the story would've been so much stronger if the elements had been narrowed in a little more. Great idea for a story, but execution just needs some work.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

First of all, I really enjoyed the spooky vibes and creepy moments. The first 30% of the book was undoubtedly the best though. The story went kind of all over the place after that and I felt it dragging at times. The ending left me very underwhelmed.

Bummed out about this one because I was excited to read this book.

This started off strong but it ultimately had way too much going on which made it feel fragmented and disjointed. The middle part of this book felt slow and the ending left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. This felt like there was so much going on that it was hard to really grasp the overall story and suspense. For such a quick book, it would’ve been more beneficial to me if the author just narrowed things down a bit. I also had some trouble with how these characters were written.

There are certain books where you read them and can tell that a man wrote it, and honestly, this was one of them. I didn’t care for some of the comments made against women and the way that the transgender character was written also bothered me.

This book just didn’t hit the mark for me. I didn’t hate it but I also didn’t particularly enjoy it, landing me at a 2/5 star rating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rising Action Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really liked parts of this! The horror elements were cool, the premise was fun and intriguing. The prose was a problem for me - kind of plodding. I think it’s worth giving a shot though if you’re into haunted house stories!

I thought this was a solid haunted house horror. I loved the complex protagonist, Eric Thompson, a paranormal investigator with a troubled past. Eric's relationships and backstory add depth to the story, making it more than just a typical haunted house tale. Its like a late-night creature feature and will feel familiar to fans of horror, fantasy, and mystery alike.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

This book was all sorts of disappointing. I wanted to love it but everything fell flat- the plot, the characters, the writing. It did not live up to the synopsis.

Unfortunately this book struggled in many areas for me. In the "pros" category, the book was short and well paced. I wanted to like it but can break down my struggles into found areas: prose, horror, world building, or characters

Prose: I do not require eloquent prose to enjoy a book but I still found the prose lacking. The book has some passages that are VERY dialogue heavy, then they will take a paragraph to explain a character and their motivations (I would prefer to be shown the characters motivations), then some fast paced horror.
Horror: As the book goes on the horror element are done better and better. Unfortunately due to the chaotic world building and fast paced story it is hard for any tension to build or feel like there is any real danger. The start of the book bounces back and forth between horror scenes and mundane scenes/talking so it never actually feels scary.
World building: This was particularly frustrating. The author builds the book on some knowledge of the supernatural and witches being real but also takes a fair bit of time invalidating the supernatural (explaining how you can "make" zombies without actually being zombies). The witches are written like a bad billionaire romance meets contemporary fantasy for some reason, which is not cohesive with the rest of the supernatural elements in the book. Overall they is just no explanation and the book seems to use whatever supernatural explanation works best moment to moment. It is also just not scary when the supernatural is "whatever is convenient"
Characters: Finally the characters. Unfortunately I think I could have overlooked everything else if the characters delivered, but they did not. In brief, the characters are inconsistent, overly explained, and unlikeable.

Thank you for the ARC from NetGalley.

First and foremost I want to say thank you NetGalley, Rising Action Publishing Co & George Morris De’Ath for allowing me to read and review this book in advance!


✨” For the darkest of creatures are so often the hungriest.”✨

Eric the MMC is a paranormal investigator, who has travelled all throughout the world to investigate the unknown. He receives a proposition to investigate Morsley Manor with a new partner and see if all the horror stories are true. He accepts this offer, and embarks on this investigation with an open mind, but he is in for a world of activity.

This story in my opinion was very average for a “haunted house” book. I found it very chaotic in the sense that a lot of different elements were going on throughout the book; I feel if this book had one or two or even three different elements it would have hit better but SO many different stories made it lackluster. I applaud the author for trying but if it was just narrowed down it would have hit better! It was easy to read, and definitely fast paced! I will say I am a fan of this cover though, it immediately caught my eye (no pun intended 😂)

⭐️⭐️✨/5

I was so intrigued by this premise and the cover pulled me in. However the book wasn't my cup of tea. I didnt like the characters and it didn't spook me.

What a story! It kept me entertained til the very end. It had twists, turns, double crosses, truth, mystery, horror, etc. it had so many different things that make a horror novel great. The ending was all nice and wrapped up in a nice little bow. But every bow is a little bit loose and I cannot wait to see if the bow comes unraveled. I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy a thriller horror novel with some gore, tons of surprises, and a haunted mansion.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I should have DNF'd when a trans character was used as a plot device... Made me feel icky. Can't look past it, tbh. I guess it falls into the category of "male authors who can't write women."

This is a novel filled with ghastly entities, a high body count, and a story of friendship and betrayal betrayal.

Eric and Michael have been like brothers since they first found each other at the orphanage they both grew up in. They've done everything together and have made a highly successful career of being paranormal investigators.

When an incident at a haunted forest leaves a trail of bodies, Michael leaves for parts unknown as Eric continues his work. Looking for a comeback after some negative publicity, Eric is lured to the titled house in England which promises a lot of supernatural experiences because of its bloody past.

That's when things are going to take a dark turn. Because behind it all is Michael, now a trans woman named Michelle, and....well....it becomes a bit convoluted at that point. Eric's once close as a brother friend is now an uncaring person who has set up fake encounters for ratings. Yet true evil spirits lurk within the walls and property and, much like a slasher, people begin to get slaughtered.

There's nothing inherently bad about this book. Lots of gruesome kills and memorable supernatural entities abound. But there's a witch who owns a billion dollar company, another being who prophecys to Eric at one point, and the characters just didn't resonate with me. Most were fodder for the massacre and even Eric was a bit one dimensional. He is the good guy, Michelle is the bad person, and that's that.

I enjoyed the overall story but some of the extras which didn't really add anything were confusing at the end. But I would still recommend it if you want a bloody haunted house story with some truly frightening spirits.

This is not at all the gothic horror I was looking for when I read the summary. That isn't to say it's bad, but it simply wasn't for me.

The themes felt very jumbled together, the two major twists in this book didn't do much in the way of propelling the story forward, it felt, so much as a way to cobble together every typical horror trope you could think of.

The bare bones of this story are fascinating, and I think if it continues into a second book, it could definitely improve upon it's initial experience. Overall, not the worst but certainly not the best gothic horror I've come across.

This novel kept me on my toes the whole time however I feel like I have unanswered questions and I’m left unsure of how certain elements fit into the story as it progressed.
I did find this to be a novel that I was able to read through pretty quickly, and after reading the epilogue I really hope that there’ll be a sequel possibly to answer some questions and I’d love to see Eric take on more cases

The Haunting at Morsley Manor by George Morris De'Ath is a spooky and satisfying horror read that had me hooked from start to finish. I loved the complex protagonist, Eric Thompson, a paranormal investigator with a troubled past. The way the author weaves together Eric's story with the supernatural events at Morsley Manor is masterful.

The plot is well-paced, with unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing. The horror elements are unapologetically graphic, with a dash of camp that adds to the fun. The author's use of creepy settings and supernatural elements creates a chilling atmosphere that's perfect for fans of horror.

What really stands out is the way the book balances horror and suspense with character development. Eric's relationships and backstory add depth to the story, making it more than just a typical haunted house tale.

If you're a fan of supernatural horror, you'll likely enjoy The Haunting at Morsley Manor. Just be mindful of some heavy themes. Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I’m still gathering my full thoughts, but I think I loved this book.

The atmosphere is so tense and you almost dread reading further because you don’t know what’s coming. It’s felt almost like a found footage horror movie, which is absolutely a good thing.

Is the protagonist amazing? Not by any means. But he’s absolutely perfect for this setting.

It’s gory, it’s haunting, and it leaves you feeling itchy and just a little nauseous.

Thank you very much to Rising Action Publishing Co. for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was easily one of my favorite reads of the year. Gory, supernatural, and deliciously campy, this haunted manor horror novel is the perfect treat for fans of The Haunting of Hill House and The Woman in Black.

Eric Thompson, a once-famous paranormal investigator, finds himself in professional ruin after a tragic investigation leaves most of his team dead. His career and friendships are in tatters until a mysterious woman offers him a second chance. She hires him to investigate the legendary Morsley Manor, a place long considered off-limits to ghost hunters.

What begins as a publicity stunt quickly unravels into something far darker. As Eric steps inside the manor’s decaying halls, he finds himself face-to-face with horrors that defy explanation. With every shadow and sound, the lines between the living and the dead blur into a terrifying reality.

Equal parts grotesque and atmospheric, this book is packed with frights and twisted fun. But beware: it is not for the faint of heart.

Content warnings: violent and graphic deaths, clowns, insects, spiders, child death, and paranormal violence.

A bloody good time. Highly recommended.