Horror Book of the Week: The Spite House by Johnny Compton

 If you’re looking for a gothic haunted house novel, THE SPITE HOUSE By Johnny Compton may be just the horror book you need. 

The novel has garnered positive reviews and is being described as an interesting gothic tale full of mystery and creepiness. Reviewers promise that the novel will; keep your interest throughout and will fill you with dread as you find yourself deeper into the story. 

The novel that has been published in February 2023 is Johnny Compton’s first horror novel. This 272 pages novel has been well-received by readers so far. 

Customers who bought THE SPITE HOUSE have generally given positive reviews. Many thought that the book was an engaging and engrossing read. They also felt that the characters were believable and that the twists were surprising. However, some criticized the book for having too many viewpoints of too many characters. They also felt that the plot gets convoluted as each character is introduced and that resulted in the story unravelling. 

However, there are more positive reviews for THE SPITE HOUSE than negative ones. 

Quick Review of THE SPITE HOUSE (based on the sample)

Each chapter has the character’s name as a heading so we immediately know which character’s POV we are going to read about now. 

The first chapter is told through Eric, a man deeply troubled and looking desperately for a job and a house. The writer is able to paint a bleak picture of Eric’s life where he has been stiffed by people who promised to pay him for work. He has two daughters that he feel extremely responsible for and struggles to provide a good life for them. 

When he comes across an ad for THE SPITE HOUSE, a known haunted house, Eric realizes this is his only chance to get himself out of his miserable situation. He calls the number and the interview is set. 

We then meet Dess in the next chapter. The story is told through her then and we learn that she has been taking some odd jobs around town to earn some extra cash, enough to take her sister Stacy for pancakes, anyway. 

Dess thoughts are mostly about escaping and making sure her sister understands that in an emergency, she must run as fast as she can and hide. Clearly, there is a past that the family is trying to run away from which has left them in this deplorable financial condition. 

The author does a capable job of getting the story out and gripping the reader’s attention. There is a sense of mystery before the family has even entered the renowned haunted house. 

You will find yourself connecting with the characters as the author does a decent job of breathing life into them. 

However, the author also spends some time over-explaining character intentions rather than leaving it for the reader to understand it on their own. A bit of subtlety in the subplot would have helped enhance the writing. 

THE SPITE HOUSE Plot (Taken from Amazon.com)

 A terrifying Gothic thriller about grief and death and the depths of a father's love, Johnny Compton's The Spite House is a stunning debut by a horror master in the making—The Babadook meets A Head Full of Ghosts in Texas Hill Country.

Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in tow. Having left his wife, his house, his whole life behind in Maryland, he's desperate for money—it's not easy to find steady, safe work when you can't provide references, you can't stay in one place for long, and you're paranoid that your past is creeping back up on you.

When he comes across the strange ad for the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric thinks they may have finally caught a lucky break. The Masson property, notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas, needs a caretaker of sorts. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity. All they need to do is stay in the house and keep a detailed record of everything that happens there. Provided the house’s horrors don’t drive them all mad, like the caretakers before them.

The job calls to Eric, not just because there's a huge payout if they can make it through, but because he wants to explore the secrets of the spite house. If it is indeed haunted, maybe it'll help him understand the uncanny power that clings to his family, driving them from town to town, making them afraid to stop running.

The Spite House By Johnny Compton is available in the following formats: Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, and Paperback.