luciameetsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Agh how I was needing to read a horror story! And The Haunting of Henderson Close was just what I wanted right now.
This book has Hannah as its main character, this amazing woman that is trying to find her place in the world after her daughter goes away to work and she goes through a divorce, that's how she finds herself working as a tour guide on Henderson Close. I loved her and her personality, she was funny, smart and above all, adorable as a friend. I think I'd be able to read about her for quite a while without getting bored or tired.
Then we have other interesting characters that I got to connect immediately with and I was so thrilled to find out about their unique stories. Of course, we didn't get to know them deeply because that was part of the mystery but I did truly enjoyed the facts that we got to know. The only one I didn't care about at all was the male friend in the group (I've already forgotten his name, that's a clear sign of how much attention I paid him), he was really plain and I didn't know why he was there on the first place. For me, he had nothing in common with my girls.
However, the most enjoyable thing about this book is its creepiness. From the start, this book gave me the chills and I actually jumped a couple of times when someone around me made a loud noise while I was reading 😂. The downside though, was that it got less and less scary as the story went on in my opinion, it was hard to picture the things described as something dark.
A super interesting thing I found unique on this story was that it used a lot of Scottish slang because it's set there and even though I had to look up quite a few words on the dictionary, I loved doing it and it made the story feel much more real. I could imagine it was me there in Scottland talking to all these different people and I loved it.
Regarding the ending, I didn't like who was to blame. I felt like it didn't make a lot of sense and it came out of nowhere which was a bit dissapointing.
To sum up, The Haunting of Henderson Close has amazing characters, it makes you feel like you're inside it and it has some really creepy scenes. However, if you're looking for a truly scary book, saddly I wouldn't recommend the second half of this one which was a huge let down for me since that was what I was looking for.
This book has Hannah as its main character, this amazing woman that is trying to find her place in the world after her daughter goes away to work and she goes through a divorce, that's how she finds herself working as a tour guide on Henderson Close. I loved her and her personality, she was funny, smart and above all, adorable as a friend. I think I'd be able to read about her for quite a while without getting bored or tired.
Then we have other interesting characters that I got to connect immediately with and I was so thrilled to find out about their unique stories. Of course, we didn't get to know them deeply because that was part of the mystery but I did truly enjoyed the facts that we got to know. The only one I didn't care about at all was the male friend in the group (I've already forgotten his name, that's a clear sign of how much attention I paid him), he was really plain and I didn't know why he was there on the first place. For me, he had nothing in common with my girls.
However, the most enjoyable thing about this book is its creepiness. From the start, this book gave me the chills and I actually jumped a couple of times when someone around me made a loud noise while I was reading 😂. The downside though, was that it got less and less scary as the story went on in my opinion, it was hard to picture the things described as something dark.
A super interesting thing I found unique on this story was that it used a lot of Scottish slang because it's set there and even though I had to look up quite a few words on the dictionary, I loved doing it and it made the story feel much more real. I could imagine it was me there in Scottland talking to all these different people and I loved it.
Regarding the ending, I didn't like who was to blame. I felt like it didn't make a lot of sense and it came out of nowhere which was a bit dissapointing.
To sum up, The Haunting of Henderson Close has amazing characters, it makes you feel like you're inside it and it has some really creepy scenes. However, if you're looking for a truly scary book, saddly I wouldn't recommend the second half of this one which was a huge let down for me since that was what I was looking for.
ericarobyn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
The Haunting of Henderson Close by Catherine Cavendish is a beautifully eerie tale of historic tours, lingering spirits, séances, and the bravery required to find answers to mysteries that brought danger upon those that went looking.
When the book kicks off, we meet Miss Carmichael, a wonderful woman who lives in Edinburgh and pays many visits to a place called Henderson Close where she helps the poor as much as she can. But one day, she is attacked and killed.
Many years later, after the area had been built upon, a tour company allows visitors to come in through a gift shop to go underneath to explore the old area as the guides tell them about those that used to live there. The tour is supposed to be historic, but many visitors are there hoping to see the rumored ghosts.
After Hannah joins the tour company, she sees some strange things right away. While skeptical at first, she soon realizes that her experiences aren’t just her peers pulling her leg as the newbie on the crew. These rumored ghosts have proven themselves to be very real, and they need Hannah’s help.
I picked this one up on a sunny July day and sat out on my porch to read it. Boy, am I glad it was a warm and sunny day! This book left me with quite the chill!
I was sucked in immediately! In fact, I got seventy-four pages in before realizing I hadn’t paused to look up or take any notes on my favorite passages! I was just that immersed!
The atmosphere that Catherine has created here is so striking. She really plays on all of the senses when describing a scene, you’ll feel like you’re right there with the characters.
Catherine also carefully increases the volume of horror steadily throughout the story! Beginning with a few little bursts of spookiness, we soon turned the dial up to things that gave me the chills, and then the knob was all the way at max where we saw some brutal and terrifying things! I loved every minute of it!
The plot itself was brilliant. I really enjoyed that the storyline was organized in a way that slowly gives the reader more information from various perspectives until they are able to see the full picture. While there were plenty of chapter breaks, I didn’t feel like I could set this book down at all. I needed to know more!
And that ending! PHEW. I did not see any of that coming! This was such an awesome story from start to finish!
My Favorite Passages from The Haunting of Henderson Close
Greyfriars Kirkyard at night. Chill. Dark. The church ghostly in the silver moonlight. Trees denuded of leaves, their branches reaching out their skeletal fingers to the heavens. It didn’t take much imagination to see ghosts walking among the gravestones of the generations of the Edinburgh dead, slumbering – or lying unquietly – beneath their granite blankets.
She forced herself to move steadily when every pore of her being screamed at her to run. The visitors had recovered and were now chatting excitedly among themselves, moving slowly. Oh, so slowly. Behind them the banging had become an incessant loud thumping. At any minute, it sounded as if the boards would give way and something would crash through and into the Close. Hannah dreaded what that something might be.
Lucky for him the night was still pitch dark and he knew the streets so well. A sudden noise nearby startled him and he melted into the shadows of a doorway.Â
A sudden blast of cold air whipped past her ears, stinging them with the sharp chill. But in the trees not a leaf stirred. It was the stillest of nights.
My Final Thoughts on The Haunting of Henderson Close
This is a perfect read for fans of beautiful gothic horror that’s filled with twists and turns, with beauty and darkness, and which features characters with a lot of heart and some major bravery.
If you couldn’t already tell by the sheer number of exclamation points I used in this review, I had a blast reading this!
bookdenjen's review against another edition
3.0
The Haunting of Henderson Close was a very atmospheric read. There were so many elements of haunting and supernatural stories that I love, but it may have suffered a little from having too much and a lack of focus.
Review copy provided by publisher
Review copy provided by publisher
tuxedokitties's review against another edition
3.0
A good solid ghost story set in Edinburgh. Spooky enough to hold my interest and the author uses the beautiful city and its history to good effect.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
annarella's review against another edition
4.0
I really like this creepy ghost story.
It was full of twist and turns, fast paced and I couldn't put it down.
The setting was well described and realistic, the cast of characters well written and likeable.
I loved how the creepy factor keeps growing and get chillier with every page you read.
It was the first book I read by this author and it won't be the last.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC
It was full of twist and turns, fast paced and I couldn't put it down.
The setting was well described and realistic, the cast of characters well written and likeable.
I loved how the creepy factor keeps growing and get chillier with every page you read.
It was the first book I read by this author and it won't be the last.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC
wellwortharead's review against another edition
3.0
Over 100 years ago a brutal murder took the life of Miss Carmichael as she made her way through Henderson Close in an attempt to do a good deed for one of the many residents living in squalor and poverty. Now it's a tourist attraction where people pay to walk through the eerie abandoned neighborhood and hear the dark history and morbid tales of a bygone time.
When Hannah arrives, recently divorced from her cheating husband and looking for a fresh start she is excited to begin her job as a tour guide. That excitement soon turns to anxiety and fear when ghostly figures from the past and evil creatures make themselves known.
I would recommend it not just to those who enjoy ghost stories but gothic hauntings and historical fiction as well.
I received an advance copy for review.
When Hannah arrives, recently divorced from her cheating husband and looking for a fresh start she is excited to begin her job as a tour guide. That excitement soon turns to anxiety and fear when ghostly figures from the past and evil creatures make themselves known.
I would recommend it not just to those who enjoy ghost stories but gothic hauntings and historical fiction as well.
I received an advance copy for review.
jillmlong's review against another edition
3.0
Catherine Cavendish did a great job telling this spooky horror tale about a murder that took place in 1891 Scotland, that reverberates back to today. The atmosphere was well done. I could picture myself back in that time with her vivid details. However, I was left a bit confused with the ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.