A review by snowbenton
House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy
4.0
Ben, like any good middle class horror protagonist, moves his wife and two sons to an abandoned house with a creepy history in a small town so that they can restore the house to make it into an inn. Along the way he meets a cast of small town elders who are pleased to have one of their founding families relatives back in the area, a kindhearted priest, and a creepy deputy.
Yet despite the plot's familiarity, Duffy does a great job of keeping you on your toes. I was suspicious of every one by the time the book ended, suspecting trouble from the priest, Ben's own son, a wendigo (at least, I suspected a wendigo after about five minutes, which probably means I read too many supernatural books and watch too much supernatural tv), and everyone else Ben encountered. I liked that I didn't know if it was going to be a supernatural story or a realistic one, and the interweaving stories of revamping the inn with modern conveniences blended nicely with the tales of the town's past.
Would recommend to someone looking for a nice modern horror.
Review copy granted by NetGalley.
Yet despite the plot's familiarity, Duffy does a great job of keeping you on your toes. I was suspicious of every one by the time the book ended, suspecting trouble from the priest, Ben's own son, a wendigo (at least, I suspected a wendigo after about five minutes, which probably means I read too many supernatural books and watch too much supernatural tv), and everyone else Ben encountered. I liked that I didn't know if it was going to be a supernatural story or a realistic one, and the interweaving stories of revamping the inn with modern conveniences blended nicely with the tales of the town's past.
Would recommend to someone looking for a nice modern horror.
Review copy granted by NetGalley.