Review: The House by the Cemetery by John Everson

Author: John Everson
Publisher:  Flame Tree Press
Date of publication: October 2018

Rumor has it that the abandoned house by the cemetery is haunted by the ghost of a witch. But rumors won’t stop carpenter Mike Kostner from rehabbing the place as a haunted house attraction. Soon he’ll learn that fresh wood and nails can’t keep decades of rumors down. There are noises in the walls, and fresh blood on the floor: secrets that would be better not to discover. And behind the rumors is a real ghost who will do whatever it takes to ensure the house reopens. She needs people to fill her house on Halloween. There’s a dark, horrible ritual to fulfill. Because while the witch may have been dead... she doesn’t intend to stay that way.

It's October, so to mix things up, let's take a look at a new horror novel, The House by the Cemetery.  It follows Mike, an alcoholic carpenter, who is hired to fix up a house next to Bachelor's Grove Cemetery.  Town planners want to turn it into an old fashioned haunted house to make some money for the town.  Rumor is that it is haunted by the ghost of a witch who died decades before.

When I read a horror book, I always wonder if it would translate well into a movie. I'm a fan of cheesy B-grade horror movies.  This book would do fairly well as a b-grade slasher flick. There is a lot I liked about this book.  If you aren't a fan of gore, then you probably won't like this book. But, for the fans of gore out there, the last half is a fairly intense.  That only add to the appeal of the experience.   I also like the creep factor of the house.  I'm not sure I would want to work on a house like that even during the day.   I also loved the ending. 

What I wish was further explored was the mythology behind the witch.  We get some back story, but I'm wanted more.  I think that was the purpose of Jillian's character, but she didn't do enough of a good job at explaining things.  As for the other characters, there were few that I cared enough about to root for.  The one person I did like survived, so that was a bonus.  I won't spoil it by telling you who it was.  Mike was a bit clueless.  He should have seen the reality of his situation long before he did, but then the alcohol may have been masking his judgment. He pretty much got what he deserved in the end.

Overall, this was an enjoyable October read.  It was a good story to set the mood for the month.  This is a new to me author, so I'll have to check out his other offerings.