Review: Haunted House by Jack Kilborn

Author: Jack Kilborn
Publisher: Self
Date of publication: April 2018

At Butler House, a series of grisly murders over a century have lead many to believe it's haunted. To one scientist, it's the perfect place for an experiment in fear. Eight people, each chosen because they lived through a terrifying experience, are offered a million dollars to spend one night at Butler House. They can take whatever they want with them-religious items, survival gear, and weapons. All they need to do is last the night. But there is something evil in this house. Something very evil . . . and very real. And when the dying starts, it comes with horrifying violence and brutal finality. There are much scarier things than ghosts. Things that will kill you slowly and delight in your screams. Things that won't let you get out alive.

Haunted House is the fourth and, I believe, final book in the Afraid series.  This one features characters from the first three books as well as a couple from another series.  I would love to say that this holds up well as a stand alone book, but it doesn't really.  You could read it first, but it really spoils who survives in the first three books.  

I thought this one was pretty enjoyable.  It did remind me of Endurance, but wasn't as over the top gruesome.  The house was really creepy and the scares would make good movie scenes.  The one thing that I liked was seeing how each of the survivors were affected by the events of their stories.  Often we don't get to see what really happens weeks or years later.  For most of them, it wasn't a complete HEA.  I definitely recommend this one, especially if you love haunted house stories.