Review: Twelve Nights at Rotter Hosue by J. W. Ocker

Author: J. W. Ocker
Publisher: Turner
Publication Date: November 2019

Felix Allsey is a travel writer with a keen eye for the paranormal, and he's carved out a unique, if only slightly lucrative, niche for himself in nonfiction; he writes travelogues of the country's most haunted places, after haunting them himself.

When he convinces the owner of the infamous Rotterdam Mansion to let him stay on the premises for 13 nights, he believes he's finally found the location that will bring him a bestseller. As with his other gigs, he sets rules for himself: no leaving the house for any reason, refrain from outside contact, and sleep during the day.

When Thomas Ruth, Felix's oldest friend and fellow horror film obsessive, joins him on the project, the two dance around a recent and unspeakably painful rough-patch in their friendship, but eventually fall into their old rhythms of dark humor and movie trivia. That's when things start going wrong: screams from upstairs, figures in the thresholds, and more than what should be in any basement. Felix realizes the book he's writing, and his very state of mind, is tilting from nonfiction into all out horror, and the shocking climax answers a question that's been staring these men in the face all along: In Rotter House, who's haunting who?

Twelve Nights at Rotter House was a random library pick.  IT also turn out to be one of the creepiest horror books that I have read in a long time.  In the story, Felix is a not so successful travel writer who likes to investigate and write about creepy places in the world.  He is not a believer, but is open to having his mind changed.  He is hoping Rotter House will give him the comeback book that he needs to make money.

This would make a great horror movie.  The twist ending was a genuine surprise.  I thought the story was going in one direction and I was completely wrong.  The author did a great job of building tension and setting a perfect spooky atmosphere.  The characters were interesting, that includes that house.  It takes on a personality of it own. This is definitely not a book to read when you are at home alone.   I highly recommend it if you are looking for a good haunted house book.