I’ll just come out and say it; I didn’t love this book. With all the glowing praise that’s been saturating social media, I expected to be blown away, or at least highly impressed, but I just wasn’t in the long run. Of course, as with anything and everything I read I’m going to try and express my thoughts as best I can, and understandably, there will be spoilers. First of all, the beginning struck me as intriguing – there were all these elements that seemed unrelated yet no less interesting in their own individual ways, but the strength of the start waned as something in particular became apparent the further I progressed. It was the bizarre interactions between characters that just seemed off and left me scratching my head. I just didn’t understand the confrontational approach of nearly every single new person in David’s life; for no reason that I could discern they treated him poorly and judged him considerably. The dialogue seemed almost forced and contrived, as if the sole intention was to leave him a sputtering mess, and rather than finding humour in the derision, I instead felt a monumental amount of confusion. I often wondered if it was merely the fact that he was a successful man, or even just because he was a skeptic, but whatever the case, I believe Janz didn’t at all clarify or explain why David was supposed to be so unlikeable in the first place.

As any other human being, he had his flaws, but I certainly didn’t think he deserved to be condemned for them. More often than not, he did the right thing in the situation, yet was chastised for it. By now I think I’ve made it crystal clear that this bothered me, as did the general consensus surrounding Anna’s death, however thankfully that changed. I prefer verbal exchanges that flow naturally, but here they felt unrealistic and needlessly dramatic. I however did take pleasure in some of the banter, primarily with Mike Shelby Jr. and Ralph.

The supernatural aspects were entertaining, but I can’t say they instilled fear or dread within me. Whilst the history surrounding the peninsula proved compelling, by the end I regarded everything as a bit too much. Considering how rife the paranormal activity was, I was surprised David had never before experienced anything like it in his entire career; he activity hunted for such encounters, and they weren’t subtle here, but full-on in your face with outright corporal madness. There were multiple entities at once, and they were the opposite of shy and insubstantial, so it was hard to swallow the premise overall.

I know I have a lot of complaints, and I’m clearly in the minority when it comes to this beloved book. Janz is a good writer, otherwise he wouldn’t be as successful as he is right now. He was able to include some suspenseful scenes laced with the depravity of a town’s gruesome past, which I welcomed, but ultimately, it comes down to The Siren and the Specter just not being my sort of story.

In conclusion: I changed my rating to better reflect my thoughts, but even though it was largely a miss, I still wish to seek out more from Janz. What became problematic for me was the aggressive tone that dominated the dialogue, as well as the overload of supernatural phenomenon.

Notable Quote:

Though the notion of a house having a personality was antithetical to his beliefs, he did like to think of a house as possessing character. A home’s character, he’d decided long ago, was best discernible in natural light, not a harsh electrical glow.

© Red Lace 2018

3.5/5*

Alexander House is the most haunted house in the state of Virginia. David Caine is perhaps the most well known debunk-er in the United States and as such, he is called in to stay at the house and write a book about it. The current owners are hoping that David will be persuaded into believing that the haunting is real, and that the resulting book about the matter will draw visitors/tourism to the home. Is David finally persuaded that ghosts and hauntings do exist? You'll have to read this to find out!

My brief synopsis above doesn't do this story justice. Unfortunately, that's part of the problem I had with this book. There's a LOT going on-and to be honest? I thought it was too much. I loved the portions about the history of the house, the area where it's situated, and its former inhabitants-specifically Judson Alexander. I would have been happy with a book about him alone.

I understand that this story has several layers and I respect what Jonathan Janz tried to do. However, I think the focus of this tale became too wide, what with tons of information about David's old girlfriend, his old friend Chris and Chris' new wife Katherine, the CRAZY neighbors down the way, the local sheriff, and I haven't even mentioned the siren yet! I was fine with all of it through about 2/3 of the novel, but by the last third it just got too busy for me. Yes, there were thrills aplenty and lots of surprises, but I felt like the denouement went on a bit too long, and tried to cover too much material.

The writing itself though, was excellent, as I've come to expect from Mr. Janz. He created a tense and dense atmosphere-at times I felt I would surely suffocate from it. I also felt the characters were mostly realistic and while David Caine wasn't perfect by any means, I did come to care for him and I wanted him to pull through. This tale was imaginative and to restate, my only problem was that I wished it had been more focused.

I seem to be almost the only one who isn't all-out raving about this story, so it's definitely possible that I read it wrong. Even with my complaint, I still enjoyed the heck out of THE SIREN AND THE SPECTER. You probably will too. Jonathan Janz is always worthy of your consideration and if you decide to give this one a go, feel free to come and share your thoughts with me when you're done. You can tell me how wrong I am!

Recommended!

*I received an e-ARC of this book from FLAME TREE PRESS via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*

After famed writer and noted skeptic David Caine is brought on by an old friend to debunk the paranormal in one of the world's most haunted places, The Alexander House, he soon finds out that everything he thought he knew about the world and beyond is wrong.

First I want to say thank you to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first ever Jonathan Janz book. I'd seen loads of people reading his books in the community, and when I saw the opportunity to read his newest work, I just had to jump on it. Within the first maybe quarter so of The Siren and the Specter, I absolutely did NOT like the main character at all. I realize now that it was probably intentional on the authors part and it ended up actually making the book even better due to some phenomenal character development. I found this book to not only be incredibly chilling at times (The Shelbys, The long bedroom, etc.) But also to be extremely touching at times as well. I feel it was just as much a story of redemption and atonement as it was the paranormal.

Janz has quite a beautiful style of writing that I really enjoyed. He created some very likeable characters, as well as some of the most depraved I've ever encountered in all the books I've read. There were a few twists that left my mouth agape which I very much appreciated. I had no idea what to expect going into this and it's an understatement to say that I was not let down.

If you've not yet read anything by this author, you're truly missing out. I'm going to absolutely be looking into his other works, because if they're anything like The Siren and the Specter, then I need them on my bookshelf like... yesterday.

THE SIREN AND THE SPECTER, by Jonathan Janz, is one of his most complex and "layered" novels to date. In any book, your focus is on either the supernatural OR the human element during certain points. However, in this one, Janz has blended these two components together so well that they are nearly inseparable from each other.

"You can't reason away the unreasonable . . ."

We begin with David Caine, a man known for his books ultimately debunking believed supernatural phenomenon. His old college friend, Chris Gardiner, along with his overly intrusive wife, Katherine Mayr, have purchased The Alexander House: possibly "the oldest haunted house in America" . Katherine is quite adamant that David will write a book that goes against his natural predisposition and admit that this house is haunted; thereby, giving her idea of hosting a 'haunted attraction' quite a large boost in credence.

Chris' motives are not quite as clear.

". . . I don't presume to know the truth about the Alexander House. The fact of the matter is that no one knows the truth."

David's character is as detailed as they get. Mentally haunted by an incident in his past where he pushed away a woman he loved, he is literally full of contradictions and conflicts in both his mental thoughts and physical actions. Janz could not have created a better, more "perfect" character for this role if he tried. This is a man you can't help but feel for, whether you like or dislike his motions. He is simply too real, too human, to look at as mere words on a page. He quickly becomes an actual person to the readers, flaws and all.

". . . there comes a point when disbelief turns into stupidity . . ."

The legends state that a huge, sadistic man--Judson Alexander--was given that out of the way house to indulge in his acts of depravity away from the town.

". . . They gave him this territory to limit what he could do . . . "

Even though the man himself has been dead for centuries, this doesn't stop Janz from creating an atmosphere--both in the Alexander house, itself, and the surrounding area--even more menacing and fear-provoking than before. Every small detail, from the layout of the rooms to the lifestyles and emotions of the two homes closest in proximity, add to this distinctive unease. A sense of almost palpable dread transfers itself from off the pages directly into the reader's mind. I can honestly say that I caught myself either shivering or gaping open-mouthed at many points during the course of this novel, so real were the feelings it evoked within me.

". . . Homes have personalities . . . some are sullen, some are cheerful. This one-- . . . --is less predictable . . . "

"It's like it was . . . hiding from me . . . even walked the property in all directions . . . And I never saw the Alexander House."

As the book progresses we begin to glimpse the depths at which this superstitious legacy has touched all in its vicinity. Without giving away any spoilers, I can safely say that few--if any--readers would be able to even guess as to the lengths Janz goes with these individuals and locations. You'll not find any two the same--ALL original and some . . . damaged . . . in various ways. Despite the number of divergent threads, I never once felt "lost" or confused. I merely couldn't stop turning page after page to read the next episode about to unfold.

". . . Saying words that end up being true . . . is not the same as being honest."

From the centuries old Alexander House, the mysterious Rappahannock River, small Oxrun Park, and neighboring homes, there is a distinctive feel to this novel that if ever there was a place for the "impossible" to become the "everyday", this was it.

". . . You believe certain things your whole life. Those beliefs, they dig grooves into your brain, like a record player, and the needle doesn't leave the grooves. For many years you don't see anything . . . to knock the needle out of place . . . "

Overall, one of the best novels I've ever read that infuses the supernatural so seamlessly with human nature--and I don't necessarily mean the "best" of what humans have to give. Janz didn't just rely on either one element or the other in THE SIREN AND THE SPECTER (which would have been fairly predictable to some), but rather brought the combination to an entirely new level. Throughout "most" novels, I am able to predict some parts long before the ending. However, due to the powerful blending of details here, the few "suspicions" I had missed the mark completely. Despite the literary complexity of this story, Janz' skill made it easy to follow along for the entire duration. The only real complaint I had was when it ended.

I still wanted more.

"That place is deceased . . . "

Highest recommendation!

Description
When David Caine, a celebrated skeptic of the supernatural, is invited by an old friend to spend a month in “the most haunted house in Virginia,” he believes the case will be like any other. But the Alexander House is different. Built by a 1700s land baron to contain the madness and depravity of his eldest son, the house is plagued by shadows of the past and the lingering taint of bloodshed. David is haunted, as well. For twenty-two years ago, he turned away the woman he loved, and she took her life in sorrow. And David suspects she’s followed him to the Alexander House.

Jonathan Janz is a great author and this is a great ghost story. It gives you quite a bit to think about and I loved all of the different characters, except one. I really could have done without the siren. To me that was just a distraction that impeded the story of an otherwise great book.

I was given the chance to read this book for free by Netgalley and Flame Tree Press. My review is my own

The Siren and the Specter is a good romp of a haunted house story. The main character, David Caine's role in life is to debunk reports of supernatural activities. His career brings him to the most haunted house in the country, Alexander House. This house has a disturbing history going back to the 1700s when the eldest son of its owner began a life of depravity and abuse, the ramifications of which have stuck around and infected not only the house but the surroundings and the people living in those surroundings. While David begins his investigation, his own personal hauntings from his past begin coming up out of the woodwork. Both these varieties of hauntings are used to build the story in parallel, unlocking secrets from the past with unimaginable implications. This is a gory horror story. The author did a great job of visualizing not only the house itself and the setting, but the depraved and violent scenes as the story evolved to its climax. Readers should be warned that this doesn't just mean your typical horror scenes of things going bump in the night and visits by malevolent spirits, but also scenes of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, some of which involve children. Some readers may find these scenes disturbing. Some aspects of the book were a bit slow to build, especially during the first 25% of the book. Regardless, I enjoyed the story and definitely recommend for those horror fans who love a good, solid story featuring a haunted house with a depraved, violent past.

When David Caine accepts an offer to stay in a supposedly haunted house for a month, to prove or disprove whether it has earned it's title of most haunted house in Virginia, he is unaware of many details about the area. He is not expecting sexual deviants for neighbors. He is not expecting the house to hold ties to his own past, and he is not aware that the Alexander house holds horrors of epic proportions.
This is more than a haunted house tale. The horror is not only in the supernatural aspects but in the evil that mere mortals commit. It got under my skin, not just with delicious spine tingling fear that all horror lovers crave, but with sadness, and disgust, and sometimes rage. The test of any good book (for me) is whether it can make me feel something. The Siren And The Specter is a masterpiece of horror.
5 out of 5 stars.

Review: THE SIREN AND THE SPECTER by Jonathan Janz

If you're desiring a Haunted House tale that will electrify, terrify, and provoke deeper levels of thinking, don't look away. THE SIREN AND THE SPECTER enthralls, intrigues, and frightens, even the most jaded or uninterested. While you're gleefully shaking and shivering along with the various characters, you'll also be appalled at certain other characters, pondering deeply on the nature of good and evil, and considering how it is that "good" citizens can ignore, overlook, or even collude with evil. (I give you Nazi Germany as one example, European witch hunts--including England and Scotland--as another. Edmund Burke: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.") This novel contains so many ramifications I'm not likely to ever dislodge it from my mind.

I thought this book was overall okay, however it was not as scary as I thought it was going to be since it was centered around 'the most haunted house in America.' There was honestly only two or three creepy/supernatural things that happened in the entire book. I recently just read a YA book centered around a powerful ghost and it was like three times as scary as this horror book for adults. My second major point is that there was almost too much 'supernatural' things going on at once. It was like a frenzy, so much was happening but at the same time nothing was.

A major thing that took away some of my enjoyment of the book was that there were far too many powerful ghosts and they didn't mesh well together. There was Judson, the leering things that he controlled, there was possessed little girls, crazy Judson worshippers, Anna, and the Native American siren. That is far too many minor evil creatures to keep track of. Of course it could have worked but the way that the ending came together, it was far too confusing and felt so messy that I wasn't even nervous or excited for the big ending scene. I think Judson and Anna should have been the main focus as spirits, after that it was just far too messy and confusing.

I understand that this was an adult book but I just felt uncomfortable with the whole Shelley family issue. I don't know why the focus had to be so sexual. At first I thought there was a connection between Judson and the young woman he raped on the land, and that's why Honey was so sexually driven. But I don't think that was the case, so maybe it was just the author's way of showing how disturbing the whole situation on the peninsula is, but still, it was just awkward to read and I personally don't think it added much.

I found the main character, David, to be quite annoying too. He was as many characters in the book suggested, arrogant and selfish. I thought he was too pretentious and I found myself not caring what happened to him. In fact, since he was so irritating I wanted the ghosts to get him. His inner dialogue was also massive and so time consuming to read that most of the time I just skimmed over it because he wasn't saying anything important anyway.

I also found it confusing that the author kept calling them ghouls, when a ghoul is more like a zombie creature than an evil spirit. Also I found one page where 'Anne' is written instead of 'Anna' (in chapter 30).

So overall, I thought this book was okay. I think the title is misleading because the siren was such a minor part of the story, I think she should have just been cut out all together, however I do like the cover art. This was a very odd story and some points were frightening but it could have been a lot better.

Holy moly! This was downright creepy. Having the story set in Virginia brought the terror a bit closer to home. A well crafted supernatural tale.

There are a never-ending supply of haunted house novels on the market and at first glance it might be easy to discard Jonathan Janz’s “The Siren and the Specter” as ‘another one of those’. Don’t be put off though, although the novel starts in very familiar haunted house territory it had enough bobs, sneaks, and twists to keep me interested. I’m very hard to please when it comes to this stuff, but quickly realised there was a lot going on under the surface. It’s an entertainingly atmospheric novel, which is paced well, drip feeding some excellent plot twists which slowly move it away from being ‘just another haunted house novel’.

The novel is seen from the point of view from a celebrated sceptic of the supernatural, David Crane, an academic who has written numerous books debunking the phenomenon of haunted houses. In the opening stages we find out David has agreed to spend a month in the Alexander House, which has recently been bought by one of his oldest friends and his wife. The house has the reputation of being “the most haunted house in Virginia” which the couple hope to turn into local tourist attraction. If a supernatural debunker like David was to write about what he experienced during his month residency it would only help their cause, they of course, are banking on something happening. The problem is David doesn’t believe in ghosts, but his old friend is certain the supernatural rumours are based on fact not superstition.

The first very strong and page-turning element of “The Siren and the Spectre” was for a good 75% it leads you on a merry dance of whether something supernatural is going on at all. It could be that someone is trying to con David? He certainly feels a dark and oppressive in the house, and consciously avoids going upstairs, but he puts this down to his imagination. This is all very well balanced. The scenes with David and the house on their own are really well played and there are some clever jumpy moments. But is the house haunted? This review is going to avoid spoilers so you’re going to have to read the book for yourself to find out. However, this is not ambiguous ‘make your own mind up horror’ that seems to be popular these days, once Jonathan Janz lets the story spin into over-drive around 75% he really lets it all hang out. And it’s great stuff.

David Crane was a particularly well drawn lead character who possibly became more unlikable as the book progresses. We find out, over the years, he has been a real shark with women and has led a particularly self-centred life. There is long-standing antagonism with his old friend Chris over an ex-girlfriend who committed suicide after she was dumped by David over two decades earlier. What’s this got to do with a haunted house novel? As I said, the book has several layers which make the story somewhat deeper than a ghost story and this is where the twists lie.

Strangely enough, some of the most unsettling scenes have got nothing to do with ghosts, and I’m not sure whether this was deliberate or not. The Alexander House sits on a secluded bank of the Rappahannock river and there are only a few neighbours including a truly dysfunctional couple who openly watch hardcore pornography in front of their two young children, along with lots of other unpleasant antics. This is another story-thread which is cleverly filtered into the main plot which involve the local police. David is the stranger in this rural area and so suspicion is turns towards him in plot developments which don’t involve the supernatural.

Whether the supernatural is at work or not, David’s past certainly comes back to bite him in the backside in the shape of a couple of plot shifts in the second half of the novel. Along the way there are some good support characters, most of which are not window-dressing, bringing extra flavour to the plot. Alexander House was a fine creation and the novel also throws in a full back-story dating back to a 1700s land baron and his sadistic, murdering, son.

You could argue that “The Siren and the Spectre” is much more restrained than many of Janz’s other novels, but the strait-jacket certainly comes off in the final 25%. As I said to begin with there are lots of haunted house novels on the market and this offering is well worth having a look at. At a foundation level this is a haunted house story, but its real strength are the convincing plot layers the author adds on top of that age-old plot. Recommended.

[Review will be posted on Reader Voracious Blog on

"The forest was not intended for exploring. More like a barrier to keep outsiders away."

It's 7:33 p.m. on a balmy summer evening in Northern California. I am about 25% into this book when the narrative creeps me out so thoroughly that I turned on every single light in my apartment (and it doesn't get dark for another hour). For the remainder of the book I am captivated by the terrifying story and oscillate between abject horror of both the human and spiritual variety. Honestly I think I have like 8 highlights in my eARC that just have "NOPE" as a comment.

As is usual with my horror/thriller reviews this will be a bit shorter in the interest of not spoiling this intricately plotted story. But I do want to say that this book is not for the faint of heart. I'm a lover of horror and find that it is difficult for me to be scared/surprised, but this one is absolutely haunting. The Siren and the Specter handles difficult topics that will not be for every reader. While I do not want to dissuade anyone from reading, I'd recommend checking my content warnings and the context spoiler at the bottom of my review to determine if this is the right book for you.

David Caine has been invited to an old friend to stay in "the most haunted house in Virginia" with the hopes that he would write a book about his experiences. The Alexander House has a long and haunted past, and one that interestingly intersects with his career as he's following in the footsteps of essentially his professional idol Weir; who disappeared while investigating this very house. Books written about the event David largely debunks as hogwash that painted a skeptic as a converted believer, and there is definitely the hope that he can clear his idol's name. The history of the house and region are revealed slowly though a historical record of sorts and found the pacing for that information to be perfect.

David's a renowned skeptic and absolutely hilarious. His quick wit and sarcastic banter with his inner monologue and other characters provides much needed comic relief and cuts the tension that builds as this story unfolds. Similarly I found the other characters to be well developed, each with their own unique personality.

There are a lot of threads here: the horror of the MC's past, the horror of the Shelbys and their abuseful neglect, the horrors inside the Alexander House and the terror that Judson Alexander sowed hundreds of years in the past. Janz is an incredibly talented writer that can build and maintain suspense with amazing imagery and description. This is a well plotted story that I enjoyed even though parts of it made me uncomfortable. A big theme of this book is complacency and standing up to evil.

"Evil can only triumph when good people allow it to."

There were a couple of plot points that didn't really make sense to me though. I was bothered by the Sheriff's actions with the Shelbys; while as a person she likely would have wanted to stand up like that she seems to be a Letter-of-the-Law kind of person and unlikely to succumb to this instinct. I also was bothered with everyone placing blame for the suicide of a woman he loved 22 years ago. Yes he was a dick but he didn't do anything, and unless his recollection of what happened that night was marred by time (which I don't think is the case as he appears to be reliable) it doesn't line up with the idea of driving someone to suicide. I can understand personally feeling guilty but not necessarily everyone else holding him accountable. This is just my opinion though!

Overall I really enjoyed this book: it was spooky, haunting, chilling, and honestly just horrifying. I liked the combination of the past and present, as well as the juxtaposition of supernatural horrors with horrible freaking people. This book won't be for everyone but it is a great addition to the horror genre. I look forward to reading more from this author (and this new fiction imprint)!

cw: use of slurs (addressed), suicide, child neglect (present) and abuse (MC's past) inferred child molestation, intense sexual imagery, sexual assault. Context for these warnings matters here, which can be seen on my GR review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2499351189

Many thanks to the publisher for providing me an electronic advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve read lots of horror stories. And most of them don’t give me what I expect. But this book did just that. I was scared and I was excited. The plot kept me interested, I read well into the night, because I couldn’t put it down. Because I had to find out what will happen next.

David Caine arrives in the Alexander House to prove the house is not haunted and to write a book about it. He is not a Believer. Because the is no such thing as ghosts, right? He has a past, a very disturbing one. And he meets some sick people too. I was disgusted by some of the happenings, but I understand the need of those things. Happened for a reason. Everything happens for a reason in the book. Every conversation has a meaning.

The thing I like about the story is that it doesn’t just want to scare you, but it shows what people are willing to do to achieve something good or something evil. What some people are willing to do to save another persons life.

David Caine is a well known author who debunks legendary haunted houses. After publishing nine books on the subject, he isn't too concerned about the 10th project, The Alexander House. At the request of an old college friend who owns the house, David agrees to live in it for a month. Area residents and his friend's wife think the property is really haunted, but David knows that isn't possible. He firmly believes that supernatural things do not exist. Or does he? He isn't inside the house for a single day before he starts seeing and hearing things. And it will get much, much worse before it's over.

This book gave me the heebie jeebies! Very creepy! I love haunted house stories, so I added to the suspense by reading this book while sitting on my front porch at night. Pitch dark except the light from my Ipad. Took me 3 evening reading sessions to finish....and I loved every minute of it!

Just a warning.....there are some graphic depictions of sex and some adult situations in this book. It's not for kids or teens under 16 or so. Some of the characters are despicable and completely unlikable...be prepared. For readers who like horror novels with a bit of grit and violence....this one's for you. Totally creepy....and a bit demented. Great read!

I would not spend a single night in The Alexander House. Not a single night. Nope. No way. Not only no....hell no.

Great story!

I will definitely be reading more by this author! :)

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Flame Tree Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Jonathan Janz has always delivered the goods, but this time he has surpassed himself and most other writers of Horror fiction with an unforgettable and totally engrossing story of generations of evil and the power it wields. This will be one of those books that horror aficionados will talk about in years to come. So good, it sets the bar high for the genre. Just exceptional in every way.

This book, for me had a major willie factor! I'd started reading this 2 or 3 times, and just couldn't get into it. This morning, around 2:00 a.m., I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so I figured I should probably read something boring. Hence, this review! This story wasn't boring. This dang story kept me awake, in the dark, to the measly light of my kindle. I wasn't going to sleep! What spectres might bedevil me if I fell asleep? Nope, I'll just read until the sun comes up! I can't say that I liked the people in this book, but watching them develop was interesting. Of course, there were a few that I couldn't wait to see them meet their gruesome ends. Mwahaha! "So satisfying!" If it weren't for the humor, which was at times a needed relief, then I'd have spent the morning hours with a major case of the wee nudgins! Not a good thing. Loved the story. My thanks to Flame Tree Press, Mr. Janz, and Netgalley.

Jonathan Janz has penned a Laymonesque haunted house tale.....no, that isn't right. What we have here is a purely Janzian ghost story, because no one writes like Jonathan Janz. At turns both bone chilling and gut wrenching, where the sins of the past return to taint the present, while leaving one guessing as to whose sins they are....and whose pasts.
An excellent addition to the subgenre, tautly written, that will leave the reader guessing.....and sleeping with the lights on.

Highly recommended.

This was my first time reading a Jonathan Janz book, it was everything I wanted in a haunted house/ghost story. I couldnt put it down once I started am definitely going to have read his previous work.

Thanks to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for this advanced ARC.

This is scary!

Although I read a ton of horror novels, scary is a word I rarely use to describe them. Gruesome. Suspenseful. Even chilling. But not scary.

But this? This is scary. It’s a chill down the spine look over your shoulder read.

In The Siren and the Specter, Jonathan Janz brings back the haunted house novel with a vengeance! The terrifying atmosphere here is palpable and, as I was reading it, every little sound made me jump.

This was actually my first novel by Janz. If he can do, it certainly won’t be my last.

5 well deserved stars. He actually scared me.

Easily one of the top 5 haunted house/ghost stories I've ever read, The Siren and The Specter has everything you could ever want in a gripping, hard-to-put-down, tight, frightening novel.
David Caine, a well-known author and college professor who specializes in debunking the supernatural, is invited to spend a month in a haunted house by a friend who's hoping to turn it into a bed & breakfast.
From the moment of his arrival, tension begins--but vaguely...at first. So vaguely and questionably that the reader is drawn completely into the atmosphere, interplay of characters, and overall mood of the book without even being aware they're reading. THAT, to my way of thinking, is the mark of superior achievement in horror.
Characterizations are textbook perfect; from the most minor of participants to the major players, your mind's eye fleshes them out instantly. Very few of the characters are painted as pure good or evil; they're real and entirely believable (even those you wouldn't want to admit are believable).
The most refreshing thing about this novel is that every sub-plot, every back-story, and every thread in the tale is tied together. Nothing is forgotten and not a word is wasted. This is 288 pages of story, story, story without an ounce of padding.
With The Siren and the Specter Jonathan Janz joins Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, Richard Matheson, and Peter Straub as one of the masters of the haunted house novel--and that's powerful company.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2486717287