Intense, creepy, atmospheric and scary. Everything I love about a book. Lights off and imagination running wild. Fab story and great style of writing.

3.5/5 Stars.

The House by the Cemetary leads you to believe that this is yet another haunted house story. The creepy cover combined with the bump in the night blurb might make you think that this is a simple haunting.

It's so much more.

When Mike is asked to shore up a decrepit old house with a dark history, to make way for a Halloween haunted house attraction, he's a little trepid. He'll be working the house all summer by himself to get it ready in time for the opening. Mike needs the work though and sets himself to the task. When strange events start happening at the house, well, Mike isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. I can't say too much about the storyline without giving pertinent information away, but Mike is a big ol dummy, mkay?

I found it somewhat predictable in the way that watchers of horror movies always know what is happening before the characters figure it out. You want to yell into the book at Mike to open his eyes and stop being such an idiot, but of course, he can't hear you and keeps on dancing his merry way to doom.

While the suspense and characterization are all superbly done, I prefer my horror to be more subtle. I'm not a big slasher trope fan and that's where The House by the Cemetery quickly takes you.

What starts out as a haunted house promptly disintegrates into Hell House. The implied spooks give way to in your face murder and mayhem. With plenty of grotesque, violent and gritty moments, The House by the Cemetary is reminiscent of classic slasher films concluding with an unbelievable and obscene body count.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


Initially, this book felt as though it was written as a YA novel and I had selected it by mistake. I am used to horror novels in the twisty, drip-by-drip form of Stephen King and so was not expecting the imagery of the titular House by the Cemetery to be presented in such an obvious way. But details were definitely in force as carpenter Mike starts renovating the reportedly-haunted dwelling in preparation for a Halloween Fright Fest (I could probably repair a porch and mend some rotten drywall from reading this novel alone!), complete with dank, dripping basement, creaky floorboards and secret passageways.

Everson does manage to elicit a shiver, however, for all his ‘clunky’ description. The Bram Stoker award-winner certainly has a way with weaving an essence of fear through his writing, and I was very aware of every noise around me as I read. As the house is finished and the ‘spooks’ gather to begin frightening the very lives out of paying visitors, I was enthralled. It is a horror novel after all. What was going to happen?


From there on, sadly, we descend quickly into gore-fest-movie territory, heavily played on by references to classic and obscure horror films through the decades. I felt it a little rushed and farcical, the classic ‘everyone gets it bar the Final Girl, running for her life’ trope, and stomach-churning LG gruesome to boot. The concept of the ‘historical witch’ haunting the place, who had only died in 1963, seemed odd too - sure, ghosts have to start somewhere but for all the rumours surrounding the house I expected a spectre more ancient.


I enjoyed the novel as a way to pass the time, but it hasn’t convinced me that shock-horror plays out as well in print as on screen.

The character introduction scene dialogue was written in a way that was confusing. I had difficulty telling which one was buying the house, and which one had the ex wife. After rereading it three times, I finally figured out Perry is buying the house, and Mike has the ex wife. Perry still talks to Mike’s ex wife.

Chapter two introduced me to more problems, such these sentences-
“Plus, Sunday had run wrong...lonely.”
“But step by step he approached the old house...that sound receded.”

I’m just left confused. As I am reading a galley copy, this sentences may have changed in the final release. As I progressed upon the page, missing commas, and strange punctuation jumped out at me from the page, hindering my enjoyment.

I tried to enjoy this, as the truly haunted, haunted house premise is one that I find genuinely interesting. I am sad that technicalities prevented me from finishing this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.

John Everson has created one of my top ten books of all time. THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY is a cauldron filled with devilry and witchery–all my favorite things. It's a love story at its core, but on the surface, it's a blood-curdling tale of utter mayhem and savagery. I loved every minute of this book. 2018 has seen several great books, but this one is a definite must read for all fans of horror.

John Everson tips his hat to Suspiria and A Nightmare On Elm Street. The author shows his knowledge of horror, but he doesn't fall into the old tropes. He brings something new to the haunted house table. John Everson makes you feel something for each of the characters. I haven't been this invested in a set of characters since reading IT. I connected with all of them in some way.

Mike Kostner turns the abandoned old house near the abandoned old Bachelor's Grove Cemetery into a haunted house attraction. Two ladies, Katie and Emery, help Mike with the haunted house. They hire set designers (Argento and Lucio) and makeup artists (Jeanie and June). Halloween will never be the same again. It turns out, the old house didn't need any help being haunted.

The blood will spray and the bodies will hit the floor. The past comes crashing into the present. I've never seen so many different types of horror in one book, but John Everson pulls it off nicely. I felt like I was walking through the haunted house with the characters. I caught myself trying to wipe the blood off my glasses. There's so much blood and guts. I couldn't stop smiling as I turned the pages.

You don't just read this book, you experience it. The scenes jump off the page. John Everson grabs you by the collar and doesn't let go. There isn't a dull moment in this book. The dialogue is excellent. The descriptions are everything. The setting is superb. I would totally live in that house. John Everson's writing style is great. He reads quick, just the way I like it. THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY would make a great film. I would love to see all the rooms come to life in the haunted house.

When you read a great horror story, the world fades away and you become part of the story. That's what happened with THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY. I read it in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. I had a blast reading this one. If I'm being honest, I want to read it again and I never want to read books twice. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

I can't say enough about THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY. Give this one a go, and let me know what you think.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

5/5 stars!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Whew, what a book. The house by the cemetery by John Everson has everything you want in a scary story. History of a dead witch, things that go bump in the night and lots of rumors. Are they all believable? Mike wants to flip this old house with history. He does not necessarily believe all the rumors. It is close to Halloween and just in time for a haunted house. Things do not go so well and there are a lot of very chilling things that happen in this house. The author knows how to scare you by building up the suspense and obviously knows about spirits. I was really scared for Mike. This is a fast read with believable text and characters. I would definitely recommend this to others.


Thank you to. Netgalley as well as the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars ⭐️ out of 5

Review: THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY by John Everson

Outstanding. I can seldom resist the Feckless Hero, which is certainly what we have here in Protagonist Mike, a young carpenter in Cook County, Illinois. I liked Mike (to a point), but he and a whole lot of others would have benefited if he had just--matured. Developed personal integrity. Got a life. {Sigh} Guess my opinion of him didn't rank as high as I thought.

Nevertheless, the story is outstanding. Quite extreme, but given the context of the plot, not over the top. I particularly admired author John Everson' s gift with characterization, which I fondly remember from his novel FAMILY TREE. He delineates his characters quite fully but subtly, without telegraphing in advance, but letting readers' realization gradually unfold. This was a one-session reading for me, as I was so absorbed in both plot and characters. I adored the setting, too, and Mr. Everson delivers suspense and revelation in perfect doses for a tale of haunted locales and haunted character.

Review Copy

At first glance you might think that THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY is just another haunted house book released in time for Halloween. But this is not as simple as you might think. Check out the author before you laugh this off as a lightweight read. John Everson knows how to build the scares.

Yes, it's a very fun and very fast read. It has all the elements of a great Halloween story. It talks of horror movies and isnabout the building of a Halloween haunted house. Very fun stuff. The last twenty percent of the book is pure hell and I loved every second.

Grab this one!

Thankyou to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and John Everson for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The House By The Cemetery.
Firstly, probably not a book for the faint-hearted. I thought it was a spine-tingling page turner that kept me up until I finished the whole book. The storyline was well thought out and keeps you intrigued from start to finish.
A good read for fans of the genre