At this point, I will read anything with a haunted house as a setting, as it seems that I will enjoy it at least a little bit each time. The Toll House is a relatively traditional horror story in which a person buys a house, gets settled and weird things to start to happen. The main character Kelda is a single mom, who wants the best for her son and sees a new beginning in an old toll house. However, this new beginning seems to be less idyllic than she imagined when she discovers a mysterious death mask inside one of the walls of the house. Kelda feels watched in rooms where she is alone, begins to find strange objects around the house, and tries to deal with her son’s unusual behaviour. But as she slowly starts believing her intuition, it might be too late to get away from the dark secrets the house holds.

To be honest, it is not the most original ghost/haunted house story I have ever read, ut for somebody new to the genre, it can be a good introduction. The writing is intriguing and atmospheric, even if the plot is relatively predictable. I would be interested in reading more of Carly Reagon’s books, especially within the horror genre. Solid 3,5 star book for me.

Loved this book, with all the creep details about the house and the narrative moving between past and present. Well planned, sympathetic characters and good twists..

For me, this was quite scary!
Full of ghosts, murder, twists and horror.

The story swaps from past to present.
With an intertwining story.

I would recommend.

Creepy and then some more

a slow burn rather than a horror fest but that's what makes the book even more chilling

a remote toll house

Death masks behind walls

A woman and her son on their own inside this house...

If walls could talk? Well, be pleased these ones can't

Recommended

Deliciously creepy, filled with tension and mounting dread! I'd been looking for a haunted house novel for ages, one that made the hairs on my neck prickle, and this did the trick. Really enjoyed the dual timeline and the story sped along at a good pace and had intriguing characters. I read it in a day. Would definitely recommend.

An enjoyable read.

It's a well written tale of ghosts, grief and some supernatural thrown in for good measure.

Kelda and her young son move into the toll house for a fresh start but not all is as it seems once she finds a death mask hidden behind a wall. There a few twists and some surprises along the way. I really liked the main character Kelda and I loved the dual timeline.

This is a great page turner and I hoovered it up in a few days.

4/5 I highly recommend this book

Arc received from Netgalley for an honest review.

The Toll House is ny far, the creepiest, most chilling book I've ever read. I had to pause in the wee hours of the morning even if I wanted to finish it because I was more than a little freaked out with what was going on. Carly Reagon's writing built such a fantastic, spooky atmosphere.

I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book. There were a few twists that I hadn't expected and made me gasp. The characters were endearing, especially Kelda. I couldn't help but root for her and hope for the best for her and Dylan.

I also liked the alternate timelines used and felt that it managed to convey the whole story perfectly, and added to the drama with the reveals it gave.

My only note would be that the climax felt anti climactic for me. I went a little, "Huh, is that all?" Everything happened a little too quickly, as if the author was itching to wrap things up fast.

Still, I really enjoyed this book. It was perfectly spooky and haunting without being too overdramatic or out there. If you love reading horror novels or just looking for something for a rainy, stormy day, then I recommend you pick this book up!

Struggled with this book at first but pleased I kept going. Enjoyed the duel time line which was so easy to follow. Scary stuff the death mask and I would have high tailed out of there. So enjoyed it and would recommend it although didn’t find it as spooky as some but some bits did have me pondering. Read it and enjoy it but don’t forget ! If you find anything in the wall leave it there 🧟‍♂️
Thanks as always to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK Sphere for the amazing early read

I found The Toll House a genuinely spooky and, at times, very creepy book. I really liked the dual timeline and thought this worked well to gradually reveal the backstory.

This would have been a five star read for me, but there was a chapter near the end that felt unbelievable and far too over the top. Until that point you could choose to believe what you believed; whether there had been simple accidents on a steep and narrow staircase and overactive imaginations at play, or if there was more to it …. I think leaving the story with a lingering sense of malice and an “Is there, or isn’t there?” question about the house would perhaps been a more subtle ending.

However, overall I really enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down. I would recommend The Toll House to anyone who wants an atmospheric read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This is a good ghost story put this chilling thriller to the very top of your reading list…I liked the characterization and the plot progression and pacing was really good. In fact, I believe that the pacing and tension are the two things that made this book such a huge hit.

Wow, what an amazing book. I found myself drawn into both the time periods and just didn't want to put it down. The book is scary but more in a psychological way reminiscent of an old Stephen King book. This is a must read book and will be a wonderful read in the cold dark nights leading up to Halloween.

This was such a well written spooky book! I couldn't put this down even though it made me incredibly anxious. The protagonist finds a death mask in her new (old) historical home and things unravel from there. I liked the relationship between the protagonist and her little son, the friendships and the plot twists. I want to read similar stories. Well done!

Thriller Gothic more than horror scary but it is very good read. Would definitely recommend it to people.

I also like the way author describes things

Not poo your pants scary but a good atmospheric thriller all the same. Story about a woman who knowingly buys a haunted toll house. The end isn’t frightening but I was a little worried about the little boy for a minute and the story builds fairly well. Wasn’t a book I would revisit but an enjoyable and nicely written book I would probably have enjoyed for Halloween. Read through netgalley but for an honest review

Rounding up to 3 stars

I'm not sure what I missed that all the other reviewers go, but this book didn't do much for me.
I felt no atmosphere at all.
I liked the the story split over two timelines, so you know what was happening.
Just an OK read for me I'm afraid.

I love dark and gothic reads and so I was so excited to be accepted for this book and it didn't disappoint. Well written with a dark and compelling storyline and well developed characters this book was a very quick read for me.
Chillingly creepy and twisty, so unpredictable it kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved it.

This is an absolutely terrifying debut. Hugely creepy. I read most of it alone at night and had to turn all the lights on to reassure myself. Kelda's son finds a death mask in the wall of their rural home (I wanted to shout "PUT THAT THING BACK IN THE WALL"). Over the following days Kelda's unease grows. She feels like she's being watched and her son's nightmares of shadowy figures intensify. They've awoken something, and now it won't rest. Beautifully written and really tense. I couldn't put it down.