Our love of a genre can be powerful. It may shape our worldviews, it may guide our life-choices and it can give us careers or even hobbies that end up taking lots of spare time (ahem) but love anything too much there could be consequences and we end up hurting others. In Christina Henry’s interesting horror novel The House That Horror Built we get a fascinating character study of this although the journey worked for me a bit more than the final destination.

Harry Adams was a young girl who fell in love with horror; she loved her Stephen Kings and copies of Fangoria. But she lived in a religiously conservative household and this demonic practise needed to end. Harry though had seen life could be more and just before College crept out at night and never went home again. Now in her early thirties as a single mother to a lovely son and working through the Pandemic she has got a job as the cleaner for the enigmatic but strict Javier Castillo the acclaimed Horror Director who is also known for his drive, artistic standards and has even won an Oscar but also that his wife and son vanished after the son was accused of murder. Javier fled with his beloved movie props to a giant house in Chicago. Harry cleans with Mr Castillo in silence, moving rom one room to another and has not yet admitted she is a fan of horror too. But there is one room that scares Harry where the Sten lives a bizarre demonic creature from his most popular film. One that seems to move just for Harry. Harry also starts to hear someone asking for help. This house…may be haunted but by whom?

On the one hand I loved the character work in this. Harry and her son Gabe are two really three-dimensional characters. A very good trusting bond between them and they talk as normal people do. We feel Harry’s ride in her son; their sense of humour, shared love of horror and as we witness Harry’s backstory what she had to go through plus her despair at rising costs, a greedy landlord and how she has often had to keep her head down in fear of losing what she has worked hard for. She’s incredibly effective. As she enters this strange house that gets steadily creepier we have someone both worried about the supernatural but also not simply running away.

In contrast we have Javier who horror fans may see a resemblance (hopefully simply in career history) to another real Hollywood horror director. Javier is fascinatingly enigmatic. Silent and reserved at first, we only initially see his character revealed in flashbacks. He is a horror fan that actively goes into the genre with his desire to be a great director becoming all consuming even with his wife and son in the background which leads to many family tensions brewing. While Harry puts Gabe first with Javier it’s the opposite and these two characters starts to warily lower their walls and Javier takes a bigger interest in Harry and in particular Gabe. None of this though ever feels romantic but more two people circling around each other in a very dangerous house.

The horror element is a deliberate slow burn. The house is a great gothic multi-layered home of strange rooms full of horror memorabilia and we have sounds, weirdness, and a growing sense of menace. Who is being haunted and why is a key mystery as does what Gabe who gets drawn into the house also attract the attention of. I’m really enjoying this playing out of horror and the increasingly worrying tensions between Harry and Castillo and then we come to my biggest issue with the book. Everything ends very very quickly in a few relative pages. It’s a very rushed ending that feels at odds with the rest of the book and leaves a lot of unanswered questions. We have spent so long with Harry sorting her life out so what happens next to them in a very difficult situation? Horror stories can end fast and leave the plots hanging indeed, but I feel like a better conclusion would have help end a really interesting story.

The House That Horror built is a story that loves its subject and horror fans will love that exploration and the many easter eggs that lie within it. The character work is indeed rather beautiful, and the creepiness of the house is a mystery explained I just wanted that ineffable a little bit more resolution to make it work completely for me. Its still an entertaining read and worth a look.

I really enjoyed Harry’s character development. I thought she was very real and well thought out. I loved how much she cared for her son.

My main issue with the book is how rushed the events of the story were. It felt like something monumental would happen and then it was just over.

I don’t think this was a bad book but I don’t think it was for me.

Harry is a single mom who works as a cleaner for Javier Castillo, a reclusive former horror director who has cut himself off from the world following the disappearance of his wife and teenage son . He is a man who values his privacy and is very proud of his work. In her job as a cleaner Harry deals with a house filled with memorabilia including some truly terrifying props and costumes. When she starts to hear strange noises coming from behind a mysterious and always locked door, Harry starts to question her sanity but keeping her job is essential if she's going to be able to pay her rent and keep her always hungry teenage son Gabe in food , so asking questions is not an option. When circumstances conspire to force Harry and Gabe to move into Javier's mansion she can no longer afford to ignore the creeping sense of unease that lingers, even as Gabe and Javier get closer The answers to her questions may be more macabre than she ever imagined.
This was a fun book with a lot of potential and a great set up. The descriptions of the spooky mansion and it's contents were fantastic, so vivid that I could immediately picture the setting. The characters were engaging and I was drawn into the story very quickly because of Harry, she's a very relatable character. This is definitely something of a slow burn, the tension is there, simmering nicely but it's only in the last quarter of the book that it really ramps up , making the ending feel a little rushed. This is a book for a reader who enjoys spooky vibes rather than outright horror , or one who leans towards character driven rather than plot heavy books.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
This was my first book by Christina Henry, although I have several others in my “to read” wishlist. I thought that the idea of a horror fan working for a horror director in an obviously-it-is-must-be-haunted house was a brilliant idea, and I really liked the main character, Harry, from the beginning, although I do understand why some people thought she was annoying.
I also enjoyed the eerie feeling of the museum-like house, full of statues and costumes. At the beginning I could not stop thinking about Guillermo del Toro and the photos he has shown of his house, so I had another layer of gloomy atmosphere in my mind. The Sten costume was creepy and the story, in its slow-burn pace, seemed to increase momentum after a very well narrated scene.
Sadly, it just did not, and it felt like the author had this great idea for a location, some more or less fleshed out characters and then… the story just did not click with everything else; It lacked the horror elements present in the surroundings to the point I would not consider this a horror story, but a story with a few horror elements.
The length of the novel could also benefit from a trim, specially in the last third: it felt repetitive, almost like a loop in a sense.
On a more positive note, I really enjoyed the author’s writing style, so I will be sure to read some other titles by her.

I feel like this one had a lot of potential, the premise was so fun but overall the execution fell a bit short for me.

The writing in here was really enjoyable, this was definitely very readable and my personal favourite of the few Christina Henry books I've read so far. The inclusion of horror movie details and the creepy setting/vibes was set up really well and as mentioned above the premise was super intriguing. However, personally the pacing of this one felt a little off to me. Most of the action occurred within the final 20%, with longer descriptions of the MC dusting memorabilia than actual spooky scenes. Additionally I felt the final reveal to be very underwhelming and not enjoyable.

Although this one wasn't quite right for me I am still interested in picking up Christina Henry's other works!

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 4*
Writing skill : 4*
Plot: 3*
Pace: 4*
Setting: 4*
Characters: 3*
Twist: 4*
Creepiness: 3*

I found this as equally entertaining as the first book I read by this author, Near The Bone.
Right off the bat the imagery in this book was stellar, I pictured a mix of Stephen Kings house and the house from season one of AHS. The props were described really well and I got a great scene setting throughout.
The paranormal elements of this book were great, but I wanted more of the creepy horror scenes, but that may have just been me and my aptitude for all the horror.
Characters were great also, really liked Gabe and Javier. And the twist, well what a great unexpected addition.
A really good quick paranormal book which was highly enjoyable, recommend.

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/05/13/the-house-that-horror-built-by-christina-henry/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Not Horror Soaked, But, Good

Yes, this is a strange one. I think going into this one I really expected this to be a lot more horror soaked than it actually was, and yet, I still found myself liking it. It has a quality about it that kept me intrigued, the writing is almost flat – and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way, more that the narrator is just very matter of fact about things, and the piece as a whole feels like a creepy B-Movie with gothic ghostly vibes. And, I confess, I am something of a sucker for anything gothic so this house – Bright Horses, the movie props, the gothic references Rebecca, Jane Eyre, hints of Hill House to name but a few, they grabbed my attention quite easily.

As the story begins we meet Harry. A bit of history: Harry left her home (ran away in actual fact) at an early age. Her parents were strictly religious and incredibly controlling. She was homeless for a period, living in squats and she eventually met a young man, in a similar situation to herself and she thought herself in love. Long story short, Harry became pregnant and the father wasn’t interested. So, Harry raised her son, Gabriel (Gabe) by herself. Always struggling and working hard but determined to raise Gabe as best she could. Current day: Covid struck and many people lost their jobs. Harry was no exception but she managed to find a replacement she now cleans for a once famous movie director now turned recluse. His mansion – Bright Horses – is like a museum, an ode to movies in fact, props in almost every room and each has to be painstakingly and loving cared for.

Javier Castillo is the reclusive movie director. He lives under a dark cloud and made an elaborate escape to dodge all the speculation and gossip. He now lives a very subdued life, he doesn’t go out at all and his staff are all expected to be trustworthy, and they are paid quite well for their discretion.

In some respects this is a dream job for Harry. She (and her son) are horror movie lovers and she recognises and enjoys the props. Well, that is until strange things start to occur. Banging on walls, whispering, props moving, etc. Then things escalate, both in Harry’s personal life and her work life and she is forced into a situation that she definitely doesn’t want to be in.

I don’t want to say more about the plot. This is a fairly quick read and its best to discover things firsthand.

What worked well for me.

The writing. As I mentioned above Harry is a no-nonsense type of woman, not easily spooked and so her narration was interesting. She convinces herself that she’s mistaken about strange things that happen around the house until one particular evening – when she isn’t the only witness to something odd. There’s just enough description to get a good feel for the house and I loved all the movie props – and the secret locked room. There’s also a few flashbacks that give us more backstory to both Harry and Javier which I enjoyed.

I enjoyed the characters and the way they’re depicted. Harry is easy to like, she’s had a tough life and in fact she’s still having a hard time but she keeps on going. Gabe is a young, gangly teenager, he’s well behaved, and seems to never stops eating and he has a good relationship with his mum. He also loves horror movies and so he adores both Javier and Bright Horses. In fact, Gabe’s introduction at the house really shines the spotlight on just how lonely Javier is and this element also takes a turn in a creepy direction.

The horror elements. Well fans who read a lot of horror might be underwhelmed and I guess in fairness those elements are fairly brief – notes of possession, sly grins, things moving, etc, but there are also creepy undertones and a great gothic vibe.

I admit that as I was reading this it was as though I had my own gothic/horror movie running in my head – which really added to the read. I could easily see this being adapted to a movie, there’s great characterisation, good back stories, the fantastic house, the props – and the mystery of the locked room. That Sten suit – it had an almost comedic value at points and then on a pinhead could turn into something so sinister and evil.

In terms of criticisms. The ending is fairly rushed, I would say that I’d guessed what was going on ahead of the reveal but, all that seemed to feed into the hammed up (Hammer House of Horror) feel in a way.

Anyhow, to round up. I enjoyed this. It’s not particularly scary, although it does have some very sinister moments, it’s really more character driven than plot, but I liked the characters, I liked the gothic elements, I loved the movie props – and I will say, I could not, for a moment, live in a house with those things in them.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the author, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

My first Christina Henry book and I really enjoyed it.

It was very atmospheric and thrilling. The horror aspects were done so well and I loved the writing style.

I loved how it was set in a gothic mansion it really added to the eeriness of it.

The premise for the plot was great too and felt it was executed well.

I did find myself a little bored in parts as it’s quite long but overall really enjoyed it and would recommend.

The House that Horror Built is a slow-burn horror novel. It follows Harry, a cleaner for a mysterious horror movie director who seems to have a horror filled past.

I have read several books by Henry in the past and I have found most of them to be enjoyable to read. I was very thrilled to have the opportunity to read the latest book by Henry and was very intrigued by the description. A horror movie director who has a questionable past and his cleaner who is obsessed with horror movies - who wouldn't be intrigued.

However, I found that for me - personally - the book fell short of what I was expecting. I enjoyed the premise, I enjoy the writing style but the actual story never took off for me. There was too much description of things which I didn't find mattered or evolved the story in any way. There was also very little action within the book and therefore I found it fell flat.

In terms of the horror aspect there was not much within the book. I understand there's supposed to be a paranormal and malevolent aspect but I didn't sense any as a beginner horror reader. I would have like to have received a more spooky atmosphere. The ending also felt as though it came too quickly and wasn't ridden out long enough to convince me to rate the story higher.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Titan Books, for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

I am a big fan of Christina Henry so much so that they are an instant buy author. Now while I will always be honest in my review it’s safe to say I am already a tad biased since I love the way Henry writes and the characters they create. This love was only added to when the main female character is a horror movie fan so I loved all the references.

The House That Horror Built I will say is more of a paranormal horror story than just plan horror. This isn’t a bad thing but for some who are used to Henry’s work they may expect something different. I really enjoyed the pace and how it all played out. I also loved Harry and Gabe. It’s always a bonus when you like characters in a horror novel. The relationships between the characters are believable. This added to the pacing and plot create a great, suspenseful novel that is hard to put down!

A spine-chilling horror that I could not get enough of!

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry (my first Henry book) was gripping and had me terrified in places! A somewhat short-length novel which kept a good pace throughout and didn’t fail to keep me turning the page!

The premise of this novel was unique and I loved the idea of all the horror memorabilia set in a gothic mansion.

The MMC (Harry’s) backstory was interesting.
.
The ending was very cliche which therefore made it easy to predict. That is the main reason it was not a 5 star read for me.

I will definitely be reading more of Christina Henry’s books after this!


I preordered the Waterstones exclusive copy which arrived so I will be posting the review video on my TIKTOK later today (09/05/2024) to show off the stunning cover. Link to my TIKTOK is in my bio, I have also linked it below and will be sure to tag the publisher and author along with relevant hashtags

Harry loves horror movies, so when a job in the house of one of the established, but now reclusive, directors comes up, Harry can't refuse. However, she doesn't want to gush and risk her job.

This is tricky as, Javier Castillos house is filled with props from his movies, and other iconic scary movies, and Harry is tasked with cleaning the same. All whilst keeping to herself, and keeping her job to provide for her son.

However, when a turn of events means Harry risks being homeless (again) she may have to turn to Mr Castillo more, and being more involved risks opening wounds of past scandals and family ties.... all whilst trying to keep her own family unit together.

Nice wee build up tension book with some creepy moments, keeps ypu asking questions along the way. I loved the movie references intertwined with the fictional movies from the books Director. Only thing I wish is we had seen a bit more about Harry, and even Javiers, past as I liked dipping into the older timelines

Another great book from Christina Henry, thanks to Titan Books and NetGalley for the review copy (all opinions are my own regardless)

Out next week so not long to wait if you want to grab this one!

Renowned horror director Javier Castillo leads a reclusive life following the mysterious disappearance of his family amidst a scandal implicating his only son in a murder. Amid relentless media scrutiny questioning their whereabouts, Castillo relocates out of state, seeking anonymity within the walls of his mansion adorned with relics from his chilling film productions. Meanwhile, Harry, a devoted single mother, navigates life with the sole focus of providing for her teenage son. While their relationship often embodies authentic parent-child dynamics, there are moments where it feels as though the author should have aged the son to match the depth of their conversations, lending an air of inauthenticity.

Upon reflection, I recognize certain lulls in the narrative, where the story seemed to stagnate momentarily. Nevertheless, I remained captivated throughout, drawn into the atmospheric embrace of the cavernous mansion, its eerie silence punctuated by the haunting presence of horror memorabilia. Despite the frequent references to these artifacts, I found myself yearning for more despite a small portion having a significant impact on the overall plot.
As the story unfolds, the conclusion aligns neatly with the groundwork laid by the author, yet I couldn't help but wish for a more intricately woven resolution. The ease with which the ending is reached feels somewhat contrived, lacking the depth of character involvement I had anticipated.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley.

What an entertaining horror novel! We follow Harry, a horror movie fan as she takes a job cleaning the house of an acclaimed horror movie director. The pandemic has meant she’s unable to work in restaurants as she normally would. As a single mum to 14 year old Gabe, she needs the work to make ends meet. However whilst cleaning the director’s extensive collection of props from horror films, unnerving things start to happen. Props move of their own accord, she’s hears voices from a locked room, people in the house behave oddly and she’s warned of the director’s past behaviour.

Often what’s more scary in this book is not the rumblings of supernatural activity, but the treatment of Harry by other humans. Harry tries her absolute best but her life has been defined by the cruelty and prejudice of others. Her decision to run away from home at seventeen because of the behaviour of her parents, a landlord who illegally evicts her and says tough you can do nothing because you’re poor, an ex-boyfriend who abandons her when she gets pregnant, the disdain of the wealthy parents at her son’s school. The stress and pressure of her financial situation is often more harrowing than the horror elements and explains why she is pushed to make decisions that she does out of desperation.

This was hugely entertaining, I loved the setting of the old, looking house with the reclusive and eccentric owner. The revered collection of horror movie memorabilia and props and costumes that fill the life of a lonely man. The dialogue around art above all else and at what cost? I really enjoyed this book and I couldn’t put it down.

I love Christina Henry and the very unique and creative ideas they have for each of their novels. I had great expectations for this book, and thought the premise was enticing and exciting. However, it just didn’t live up to what I was expecting. I found the book quite boring. The characters weren’t very interesting, nor were they likeable in any way. The only character that was likeable was Gabe. I don’t know if I expected more from this book as an avid fan of Christina Henry’s work? But, it just didn’t do it for me.

Single mum Harry Adams is a horror movie fanatic, so when she's offered the role of cleaner at revered horror director Javier Castillo's mansion, she jumps at the chance His home is filled with old movie props and costumes from his time as a brilliant movie director until a personal tragedy turned him into a recluse. Javier values discretion, so Harry keeps her head down, gets on with the work, and doesn't let on to anyone who she works for. But soon she notices something strange is going on. It sounds like someone is shouting for help, but Javier lives alone and never has visitors. Harry knows she shouldn't ask questions, but after another tragedy strikes Javier, she realises she can't ignore it any longer.

I enjoyed this it was a fast-paced, gripping paranormal horror story. I liked Harry she was strong, resilient, and dealt with everything life was throwing at her, and I liked the good relationship she had with her son Gabe. I was sucked into this story from the very first page but the only thing that let this down was the ending I felt everything could've been drawn out a little bit more but don't let that put you off reading this because overall the story was really good and I highly recommend.

Having previously only read Christina Henry’s retellings, and after reading the blurb, I couldn’t wait to pick this horror novel up!

After losing her job during the pandemic, Harry finds work cleaning the house of the famous horror movie director, Javier Castillo. Castillo bought the home following a scandal involving his son, who was accused of murder, and later went missing with Castillo’s wife (his mother). Now living alone, he takes an interest in Harry’s son, Gabe.

When Harry starts hearing cries for help during her cleaning duties, and Castillo gets closer and closer to Gabe, she tries to remove them both from the situation, but the house and Javier won’t let go that easily.

I flew through this one. Narrated by Harry, I really connected with her character (especially her love of horror) and thought the setting of Bright Horses House was perfect. A disgraced horror movie director living as a recluse in his house full of creepy props that start to seemingly move? Perfect.

The House that Horror Built moved at just the right pace, building the suspense and mystery carefully, before leading to an unexpected ending that I really enjoyed.

Huge thanks to Titan Books for the chance to read and review this one and I can’t wait to read what Christina Henry writes next. This is definitely one for fans of Grady Hendrix and Riley Sager!

I'm grateful to Titan for giving me access to an advance e-copy of The House That Horror Built to consider for review.

Christina Henry's horror stories are always challenging and creepy, but in The House That Horror Built she's really surpassed herself. Revolving around the conventions of the genre, this story also take sion issues of homelessness and economic precariousness ('resentment is a familiar meal when you can't afford contentment'), religious indoctrination and of social privilege.

Harry, the lead character, is a single mother scraping a living in Chicago as the US comes out of Covid lockdown. Hard up (she's a waitress and of course the restaurants are mostly closed) she's lucky enough to get a cleaning job with reclusive but scandal-hit film director Javier Castillo. Through Henry's portrayal, Harry emerges as resourceful, stretching her slender means beyond all reason to support her son, juggling bills and supermarket coupons, always with an eye on what can be obtained cheaply.

Harry has been estranged from her Fundamentalist parents for decades (they were controlling and abusive - burning her stash of horror magazines was only the start) and the focus of her life is raising her son, Gabe (Gabriel) who's a star pupil but just entering those difficult teenage years. Gabe is delighted when Harry scores her new job with Javier, but as Gabe moves further into the director's circles, Harry becomes concerned at events in Bright Horses House, Javier's isolated mansion...

I loved this book. The relationship between Harry and Gabe is wonderfully done. As a parent I can sympathise with the line Harry treads between protecting Gabe, sacrificing her time and attention for him, and the need not to control, to let him grow. I can also sympathise with Javier, who had his own parenting issues (his wife and son disappeared amid murky rumours of the Hollywood cover-up of a crime the boy may have committed). Mother and son are horror addicts, and it was both scary and funny when they began to dissect events at Bright Horses House in the light of the grammar and conventions of the horror film. I always find that horror is at its finest when it is successfully self aware, as here - though this is a very difficult thing for authors to get right. Here, the setting of the book in the margins of the film industry gives an added dimension to Harry's concerns over a particularly nasty prop.

It is a story that carefully builds and layers tension, as convention demands but also, organically and credibly, given what's going on outside Bright Horses House: Harry's threatened with eviction, something that given her shaky position on the bottom rung of society is both all-consuming and impossible to deal with (when does she have the opportunity to house-hunt? How could she afford to move if she did). Sometimes horror does not have to mean bangs in the night and movement glimpsed out of the corner of an eye, the threat of ending up sleeping under a bridge or being followed by a creep because lone can't afford the bus fare can be equally alarming).

In the end Henry gives us a spectacular climax that will live you unable to put this story down until you reach the last page. It's a fitting ending to a magnificent story that sees her on top form.

This book is 90% about a mothers struggle to keep a job and a roof over her and her childs head and 10% about a mystery in the house she works at.

One thing thay bothered me the most was that Gabe speaks too adult for his age and has a wisdom that isn't believable for a teen. He acts like his mums therapist and gives advice and uses words that just isn't stuff a teenage boy would say. I couldn't believe what I was reading when the mother promises her son shes going to make friends?

Harry witnesses the costume moving on a few occasions and her reactions are to leave the room and ignore it which makes no sense to me at all. It doesnt feel like a normal reaction a person would have.

I know this is a horror but the nice dinner nights have been sweet.
I feel like Harry always assumes the worst in people and that she is being percieved negatively when it is likely not true. Mr Castillo so far has been very good to her and her son but likely because of her financial situation and having her family issues she expects the worst. Despite how events turn out I don't like her attitude towards things.

This book was too long. A lot of things get repeated, especially once Gabe knows something is happening at the house, there is a lot of back and forth, talking about stuff that we the reader have already experienced and don't need recapping. At the half way point I was sick of still getting paragraphs of how life is hard for them with nothing new to say about it.

I feel like there was a missed opportunity here by not including a hint of a relationship blooming between Harry and Daniel. It would have been good to have her start opening herself up to someone like Gabe was encouraging her to do all through the book.

I feel kind of tricked by the blurb of this book and how its advertised. I feel like the book ended up being completely different to what it says it is and unfortunately this was also how I felt when I read Near the Bone by the same author.

The House that Horror Built by Christina Henry was an unexpected hit for me. Having read the author’s last book and not enjoying it, I went into this one with low expectations. I am happy to say that I need not have worried. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will eagerly read from this author again in the future. Having said that, I do think that this book will be quite divisive. Those picking up this book expecting a spooky, scary tale may be disappointed. The horror elements in this book are very light and are really not the driving force of the plot. This is a relatively slow paced mystery story that still manages to be entertaining and intriguing. The main characters were fully realised and the relationships between them were nuanced and interesting. This book really shines a spotlight on the mother-son relationship and I really enjoyed that element. My only slight disappointment with this book is that the ending, while good, felt a little rushed. I would have quite liked a little more at this point.

With thanks to Titan Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this compelling book in exchange for an honest review