Within These Walls

By: Ania Ahlborn

Narrated by: R.C. Bray

Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

With his marriage on the rocks and his life in shambles, washed-up true-crime writer Lucas Graham is desperate for a comeback, one more shot at the best-selling success he once enjoyed. His chance comes when he's promised exclusive access to death row inmate Jeffrey Halcomb, the notorious cult leader and mass murderer who's ready to break his silence after 30 years, and who contacted Lucas personally from his maximum-security cell.

With nothing left to lose, Lucas leaves New York to live in and work from the scene of the crime: a split-level farmhouse on a gray-sanded beach in Washington state whose foundation is steeped in the blood of Halcomb's diviners - runaways who were drawn to his message of family, unity, and unconditional love. There, Lucas sets out to capture the real story of the departed faithful. Except that he's not alone. For Jeffrey Halcomb promised his devout eternal life... and within these walls, they're far from dead.

©2015 Ania Ahlborn (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Some of the most promising horror I've encountered in years." (Seanan McGuire, New York Times best-selling author)

Pretty good

This book was good. it kept my attention no problem. However, there is a huge flaw.... this book desperately needs two narrators. it needs a male and female. unfortunately, it desperately deserved a better narrator. I feel like he didn't even try.

Wonderful Story

I couldn't put it this book down. Great twists and turns. Perfect scary atmosphere. Ania has a way with words.

I absolutely loved this book.

I absolutely loved this book. I have read everything Ania Alborn had written and I am looking forward to read more from her in the future.

For True-Crime and Paranormal-Mystery Lovers

Ania Ahlborn writes a terrifying and heartbreaking story in Within These Walls. Lucas Graham and his daughter, Virginia, move to Washington at the behest of a cult leader/murder willing to give Lucas a second-chance at his true-crime writing career. Once they move into the house, things start to get scary and strange.
The story lags in some places, but the narration by R. C. Bray saves the day. Overall, it's a wild ride that will leave you paranoid; wondering what that noise down the hall was, and where your kids are and what are they really doing? I would definitely recommend to anyone who loves true-crime and the paranormal.

Never really got going for me...

I was intrigued by the description of this book and the plot however it never really got off the ground for me and there were to many loose ends that never seemed to get tied up as neatly as I would have liked. There were some creepy elements and the evolution of some of the characters into a cult-mind set were compelling but I found it difficult to simply accept many of the "happenings" especially toward the end. I just didn't buy the reactions of some of the characters to what was taking place all around them. I felt like it was just not to explain and by the end of the both, I really wanted wanted more explanation. Several scenes had no followup at all, and they seemed really to be an important part of the story - like what Jeffrey had done to be banished from his family and town...or the significance of the cross, or the even the point of the ritual itself in the end. I was overly disappointed by the end.

Meehhh

So I have to be honest I finished this book sometime back and it still pops in and out of kind from time to time. However I will say it drug at parts and can be difficult to follow. There is a lot of jumping from the present to the past and back... Still live everything R. C. Bray narrates.

Well Written

Well written ghost story. The characters are not likable, but many people aren’t. Their desperation as a driving point for the plot was palpable. No happy endings, very twisty.

good and twisty.

reeled me in fairly quick and that's what I like! a bit predictable but still a good read.

Poor guy

The poor guy couldn't catch a break. It's all downhill from here lads.

I think that this was worth a read. Not amazing, not near bad. A good solid book.

I wish there was more thrill and horror scenes though.

I did certainly get a huge look into the lives of those in the past and the present. Which maybe some like. I guess it's okay. I'm not usually a book reader.

Overall I would recommend you pick this book up. It has a twisted ending. 😁

Pretty Good Ghost Story

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I found it a bit jarring that the "family" was operating in the eighties. I realize that this was done so that the ages of former members in the year 2015 would make sense, but culturally it's weird. All of Jeff's false front of peace and love was so grounded in the late 60's and seventies, it's hard for me to picture 80's kids finding him cool enough be drawn in. On the other hand, he was also pretty Jim Jones-ish.

If you’ve listened to books by Ania Ahlborn before, how does this one compare?

My first, not bad.

Did R. C. Bray do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I liked the narrator a lot actually. His seductive voice for Jeff was especially creepy. When My attention is all on the story and the narrator is invisible, that's a good thing.

Could you see Within These Walls being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Someone like John Cusack as Lou.

Any additional comments?

Certainly creeped me out in spots and held my attention. I'd be willing to check out another from this author.