The Spite House

A Novel

By: Johnny Compton

Narrated by: Adam Lazarre-White

Length: 11 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Long-listed, Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, 2023

"The plotting is intricate, following the points of view of many characters from the past and present, all of whom are expertly performed by Adam Lazarre-White."—Library Journal

"Adam Lazarre-White narrates this terrifying debut novel with a Southern drawl that puts the gothic into this gothic thriller."—AudioFile

A terrifying Gothic thriller about grief and death and the depths of a father's love, Johnny Compton's The Spite House is a stunning debut by a horror master in the making—The Babadook meets A Head Full of Ghosts in Texas Hill Country.

Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in tow. Having left his wife, his house, his whole life behind in Maryland, he's desperate for money—it's not easy to find steady, safe work when you can't provide references, you can't stay in one place for long, and you're paranoid that your past is creeping back up on you.

When he comes across the strange ad for the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric thinks they may have finally caught a lucky break. The Masson property, notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas, needs a caretaker of sorts. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity. All they need to do is stay in the house and keep a detailed record of everything that happens there. Provided the house’s horrors don’t drive them all mad, like the caretakers before them.

The job calls to Eric, not just because there's a huge payout if they can make it through, but because he wants to explore the secrets of the spite house. If it is indeed haunted, maybe it'll help him understand the uncanny power that clings to his family, driving them from town to town, making them afraid to stop running.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Nightfire.

©2023 Johnny Compton (P)2023 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Compton’s chilling debut is horror with heart that puts a refreshingly modern spin on the haunted house story... This tense work of gothic horror provides a complex and multidimensional look at how anger, grief, and trauma can strengthen bonds of familial love...Even the most jaded horror fans will be wowed."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"One part road trip, one part family relationships, and one part haunted house, serve this update on genre staples to showcase the voice of a rising new writer to an audience that adores the classics."—Aaron Heil, Library Journal

“The Spite House is an aching, heartbroken meditation on what haunts us and the sins we inherit from those who came before us.”—Cassandra Khaw, author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth

Wow, I'm shook...

This book left me absolutely speechless for quite some time after finishing it. Now that I've collected my thoughts, I can honestly say...this book is a winner! I loved the setting, the characters, the narration (perfection), and for the first time ever, I even enjoyed the different POVs. Most of all though, I loved how the author flipped the stale haunted house setting on it's head. The ending was not at all what I was expecting (in the best way). It's hard to shock me anymore because I read almost exclusively horror. This author managed to do it. I would highly recommend this book, and I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Way More Than You Expect!

If only more horror was written this well. The foreboding you’ll feel is completely justified.

Great book!!

I loved this book. Very Shining like and Dr. Sleep which are two of my favorite books. Great characters and backstory.

hmmmm

this was good til the end its like he just hurried up and ended it with no thoughts, it was great up to the last 3 chapters

Great Read

The story was gripping, suspenseful, and the narrator did a great job. can't wait for the next book

It was ok.

The first half was good, but the twists were and it ended up going in directions that I didn’t really think added anything scary to the story, in fact, I felt like it kind of veered away from how scary it could have potentially been. It was still ok though. I finished it.

New and intriguing!

I sometimes feel like I have read all the horror novels, so glad I found this book! Read it!

Too slow

Could have been better,had it been shorter and more straight forward. Time wasted jumping from character to character did not move story line.

Original and thoughtful

Very original ghost story; a great refresher to the genre, escaping standard tropes. Well written and well performed. Highly recommend to followers of the genre.

Fantastic!

Truly one of my new favorite books! I can’t recommend it enough. I promise it is worth your time!