Black Acres

The Complete Collection

By: Ambrose Ibsen

Narrated by: Joe Hempel

There's no place like home....

Kim and Julian Taylor are in the market for their first home, and a visit to the secluded Beacon estate finds them enamored. It's a peculiar home, rather large and in need of some renovations. The price is right, however, and after a tour, they snap the house up without hesitation.

The man who sells them the house has one last detail to share before they sign on the dotted line. The previous owners of the home disappeared under mysterious circumstances nearly eight years ago and have recently been declared dead in absentia. Unperturbed by this fact, Kim and Julian set about making the home their own.

It quickly becomes clear that the two of them are not alone there, however.

This volume contains all four installments of the serialized novel Black Acres: In Absentia, The Borderland, The Amber Light, and In Darkness. It also contains a brief preface by the author.

©2018 Ambrose Ibsen (P)2019 Ambrose Ibsen

Every Home is Haunted - Don't Buy One

I will start this out with the note that I listened to each book of the series. You need to just get the entire series and listen straight through. The book is cut up and you need to listen to each before the next since they are not stand alone. As a slow release it was done well, but if you are reading this review just get the entire series, you will want it all.

The tension starts early and I was giddy with excitement waiting to hear where it was going. It starts out developing focusing on the characters and a bit of the background for this haunted house story. The tension ratchets up quickly as you slowly learn more about the house and the suspense builds to the point you are falling off your seat. As it progressed, I liked it more and more and needed to hear what was going to happen next. Ibsen really does a great job of stringing you along for wondering what is going on in his twisted story, all while the haunting builds to the point you need lights on. When it finally got to the end, I was all the way there, and then just never really jumped off. I know Ibsen can do better, and for me this was a bit of a letdown.

The two main characters are well developed and play the similar role you see in most haunted house stories were the husband is a skeptic, rationalizing everything that happens. The wife is the one being directly affected and is looking for resolution while her husband appears to slip into madness. Since Kim’s husband is a nonbeliever, I expected him to cause the escalation through some sort of demonic infestation, I was pleasantly surprised. The character development is really where this book shines. I loved everything about each of them and it was their story that I really was hooked on. I needed to know how everything would play out and their relationship was paramount to the entire story for me.

As always, Joe does a fantastic job. The tension and anxiety you feel listening to this would not be achieved without him. My internal voice would never be as good as his and anyone who has ever listened to him knows that he brings the story to life and without him it is just a book and not a story.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Five stars all the way!

I'd love to give this story more than 5 stars. It's creepy factor is off the charts. A couple city dwellers buy a house in the middle of nowhere. There is nothing for miles except dead forest but the house was a good price and they were finally in a financial situation to afford a house. The husband figures with the money they save buying the house they can afford to put money into it. He's happy as a clam but the wife hates it. She never feels comfortable in it and when she starts seeing and hearing things wants nothing more than to get far away.

The pace of the story is perfect, it ramps up as the plot develops. At certain points I thought she needed to bean her husband over the head, throw him in the car and drive but she's dutiful. The character building is a big part of the charm of the story.On one hand the husband seems blind to everything but the stinking house and the wife is either going insane or something paranormal is truly happeneing to her.

It's a clever story and one I'll enjoy over again, and over again!

LOVED this Series!!

In Absentia, Black Acres, Book 1

Oh my goodness!! This is not a series you want to listen to before going to bed! It starts off seemingly slow but pulls you in before you realize what's going on. I will listen to the other two books tomorrow as it is too late for that now. This does end in a major cliffhanger so if you can't wait (and it's driving me crazy to have to wait for daylight) then make sure you have the time to listen to all four! Ambrose Ibsen is a masterful suspense storyteller! I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book. You'll feel for Kim and want to strangle Julian! Or at least I did! The narration is done well. Joe Hempel does an excellent job with the voices and read at a nice pace with a clean and clear voice.

The Borderland, Black Acres, Book 2

This book, like the first, continually grabs your attention and nerves and doesn't let go! This book also ends on a cliffhanger, so if that's not your cup of tea then you should wait until the series is complete before listening. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, just as much as the first one. This series is not a "jump out of your skin" suspense mystery but it will have you on the edge of your seat nonetheless. I found myself perched on my seat with my stomach in knots throughout this book. The only complaint I have is the same as the first...I do not like Julian!! He doesn't redeem himself in this installation! I love Kim though and feel for her in her torturous adventures with the Beacon House. Ambrose Ibsen is a master at the subtle scare the bejesus out of you. The narration was excellent as well and I can't wait to listen to the next part! If you love suspenseful paranormal stories then you really should check out this series.

The Amber Light, Black Acres, Book 3

This is another installment which pulls you further in and doesn't let go. I listened to this book right after the second one. Just like the other two, this book ends on a major cliffhanger! UGH! I enjoyed listening to this third part and found myself annoyed (at Julian, of course), on the edge of my seat, and the end (cliffy) made me cry! I really hope the next (and final) installment comes soon. The narration was excellently done. Joe Hempel kept the voices the same through all three books and really helped to pull the listener in for a suspenseful listen.

In Darkness, Black Acres, Book 4

This is the last book of this series and I was pleased with how it ended. This is basically Julian's story and what he goes through. The ending was sort of what I expected but not completely. The only way this series could be better is if the author came out with a prequel telling us the Warlock's story! Outside of that, it was an excellent ending for Julian and Kim's story and continued to keep me in suspense to the end. If you love suspenseful but not overly dramatic or gory stories then you have to check this one out! There's some cussing throughout the series but not in abundance. The author gives the right amount of details of situations but nothing gory or disgusting or offensive. He really lets your own mind do it all. I have say, Ambrose Ibsen is a name I look for now. He's a great author and I truly think you should give his work a chance. The narration by Joe Hempel is excellently done. He really helps to bring the creepy factor to full light. His voice is clear and clean. He reads at a nice pace, easy to keep up with.

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Creepy Haunted House Story

Good, creepy fun. Loved this book. I’m glad I stumbled on this author. I have already downloaded another series by him.

Finally, a creepy horror story!!!

The horror part of this novel was very well constructed! I've read a lot of scary books that aren't really scary, but this once will definitely give you some suspense.
My one critique is that one of the characters is unfailingly frustrating without much change in the character. Needless to say, the ending made me happy, lol. You'll see what i mean.

definitely worth a listen, awesome!

i wasn't a fan of this broken up into the individual books, it left off in strange places, so when this all in one came available, i had to listen. The story is very captivating, it is slow enough that we get to know the characters a bit but fast enough that we don't get bored. There is still a little mystery to the story for me even after i listened to it, enough that i will listen to it again sometime. I can't say that i ever got freaked out or scared, but there were a few instances of me stopping what i was doing just to pay attention to what was going on.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

I am a big Ambrose Ibsen fan

I am a big Ambrose Ibsen fan. I know his books will always be good and creepy. and tho he has written a lot of books, He somehow always has a great story line for each book. I totally enjoyed this book bundle. I loved how in the book, he tells it from the husbands point of view. Well done!
when you pair Ambrose Ibsen with Joe Hempel, you know its going to be an excellent listening experience. Joe has a way of pulling you right in to the story. He is one of favorite narrators.he is a rock star of narrators

!I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Great horror!

I enjoyed this book very much. I could easily see it turned into a movie. The author does a wonderful job weaving this haunted house tale. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of horror especially haunted houses. The narration is well done, adding another layer to this great story.


I have received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Loved the book and the narrator!

Story line was very good and well narrated. I wish there was more to read!

Excellent story!

Fun, scary romp! I got mad at the husband for being horror character dumb sometimes 😆. For example, they left their house in broad daylight without needing any lights on and locked their doors and were gone all day. When they came home to a house with all the lights on and their back door swinging open, the husband said, “I think someone’s in there.” I wanted to tell him, “Ya think!? Well thank you, Captain Obvious!” But that didn’t distract from the story—it made it more fun because I was engaged with the characters.

As far as the narrator, he did an excellent job with voices and reading. That said, he really needs his pronunciation of a few things checked. For example, he pronounced the word, “draw”, like DRAWL, which was a bit distracting, but that’s just my pronunciation Nazi coming out. Overall, I’d recommend the book—as I said a fun horror story.