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The Spite House  By  cover art

The Spite House

By: Johnny Compton
Narrated by: Adam Lazarre-White
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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

What listeners say about The Spite House

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

FINALLY! A True literary horror/ghost story

After reading, all of Stephen King and writers of similar genre and style and buying tons of subpar horror books based on audible recommendations, finally, I stumbled upon this book. With a truly original underlying story interwoven beautifully into a horror/paranormal genre, the Spite house is definitely one of my favorite reads this year.

I feel like 99% of haunted house stories are predictable and lack any sort of unique storyline, making one haunted house story basically the same as the next. However, not only was the concept of this story unique, the author’s writing style was far more sophisticated than most writers of this genre upgrading it to king/koonz level.

If you’re a fan of Stephen King, of horror and supernatural stories, do not hesitate and get this book!

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic!

Well, I did not expect this! Grabbed me from the start. Lost sleep because I couldn't stop listening. Great book. And top-notch narrator. Loved it!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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FABULOUS

Had some doubts when I began this book. It is one of the very best I have ever read. Narrative is superb. All very believable story. Had a dream about it once. If you like a good ghost story, you must read this book!

I took a Literature Class in college. The best part was the discount after we read a book. I would love to kick this one around.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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I thought it’d never end…

Goodreads said this was going to be one of the top books of 2023. That, along with the idea of it being a “ghost story” or “haunted house” story intrigued me. The narrator has a nice voice, but, that smooth monotone voice along with a lack luster plot made it difficult to stay with this book. Out of sheer determination, I finally finished it. It was NOT a gripping, intriguing, keep me on the edge of my seat book. It made me sorry I’d decided to venture out to something a little different. It didn’t hold my interest, it didn’t grab me and pull me in. I felt as if I was constantly waiting for the big moment of the story to happen, only to never experience it. No, I’m sorry to say I did not enjoy this book. I don’t usually give bad reviews, but it took nearly two weeks to finish this. When I can devour a great book in three days average. That says a lot.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Absolutely fantastic!

This was dark and wonderful and I absolutely loved it! And the narrator was phenomenal!!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Just when you think ..

you're getting a good old fashioned haunting you get thrown a loop that makes you reflect on what it means to be alive or dead and the vail that lies between. great listen!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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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.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Only a couple of hours in, but...

I agree with the other reviews that the narrator has a smooth voice...BUT...I don't love that every character sounds like an old black woman. The children, the waitress te diner, the white reporter... everyone. It's weird and a tad annoying. Struggling through, hopefully we'll be able to finish the story so I can finish this review.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Original and interesting

Good story. I thought it was an original take on this idea. Adam L-W was excellent.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Started out great…

…with learning Stacy was somehow special. You wonder for quite sometime why Dad and his 2 daughters left his wife and home and that they are on the run. It’s takes time in the story to reveal these answers.

But the end was a huge disappointment, as the it doesn’t explain the one thing you really want to know!!

SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!
Just how/ why was Stacy brought back alive after being dead and buried???

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1 person found this helpful