Eight Arms Reading Room

Read: The Haunting of William Thorn -- Ben Alderson

I hate to tell you, but this is another book that I had high hopes for but ended up being a bit of a disappointment.

Blurb:

How to Sell a Haunted House meets The Haunting of Hill House in this split timeline queer romance, set against the backdrop of a haunted English manor from #1 bestselling author Ben Alderson.

William Thorn had his life all planned out… until he discovered his long-term boyfriend Archie in bed with another man. Distraught, William kicks him out of their home, where tragedy strikes when Archie is killed instantly in a car accident. Riddled with guilt, William is shocked to learn that he’s inherited a manor in the quaint village of Stonewall, left to him in Archie’s will.

He leaves the city with plans to make a new start for himself, but is surprised by the rundown state of the manor, and the unwelcoming villagers who want him gone. His only ally is Edward, a seemingly friendly local with secrets of his own... However, it’s not only the villagers who are adverse to his presence.

A malevolent spirit roams the manor, one that seeks to drive William out for good. But when he uncovers the heartbreaking tale of two men in love in the 1920’s, William strives to find peace for the spirit, ending the haunting once and for all.

But what dark secrets lie hidden in the manor walls? And will William be able to put aside his own grief to save his new home...and his life?

Okay, I'm a big Shirley Jackson fan, so you got me with a queer romance version of The Haunting of Hill House. And this book is legit scary in places, really effectively scary. I also dig historical romances and really don't mind split timeline stories. But writing gets really overwrought in places, especially in sensory descriptions. Like, I know we authors are supposed to show, not tell, but there are some passages where I was like, dude, very evocative prose but...I don't think those words are conveying what you meant them to convey.

Also, the ending has a twist that kind of defies the fundamental genre convention for a romance--the 'they lived happily ever after together' bit. I won't spoil exactly how, in case you want to read the book, but there's a clue in that phrase. The protagonists end up together but...

I'm not mad at this book (the way I kind of was mad at The Dead of Summer) and I probably will read more by this author. I know he has some gay paranormal romances out there, including an M/M Hades and Persephone retelling that I've had an eye on for a while.