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johnlynchbooks's review
4.0
John Quick teams up with the always exceptional Silver Shamrock publishing for his latest novel, The Corruption of Alston House. Does this one hit the mark? Yes, of course it does.
Katherine is looking to start again. Her life has been on a downward spiral and she decides to go all in on a new home to begin her life anew. Unfortunately, she bought a house secluded in the woods, so as you’d expect, that downward trend is going to continue to get much worse.
I find haunted house stories to be either hit or miss. They either nail it, or completely drop the ball. Quick takes a long time building this world, letting us get to know Katherine and following her around the house as she attempts to make it her own. This slow burn ends up working in favor of the story, as what I believe sets it apart from other haunted house tropes is how lived in this world felt.
There are plenty of scares here, and genuine creep out moments throughout the story. As I found myself turning the pages towards the conclusion, I was genuinely concerned with how Katherine was going to make it out of this house alive.
I had one small issue with the story, one that I’m not sure others will even have. The end of the story itself was extremely satisfying and heartfelt. I felt real genuine emotion. I wish it had ended when I thought it did. Unfortunately, the epilogue kind of took that feeling from me, not that quick did anything wrong. I just went from being hit in the feels to being shown what happened in the aftermath.
John Quick has written a fine Haunted house novel. It’s a story of a despicable antagonist, a town with a tortured past. It’s a damn good book.
4/5
Katherine is looking to start again. Her life has been on a downward spiral and she decides to go all in on a new home to begin her life anew. Unfortunately, she bought a house secluded in the woods, so as you’d expect, that downward trend is going to continue to get much worse.
I find haunted house stories to be either hit or miss. They either nail it, or completely drop the ball. Quick takes a long time building this world, letting us get to know Katherine and following her around the house as she attempts to make it her own. This slow burn ends up working in favor of the story, as what I believe sets it apart from other haunted house tropes is how lived in this world felt.
There are plenty of scares here, and genuine creep out moments throughout the story. As I found myself turning the pages towards the conclusion, I was genuinely concerned with how Katherine was going to make it out of this house alive.
I had one small issue with the story, one that I’m not sure others will even have. The end of the story itself was extremely satisfying and heartfelt. I felt real genuine emotion. I wish it had ended when I thought it did. Unfortunately, the epilogue kind of took that feeling from me, not that quick did anything wrong. I just went from being hit in the feels to being shown what happened in the aftermath.
John Quick has written a fine Haunted house novel. It’s a story of a despicable antagonist, a town with a tortured past. It’s a damn good book.
4/5
magpie_666's review
3.0
It's so hard to rate a book when the reason you didn't enjoy it so much is your own fault rather than the authors.
I read this book because it was chosen as a group read on my GR group and to be honest I shouldn't really have joined in once I found out it was a haunted house story, as I really don't get on with haunted house stories.
I've got to admit though that the writing was pretty good, the characters were interesting and the only reason my mind wandered was the topic, honestly!
If you're a fan of haunted house stories I'd really recommend this book to you.
I read this book because it was chosen as a group read on my GR group and to be honest I shouldn't really have joined in once I found out it was a haunted house story, as I really don't get on with haunted house stories.
I've got to admit though that the writing was pretty good, the characters were interesting and the only reason my mind wandered was the topic, honestly!
If you're a fan of haunted house stories I'd really recommend this book to you.
unwrappingwords's review
4.0
After the death of her child and the collapse of her marriage, Katherine, looking for a fresh start, moves to an old, rundown property. Like most haunted house stories, The Corruption of Alston House begins with an almost too good to be true deal. For Katherine, Alston House is the perfect place to focus on herself, her painting, and moving past the tragedy that has befallen her.
The story is a little of a slow-burn, which works really well in this subgenre. Quick spends time letting us get to know Katherine and the people around her, so we can understand her and connect with the characters, rather than having them shoved out onto the stage simply to be killed off. Although the dark events in Alston House start almost instantly, there’s the immediate sense that things will get worse. Because we spend so long with Katherine, we really get to feel the tension of what might happen.
Quick does well with the supporting characters. The few townspeople we meet make it clear how reluctant ‘old timers’ are to accept newcomers, although the town marshal takes an instant liking to Katherine, making half-hearted attempts to set her up with his deputy. These characters feel as real as Katherine does. The slow growing relationship between her and the deputy helps add to the story, giving Katherine a much-needed ally, as well as increasing the tension as the house’s long-dead resident attempts to use their mutual attraction against them.
The buried story of the house is revealed well, the reader getting glimpses and clues just as Katherine does. As she pieces things together, so do we, and we grow to understand the true horror of Alston House.
The best comparison for this book is The Secret of Crickley Hall, by James Herbert, but where Herbert waffles, Quick keeps thing tight. Where Herbert’s female characters are written a little poorly, Quick gives realism and strength to his heroine. In both books, the lead character is trying to move on, and in both books, the evil of the house stems from the evil left behind by previous owners. The Corruption of Alston House maybe veers a little too close to Crickley Hall in some places, but Quick has a distinctive style and engaging voice to keep the reader absolutely hooked.
For fans of the haunted house subgenre of horror, The Corruption of Alston House feels familiar and comforting, yet still manages to bring a unique, engaging voice to add something new. The foundations are there, and the house built on top will keep you turning the pages, wondering what darkness lurks around the next corner.
The story is a little of a slow-burn, which works really well in this subgenre. Quick spends time letting us get to know Katherine and the people around her, so we can understand her and connect with the characters, rather than having them shoved out onto the stage simply to be killed off. Although the dark events in Alston House start almost instantly, there’s the immediate sense that things will get worse. Because we spend so long with Katherine, we really get to feel the tension of what might happen.
Quick does well with the supporting characters. The few townspeople we meet make it clear how reluctant ‘old timers’ are to accept newcomers, although the town marshal takes an instant liking to Katherine, making half-hearted attempts to set her up with his deputy. These characters feel as real as Katherine does. The slow growing relationship between her and the deputy helps add to the story, giving Katherine a much-needed ally, as well as increasing the tension as the house’s long-dead resident attempts to use their mutual attraction against them.
The buried story of the house is revealed well, the reader getting glimpses and clues just as Katherine does. As she pieces things together, so do we, and we grow to understand the true horror of Alston House.
The best comparison for this book is The Secret of Crickley Hall, by James Herbert, but where Herbert waffles, Quick keeps thing tight. Where Herbert’s female characters are written a little poorly, Quick gives realism and strength to his heroine. In both books, the lead character is trying to move on, and in both books, the evil of the house stems from the evil left behind by previous owners. The Corruption of Alston House maybe veers a little too close to Crickley Hall in some places, but Quick has a distinctive style and engaging voice to keep the reader absolutely hooked.
For fans of the haunted house subgenre of horror, The Corruption of Alston House feels familiar and comforting, yet still manages to bring a unique, engaging voice to add something new. The foundations are there, and the house built on top will keep you turning the pages, wondering what darkness lurks around the next corner.
wellwortharead's review against another edition
5.0
I've often said I love a good haunted house story, and that was all I expected from The Corruption Of Alston House. Once it gets going, it's so much more than that. The build up was a little slow, as we learn about what caused Katherine to buy this house sight unseen. At first we know only that her marriage didn't work out and she needs a fresh start, but divorce is not the horrendous loss that was the true catalyst for the events that follow. There are rumors that the house is haunted but as the title suggests, corrupted would be a better word. The house was the site of unspeakable evil and abuse perpetrated against the helpless and the innocent. That kind of evil doesn't die easily especially when others in the town continue to feed it. By around the halfway point I was both terrified and outraged, and may have had a tear in my eye at the end.
I received an advance copy for review.
I received an advance copy for review.
el_stevie's review against another edition
4.0
Haunting
I will admit this was a bit of a slow starter for me but I stuck with it and it really got going after the first few chapters. A bereaved mother, newly divorced, leaves her old life behind. Her new start, in Alston House, however, soon turns into a nightmare. Haunted by a malevolent spirit, it soon turns into a battle for survival, not just her own, but those closest to her. Great ghost story for a winter's evening.
I will admit this was a bit of a slow starter for me but I stuck with it and it really got going after the first few chapters. A bereaved mother, newly divorced, leaves her old life behind. Her new start, in Alston House, however, soon turns into a nightmare. Haunted by a malevolent spirit, it soon turns into a battle for survival, not just her own, but those closest to her. Great ghost story for a winter's evening.
brennanlafaro's review against another edition
3.0
If you've read one of my reviews before, you've probably heard me mention once or twice how much I love the haunted house genre. Combine that with the fact that this is coming out of Silver Shamrock and the epic cover design from ElderLemon, and I was ready for this one to hit my shelf.
John Quick writes in a way that had me turning pages, and honestly it needs to be commended because I can't pinpoint exactly what is. The chapters aren't particularly short, the pacing isn't breakneck, it's certainly not a bullet thriller, and none of the other usual suspects that cause me to fly through a book rear their ugly heads.
I guess that only leaves the age-old I needed to find out what happens next.
The story centers on Katherine, a divorcee looking for a fresh start, and finding it in a house in a small Tennessee town. As you might suspect, the town doesn't warm to outsiders and we get an immediate vibe that it's more because of the address than the occupant. As the book unfurls we learn more about the history of the house and the history of Katherine as the two come to a head over the course of 325 pages.
Quick clearly worked hard to bring a strong female protagonist to life, and succeeds, but something felt off to me. Katherine has a tragic backstory, is likable enough, and shows herself to be strong throughout the story by refusing to abandon the house. The problem is that even with all this going, she feels like something of an amalgam of strong female characters, and gives off a one dimensional character vibe. Put it on me as a reader, but I had trouble feeling a connection to my lead here.
Alston House is very much a slow-burn horror story, and as mentioned before, it's very difficult to put down. I can't really think of any other books that so clearly demonstrate both those aspects. The revelations about the house's history and the finale are not groundbreaking but do leave the reader respectively horrified and satisfied.
If you like a good haunted house story, and don't mind that it's going to take you on an spookular, enjoyable journey without reinventing the wheel, this book just might be for you.
I received an e-book from the publisher for review consideration
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