Read Between 28th of February 2016 to March 18th 2016
Edition Details:
Format : Ebook
Page count : 223
Publisher: White Rabbit Press
Haunted Houses by Tony Walker is a collection of five stories . The stories were initially published as singles and have been collected for this collection.
The book has following stories:
1) The Lighthouse 3/5
First Sentence:
Sam Trafford had the devil’s name tattooed on his shoulder to let the Devil know he wasn’t scared of him.
Sam and Nadia have come to the lighthouse for a quiet time. But fate has something else in store for them. The find out that the Lighthouse is haunted.Is it true or just the local lore?
The story was good.
2. The house of bones 3/5
First Sentence:
It was Sabine who wanted to buy the old building.
Sabine had always wanted to open a therapy center in a countryside. So, when the opportunity comes, she grabs it. Sabine’s friend Martin tells her of a place which would suit perfectly to her needs. And so Sabine along with her son and boyfriend Lukas come to this little countryside.
Sabine likes the place immediatley. Lukas on the other hand is jealous of the nearness that’s developing between Maritn and Sabine. And when the local Vicar tells him about the history of the place, he knows that there is more to the place than that meets the eye.
An entertaining story which had most goriest ending in the collection. I liked it for it’s gore.
3. The House on the lake 3/5
First Sentence:
I made a lot of money and retired early.
Howard Dougan had made a lot of money and had retired early. He had always wanted to live a life away from the hustle and bustle of city, so when now he could afford it, he decides to move in a house located in the island. Everything is perfect there and is as he had wanted.
But then his hispanic servant Manuelita starts talking about some sinister presence. It’s not long before things start happening in the house which can’t be deemed natural.
Will Howard and his family survive?
It was a good story. The author has managed to maintain the tension throughout the story which forces reader to keep reading the story.
4. Vivien 2.5/5
First Sentence:
He was warned not to take the road because it was too dangerous for motor vehicle, but he took it anyway.
William thorpe is an alpha male. He is a decorated soldier. He believes that:
‘A man gets his way, if he has the strength and determination to bring it about.’
And he applies it to everything in his life, even on women that he likes.While travelling in the interiors of Scotland he gets into an accident. When he recovers his consciousness, he finds himself in a Dungarvan, a castle. He is surrounded by people of the castle and a woman called Vivian. Vivian claims to be his wife, which he has difficulty in remembering but accepts as Vivian is beautiful.
So, when after one day Vivan disappears and no one the castle remembers her being there, he thinks something fishy is going on.
Was Vivian really his wife? If yes, where did she went?And why does the inhabitants of castle denying her being there?
I liked the subject of the story.
I found the story a little too long to maintain that atmosphere of dread or thrill that would have raised my interest in it. If the story would have been little more tight i could have liked it more.Also, the ending was absurd. Well, i can tell why the ending was absurd but i think it would not be fair.
It was an average story for me and far less creepier than any story in the collection.
5. The house in the forest 3/5
First Sentence:
“It’s all my fault. I’m sorry”,said Rebecca.
Gavin and his 13 year old daughter were on their way home when they saw Rebecca.Rebecca was hitchhiking when Gavin saw her and took pity on her. They were driving through the National park when the car went kaput. The rain only added to their misery.
They had been driving through it and had come across only rows and rows of trees. After tinkering with the engine didn’t yield good results,Gavin decided to walk to the nearest garage and get the people to fix the car.
When Gavin didn’t return after a couple of hours, Emma, who was not feeling good about him going out in the rain, decides to search for her father. While roaming through the forest she comes across a house in the midst of forest and decides to knock at the door. Little does she know it would be the worst mistake of her life.
I liked most the stories in the collection. The good things about the stories is that although the book is titled Haunted houses but the haunting in each story is of a different kind. There are evil beings, reincarnations, curses, animal spirits and human spirit. So as the medium of haunting changes so it offers you a variety in the way story progresses.
I think the first three stories of the collection were much better than the rest of the stories.
If you are looking for reading a few horror stories than you should definitely look into it.
You can get the book from the following link:
