Review – A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Horror/Mystery
Length: 233 pages
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Release Date: March 28, 2023
ASIN: B09XL78SQQ
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed eBook from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Mom seems off.”
Her brother’s words echo in Sam Montgomery’s ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where their mother lives alone.
She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam’s excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out.
But stepping inside, she quickly realizes home isn’t what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she’s the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rose bushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above.
To find out what’s got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on ebook from my library.
Thoughts: At this point I have read most of Kingfisher’s books. They are a bit all over the place as far as quality goes, but they are always good for some craziness and laughs. I have read “Nettle & Bone” (loved it), “What Moves the Dead” (liked it), “The Twisted Ones” (it was okay), “A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking” (it was okay), “The Saint of Steel” series (liked it), “Swordheart” (liked it), “Minor Mage” (like it), “The Seventh Bride” (liked it), “The Raven and the Reindeer” (loved it), “Nine Goblins” (loved it), “The Halcyon Fairy Book” (liked it) and “The Clocktaur Wars” (loved it). Whew!!! I actually didn’t realize I had read that many books by her until I looked it up on Goodreads…
Anyway….this was an entertaining sort of haunted house story with some unique twists. Kingfisher has a very distinctive writing style that is humorous and can come off as endearingly goofy; this book was written in her normal style. It’s a slow burn horror/mystery with some dark magic elements.
Sam is between jobs and decides to spend some time with her mother in the old house her mother inherited from her mother. However, when Sam gets there things are weird, her mom has redecorated in strange ways and is jumpy and twitchy. Now Sam is seeing things in the house as well and she is worried it’s more than just her imagination…also what is up with all the vultures watching the house?
I love the relationship Sam and her mom have, they get along really well. I also really enjoyed Sam and her quirky background (she works as a bug archaeologist and has an unhealthy obsession with bugs). The characters in this book are fun, heartfelt, and entertaining to read about.
The story is short but well done. The mystery and horror goes a bit off the rails towards the end of the book, taking crazy unrealistic directions that you could never expect. It was a bit crazy but still a lot of fun. The writing is fun and humorous and easy to read. I enjoyed the unpredictable plot twists and the disturbingly creepy plotline.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed this. It is a quick, fun, goofy, horror read with some unconventional dark magical twists. If you have read Kingfisher’s horror books you know what to expect. She has a very distinct writing style that always seems a bit quirky and amateurish to me, but that doesn’t stop me from finding some strange enjoyment in reading her books. This was a quick read and I enjoyed it. If you are looking for a fun supernatural horror, this is a good one to pick up. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Kingfisher’s future books.
