The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates

The entire story is told from Adrienne's perspective. We were well past the 3/4 point before Adrienne even looked in Edith's room. The woman - whom Adrienne hadn't even known existed - was dead and the house belonged to Adrienne now, yet she didn't seem at all interested in the contents.

Her claim in the narration was that she didn't want to invade Edith's privacy. Adrienne had so little curiosity about the house she'd inherited that I found myself internally yelling for her to look around and discover what might be behind all those doors and inside those drawers she never opened. In other words, we spend a lot of time doing uninteresting things in a house that should have held all sorts of allure.Īnd that brings me to the next issue. We walk around the house with Adrienne, open a cupboard, find a cup, boil water in the kettle, make tea, walk around some more. Had the title and description better reflected the content, I wouldn't have read the book at all. I love ghost stories, but zombies and the undead don't interest me. The story just didn't work for me for a variety of reasons, which I'll do my best to clarify without spoilers.įirst, I think it's important to note that this is far more of an 'undead' theme than a haunted house or ghost story.

I wish I could share in the love the majority of reviewers have expressed for this book. Only one thing is certain: Ashburn's dead are not at rest. The building has a bleak and grisly past, and as she chases the threads of a decades-old mystery, Adrienne realises she's become the prey to something deeply unnatural and intensely resentful. Strange messages have been etched into the wallpaper, an old grave is hidden in the forest behind the house, and eerie portraits in the upstairs hall seem to watch her every movement.Īs she uncovers more of the house's secrets, Adrienne begins to believe the whispered rumours about Ashburn may hold more truth than she ever suspected. Ashburn House is a lifeline she can't afford to refuse.Īdrienne doesn't believe in ghosts, but it's hard to ignore the unease that grows as she explores her new home. Adrienne's only possessions are a suitcase of luggage, twenty dollars, and her pet cat. Its owner, Edith, refused to let guests inside and rarely visited the nearby town.įollowing Edith's death, her sole surviving relative, Adrienne, inherits the property. The ancient building has been the subject of rumours for close to a century. There's something wrong with Ashburn House.

The Haunting of Ashburn House by Darcy Coates