The gist: Otherworldly forces call a group of siblings back to their haunted childhood home to uncover what happened to their missing little brother, Ben. What caused him to vanish while playing a game of hide‑and‑seek? What is this strange veil of darkness that seems to shroud the town of Fell, New York? Is Ben’s disappearance tied to other strange happenings, like the girl who went missing on the railroad tracks? All of this sounds deliciously spooky, doesn’t it?

What I liked: Honestly, the only thing I truly enjoyed was the faint tie‑in to The Sundown Motel, which added a nice sense of impending dread.

Thoughts on the MC: Sadly, this book doesn’t really have a main character, as it’s told through multiple narratives. We begin with Violet, whom I initially found fascinating. She sees dead people and has been haunted all her life by a dark presence named Lily. Plus, she has a cool job: cleaning out the homes of the recently deceased. If the book had been told solely from her perspective, I think I’d be writing a very different review. The problem is that we never get to know any of the characters on a deeper level. They all come across as whiny and unlikable, constantly bickering. And bickering characters are a huge pet peeve of mine. A little goes a loooooong way.

What irked me: I just couldn’t get into this book. It was far too easy to set down and pick up something else. I needed breaks from the nonstop arguing, and the ghost story itself felt rather silly. The big showdown was a mess—more like a scene from a horror‑movie parody. I don’t know, y’all. This really didn’t feel like a Simone St. James book. I’ve always loved her work, even the ones with mixed reviews. Surprisingly, this one has high ratings on Goodreads, so I guess I’m the outlier.

Overall: If you enjoy a multiple‑narrative paranormal drama/thriller with over‑the‑top ghostly antics, go for it. I prefer my ghost stories a bit more subtle. If you’re looking for a strong haunted‑homecoming tale, try Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi or Home Before Dark by Riley Sager.