Tag: Paranormal

Two Stars for ‘The Widow’s House’ by Carol Goodman

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Let’s start on a positive note. The book opens with a deliciously spooky atmosphere centered on an old, haunted manor dripping with secrets and lore. A downtrodden couple, hoping to salvage their flailing marriage, move into the caretaker’s cottage on the estate, which just so happens to be owned by their former creative writing professor. Things go bump in the night. A ghostly woman drifts through the misty apple orchards. A phantom baby wails in the darkness. Such fun! I was fully on board.

And then the story veers sharply into domestic drama territory, saddling us with two deeply unlikable protagonists, Jess and Clare. The ghosts fade into the background while Jess’s red flags start whipping in the wind, and Clare twists herself into a pretzel making excuses for him—usuually while tearing herself down in the process. At one point she actually says, “I can’t blame Jess for straying because I’ve let myself go.” Absolutely not. This is 2026, not 1956. Her inability to stand up for herself was maddening, and not in a compelling, character-driven way—just frustrating.

As for the plot, it ended up being far lighter on the paranormal than I anticipated, which was a real disappointment. The twist wasn’t much of a surprise, though the suspense did pick up slightly toward the end. Still, the overall experience was a dud for me.

If I could ask the author one question, it would be this: How are readers supposed to care about the story when we can’t bring ourselves to care about the characters?

Spooky Reads: Riley Sager’s ‘Middle of the Night’ Review

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Next up in my 31 Books of Halloween reading roundup, I’m reviewing Riley Sager’s latest twisty thriller, Middle of the Night! This might be somewhat of an unpopular opinion (y’all are hard on him on Goodreads!), but I love his work. This one is great for spooky season because there are a lot of paranormal elements weaved into the mystery, including a creepy “science” institute just around the block, creepy figures lurking in the woods, and cryptic messages from the dead. Here are my thoughts:

The gist: Our protagonist, Ethan, camps out in his backyard and wakes up to find the tent slashed and his best friend gone! Thirty years later, he returns to his childhood home and finds himself in the middle of a mystery when his dead best friend, Billy, sends messages from beyond the grave. He soon learns many people in his upper-class suburban neighborhood have something to hide—including Billy.

What I Liked: The paranormal element took this mystery to the next level. I love a good ghost story, especially when restless spirits are seeking justice! What more could you ask for during spooky season? I also loved that this story took the safest place you could think of—an upper-class, tight-knit suburban neighborhood—and turned it into a place of nightmares! This is the kind of book that makes me check my windows and doors at night…which is a good thing because I’m a weirdo who loves being scared.

What Irked Me: My one and only gripe is the overly precocious kid. When Ethen moves back home, he reunites with his former babysitter, and crush, who is the mother of a highly intelligent, well-read child. Why do authors use this gimmick so much? Maybe this is a way to add to the kid’s likeability, but I find it to be unrealistic and annoying.

Thoughts on the main character: Ethan is a little mopey and withdrawn, yet I warmed up to him when he started interacting with the kid genius next door. We don’t really know much about him, other than he worked as a teacher, yet he doesn’t care too much for kids. Now that I think about it, it was hard connecting with a character who has zero interests and passions. He just chose that profession to follow in his dad’s footsteps. Mostly his entire life has been haunted by that fateful night, so that’s about all we know about him. There’s a side plot involving his wife, but I figured out the “tiwst” to that little mystery right away.

Overall thoughts: This is a solid paranormal thriller packed with shady suspects, making me wonder about the neighbors I wave “hello” to while walking my dog. I’m just glad I don’t live within walking distance of a creepy science institute hidden deep in the woods.