House of Crows Book 4 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

What’s drawn four damaged people back to Merle House? The answer could destroy them all in a gripping short story of the truths we bury and the lies we tell ourselves.

Matthew, Claire, Ian, and Mason haven’t set foot on the Merle family property since the summer they were sixteen. They tried for years to put their history behind them, to forget the mystery of the girl who vanished so long ago. But a powerful force from their past is still at play. This time, there’s no hiding from it.

LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE by Lisa Unger is an interesting ending to the series. Still not sure if the author intended this as a crime thriller or a story with a supernatural twist. Easy to blame one character in particular for events, and yet, thinking back on details in the three previous installments, the Dark Man's origin/status is debatable.

I honestly don't know if readers can trust the POVs of the characters, as one or more might still be hiding something.

As always,

AstraDaemon

House of Crows Book 3 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

Is it a hoax, or is it something unspeakably real? In this short story about evil games and spiraling secrets, whatever bargain you strike, there’s a price to be paid.

Mason Brandt dropped out of seminary and found a job at a spiritual center offering guidance to troubled teens. Mason was one himself years ago—a suspect in a young girl’s disappearance. When a female student is found murdered, Mason is dogged by suspicion and flees. He hopes Merle House will offer him sanctuary once again.

CIRCLING THE DRAIN by Lisa Unger is the third installment of the House of Crows mini-series. This one centers mainly on Mason, one of Matthew's childhood companions, now an adult struggling to keep his life stable. His connection to Amelia and her disappearance is revealed, but the Dark Man and his intentions remain unknown. History repeats itself, and Mason has no choice but to reconnect with his past.

As the pieces fall into place, there is an obvious pattern to events. However, the main characters are either in denial, hiding secrets or both. I really hope the last book will answer all my questions.

As always,

AstraDaemon

House of Crows Book 2 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

A grief-stricken spiritualist thought his faith in life after death was broken. Until the ghosts of his past come calling in this short story of believing in what can’t be seen.

Driven by an uncanny mystery from his youth, Ian Randall became a “spiritual cleanser,” ridding disturbances from homes. But his belief in the beyond was challenged by his wife’s death. Merle House, the root of Ian’s obsession, could change that. The woods are restless again. Maybe here, Ian will find what he needs—if he’s willing to make a deal with the dark.

FOG DESCENDING by Lisa Unger is the second installment of the House of Crows mini-series. I was already hooked on this series after reading Book 1, but the flashbacks in this installment have me completely freaking out. I can't wait to find out who the Dark Man is, how he is connected to the Merle House and why he seems fixed on the four friends.

I love Unger's writing style...even with the alternating POVs and flashes to the characters' childhood discovery, the story flows quite smoothly. I hope the rest of the series is as horrifying as the first two books.

As always,

AstraDaemon

House of Crows Book 1 | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

For disgraced professor Matthew Merle, the inheritance of his grandfather’s crumbling mansion is both a burden and an offer of safe haven. His childhood friend Claire, a psychiatrist, desperately needs a haven of her own after one of her patients unleashes his dark side. At turning points in their lives, it’s inevitable that they should return to the past. And to Merle House. It’s been waiting for them.

ALL MY DARKEST IMPULSES by Lisa Unger is essentially the setup for the rest of the series, but I'm already hooked. The tone is a mix of AHS Haunted House with the writing style of Stephen King's It. However, Unger does a great job creating new twists on the common trope of the past catching up to the present.

So far, I dislike Matthew, feel sorry for Samantha, couldn't careless about Jewel, and Claire is the only character I care about. I don't know if any of that will change as the series progresses. With the cliff-hanger of the first installment, I'm looking forward to Fog Descending.

As always,

AstraDaemon