The Spite House
A Novel
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The Spite House
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Narrated by:
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Adam Lazarre-White
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By:
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Johnny Compton
About this listen
Long-listed, Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, 2023
"The plotting is intricate, following the points of view of many characters from the past and present, all of whom are expertly performed by Adam Lazarre-White."—Library Journal
"Adam Lazarre-White narrates this terrifying debut novel with a Southern drawl that puts the gothic into this gothic thriller."—AudioFile
A terrifying Gothic thriller about grief and death and the depths of a father's love, Johnny Compton's The Spite House is a stunning debut by a horror master in the making—The Babadook meets A Head Full of Ghosts in Texas Hill Country.
Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in tow. Having left his wife, his house, his whole life behind in Maryland, he's desperate for money—it's not easy to find steady, safe work when you can't provide references, you can't stay in one place for long, and you're paranoid that your past is creeping back up on you.
When he comes across the strange ad for the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric thinks they may have finally caught a lucky break. The Masson property, notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas, needs a caretaker of sorts. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity. All they need to do is stay in the house and keep a detailed record of everything that happens there. Provided the house’s horrors don’t drive them all mad, like the caretakers before them.
The job calls to Eric, not just because there's a huge payout if they can make it through, but because he wants to explore the secrets of the spite house. If it is indeed haunted, maybe it'll help him understand the uncanny power that clings to his family, driving them from town to town, making them afraid to stop running.
A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Nightfire.
©2023 Johnny Compton (P)2023 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"Compton’s chilling debut is horror with heart that puts a refreshingly modern spin on the haunted house story... This tense work of gothic horror provides a complex and multidimensional look at how anger, grief, and trauma can strengthen bonds of familial love...Even the most jaded horror fans will be wowed."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"One part road trip, one part family relationships, and one part haunted house, serve this update on genre staples to showcase the voice of a rising new writer to an audience that adores the classics."—Aaron Heil, Library Journal
“The Spite House is an aching, heartbroken meditation on what haunts us and the sins we inherit from those who came before us.”—Cassandra Khaw, author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth
What listeners say about The Spite House
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
- kyla grey
- 10-08-23
loved it
loved it . very well written..well narrated and extremely creepy. would highly recommend and can't wait to read more from this author
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Janey
- 16-08-24
Something about the narrator
Narrator had a nice voice and was good at the character voices but the rest of the narration was read in a weird slow rhythm that really distracted me from the story. I wish I’d read the book myself instead. The story is pretty good but it slow to start and I didn’t like the ending.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dr S.
- 23-10-23
Perfect autumn listen!
Really enjoyed this book - lots of different threads and dimensions to the story. The characters are well developed and even the minor ones have enough depth to feel real. Beautifully narrated, too, with characterisations that create a tangible sense of the people you’re listening to.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- L. Lantos
- 11-11-23
Good story, great narration
It’s Haunting of Hill House by way of The Shining and Pet Semetary.
Each chapter being a different person’s perspective was a good touch, and it’s paced well.
The narration was the standout though, by all accounts a grown man with a deep voice doing the parts of little girls and old ladies should be a disaster, but Adam’s affectation was perfectly nuanced. Really kept me in the story.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Gabby
- 19-03-24
Interesting story but a bit disjointed.
Began well but I lost interest towards the end, became a bit confusing and I had to keep repeating the audiobook to regain focus.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kenton
- 16-05-24
Superb Narration and Story
One of those books that doesn’t just get played during the commute, but well into the evening too. Gripping and chilling in equal measure, The Spite House moves along with more pace than I expected from a haunted house story. Delicious narration is the cherry on top, well worth a listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ham.103
- 26-06-24
Excellent Gothic Horror!
This is an excellent example of a gothic horror. It has a slowly creeping narrative, familial curses, a focus on the characters rather than the supernatural, and a crumbling ancestral home. If you like slow-build horror that focuses on the characters impacted by the supernatural this is the book for you! And Adam Lazarre-White's performance is fantastic!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Curly
- 06-11-24
Perfect gothic story
Really enjoyed this and the narrator was wonderful.
Spine tingling and spooky without the ghosts taking over completely.
Someone said it was boring and slow but I completely disagree with the boring bit!
It gave its time to explore the characters and let the chill slowly creep up.
Excellent to read at anytime but especially at this time of year.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Doctor What
- 01-08-23
If 'Haunting of Hill House' were written now...
This struck me as a brilliant update and expansion of the classic horror 'The Haunting of Hill House'. Unlike that novel, 'The Spite House' connects with the history of racism in America, telling a broader story. It's got plenty of tension and suspense throughout, with some great mysteries. The reader is superb, too. A must-listen for haunted house fans.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- C Frost
- 09-10-23
I loved this narrators voice!
This turned out to be much more than the regular haunted house story… the mystery of what was going on in the characters lives was actually more interesting for me. Some genuinely creepy moments in the house itself. But more than anything, I couldn’t stop listening for the narrators deep, captivating voice. I realised I haven’t come across many audiobooks with a black male lead before (perhaps due to the algorithm offering me more female led stories?) so I’ll be checking out his other performances now.
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