This review comes to us from horror author and freelance writer Jena Brown. She's provided a quick synopsis of The House at Watch Hill below for those who have not read it; you'll find her full review after the block.
Zo Grey hasn’t had an easy life. She’s been on the run since childhood for reasons she doesn’t fully understand. Not that it matters; Zo loves her mother, and the two of them have been each others’ worlds for as long as she can remember.
When her mother is ripped away in a tragic accident, the grief threatens to consume Zo whole. Destitute and alone, she isn’t sure what to think when an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana tells her she’s received an inheritance from a long-lost relative. Especially when he refuses to say more until they meet in person.
With nothing to lose, Zo heads to Divinity, where she discovers that she now owns Watch Hill: a monstrous house with a mysterious past. The only catch? She has to live there for three years before the house — and the sizable bank account that comes with it — will officially belong to her.
It’s not all bad. There’s the sexy groundskeeper and a gorgeous kitchen. But Zo is about to find out exactly how strange Watch Hill is. As her own dormant powers awaken and she unravels the heartbreaking secrets her mother kept from her, Zo must embrace her true identity before the evil forces drawing closer consume her entirely.
I’ve been very into haunted houses lately, so when I saw this gorgeous cover with a title that shouted A Haunting of Hill House vibes, I was in. And the opening pages held up brilliantly; right away, the terrible pull of the house was present. There was mystery and dread and oodles of atmosphere. To my delight, the story quickly swept me away.
I wasn’t exactly sure how the snappy pace of an urban fantasy story would pair with a lush, Gothic horror, but Karen Marie Moning blends the two genres seamlessly. Even before Watch Hill makes an official appearance in the story, the delicious atmosphere of a classic Gothic novel is there. It’s in the oppressive dreariness of the bleak Midwestern weather, trapped inside Zo’s desperate struggle to breathe under the mountain of pressure of her mother’s illness — and crushing grief after she passes.
And then we are given a promise. Like Shirley Jackson’s Hill House, Watch Hill offers a new beginning… and just as with Hill House, we know that Zo should run away screaming. But for Zo — a woman who has only ever known illness and crippling debt, who has never been given the chance to dream — Watch Hill is too irresistible, too enchanting to walk away from. And honestly, even as the story progressed, I didn’t blame her.
It's impossible not to feel sympathy for Zo. She shouldn’t step foot in Watch Hill, but I understood exactly why she does. Of course, I hoped I’d be wrong about what would happen to her — and I wanted to know other things about her too: who she was running from, why her mother never told her the truth, and what exactly was going on with Divinity and its residents. So I urged her on… despite knowing that finding out these answers is rarely good for a character in such a novel.
And in terms of addictive pacing, Moning does not disappoint. There are plenty of juicy secrets for Zo to discover, from who — or what — her sexy groundskeeper truly is, to finally understanding who she really is. It does take some time to unveil these secrets, but the story offers plenty of interesting diversions along the way. It’s a slow progression that compels you to keep turning the pages, hungry for more.
These are the parts of the book that feel the most in line with what I expect in an urban fantasy. Zo’s questions lead to dangerous answers — or outright danger — which lead to still more questions. On top of that, there’s a sensuality that builds into a palpable tension that demands release. It’s a clear recipe for success.
But Moning takes an already evocative story and adds even more rich, ominous layers. The Gothic elements were some of my favorite aspects of this book. Like all the best settings, Watch Hill is itself a character — and each detailed bit of description helps slow the more fast-paced elements of urban fantasy.
While for some this might have taken away from the story, for me it was enhancing. There’s an art to seduction, and Moning knows just how to draw out this delicate dance in a way that completely undoes both the characters and the readers.
It isn’t just how sex scenes are written; it’s the anticipation and mounting desire that makes the encounters in the book more than simply lust-filled escapades. This eager anticipation combined with other elements of dread and warning create an intoxicating blend — one anyone with a penchant for bad boys will completely understand.
My one complaint is that this book ended on such an abrupt cliffhanger that if I didn’t have a finished copy, I would think pages were missing. I’m all for making the reader scream for more, but this felt too severe: like we were finally reaching a satisfying climax, only to hit a wall instead.
Part of that is likely because Moning already has a legion of devoted fans ready to devour her work. I think those fans trust that she will deliver in the following book. But it would have been nice to have just a little more — if for no other reason than to ease new readers to her cause a bit more gently.
Still, I can’t fault her decision as entirely ineffective. Weeks after I finished reading this book, I still feel the pull of Watch Hill — of wanting answers, or needing more. I can’t help but wonder about the fates of these characters, imagining what awaits them in the future. And once the sequel is released, I know that — just like Zo with the house — I won’t be able to stay away.
About the author
Jena Brown grew up playing make-believe in the Nevada desert, where her love for skeletons and harsh landscapes solidified. In addition to freelance writing, Jena blogs at www.jenabrownwrites.com. When she isn’t imagining deadly worlds, she and her husband keep busy being bossed around the Las Vegas desert by their two chihuahuas.
