hauntedhouse

A chilling classic from the ’70s, Robert Marasco’s ‘Burnt Offerings’ is my latest read of 2025.

I picked up a secondhand copy from one of my favourite local bookstores. Having seen it featured in Grady Hendrix’s ‘Paperbacks from Hell’, I’d wanted to read it for a while.

The novel follows the Rolfe family, desperate to escape another summer in the Bronx. It seems like a dream when they discover a countryside mansion available to rent for a low price. The only catch? The elderly Mrs Allardyce comes with the house. She always stays in her room; the Rolfes only need to bring her three meals daily. But no one ever sees her. And as the summer wears on, the house changes the family in unsettling ways.

As an avid fan of ’70s and ’80s horror – Stephen King, James Herbert, and the like – I adored ‘Burnt Offerings’. It has everything I want from the genre: dark characters, a creeping sense of dread, and a wild storyline. Its 200–300 pages flew by like the classic King novels I devoured as a teenager.

Uncomfortable, creepy, and entertaining, ‘Burnt Offerings’ is a must-read if you like horror.

For my twenty-ninth book of 2023, I picked James Han Mattson’s ‘Reprieve’ off my shelf.

I’ve had a copy of this for a few months, as I couldn’t resist that cover while browsing in my local Tyrolia. When I read the blurb, I knew I had to have the book. Book therapy—it’s a real thing! Anyway, I finally finished reading this novel, and I loved it.

The multifaceted story follows several characters at different points in time. The central premise revolves around a popular tourist spot: Quigley House. Quigley House is a haunted house amplified to the extreme. It allows complete contact between the guests and the actors. This haunted house attraction is so intense if your group even reaches the end, you win 60k. But only one group in history has reached the end without calling the safe word that ends the session. That word? ‘Reprieve’.

When a second group nears the victory line, a madman breaks into the house and murders a contestant.

The story spirals out from there, following characters from all walks of life. We learn more about the owner of the house, the people who work there, the contestants. We also find out about friends and family of those associated with Quigley. It seems unconnected, but the dots converge as the story progresses. I won’t spoil much here, but the novel nails some timely points.

Part horror-thriller, part social commentary, ‘Reprieve’ is a fantastic book; I adored it.

Tag: hauntedhouse

Book Review: ‘Burnt Offerings’ by Robert Marasco

Book Review: ‘Reprieve’ by James Han Mattson