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👻 Ghost Stories

The House Next Door

Name: The House Next Door
Price: 16.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781728220161

✍️ Darcy Coates

Reader Score

4.7

(4 reviews)

$16.99

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A neighbor discovers her gothic house is awakening and hunting for a new victim.

Coates presents a tale where proximity to evil becomes inescapable. The plot centers on Josephine, who lives next door to Marwick House. After witnessing the terrified departure of its last residents, she notices strange occurrences. A spectral figure appears in an upper room, defying the logic of an empty home. The house is no longer silent. It is actively seeking a victim. Josephine must confront this rising threat before it claims her life. The story emphasizes the horror of the mundane turned sinister. It explores how a neighbor's property can become a source of daily terror. The narrative does not rely on complex lore but on immediate, visceral fear.

Key Themes

haunted gothic architecture spectral window sightings domestic supernatural dread

Literary Context

This novel sits within the American horror tradition of domestic Gothic fiction. Published by Poisoned Pen Press in 2020, it utilizes the classic trope of the isolated, malevolent house as a character itself. The work reflects contemporary interests in psychological terror rooted in familiar environments.

Darcy Coates

📚 all books by this author (33) →

Difficulty

●● Medium

Recommended For Fans Of

Shirley Jackson · Daphne du Maurier · Thomas Ligotti

👻

Ghost Stories

🏛 Poisoned Pen Press 📅 2020 📖 256 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781728220161

📝 Description: The House Next Door

Josephine resides beside Marwick House, a gothic structure that has driven away every family who attempted to live there. The previous occupants fled in terror, with children screaming and their mother weeping as they left without returning. Animals instinctively avoid the property, suggesting a deep-seated unnatural presence within its walls. Josephine once witnessed a woman’s silhouette pacing through an upstairs window, a sight that defies logic given the building's long vacancy. Now, the house appears to be awakening from its dormant state. This narrative by Darcy Coates focuses on the supernatural dread of living adjacent to such a malevolent entity. The story draws on gothic traditions of haunted architecture and the fear of the unknown lurking in familiar spaces. This book suits readers who enjoy atmospheric horror centered on domestic settings and psychological tension. It appeals to those who prefer slow-burn suspense over jump scares or gore. Readers seeking lighthearted fiction or traditional ghost stories with clear resolutions may find this unsettling tone difficult to endure. The narrative remains tightly focused on Josephine's growing realization that she is becoming the next target of Marwick House.

💎 Our verdict on The House Next Door

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🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Darcy Coates presents a tale where proximity to evil becomes inescapable through Josephine’s experience next door to Marwick House. The story draws on gothic traditions, focusing on the spectral figure defying logic in an empty home. It is ideal for those who prefer slow-burn suspense over jump scares or gore. However, readers seeking lighthearted fiction or traditional ghost stories with clear resolutions may find this unsettling tone difficult to endure. The narrative remains tightly focused on Josephine's growing realization that she is becoming the next target.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

This book suits readers who enjoy atmospheric horror centered on domestic settings and psychological tension. It appeals to those who prefer slow-burn suspense over jump scares or gore. The narrative emphasizes the horror of the mundane turned sinister, exploring how a neighbor's property can become a source of daily terror. Josephine’s confrontation with Marwick House offers immediate, visceral fear without relying on complex lore. Readers seeking lighthearted fiction may find this unsettling tone difficult to endure. However, fans of gothic and ghost stories will appreciate the tight focus on rising supernatural dread within a familiar environment.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

⭐ HorrorReads editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

This title is for lovers of atmospheric dread and psychological unease rooted in domestic settings. If you prefer lighthearted escapism, visceral gore, or supernatural tales with tidy, reassuring endings, this lingering nightmare will likely leave you frustrated rather than frightened.

Reader rating

4.7

Based on 4 reviews

David N.

July 20, 2026

Needed a good scare and got one. There's real craft in how much is left unsaid. One of my better finds this year.

Simon R.

February 24, 2026

A new favorite

Arrived quickly and well packaged. The audiobook crowd will want the paper copy for the margins. Would buy from this store again.

John N.

July 18, 2025

Read it in one night

Added this to the shelf next to the ones I reread. It leans on old gothic bones and makes them creak convincingly. The atmosphere builds slowly and then does not let go. If you like this kind of cooking, don't hesitate.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No. The narrative prioritizes psychological tension and atmosphere over exposition. The horror stems from the ambiguity and the slow realization of danger, leaving much to the imagination rather than offering concrete answers.

Not at all. This is a slow-burn suspense story focused on dread and isolation. If you are looking for visceral gore or sudden shocks, you might find this pacing too subtle, as the terror builds gradually through mood.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

Darcy Coates taps into the rich lineage of gothic horror, where architecture itself becomes a character of malevolent intent. Drawing from traditions that fear the unknown lurking within familiar spaces, the novel echoes classic haunted house narratives but shifts the terror to the neighbor’s domain. It explores how proximity to evil can infect the mundane, blending domestic unease with timeless supernatural dread.