Haunted: Perron Manor: 1

Product Information

Chloe, was an interesting character and while I felt sad that she had to experience all the spookiness, it was interesting to see how that affected her. How it was first fear and disbelief, into fear and NOPE, trying to run away. I would have liked to see her remember things from the past though, even little glimpses would have been fine. What I didn’t like: I think the toughest thing going in for me personally, was that this is part of a series. Knowing that I didn’t expect to get all the answers, but I found I didn’t get ANY answers. We got hints and bits of what had happened and maybe why the things were occurring, but I think, personally, too much was left unanswered as a draw for readers to dive into book two. As an example (spoiler-free) a discovery is made. A book. Not once do we hear about any attempt at research being done on the book. We do get an antiquities dealer, who may or may not return to the fold in the future, but otherwise nothing. Serving as a prequel novella for the upcoming trilogy of the same name, Inside does it’s job as both a fictional non fiction text (I know, weird way to write that), and a literary teaser of things to come. Perron Manor located in Northern England has been around for centuries and ever since it has been built the manor has taken the lives of people that have lived in it. The manor has been other things besides just "a manor" but that doesn't make it all that less scary as when people move in or even stay the night, things happen that will make the people either run screaming into the night or they might just disappear altogether and may never be heard from again. Reading the story from the paranormal investigator's view reminds me of those true haunting books and as I became engrossed in the story I would sometimes forget that this was a work of fiction as that is how close to the real thing it almost seems.

Inside: Perron Manor is the prequel novella to Lee Mountford’s six-book Haunted series. I’m not normally a fan of the classic horror ghost-story, unless I’m reading the Gothic masters, but Lee Mountford’s novella blew me away. I’ve read a lot of Splatterpunk and Extreme Horror in my time. I’m certainly not against the spilling of guts. But I admire an author who can turn the camera away and give me a different kind of fear even more than one who can twist my insides in disgust. Lee Mountford has taken to heart the age-old lesson that what you don’t see is far scarier than what you do. He never oversteps the mark, which many horror authors do, where the plot then descends into parody, and even at the tense conclusion of the novella what is waiting for Ritter never quite steps into the light… Coupled with this intuitive sense of when not to show us something, or when to let the silence speak, is a concise descriptive power. Many of the “scares” in this book are classic horror fare: faces in windows, shadows at the end of the bed, and yet Mountford will often offer up just one subtle little detail that sets his image apart from the generic. For example,One of the most common plot points or tropes for haunted house stories, especially those involving sprawling mansions, is the one where a family inherits it from a relative who has passed away. Typically the relative is one who has been a recluse or distanced themselves from the rest of the family over the years, so that not much, if anything, is known about them. In many ways this is an excellent book. The characters of Chloe & Sarah, and the house itself are developed well over the course of the story, and for the majority of the story, the pacing is exactly on point for this story's subject matter. Nechci tím říct, že bych měla tendence klepat se při čtení takových knih hrůzou, to skutečně ne. A když se nad tím zamyslím, dokonce bych řekla, že knihy, které na k tomu přivedly, bych za celý dosavadní život, dokázala dokonce spočítat na prstech jedné ruky. Mnohem důležitější však pro mě je, moct si hlavně vychutnat, onu tíživě hutnou atmosféru a napětí, které taková kniha s sebou přináší. V tomto směru je, Sídlo hrůzy, jednou z těch hodně dobrých ukázek, jak má takové dílo, vlastně vypadat.

I am still very much in the mood for haunted houses and ghosts and so when I bumped into this book I just knew I had to try it out! It sounded positivity haunting! This is the first book I have read by Lee Mountford, and I will definitely be reading the rest of his writing! I enjoyed this prequel and Haunted: Perron Manor. Great spooky tale about a evil house! Having no recollection of anything during that time, Chloe doesn't hesitate to urge her husband to move there, along with their young child, and co-heir sister. This book was one scary ride and author, Lee Mountford slowly builds up the haunting and spooky atmosphere all the way through the book then lowers the boom as things escalate in the manor to the point that I would stay up to the early morning hours reading it!

This description (delivered by one of Ritter’s interviewees) is understated, yet extremely vivid. The fact it sounds like dialogue lends further potency to it. The detail I think is most unique here is actually the “no lips”. I can totally see those ape-like gums. But, in terms of scare factor, he saves the best until last: “No eyes” . It’s an iconic, almost archetypal image, that is made more powerful by what went before. We can’t help but picture Sam Neil in Event Horizon. Chilling.