Don't touch the doorknob!

Sick House

Jeff Strand

 

Amazon Digital Services LLC 

January 17, 2018

4 stars

It's nice to see Jeff Strand returning to straightout horror. He never really left it but the past books have really run the gamut from YA to ogre fantasy to road trip romance. Sick House is pure unadulterated horror, a combination of breaking and entering terror and haunted house thrills. Strand's infamous wit is still intact of course but....boy! Does he lay on the horror and gore in this one!

Boyd Gardner gets a promotion and moves his wife and two daughters into a new house rental. Unbeknownst to him, a gruesome trio of murders happened in the house . More disconcerting is the fact that three hit men were killed in the house to avenge for the death of a witch and their ghosts are still in a murderous mood. As far as hauntings go, this one is one of the more visceral ghost novels you will find. There is a short amount of buildup with strange happenings but it doesn't take long for the author to hit full stride with non-stop action. The Gardners are the type of family that makes for a fun read, complete with a smart-ass teenager and a quick witted mother. Boyd is no wimp either, going head on with the killer ghosts all the way to the end. Despite the heavy horror and gore, this is actually a fairly fun read, going full roller coaster throughout.

I like this type of Strand novel. I like most Strand novels but this feels like a step back to the roots. I suspect it was as much fun to write as to read. Fact, exciting and entertaining. If that is what you are looking for in a haunted house story with undead hit men then this is a must read.