The Spite House: A Novel

Written by Johnny Compton

Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White

"The plotting is intricate, following the points of view of many characters from the past and present, all of whom are expertly performed by Adam Lazarre-White." - Library Journal

"Adam Lazarre-White narrates this terrifying debut novel with a Southern drawl that puts the gothic into this gothic thriller."- AudioFile

A terrifying Gothic thriller about grief and death and the depths of a father's love, Johnny Compton's The Spite House is a stunning debut by a horror master in the making—The Babadook meets A Head Full of Ghosts in Texas Hill Country.

Eric Ross is on the run from a mysterious past with his two daughters in tow. Having left his wife, his house, his whole life behind in Maryland, he's desperate for money—it's not easy to find steady, safe work when you can't provide references, you can't stay in one place for long, and you're paranoid that your past is creeping back up on you.

When he comes across the strange ad for the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric thinks they may have finally caught a lucky break. The Masson property, notorious for being one of the most haunted places in Texas, needs a caretaker of sorts. The owner is looking for proof of paranormal activity. All they need to do is stay in the house and keep a detailed record of everything that happens there. Provided the house’s horrors don’t drive them all mad, like the caretakers before them.

The job calls to Eric, not just because there's a huge payout if they can make it through, but because he wants to explore the secrets of the spite house. If it is indeed haunted, maybe it'll help him understand the uncanny power that clings to his family, driving them from town to town, making them afraid to stop running.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Nightfire.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Feb 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9781250884190

Johnny Compton

JOHNNY COMPTON is the author of the Bram Stoker Award–nominated The Spite House. His short stories have appeared in PseudoPod, Strange Horizons, The NoSleep Podcast, and many other outlets. He is a Horror Writers Association member and creator and host of the podcast Healthy Fears.

Reviews for The Spite House

[marissa2fallon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

All the intersecting timelines/plot lines are really well done. I thought this book was truly scary to the point I couldn’t listen to it at night.

[Louise · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A solid debut novel, great haunted house story but a little slow to start.

[Nicole · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic read! I love a book that really plays into that title of the book. This cast of characters are so multifaceted and intertwined. Spreading through generations and timelines. Giving you chills of what happens when we toll between life and death and act out of spite!

[Hibiscus Florido · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Eu achei muito bom até depois da metade. O último terço do livro parece que ficou meio arrastado… Eu gostei do mistério e como foi sendo revelado aos poucos. Achei interessante já ter assombração na casa desde o início. Mas achei meio chato como algumas coisas foram ocorrendo no final, não acho certo como deixaram a mãe de lado a história toda e nem no final temos uma resolução sobre isso… Achei o último capítulo meio anti clímax, sinceramente não entendi porque a sua “outra parte” ficaria de birra com ele mesmo, quer ver ele sofrer e tals. Enfim.

[Lisa Paull · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent ghost/haunted house story! Perfect narration, not excessively dramatic. Loved it! Adam Lazarre - White was outstanding. I'm SUPER picky about narrators and he was great! Adding him to my face narrators list (it's not very long).

[Jeanne E Payne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very well written and frightening ghost story.

[wjzyys2h6q · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An absolutely incredible read. So well-paced, beautifully rich, evocative descriptions and powerful black voices. Perfect in every way!

[Nina Quartuccio · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic narration. Really good story, not scary but a good solid story. The narrator elevated the authors vision, which was the perfect combination. The characters were strongly developed and very believable. I did like the ending, it finalized the creepy vibe which was hoped for. 4 stars for lacking the boo factor.

[Courtney Sifford · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good book! Story was well written, them kids are bad though ...and hold on to a grudge

[Sarah Blomquist · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Spite House is a unique ghost story and it's okay. Nothing scary and a little bit of a mystery until you get half way through. It was entertaining but over hyped. Narrator was fantastic!

[Angel White · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great narrator. Really enjoyed this one too. More to it than just a spooky ghost story. Definitely a good one for Spooktober.

[victoria · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this. It was wordy and wonderful. Lots of POV’s and storylines going. Maybe a little hard to keep track of at the start but then it really starts revealing itself as it paves along. Excellent narration too, really added to the enjoyment of the story. Also,it truly creeped me out at times, especially near the start when they get to The Spite House.

[RJak · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classy, contemporary, suspense rather than fright, more Gothic than Horror. Absolutely fantastic performance of A. Lazarre-White!

[Elizabeth Gardner · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not scary more cautionary tale regarding generational curses. Good Story