Member Reviews
I love love LOVE a good haunted house book and this one delivered! Creepy & atmospheric I seriously couldn't put it down! Well written, compelling characters and some really good twists and tuns! Than you so much! Can't wait to read more
One hundred and twenty year old Nightingale House was once the summer home of a wealthy couple. Now it's the new home of widower Daniel Price and his eight year old daughter Caitlyn. Daniel and his wife Nicole had bought this house before the family was in a car accident that killed Nicole, eight months earlier. It is only now that Daniel and Caitlyn have moved into the house. Both of them are still grieving although Daniel seems to be handling Nicole's death worse than Caitlyn.
Caitlyn has always had a vivid imagination which made some of her stories, about imaginary friends or stories about other people, verge on lies. She's been taught to tone things down, that there is a limit to how far she should take her story telling. When Caitlyn claims she is talking to a little girl who lives in the house and when Caitlyn attributes some things to the little girl, Daniel is willing to let it go at first, because he knows Caitlyn is still mourning her mother and that they have just made this big move. But Daniel is hearing things too, voices, water dripping, thumps, and he's also having vivid, disturbing dreams that seem to mesh with real life.
For all the things that take place in this house, in the present and in the 1900 timeline, the story has a very benign quality to it. The violence is not graphic, the horrors almost have a nightmarish, distancing quality to them. Daniel's overwhelming sense of grief and his extreme sleep deprivation, due to nightmares and other things, seem to overshadow everything in the story. This is not a bad thing, it just gave the story a different feeling than I had expected when I started reading this book.
Thank you to HQ Digital and NetGalley for this ARC.
I loved this story. It has all of my favorite plot points...ghosts, spooky old house, wacky neighbors and lots of chills. This book had me turning on the lights while reading it at night. This is my second book by Steve Frech and I enjoyed both.
I really enjoyed this book and will give it a huge thumbs up. With a great story line and excellent main characters - I would highly recommend this book.
After author Daniel Price finally has a best selling book on his hands himself and his wife Nicole decide to move themselves and their daughter from their cramped flat to a nicer house. On their way back home after putting in an offer on Nightingale House they are involved in a crash and Nicole doesn’t survive. Eight months later Daniel and his daughter Caitlyn move in. Almost immediately strange things start happening.
I really enjoyed this book. There are two timelines. One is Daniel and Caitlyn dealing with their grief and strange things that are happening in the house in present day. The other is a diary from 1900 written from the point of view of Rebecca daughter of a pharmacist. I enjoyed both timelines. At times this story was very creepy and would scare me in the middle of the night which is something that a book hasn’t been able to do for a while. I enjoyed the authors writing style. This was very easy to read and not too descriptive like a lot of other ghost stories I have read. I wasn’t overly impressed by where the book went in the end. I thought it was quite a predictable ending. I am exciting to read more from this new to me author.
Atmospheric, a little creepy, and sometimes sad, I found this a lovely read. I loved Nicole and Caitlyn, and was glad to see that Daniel took his daughter seriously, when let's be honest, many people just wouldn't have... well, it took a while but still.
There were a few quite deliciously shiversome moments, imagine switching off the tv and finding a man standing next to it! But all in all, what I liked most was the way the author blurred the lines between being haunted, and being haunted by grief. Seeing Nicole at the lake, not sure if she were real or a figment of a devastated man's broken heart, was an expert way of building apprehension, but softening it with comfort, the known and loved, a place of safety. Because that's what loss does, really, it creates a fierce hope one minute and crushing sorrow the next, and this book captures that.
It is by no means a tragic tale of loss though, don't get me wrong. It is simply woven in and brought to life. The pace picks up dramatically towards the end, and all loose ends are neatly tied. And that house!
Many thanks to Net Galley, Steve Frech and HQ Dihital for myvARC.
3.5 STARS
The Nightingale House is a new beginning for widower Daniel Price and his young daughter Caitlyn. After months of grief, this will be the place where they start their life as a family of two. And then Daniel uncovers the chilling story of the family who lived in the house years before, of betrayal, tragedy, and murder. Could the Nightingale House be not the home Daniel dreamed of for his daughter—but a place that will bring their worst nightmares to life?
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NIGHTINGALE HOUSE was my first book by French and although I devoured it in nearly one sitting it left me wanting more. The premise of this book totally hooked me in (I'm on a bit of a haunted house kick if you haven't noticed!) and I was excited to see were French would take the story. Plus, I always love a good mix=media book and was excited to come across juicy journal entries littered throughout the novel.
As much as I enjoyed the plot of NIGHTINGALE HOUSE, I never felt fully invested in it. I struggled to empathize with Daniel and his daughter and therefore few of the plot twists missed their mark. Overall I found this to be an enjoyable but lacklustre read. That being said, this won't be my last read by French and I look forward to reading his debut novel in the future.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC! NIGHTINGALE HOUSE is out now.
Not a book to read alone at night in bed, like I did!
Super story with lots of scary bits to keep you on your toes
This is my first book by this author and certainly not my last!
Prepare to be scared!!!!
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for ARC
It's a fast paced light #horrorstory. I'm pretty spooked reading this book 😲🙈
Daniel Price and his daughter, Caitlyn, move to #nightingalehouse , after his wife passed away during the road accident. The history of the house in 1900 doesn't let them to have a peace new life. The story is presented in two time line, present and back to year 1900 when Carlington family occupied the house. It's relatively a quick and easy read, with captivating horror atmosphere. If you love a #hauntedhousestory then this is for you.
Thanks @netgalley for electronic ARC of this book
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book in exchange of an honest review.
If you're in the mood to settle in with some tea, a blanket, and a good ghost story then you're in luck.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this title. Though it seemed inviting, I've had a lot of let downs with recent ghost stories or thrillers like this. As it started off, I still wasn't too sure. The writing style is crisp and smooth, almost like your talking to a friend. There is just something pleasantly familiar about it.
The story itself holds up. Was it very scary? No, but there were certain parts I'd rather not read alone at night ! It was well done and a good, quick read. The only thing I can say against it is that it's not very much of a mystery - but that's okay because it didn't need to be. I could really see it being made into a movie easily.
Likeable characters also which is always a bonus to me.
Would recommend!
I enjoyed this story BUT...I did not find it to be very atmospheric or scary.
Despite the THUMPS
the DRIPS
the WHISPERS of “I can’t sleep!”
When I read the premise, I was concerned that it might be too similar to “The Whisper Man” by Alex North.
Both feature a grieving widower, moving into a “haunted house” with their young child after the untimely death of their wife.
But, it wasn’t.
This tale reveals the secrets of Nightingale House through a journal written in the 1900’s, as the ghosts from the past and present intersect.
The strength of this story is a husband’s grief, a father’s fear, and a glimpse into the writing process of an author.
I enjoyed the characters although sometimes Caitlyn, seemed older than 8 years old to me.
Though I expected more “chills”, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the author’s next book!
Thank You to Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing a digital ARC in exchange for a candid review!
Available Now!
nιgнтιngale нoυѕe вy ѕтeve ғrecн
pυв daтe- jυne 19тн 2020
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ѕυммary
The Nightingale House is a new beginning for widower Daniel Price and his young daughter Caitlyn. After months of grief, this will be the place where they start their life as a family of two!
Whispers and strange things start happening in the house and his nightmares are very vivid.
Daniel has this feeling that someone is inside with him and his daughter.
Plus Caitlyn is talking to her imaginary friend!
Daniel starts to worry she's making things up in her head to deal with her mothers death!
Soon Daniel starts to uncover the chilling story of the family who lived in the house years before.
Betrayal, tragedy and murder.
Could the Nightingale House not be the home Daniel dreamed of for his daughter-but a place that will bring their worst nightmares to life?
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мy revιew
This was such an excellent haunted house/ghost story.
It was such a fast-paced read.
Seriously read in one full day.
Never happens to me.
I haven't read a haunted house book in forever. If you enjoy a good ghost story.... this is for YOU!
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Now is wished Steve Frech would write back to back cause I seriously can't get enough of this author
His writing style is beyond amazing!
So thank you Mr. Frech for writing such extraordinary books.
Remember I'm now your #1 Fan 😉
Can't wait for your next book!
★★★★/5
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Thank You NetGalley/Publisher & Author for this gifted E-Book.
@netgalley @stevewritesstuff @harpercollins
NIGHTINGALE HOUSE has all of the ingredients for a classic horror story, but ends up coming out a bit undercooked.
Daniel and his young daughter, Caitlyn, move into Nightingale House, a place he bought with his wife before she died in a tragic car accident. He’s optimistic that this will be a new start for him and Caitlyn, and that he can get started on writing his second novel. After hearing strange dripping noises (amongst other things), and after Caitlyn starts talking more and more about her friend that only she can see, Daniel starts to research the house’s history and finds that it might turn out to be his biggest nightmare.
Sounds solid, right? This is not a bad book. I found it engaging enough, and it’s a quick read. I think my issue is the writing. Except for a couple scenes, this feels like a children’s ghost story, or maybe YA. It’s not scary, atmospheric, or very chilling at all. The dialogue is so cheesy that I felt like I was reading a script for an ABC Family movie. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not my cup of cappuccino. The first 5 chapters or so has a lot of moments where Daniel is thinking internally, and his thoughts keep being cut off mid-word by some sort of interruption. The repetitiveness of the interruptions were distracting, and I’m glad the author finally stopped it. The best parts of the book are the chapters that read as a diary from 1900. I found those scenes interesting, and was eager to know how it would tie to the present.
Seeing as how I received an ARC for another book by author Steve Frech, I will be giving him another try at some point. Many people enjoyed this more than I did, so I may very well just be the wrong reader. To me, it was just a bit bland when I was expecting a lot more. 2.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to HQ Digital, Steve Frech, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first Steve French novel and it definitely will not be my last! I absolutely loved his writing style and where he took this story.
The Nightingale House tells of an author Daniel Price and his daughter Caitlyn moving into a new home after the death of the family matriarch. Little do they know the horror and terrors that await them inside.
I loved the themes and symbolic uses of grief and mourning. Steve French was able to create an immersive and entertaining ghost story without overdoing the horror factor.
Thank you to NetGalley, HQ Digital and Steve French for the advanced copy in exchange for my unbiased review.
I loved this novel from Steve Frech which I was surprised I did because I am not a massive fan of horror novels as I think the can be too far fetched and unbelievable however, Nightingale House was nothing less of fantastic!
The story centres around our main Protagonist Daniel and his daughter Caitlyn who have just recently moved in to a house called the Nightingale house following the death of Daniels wife in a car crash. Things are instantly not what they seem and Caitlyn starts speaking to her imaginary friend as the secrets of Nightingale house start to unravel.
The narrative is split between two spheres of action: one being the first person account from Daniel and the second being various diary extracts from 1900. I really enjoyed this style of writing as it kept novel engaging, entertaining and suspenseful. Frech has really took time in his descriptions to take you back and forwards in time within the novel. Each character is fully developed including Rebecca who is the owner of the diary. We know about their lives, strengths and weaknesses which in turn all add up to the exciting aspect of the novel.
I wouldn’t say the novel was particularly scary however there was some scenes that creeped me out and would definitely leave a light on when I go to bed. However what I really liked about the novel was the story. I think too many horror novels focus on being scary and creepy and they lose their way when it comes to the storytelling however, with this novel it is not the case. The story was solid, had a range of interesting characters and fantastic descriptions of the settings within the book.
The only reason why I gave the book 4 stars and not 5 is because I felt the ending was a tad rushed and I was left hungry for more when the action ended. But on the whole a great solid read from Frech who I will be reading more of in the future. Recommend this to anyone and thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me a e-book in turn for an honest review.
This was a relatively quick read, and it's ideal for readers who enjoy a basic ghost story with a creepy house. The cover is a perfect match. There's a bit of mystery involved with a few twists to keep the reader engaged. No gore factor is involved. The pace was a bit slow for my preference. There are two story lines: present day and the 1900s. Some parts in the historical line didn't seem realistic, but the journal entries were interesting. This was an okay story overall.
Steve Frech writes brilliantly; offering readers a haunting, atmospheric story of love, loss, and grief. The paranormal aspect Frech incorporates into the storyline takes on its own energy and will have readers looking over their shoulder for days. The characters are perfectly flawed and deeply conflicted with their grief. Absolutely love how Frech developed the house, itself, as it’s own entity. CrEePy.
Thank you to #NetGalley, #HarperCollins and #SteveFrech for the ARC of #NightengaleHouse which was read and reviewed voluntarily by #wayward_readers
Daniel and his little daughter have finally moved into their new home, Nightingale House. They are trying to put their lives together after the death of their mom and wife. The house that seemed warm and homey now seems darl and sinister..Kaitlyn is sure a girl lives in the house with them. She's also thi k their is a mean man their. With so many distractions it is hard for Daniel to concentrate on the book he should ne writing. As a means of distraction he starts looking at the history of their home. The house does have an eye opening history. Now if they can survive!
WOW!! This was amazing! An easy 5 star rating!
This book had my pulse racing and had me hiding behind my pillow but at the same time I just had to keep reading!! I will admit I have avoided the mirrors in my house today and I slept with the light on last night!!
An absolute cracker of a ghost story and you must read it!!
Well done Steve Frech, I loved it!!!
I've never read anything by Steve Frech before but I really want to now. That's when I manage to emerge from behind the cushion I am now hiding. Haha why do I put myself through ghostly and horror books? Totally worth it I have to add for this novel!
The subject of grief is sad enough and can result in you feeling haunted and talking to someone who isnt there so fora grieving man and daughter to move to a house which is creepy - well that is just the perfect set up.
Creepy but in a good way. I loved finding out about how and why the house came to have the energy it did.
This gave me all the feels and a reminder to never really go inside an old house. I shall probably suspect nightingales from now on too ;)