A ghost story but not scary. Jemma moves from Chicago to New Orleans for a job she thinks is tutoring. She arrives at the run down mansion. The backdrop of racism and the oppressive heat of the deep south this is an impressive debut novel and Jemma is a memorable character. Thanks to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for this review ARC.

I really enjoyed this haunting ghost story set in New Orleans in the 1960s. Jemma is hired by the Duchon family for what she thinks is a tutoring job. The family live in a decrepit old mansion, dress decades out of style and never seem to leave the house. As the story progresses, more and more secrets are revealed about the mysterious and strange Duchon family and what Jemma has really been hired for.

I loved Jemma as a main character and all of the characters, whilst not always likeable, were well written with strong, individual personalities. The story is haunting and there's lots of ghosts, but it's not particularly creepy or scary and there were times when I felt it was moving along a little too slowly.

The booking has strong themes of racism, colourism and slavery and it's handled so well. I would love to see this book made as a film, I think it would work so well on screen, I could picture the characters and New Orleans setting so clearly whilst reading.

This is such a strong debut novel that I'm surprised I haven't seen more people talking about it. I'm looking forward to seeing what this author writes next.

Del Sandeen's debut novel, *This Cursed House*, is a chilling and atmospheric blend of Southern Gothic horror and sharp social commentary. Set in 1960s New Orleans, the story follows Jemma, a young Black woman who escapes Chicago and her ability to see spirits for a fresh start with the mysterious Duchon family.

Sandeen masterfully evokes the oppressive heat and hidden secrets of the Old South, where racial tensions simmer beneath the surface. The light-skinned and wealthy Duchon family is trapped in their haunted mansion, burdened by a generations-old curse. Jemma, grappling with her unwanted gift, is drawn into their world, where she must confront not only supernatural forces but also the deeply ingrained prejudices of the era.

The novel expertly intertwines elements of horror, mystery, and historical fiction. Sandeen's prose is both lyrical and haunting, creating a sense of dread that permeates every page. The characters are complex and flawed, with their motivations and secrets gradually revealed as the story unfolds.

*This Cursed House* is more than just a ghost story; it is a powerful exploration of racism, trauma, and the enduring legacy of slavery. Sandeen does not shy away from difficult subjects, offering a nuanced portrayal of the Black experience in America.

This book is a must-read for fans of Southern Gothic fiction and anyone who appreciates a chilling tale with a social conscience. Del Sandeen is a talented new voice in horror, and *This Cursed House* is a haunting debut that will linger with you long after you turn the final page.

Everyone who discusses it seems to have a very different idea of quite what 'Southern Gothic' means, but from an objective genre standpoint, THIS CURSED HOUSE established itself firmly within the subgenre, with little question or argument. Alongside the classic features of the genre, it's also a book with a lot to say about racism - most specifically colourism - set in a particularly evocative part of American history.

Protagonist Jemma, while structurally very similar to classic protagonists of the Gothic, adapts well to not only the narrative in question, but to the modern demands of horror fiction, and its readers. A deliberate change from the innocent, almost virginal young woman who finds herself menaced in a claustrophobic setting, she is both outspoken and strongly driven in terms of her morals, with her personal flaws, such as her determination to ignore the ghosts she frequently sees, an interesting change from more willing psychic mediums in the genre. On the other end of the scale, the Duchon family are awful, but not to the extent of becoming cartoony - they're awful because it's very possible for many readers to know people precisely like them.

While there has been a boom in horror fiction which centres around American racism - for example, Tananarive Due's exemplary THE REFORMATORY - THIS CURSED HOUSE takes a different approach by focusing on colourism and its insidious effects on the Black community. Jemma's skin is much darker than that of the Duchons who, despite being Black themselves, are so pale they can easily pass as white - while the Duchons claim they are 'proud to be coloured', none of their actions denote this, and much of the family's cruelties originate from a desire to keep their bloodline pale. In the episode of the Talking Scared podcast - a personal favourite of mine -which discusses THIS CURSED HOUSE, Sandeen made some very interesting points about how many aspects of colourism developed from antebellum chattel slavery, an aspect which digs its claws into the essence of the novel.

Classic Gothic tropes are also nicely woven into the novel, but unlike some books, which make it feel as though a checklist, or perhaps a bingo board, of tropes is being used to tick them off and slot them in, each one feels necessary and organically woven in. Between tainted bloodlines and cursed families, hidden relatives, secret rooms, mysterious manuscripts, and even an ample dose of incest, THIS CURSED HOUSE makes itself known as a distinctly Gothic story, without being Gothic for the sake of it.

While the theme of forgiveness is an interesting one, it is also one which I struggled to really gel with until the climax of the novel, after the numerous twists and turns which continually change a reader's outlook on each of the ensemble cast. It's hard to even consider forgiveness when it concerns such atrocity, but Sandeen cleverly emphasises the power that forgiveness gives a person over someone who has wronged them; while I won't spoil anything here, it's important to regard precisely who in the blood-soaked history of the Deep South, and this former antebellum house, gets to demand such contrition.

As a final note, I found it fascinating in the Talking Scared episode how Sandeen noted the influence of the history of the Lalaurie Mansion in New Orleans on the novel, and there are several hints throughout - for instance, the smell of smoke which clings to the Duchon house - which nudge at this history. It is interesting to consider that even in a fully-fledged horror novel, THIS CURSED HOUSE never takes the leap into absolute depravity that took place at the hands of Delphine Lalaurie, again emphasising how the real history of enslavement is so much worse than even a novelist can imagine, and that no one would believe such stories if they weren't documented as fact. If you don't know about the history of the Lalaurie Mansion, I recommend having a strong stomach before researching.

Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph for an eArc in exchange for an honest review. THIS CURSED HOUSE was released in the UK on the 28th of October, so remember to support your brick-and-mortar bookshops, especially indies!

When Jemma decides to leave her home in Chicago she looks forward to a fresh start working for the Duchon family in New Orleans. Upon arrival Jemma is bothered by the reception she is met with when she talks of her new post. People advise her not to take the job. Jemma, though reticent, decides to follow her plan.
Upon arrival at the Duchon family home she is struck by the strangeness of the family. They seem dated in appearance and attitude, and Jemma soon realises that nothing is quite as she expected.
A slow burn, this gradually ramps up the sense of unease. As Jemma learns more about the family she has to work for, she starts to realise just why she has been called upon and how her family history is inextricably linked to the Duchons.
Southern Gothic, with a deeply unpleasant focus on race and the impact it has had on many.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this.

This story set in the 1960s had an interesting premise and started well enough but slowly but surely lost its way. The pacing was off and the story was repetitive at times and at times flew by so I couldn't fully understand what was happening.

Some themes here were worth exploring but got lost in the story and while the book had one or two good twists to keep me reading, overall it was a novel I'd rather forget.

Thanks to Netgalley & Penguin Random House for the digital copy.

This is a good debut that covers a multitude of gritty themes. Not only is it a compelling gothic story set in the Duchon family home - where they are cursed to stay; the story also describes New Orleans during a time of racial tension and separation, as well as issues of inter-generational trauma; racism - even within the characters' own cultural community - and ghostly hauntings. There were a lot of unexpected plot twists for me, which made this a good read. A strong and likeable lead female character, juxtaposed against some truly horrible people and a whole web of lies. Not really a genre I read very much but this has opened me up to more books of this kind. I was very pleased to receive this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for this review.

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House for reaching out to me and offering me this ARC. This was an absolutely fantastic debut novel!

This is so much more than a haunted house story. This is a story of grief, a feeling of not belonging, generational trauma, hatred and family secrets. Our main character Jemma has been through a lot and unfortunately as soon as she gets to the Duchon property it only gets worse to be honest. I’m not going to give any spoilers obviously but I adored the found family element and if you’ve read this you know what I mean. Jemma finds a real friend and almost mother figure in Magdalene and I loved watching their friendship bloom.

This is one of those books where you think you’ve reached the big reveal and then the author says “wait there’s more!”. This kept me on my toes and I couldn’t put the book down once I picked it up. I didn’t guess a lot of the reveals which is rare for me! The Duchons are absolutely awful people. I didn’t see any redeeming qualities in them (apart from Lawrence perhaps) and I was a little confused as to why Jemma was still making excuses for their behaviour and wanting anything to do with them to be honest. Again if you know you know.

The ending was really satisfying and I finished the book wanting more in a good way! I would love to see more of Jemma, she’s an excellent main character. The only small piece of constructive criticism I have is that there was a lot of telling not showing. Again this is a debut novel so I’m not placing a big emphasis on it. I am so excited to see what this author releases in the future as she’s clearly talented! This will be released on 24th October so get your preorders in!

A household under a decades old curse, and only one person that can possibly free them. Problem is the family hate her.
This story has a bit of everything going on; even ghostly apparitions who seem to be trying to get a message across to the living but no-one’s listening.
I didn’t want to put it down but then, I didn’t want to finish it either. It’s just such a good story with so many twists and turns. It made me want to laugh in places and cry in others.
The end was lovely and made me smile. Treat yourself to a great read.

This one was very different for me, so I don't know exactly how I feel about it.
It started great! I was excited to get into the mindset of Jemma and without knowing too many facts, I do feel the representation of this era was justified (if not correct).
However, I got sick of the constant repetitive narrative. I found myself skipping chunks and even chapters at times and didn't notice any gaps in the story.
I'm glad they did finally get to the reason for the curse, and although it made sense, I feel that the writer intentionally left a few tiny gaps for the reader to fill in themselves. This is the reason for a 3 star rather than a 2.
I'm not sure if I'll try historical fiction again however. I don't think it's for me.

A 4.5* winning read for me.

'This Cursed House' is an extremely impressive Southern Gothic Horror Debut from Del Sandeen that drew me in from minute one. It's an uncomfortable, eerie and suitably spooky read that is also full of sadness, loss and gives an insight into man’s inhumanity to man.

There are areas of repetition and where the editing could may have been a little tighter and the characterisation of Jemma at times was frustrating as a reader but it didn't detract from the power of the story for me as it drew on so many areas that I love to read about - Ghosts, lies, family secrets, Black American history and the always timely notion that the sins of the father are visited upon the children. History can never stay hidden or forgotten and the way this is demonstrated in this book was moving, shocking and unforgettable.

I will absolutely be keeping an eye on this author’s future releases!

Thank you to Penguin Random House | Michael Joseph and Netgalley for inviting me to read an eArc of "This Cursed House" in exchange for my honest and voluntary review.

It started off really well. A creepy house with a creepy family who were locked in the house. They couldn't leave because of the curse. I was invested

Then it just seemed to go round the same storyline many different times. I started to struggle to pick it back up.

It was too slow burn for my tastes

I’m a big fan of Southern Gothic stories and This Cursed House didn’t disappoint. Set in the ‘60s, we follow a Black woman called Jemma Barker, who has been hired to work at the Duchon family mansion in New Orleans. Although she thinks she’ll be working as a tutor, it soon becomes clear that the family actually want her to break a curse (something she has no idea how to accomplish).

The story has great atmosphere, from the oppressive Southern heat to the grand mansion that has seen better days, and plenty of spooky elements, including curses, ghosts, and dark family secrets. I thought the real-life horrors involving slavery and racism that were present were fantastic, but I would have liked a little more from the supernatural horrors. Although Jemma herself is certainly afraid of the ghosts, there’s only a few moments where they actually do anything creepy. I also would have liked the pace to be a little quicker, but lovers of a lightly spooky slow burn will really enjoy this one!

This is a book that really took me by surprise. If you'd have asked me at the start of the year if it was one I would be planning to read, I'd have likely said no, but I was drawn to the blurb, and I am so glad I was too. This book ticked all of my boxes, transporting me to 1960s Louisiana, and a mysterious and reclusive family who intrigued me from the moment we met. Del Sandeen has written a beautifully descriptive, often chilling, gothic mystery that is packed with secrets, and characters whose nefarious and sometimes malicious intent is carefully masked until just the right moment.

From the very beginning of this book I was getting strong The Skeleton Key kind of vibes. The stories may differ, but it is that kind of Southern Gothic chill that was invoked not only by the setting, the locally infamous Duchon mansion, but also by the kind of goosebump inducing vibe that is just the right kind of unsettling. Not all out, in your face, horror, but just that fractious sense of unease and the knowledge that the entire family, even the house itself, maybe, are nursing secrets that will be the key to Jemma surviving her new employment. I like that the author played it that way, introducing the idea of the voodoo and superstition that are inherent in Louisiana culture, but not overwhelming the story with them. They play a part, but they are not the whole story. In fact, the real horror of this story lies in the damage that very real, flesh and blood, characters are willing to inflict upon others, not necessarily in some summoned spirit set on vengeance.

That said, there are some supernatural elements to this story. Jemma has a very particular talent. She is able to hear, to communicate, with the dead, whether she wishes to or not. And it is for this very reason, and one other that remains secret until just the right moment for a reveal, that she is summoned to the Duchon home, albeit under false pretences. And although she would rather turn her back on her talents, it is this that she needs to embrace in order to understand who she really is. I liked Jemma. She was a great character to spend time with. Flawed in many ways, but the more we learn of her past the easier it is to understand. Rather than running away, as she believes she is, in truth she is running to something, although she cannot begin to understand what. She is the perfect blend of strength, vulnerability and determination, even if sometimes she allows herself to appear weak, She has a stubbornness to her and is, I think, someone people will really be able to identify with.

The setting is perfect, allowing us to easily fall into the idea of otherworldliness of Louisiana. But the Duchon mansion, and the history behind it and the families isolation is perfect. A home, and a group of people, trapped in time. They are very real, but so distant from the real world, that it makes Jemma stick out almost like a saw thumb. It is not just the heat of the South she is unprepared for, but that start contrast between a Chicago summer and a Louisiana one is a spot on metaphor for the contracts between Jemma and the Duchon's. I loved the family dynamic - so twisted and sneering, led by Matriarch, Honorine - and, along with her extended family, both children and grandchildren, you have such a contrast of characters, making it so hard to guess any of their motives, or, ultimately to trust them. The things we uncover about them will make you angry, and sad to a degree, but they certainly kept me turning the pages.

This is a brilliant gothic mystery, exploring the subject of racism and slavery, family and revenge, all wrapped up in the perfect package that chilled and intrigued, made me both angry and reflective, but ultimately delivered a small slither of hope, and perhaps,in some ways, reluctant acceptance that there are many leopards who simply cannot change their spots. I'll certaintly be looking out for more by Del Sandeen as she delivered a book which I can most definitely recommend.

In 1962 Jemma Baker decides to leave Chicago and start a new life somewhere else. She had been happy there working as a teacher and living with the man she loved, But that all changed when he started an affair with another woman who is now pregnant. After losing her job following a suicide attempt, Jemma placed an ad in the paper seeking work as a tutor. Excited to receive an offer of employment from the wealthy Duchon family in Louisiana with a generous salary, she jumped at the chance to escape without asking for details of the job.

Travelling to Louisiana was a bit of a shock for African American Jemma. She had always felt accepted in Chicago, but Jim Crow law is still in force in the south and Jemma encountered segregation for the first time, making her feel unwelcome. Once she arrived at the Duchons’ fading antebellum mansion, she discovered there were in fact no children in the family for her to tutor and it wasn’t exactly clear what she has been hired to do.

In this accomplished debut novel exploring topics of racism, slavery, family and forgiveness, author Del Sandeen has generated a perfect Southern gothic vibe, both chilling and suspenseful. The Duchon family are eerily beautiful and decidedly creepy, dressing in outmoded clothing and never leaving the house and grounds. Ruled over by the matriarch, Honorine, the household consists of her widowed son and daughter, two grandchildren in their twenties and a maid, Agnes who is mute. Calling themselves coloured despite being able to pass as white, they say they are proud of their black heritage, but view darker skinned Jemma as racially inferior.

At first, Jemma thinks the family are just strangely reclusive and don’t want to mix in society. But then she discovers that a number of family members have also died at regular intervals and there is a much more sinister explanation for why they have been trapped in their home for twenty seven years. It’s one that she is now expected to resolve so that they can once again go out into the world.

As the narrator, Jemma is a likeable, well drawn character, both strong and resourceful. Although, it’s not always clear what motivates her to help this strange family when they treat her so poorly, she does discover that she has a strong link to them going back to her birth. Her ability to see the many ghosts in the house contributes to the eeriness and this aspect could perhaps have been played on more to add to the ethereal atmosphere and tension. The Duchons are portrayed as selfish and insular with their weird behaviour and relationships with each other adding to the unsettling undercurrents in the house.

Ghosts, curses, long hidden secrets, and a horrific and shameful history of slavery all contribute to the atmosphere of this gothic novel. It’s not an intense terror packed horror novel, but rather a slower burn of a sinister tale based on an intriguing premise.

I struggled to get into this novel at first. I found it took a while to set the scene but then the more I read, the more dark, tense and atmospheric it became. The descriptions are evocative and emotive. It’s a tale of secrets, lies, deception and wrongdoings with characters that will stay with you long after you’ve finished the novel. Thank you to NetGalley, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and the author for the chance to review.

I really enjoyed this atmospheric gothic horror.
From the very begining things don't feel quite right about Jemma's new job and as soon as she enters the Duchon house things get creepier and more chilling the longer Jemma stays.

This is a long book but the secrets start being revealed quite early on and I was surprised how quickly we discovered the curse.

I really liked Jemma as a main character and was rooting for her throughout.

This book is great for readers who enjoy a slow burn gothic horror. Although not really scary, it is eerie and atmospheric. I do feel it could have been a bit shorter as some parts did feel quite slow but overall a great debut.

This book is very creepy ,full of secrets and lies and strange spirits .The very well off Duchon Family have not left their home for 28years because of a curse and they need Jemma to find a way to release them ,only she doesn't know this and thinks she is being employed as a tutor .Set in 1962 in New Orleans when racism was at it's worst all is not as it seems. A gripping compelling story that had a satisfying ending .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

This is a new author for me. I really enjoyed This Cursed House. The book is set in the Deep South in the 60’s and I loved the chilling, gothic atmosphere. As you can imagine, due to the era and setting of the book, racism is a core theme and is often more disturbing than the supernatural events depicted. I really enjoyed the vivid descriptions and the feelings of dread this book evokes. It’s very creepy and unsettling and I kept being pulled into the story. This is an interesting and captivating read. I’d recommend it.

Set in Deep South, New Orleans this is a classic gothic horror set in the 1960’s that I really enjoyed and it was a great debut novel also. The book also deals with the racism of the time and that part I found more disturbing than the actual main story line of curses, spirits and hidden secrets all of which were well written.
The characters were all good some likeable and some not and I really liked the main character of Jemma. I felt the book started a little bit slow and took its time with the reveals but once the pace picked up it was a read I enjoyed.
Y thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.