Title: The Restoration by J.H.Moncrieff
Publisher: Flame Tree Press
Date Published: 19th October 2021
Genre: Horror
Description:
Inspired by the author’s overnight stay in a historical haunted house, The Restoration is a thrilling tale of intrigue, murder, and family secrets that refuse to stay buried.
It was the perfect opportunity…or so she thought. When Terri Foxworth is hired to spend a year restoring a crumbling manor house, she believes she’s hit the jackpot. She moves in with her young daughter and high hopes for the project’s success. As the restoration begins to go terribly wrong, she realizes dark forces won’t let her leave the house until its horrible secrets are revealed.
This job could very well be the death of her.
Review:
I want to thank Anne Cater for inviting me on this tour and Flame Tree Press for providing me with a copy of The Restoration in exchange for an honest review.
I’m a sucker for a haunted house story, so when I read the synopsis for The Restoration, I knew I had to give it a read.
The Restoration is a mix of mystery and ghostly goings on which created an additive read. I devoured this book in two sittings which I haven’t done in ages!
Terri is desperate for money, so she takes on the restoration of the old Miss Vandermere’s childhood home, Glenvale. She moves in with her daughter Dallas, but things don’t seem right and the hauntings begin. The ghost refuses to leave them alone and, along with another unwanted guest, Terri finds herself pulled into the mystery surrounding Glenvale.
I felt for Terri. Trying her best to provide for her daughter in the tough business of restoring houses, also while keeping her ex from getting full custody of her daughter.
I enjoyed the fact it showed a realistic parent/child relationship, the ups and downs. One minute they hate you, the next you’re firm friends and all the other nuanced stuff that goes on in between.
The tension builds nicely, culminating in an explosive ending, which while it didn’t entirely surprise me, was extremely satisfying.
I wished there had been more of a buildup at the beginning of the story. I felt the ghost showed itself a little too soon for my liking.
The Restoration is a quick spooky read that I’d recommend to any mystery lover out there who likes a ghostly twist to their stories.
This may be my first J.H. Moncrieff book, but I will certainly be on the lookout for more of her books in the future.
About The Author:
J.H .Moncrieff’s City of Ghosts won the 2018 Kindle Book Review Award for best Horror/Suspense.
Reviewers have described her work as early Gillian Flynn with a little Ray Bradbury and Stephen King thrown in for good measure. She won Harlequin’s search for “the next Gillian Flynn” in 2016. Her first published novella, The Bear Who Wouldn’t Leave, was featured in Samhain’s Childhood Fears collection and stayed on its horror bestsellers list for over a year.
When not writing, she loves exploring the world’s most haunted places, advocating for animal rights, and summoning her inner ninja in muay thai class. To get free ebooks and a new spooky story every week, go to http://bit.ly/MoncrieffLibrary.
On The Shelf Reviews 