Book Review: The House on Linden Way

“Compelling and intriguing, this book by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo will draw you in a world that seems familiar and strange at the same time. It is one of those books that is difficult to put down.”

The Summary

While passing through her hometown a decade after she left, Amber Blake impulsively revisits her old house on Linden Way. She only means to stay a moment, to show her three-year-old daughter Bee the place where she grew up. But when the kindly new owners invite them inside, Amber cannot resist.

Soon Bee is missing, the owners have disappeared, and Amber finds herself in a houseful of ghosts. Time takes on new meaning as she loses herself in living memories and a past that does not wish to be forgotten.

As Amber fights the powerful lure of a childhood she’d long left behind, her tenuous hold on the real world slips further from her grasp. Is it merely nostalgia she’s battling, or something far more menacing? Who haunts the house on Linden Way, and where are they hiding her child?

My Review

When I was first asked to participate in the WOW Book Tour for The House on Linden Way, I was a bit hesitant. With a bunch of self help books lined up to be studied, reading a fiction book seemed to be out of the question. Good thing, I listened to that inner voice and said yes.

It’s been years, over a decade to be exact since I have read a horror/suspense book. At one point in my life, I was a huge fan of Anne Rice and an avid reader of horror/suspense genre. Eventually, my preferences changed.

This book reminded me why I became a fan of thriller and gothic suspense stories. There is something about Elizabeth Maria Naranjo’s style of writing that kept me wanting to turn the pages. I really had a hard time putting the book down!

The characters were interesting and the plots were captivating. Amber’s struggle between holding to her childhood memories and living in the real work was very much relatable. I am sure many of us, if given a chance, would like to revisit a certain time in our lives and re-live it. Maybe even stay in it.

While reading, there were instances when I got confused on what was going on and I have to go back a page or two. At first, I find it an inconvenience but as I reflect on it now, that made me focus more on the story. In the end, it felt like I was a part of it too.

Over all, I find the book well written and entertaining. I can’t wait to read more from the author.

About the Author

Elizabeth Maria Naranjo is the award-winning author of The Fourth Wall (WiDo Publishing, 2014). Her short fiction and creative non-fiction have been published in Brevity Magazine, Superstition Review, Fractured Lit, The Portland Review, Hunger Mountain, Hospital Drive, Reservoir Road, Literary Mama, Motherwell, and a few other places. Her stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best American Essay and The Best of the Net. All links to Elizabeth’s work can be found on her website at elizabethmarianaranjo.com .