Review: Hate House by John C. Foster
Blurb:
Reclusive investigator Megan French is lured from isolation by a mysterious client who wants her to investigate the infamous Hate House. Too late, she discovers Hate House isn't a job, it's a trap. Gaslighted and manipulated, French is caught in an elaborate revenge plot seeking to unbalance her mind before framing her for a horrible crime.
As French unravels the plan, she uncovers a wider world of the ultra wealthy who treat people as nothing more than pieces on a game board.
Review:
I happened to set my sights on ‘Hate House’ purely by chance when browsing through the catalog over at BookSirens. Hate House stood out pretty much instantly for two reasons. Firstly, the cover – eye-catching to the fact that I simply had to find out more! And the intriguing description was like a cherry on top of the cake. I wasn’t going to miss out on this whatsoever. Hence, I would sincerely like to thank the author, and the Publisher – Encyclopocalypse Publications, for making the eARC available for horror enthusiasts like me.
What’s it about?
Megan French is a private investigator out of Philadelphia. Her forte was working on cases online, mostly the domestic ones at that. Why online, you ask? Well, she wasn’t agoraphobic nor an alcoholic. She just didn’t like to go outside. As simple as that. She had one cat (named Buster), few friends, and no color to her skin. Oh, and she absolutely loved a smoke or two! Megan the Environment Killing Smoke Stack.
After a personal “incident” that pretty much broke her in more ways than one, she is undergoing therapy at present to bring her life back under her own mental and emotional control. While in her job, motivation was a scarce commodity, and she needed to generate more work before her credit card bills crushed her. And that’s when a case pops up out of nowhere. Talk about timing. But this case is nothing like her previous ones. A mysterious case that will completely change her life… forever.
Hate: intense or passionate dislike.
The case?
To investigate a property on the Maine coast named Hate House.
The details?
To investigate… AND to prove that the property belongs to Megan’s old-but-immensely-wealthy current employer, Mr. Marcus Abbott. Megan’s reputation is one of discretion (that being critical in her profession), making her an ideal candidate. But there’s a catch. The aforementioned property, officially named as the Laurent estate (and unofficially as Hate House), has a dispute over its ownership. Megan will act as Mr. Abbott’s agent, representing one of the parties in contention. The other party? The one representing the now deceased wealthy old woman Simone Laurent, after whom the estate has been named.
To put it simply – Megan, along with a counterpart from the other party, will enter Hate House, investigate it thoroughly, and then finally prove who the property actually belongs to, all the while acting as the authorized representatives of the two parties in contention over the said property.
Simple as it may sound, it is nothing but otherwise…
Hasty research prior to leaving Philadelphia had shown the Laurent estate was nearly as much of a cipher as Abbott himself. No social media presence. No newspaper articles announcing charity functions or donations.
Megan takes up the case. She needs the money, and this one has plenty to offer if everything goes well. Upon reaching the estate grounds, she meets up with her counterpart – Grady. The duo is equipped with supplies, equipment, and all the other necessary stuff for staying in the huge, empty property to try and bring the dispute to a satisfactory conclusion as soon as possible. But Hate House has other plans…
The house does not want to share its story.
Nonsense. An empty house could not harm her.
Oh Megan, you simply couldn’t be more wrong…
What follows is a total and literal NIGHTMARE for both Megan, and you, the reader.
“This is a dark place, the site of selfish and terrible behavior on the part of men.”
Are you ready to brave (and survive) ‘Hate House’…?
Enter, then, if you dare…!
The good
The book kicks off straight away; fast-paced, and gets to the point instantly. No dilly-dallying whatsoever. Really loved the start, which got me hooked from the word go!
The character work/development when it comes to Megan French is just highly laudable. Simply incredible, to be very honest. Her past is present in detail as well, which adds another layer. Other characters were pretty well-written too.
The plot… ah, well. I’ll be very honest here – an absolutely SOLID first 75% in my opinion. As intriguing, mysterious, weird/shocking, disturbing, and engaging as it can get. That’s like the highest compliment I can dish out for it.
The writing was exquisite! Loved it throughout. It’s third person for most parts, but there’s a first person perspective present too, which was equally well-executed.
The whole atmospheric feel that it managed to invoke for the majority of the book is a major, major positive. I was tense, gripped, and mesmerized at the same time!
The “not so” good
My biggest “critique” for it would be the last 25% or so, which to me felt a little bit underwhelming when compared to the rest of the book.
As for the ending – I liked it, but was not quite satisfied with it personally (although I think others might find it more “suitable”).
Highlights!
A short snippet which hits home…
“Do you believe in evil?”
“I believe in the evil that men do,” French said.
“Do you believe a place can be evil?”
…
“There is a great deal of man’s evil connected to that house.”
Other info.
The story takes place in the present times, and also has various references/Easter eggs present (including Sinbad, Xerxes of Persia, and Twilight Zone!).
Note: NOT suitable for younger audiences. Mature themes are present, like – profanity, blood/gore, and a few other “disturbing” scenes (to say the least).
Final thoughts
‘Hate House’ by John C. Foster is a pretty SOLID entry into the psychological horror genre. Exquisite, fast-paced writing accompanied by an engaging start, a superbly written, complex MC, and a plot that will make you stay awake long into the night. Not to forget the atmospheric and vivid nature of the setting, with events that tend to get somewhat disturbing at times (to say the least). My only “critique” would be that the last quarter or so felt a little underwhelming compared to the rest of the book. All in all, if you’re looking for a quick, at times scary/spooky read that manages to honor the cover, description, and the genre really well, then Hate House is a must pick. I RECOMMEND!
