I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Residence by Andrew Pyper Published by Skybound Books on September 1 2020
Genres: Adult, Horror, historical
Pages: 343
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Spooky and unsettling, The Residence is full of subtle, chilling moments that sneak up on you.
Do you enjoy atmospheric ghost stories with a literary bent to them? Then you will not want to miss The Residence, Andrew Pyper’s latest. I have only read one of Pyper’s books—The Damned—but I loved it as well. The Residence is actually historical fiction, a fact I didn’t realize when I picked it up, and I thought the setting gave it a wonderful, Gothic sensibility. This story is not only creepy and terrifying in places, but it’s also quite sad. I loved this combination of terror and emotion, and when you add in Pyper’s lyrical writing, it adds up to an excellent reading experience.
The story takes place in 1853 and follows the 14th President of the United States, Franklin Pierce and his wife Jane, and their terrifying experiences in the residence of the White House. The story opens with a personal tragedy. Right before the inauguration, Franklin, Jane and their eleven-year-old son Bennie are traveling by train when the train goes off the rails and Bennie is instantly killed. Jane is utterly destroyed, having already lost two other sons to disease and complications with childbirth, and she refuses to participate in her duties as First Lady. Instead, she urges Franklin to secure a “substitute,” a woman who will fill in at official dinners and Presidential events. Bennie’s death drives a wedge between Jane and Franklin, and Jane retreats to the room across the hall, which she dubs “the Grief Room,” spending hours each day writing letters to her dead son.
Distraught, Jane decides to invite a pair of famous mediums, the Fox sisters, to the residence in order to communicate with Bennie’s spirit. But she gets much more than she bargained for when she opens the door to a demon who is hellbent on destruction—the same demon who has been haunting her since childhood.
This is a creepy story. I usually read at night, but I honestly had to put the book down a couple of times because I kept jumping at shadows. Just to give you an example, the demon who is haunting them is able to control inanimate objects, so if you’re afraid of stories where toys come to life and attack people, then this book will scare the pants off you! I mentioned before that there are Gothic elements as well. When Franklin and Jane move into the residence, it hasn’t been remodeled in years and is falling apart—peeling wallpaper, loose floorboards, etc. The furniture is old and some wings are under construction. I also loved the way Pyper used sounds to convey a sense of terror, like knocks on the walls or dragging footsteps.
The Residence is full of ghosts, which is one reason I loved it so much. There are the obvious ghosts, like Bennie, but Pyper goes deeper than the obvious by including ghosts of the past. Both Jane and Franklin see their fathers’ ghosts at different points in the story. Jane feels responsible for her father’s death because of her relationship with the demon she calls Sir, and he’s also the one who opened up the door to the occult for her, setting her life on such a strange and sad path. Franklin still feels terrible guilt over a decision he made that resulted in the death of his young son Franky, so it isn’t surprising when Franky’s ghost appears to him. There are even ghosts already haunting the White House when the couple arrives, crowding the boiler room so the household staff can’t light the furnace. This results in the house always being cold, which added to the chilling atmosphere.
Although I would call this historical fiction, the story doesn’t focus on Pierce’s presidency, except for several scenes that talk about his Democratic leanings and the country’s debate over slavery. Instead, this is a personal story about relationships, many of which are heartbreaking. Jane and Franklin struggle with their marriage in the beginning, due to the pall of Bennie’s death and the fact that Jane seems to be going crazy. I really felt for Franklin, because as President he has to run the country and put on a brave face, even though his heart is breaking. There is a pervading sadness that hangs over this story, but luckily Pyper balances it out with nail-biting suspense and terror.
For such a short book, the author packs a lot into his story. He touches on themes such as slavery, politics, marriage and infidelity, and the nature of evil and how it shapes us. He also jumps back in time and explains Jane’s relationship with her father and how he unknowingly introduced her to the world of the occult. We get to see the beginnings of Franklin’s and Jane’s courtship and how Jane was against Franklin running for President in the first place. But even with so many layers, Pyper’s story is a real page turner, and I thought all these elements meshed together perfectly.
Bottom line, if you’re in the mood for a well written, creepy ghost story, I highly recommend this book.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.
I’m glad you liked this one, so did I. Reading in e-format, I didn’t know how long it was (and didn’t bother to look). I was so drawn into the story that I didn’t realize it was a short book.
Priscilla Bettis recently posted…I Sold a Story, Woohoo!
I read an ebook too and it was pretty short!
Great review, you’ve really made me want to give this a try. I like a book that’s creepy enough to make you put it down for a bit, think it last happened for me when I read The Shining
Thanks, it’s definitely worth reading:-)
Oh I really like the sound of this one. I will probably be super scared when reading this but it sounds too amazing not to. Another book for my wishlist!
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…ARC Review: Little Girls Lost: True Tales of Heinous Crimes by Eileen Ormsby
It was pretty spooky!
It’s been a long time since I read a good ghost story. Might have to add this one to my list now! Great review. 🙂
Thanks Bonnie:-)
This “marriage” between history and horror (and of the creepy kind, too!) seems to work very well, and I can’t wait to able to add it to my TBR. One of these days… 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Maddalena@spaceandsorcery recently posted…KEPT FROM CAGES (The Ikiri Duology #1), by Phil Williams
It was indeed a great mix of those elements:-)
Excellent review, Tammy. 🙂 I love ghosts…. well, in stories only. Literary prose + horror – that’s a combination I haven’t read before. I’ll definitely add it to my TBR. Thanks for sharing.
Debjani recently posted…Food For Thought by Sara Madderson – Excerpt | Blog Tour
It was a really good combo of elements!
This was an amazing review, and the book seems interesting and original. The part about the “ghosts of the past” seems intriguing! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks Susy, it was original and different from what I usually read:-)
Glad to hear you enjoyed this one. There seems to be a growing concensus it’s a good one. It’s not a setting I would have expected for a ghost story, but given the age of the building and all the history surroudning it I suppose it does make sense. Great review!
I’ve heard there have been lots of ghost sightings in the White House, and now I want to learn more. Maybe there’s a book about them out there somewhere:-)
This one sounds fascinating! I don’t read a ton of ghost stories but this seems like an interesting one, especially with the setting. Glad you enjoyed it so much, Tammy!
It was so good, lots of unexpected layers:-)
Yes to creepy ghost story! This looks good!
It was a nice change from some of my recent reads, definitely worth checking out:-)
How intriguing, Tammy! It sounds as if historical and creepy is a thing, as I’ve recently read The Devil and the Dark Water which was quite spooky and in a historical setting that worked well. Great review – I’m glad you enjoyed this one.
I’m hoping to read The Devil and the Dark Water too, good to know it’s got a similar vibe:-)
I thought this was his best since The Damned. I really think atmospheric horror is his thing, and I’m glad he came back to it with this one. I really enjoyed this as well, so heartbreaking…and some of the scenes sent chills up my spine!
I didn’t read his last two but I’m OK skipping them:-)
I’ve added this to my wishlist – two good reviews makes me want to grab a copy quickly.
Lynn 😀
Oooh, this sounds really good! I honestly wouldn’t have given this one a second thought but your review has me intrigued because I am in the mood for all the gothic horror feeling vibes.
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