The Devil's Serenade by Catherine Cavendish
My Rating:
I received a free copy of The Devil's Serenade from the publisher in return for an honest review.
For me, a good haunted house story means checking the dark corners of the room and being scared to lower my feet to the floor lest something be hiding under the bed. I didn't find that within The Devil's Serenade.
The story builds rather slowly, creating a dark and slightly eery atmosphere as it progresses. Things are more subtly hinted at for a large part of the book, which I wasn't so keen on but it begets an air of mystery, has you unsure of what's really happening, and keeps you reading.
The plot is unique and different and there are plenty twists to keep the reader on their toes. And even though I enjoyed the story, it didn't instill in me the fear, anticipation and apprehension that makes haunted house stories one of my favourite things to read. I wanted to be scared, to be reaching for the light or jumping at every little sound but I wasn't feeling it.
The pace picks up in the latter part of the book but I found it a little frantic, rushed and at odds with the previous pacing. In the end, despite the subtle hints and happenings, things seemed rushed and it felt like everything was thrown at me all at once.
I think in the end it all boils down to the fact that The Devil's Serenade told me a story about a haunted house rather than drawing me in and allowing me to experience the haunting for myself.
Reviews also posted to my blog: Scarlet's Web
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