Horror is a genre that can be subdivided many times over. Some readers gravitate to monsters, others to body or non-supernatural horror tales. And the variety of horror styles are equally diverse, ranging from the pulpy to the literary. Much classic horror, a type that many fans can agree on, is a finely written haunted house story. Despite what those who don’t read horror may think, a haunted house tale can be elegant and complex, exploring complicated themes and placing its characters in a compelling space. Johnny Compton’s debut novel, THE SPITE HOUSE, strives for this elevated quality with the story of a desperate family and doesn’t skimp on the creepy.

Eric Ross and his daughters, 18-year-old Dess and seven-year-old Stacy, are on the run. They left their lives behind and are moving to Eric’s familial home in Odessa, Texas. There he hopes they can settle down and relax for a while. And in his grandparents’ old house, he is determined to understand a pivotal moment in his childhood and his larger-than-life grandfather, Pa-Pa Fred.

"THE SPITE HOUSE blends the requisite horror, dread and terror with broader existential themes of life and death, retribution and responsibility. Compton unpacks family legacies of all kinds in this frightening yet heartfelt first outing."

A full-page ad for a job in Degener, Texas, catches Eric’s eye as he looks for the latest way to make discreet money. The job at the Masson House seems too good to be true: six figures, plus a rent-free place to stay in this house of “pronounced paranormal activity” and take notes on what happens. The house, also known as the spite house, looks all wrong, even in the photograph. But Eric needs to take care of his girls and knows he must confront the dark secrets that he has kept since he was a boy. The house seems like a solution to both of these problems. Dess is less sure but trusts her father; she, too, is carrying a heavy burden. So they meet with the house owner, a wealthy and powerful elderly woman named Eunice Houghton.

Eunice’s ancestor had been part of a horrific act of violence that resulted in a terrible curse. In the throes of the curse, Peter Masson builds a spite house to overlook an orphanage and takes in his own orphaned niece and nephew. Peter is not quite what he seems, and the children are miserable. The three become one with the already unwell house, and it is within this haunting that Eric and his daughters find themselves.

Why is the Ross family on the run? How can Eric keep his daughters safe if Eunice doesn’t tell him the truth? In what ways are Eric’s story and that of the Masson house the same? Compton’s reveals are controlled and interesting, resulting in a layered and mysterious read. The titular house is freaky enough, and there are some unsettling moments and images inside it. The writing is more than skilled; Compton does a fine job setting the scenes, offering some gripping twists and putting readers in the house. The pacing is uneven at times, and the threads don’t always come together to make a whole cloth, but the book really shines with the Ross family. Dess, especially, is a great character; strong, thoughtful and a keen observer, she is truly memorable.

THE SPITE HOUSE blends the requisite horror, dread and terror with broader existential themes of life and death, retribution and responsibility. Compton unpacks family legacies of all kinds in this frightening yet heartfelt first outing.