The house that horror built by Christina Henry

Single mother Harry Adams is desperate to provide for her teenage son Gabe. As COVID winds down and after a lengthy period with little work, she takes a cleaning job with Javier Castillo, a well-known horror movie director. His mansion, named Bright Horses, is filled with props, costumes and artefacts from horror movies and there is a sinister locked room from which Harry thinks she has heard a voice saying, ‘Help me’. And has one of the props, a Sten costume, been staring at her and moving? With eviction from her flat looming, and no savings, Harry knows she must keep this job and look after Gabe. Can she ignore the house’s secrets?

I found The house that horror built was a compulsive read that I finished in a couple of sittings. Although the suspense surrounding the house and its owner built up and kept me interested, what held my attention was the plight of Harry. She had been unable to live with her religious family and had run away as a teenager, experiencing being homeless and living under bridges and the occasional squat. With no educational qualifications the only jobs she could get were waiting tables or cleaning houses and she knew that she had to keep her head down and not annoy Mr Castillo. She worried constantly about finding somewhere to live and being the adult in the family and not burdening Gabe with her troubles.

Henry’s description of the house and its contents, its relationship to horror movies and the disturbing background of its owner were well described. What had happened to Mr Castillo’s wife and son? What terrifying secrets were hidden in the gothic mansion?

The exciting climax at the conclusion of the book brought all the plot twists together. I am likely to read another book by Christina Henry if I am in the mood for an easy-to-read horror story.

Themes: Horror, Movies, Single mothers, Suspense.

Pat Pledger