The Exorcist's House

I have a love/hate relationship with possession books. It is the one thing that truly scares me. I have had this book in my library for a while now and just kept going past it. Not because I didn’t think it would be good, but because I didn’t know if I was ready for the scare it could possibly produce at the time. I ended up being correct- I had the heebie-jeebies so many times reading this and I’m so glad I finally let myself read it. Is it some special, new type of possession book? No. But it still got the job done- I slept with the closet light on last night after finishing. Nick’s writing made it so I felt I could see what was happening. I could imagine what the characters were seeing through his descriptions. It definitely gave me that “something is watching you” feeling when reading at night. I did see parts of the end coming but it was still creepy. I liked the little nods to The Exorcist and Rosemarys Baby- I loved that the exorcists name was Father Blatty and the baby was Maren. I would love to see what happens as Maren grows up or more about Father Blattys life. What happens to Nora?Overall, I thought it was great and can’t wait to read more. Definitely recommend for a spooky read!

It may not be the most opportune time to leave behind a successful practice as a psychologist for six years and with his wife six months pregnant with their second child, but Daniel and Nora Hill and their fifteen-year-old daughter, Alice, move to southwestern West Virginia and a house which hasn’t “been updated since it was built in the 40s” and which was also partly destroyed in a fire. It is now 1994. The price is “just too good a deal to pass up.” The plan is to have the house renovated, “enjoy a brief tour of the farm life while the market continues to spike,” and then sell the property for a profit. The previous owner, according to one of the construction workers, was “something of a local legend… a backwoods exorcist of sorts.” When the Hills finally move in following delays due to some inexplicable incidents, they discover the door to the basement nailed shut with nails “in the shape of a cross.” Later, in the now cleaned-out basement Daniel discovers a door to a hidden room and a covered up well. These are only the beginning of their discoveries and none of them bode well for the new owners.THE EXORCIST’S HOUSE (2022; 286 pp.) is the second novel by writer Nick Roberts. It is a fast-moving, creepy, supernatural thriller of demonic possession which owes a great deal to William Peter Blatty’s famous novel, THE EXORCIST (1971)—so much so Roberts even names the deceased wildernesses exorcist Merle Blatty.As readers venture deeper into THE EXORCIST’S HOUSE ever escalating horrific events take place including finds of records and assorted documentation left behind by the previous owner. The Hills experience visions one of them can see which the others cannot. Experiences become confused, dream-like, and then are often simply forgotten. Roberts includes nearly all the common troupes of a story of demonic possession. Not only are multiple features of Blatty’s THE EXORCIST in abundance (both the book and Friedkin’s 1973 film version), but there are also identifiable components from films of the supernatural such as THE GATE (1987), and to a lesser extent THE OMEN (1976), THE RING (2002), and even the original 1985 FRIGHT NIGHT (perhaps just one sentence, but it is an iconic one), and ROSEMARY’S BABY (1967) in the novel. Readers knowledgeable of these and other similar works may, therefore, find little that is new in THE EXORCIST’S HOUSE and may find themselves reading the work merely to discern how well Roberts takes his potpourri not of floral petals but of “putrid” odors, “the smell of sulfur,” and evil to blend it into a presentable and engaging work of fiction.An intriguing challenge for the reader of THE EXORCIST’S HOUSE is one’s acceptance of the author’s heavy reliance upon Christian theology to move his story toward a conclusion. Neither Daniel nor his wife, are especially believers of religious faith. However, Roberts, as does Blatty in THE EXORCIST (who later made it known he was a true believer in the types of supernatural components, both good and malevolent, to be found in his work), makes it clear (more so than many other writers of such stories) that rituals and elements of the Christian faith are the couple’s only source for relief as events take on a more and more profound and intense evil.Roberts’ greatest strength in THE EXORCIST’S HOUSE may be with his characters. Instead of being stereotypical, black and white humans, Daniel and Nora are flawed, sometimes self-centered individuals making the best of life. They care for each other and their family even if their caring is not always consistent. The young man who used to help Merle with his property, seventeen-year-old Luke, takes on attention-grabbing characteristics, albeit suspicious ones at times. Even the exorcist’s old dog, Buck, who has lingered nearby after his master’s death, takes on a vivid personality and repeatedly plays an important on-going role in the tale.THE EXORCIST’S HOUSE builds to a startling climax, again ala Blatty’s THE EXORCIST, and is somewhat marred by some rather hokey dialogue as if one suddenly finds themselves in a scene from TV’s THE WALTONS rather than a horror novel (this and a couple of inconsistencies in the text could have been addressed before publication). The book’s finale, clearly meant to induce one additional chill, is not much of a surprise. Criticism aside, reading THE EXORCIST’S HOUSE is a fun romp and Nick Roberts is a writer well worth watching in the future.

This book was incredible. From the prologue to the ending I was hooked and very creeped out. It was a unique take on demons, evil, and exorcisms. One of my favorite things was the brilliant way the author used multiple POVs, past memories, scenes where two characters weren’t seeing the same thing was seamless perfection and really added to the overall story. The characters were awesome and their dialogue was so genuinely realistic. The descriptions of the evils and the scary scenes were detailed and terrifying. And the little tie in to Anathema was excellently done (read that too!). Loved every bit of it.

While I didn't find this book "scary" it was a decent Demon story. I thought the characters were great and the atmosphere was really good.

I read a lot, almost too much. etc. But I do love horror stories and thrilllers and anything paranormal basically. The story is good, but the actual "scary" parts are so, so repetitive and the writing is kind of simple and weak. If you want a quick read and are a fan of horror, you can't go wrong. If you're looking for a deeper psychological thrill, better off with a King novella or even jeremy bates. Wasn't disappointed at all, fun read, keep writing 😎

There has been a lot of hype about this book on one of my FB pages, and Nick Roberts did not disappoint. It is an eerie/creepy book that will have you sucked in right from the beginning. If you want a 5 star quality book that will give you chills, this is the book for you. The plot was great and well developed. This book made me a Nick Roberts fan, and I can’t wait to read his other novels.

This book had a different take on the usual haunted genre. I loved the name given to the new baby. Meren( name of the exorcist in the original Exorcist movie). The ending keeps you wondering.

This was a solid read. I liked it better than his first novel, Anathema, but enjoyed the tie-in. The story flows well, there are no lags in pacing, and the characters act in believable ways. It was a bit predictable, but I can’t be too harsh about that since I’ve read a lot and it’s hard to find books that surprise me. Overall I would definitely recommend and will continue to read Nick Roberts in the future.

It is nice entertaining horror. I like to read it & found scary like some horror house in amusement park.

A truly enjoyable story. “The Exorcist” inspired stories are limited to some degree on the story that is told. But Nick Roberts proves with this tale of terror it’s not just the story you tell, but the way in which you tell it.

Well, damn. I generally am a bit of a contrarian and don't really tend to enjoy hyped books (*cough* Tender is the Flesh *cough*).I want in fully expecting to no overly like it. I enjoyed it but thought it was going to only be a four star until that final chapter. You got me, Nick!This was read as part of the Indie Author Brawl from Books of Horror on FB.

This is a fabulous, creepy, scary, page turner. I loved it and can’t wait to read more from this author.

So, clearly, I’m late to the party, but I’ve just finished The Exorcist’s House by Nick Roberts. I really enjoyed this one. I can 100% understand why the movie rights have been snapped up, this would be phenomenal on the big screen.For those of you, like me, who have an insurmountable TBR pile and not enough time to do anything but watch as it slowly develops its own gravitational pull, I’ll try and give you a spoiler-free rundown.The Exorcist’s house follows the Hill family, who uproot their lives in Ohio to move into a rustic farmhouse in the rolling countryside. After discovering a secret room in the basement containing a boarded over well complete with crucifixes, it soon becomes apparent that the property’s former owner was an Exorcist. Cue the unsettling noises, the strange sights and a whole host of spine-chilling experiences that have the Hills questioning their own sanity.This book is perfect if you’re not into the extreme side of horror. There’s nothing in there that’s going to make you lose your lunch, no raunchy scenes and the bad language is kept to a minimum. That being said, there was one part in particular that made me cringe in anticipation of what might be coming. This book is creepy, in a good way. It immediately throws you into the action, with enough suspense and atmosphere that you feel both excitement and anxiety at reading on. If you’re a fan of Amityville Horror or The Exorcist, I think you’ll devour this book in no time.