The Invited is a different kind of haunted house story.
Helen and Nate leave the big city and move to a rural area to build a house of their very own. Helen, a history teacher, is fascinated by the history of the land they buy. She learns about Hattie and what happened to her then digs deeper to find out what happened to her daughter and other descendants. She begins placing pieces in her house that were pertinent to these women. Instead of moving into a haunted house, this couple is building one. One has to wonder, are they making a mistake? The history of the land they bought is dark and violent.
Mysterious presents are left for Helen and Nate outside their home. Inside, many of their belongings disappear.
Nate keeps seeing an albino deer, one that he feels is beckoning him to follow. Legend has it that people have drowned because of this deer. But Nate loves nature, and he won’t quit following it.
Hattie is supposed to have left behind a treasure that is buried somewhere close to where she used to live, and people are searching for it.
Olive is a young girl watching Helen and Nate build their home. She isn’t please that they are invading her area, destroying the peace and tranquility of it. Olive’s mom has disappeared and is thought to have run away with another man, but Olive doesn’t believe the rumors. She can’t see her mom up and leaving her like that. She and her mom were going to find Hattie’s treasure. She won’t be happy until she learns the truth about what happened. But the truth hurts almost as much as the rumors.
Riley is Olive’s aunt. She has always been there for Olive since Olive’s mom disappeared. She also has an interest in history and the past happenings of the region.
Once Olive gets to know Helen and Nate, she introduces them to Riley, and they become friends. Still, there is something mysterious going on.
As the truth about what is going on unravels, this book becomes unputdownable. Secrets are revealed and lives are in danger.
I was happy when I finished the book, yet I was sad. I had become emotionally attached to the characters and their situation, and I longed for their story to continue. So maybe there will be a sequel? One can only hope.
I was sent a copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. If you would like to purchase your own copy to read and enjoy, I’ve provided an Amazon link below.
Amazon Link: The Invited
Favorite Sentences:
She knew things about the people of this town; she knew their deepest secrets and fears; she knew the questions they were afraid to ask anyone else.
Sometimes the thumping of the pipes turned into a low whine, sounding like there was a monster trapped behind the walls, screaming to get out.
A supersized rodent that ate plywood and ax handles might be a nightmare to some, but to Nate it was a thrill.
But the black flies were out: tiny, godforsaken creatures that swarmed, found every patch of exposed skin and left bites that itched like crazy.
New Words Learned:
flange – a projecting flat rim, collar, or rib on an object, serving to strengthen or attach
junco – a North American songbird related to the buntings, with mainly gray and brown plumage
saltbox – a type of house found especially in New England, generally two full stories high in front and one story high in back, the roof having about the same pitch in both directions so that the ridge is well toward the front of the house
serendipitous moments – moments that happen by accident, usually when you’re doing something completely unrelated, like digging a hole in your yard to bury your hamster and finding a treasure chest of jewels.
soapstone sink – a natural stone sink – a rock that is shaped into the form of a sink.
https://www.remodelista.com/posts/soapstone-sinks-remodeling-101
trowel – a small hand-held tool with a curved scoop for lifting plants or earth
About the Author, Jennifer McMahon:
I was born in 1968 and grew up in my grandmother’s house in suburban Connecticut, where I was convinced a ghost named Virgil lived in the attic. I wrote my first short story in third grade and graduated with a BA from Goddard College in 1991 then studied poetry for a year in the MFA in Writing Program at Vermont College. A poem turned into a story, which turned into a novel, and I decided to take some time to think about whether I wanted to write poetry or fiction. After bouncing around the country, I wound up back in Vermont, living in a cabin with no electricity, running water, or phone with my partner, Drea, while we built our own house. Over the years, I have been a house painter, farm worker, paste-up artist, Easter Bunny, pizza delivery person, homeless shelter staff member, and counselor for adults and kids with mental illness. I quit my last real job in 2000 to work on writing full time. In 2004, I gave birth to our daughter, Zella. These days, we’re living in an old Victorian in Montpelier, Vermont. Some neighbors think it looks like the Addams family house, which brings me immense pleasure.
