A chilling ghost story with a twist: the New York Times bestselling author of The Winter People returns to the woods of Vermont to tell the story of a husband and wife who don’t simply move into a haunted house–they build one . . .In a quest for a simpler life, Helen and Nate have abandoned the comforts of suburbia to take up residence on forty-four acres of rural land where they will begin the … residence on forty-four acres of rural land where they will begin the ultimate, aspirational do-it-yourself project: building the house of their dreams. When they discover that this beautiful property has a dark and violent past, Helen, a former history teacher, becomes consumed by the local legend of Hattie Breckenridge, a woman who lived and died there a century ago. With her passion for artifacts, Helen finds special materials to incorporate into the house–a beam from an old schoolroom, bricks from a mill, a mantel from a farmhouse–objects that draw her deeper into the story of Hattie and her descendants, three generations of Breckenridge women, each of whom died suspiciously. As the building project progresses, the house will become a place of menace and unfinished business: a new home, now haunted, that beckons its owners and their neighbors toward unimaginable danger.
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Great characters, Imaginative and a fun read. Just enough ghosts to make this an interesting story and I love that the hauntings were resolved and they stayed in the home they built.
I really didn’t think this was going to be my cup of tea when I first started reading the first few pages. But I kept going and I am very happy I did. This turned out to be an awesome ghost story. Nate and Helen have their hands full.
Thank you to Doubleday, and NetGalley for the ARC.
Keeps you on your toes
This was a unique story with a very cool approach to a haunting. All of her books and plots stand out as very individual and one of a kind but though I noticed a lot of ppl just didn’t ‘get this’ or appreciate it; I definitely did. The turn it took was unexpected for me. I try to always go into her books without even a summary read.
I am happy that I was able to listen to the audio book version. I used a free credit to get it. That being said, for the price of this book I would have been a bit upset.
I enjoyed listening, but I am happy it was “free”. I hate reviews that state such things, but here I am doing just that. The book didn’t get GREAT until the last hand full of chapters. I have to admit if I had been reading it I probably would have DNF’d it. I am happy I stuck through though.
There seemed to be many fillers, unnecessary chapters. It all came together well at the end. I had predicted the ties almost from the start. It was good, just not as great as I had hoped.
Could not put it down!
This book brings together some of my favorite plot themes; haunted items, ghosts, witches and murder. Throw in the great outdoors and you’ve got a winner!
Part historical/contemporary and part horror, this book is expertly woven to create a world that won’t be forgotten.
We follow a couple who are in the process of building their dream home on a piece of property that may be haunted and a young girl, abandoned by her mother, looking for the mysterious treasure that is supposed to be hidden on the property.
With plenty of creepy scenes and a ghostly white deer, this book was never boring. Jumping back and forth between the past and the present, this book kept me up at night.
I really enjoyed this book on audio. I LOVE ghost stories and loved how Helen tried to solve the mystery of Hattie and Jane. Hattie was hanged for witchcraft in the early 1900s and it was very interesting to learn how Helen and Olive (the neighbor girl who’s mother was missing) went about following leads and doing research on the history of the land. I loved the different things that Helen brought back to incorporate into her new home in hopes of bringing back their spirits. I figured out the twist early on, and I sympathized with Nate and Helen and their relationship struggles while building a house. That is harder than anyone realizes and can be the death of even a good marriage. Nate refuses to believe in spirits and set out to prove that it could be explained. I really loved at the end how they came together. I didn’t love how her relationship with Rylie had her lying to her husband early on. Why would she trust this random woman she just met over her husband. It seemed odd. I felt sad for Olive and Dustin and just wanted them to find closure. This book was creepy and i liked that a lot.
A spooky, creepy good read! Nate and Helen buy a piece of land in the woods in order to build their dream house. While starting to build, they discover the local history of Hattie Breckinridge, who was hung as a witch on the property. Is the land haunted? Is Hattie trying to communicate with them?
We all fantasize of that perfect place. A place to build your dream home and live life like you always wanted to. Should that place include those who lived there long ago, decades ago?
Author Jennifer McMahon takes her characters in her book ‘The Invited’ to the point where they must ask themselves; “who does belong and who doesn’t ?” at their new home. Where does the history of a place, a family, belong beside the living of today? How far should someone go to find out if history was correct in condemning another to death? And what do you do if the dead won’t stay quiet? Do you invite them in?
My heart clenched and my eyes popped wide as I read how closely intertwined the lives of people became with “the other realms” in this story. A haunted house scary book you say? Nope. Scary graveyard tale? Not in any traditional sense! To find out who’s been invited you’ll have to read and wonder if the decision to give invitations was wise!
The narrator(s) of this book did an ok job to keep my interest.
The story itself was pretty good. I really don’t do ghost stories much, and I guess that’s what this was. Since I was listening to the audio version as I drive back and forth to work, it really didn’t scare me; however, I might have gotten a few chills had I been listening or reading at night in bed! I’m a bit spooky that way. The author did a good job at giving me a few ghosts here and there.
If you like things that go bump in the night, pick this one up!
Jennifer McMahon’s delicious new ghost story puts a new spin on the haunted house tale. What happens when an unsuspecting couple builds a new home on land that once belonged to a murdered woman who still has a hold on the living? Welcome to a story that features another of McMahon’s wonderfully rebellious teenage girls, a spooky bog that lures trespassers to its peaty depths, and an ancestral line of ghosts who have their own stories to tell. You won’t want to leave this party until you’ve reached the final page
What can’t you like about a story that has history, ghosts and mystery. I loved the setting and every page you turned kept you wanting more. Absolutely loved this book
Helen. Come on now. You can’t be this dumb. Continuing to pile dark and sinister objects into your house to bring out the ghosts is like facing a pack of wild hyenas and thinking, if I just talk softly to them and bring treats they will let me pet them and squeeze them. Every time you see the ghost you are filled with dread and your head is filled with screams and when it speaks the sound is like ground up glass. But you just keep going back. And looking for friends for it…
The story is not bad, but I had a few problems with it. There’s way too much profanity, especially the f* word. Helen and Nate are each falling into growing obsessions, and it’s tearing them apart. They each think the other is going slightly off the deep end, but unlike most supernatural stories, there’s not a lot of indication as to whether it is the ghost making them insane. If it is, I wish there was a little more foreshadowing, and if it isn’t then I’m back to “Come on now Helen, you can’t really think this is a good idea…” It generally makes the story better when you are shown with little things along the way that it is the haunting that is pushing them to the edge.
I like the side story of Olive and her search for her mom, and I pretty much liked Riley and Olive, but I really don’t like Helen. She just comes across as whiny and selfish. And I wish the ghost had been more present throughout the story.
I went into this one expecting, and hoping, for a scary, send me hiding under the covers story. The beginning had me excited, but as we move to the present, I realized that while The Invited is eerie at times, it is not that scary tale I was looking for. It is well-written, and the author certainly knows how to create atmosphere in a story. The characters are interesting and we get what I would consider mystery light, but the most intriguing part of this one for me was the history of the land and what happened there. In the end, the book did hold my interest, but it lacked that oomph that I was hoping for. I think some will enjoy it more than others, and those looking for a horror story will be disappointed. As for me, the story was worth the read and left me somewhere in the fair to midland range.
Wonderful book, impossible to put down.
The Invited by Jennifer McMahan was an interesting read. Nate and Emily want to build a new home for themselves. Yet they had no idea of the history of the land they purchased and what they were actually creating. It turns out the land was once owned by the Breckenridge family with a history of mysterious deaths. As they continue to build the house of their dreams, strange things begin happening. An interesting, quick and ghost filed story.
Happy reading!
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book, which was kind of cool because the book kept surprising me at every turn. At times haunting and mysterious but always compelling, the story kept me riveted. The mood created by the author with the opening scene sets the tone for what is to come while making the whole story seem timeless. (The concept of a Salem, MA type of attitude in 1920s Vermont was genius!) It was a pleasure to be able to draw parallels and find connections as Helen uncovered information, and there were many “aha!” moments. This was a page turner that I cannot recommend highly enough. Visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews for more details. This review was written based on a pre-release digital ARC provided by NetGalley.
While the writing was really good and the book is well edited this story just didn’t work for me. It isn’t a bad read it’s just much slower than I can handle. I actually found myself scheming because it did catch my attention and I couldn’t just let it go. This couple figures it’s a great idea to buy some land out in the middle of no where that has a story/myth/legend/haunting going on and it goes on from there. There are some nice surprises and twist in the story and a great spin at the end for ME it just took too long to get there. The author takes time to bring the beauty of the area to life in vivid color with all of the sounds and feels that go with it. Same for her characters so if you are one of those who enjoy a good slow burn type of read this is the read for you.
This is my first book by Jennifer McMahon and boy did I pick the right book to start with!
I picked up this book and was instantly drawn in as I read along I could pitcure everything and everyone in the book. I loved how I was on the edge of my seat the whole time dying to find out what happens next. If you like books with supense and with witches and ghosts then you HAVE to pick this book up!
Helen and Nate pick up and move to a land in Vermont to build thier dream home but little did they know that thier land has history and is rumored to be haunted by a witch set on revenge. Helen being a history teacher and loving all things history begins researching her land and is drawn in and as she uncovers the history of her land and the life of Hattie she is drawn to Hattie but will she survive Hattie afterall Hattie is rumored to be haunting her land seeking revenge from those who wronged her.