Name: The House on Moon Creek Avenue
ISBN: 9781661907860

E. Reyes

Cindy Flores, a twenty-one-year-old single mother, retail worker, and college student, inherits her grandmother's home on Moon Creek Avenue after she passes away. Cindy's father offers to pay the utilities until she graduates from college; doing whatever he can do so that she doesn't go back to her abusive boyfriend. At first, the home is comfortable, nostalgic of Cindy's childhood at nana's, and her daughter enjoys the home, too. But soon, ghosts randomly appear day and night, doors open and close, a streak of bad luck begins, Cindy and her daughter have unsettling nightmares, and Cindy's mental state is pushed to the edge. When Cindy's video recording of paranormal activity goes viral on social media, she gets the attention of famous ghost hunters. Without anywhere else to turn, Cindy confides in their help to find out why she's being haunted. A terrifying investigation leads to revelation and surprise. Will she find the root of the evil being caused at her home on Moon Creek Avenue?

A Novel

The House on Moon Creek Avenue

Had this one on my radar for a while and picked up the Velox Books audio on sale. This is the year of Reyes it seems. I’m here for it.

Wow this book surely does away with any preamble…and I don’t mean that as a negative. I mean, of course the author sets the scene… we meet Cindy and her daughter, we know she’s moved into her grandmother’s house after it was left to her. We know she’s fleeing the abusive ex, and that she’s a student and part-time cashier. And we know that her father has been helping her out while she’s in school, even with furniture (and to the annoyance of her sister). But what happens quickly is the build up to the house’s haunting. Is that a knock at the window? A twist of a doorknob? A shadow on the stairs?

While the reader does get a smidge of that, oh no there is so much more. I felt like left and right things were taking place that were so impossible to argue or mentally push away as paranormal. The author has done away with the little steps that build into the true haunting—right from the jump in this one I was wondering what the hell they were still doing there. I mean, I know you can’t just abandon your home, but like…maybe you would if it was that haunted! The paranormal cast had me thinking of Thirteen Ghosts, and I was glad they tied back to their upbringing as kids in the house. The Emfer Zima man coming from a cousin who was too young to understand the word emphysema felt like a great plug to establish how young they were and tie nostalgia into the overall arc of the story. It brought to mind the “Fig Men” from Nick Cutter’s The Deep as well as others.

As I often say, you can tell Reyes knows his horror. He knows his tropes. And this is quite the blend of them. When the hauntings get local attention, they eventually catch the eyes and ears of ghosts investigators. They enter in the second half as a style shift that I’d liken to found footage (which I love). They spend time in the house investigating, cameras and questions that build to anything but a slow night for them.

As many of his stories are, this is infused with Hispanic-American characters and cultures. So when the ghost hunters can do nothing but confirm that the haunting is, in fact, very real, Cindy is left seeking help from elsewhere. One of the investigators links her to a spiritual cleanser that reminded me of that episode with the bruja magic from Ash Vs Evil Dead (but like a positive side). And although their arrival and help seemed a little quick for me, I loved the twist of the finale. I think the author seeded it exceptionally.

Really enjoyed this. Not the haunted house you’d investigate for sure, the haunted house you’d move towns to avoid…

C. J. Daley 

Had this one on my radar for a while and picked up the Velox Books audio on sale. This is the year of Reyes it seems. I’m here for it.

Wow this book surely does away with any preamble…and I don’t mean that as a negative. I mean, of course the author sets the scene… we meet Cindy and her daughter, we know she’s moved into her grandmother’s house after it was left to her. We know she’s fleeing the abusive ex, and that she’s a student and part-time cashier. And we know that her father has been helping her out while she’s in school, even with furniture (and to the annoyance of her sister). But what happens quickly is the build up to the house’s haunting. Is that a knock at the window? A twist of a doorknob? A shadow on the stairs?

While the reader does get a smidge of that, oh no there is so much more. I felt like left and right things were taking place that were so impossible to argue or mentally push away as paranormal. The author has done away with the little steps that build into the true haunting—right from the jump in this one I was wondering what the hell they were still doing there. I mean, I know you can’t just abandon your home, but like…maybe you would if it was that haunted! The paranormal cast had me thinking of Thirteen Ghosts, and I was glad they tied back to their upbringing as kids in the house. The Emfer Zima man coming from a cousin who was too young to understand the word emphysema felt like a great plug to establish how young they were and tie nostalgia into the overall arc of the story. It brought to mind the “Fig Men” from Nick Cutter’s The Deep as well as others.

As I often say, you can tell Reyes knows his horror. He knows his tropes. And this is quite the blend of them. When the hauntings get local attention, they eventually catch the eyes and ears of ghosts investigators. They enter in the second half as a style shift that I’d liken to found footage (which I love). They spend time in the house investigating, cameras and questions that build to anything but a slow night for them.

As many of his stories are, this is infused with Hispanic-American characters and cultures. So when the ghost hunters can do nothing but confirm that the haunting is, in fact, very real, Cindy is left seeking help from elsewhere. One of the investigators links her to a spiritual cleanser that reminded me of that episode with the bruja magic from Ash Vs Evil Dead (but like a positive side). And although their arrival and help seemed a little quick for me, I loved the twist of the finale. I think the author seeded it exceptionally.

Really enjoyed this. Not the haunted house you’d investigate for sure, the haunted house you’d move towns to avoid…

Sara Turner

Really enjoyed this book! However, I do wish there was better grammar/syntax in parts of it. The story and characters were great, it Emma’s extremely fun to read, and I will for sure read another of his books! Perfect for Halloween- so creepy. 👻

Jo Buchanan

I was lucky enough to be sent this ebook from the author to enjoy and review. I’m all about reading haunted house and ghost stories! This one definitely fit the bill
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The story focuses on a young single mother and her daughter. It showcases their journey at this newly inherited house where they will find that not everything is as it seems. Shortly after arriving, things start happening. The author really jumps in with the haunting and the spooky. I really enjoy not having to wait 1245 pages in to see something interesting. I felt the frustration with the young mother when nobody believed her. I felt the struggle and the exhaustion. As a mother myself, I felt for her and her daughter. Not only did this story bring out all the spooky but it brought out monsters that weren’t even monsters. We jump to the conclusion that when we talk about monsters, it’s the undead or creatures. In this story you find real monsters. Every day monsters. Human monsters. Which to me is ten times more horrifying. The only takeaway I truly have for this story, was wishing there were more at the end. I really enjoyed this book and hope to read more of the authors work

The House on Moon Creek Avenue A Novel

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