This book that lies firmly aligned with the haunted house genre, and it's perfect. Dahlia and her crew have been tasked with salvaging a house full of valuable antiques and beautiful built-in details. Dahlia engages with the artifacts of the house with so much genuine knowledge and respect, and her description of the historical details and the ins and outs of the salvage business was fascinating. These insights imbued the novel with a very powerful sense of place, and I would love to read more horror novels with this dash of Antiques Roadshow/Repair Shop energy. I can get VERY invested in people who are passionate about their work, and I desperately wanted Dahlia and her crew to turn a profit they needed to keep Music City Salvage afloat. Maybe this next part is a spoiler, so stop reading now if you care about that sort of thing: I find it so interesting and refreshing that after a couple haunting episodes, Dahlia and her crew just openly talk with each other about the hauntings and strategize ways to support each other through it. How many times have you been reading horror and internally shouting at the characters to just fucking tell someone... well they did that here! I loved it. The kind of mutual support and teamwork from Dahlia and her work crew was so unusual for the genre that it felt like an exciting plot twist, and the novel was better for it too. Even with everyone on board and working together, there was still plenty of terror to go around.

sadly not everyone can be shirley jackson

I really disliked the main protagonist, but the descriptions of horror and creepiness were spine-tingling.

4.5 stars. I found this super enjoyable! Dahlia, the main character, was really likable while still having obvious flaws. I loved her attitude and the way she handled the men in the story. It was great to see a woman in charge of a physical labor work site and getting to boss around the men! The plot was really interesting, and I thought the salvage company aspect added an interesting dimension to your usual haunted house story. I loved how much the old wood features and furniture were injected into the story. It added a richness and really set the scene for the house. I also felt Dahlia SO much on not wanting to destroy the house. One thing that jumped out at me (and I'm not gonna put it under a spoiler, since I already posted an update about it and it's a relatively minor detail) is when they find the cemetery, the first headstone they read says he died in 1915 and Dahlia says he was probably a WWI soldier. This postulation is reiterated later in the book. The US didn't enter WWI until 1917 though, so I wondered if it was a mistake on the author's part. (view spoiler)[However, later we learn that the soldier who is buried there was killed and hidden under the "fake" cemetery, so none of the headstones were for him. The PFC designation on the 1915 headstone still makes it seem like it could've been a mistake/oversight, but PFC was used prior to WWI as well and soldiers exist outside of wartime as well, so I'm going to assume it was actually a hint that should've registered as such both to the reader and the characters, that something was off about that cemetery. (hide spoiler)] Overall, a really enjoyable read with some genuinely spooky moments and a relatable main character. What more could I ask for?

3.5 ⭐ It's a good one. I liked the writing and the characters, the plot is interesting (no pun intended), there are bits in the book that made me giggle, which I appreciate, but it lacked the "wow" factor for me. Wish I were more eloquent so I could explain exactly why I didn't love it... you know how sometimes books make you squeal, and smile, and want to share (yes, even ghost stories do it for me)? Well, that one didn't :/ still enjoyed it, tho

sadly not everyone can be shirley jackson