Book 3 in The Night House Files series.
Legend or truth? The Night House is a secret organisation investigating the stories behind strange events around the world. Their findings are kept safe by the Nightwatchman who delivers the case files to our narrator so the contents can be turned into a story that will finally share the truth with the world. Classified documents, case files, interviews and news reports reveal horrendous happenings and their lasting effects on those who managed to survive. These stories are not for the faint-hearted. Disturbing details, rising tension and horrifying characters mean readers can’t put these books down, even if they’re terrified of what they might find on the next page.
In The House of Horrors, readers join 15-year-old Jay Slade and his family on their dream American vacation. Driving through the night to his aunt’s house, their hire car somehow gets four flat tyres. Stranded, they have little choice but to accept the help of a strange man they encounter on the highway. When he takes them to his ‘place’ – a waxwork museum called Dr Kildare’s House of Horrors – they are forced to ask themselves if he’s a good Samaritan or a dangerous psychopath.
This is a hugely atmospheric story: the warm summer night, swirling winds and dark, deserted highway set the scene for something terrifying. Shifts in time through the narrator’s story, classified documents and interviews with Sam three years later add depth and further intrigue. Exceptional characterisation of Sam reveals his trauma and guilt as he faces up to what happened to his family while the villain takes great delight in terrifying his victims just as author Dan Smith takes great delight in terrifying his readers!
Perfect for Key Stage 3, this book will grip all types of readers – from the most enthusiastic to the most reluctant. This is something they can read and discuss together – and will they ever have a lot to say! Deliciously scary, this is a book to read with the lights on – but if you really want to lose yourself in it, choose a windy night, dim the lights and watch out for movement in the shadows!
Published by Barrington Stoke, The House of Horrors is mystery-horror for teens and adults (recommended reading / interest age 11+). Accessible with dyslexia-friendly font and page tint, it is sure to be devoured by brave readers from Year 5 onwards.
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