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BOOK REVIEW
*this review contains afilliate links - see my profile for more info
This book is my first instance of "TikTok Made Me Buy It". I had seen lots of videos, memes, and general "bookstagram" shenanigans about the Haunting Adeline/Cat and Mouse Duet by H.D Carlton. When I read up a little, the advice I got was to read Satan's Affair first. The only information I had going into this is that it's a standalone prequel about a gory haunted house.
I haven't read much horror or gore. I was unsure if it would be my cup of tea but I'm all about trying new genres. I've definitely expanded my repertoire with this one, that's for sure!
****Trigger Warnings First****
I'll post the trigger warnings as they are printed so that I don't make them any less harsh than they need to be to give a true reflection of the contents.
WARNING
This book is extremely dark with triggering situations such as graphic gore and violence, arousal by murder, mentions of child abuse, psychological torture, suicide, and graphic sexual situations suited for 18+ readers.
BLURB
Every Halloween, Satan's Affair will come to you.
We travel the country, offering terrifying haunted houses, thrilling rides and the tastiest food. And with every passing town, I cleanse this world, one execution at a time.
I hide within the walls, casting my judgement for those that reek of evil, singing lullabies to their rotting souls.
Once you have been chosen, there's no escaping my henchmen - they cater to my every desire.
You can run and you can hide, but it only excites me.
Come.
Take a walk through my dollhouse, where your screams will blend and your cute little pleas will go unanswered.
But I can't promise it'll be over quickly
Recommended Reading Order for the C&M (Cat & Mouse) Universe:
Satan's Affair
Haunting Adeline
Hunting Adeline
Where's Molly
MY REVIEW
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
SPICE: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Let's start with the gratuitous sex and gore. There's a lot of it. I don't mean to be flippant (she says, immediately before saying something flippant!) but the term, "every hole's a goal" (sorry mum) has taken on an entirely new meaning for me. The first page just dove right in there with absolute blood, guts, gore, and smut. All at the same time.
It absolutely goes without saying that the story could be told just as effectively with less of both. Did it go too far? Possibly, to some people's tastes, and I DEFINITELY wouldn't listen to this as an audiobook. Equally, the fact that the author hasn't shied away from the depravity of the acts is quite fascinating. I could not stop reading!
Some scenes contain extreme brutality, and there is no "fade to black" for either violence or sex. I personally have never read anything quite so graphic.
We are dealing with multiple people killing multiple people and then getting pleasure from it. So, yes, the trigger warning is not to be ignored. Proceed if you dare!
Now that bit is out of the way, let's talk about the plot, and my thoughts on the book.
Sibby is a traumatised young woman, who has had a really rough time. There are flashback moments that go some way to explaining why she is the way that she is. She is very child-like in her mannerisms and mentality and (off the rails murdering aside) is clearly a very vulnerable and damaged young lady.
She is in almost a reverse harem situation with her henchmen. They are at her beck and call, catering to her every need, no matter how dastardly or spicy the deed is.
The story joins in with Sibby doing what she does, picking out bad guys to eliminate from the earth. Judge, Jury, and Executioner style. It all starts to go a bit Pete Tong and we see Sibby's reality crumble around her.
This is a novella, so it's a short read (just under 200 pages). This is potentially why the book felt so unrelenting and gratuitous, there was no downtime from one moment to the next. It's very intense and doesn't let up for a second.
The plot though (I find myself out on a bit of a limb here after reading some other reviews online) was solid. There were enough insights into Sibby's back story to almost make me want her to succeed. Think Dexter, but way more creepy. The conclusion was a surprise to me, the pace of the story made it impossible for me to think of anything other than what was written on the pages and I ended up really enjoying how the story ended. I know that this is a prequel to the main books in the series, a backstory of just one character, and it served its purpose really well.
I loved the premise of a manic killer hiding in the walls of a haunted house. Where even if you scream, nobody pays any attention - everyone screams in a haunted house! It may not be entirely original but as a newcomer to the dark/horror/gore tropes, this gave me shivers. A true phobia, I hate haunted houses!
I ended up really enjoying it, which was surprising. After the first page or two, I was sure I would end up giving up, that it would be too much, but I ended up being able to see past the splatterpunk gore fest and really enjoyed the story.
Would I list this in my top 10 books of all time? No. Is it the most poetic or symbolic of writing? No. Would I have liked it just the same without the level of darkness? Yes. Am I rating it 4 stars? Also yes!
One excellent little extra from the author was playlist of songs provided for the book. I had to chuckle that Drowning Pool - Bodies made it onto the playlist. It's very apt! I haven't seen that before, but thought it was a quirky and fun addition.
Overall, I did enjoy this book. It was overkill (no pun intended) but was a quick and really interesting read, I started Haunting Adeline straight away after finishing this one.
Have you read it, what's your thoughts on dark "romance" as a genre? Do you have any must-reads in this area of bookish goodness? Let me know, I'd love to hear your recommendations!
Check out my video review:
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