Book Review: Darkhouse by Karina Halle

Enter the world of the highly-acclaimed Experiment in Terror Series by visiting...the Darkhouse:

There’s always been something a bit off about Perry Palomino. Though she’s been dealing with a quarter-life crisis and post-college syndrome like any other twenty-something, she’s still not what you would call “ordinary.” For one thing, there’s her past which she likes to pretend never happened, and then there’s the fact that she sees ghosts. Luckily for her, that all comes in handy when she stumbles across Dex Foray, an eccentric producer for an upcoming webcast on ghost hunters. Even though the show’s budget is non-existent and Dex himself is a maddening enigma, Perry is instantly drawn into a world that both threatens her life and seduces her with a sense of importance. Her uncle’s haunted lighthouse provides the perfect catalyst and backdrop for a mystery that unravels the threads of Perry’s fragile sanity and causes her to fall for a man, who, like the most dangerous of ghosts, may not be all that he seems.

I never thought I would come across a book that could make me laugh one minute then scare the pants off me the next.  If you took Silver linings Playbook, The Woman in Black and Bridget Jones Diaries, mixed them all together Darkhouse if what you would get.  It was really quite bizarre, but extremely entertaining.  I really, really enjoyed it.

I liked Perry straight away; she is my kind of girl, sarcastic, fun and a little odd.  She was easy to read and easy to like and I was happy that she wasn’t some stick thin harpy but a more of a normal girl.

Dex was a different story all together, I thought he was a great character for this book but I wasn’t sure if I liked him.  it took me a long time to warm up to him, I understand why he is the way he is but sometimes his rudeness (especially towards Perry) got under my skin.  I almost wanted Perry to stay away from him, not because of his condition or because I thought he was dangerous or anything, but because I really do not think he cares about her that much, he cares about what she can do for him because he cares about himself.  He does show a little more consideration towards her at the end but it was too little too late.  I wished Perry had defended herself a little more where Dex was concerned, I didn’t quite see what she saw in him.

It is probably obvious that I didn’t really see the chemistry between them.  They are both extremely dysfunctional and I can see it happening for them in the future, but he is going to have to simmer down and get rid of his girlfriend before I get behind them as a romantic duo. 

Saying that, I still thought Dex was an awesome character and this book would have been less awesome without him.  

Story wise I loved this.  Horror is one of my favourite genres and I do like my fiction quite dark.  There were some great creepy moments in this.  The clown lady and the first time in the lighthouse stood out.  I cannot wait to see what Perry and Dex get up to next.

4 stars

Published May 12th 2011 by Metal Blonde Books.  A free copy was provided for review. Image courtesy of Goodreads

Review by Kate Phillips