The Haunting of Sam Cabot

A Novel

By: Mark Edward Hall

Narrated by: Daniel David Shapiro

Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

There are places that hold evil, houses so vile, so tainted, that people refuse to live in them. Farnham House is one of those places. Once an inn, this majestic old New England manor house is back on the market, and the price is very reasonable.

Sam Cabot is a man tired of moving. Now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life in the country with his wife and young son. Little does he know that he will soon begin a long, slow descent into madness and that he will spend his summer living with dead things.

©2009 Mark Edward Hall (P)2015 Mark Edward Hall

What just happened?

I'm being generous giving this 3 stars. This book was really weird, and kinda built up to make me think something more original was going to happen. Then it just ended really strangely. I'm giving it 3 stars because it held my interest for the first couple of hours, and should have given it 2 stars because it seemed like the author got tired of writing and just pulled this ending out of a hat to end things.

Chills and Thrills

This is a cautionary tale. When you’re a less-than-stable main character and you’re driving through the country and you see a huge, but lovely fixer-upper in the middle of nowhere that is for sale, don’t stop. When there’s a creepy old caretaker who gives you a tour and everything from the overgrown lawn to the monster of a heating system gives you the heebie-jeebies, don’t offer to buy the place. Don’t move in. Nightmares, anxiety, murders, and ghostly visitations are sure to follow.
However, if you’re a reader and you like the shivers that run up the back of her neck as you turn the page, this is worth your time.

I’d like to tell you more, but I’ve been warned to never tell what’s in the well. Yes, there is a bad-smelling, boarded-up well that, sure enough, the main character opens. It’s almost certain, any number of innocent geeks are going to get dragged in, chewed up and spit out, but I’m not telling.

Then the story gets even more scary. It reads like a Stephen King or Peter Straub thriller. My one complaint might be that the ending wasn’t the payoff I’d hoped for. Yet, for the twists and chills in the middle I recommend this read.

#tagsgiving, #monsterinthehouse, #horror, #sweepstakes, #haunting

Excellent Book

This is one of the better books I've read. Listened to it all in one day. Had me sitting on the edge of my seat! Thank you Mark!!!

Delightfully Frightful

I enjoyed this book very much. The characters were evolved enough to make me care about what happened. The twists were unexpected not written to fulfill a writing script. I highly recommend it and will definitely be looking for more from this author.

Good haunted house story

As far as the haunted house backdrop it was very good, if I was able to, I'd give it another half star. There was even a hint of building a new house over the dammed old one speaks of a sequel.

Wow...Loved it

Would you consider the audio edition of The Haunting of Sam Cabot to be better than the print version?

Never read the print version.

What did you like best about this story?

The whole storyline....

Which character – as performed by Daniel David Shapiro – was your favorite?

No favorites....I guess the lead character.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Furnace Repair Man

Any additional comments?

To be honest, I thought this would be the usual 'ghost' story....but....it wasn't. I am near the end of the book...with my head phones on and all of a sudden I say...."Wow"...my husband looks at me like I'm crazy....Truly enjoyed this fairly short book....will listen to it again. for sure...to get all the nuances. Well worth the price/credit.

Gripping read!

Any additional comments?

This story had me glued to my earbuds - the story arc is thrilling, and the twist at the end is totally unexpected!

*Eye Roll* Ugh!!!

"... innocent, impish provocation" and I'm done. "Oh Sam," she said delighted, and a little bit flushed. "I'm all covered with wallpaper paste." Ugh! If you have to state that "this part of the story has as much right to be told as any other." It probably doesn't. Or at the the very least has no true bearing on the, supposed to be scary, story. I really don't want to know what happens next. The story was losing me anyway.