Review: Within These Walls

Title: Within These Walls
Author: Ania Ahlborn
Publication Date: April 21, 2015
Genre: Supernatural/Paranormal/Horror/Psychological Thriller
Recommended If You Like: haunted houses, stories about cults, family drama, ghosts, stories about the occult

The Book:

Lucas Graham, true crime writer, hasn't had a successful book in years. So when Jeffrey Holcomb, infamous cult leader and murderer, who has never told his story to a soul, reaches out, Graham can't believe his luck. All he has to do is move into the house where Holcomb spilled so much blood. But Holcomb has a plan that Graham and his teenage daughter can't begin to comprehend, one that reaches into realms Graham can't yet fathom.

What I Liked:

A book that promises cults, a true crime writer, and supernatural/paranormal horror is one that I'm going to have to read. Ahlborn does a great job of dropping in other true crimes and true crime books, and weaving the story of this fictional cult into the narrative. The use of flashbacks building to the cult's terrifying and cumulative event creates an eerie and gripping suspense.

The horror aspect is one that is truly creepy. It builds and builds to the point where you absolutely cannot put the book down.

Anything I Didn't Like?

I had a little trouble with the main characters of the father, daughter, and mother. I had trouble finding a lot of redeeming qualities in them, and just wanted to shake them as events began to pile up. I understand that a lot of their story was influenced by Holcomb, but I still struggled with them.

So...?

This was a really interesting, gripping story, with a lot of unique twists and turns. While I sometimes struggled with the main characters, I really appreciated and enjoyed how this book kept me guessing and never went where I expected it to.