“The House Next Door” by Anne Rivers Siddons

 A different spin on a haunted house -- 4 stars

In “The House Next Door,” Colquitt and Walter Kennedy live together in a suburb outside Atlanta, the kind of place where afternoons blend together with their vodka tonics out on the patio. For years, the vacant lot next door has been theirs in every way but deed -- its creek, its woods, its seasonal blooms are a natural extension of their life together ... until the day they learn it has been sold.

As time passes, three different families try to make a home there. But for each family, something goes wrong. And whether the house is to blame is a question that may never be answered.

In spite of its simplistic plot, I couldn’t stop turning the pages of this book -- Siddons’ story unfolded with such a skillful rhythm, I found myself reading later than intended. Colquitt’s character arc felt genuinely earned, and her marriage to Walter provided a refreshing portrait of mutual respect and quiet devotion that grounded the supernatural elements.

In “The House Next Door,” the haunting is psychological, subtle, and deeply unsettling -- in the best way. Personally, I wanted a few more plot twists earlier in the story, not just near the end, but regardless, it’s a solid read. I definitely recommend it.