Review: Roser Park by Wendy Dalrymple

Happy Halloween, everyone! Here, have yourself a fun, spooky read to celebrate!


Roser Park by Wendy Dalrymple

Released October 2022

Source: Received for Review Consideration 

Dark Fiction  |  Goodreads  | Bookshop

Charlotte Slater is freshly divorced and starting over again in her hometown of St. Petersburg, FL. When a dog sitting job in the nearby upscale neighborhood of Roser Park falls in her lap, Charlotte jumps at the chance to make some easy money and enjoy a little peace and quiet. But as usual, when things seem to be too good to be true, they often are.

While the job seems fine on the surface, from the moment Charlotte crosses the threshold at 684 Roser Park Drive, she can’t shake the feeling of being watched. The homeowner’s nearest neighbor, Adam, always seems to be lurking just around the corner, and soon, Charlotte can’t get the handsome, mysterious landscaper out of her thoughts to the point of near obsession.

As each day passes, Charlotte becomes more uneasy in the big, ominous home, causing her to spiral further and further into her own self-doubt. Items aren’t where she left them, her senses feel off, thoughts are fuzzy and an imposing painting in the living room calls out to her. A strange force from inside the very walls beckons her to learn the secrets of Roser Park and dig deeper into a century old mystery forgotten by time. Even as danger lurks just outside her door, Charlotte must choose between her instincts and common sense if she wants to ever leave the house alive. 

My 2 Cents for Free!

I love gothic novels, ghosts, houses with secrets - all of that stuff but sometimes they’re too long, too slow or they fizzle out in the end but that’s definitely not the case here! Roser Park zips by and takes some turns I wasn’t anticipating and I had a really good time reading it.

Charlotte is a recently divorced 37-year-old woman rebooting her life. She spies an ad for a dog/housesitting gig that sounds too good to be true and, well, you know how that goes! The interview at the gorgeous estate is a bit weird but who cares when the money is this good and the dog is so sweet? She moves in and soon starts to feel a bit uneasy about the house and the sexy groundskeeper next door who always seems to be lurking about but hey, it’s a LOT of money so she plans to stick it out. Can’t say I blame her.

Interwoven with the current day events are the diary entries of a young woman who lived next door in 1913. Her words are chilling from the very beginning and add another layer of ominous dread to the story. I know I just said some books are too long but I wouldn’t have minded reading more of her diary entries because they were so engaging and had such a desperation about them.

This story kept me guessing about the past, the house, the sweaty guy next door, and especially the strange behavior of the owners. Though Charlotte would definitely not be my first choice for a dog sitter because she makes some careless and dangerous choices when it comes to the pup, she is facing an unnerving series of events so I felt for her.

Anyhow, I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll stop talking. Give this a read if you’re looking for a quick and spooky read with a wild ending this spooky season. I also highly recommend White Ibis by Wendy Dalrymple. It’s another book full of darkness and evil that may surprise you!

⭐⭐⭐⭐




Comments

  1. Lark Monday, October 31, 2022

    I do love a good haunted house story! But you're right, a lot of them fizzle at the end. Glad this one didn't. Can't wait to check this one out. :D

    ReplyDelete

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