Starter House

September 16, 2013
This stylish debut novel from Condit employs a supernatural horror element that drives the main conflict. Lacey Miszlak, a pregnant fourth-grade schoolteacher, and her husband, Eric, a divorce attorney at his uncle’s law firm, are searching for their dream “starter house” in Greeneburg, a fictitious city in South Carolina. Lacey falls in love with a Cape Cod being fixed up for sale by a man who lives next door, Harry Rakoczy, who cuts the Miszlaks a good deal. After the Miszlaks move in, Lacey collides with a rambunctious nine-year-old boy riding his bicycle; he introduces himself as Drew. After Lacey’s doctor puts her on bed rest, Eric summons her mother, Ella Dane Kendall, a freewheeling herbalist, to help. Lacey makes the perturbing discovery that she lives in what the locals call the “murder house” that “eats babies,” while also beginning to suspect that Drew, whom she has befriended, is a ghost. Meanwhile, Eric represents Lex Hall, whose wife Jeanne is divorcing him and taking their one-year-old daughter, Theo. Lacey’s fears over her and Eric’s safety escalate when Drew’s destructive force damages the upstairs. She learns the truth from Drew about what happened where she lives before her baby is born there. Eric connects Lex to the troubled house and Drew, before Condit’s entertaining debut novel shifts into high gear for the violent showdown. Agent: Jenny Bent, the Bent Agency.

October 15, 2013
In Condit's creepy debut, a young couple's dream home turns out to be haunted. The cottage at 571 Forrester Lane in the Southern town of Greeneburg is perfect for Lacey and Eric Miszlak. She's pregnant and wants to be near the best schools; he wants a 20-minute commute to his uncle's law firm. Lacey brushes aside the spooked reaction of their broker (who knows more than she's telling) but discovers after they move in that the house harbors a ghost: Drew, a needy little boy who asks her to be his mother. Lacey, a former elementary school teacher, prides herself on being good with difficult children, but she quickly learns to fear Drew's rages and his hostility toward her unborn child. "The thing in the house. It eats babies," blurts out the broker's daughter. The trouble started in 1972, when Andrew Halliday killed his wife, three of his four children and himself. Only Andrew Junior survived the massacre; he's changed his name to Lex Hall and has retained Eric in a custody battle over his young daughter. Yes, it's a lot of coincidences to swallow, and Drew's ability to travel as far afield as Australia seems more convenient than likely even within the parameters of a ghost story, but Condit paints such a convincing portrait of the Miszlaks' tension-riddled marriage and does such a good job of escalating the menace in Lacey's encounters with Drew that readers won't care much about probability. The novel has unusually strong characterizations as well, in particular the depiction of Lacey's New Age-y mother, Ella, who proves to be stronger and more protective than her daughter could understand in childhood. Eric too, controlling and overcautious though he is, comes through with flying colors in the violent denouement at the top of the stairs that have seen so many previous deaths. Good, scary fun, packed with emotional nuance.

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January 1, 2014

When Lacey Miszlak first sees the dusty rose Cape Cod cottage, she knows that it's the perfect house for her, her husband Eric, and the baby that's on the way. When the realtor tells her and Eric that people have died in that house, Lacey is undeterred. After all, people die everywhere, and the house is being sold for a fraction of what it's worth. It isn't until she and Eric move in that Lacey feels a malevolent presence, particularly on the staircase, and meets a strange and disturbing little boy named Drew, who claims that he once lived here. Soon, Lacey hears rumors that the house is unsafe for babies, and determined to save both her unborn child and her home, she sets out to befriend Drew, the boy whom only she can see, and unravel the mystery before it's too late. VERDICT For the most part, Condit's debut is well written--the plot moves along quickly, and the characters, especially Lacey, are lively and engaging. However, it has one serious flaw. The novel's plot twist, which readers will figure out about halfway through the book, isn't supported by the world that the author creates. There are numerous opportunities throughout the story where Condit could easily have offered readers an explanation, but she doesn't. While the novel has a lot of potential, readers, especially dedicated horror fans, will likely find the premise unbelievable. [See Prepub Alert, 7/22/13.]--Elisabeth Clark, West Florida P.L., Pensacola

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2013
Lacey viscerally wanted the house. This house was where the child growing inside her would be happy, a place where Lacey could put down roots after a lifetime of transient living. The real-estate agent warned Lacey and her husband, Eric, that people had died inside years go, but the couple would not be swayed. Soon, though, Lacey is plagued with the nagging feeling she's made a grave mistake. The house she wanted so badly doesn't want her. Then there is Drew, the tattered boy who rides his bicycle back and forth in front of the house whenever Lacey is alone inside. A former teacher, she is drawn to his troubles and strikes up a friendship, only to realize there is something terribly wrong with him. If this novel were a movie, you could close your eyes to save yourself from its scariest parts, but it is a book and its haunting elements are inescapable. A promising start by a new author, this will appeal to those looking for a disturbing story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)