Book Review: Manchester House

Manchester House  by Donald Kirch.

Manchester House was built upon secrets and blood. Even the land upon which it was built was considered…bad.

ITEM: Native Americans for untold centuries believed that if a bird flew over the property it would die.

ITEM: On the forced “Trail of Tears” march to Oklahoma, a rival tribe invaded a campsite of a sworn enemy, resting upon the property, decapitated the women and cooked their heads. No reason was ever given.

ITEM: While traveling to Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant had an experience that changed his life forever – he never would say what.

ITEM: On his travels, Grant lost an entire squad of soldiers, two field surgeons, a team of horses and mules, and one Gatlin gun. No explanation given. Grant, himself, refused to investigate.

No one in the town wanted to admit that the ancient house even existed. All homes facing the ruin had their windows boarded shut. All roads to the thing were blocked, overgrown, or forbidden.

Manchester House was a beacon of evil at the center of a small Kansas Town with a dark and mysterious past that would not go away. All tried to forget it even existed -- until the police had to bring the bodies out.

When a group of professional "ghost hunters" explore a local haunted house, they descend into absolute darkness and terror, learning the incredible truth behind the legend of MANCHESTER HOUSE. 
 
A house steeped in blood and death.  Manchester House was one of the most terrifying reading experiences of my life.  I would like to say first that this book is incredibly well written.  It should, however, come with a warning.  The entire time Kirch's characters walked the haunted halls of Manchester House my lights flickered, lighting flashed, and thunder roared.  The moment I would set down my copy of Manchester House the flickering and storm would stop only to begin immediately upon opening the book once again.  Something paranormal?  It definitely made for a frightening reading experience!  Manchester House is a well crafted work of horror that will have you jumping at shadows and keeping the lights on for nights to come.

I would recommend Manchester House to mature readers of paranormal suspense, horror, urban fantasy and fans of paranormal investigations and haunted houses.  Keep in mind that this is a terrifying read!  There are also some graphic scenes that I would not recommend to young readers or readers sensitive to violence.  A must-read for horror fans.

To learn more about author Donald Kirch and Manchester House visit my interview with Donald here.

Source:  This book was provided by the author for honest review.


Manchester House on Amazon.
Manchester House on Goodreads.

Guest Author Interview: Donald Kirch

Please welcome today's guest author Donald Kirch.  Donald is the author of Manchester House, The Christ Project, The Misadventures of Ka-Ron the Knight, and Still Waters.  Donald Kirch is a master of the paranormal genre and has had the singular experience of being attacked by a ghost while spending two weekends in the famous haunted "Sallie House".  Read his interview below to learn more!

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Donald:   I began writing when I was about thirteen years old. My family moved around a lot during my childhood, and I was always "The New Kid" in school. That could be difficult for a little guy, and I was a shy one anyway. So, I used to make up characters in my mind, write them down on paper, and try out my own adventures. Kind'a like D&D but with no rules to stop me. And, after a while, the stories turned into adventures, and the adventures soon became a part of who I am now. I could not see myself being anything other than what I am.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Donald:   As a child, I loved tv shows such as "In Search Of.." or "One Step Beyond." These thrilled my imagination. In today's society, all the magic has been explained away. What I love about the paranormal genre, is that there are adventures, people, and places that challenge science and the world as we know it. I do not want to know everything. I want some MAGIC in my life.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Donald:  To fight evil. I have seen way too much of it in this life, and if I could, I would love to tackle it to the ground, place it in a box, and throw it into the deepest and darkest hole I could find. To be able to read other's minds would be cool!

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Donald:   It is not your typical "haunted house" story. I was once attacked by a ghost, while visiting "The Sallie House" in Atchison, Kansas. The experience helped open my eyes to the possibilities of an "after life."
While going down some stairs of this house, I felt a pair of hands push at my shoulders, and another pair pull at my ankles. I almost had some serious injuries. Made me a "believer!" Made this story worth writing.

EJ:  If your book 'Manchester House' were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Donald:   Here's how I would cast it:

Professor Holzer: Robert Downey, Jr.
Ingrid Night: Max Von Sydow
Lars: Leonardo DiCaprio
Sinclar: Benicio Del Toro
Miranda: Jessica Alba
Theresa: Zoe Saldana
Lars: Johnny Depp

Director: Tim Burton

This would be a great movie because there are so many storylines, flashbacks, and legendary creatures involved. Some characters are bigger than life and would require actors with depth and range to recreate them on the screen. I hope to one day obtain that goal.

Manchester House by Donald Kirch.

Manchester House was built upon secrets and blood. Even the land upon which it was built was considered…bad.
ITEM: Native Americans for untold centuries believed that if a bird flew over the property it would die.

ITEM: On the forced “Trail of Tears” march to Oklahoma, a rival tribe invaded a campsite of a sworn enemy, resting upon the property, decapitated the women and cooked their heads. No reason was ever given.

ITEM: While traveling to Vicksburg, Ulysses S. Grant had an experience that changed his life forever – he never would say what.

ITEM: On his travels, Grant lost an entire squad of soldiers, two field surgeons, a team of horses and mules, and one Gatlin gun. No explanation given. Grant, himself, refused to investigate.

No one in the town wanted to admit that the ancient house even existed. All homes facing the ruin had their windows boarded shut. All roads to the thing were blocked, overgrown, or forbidden.

Manchester House was a beacon of evil at the center of a small Kansas Town with a dark and mysterious past that would not go away. All tried to forget it even existed -- until the police had to bring the bodies out.

When a group of professional "ghost hunters" explore a local haunted house, they descend into absolute darkness and terror, learning the incredible truth behind the legend of MANCHESTER HOUSE.

My review of Manchester House by Donald Kirch coming soon!

Thank you Donald for joining us here today at From the Shadows!  For information about Donald Kirch and his books please visit his website.