The Haunting by Natasha Preston
on September 26, 2023
ISBN: 0593481518
Genres: Horror, Psychological thriller, Suspense
Format: Fiction
Goodreads

It’s been a year since Penny’s boyfriend’s father was arrested for the murder of five local teens, and Penny is desperate to reach out to Nash and ask his forgiveness for disappearing from his life. Nash is hurt and reluctant to get involved again, especially after the way he and his sister have been treated by the town as though they are somehow as guilty as their dad. But when a copycat killer shows up and the body count starts rising, Nash and Penny put their difficult year behind them to take down the new murderer.

This tribute to the Scream series reads like a sequel but is not one,  so it feels as though the reader should have more background information than is given. While many thrillers feature people making questionably endangering choices, the teens in The Haunting have so little sense of self-preservation it comes across as silly. Fans of slashers might enjoy this, but slow-pacing and a disappointing ending really weigh it down.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath