This Cursed House

This Cursed House

Fiction & Poetry, Modern & Contemporary Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror , Horror & Ghost Stories
Hardback Published on: 24/10/2024
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Bookseller Reviews

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This Cursed House
Southern gothic horror debut
A gothic and atmospheric debut perfect for spooky season! Follow Jemma as she finds herself in 1960s New Orleans working for a family who are afflicted wit... READ MORE
Danielle at Northallerton

Synopsis

A young woman abandons her life in 1960s Chicago for a position with a mysterious family in New Orleans, only to discover the dark truth: they're under a curse

‘A sinister and beautifully rendered Southern Gothic, This Cursed House explores the real-life horrors of racism and trauma. Del Sandeen’s stunning debut haunted me’ Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching

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Louisiana, 1962.

The Duchon family has always been a little different.

Light-skinned enough to pass as white, they’ve always felt superior to their black peers, ensconced in their palatial but decrepit New Orleans mansion.

Meanwhile in Chicago, Jemma Barker is desperate to escape another winter in the freezing cold – and the spirits she has always been able to see.

When Jemma receives an unexpected job offer from the Duchon family, she can’t say yes soon enough.

But it’s not long before Jemma realises she’s been lured south under false pretences. The Duchon family are trapped in their home by a curse – and they have reason to believe Jemma is the one who can break it.

What’s more, it turns out Jemma didn’t manage to leave her ghosts behind in Chicago. And the spirits that haunt the Duchon mansion have a message for her.

As she tries to understand how to break the curse, Jemma unravels deeper and more disturbing secrets about the Duchons and their damning past.

Secrets that stretch back beyond the grave.

Secrets that tie her to the family’s fate if she fails . . .

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Praise for This Cursed House:

‘An absolute marvel of a debut from a prodigious talent. A richly atmospheric, utterly chilling ghost story, an enthralling puzzle box of family scandals and secrets – that's also an unflinching examination of the insidiousness of racism, the horrors of colorism’ Rachel Harrison, national bestselling author of Black Sheep and SuchSharp Teeth

‘An enthralling, twisty Southern Gothic historical full of family secrets and century-spanning sins. A remarkable debut’ Eden Royce, award-winning author of Root Magic

‘An inglorious remnant of American history is handled so deftly that you won't believe it's Del Sandeen's first novel’ Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor

  • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
  • ISBN: 9780241714515
  • Number of pages: 384
  • Weight: 600g
  • Dimensions: 242 x 162 x 34 mm

Customer Reviews

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This Cursed House
A Thought Provoking Story
This book is very creepy ,full of secrets and lies and strange spirits .The very well off Duchon Family have not left their home for 28years because of a c... READ MORE
Chrissie Mortimer
This Cursed House
Creepy
This is a genuinely creepy read, filled with tension and threat. Along the way, it explores a number of serious issues including racism, slavery and coloni... READ MORE
Anita Wallas
This Cursed House
A compelling gothic debut
This is a good debut that covers a multitude of gritty themes. Not only is it a compelling gothic story set in the Duchon family home - where they are curs... READ MORE
Charlotte Wilson
This Cursed House
A gripping mystery
Del Sandeen's debut novel is a gripping supernatural story about family, forgiveness, and racism in 1960s New Orleans. The Duchons are cursed. Jemma, a you... READ MORE
Jim Hanks
This Cursed House
Creepy
This is a genuinely creepy read, filled with tension and threat. Along the way, it explores a number of serious issues including racism, slavery and coloni... READ MORE
Anita Wallas
This Cursed House
Fab debut novel
Jemma Barker, a young black woman, accepts a post in the Duchon House in New Orleans. Its early 60's and there is still racial discrimination. The Matriach... READ MORE
Trina Dixon
This Cursed House
Southern gothic horror
Rich, atmospheric, dark, gothic, just utterly brilliant! This Cursed House is a wonderfully, dark and atmospheric tale set in New Orleans in the 1960s, in ... READ MORE
Maria's Book Musings
This Cursed House
A promising story with some editing issues
This Southern Gothic novel set in the 1960s follows Jemma, a Black woman from Chicago, who was offered a job at a mysterious mansion in Louisiana. Haunting... READ MORE
polyphonic_reads
This Cursed House
A spooky tale
September 1962 Jemma Barker is travelling south from Chicago, it’s a long journey and she’s in train carriage marked ‘Colored’. She’s taking a position ... READ MORE
Celia Short
This Cursed House
An extremely impressive Southern Gothic Horror Debut
A 4.5* winning read for me. 'This Cursed House' is an extremely impressive Southern Gothic Horror Debut from Del Sandeen that drew me in from minute one... READ MORE
Lydia Cl
This Cursed House
Haunting
A ghost story but not scary. Jemma moves from Chicago to New Orleans for a job she thinks is tutoring. She arrives at the run down mansion. The backdrop of... READ MORE