The Well - A Really Good Horror Read

TITLE: The Well
AUTHOR: Marie Sexton
PUBLISHER: Self Published
PUBLISHING DATE: May 22, 2017

FROM GOODREADS: Twenty years after prom queen Cassie Kennedy is brutally murdered, six teenagers break into the house where she was killed to hold a seance. Haven knows his cousin Elise only wants to scare the crap out of him and his friends, but he's willing to put up with one of her pranks if it means a chance to spend a few hours with the new kid in town, Pierce Hunter.

But when morning comes, Elise has disappeared without a trace.

Twelve years later, Pierce and his twin brother Jordan are professional paranormal investigators, starring in their own ghost-hunting TV show. When Pierce calls Haven, insisting they return to the supposedly haunted building one last time, Haven reluctantly agrees. He's nervous about seeing Pierce again, but he's determined to get some answers. Did they really speak to Cassie's ghost that night? What happened to Elise? And the biggest mystery of all - how did she know the secret of the well?

MY THOUGHTS: 
It took me way to long to review this book even though I really loved it. Twenty years ago a popular high school student and 5 of her friends decide to spend the night in a supposedly haunted house. Although Cassie loves to play jokes and her cousin, Haven expects a night of twists and turns, things go horribly wrong and Cassie ends up dying. Haven has never really gotten over the death of his cousin and now, two of the twins that were originally there have a "ghost hunting" show and contact Haven because they want to go back to the scene of the crime. Haven used to have a secret crush on one of the twins, Pierce, so he agrees to go back home.

I really liked the way the book is told in dual timelines. The author makes it easy for the reader to understand what is going on now and what has happened in the past. As the take unravels, I really started connecting with Haven and really wanted him to find out once and for all what happened to his cousin and how it ties it to a mysterious well on the abandoned property. I also really enjoyed that Haven and Pierce's budding relationship wasn't "in your face" and instead complimented this tale of horror - not take it over.

This is a really good thriller/mystery. There is just enough horror for it to be considered a horror novel, but not a whole lot. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to give horror a try but doesn't want to go all out and gruesome. Also, it's a really fast paced read and did a wonderful job of getting me through a potential slump. I really glad I picked up "The Well" and hope more people give it a chance.

I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 4 PAWS