I thoroughly enjoyed this book as did my mom and siblings when I told them about it. A couple friends of mine also liked the book. It isn't a really "deep" book as some people keep referring to Card's other writings, but it was very enjoyable! Different than some other books I had previously read. Just expect an entertaining "other worldly" read and enjoy!

Let me start by saying that I really like Orson Scott Card and think that he has written some really excellent books (Ender's Game, Pastwatch, etc). This book is in not Card's normal sci fi genre but is a supernatural "thriller". I have to say that this book was absolutely terrible! It started off pretty well but just flopped in the end. Nothing exciting ever really happened, the characters seemed to have emotions with no context, and the ending was so predictable it was painful. If I were Card, I would be embarrassed to put my name on this book. If you love Card's previous books, you will be extremely disappointed by this one.

I thought this was, for some reason, going to be a more `normal' fiction book (it was recommended, so I didn't really look at the genre). But about fifty pages in it started getting weird. Not only with the addition of the supernatural elements, but the characters themselves. It was a case of having too much crammed into them. There were no `normal' people in the book to balance out all of the extremes, and that was not only wearing, but completely unbelievable (right, I realize I was suspending my disbelief on the whole possessed house part, but that doesn't mean I can't demand realistic characters!). The book ground to a predictable and tidy ending, which was rather... offputting. After wading through all of that insanity, I expected a more creative payoff.

This book tells the story of a haunted house and the haunted souls that inhabit it. When Don Lark, a former home builder whose life was destroyed by the tragic death of his only child, sees the Bellamy House, he knows that beneath the years of neglect lies a diamond in the rough. He buys the house from a real estate agent with whom he forms an immediate bond, only to discover that she, too, has her own personal tragedy with which to contend, one that is anathema to him given his own tragic past.

After Don buys the house, he moves in with the intent of restoring it. He soon realizes that there is another inhabitant in the house, a mysterious woman named Sylvie. He also discovers that he has two somewhat eccentric old women who live next door. They, too, have secrets. They ply him with a home cooked meal and let him know that they adamantly oppose his renovation of the Bellamy house.

As Don renovates the Bellamy House, strange things begin to happen within. Moreover, he finds himself becoming interested in Sylvie who also seems to be changing. There is definitely something afoot at the Bellamy House, and Don needs to find out what it is before it is too late for them all.

The books starts off promisingly enough but soon careens out of control with characters that are poorly developed and subplots that go nowhere and add nothing to the book. Still, fans of haunted house stories and those who like books that have supernatural portents will get a modicum of enjoyment from reading this book.

A great story about a lonely man trying to get by on his own. He buys homes, renovates and then sells them for a living. I don't think he could have thought he would be the one who would rejuvenated by jobs end, after meeting a woman who surprised them both!