“The House That Horror Built”: An Unexpectedly Enjoyable Gothic Mystery

A review of Christina Henry’s 2024 novel

Photo of the cover for “The House That Horror Built,” taken by the author

I enjoyed Christina Henry’s 2020 novel The Ghost Tree and its classic take on small town horror. Her latest published novel, The House That Horror Built was one of my most anticipated books of 2024. The premise of a housekeeper working for a famous horror director sounded like a treat for fans of the genre.

Harry Adams loves horror movies so it makes sense she’d take up a job as cleaner for renowned director Javier Castillo who lives alone in a Chicago mansion. The house is filled with horror memorabilia and awards of his acclaimed career which ended after a family scandal. When Harry hears noises from behind a locked door, she’s curious. But she’s not supposed to ask questions even if the house is hiding secrets she can’t ignore.

I was surprised I liked The House That Horror Built because it was initially underwhelming. As a haunted house story, I was expecting more spookiness and scares. However, once I realized this book was more of a gothic family drama and grew invested in the characters, I enjoyed it.

While I assumed the novel would be a more plot-driven story with flatter characters, Henry did a decent job fleshing out her cast and keeping the story’s focus on their…