Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror #1) [Kindle Edition]

Karina Halle (Author)

Book Description

With all the vampire, werewolf and faerie books out there, it's easy to become numb to all things supernatural. The antidote? Darkhouse introduces two real and unforgettable characters, Perry Palomino & Dex Foray, amateur ghost hunters who are "attractive, relatable and oddly heroic," "flawed but loveable," "slightly crazy" and just the most endearing pair to ever tackle the paranormal...just don't call them normal. Darkhouse is a thrilling and sexy new take on concepts like Supernatural and The X-Files, bringing a breath of fresh air to a genre that has been inundated with the dead.

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"There's always been some­thing a bit off about Perry Palomino. Though she's been deal­ing with a quarter-life cri­sis and post-college syn­drome like any other twen­tysome­thing, she's still not what you would call "ordi­nary." For one thing, there's her past which she likes to pre­tend never hap­pened, and then there's the fact that she sees ghosts. Luck­ily for her, that all comes in handy when she stum­bles across Dex Foray, an eccen­tric pro­ducer for an upcom­ing web­cast on ghost hunters. Even though the show's bud­get is non-existent and Dex him­self is a mad­den­ing enigma, Perry is instantly drawn into a world that both threat­ens her life and seduces her with a sense of impor­tance. Her uncle's haunted light­house pro­vides the per­fect cat­a­lyst and back­drop for a hor­rific mys­tery that unrav­els the threads of Perry's frag­ile san­ity and causes her to fall for a man, who, like the most dan­ger­ous of ghosts, may not be all that he seems."

Rated 16+ for language and gore

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Experiment in Terror - a mature New Adult Horror/Romance series 

• Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror #1)
• Red Fox (Experiment in Terror #2)
• The Benson - a novella (Experiment in Terror #2.5)
• Dead Sky Morning (Experiment in Terror #3)
• Lying Season (Experiment in Terror #4)
• On Demon Wings (Experiment in Terror #5)
• Old Blood - a Novella (Experiment in Terror #5.5)
• The Dex Files (An Experiment in Terror Companion Novel #5.7 - August 13th, 2012)
• Into the Hollow (Experiment in Terror #6 - October 23rd, 2012)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Darkhouse is seductively entertaining and I'm convinced that it has some secret ingredient (like the sauce on a Big Mac) that makes it immediately addictive. --Bitsy Bling Books: bitsybling.blogspot.com/2011/06/darkhouse-rainy-summertime-read.html

If you're searching for the scariest book of this season, then search no more. Darkhouse is exactly what you're looking for. - I Heart Reading

Halle's first-person narrative is written in a breezy fashion that instantly made me feel like I could hang out with her protagonist.  --ForeverYoungAdult.com

Darkhouse by Karina Halle has to be the first book in many years to make me glad to be reading during the day. It was creepy, exciting, hilarious and down right one of the most entertaining books that made me want to hug my pillow. - Seeing Night Reviews

I love the way Karina Halle has taken what could be your typical thriller and made her mark on it. Her writing is like a breath of fresh air.- Gothic Angel Reviews

From the Author

Darkhouse is the first novel in the eight book Experiment in Terror Series. As the series contains gore, scary situations, plenty of cursing, and (eventually) scenes of a sexual nature, the books are not recommended for sensitive individuals nor readers under 16. It is a mature young adult or "new adult" series that gets progressively mature as the books tumble along to their conclusion.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 511 KB
• Print Length: 323 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Metal Blonde Books (May 12, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0050Q6HQK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #937 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #2 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teens > Horror
  • #9 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror > Ghosts

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This should be a movie! December 31, 2011

By Naj (Unputdownable Books)

Format:Paperback

Oh my freaking God! Why did I take so long to pick up this book?

The entire time I was reading this book, I felt as if I was watching an episode of a brand new series. Now, I can't wait to read the next installments.

The plot is amazing, like 5-star amazing. I love ghost stories and EVERYTHING paranormal so this book is totally within my league and the fact that the book kept me on my toes and thrilled and eventually scared me as well, makes this book even better!

The characters are realistic. They're people who have/had problems. Dex has a split personality which kind of scares me a bit and Perry is hilarious, was a druggie back in highschool, and just got out of college and is striving to go on day-to-day as a receptionist. Oh and she can see ghosts too. The way Halle describes what Perry sees is extremely descriptive and fluid, that you can't help but be where Perry is. The secondary characters on the other hand, help keep the story together. Matt and Tony were one of my favs. Those twins were hilarious and just plain old weird. They kind of reminded me of my brother, minus the drinking and whatever else they do thats "bad".

Now, Perry has the hots for Dex and we don't know how Dex feels about her because he has a girlfriend who is immensely hot and he is also 10 years older. Not only is Perry insecure, but feels like a child around him and sometimes a psycho. I love the push and pull that happens between the two. It keeps the situation realistic.

Overall, Darkhouse is amazing. Halle has delivered to the public such an incredible book that is definitely movie/series-worthy. I just want to keep reading until there isn't anything else left to read from the series.... The narrative was written well, the descriptions were vivid and the plot is 5-star amazing. A brilliant unputdownable book from Karina Halle that'll definitely rock your socks off! Read more ›

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Did I accidentally get a YA book? December 15, 2012

By S. Moon

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book really reads as a young adult book-juvenile writing style. It felt disconnected, and just young, even though it was written about (mostly) adults. The author really could have changed the ages to maybe 16 and 18, and it would not affect a thing-not the character actions, lives, anything. Give them school instead of work, and it would easily work. The main character lives at home, goes on trips with her parents and sister, and really acts like a teenager. Dex just isn't believable as a 32 year old.

I also felt like I was reading bits and pieces, or different scenes grouped together, instead of a really well put together story line. It just didn't flow, and things didn't make sense. I forced myself to read the entire thing, but I would have forgotten it right away if I had stopped at any point. I normally would want to see where the relationship goes with Perry and Dex, but I can't even bring myself to care very much about that, certainly not enough to read the next book. Dex doesn't seem real, and Perry is just annoying with her immaturity. They are just not written well, and are inconsistent. He is supposed to be someone she is attracted to, but then he leaves her at dangerous times, and kind of treats her like crap one second, and is charming the next literal second? It just doesn't make sense.

I don't understand the multitude of high star reviews for this one. Sorry.

28 of 35 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Not for grown-ups. November 16, 2012

By robbinrn

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book belongs in the Young Adult section, it is not a thriller. It is a story of a daft young girl who apparently has a college degree but can't even handle a job as a receptionist. She has no self esteem and falls for an older guy who has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.There wasn't a single character in this book that was likeable. Somewhere along the line they actually spend a few minutes in a scary lighthouse.The ending is supposed to lead you to the next book in this series, I will not be reading it (it was FREE) because I don't care what happens to these people.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun, Mysterious, Humorous! An enjoyable read! February 2, 2012

By Aeicha @ Word Spelunking

Format:Kindle Edition

A fun and entertaining book, Darkhouse by Karina Halle offers less thrills than I was hoping for, but does provide readers with an intriguing and often chuckle inducing story.

MY BRIEF SUMMARY
Twenty-two year old Perry Palomino, a college grad still living at home and working as a receptionist (a job she hates), is haunted by nightmares and plagued with a bad case of "I Have No Idea Where My Life Is Headed". On a weekend trip to her uncle's beachside home she stumbles upon a mystery in a boarded up lighthouse and literally stumbles into Dex, a man with mysteries of his own. After their shared spooky experience in the haunted lighthouse, the two pair up once again to film a pilot episode of a ghost hunter like web show, with Dex as the cameraman and Perry as the host. Perry soon finds herself in the middle of her nightmares and must confront her less than ordinary past, all while trying desperately not to fall for Dex who is ten years her senior and has a beautiful babe of a girlfriend.

STORY
I'm a huge fan of all things spooky and supernatural, so I jumped at the chance to review Darkhouse, and although it's more mysterious than truly scary, I found it to be an enjoyable read. The overall plot in this book- a haunted location investigated by novice ghost hunters, both of whom have their own connection to the supernatural- is, of course, nothing new, but Halle infuses this idea with her own sarcastic brand of humor and an addicting "will they, won't they" flirtation.

Overall, the story paces nicely, although there are a few places where it moves a bit too slow for its genre. The writing is solid; the dialogue is especially well written and sounds natural, although Halle does have a habit of using choppy sentences.... The first person narration, with Perry as the narrator, works really well and places readers right in the middle of all the action, creating an exciting and absorbing sense of immediacy.

I enjoyed the mysterious quality surrounding both Perry and Dex's pasts and their connection with one another, but I found myself disappointed in the actual supernatural story and elements. Simply put, I went into this book hoping to be scared silly and be kept up at night with the lights on...but that just didn't really happen. There are a few genuinely spooky parts, but overall the scary factor isn't very high. There also just isn't enough of the actual ghost hunting/filming stuff. The climatic ghost spelunking encounter in the lighthouse is exciting and spine-tingling; I just wish it was longer.

One of the things I really like in this book is the humor. The humor is less silly and more sarcastic and acerbic, which fits the characters perfectly. One of the things I'm conflicted about is the heavy amount of pop cultural references throughout the book. On the one hand, these references, to things such as Facebook or specific musicians and movies, make the book feel current and relatable. Yet, on the other hand, these types of references will only be current for so long, and not all readers will "get" them. One of things that I definitely do not like is the overuse of a certain word and this is, of course, very much a personal issue. Now, I always try to remember that when a character uses an offensive word it's because it's a part of that character's personality, but in this case several of the characters use the word "tard" or "retardedly" in a negative, insulting way, which, honestly, just bugged me...again, this is just a personal thing.

The ending nicely sets up future books in the series, while giving this first installment a satisfying conclusion.

CHARACTERS
The main character, Perry Palomino, is a compelling and relatable character. She's witty, believable, and a little weird, but endearingly so. I think her reactions to the situations she's put in are realistic, yet amusing. I do think, however, that Perry's non-conformist, alternative, hipster-ish persona is a little in your face at times.

Dex is a complicated character to like, simply because for every thing we learn about him, a new secret is added. He's got the whole sexy, mysterious enigma thing going for him...but at times his creepy level is a little high.

Ada, Perry's fifteen year old sister is a lot of fun with her teenage dramatics and snark. All in all, Halle offers an eclectic assortment of well-developed characters.

ROMANCE
The romance is more of a flirtation in this first book, and less of a full blown romance. But the flirtation is super fun and captivating. Halle creates a definite spark between Dex and Perry that feels both hot and dangerous, an awesomely enticing combination. I am super excited to see where this flirtation will go.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Karina Halle's Darkhouse is an entertaining read that may not blow your mind but will have you easily caught up in its mysteries and alluring flirtation. I look forward to continuing with the Experiment in Terror Series. Read more ›

More About the Author

The daughter of a Norwegian Viking and a Finnish Moomin, Karina Halle grew up in Vancouver, Canada with trolls and eternal darkness on the brain. This soon turned into a love of all things that go bump in the night and a rather sadistic appreciation for freaking people out. Like many of the flawed characters she writes, Karina never knew where to find herself and has dabbled in acting, make-up artistry, film production, screenwriting, photography, travel writing and music journalism. She eventually found herself in the pages of the very novels she wrote (if only she had looked there to begin with).

Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently splits her time between her apartment in downtown Vancouver and her sailboat, where a book and a bottle of wine are always at hand.

Darkhouse is her first novel and the first one in the Experiment in Terror Series. Things only get better from here on in.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#37 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror

#41 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Suspense

#49 in Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense

#37 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror

#41 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Romance > Suspense

#49 in Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense