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: #1,226 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #6 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Teens > Horror

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 54 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!

26 of 31 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.

25 of 31 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.

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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#30 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror

#30 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Horror