The House on Orchid Street

by T.M. Wright

Book Overview

Advertised for sale as a country charmer, the white bungalow is no ordinary house. Within it lurks a horror few can imagine. Katherine Nichols thinks the house is perfect for her and looks forward to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0843950900
• ISBN13: 9780843950908
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Leisure Books
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

My review (the short version)

In his novel The House On Orchid Street, Wright once again skillfully weaves settings and characters that lend to his unique sense of the surreal. At the end of each chapter readers may find themselves shaking their heads slightly, blinking once or twice, then eagerly attacking the next page. The novel's main character, Karen, finds herself the proud owner of a house previously located on Orchid Street half a century earlier. After a series of haunting murders, a fire destroys most of the homes on Orchid Street. The last remaining house is relocated to the countryside where she purchases it as part of her plan to gain independence in her life. Shortly after Karen moves in, the house's reputation for strangeness becomes apparent. In the midst of unfolding the mystery behind her brother's death and strengthening her resolve to become her own woman, Karen encounters forces that have lingered since the house's days on Orchid Street. Wright doesn't easily divulge the answers to all of our questions. That's part of the fun and intrigue of this novel. We get a strong sense of who the characters in The House On Orchid Street are just through their actions and dialogue. By the end of the novel the reader gets the feeling Karen is at peace with what she has found. Exactly what does she find? That is left for us to intuit. But Wright gives us just enough of a glimpse and incentive to make the discovery process compelling.

A master of subtle chills

T.M. Wright has been a favorite author of mine for years. When a new T.M. Wright book hits the stands I know I'm in for a chilling, haunting good time. House on Orchid Street has stayed with me since I read it earlier in the year: a fascinating and complex story of people haunted by ghosts and ghosts haunted by something even worse. The atmosphere, pacing, and character development all work wonderfully. Read it now, and don't stop here. Continue to enjoy the bizarre and beautiful worlds of T.M. Wright.

King of Stealth

Don't like subtle yet bizarre writing that sneaks up behind you and whispers "boo"? No? Well then, I'd advise that you stay away from T.M. Wright's books, because if it's a big, loud, bloody growl you're looking for, he ain't going there."The House on Orchid Street" not only whispers, it pants, hisses in your ear, makes you squirm, all without a single beheading, fork in the eye, or demonic baby clawing its way out of Mother. Wright's prose can be deceptively delicate, even pretty as hell sometimes, but make no mistake -- his intent is anything but pretty, and the creep-factor decidedly NOT delicate. And if you don't like to think too hard while reading, Wright most definitely isn't for you, perhaps just as Annie Proulx or Ramsey Campbell isn't to your taste, but if you do enjoy a story that allows you to come to your own conclusion, a story that satisfies nonetheless, then give this one a try.Oh, and he's funny, too. Rare that an author can make me smile or laugh out loud with one paragraph, make me nervous the next. T.M. Wright likes to catch his reader off guard, and he does that very well.Others here have recommended "Cold House," so I'll join the chorus. "Cold House" is Wright at his very best. Oh, my God, yes.

In A Class By Itself!

The House On Orchid Street is a psychological novel. Not confusing and boring, but a thing where a person's mental state has decayed and the paranormal is involved as well. It seems most the novels that I read lately are noteworthy, and this one is no exception. Its ending leaves the reader wondering, but yet knowing. Actually, it's almost like an exploded version of Virginia Wolfe's story, The Haunted House. Creepy, but not gory. Again, as in other works I've read lately, the publisher has done a poor job of proofreading. Again, no big deal. I found this novel to be a satisfying and mellow read.