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 Wow! Let me catch my breath Mar 10, 2010
This book will rate amid the top of haunted house thrillers. The setting, nestled amoung a mountain in the south, sets up a tale of spine-tingling ghosts, Voodoo priestesses, excesses of the wealthy, tortured souls, and the brutality of slavery. Yes, there is a lot going on in this book.
This is not a high action book as you might expect by being part of the horror genre, but it is compelling by the great characterizations. You can't help but fall for the main character as she learns the secrets of this old mansion. I loved the writing style. It reminds me of Stephanie Myers' style, yet it kept me more involved than her books. The slow pace contrasts with the frantic ending that pulls all the pieces together with a few delighted surprises.
Buy this book and give yourself a long stretch to read. You'll be glad you did, and you'll find yourself back here writing a five star review.
A story that will not let go. Dec 21, 2009
My review of Flint House, Jeffrey B. Allen, Author of GoneAway Into the Land
I met Nancetta Liles at a book convention. She was kind enough to exchange books with me as I gave her my book, GoneAway Into the Land, and she gave me her book, Flint House. With everything that was going on in my life at the time, I didn't begin to read Flint House until I knew I could devote the time to be able to continue reading without long periods between sittings. I lose momentum with a story if that sort of interruption is forced upon me. All I can say is this; I wish I would have plowed right into it the minute I got home from the book convention. There would not have been any interruption. I would have ignored everything pulling at me just so I could stay with the story that engrossed me from the first page.
It was a strange feeling I had when I opened the book for the first time. In fact, I am getting that feeling right now as I write my review. There are sprits, ghosts, or souls in a state of limbo surrounding me. I feel slightly scared . . . but not too. I know it sounds bazaar, but, the truth is, that is how I felt when I looked at the front and back covers, and even more so as I began to read the pages between.
I started reading with a tepid fascination as I was being introduced to the main character, Rhian Montrose. She was a single woman. I imagined her relatively attractive yet steeped in her unwavering need to help others. Unfortunately, she had gotten too emotionally involved with the running of a center for abused women. One day she found herself embroiled in a premeditated plot perpetrated by a disturbed woman who eventually was convicted of murdering her husband. Rhian Montrose stood up for the woman, believing her story of self defense. During the investigation, the woman was found-out to be lying and soon after accused of first degree murder. Rhian was chastised in the media, her reputation and credibility ruined. The incident not only heaped an understandable amount of stress and psychological trauma upon her but it caused a faltering of Rhian's confidence and an admonishing of her ability to continue her humanitarian work at the center. She foundered for a while until she was offered a job as care-giver for a catatonic woman living in a large home to the south. The offer was a chance to start a new life, and the job fit perfectly with her natural desire to nurture. She accepted the position, and soon moved to the mansion named Flint House. Upon arrival, she met the caretakers and the staff. We also were slowly introduced to the house along with its sordid history, and of course we met Gloria, the woman Rhian was charged to care for by the wealthy owners of Flint House. We became acutely aware of Gloria, the woman who stared into space devoid of emotion, incapable of even the slightest movement and in need of constant care. Her presence throughout the book drew suspicion that built up the suspense as much as the strange happenings that became more frequent as Rhian was being pulled further and further into the darkened life of the house and its mysterious past.
What amazed me about Nancetta Liles' writing was the peaceful flow of the story and the ease of conversation among the characters, even among some who were imagined or thought to be spirits. We were led into a story where it was absolutely imperative to keep reading, to find out what horror caused Gloria to descend deep inside herself, and what horrid history had melted into the walls of the house to make it such an unsettled place. There were times I felt like shouting at Rhian Montrose, telling her, in no uncertain terms, "Get the heck away from that house!" But at the same time, I wanted her to stay right where she was so I could find out more of what was unraveling among the restless souls. I wanted to discover what outrage would cause the angry spirits who co-inhabited the mansion with Rhian to remain trapped in a state of unresolved flux.
The writing is superb. The conversation is masterfully done, and the depiction of Rhian's visit to New Orleans and the much misunderstood and often commercialized and maligned rituals of the native religion to be found in that region were chilling yet appropriate for the story.
I was not surprised by the ending because the story never depends on shock value, although it is a ghost story. The plot wraps itself around you and moves you along to a logical conclusion that leaves you with a sense of closure, but also an ominous feeling that it is not over for Rhian - and it may be just the beginning for us. Look out of the corner of your eye at that shadow that appeared and then was instantly gone. Boo.
The only thing that did not have as much of an impact on me, which, by the short synopsis on the cover, should have been the historical significance of the brutality of slavery. I became more engrossed with the general malaise and horrors perpetrated on human beings. Therefore, I did not relate as much as may have been intended to the historical aspect of the plight of the victims whose fate eventually unravels making their anger absolutely justifiable.
Flint House is a wonderful story. Our time gone by is a commodity we will never regain. So, picking a book to read is important. You not only want to be swept into the story so your mind can be entertained, but you also want to be challenged, to analyze and to project and to feel what the characters in the story are feeling. When finished, you want your time to have been well spent. You want that experience to always be with you just as if it was a vacation or an event in your life that lives in your memory forever. I don't know about you, but I remember many of the books I have read. I remember them for a long time. As time passes, the essence of those stories stays with me. Flint House is just such a story. Read this one. It will be time well spent.
Gone Away Into The Land
 Almost Spooky Oct 20, 2009
I loved the premise of this book - scary old house in the lonely mountains, ancient voodoo curse. Perfect for my vacation on a foggy beach in Northern California. I just wish it had been as good as I wanted it to be! While I did enjoy Flint House, I wish Nancetta Liles had spent a lot more time on the ghost story and less time on the day-to-day activities of her main character. We spend so much time getting to know new friends and having holiday get-togethers that we don't even get more than a glimpse of the ghost story until 2/3 of the way through the book. The houses' secret, when we finally get to it, is interesting (albeit a little complex) - I wanted to read that story! And the characters were likable, but the dialogue is one long game-plan, with every conversation consisting of: "I'll go do this while you do that, and we'll meet here and do this." Flint House had a lot of potential, but never quite turned into the story it could have been.
 Disappointing, almost painful read Sep 12, 2009
I hate to come across as a voice of cruelty here, but this novel is a mix of tepid descriptions, amaturish prose, and weak tedious dialogue. (For example, the author avoids contractions, which are almost a requirement for modern dialogue. "It is" and "I am" start to grate on you like a 'Dick and Jane' book after a while). I've tried again and again to immerse myself in this book, and each time I find myself wincing at pages of superfluous--or worse--corny exchanges. There's something to be said for 'economy of verse', particularly where the supernatural is concerned. There's simply not enough going on per chapter to justify the books length. Save your money. If you want quality supernatural fiction, try something like F. G. Cottam's The House of Lost Souls. It's much shorter, but so much more satisfying.
Close to Home Mar 21, 2009
Both setting of the book and author are in my backyard. Read the book for this reason and it really was a page-turner. It does help open you up to what can really happen to souls that might not have moved on to the other side and why. I am really looking forward to reading future books from this author.
Mary Weller (Etowah, NC)
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