I received this book for free from the publisher (egalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Residence by Andrew Pyper Also by this author: The Damned, The Only Child
Published by Simon and Schuster on September 1st 2020
Genres: Fiction, General, Historical, Horror, Literary, Occult & Supernatural, Thrillers
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher (egalley)
Goodreads
Tragedy strikes President-elect Pierce and his wife before they assume residency in the White House. The train they are riding in to Washington, DC derails; the only casualty is Pierce's son, Bennie. This isn't their first loss, so the devastation sends First Lady Jane Pierce into mourning, leaving Franklin to start off his presidency under a shroud of grief.
Upon moving into the White House, their grief seems to awaken spirits residing in the presidential home. Jane Pierce has been fascinated with the supernatural since she was a young girl, and she's certain the activity she's witnessed is Bennie, trying to communicate with her from the beyond. Her grief leads to desperation, removing the barrier between this world and the beyond.
I knew I had to read this book the moment I read the synopsis. I’m no stranger to Pyper’s work and I impatiently awaiting the opportunity to experience his take on this factual part of American history.
Guests of the White House have commented on strange occurrences. First Ladies Mary Todd Lincoln and Jane Pierce were known to have seances in the White House, both desperate to communicate with their deceased sons. Pyper references letters Jane Pierce wrote to her deceased son; they were genuine and still exist.
That all of these instances are factual add to the chilling and foreboding setting. Pyper, of course, fictionalized other aspects of the story, but that didn’t detract at all from the storyline. Having been familiar with the activities of the former First Ladies, this new spin on things really added to my reading experience.
My only qualm was that Pyper teases the reader with the actual horrors that took place in building the White House. The phrase “the White House was built on the backs of slaves” is quite accurate, and one I feel Pyper could have expanded upon a bit. Horror has long been known as a vehicle for putting voice the issues that haunt our society, so this was an opportunity missed.
All this said, this wasn’t the first and won’t be the last horror novel I read from Andrew Pyper. He’s a truly talented writer, exceptionally capable at chilling me to the bone (and that’s difficult to achieve!). Highly recommended.
