Thirty-something Colquitt and Walter Kennedy live in a charming, peaceful suburb of newly bustling Atlanta, Georgia. Life is made up of enjoyable work, long, lazy weekends, and the company of good neighbors. Then, to their shock, construction starts on the vacant lot next door, a wooded hillside they’d believed would always remain undeveloped. Disappointed by their diminished privacy, Colquitt and Walter soon realize something more is wrong with the house next door. Surely the house can’t be haunted, yet it seems to destroy the goodness of every person who comes to live in it, until the entire heart of this friendly neighborhood threatens to be torn apart.
Let me start by saying I absolutely LOVED this book. I stumbled upon it while obsessively scouring the interwebs for haunted house fiction, you know like one does around Halloween. This gem of a book was written in 1978 and is now one of my top 10 favorite books. But, before you run right out and find a copy of this to read, just know I’m an odd bird and this book isn’t for everyone.
My favorite things about this book besides the obvious scary bits was all the cocktail time Colquitt, Walter and their friends enjoyed! There weren’t cell phones, computers or a bazillion channels to watch so everyone did something almost foreign to us today – they got together and enjoyed each other’s company!! At the start of the book Colquitt invites a neighbor lady over for a pitcher of Bull Shots. Having never heard of this particular drink I immediately googled it and found out that like this book it might not be for everyone, but I plan to bring it back! I could go on and on about all the wonderful cocktails in this story but I should probably include a food one as well. After an abnormal cold spurt hits the south Coquitt makes Split Pea Soup for them both and then curls up on the couch with Walter in the den for a lazy, cozy day. How amazing does that sound?
If you do find a copy of The House Next Door please drop me a line and let me know what you thought.
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