Audrey's Door

Audrey is an architect who, due to needing some distance from her boyfriend, finds a shockingly affordable apartment in a very unique building - called The Breviary, it is the only one of its type left, a design style called Chaotic Naturalism, in which chaos reigned - no pattern was allowed to develop and any that started was roughly destroyed. This building was the only one that didn't end up crumbling under its own design. Audrey falls in love with the high ceilings and large spaces of the apartment, but almost as soon as she moves in she starts to become uneasy - her neighbors are all very eccentric - creepy, even. She starts to have strange experiences, waking up to find she has been active - apparently in her sleep - building a door out of the cardboard boxes she used to move in. When she researches prior residents of her apartment, she discovers grisly truths that she wishes she had let lie. And then she uncovers a truth that is even more shocking, discovering a truly horrific act in this place she is now calling home, one which is exerting a strange power over her, one that she can't seem to resist ... Told through both Audrey's POV and through letters and newspaper clippings from various points in The Breviary's history, this story gives us bits and pieces, hints and allegations, until we learn the shocking truth with Audrey. I had a really hard time putting this book down to sleep and ended up reading it all in one day. I definitely recommend this to those who enjoy the macabre, the spooky, the psychological suspense and horror buffs. It's a great piece of fiction.

This is a good old fashioned haunted house story. Audrey is a woman with problems. She's coming from a bad and a sad past. She finally finds a man she can love and instead of accepting his proposal, she turns him down, she's not sure why. She wants a change, she's looking for a place to live, New York is expensive, don'tcha know. Then she sees an ad for a room in the Breviary. Audrey is an architect and this building is an architect's dream. All the other buildings built in this style have come down, it's a miracle, she thinks, that this one is still standing. And the rent, so cheep. But the neighbors, save one, are old and creepy, but the neighbors are not the only tenants in this building. After the first couple frights I might have moved, but Audrey sticks it out. Will she be scared plenty? You betcha. I got quite a few frights out of this story too. If you like early Stephen King and Dean Koontz or if you were a fan of the Late Richard Laymon's, you'll like this book. Read this one when you're all alone on a dark night. Brrr.

This novel is a great thriller that leaves the reader wandering what those sounds and shadows are in the dark. I'll admit that it gave me nightmares one night. Throughout the story the reader learns more about the narrator's history while wondering if she's about to follow the same path as her mother. While there was plenty of mystery and revelations, I did figure out one major plot point, but even so, that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the novel as it remains a well-written page-turner.

Audrey's Door is a disturbing read on many levels. First of all, about five pages in, I knew I didn't want to read this book and in fact, I kept putting it down and walking away. There are scenes that made me cringe and want to run screaming, a true sign the author has made a valid emotional hit. But, despite not wanting to pick this book up again, I couldn't stay away. I was compelled to read 'just a bit more' each time, and finally, last evening, I caved and finished an entire six chapters, with a strong desire to get to the end and find out what happened and to whom. As far as telling a psychotic tale is concerned, Sarah Langan does a credible job. Her plotting is elegantly knit together in a bizarre tale of one woman's horrible psychosis, her boyfriends slightly off-balance mind set and a hotel full of strange people and even stranger things going on. I have to give this book five stars, despite my personal distaste for the sometimes gory and often very spooky content, because it simply would not let me NOT read it. Almost a paranormal experience in itself. Lovers of extraordinary stories of the unknown, don't hesitate! This will be a winner for you. Perhaps Ms. Langan's next book will do it for me. I know excellence in the craft when I read it, even when I am not thrilled by the content, and fully expect to read her next offering. Any book that forces me to read it is a success in my estimation. Wonder if it casts a spell? Hmmm, something to think about on cold, dark nights when the wind howls and something knocks in the walls. Highly Recommended Diane Davis White, Author, Moon of the Falling Leaves

Audrey's Door is an absolutely first rate novel of suspense and horror. It is so thrilling to discover a new favorite! I've always enjoyed writers like King and Straub, and thought that someone as good just wouldn't come along in my lifetime. This author may prove to be worthy of joining the list of excellent horror writers. Not since I first read Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House have I succumbed so totally to the mood of this genre. The storyline? A young woman with a sad past and bright future finds a surprisingly low cost rental in Manhattan -- a beautiful building (and she is an architect) with an interesting history, a huge apartment with cathedral ceilings, stained glass windows, 50-foot hall way, and all for just $999 a month! What a steal! But wait! It seems that terrible things may have happened in that apartment rather recently, and in the building throughout its history. I guess that is a typical opening to many books of this genre -- but, trust me, in the hands of this artist, there are some interesting twists and turns in the story, and all the characters are drawn beautifully -- really filled in so that each one is a fully realized person in the story. I loved the main characters, with all their flaws -- Audrey, with her obsessive compulsive disorder and shame about her personal history, her wonderful boyfriend of India Indian heritage, her crazy mother, her boss... all of these are just great characters. I hope this book gets all the attention it deserves! I plan to take a weekend in the near future and read all of this author's books!