The Haunting of Beacon Hill

The Beckoning Dead, Book 1

By: Ambrose Ibsen

Narrated by: Melissa Moran

Sadie has a gift. And she'll do anything to keep from using it.

At 16, Sadie Young had a brush with death, and as a result she became more sensitive to the supernatural. Rather than embrace this gift, she spent years running from it, and from the darkness that once preyed upon her.

Now 25 and working as a librarian, Sadie is called upon by a desperate family friend to look into a strange series of events. A teenaged girl has entered a reputedly haunted house in town and has gone mad. Committed, the girl attempts suicide and claims to be terrorized at all hours by a horrific specter known as "Mother Maggot".

Despite having subdued her gift for the past nine years, Sadie wishes to assist the girl and reticently agrees to visit the site of the haunting. But upon entering the house on Beacon Hill, she discovers that Mother Maggot isn't merely a figment of a disturbed teen's imagination....

©2019 Ambrose Ibsen (P)2019 Tantor

Liberry

Unless she’s working with a lisp, the narrator needs to go. She can’t pronounce library, her characters voices are poor, and her “t’s“ are too strong while her “s’s“ are too soft. Even her “o’s” are nasally. Her reading detracts from the story.

Mispronunciation

The story was intriguing, though the defeat of Mother Maggot was a little anticlimactic, but did leave a sense of impending dread for the sequel to come. What bothered me the most and almost made me return this title is the narrator’s mispronunciation of the word Library. The main characters apparently work at a liberry and are liberrians. Did no one listen before they released the audio?!

Interesting story

I was already a fan of Ibsen, but this was not his best work. However, I did find the story interesting enough to want to continue with the series. I found myself struggling to like Sadie as a character. She was always scared, very weak. Granted, scary things were happening to her, but I found her spinelessness to be too much. Also, I feel like she took August's help for granted. She just rubs me the wrong way, it's unfortunate the series is based around her. Would love a stronger female lead next time. I agree with the criticism of the narrator as well. Aside from the "liberry" problem, the narrator frustratingly emphasized the wrong syllable of certain words, which was distracting and took me out of the story. Again, I know this author is capable of stronger stories, so I will continue to read (and listen to) his work.

Great Spooky Story

Spooky story I thoroughly enjoyed and feel anyone will enjoy regardless of age. The narrator did a great job reading and the story kept me engaged while I sit here sewing away. :)

Good narration but secondary character is annoying

The main character is good, but the secondary character, written as a best friend of sorts, is horrible to the protagonist. Not listening to her concerns, pressuring her, acting arrogant, and putting her in repeated danger. Yet he is written in as if he is the good guy. It's just cringy and annoying.