MY REVIEW
I wanted to love Secrets That Gnaw At The Flesh by C J Weiss. The fantastic title drew me in and I love the eerie cover, but…
The story drew me in, a haunted house novel with a twist. We do have ghosts AND demons and that is different from the norm. We have plenty of characters, human, demon and ghostly. At times I found myself confused, trying to figure out who was who.
I was curious why Garrett would have to put his life on hold for a few months every so many years, if he chose to be a part of her life permanently. He’s going to Harvard and I don’t know how that would work. Would he give up his career?
Wheeling and dealing with a demon caught my attention. Would the demon hold up his end of the bargain, or was he luring them in, only to betray them?
Secrets That Gnaw At The Flesh by C J Weiss did have its Oh No moments, but, at times the pace was too slow to keep my attention and I found my mind wandering. It did pick up once the Breach approaches.
Of course, by the title, secrets will be exposed and I always enjoy that. 🙂 Possession. Ghosts. Demons. Lured me in and I couldn’t stop until I knew the end, but it didn’t work for me and I find it hard to recommend. But, don’t let that stop you from checking it out for yourself. Just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for you.
GOODREADS BLURB
A haunted house novel with a twist. The main characters are supernatural experts who know the ghosts going in, but more powerful forces than ghosts prowl the haunted house, and they’ve been biding their time.
Garrett Mueller proposes to his girlfriend, Marie Renault. She rejects him, distressing him until he learns why. Her family watches over a haunted house, where every several years a Breach opens to the world of the dead. Everyone related by blood or oath must return, or the Breach widens, endangering the family and world at large.
To marry Marie, he must also bind himself to that house.
The Renaults estimate a week until the Breach opens, offering Garrett a short trial period. Despite the risks, he will try it for the woman he loves. The Renaults are professionals when it comes to the supernatural, and they’ve always prevailed.
Only, as the week progresses, the family discovers this Breach is shaping up to be one of historically dangerous proportions. Risks mount higher as secrets leak out, threatening to divide the family. And even if Garrett changes his mind, it might be too late to leave.
Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh differs from other haunted house novels in three key ways:
1. The characters are supernatural experts who are equipped to “fight” the ghosts, but the house has its own tricks.
2. Strong personalities and backstories add a dimension interpersonal drama that will leave the reader unclear on who to trust.
3. Worldbuilding is closer to something you’d find in fantasy or sci-fi.
This novel is the second in the Virulent Nightmare Origins series and can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in any order.
Virulent Nightmare Origins
A Broken Clock Never Boils (2022)
Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh (2023)
TBD (2025)
TBD (2026)
- Genre: Demons, Fiction, Ghosts, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural
- 387 pages, Kindle Edition
- Published October 23, 2023
ABOUT C J WEISS
C.J. Weiss loves hiking, board/video games, traveling, and obviously reading (particularly speculative fiction and some history). Walking around the neighborhood with a podcast or audiobook playing is a daily occurrence. He enjoys exploring new ventures and the unknown, leading to a healthy respect for storytellers able to craft believable worlds.
That respect led to his diving into writing and publishing his debut novel, A Broken Clock Never Boils, in 2022. Feeling excited over where this journey might lead is an understatement. He’s thrilled to interact with his supporting readers along the way.
Finally, he’s as big a fan of peanut butter as it gets. Only the natural stuff – oil separation is normal!
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Darn. That cover sure lured me in as did the synopsis. Too bad this one didn’t work for you, Sherry.
Yeah, I loved the cover too and was drawn in because of it. Sometimes haunted house and ghostly stories don’t do it for me, so I try to be selective when choosing which ones I’ll read.