Darkhouse by Karina Halle

Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror, #1)

by Karina Halle

Perry Palomino is not what you would call 'ordinary'. For one thing, there's her past which she likes to pretend never happened, and then there's the fact that she sees ghosts. Luckily for her, that all comes in handy when she stumbles across Dex Foray, an eccentric producer for an upcoming web cast on ghost hunters. Even though the show's budget is non-existent and Dex himself is a maddening enigma, Perry is instantly drawn into a world that both threatens her life and seduces her with a sense of importance. Her uncle's haunted lighthouse provides the perfect catalyst and back drop for a horrific mystery that unravels the threads of Perry's fragile sanity and causes her to fall for a man, who, like the most dangerous of ghosts, may not be all that he seems.

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

3 of 5 stars

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Caffeinated Aspects:

  • I love the premise of seeing ghosts, nasty entities and paranormal ghost hunters. The concept and idea of where this series is headed certainly have me excited. Kale is a clever storyteller and weaves a tale that no matter how awkward pulls you in.


  • Blogging! Perry's younger sister is a fashion blogger with a huge following. When she gets sick, Perry fills in and shares her Lighthouse experience. It was fantastic and I enjoyed seeing Perry put all of her skills to work.


  • Perry is awkward and at that place in life between college and a successful career. She is still living at home, has no social life and hasn't left the chubby girl of her teens completely behind.


  • Dex Foray is sexy, mysterious and a complete opportunist. His air of mystery drew me in even if I was unsure.


  • Both characters have an interesting past and Kale slowly reveals things adding interest and depth.


  • There are some downright creeptastic moments that will have you holding your breath as they send shivers down your spine. I loved the attention to detail and build up to each climatic scene. Kale did a fantastic job of creeping me out with her descriptions. Like the old lady. OMG.


  • Jo Raylan did a good job of capturing Perry and listening was enjoyable.



Decaffeinated Aspects:

  • X-file, Winchesters..nope. Just no. Maybe as the series progresses, but in DARKHOUSE I didn't feel the character connection of Mulder and Scully. The Winchesters they are not. So dismiss these notions going into the tale.


  • I liked Perry and I didn't. I prefer confident women, and Perry was indecisive. I wanted more from her. She does have potential and I look forward to seeing growth.  Dex, on the other hand, unnerved me. What is his game? Is he a good guy or a snake charmer?


  • Unlike the Winchesters, these amateur ghost hunters lacked the proper equipment one would expect when visited a haunted site. I didn't expect them to have all sorts of high tech gadgets as they aren't funded but adequate lighting, first aid kit, and a plan would have been nice. A little research would have been nice too.


  • The pacing of the story wasn't consistent. In fact, its slow beginnings almost had me setting it aside.


  • With more descriptions and a little development, the entity could have been terrifying.



Audio provided by the publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 3 May, 2017: Finished reading
  • 3 May, 2017: Reviewed