Book Review: Liberty Key
By Elizabeth Suggs
The Liberty Key by author Michael R Goodwin is about when a house meets a person. This isn’t so much a paranormal story as the house is the living thing.
The story starts when Spencer Crosley is searching for a house after dealing with the death of his wife and child. When he finds The Liberty House, it’s much too big for him, but he loves it.
One of my favorite lines right at the beginning of the story is I thought I picked the house... instead I had been picked. Right off the bat, you know this isn’t just any old haunted house story. This is different while still giving that same unsettling feeling as any other good ghost story could give you.
What I really love about this story is while it does deal with horrific and scary elements, it also is about Spencer’s handle on his life, his new friends, and finding new love. It’s because of this that makes me want to go back and read it again. You feel for the character, you deal with his love and loss, and then we rely on a house that may not be as wonderful as it seems, but is it truly evil? Even after everything that has happened?
Another notable line: All at once, the buzzing sound I have been hearing stopped. In fact, the whole house was so quiet, as if there had been a constant murmur ever since I moved in that I hadn’t noticed at all, and it had finally been silent. The sudden silence was deafening.
You’ll be flipping through the pages, solving the mystery along with the character. And waiting for the next awesome line. Goodwin is a master at one-liners. From, The house was dark, but the bloodstains were darker, to Jennifer said you’re not in here alone anymore, you’re sure to find something that knocks your socks off!
The house is in allegory to not being selfish: that whatever happens will have an opposite reaction because in life there will be always positive and negative reactions.
If you’re looking for a good horror story with well-thought plot and characters, then this is your story. I can’t recommend it enough!
Elizabeth Suggs is the owner and founder of Editing Mee. When she’s not writing or editing, she loves to dive deep into books (the weirder, the better!), and she loves to take random long walks to unplanned destinations. Check out her recently released book Collective Darkness with eleven other authors. Buy your copy here: www.CollectiveDarkness.com