This is a novella, around three hours on audio, so it was an evening read. The story follows a group of friends as they prepare for a wedding. The group used to ghost hunt, so it makes complete sense that two of them, Nadia and Faiz, would want to elope at a haunted house. Their friend Phillip, for whom money is not an option, finds an abandoned Japanese manor that is supposed to be haunted by a bride. The ghost bride’s groom was killed on the way to the wedding, the story says, so she decided to have herself buried (alive? I guess?) at the site of the wedding so she can wait for him to show up. The story goes the others have since joined her in the foundations and walls of the manor. As far as places to get married go, this makes sense to me. If this is what you’re into, why not? Faiz, Phillip, and Nadia are joined by Faiz’s best friend Cat (who has recently been hospitalized for depression), and Lin. There is tension in the friend group that comes out as the story unfolds, petty jealousies and the like. To get the party started, they tell ghost stories as they wander the house, which seems to expand in ways that defy logic. There is possession, loss, mayhem, and sadness. It is horror, after all.

This was a fine novella. It was a quick evening read that didn’t ask too much of me. It didn’t have a ton of gore or surprises, but the atmosphere was right. So, give it a go if that sounds interesting to you. If you want something more detailed, scarier, or innovative, give this one a pass.