Echoes of Ballard House by E. Denise Billups - Book Review - Blog Tour

Series: Simone Doucet #3 (Standalone) 

Genre: Paranormal Suspense

Publication Date: 07th Nov 2023

Purchase link: https://mybook.to/echoesballardhouse

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/201772827-echoes-of-ballard-house 

Print length: 280 pages

Age range: This is an adult book, but would be suitable for mature teens aged 16+

3.5 Stars 

One Liner: Intriguing

About Echoes of Ballard House

Hidden secrets. Unearthed truths. Simone Doucet returns to uncover the sinister truth behind a series of murders within an opulent mansion in the heart of New Orleans’ Garden District.

Yearning to escape the confines of her New York City brownstone, Simone jumps at the opportunity to house-sit a gorgeous Queen Anne Victorian home in her cherished New Orleans Garden District. Upon her arrival, the walls whisper ancient voices, the owner’s parrot mimics an eerie nightly tune, and elusive footsteps echo through the floorboards. Simone quickly discovers she is not alone in this majestic house.

Tackling the afterlife alone, Simone becomes entangled in the stories of three tormented souls caught in a web of greed, hatred, and infidelity. Their deadly secrets converge in a bone-chilling tale of murder. Yet, within the grandeur of Ballard House, Simone is far from alone.

The peril she faces extends beyond the spectral world, and she will soon confront evil from both the living and the dead. What dark secret lies hidden within the walls of Ballard House?

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My Review

The story comes in the first-person POV of Colin (prologue), Jensen, Simone, Corinne, Rebecca, Joseph, and Gisele, and a third-person POV of the ghosts. (Yeah, that’s a lot, but except for Jensen and Simone, others get only a chapter each) 

The book is the third in the series but works as a standalone. I haven’t read the previous two books and could understand the plot without any difficulty. However, I can see that it would work better for readers following the series since there’s a prominent thread that continues from book two. 

Despite so many first-person POVs, we don’t find it confusing due to the chapter titles, which may reveal mild spoilers but are essential. However, I wish only Simone’s POV was in the first-person, and the others were in the limited third-person. That’s because this series belongs to Simone and should prioritize her. (It doesn’t help that we get two different POVs before she makes an entry). 

The snippets with ghosts’ voices (POV) were a great addition and added another layer to the suspense and tension. 

For a paranormal suspense mystery that borders on horror, the setting has to come alive on the pages. The book scores high in this aspect. The ghosts, the sounds, the violence, and everything related to the Ballard House is wonderful. I love the creepy and chilly vibes it gives. 

The pacing is slow, very much so (took me 3 days to read a 280-page book). However, I wasn’t bored at any point. 

Simone starts great. Though I didn’t know her character, I could empathize with her reluctance to use her ‘gifts’ to talk to the dead. However, as the story progressed, I was torn about her actions. Her instincts are spot on, which makes her repeated dismissal of them strange. It seemed more like a way to extend the reveal (there are better ways of doing this without affecting character development). 

Can’t speak for others, but if I were to live alone in a huge mansion with ghosts and suspect more than the other-worldly presence (which needs to be figured out for my safety), I wouldn’t touch a drop of alcohol. Things can get dangerous even otherwise, why add muddle-headedness to the mix? 

The present timeline is set during covid (2020) and has many references to it. It is not a trigger for me, but it can upset some readers (check other TWs). 

The climax and ending felt a little underwhelming despite the seriousness of the situation. I think this is more due to my expectations (I hoped the MC would have an active role throughout). No issues with the reveal or conclusion since everything aligns with the foreshadowing and other details provided. I just wasn’t wowed by it. 

To summarize, Echoes of Ballard House is an intriguing suspense read with a strong gothic touch and a spooky setting. 

My thanks to the author and Coffee and Thorn for the digital ARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

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Trigger Warnings: Murders (gore, on-page), historic racism, Covid, assault, weapon violence (axe, knife), incest, child death 

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About the Author - E. Denise Billups

E. Denise Billups was born in Monroeville, Alabama, and raised in New York City, where she currently resides. She’s a former Financial Analyst turned writer. A multi-genre fiction author, she’s published six novels and several supernatural short stories. A skilled artist, she trained as a dancer (ballet, modern, and jazz dance) in her younger years and dabbled in writing, which she would not pursue until much later.

As an avid reader of many genres, she was greatly influenced by magical realism, mystery, suspense, and supernatural novels. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s running miles in the park, finding her inner calm with yoga, experimenting with vegan dishes, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Follow Her: 

• Website: https://edenisebillups.com/ 

• Next Chapter Publishing: https://www.nextchapter.pub 

• Facebook: @E. Denise Billups

• Twitter: @DeniseBillups

• Goodreads: @E. Denise Billups

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e.denisebillups/ 

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This has been a pitstop on the blog tour by Coffee and Thorn (Instagram). Thank you for stopping by!