Written by In Gregory’s End, author Kat Burnham delivers a gripping, emotionally resonant novel that blends psychological horror with deeply human themes of love, loss, and resilience. It’s a story that opens with the hope of renewal—and slowly descends into a chilling confrontation with a past that refuses to stay buried.
Lauren, a longtime administrative worker, is abruptly let go from her job in San Francisco. Already grappling with financial strain and rising violence in their East Bay neighborhood, she and her wife Emma, along with their two children, Kelsey and Kamden, make a desperate choice: abandon city life for a mysterious Victorian estate in rural Chandlerville.
They call it Gregory’s End—and it’s far more than just old.
What starts as a chance at renewal quickly unravels. The property—75 acres, a crumbling mansion, and a warehouse steeped in mystery—comes with a price far beyond dollars. From the moment they arrive, strange occurrences begin to haunt their days and nights—whispered voices, eerie visions, unsettling discoveries in the walls and garden. It becomes clear this home isn’t just haunted by spirits, but by a violent past—echoes of suffering in its hidden warehouse and blood-soaked legacy.
Yet Gregory’s End is far more than a haunted house tale. Burnham resists horror clichés and opts instead for a slow-burning, emotionally charged narrative. The family’s journey—through infertility, adoption, foreclosure, and grief—is painted with raw authenticity. Their pain feels real. Lived-in. One line in particular captures this poignantly: “We had a history of trying diligently to mend things that were broken.”
That’s the novel’s quiet genius—the house mirrors the family. Weathered. Wounded. In need of care. And as they work to restore it, they must also face the fractured parts of themselves they’ve tried to outrun.
Lauren’s narrative voice is compelling, sharp, exhausted, wry, and vulnerable. Emma, her artistic partner, provides light in the gloom. Kamden, a thoughtful Korean adoptee, and Kelsey, a bold violinist, add emotional dimension and cultural texture. Their presence keeps the narrative grounded, even as the paranormal edges closer.
Burnham’s prose is rich and immersive. She renders Gregory’s End not as a setting, but a brooding character—watchful, mysterious, unforgettable. Through small, eerie details—a daisy motif with thirteen petals, a locked secretary desk, a fleeting figure in the orchard—suspense blooms slowly and inexorably. Even the silence hums with tension.
Underneath the surface lies something deeper. The story engages with weighty historical themes: indigenous displacement, colonial legacy, paganism, class disparity, and inherited trauma. These threads add substance, elevating the novel from thriller to literary gothic fiction.
As Lauren delves further into the estate’s buried history, the lines between past and present begin to blur. The house remembers—and Lauren must decide whether to confront its darkness or be consumed by it.
Kat Burnham, known for her emotionally intelligent storytelling and genre-defying style, offers something rare in modern horror: a novel with teeth and a heart. Gregory’s End explores the ghosts we inherit, the ones we marry, the ones we raise, and ultimately—the ones we become.
Gregory’s End lingers. It whispers. It aches. And above all, it stays with you.
Written by 
Written by