Barry's Lodge: A Haunting by Annie Walters

I am always honored when an author reaches out to me for a review. There's something even more special when they find me to share their amazing creations. I was equally honored to receive Barry's Lodge: A Haunting, by Annie Walters. Not just because it's location is across the pond, but because Halloween is around the corner.
But did Barry's Lodge set the mood for a chilling, good read...? 

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Here's the blurb to Barry's Lodge: A Haunting, by Annie Walters: 

​     Alfred, a washed-up author plagued by failures can’t believe his luck when his father-in-law, Frank provides him with a chance that he direly craved for:
     Seven days alone in an isolated Motel with the task of finishing his upcoming book!
     But little does he know about the Motel’s unsavory history. Hidden in the copse of trees and about 400 miles away from his home, it is a two-storey facade located in the dark forest of Skiddaw.With no WI-FI, poor signals and weird set of rules, the dark atmosphere soon turns his seemingly idyllic trip to a living nightmare. Apart from the usual creaks, groans and moans of the motel, he soon finds himself face to face with an entity. An urban legend that is lurking in the woods long before the motel found its existing foundations.
     The Motel’s dark and haunting history quickly becomes tangled with Alfred’s life as he frantically searches for answers. Barry, the caretaker is hiding something. But what is it? Is there someone else living in the motel besides him? Or is the caretaker not what he seemingly appears? 
     Alfred quickly begins to lose his tenuous grip on reality as he sinks further and further into an intricately designed game of deceit and lies that might put his life in danger! Or is he a threat to himself and everybody around him?

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First, the blurb is waaaaaay too long! Never give away a huge chunk of your tale. Okay- that's outta the way... 

Barry's Lodge: A Haunting is a chilling tale and makes for a fun, ghost story. Alfred does his best to deal and make his family proud, but there's so much going wrong and interfering. Walters does a bang up job as bringing some of the paranormal into reality and bringing tons of "Ooo's & Ahh's" from me, but there is a downside to this story. Had I been her Beta Reader, I'd have been able to assist in making this book 100% fabulous!

I mention the beta reading, because the book was difficult to read. It was filled, from beginning to end, with severe errors and editing. Words were missing, compound words were used that didn't flow correctly- I was shocked at how much work this book still needed. While on the shelf, should one of those austere critics get a a hold of it, they'd tear the book to shreds.

Should this book get cleaned up, it could be a fantastic seller. (Shame on this publishing group!) I wish the author nothing but the best, but I'm off to the next read- Cheers!

Barry's Lodge: A Haunting
Annie Walters
Black Raven Books
May 22, 2017