The Toll House
- Downloads：8616
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-12-25 09:52:21
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Carly Reagon
- ISBN：1408726440
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
The past isn't always dead and buried 。 。 。
A house with history。 That's how the estate agent described the old toll house on the edge of the town。 For Kelda it's the perfect rural home for her young son Dylan after a difficult few years。
But when Kelda finds a death mask concealed behind one of the walls， everything changes。 Inexplicable things happen in the house， Kelda cannot shake the feeling of being watched and Dylan is plagued by nightmares， convinced he can see figures in his room。 As Dylan's behaviour becomes increasingly challenging， Kelda seeks answers in the house's mysterious past。 But she's running out of time。
Because something has awoken。
And now it won't rest 。 。 。
A house with history。 That's how the estate agent described the old toll house on the edge of the town。 For Kelda it's the perfect rural home for her young son Dylan after a difficult few years。
But when Kelda finds a death mask concealed behind one of the walls， everything changes。 Inexplicable things happen in the house， Kelda cannot shake the feeling of being watched and Dylan is plagued by nightmares， convinced he can see figures in his room。 As Dylan's behaviour becomes increasingly challenging， Kelda seeks answers in the house's mysterious past。 But she's running out of time。
Because something has awoken。
And now it won't rest 。 。 。
Reviews
Pauline Russell
，
Brilliant read， kept me wanting to know more and more。 Plenty of twists and turns and really builds a tense atmosphere that you can imagine you are a part of。 Loved it。
Shauna Whall
，
Really good and creepy read。 I'll be looking for more by this author Really good and creepy read。 I'll be looking for more by this author 。。。more
Clara Odashima
，
WOW！！！！！ Reading it was like watching a movie！！ Soooooo good！！
Staceywh_17
，
The spine-chiller story is told across two timelines with the stories intertwining。 This is a good old fashioned， gothicky haunted house story and what a story it turned out to be！It pulled me in from the first few pages and held my attention until I'd finished turning the last page。The Toll House and its back story was the perfect setting， adding to the atmosphere and the omnipresent sense of foreboding。 Creepy， compelling， cleverly crafted with some well developed characters。 Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The spine-chiller story is told across two timelines with the stories intertwining。 This is a good old fashioned， gothicky haunted house story and what a story it turned out to be！It pulled me in from the first few pages and held my attention until I'd finished turning the last page。The Toll House and its back story was the perfect setting， adding to the atmosphere and the omnipresent sense of foreboding。 Creepy， compelling， cleverly crafted with some well developed characters。 Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 。。。more
Opala
，
I think the author excels in the Victorian chapters， and I would be interested in reading a novel by her crafted on these times。 The modern chapters， however， didn't quite click with me。 Perhaps it was my disconnection with Nick， for whom I cared very little， and the romantic side of the story。 Also， I would have liked more horror and struggle at the end， it seemed a bit rushed！ I think the author excels in the Victorian chapters， and I would be interested in reading a novel by her crafted on these times。 The modern chapters， however， didn't quite click with me。 Perhaps it was my disconnection with Nick， for whom I cared very little， and the romantic side of the story。 Also， I would have liked more horror and struggle at the end， it seemed a bit rushed！ 。。。more
Caroline
，
Really atmospheric and gothic in tone。 Hints of sadness and spookiness。 An enthralling read。
Victoria Gilbert
，
Great unnerving read。 Definitely got all the evil vibes from this one。
Ruth
，
With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy。 This is a competently written haunted house story， perfect for Halloween。 Kelda and her son Dylan move into a house that used to be a toll house in Victorian times。 Dylan is uneasy there， and talks about a woman in a brown dress in his bedroom。 A crack in the plaster widens a bit every night until a plaster mask is revealed - a death mask。 And at odd times of the day and night a strong smell of lavender wafts through the hou With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy。 This is a competently written haunted house story， perfect for Halloween。 Kelda and her son Dylan move into a house that used to be a toll house in Victorian times。 Dylan is uneasy there， and talks about a woman in a brown dress in his bedroom。 A crack in the plaster widens a bit every night until a plaster mask is revealed - a death mask。 And at odd times of the day and night a strong smell of lavender wafts through the house， and piles of white pebbles line themselves up on windowsills…The atmosphere builds up quite satisfyingly， if a little predictably。 Juxtaposed with Kelda’s story’s contemporary timeline is the story of the Victorian toll keeper and the tragic death of his wife and child during childbirth。 I liked the way the author builds both stories to the climax in tandem。Over all though， there was something about the writing style that failed to pull me in and absorb me completely in the way that other writers of this sort of book have done， like Andrew Michael Hurley or Susan Hill。 It’s a decent read， interesting enough without being hard work， but I’m not likely to go back for a reread。 。。。more
Lori Kaufmann
，
I don't usually go for scary books but after reading the rave reviews， I decided to step out of my comfort zone。 I'm love stories where the past sneaks up on us， so I was intrigued。 Yes， my heart rate was elevated and I kept turning the pages （just one more chapter and then I'll definitely turn out the lights。。。。 and just one more。。。。。） but I had to know that Kelda and her son Dylan would be safe。 It's a sign of a good book when you become swept up in the story world even though you KNOW that th I don't usually go for scary books but after reading the rave reviews， I decided to step out of my comfort zone。 I'm love stories where the past sneaks up on us， so I was intrigued。 Yes， my heart rate was elevated and I kept turning the pages （just one more chapter and then I'll definitely turn out the lights。。。。 and just one more。。。。。） but I had to know that Kelda and her son Dylan would be safe。 It's a sign of a good book when you become swept up in the story world even though you KNOW that this is fiction， there are no such things as ghosts， etc。 And yet。。。。。 This is one of those books that really does live up to its hype。 。。。more
Lee BookishThistle
，
I could easily have read The Toll House in one sitting if I didn’t have such a busy house with very regular interruptions… but it really was a welcoming thought to climb into bed， or cosy into the corner of the sofa with this really enjoyable spooky story。 The ‘now’ and ‘then’ settings of the chapters worked really well and helped give perspective on the story unfolding。 I was invested in all of the characters and it’s one of those books you just want to be longer and more in-depth… mainly becau I could easily have read The Toll House in one sitting if I didn’t have such a busy house with very regular interruptions… but it really was a welcoming thought to climb into bed， or cosy into the corner of the sofa with this really enjoyable spooky story。 The ‘now’ and ‘then’ settings of the chapters worked really well and helped give perspective on the story unfolding。 I was invested in all of the characters and it’s one of those books you just want to be longer and more in-depth… mainly because you don’t want it to end。 I don’t often read books more than once… but I may make an exception for The Toll House… it’s that good。 。。。more
Hugh Dunnett
，
I have been a big fan of weird fiction and ‘supernatural thrillers’ since I have been probably not quite old enough to read them。 James Herbert was always my go to and although his writing may not in certain circles be described as ‘literary’ fiction， there is no doubt in my mind that he could tell a good story and indeed， no other author has terrified me as James Herbert could。 Since his death， I have been searching for a replacement or at least someone that could come close to evoking the same I have been a big fan of weird fiction and ‘supernatural thrillers’ since I have been probably not quite old enough to read them。 James Herbert was always my go to and although his writing may not in certain circles be described as ‘literary’ fiction， there is no doubt in my mind that he could tell a good story and indeed， no other author has terrified me as James Herbert could。 Since his death， I have been searching for a replacement or at least someone that could come close to evoking the same fear and genuine thrill。 But this review is not about Herbert！ Carly Reagon does her best in this regard; The Toll House is well written， with some genuinely creepy moments and unsettling situations set into a good old fashioned ghost story。 There were quite a few moments involving the young son of the protagonist where I felt a genuine chill， however， many of these moments （not involving six year olds） are portrayed in such a way as to sanitise or remove the fear that we crave from this type of story。 Indeed， the premise of the book and the story itself is ‘classic’ horror but （to my mind） too much of the story is devoted to relationships， both family and romantic， with too little time given to the outworkings of these relationships and the perceived effect of the supernatural on the characters。 It is in essence， a ghost story for people who don’t really want to be scared。 And without turning this into a complete complainfest， there are more than one or two plot holes and storylines not so much unresolved as simply abando -At the end of the day， The Toll House is a solid， well written family drama/romance with added ghosts， and if that is your thing， you will be well rewarded and left wondering what I’m complaining about， but I just wanted to be a little more scared。 。。。more
Erika Ann
，
This book gave me chills！The story is divided in two different timelines: the past， which help us understanding what happened in the Toll House in 1864 ， and the present， which sees Kelda and her son Dylan moving into the house to start a new life。 Kelda and Dylan soon realise that something's wrong with the house， sensing a presence watching them。Amazingly well written ， this book will be a difficult one to put down ！ This book gave me chills！The story is divided in two different timelines: the past， which help us understanding what happened in the Toll House in 1864 ， and the present， which sees Kelda and her son Dylan moving into the house to start a new life。 Kelda and Dylan soon realise that something's wrong with the house， sensing a presence watching them。Amazingly well written ， this book will be a difficult one to put down ！ 。。。more
Kim
，
The Toll House was a good gothic tale for the Halloween season of chillier nights and darkness drawing in early。 It bounces back and forth from the mid 1800s to current day with Kelda and her son Dylan having recently moved into mysterious The Toll House。 I enjoyed the tension in the moments but felt it lacked depth。 It might have felt spookier if we， as readers， knew more about the characters and goings on beyond a superficial level。 It came across a bit safe for me and could have punched harde The Toll House was a good gothic tale for the Halloween season of chillier nights and darkness drawing in early。 It bounces back and forth from the mid 1800s to current day with Kelda and her son Dylan having recently moved into mysterious The Toll House。 I enjoyed the tension in the moments but felt it lacked depth。 It might have felt spookier if we， as readers， knew more about the characters and goings on beyond a superficial level。 It came across a bit safe for me and could have punched harder with the unforeseen twists。 The twists save the story。 Adding more emotional weight to the difficulties faced by characters of both timelines。 All in all a good read especially at this time of year。 。。。more
Miki
，
3 stars。 About a single mum and her son who move into a old toll house which is haunted。 I was hoping for a good ghost story （it's been ages） but this was rather repetitive in the middle， and not at all scary （to me）。 A very conventional， middle-of-the-road ghost story with no surprises。 I actually put it down in the middle to read something else， and then came back to it。 I can't understand how on earth it has a rating of 3。89。 To think I paid money for this。 Avoid。 3 stars。 About a single mum and her son who move into a old toll house which is haunted。 I was hoping for a good ghost story （it's been ages） but this was rather repetitive in the middle， and not at all scary （to me）。 A very conventional， middle-of-the-road ghost story with no surprises。 I actually put it down in the middle to read something else， and then came back to it。 I can't understand how on earth it has a rating of 3。89。 To think I paid money for this。 Avoid。 。。。more
Jamie Wilde
，
It’s been a while since I’ve read a printed fiction novel。 I’ve struggled with picturing the story and reading the words for so long， that I’d given in to audiobooks。 But when Carly Reagon released her debut novel， I had to read it as it was intended。I don’t think I’ve had such vivid imagery of a story keep me up late reading since I was a teenager。 The pace is perfect， the descriptions both believable and engaging， not to mention beyond spooky。 I’ve actually had dreams about The Toll House and It’s been a while since I’ve read a printed fiction novel。 I’ve struggled with picturing the story and reading the words for so long， that I’d given in to audiobooks。 But when Carly Reagon released her debut novel， I had to read it as it was intended。I don’t think I’ve had such vivid imagery of a story keep me up late reading since I was a teenager。 The pace is perfect， the descriptions both believable and engaging， not to mention beyond spooky。 I’ve actually had dreams about The Toll House and had to sheepishly explain to others why I’m so tired in the morning！！ If this is the debut novel， I just can’t wait to see what comes next。 Whatever you do， get this ok your reading list！Thank you Carly， for reigniting my love of printed fiction。 。。。more
Romaine
，
3。5
Riri Laurie
，
Yes， finally this is what I have been wanting and hoping for a real Haunted House Story。 We have 2 different time periods and two different POV's。。Present day we are following a single mother and her 6 year old son as they start their new live in the toll house。 But from the very start something is not right about the house。 6 Year old Dylan says "the house looks sad"。。Past 1800's， We follow a man who as lost his wife and Son during childbirth and the events that follow。。This was the perfect rea Yes， finally this is what I have been wanting and hoping for a real Haunted House Story。 We have 2 different time periods and two different POV's。。Present day we are following a single mother and her 6 year old son as they start their new live in the toll house。 But from the very start something is not right about the house。 6 Year old Dylan says "the house looks sad"。。Past 1800's， We follow a man who as lost his wife and Son during childbirth and the events that follow。。This was the perfect read for the spooky season and was Brilliant。 。。。more
Bookworm Blogger
，
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for approving me for an ARC of this book。 I’ve recently been getting into my ghost stories and loving a spooky read for this time of year。 When I saw The Toll House on NetGalley I knew this was one I would love to read and it didn’t disappoint。From the moment Kelda and her son Dylan moved into the toll house things did not seem right。 I immediately got that sense of dread and doom that bad things were going to happen and the author did a I’d like to thank NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for approving me for an ARC of this book。 I’ve recently been getting into my ghost stories and loving a spooky read for this time of year。 When I saw The Toll House on NetGalley I knew this was one I would love to read and it didn’t disappoint。From the moment Kelda and her son Dylan moved into the toll house things did not seem right。 I immediately got that sense of dread and doom that bad things were going to happen and the author did a fantastic job of setting the scene。 Throughout the whole story， I felt I was on tenterhooks waiting for things to happen and made the mistake of reading this one at night， which is not something I would advise if you scare easily like me！During the story we flick back to the 1800’s were the original toll house keeper’s story is revealed。 This part of the book was deeply disturbing and very dark but in a gripping way。 Getting to know the history of the house and its occupants in the 1800’s was fascinating and the more I learnt the more scared I was for Kelda and her son。 The back and forth between the different stories kept the momentum going and had me transfixed the whole way through。I really felt for Kelda， not just because of what was happening in the house but because of her own past。 I won’t go into too many details but lets just say her history is much more complicated and you understand why she is so protective of Dylan and is estranged with her family。This book builds to a dramatic conclusion that I thoroughly enjoyed。 It was dark， menacing， creepy and frightful。 All the thins you come to expect from a gothic read。 。。。more
Sarah Oakey
，
If you're looking for a ghostly， spooky 👻 read to squeeze in before Halloween then look no further！This recently released book took me out of my usual comfort zone。。。 I braved the ghouls and ghosts especially for you lot so I could review this in time for the witching hour！ 🧙🎃Kelda and her son Dylan have recently moved into "The Tollhouse"， an creamy old house with a history！ 。。。and Kelda soon learns it also comes with a death mask and chilling spirits！ The story sporadically hops from present d If you're looking for a ghostly， spooky 👻 read to squeeze in before Halloween then look no further！This recently released book took me out of my usual comfort zone。。。 I braved the ghouls and ghosts especially for you lot so I could review this in time for the witching hour！ 🧙🎃Kelda and her son Dylan have recently moved into "The Tollhouse"， an creamy old house with a history！ 。。。and Kelda soon learns it also comes with a death mask and chilling spirits！ The story sporadically hops from present day Tollhouse back to 1863 Tollhouse where we learn about the bleak lives of Joe and wife Bella。。a story which goes from grim to grimmer and how past and future stories entwine together 👻。。。a touch of gothic horror， gruesomeness， spooks， twists and turns and ghostly goings on。。。。。 I dare you to dive inAnd if that doesn't tempt you then surely this gorgeous cover will！Thank you to Netgalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for the ARC of this book 。。。more
Abi McManigan
，
3。5I bought this book following a review that promised me this would "scare the bajezzus out of me"。 Sadly it did not in anyway， it was very mild。 The book mainly seemed to be about the main character struggling to be a single mum and her life in general more than anything else。 To my surprise though I did keep on turning the pages so I must have become invested。 There was also a cool supernatural mystery to unwind and that also added a historical fiction aspect。 Not a bad book at all but didn't 3。5I bought this book following a review that promised me this would "scare the bajezzus out of me"。 Sadly it did not in anyway， it was very mild。 The book mainly seemed to be about the main character struggling to be a single mum and her life in general more than anything else。 To my surprise though I did keep on turning the pages so I must have become invested。 There was also a cool supernatural mystery to unwind and that also added a historical fiction aspect。 Not a bad book at all but didn't meet my expectations。 。。。more
Jacob Collins
，
I love a ghost story at this time of year， which meant that The Toll House by Carly Reagon， went straight to the top of my TBR pile。 It has such a spooky cover， and， I must admit， the cover alone drew me right to it when I saw it。 I loved the creeping sense of danger that Carly Reagon builds on as the novel develops。Carly Reagon flicks backwards and forwards between the years 1863 and the present day building on the tension in each time period， and creating a dark atmosphere。 The central focus o I love a ghost story at this time of year， which meant that The Toll House by Carly Reagon， went straight to the top of my TBR pile。 It has such a spooky cover， and， I must admit， the cover alone drew me right to it when I saw it。 I loved the creeping sense of danger that Carly Reagon builds on as the novel develops。Carly Reagon flicks backwards and forwards between the years 1863 and the present day building on the tension in each time period， and creating a dark atmosphere。 The central focus of this book is a house， where in the present day， Kelda and her son Dylan， have just moved into。 The property is known as The Toll House and Carly Reagon describes this setting so well， bringing the house to life in her writing。 From the moment when Kelda arrives， she senses that something isn’t quite right about the place， and soon strange things start to happen， especially when she uncovers a death mask， belonging to a former occupant of the house。 The history surrounding the property was fascinating， and I thought it was really well done， how Carly Reagon built on this， especially when Kelda begins to think about the traumatic events that once happened there， and wonders if she made a mistake in buying it。 You can clearly see her reservations about staying there， from the moment she first steps into the house after buying it。 This is what adds a chilling note to the atmosphere。 It’s hard to see， at this point， just what kind of danger Kelda and her son are in， and what evil may lurk in the house， and this creates more tension。 There are some intriguing backstories that Carly Reagon builds on as we get to know Kelda further。 As Carly delves into her history， it made me connect even more to Kelda’s character。 There are some emotional scenes as Carly reveals what has happened in Kelda’s past， and I liked how the relationship with her son， Dylan， was explored。 The mystery surrounding the house is really intriguing。 I wanted to find out more about what happened to the people who lived there in the past， and what impact this would have on Kelda and her son。 The Toll House is a brilliant debut; I thoroughly enjoyed it。 。。。more
Louise Mullins
，
A pacy read that kept me glued to the pages throughout。 Spooky and realistically so in places。 Complex due to the dual-timeline narrative and the characters involved， which detailed their motives and behaviour。 Though hardened crime fans will guess what happens， to whom， and possibly why， which takes away the element of surprise， I thoroughly enjoyed this haunting historical tale。
Rebecca
，
Dull dull dull。 Listened on Audible， narrator didn’t help。
Louise
，
* Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-copy of this book*This was an eerie book in places， it really had me spooked on occasions。The toll House is told in two timelines and two perspectives。 We have present day Kelda， she and her son Dylan have just moved into their first home together。。a small idyllic toll house in the countryside。 For Kelda this is a fresh start， but strange things start happening within the house but she's sure it's Dylan messing around。。。or is it？The s * Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-copy of this book*This was an eerie book in places， it really had me spooked on occasions。The toll House is told in two timelines and two perspectives。 We have present day Kelda， she and her son Dylan have just moved into their first home together。。a small idyllic toll house in the countryside。 For Kelda this is a fresh start， but strange things start happening within the house but she's sure it's Dylan messing around。。。or is it？The second point of view is from 1863， Joseph Walton is the the toll house toll keeper and his wife is expecting a baby but things don't go to plan。。。what happened in 1863 will change the toll house forever。This was a cleverly crafted story。 We had present day kelda and snippets from Joseph and what happened in 1863。 I think a lot of readers will like this if you like the trope of the child being affected in the house and doing weird stuff。 It has a little bit of a backstory to kelda and how she came to be a toll house and her relationships with men but the focus is definitely on the history and weird stuff。The story gets darker and darker as the story progresses and goes from mystery to horror。 。。。more
Anneliese
，
The ending of this book was extremely disappointing。 There was a lot of unneeded detail throughout the book and a significant amount of chopping and changing between the eras set into chapters。 This approach would have been fine if the events and details had all been important， but with an array of unnecessary descriptions and details it just led to the book becoming boring。 There was huge potential for a great plot with the setting and ideology behind the characters， but weighing it all up at t The ending of this book was extremely disappointing。 There was a lot of unneeded detail throughout the book and a significant amount of chopping and changing between the eras set into chapters。 This approach would have been fine if the events and details had all been important， but with an array of unnecessary descriptions and details it just led to the book becoming boring。 There was huge potential for a great plot with the setting and ideology behind the characters， but weighing it all up at the end， the plot wasn’t meaty enough， despite the amount of detail and description given to it。 。。。more
SHEILA A STOKER
，
Wow Brilliant i couldn't stop reading it 。 If you want a books that is spooky and have you gripped ，because you want to know what's going to happen ，this is it 。 I loved it Wow Brilliant i couldn't stop reading it 。 If you want a books that is spooky and have you gripped ，because you want to know what's going to happen ，this is it 。 I loved it 。。。more
Teresa
，
What a fantastic read！！ I literally couldn't put it down。 From page one I was totally engrossed in the story。 Told in two timelines each is as riveting as the other。 There are more chapters dealing with the present and this was a very good story。 The Toll House， Kelda's first home of her own never felt comfortable。 Her son Dylan starts to play up and behave differently。 She doesn't like her job but needs it。 Her friend Nick is her anchor during this time and I liked the relationship they had。 Th What a fantastic read！！ I literally couldn't put it down。 From page one I was totally engrossed in the story。 Told in two timelines each is as riveting as the other。 There are more chapters dealing with the present and this was a very good story。 The Toll House， Kelda's first home of her own never felt comfortable。 Her son Dylan starts to play up and behave differently。 She doesn't like her job but needs it。 Her friend Nick is her anchor during this time and I liked the relationship they had。 There are twists and turns that you never see coming。 The ghostly element was very well done。 The writing is wonderful throughout。 If you're looking for a spooky read for Halloween that will have you looking over your shoulder then look no further。 Perfect for this time of year。 。。。more
Jen
，
4🌟All the usual woman-moves-to-haunted-house tropes but done in an engaging and enjoyable way。 A good spooky season read if you don't like your scare-athon too intense。 4🌟All the usual woman-moves-to-haunted-house tropes but done in an engaging and enjoyable way。 A good spooky season read if you don't like your scare-athon too intense。 。。。more
Helen Carolan
，
This was such a fab read。 A young mum moves with her son to an isolated toll house。 Very soon it becomes clear that all is not well in the house。 Both are spooked by noises and a man and woman who come and go at random。 A wonderful creepy haunted house story。
Sandra Armor
，
SQUEE！ This was the spooky book I’ve been looking for！ I loved it。 It felt like an ever-increasing weight on my chest propelling me to read faster and faster。 Delicious！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Toll House
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Toll House&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Toll House&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0