★★★★★

Second Hand Rose is a fast-paced horror novella that I read in a single sitting, finishing it in under an hour.

D.E. Fox creates an intriguing premise centred around a small town, mysterious disappearances, and an antique shop with secrets of its own. The story moves quickly, and there is never a point where it feels as though it loses momentum.

One of my favourite aspects was Jake, the loyal terrier. As a dog lover myself, I immediately connected with his role in the story, and it was easy to understand why so many other readers have mentioned him.

As both a reader and a fellow author, I also found the novella thought-provoking for another reason. Reading it reminded me how challenging it can be to balance pacing with character development, particularly in a shorter work. There were moments where I would have happily spent more time with the characters and the town before racing toward the next twist.

That said, the story succeeds in what it sets out to do: it delivers a quick, entertaining supernatural horror read with an engaging mystery at its heart.

If you're looking for a novella that you can comfortably finish in an evening, Second Hand Rose is well worth picking up.

Read the Goodreads review.