“A delightfully macabre history of the haunted house. Part travelogue and part architectural history, the book offers plenty of thrills. It’s an entertaining expedition into eerie spaces.”

– Publishers Weekly

“A critical look at the haunted house, its rise, and its continued grip on our imagination. The author is a personable and engaging guide, comfortable in archives and attics alike. She neither endorses nor dismisses the supernatural, treating ghosts as meaningful cultural artifacts rather than subjects for belief or debunking. A cultural history with a pleasurable chill.”

– Kirkus Reviews

“Blackwell Baines’s detailed analyses of the houses’ art and architecture give readers the sense of taking a guided ghost tour complete with spooky tales that both frighten and inform. A delight for fans of history and horror alike, this impressive work will be at home among both adamant skeptics and paranormal enthusiasts.”

– Library Journal

“From New Orleans to the silver screen, these houses are haunted by more than ghosts: Caitlin Blackwell Baines unpicks the spectral stitches of a gothic staple and reveals the political turbulence, commodification of tragedy and commercialization of fear in this ectoplasmic exploration of the humble haunted house. Every horror fan, coffin boffin and certified creep needs to read this book.”

– Alice Slater, author of the instant Sunday Times bestseller Death of a Bookseller

“Why are the British so fascinated by haunted houses? Baines suggests that collectively we cannot stand the idea of grand houses standing empty or only partially used, and we must, therefore, populate these empty houses with the inhabitants that we believe should rightly be there. As a nation, we still have an anxious attachment to the past ... The more things change, the more they could yet stay the same. Whether that is a comforting thought or a horrifying one is in the eye of the beholder.”

– Leon Craig, The Telegraph

“An interesting cultural exploration of some of the best-known houses where things are said to go bump in the night.”

– Edward Parnell, author of Ghostland

“An authoritative yet accessible examination of some of the most haunted houses in history. Rich in detail, it is wide-ranging and eclectic, and strikes the perfect balance between being both anecdotal and meticulously researched.”

– Lucie McKnight Hardy, author of Bound in Blood

“This has that exhilarating quality that you get from the very best non-fiction. Fascinating, intriguing and thought-provoking, beautifully and intelligently written, it's as absorbing and seductive as any fictional ghost story. An absolute must-read.”

– Bridget Collins, bestselling author of The Binding

“Entertaining ... we pick up all sorts of fascinating titbits on this supernatural safari. This is just the sort of book to read over Halloween, as the shadows lengthen and the candle flickers ... the author, an art historian, is less interested in whether ghosts are real than in how they and their dwellings gained such a grip on our imaginations.”

– The Daily Mail

"How To Build A Haunted House is an intriguing read that delves deep into the cultural obsession with the haunted house, and while Baines isn’t afraid to play devils advocate, she’s more than happy to scare the reader to death in the process. Perfect Halloween fodder."

– Buzz Magazine