The Manor Review – Gothic Horror Meets Indian Folklore

 

A chilling review of The Manor by Heena Rathore-Pardeshi—an atmospheric gothic horror rooted in Indian folklore, grief, and psychological suspense.

When I picked up The Manor by Heena Rathore-Pardeshi, I expected a good gothic horror novel. What I didn’t expect was to feel like the walls were closing in on me while I read. This book doesn’t just tell a haunted house story, it breathes it. It’s steeped in Indian folklore, rich with psychological suspense, and wrapped in the kind of slow-burn horror that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

From the first chapter, I was pulled into Leela Jamwal’s world, a woman returning to her ancestral manor on the monsoon-drenched Konkan coast to grieve and protect her younger brother. It all felt so vivid: the smell of wet earth, the rhythmic pounding of rain, and the oppressive stillness of the old house.

But very quickly, I realized the Manor wasn’t just a setting, it was a character. The walls hummed, the mirrors seemed to shift, and there was always a shadow lingering at the edge of my imagination. And then came an ancient, eerie force tied to Leela’s bloodline, demanding silence, obedience, and sacrifice.

Why This Book Stood Out to Me?

I love horror that creeps under my skin instead of jumping out at me, and this story did exactly that. Every page built a sense of dread, sometimes I wasn’t sure if what I was reading was truly supernatural, or if it was the unraveling of Leela’s grief-stricken mind. That ambiguity made it even more haunting.

The book isn’t just about ghosts, it’s about generational trauma, female agency, and the way inherited secrets can feel heavier than the present. As someone who reads a lot of atmospheric horror books, I found the cultural layers and Indian folklore elements completely refreshing.

Heena Rathore-Pardeshi’s writing is haunting, befitting the theme of the book. Her descriptions made me feel the dampness of the monsoon air, hear the creak of the manor’s floors, and sense the lurking dread in every corridor. This is slow-burn horror at its finest, no cheap scares, just an eerie presence that tightens around you as you read.

This book is highly recommended for the book lovers who are into gothic horror novels with rich atmosphere, haunted house books that feel alive, psychological horror with a cultural twist, Indian horror fiction that blends folklore and family drama.

Finishing this book left me with that deliciously unsettled feeling I only get from the best horror reads. It’s lyrical, it’s eerie, and it’s deeply human. If you’re looking for a story that blends gothic horror, Indian folklore, and psychological suspense into something unique and unforgettable, this is it.