The father-son duo, Richard Chizmar and W.H. Chizmar, capture the feeling of found-footage horror in their novel Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting. The chilling and atmospheric tale of a haunted lighthouse had me gripped from the very start, leaving me utterly unsettled.
Longtime residents of Harper’s Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Some say it’s cursed. Others claim it’s haunted.
Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouse’s construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds.
The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until now.
Told across two harrowing incidents from 2017 and 2025, those who enter the Widow’s Point Lighthouse searching for supernatural proof and the next big thing find themselves cut off from the outside world. And although no one has recently stepped foot inside the structure, they are not alone.
It was only recently that I fell in love with found-footage style horror films, I thought the less polished look for these films would take me out of the experience, but I discovered it only enhanced the eerie and terrifying aspects of the films. Somehow, Richard and W.H. Chizmar managed to capture this vibe in book format with Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting—and it works incredibly well.
For me, living in Maine—where lighthouses are huge part of our shorelines—added to the connection and authenticity. The story is set in an abandoned lighthouse in Nova Scotia—also not far me—which brings a familiar yet haunting quality to the book. The Widow’s Point Lighthouse doesn’t isn’t just a setting, but truly emerges as the most compelling character of the story. Steeped in mystery and soaked in atmosphere, the lighthouse is an eerie supernatural force. Richard and W.H. Chizmar thoughtfully weave claustrophobia and dread into this tale, leaving me gasping for air at every turn.
Widow’s Point‘s slow and deliberate pacing works so well, pulling me deeper into the mystery. By the time the climax is on us, it’s so effective that I literally gasped out loud—at the dismay of my wife. That is the kind of payoff I dream of when picking up a horror novel. For me, the experience was heightened by reading this novel during the first nights of living in a century-old home as you’re still adjusting to its creaks and quirks after recently purchasing it. Trust me when I say Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting should be read with the lights on and your back against the wall.
Richard and W.H. Chizmar have crafted a story that captures the essence of a found-footage horror flick in a way that I didn’t think possible in book form. The father-son duo deliver the same atmospheric tension and jump scares one would expect from these types of films. Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting is a must-read horror tale.
Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting hits bookstores everywhere on September 30, 2025 from Gallery Books. The audiobook is available for preorder at Libro.fm!
