Horror Books

I have loved all the Merrily Watkins mysteries, and this one is the best so far. By now I have a real emotional investment in the characters. I love how people are not always who, what or how the seem. And that even people like Jimmy Hayter can have a decent side.

I bought this book for my wife and she can't stop singing its praises.
She is a fan of England and in this case, Wales.

The characters are well drawn and interesting.

The village and surroundings are creepy and taut.

My wife would recommend any book by Phil Rickman.

Well, he's done it again.
Phil Rickman continues to deliver with his latest Merrily Watkins book. Excellent story telling, deep and rich characters. He is constant in his ability to create a very particular atmosphere, of shadowy people and places. Never giving any solid clues. Are you dealing with just strange/odd people and places or truely supernatural events? It's truely a rare talent, to never quite go "over the top" - leaves you wondering.
There are more things in Heaven and earth.....

If someone like Phil Rickman had been my history teacher in high school, I probably would have got better grades and an earlier interest in what may be the most fascinating subject of all. The point is, he does meticulous research and has the ability to make it come alive for the reader. Merrily's Border Country is steeped in ancient mysteries that can only be speculated about; so much is shrouded in the depths of time. This time out we have the Knights Templar and their connection with present day Freemasonry. Also there is a reference to the writer, M. R. James, without whose wonderful ghost stories many of us would have been cheated out of the experience of shivering in our beds late at night, searching the shadows and thinking, "There's no such thing as ghosts. Really there isn't..."

But this certainly isn't some musty old tome written by an academic. This is the ninth (and you will see the significance of that number in the story) adventure with Merrily Watkins, her daughter Jane and her extended family. At this point poor Merrily is very stressed and who wouldn't be in her situation? Her position as Diocesan Exorcist is in jeopardy with the distinct possibility of losing it and having to take on multiple parishes much like the circuit riding preachers of old in the U.S. That, coupled with the gruesome things she has seen, would be enough to drive the most stable of us over the edge. But we are seeing her eventually becoming toughened by her experiences. She may still have self doubts but she won't be pushed around, even by her superiors.

Helping in her investigation into the strange events surrounding the Master House in Garway are her lover, Lol Robinson and her daughter Jane. In the course of the book we see Jane growing up, taking charge of her life and Lol reaching a possible turning point in his career.

I think this really is the best book of the series with Rickman throwing in the occasional biting social commentary. The murder mystery makes me think of Raymond Chandler who said that he did not write whodunits but rather was concerned with the reasons that people commit the act. Whodunit becomes whydunit and the motive in this one, when it is finally revealed, is absolutely shocking.

Rickman is one of a group of really exceptional writers in the U.K. who include Kate Charles, Andrew Taylor, Stephen Bishop, Deborah Crombie and others who never seem to make our best seller lists which says something about the state of the publishing industry in our country. He is the best of the bunch and, while the temptation is to compare him with other writers like Chandler, Hammett and McBain, his writing is unique. There just is no one else like him. Unfortunately, we have to wait until next year for the next chapter in this superior series.

Let me add my enthusiasm for Fabric of Sin to the other reviews here. I've read the Merrily series from the beginning and have always thoroughly enjoyed them. This one is no exception. I'll not revisit the plot; I'll only say that the tension and action build to an excruciating climax. The main characters, Merrily, Jane, and Lol have all evolved and matured. Jane is no longer an obnoxious adolescent and Lol is not just a peripheral character but is in his own way a counseler. Merrily is losing her diffidence and becoming more comfortable as Diocesan exorcist, quite able to confront the bishop when necessary. Add the ghost stories of M. R. James, the Knights Templar (no, this isn't another DaVinci Code knock-off), and hints of royalty, and you have a book that is not easy to put down. Highly recommended!

The Faceless (the first Terry Sharp tale in a long line I hope) is one of the rarest of all birds these days. A graphic novel that manages to create a solid air of mystery around both the characters and what could happen next. Taking an obvious love of horror films to a new level in comics storytelling, not only is it LIKE the classic Hammer films, it creates something new from that stylized mythos. A character obviously crafted with care, Terry is exactly the kind of guy you would expect to find in the middle of a bizarre conspiracy...but cooler! Blended with just the right sprinkles of cool and confusion-The Faceless leaves the reader wanting more. And you get it with the bonus interview and a short "film" that is worthy of it's heritage with each panel. And the art... Adrian Salmon mixes total stylistic coolness with the rare ability (and attention to) actual SEQUENTIAL STORYTELLING that is lost so often in the "hep" world of graphic (design) novels. Excellent character design that doesn't forget expressiveness in both motion and in simple telling details such as facial expressions, it flows well and compliments the story instead of overpowering it. The coloring is simply peerless as well-instead of candy coloring everything and making it look like everything else on the market these days, the mood is set by the colors and the story flows through the art. Neil Vokes provides the startlingly cinematic backup art, complimented well by the coloring of lead artist Salmon.
Overall, a chance to get something that many comics don't bear out of late-pure graphic satisfaction.

Robert Tinnell is indeed one of us...the lurking faceless hordes of "monster kids" who love classic horror films. That he has parlayed that love into the creation of such an engaging and original character - horror film director by day, occult adventurer by night - is a boon for anyone who loves spooky noir-ish atmosphere, historical background (in this case, Midwich Films as a stand-in for the famous Hammer studios) and hints of mind-numbing horrors just beyond the everyday facade of British civility. These hints are what make one salivate for the next Sharp adventure...that, plus the fact that the character is so much fun! Adrian Salmon's artwork is just fantastic...some of the most imaginative use of color and shadings I've seen.

i picked up the faceless at my local comic shop and couldn't put it down. terry sharp is a old school swashbuckling type hero who you can tottaly enjoy and the story has teh right mixture of british cinema and the supernatural.i can't wait for the next one...no one will regret buying this book.

"You were drafted into a war, Terry. A war against an enemy who is nameless. Faceless. They lay low for years, spinning their webs. Makes one paranoid in time - wondering if you've dreamt it all. And then tonight happens. And you realize it isn't all a dream."

I love that. For me, that passage sums up the mood of THE FACELESS perfectly. Subtle. Secretive. It takes its time to weave its magic spell, much like Bava took his time to work his sorcery with some of his films (KILL BABY KILL being the best example of his slow-burn approach to horror). Terry is a enigma. A womanizer. A creative. Arrogant and full of bluster, it's no surprise he has at least one failed marriage behind him. But you like the guy. He's tough. He doesn't mess around and he doesn't suffer fools. And he's larger-than-life, but if twice-as-ugly, at least the ladies don't care. ("Will you be breaking my heart too, Terry?" "Most likely." "Splendid. . .")

Unanswered questions tantalize us. Who are The Faceless, and what, exactly, were the tragedies that Terry was unfortunate enough to witness which pulled him into this nightmare requiring magical protection to survive? We want to know. Peppered with Hammer Films in jokes, and a very pleasing THE DEVIL'S BRIDE vibe running thru it, I am already thrilling at how the circles of protection in basement rooms and freshly conjured marauding demons would translate to the big screen. Perhaps Terry could even meet the Duc De Richleau? Will the J&B flow freely in YELLOW? *CLINK*

I write a blog all about horror from the '60s-'70s, and I'm here to tell you that FACELESS hits the groovy nail on the head. The story is an absolute treat for Hammer fans. The look is spectacularly reminiscent of the colored-gel lighting techniques of Italian horror masters Mario Bava and Dario Argento. If, like me, you have an overlapping love of Hammer and eurotrash, you'll really be in heaven!

Tinnell knows his Hammer. He doesn't just make references or winks; he creates a whole alternate world where "Midwich Studios" cranks out schlocky cult classics like Baron Frankenstein, Return of Frankenstein, Blood of Frankenstein, and Cult of Dracula. We get stars like "Peter Lingham" selecting eyeballs from glass jars in gruesome close-up. I got so caught up in it, I started to wish there really had been a Midwich Studios, and then I had to remind myself--oh yeah, there was! Satanic cults were probably the top horror staple all through the period, so Tinnell's use of them here just ratchets up the groovy factor that much more.

Art-wise, this is Adrian Salmon's American breakout effort, and he clearly understands the stakes, because he goes for broke. I've already remarked on the eye-popping colors, which are the first thing you'll notice on a casual flip-through. Salmon's drawing is just as arrestingly stylized and non-realistic, and it suits the story to a T.

Then we get a mock retrospective article on Midwich by Mark Clark and Bryan Senn, and a mock interview with one of the actresses by Tom Weaver. The backup feature--scenes from Return of Frankenstein drawn by Neil Vokes--alone is worth the price of admission.

I just can't recommend this highly enough!

This book was great. If you like Lord of the Rings, you will love this thriller. So suspenseful! I recommend this to any young adult who wants a good thrill! AH! Good job Karl!

Karl Shook did a wonderful job with this book and the delivery of the story. I love the way the characters were introduced. The more you got to know them the more you were eager to know what they'd do next. Each chapter grabs you even more than the last leaving you thinking, "Uh oh, it's getting closer to THE DAY". Of course I don't want to reveal anything, but I love the way the family supports each other and work together to accomplish this "FAMILY THING". It's a must-read. I highly recommend this book! :o)
~TC

A thoroughly "gripping" story that was hard to put down! I highly recommend it! I am eager read any future novels by this author.

I found this book to be very good. the charecter seemed very real and life-like. Mr. Shook has a real talent for drawing the reader into the story, so you can hardly wait to see what happens next. It makes you wish you chould read non-stop. i would love to see a sequel.

An engrossing thriller with solid character development and quick action. The extended family must work together in order to bring an end to a threatening unearthly menace.

There's nothing else Eddie Gresham has to do to be a famous writer except write more books.

Footfalls had me from the first chapter and would not let me go. The characters were so detailed that I felt like I was in their day-to-day lives. And just like horror fiction should be, it played on the simple fears we all have without resorting to gore.

I know some day I'll be in a book discussion and someone in the group will mention Eddie Gresham's name. I'll tell them I have a signed copy of his first book and no one will believe me.

I love when a book is able to put you in a certain mood. I think that is a sign of great story telling. With this novel, I had a sense of dread almost from the start of the book. I liked the character immediately and wanted good things to happen for him but at the same time, I wanted to warn him about the terror that waits for him.

A very good thriller that captures real life very well. In fact my favorite part of the book was the romantic subplot. The story was fast paced but never rushed. It's a great book to enjoy on vacation. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next from this promising writer.

Footfalls is everything that you want in a horror story, pitting an honest and likable cast of characters against a mysterious (and seriously creepy) nemesis. Gresham's brilliant attention to detail in the portrayal of everyday life -- such as how a dog acts as his owner returns home, the way someone kicks off their boots, or a co-workers love for odd-tasting pizza -- adds considerable depth to the story, and I was pleased to see that the book maintained this quality through to the end. The author paints a vivid and highly immersive setting that drew me in from the beginning, putting me in the middle of a picture-perfect midwest town.

Footfalls is eerie, chilling, and haunting, but not overly graphic or terrifying; replacing gore with clever hints of danger and the type of steadily-growing tension that puts you on the edge of your seat. It is easy to read, and the short chapters make it easy to put down and pick up -- although I rarely put it down, devouring the entire story over a weekend. Footsteps is well written, well crafted, completely enjoyable, and highly recommended.

The authors fisrt at bat is out of the park. I could not put the book down as each chapter would draw me farther into the mystery. The boogie man truly exists in this chilling tale. Looking forward to his next effort.

Horror is not my normal genre to read, but this book gave the fun of a horror book (suspense) without unwanted gore. The writing style is engaging and short chapters keep you wanting to read just a few more pages....until you realize you've read many more pages. The characters are well-developed, so you easily develop a relationship with them. The 1970's flashback sections brought back to mind many childhood memories. This book is a fun, quick read.

How wonderful is it to see a picture book done in a digital process that does not look like it came out of a Photoshop or Illustrator 101 handbook. This is rich, gorgeous and has tons of soul. As a pretty devout traditional media guy, I must admit that this book is just awesome. Mad Props to the illustrator! Enjoy.

Although Mr. and Mrs. Frank N. Stein love their son, they just can't seem to teach him to be scary. Lessons in how to walk like a monster fail, and they "showered their son with scariness"--but to no avail. In a funny twist, Frankie dresses like a regular boy, gives his parents a hug, and finally achieves his own form of scary. The cartoon-like water color illustrations make the Stein monster family seem gentle, and this tale is perfect for Halloween storytimes since it's comic twists are unlikely to scare even the youngest listeners. Older listeners will be more attuned to the many Frankenstein references, making the story suitable for a wide range of listeners, from preschool through elementary school. Recommended for children three through eight.

great book for young kids. I had to have this one in my
personnal libary

This fun book is a heart-warming Halloween read for the 3 to 7 set. An engaging story with sweet, LOL illustrations. I'm sending this one to my nephews for Halloween and will be a super-star aunt. I always struggle with what to send on Halloween (no candy, no scary stuff); this charming Halloween book was the perfect answer.

Love it! Will buy any book illustrated by Kevan Atteberry! Fun to read, for kids or adults!

I loved it, it is such a good book and realy scary to read this book.

I loved it, it is such a good book and realy scary to read this book.

When Andrew Herman and Tyler Herman go to Fright Camp, there were already scares when they were in the bus. When they were really at Fright Camp, Andrew was excited because there were places like "The Cavern of no Return, The Quicksand Pit...". When they meet Alonso, Alonso volunteered Chris to be volunteer from something. R.B Farraday showed, I Forgot to tell you Andrew and Tyler and all those in the camp love him. R.B. Farraday thought something was strangw, because what happened to Chris was the same thing that happened in Revenge of Dr. Cruel. When they were going to ride Spin and Scream, there were also horrors. When Andrew was taking a bath, he saw something underneath and he saw Jack's face pulling Andrew underwater. After that, when they were in they're bunks, somebody was spying on them. They knew it was Alonso. When dinner came, Alonso announced that there was accidentally added some poison on the food. Quickly, Chris and Jack can feel themselves fainting. Is this for real?. After that when Jack woke, he decided to call his mom. When morning came, Jack's mother was in the quicksand pit!. When Alonso let Andrew in the The Mine of Souls, he heard cheefrul voices and clappings. There stood R.B. Farraday and some tall mens clapping for him. When Andrew knew they were tricked he was mad. Alonso, was just Farraday's brother, Ned. The part who played Duffy was just Max. And the part who played Jack's mom was only Margo. When Andrew's brother and Merideth's sister was missing, they decided to in the Cavern because they heard voices. On the ending they found Tyler and Elizabeth but they were stranded with them including R.B. Farraday and Ned!

I liked this book! It was about this boy and his brother go to a camp directed by their favourite horror writer, but the camp isn't just fun and games, its scary. a little too scary... This book is reccomended to all readers!

I love it because it is so scary and very intresting. It look so real when i read it. I feel like i'm really inside. I tell you that, this is the best GOOSEBUMP i ever read.

When I read "Ghost House", I was surpsrised at how great of a book it was. The characters are people you get to know and enjoy. The book was very scary.A year later, I was giving a copy of "Ghost House Revenge". I was expecting the ghost of the man to continue his rampage on the family...but no...It deals with a whole new group of characters.This book scared the hell outta me!If you want a book that will give you nightmares, read "Ghost House Revenge". SCARY!

Very good book, first read it when I was 11.. about fell off the couch when someone knocked at the door.. a MUST to horror fans!

Even though I don't read much. I must say this is the number one book I have read. This is one very good book. It was very terrifying and I could not even put it down. I took it to work to read on my break.

WoW is about all i can really say.I couldnt put the book down it was body tingling, hair raising and bone chilling. Great book

IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL YEARS SINCE I HAVE READ THIS BOOK, BUT IT IS ONE OF THE FEW BOOKS THAT I HAVE READ THAT WII RIVAL ANYTHING THAT STEVEN KING HAS WRITTEN.

What a story! If you like westerns and ghost stories, you'll love this.

... this is a great twist on the genre.
Slow start, but once I got going I couldn't put it down.

Full of myth, legend and strong personalities, this book has all the makings of a great tale. A repeated assault of page-turning hauntings paint a picture of dynamic frenzy. Moments of reflection, romance and tooth-gritting confrentation succeed in illustrating the competing forces pulling Roland Black in different directions. Chases, esacpes, love and bullets: this novel has them all. Highly recommended.

This is a very entertaining book! It has a great mix of the old west and the traditional ghost story.

Full of myth, legend and strong personalities, this book has all the makings of a great tale. A repeated assault of page-turning hauntings paint a picture of dynamic frenzy. Moments of reflection, romance and tooth-gritting confrentation succeed in illustrating the competing forces pulling Roland Black in different directions. Chases, esacpes, love and bullets: this novel has them all. Highly recommended.

The Grady, Oklahoma, of 1961 was like hundreds of small towns dotting the Bible Belt. Into this setting Lisa Polisar brings a vivid reality in descibing the outwardly bland lives of her characters, until we feel we live next door to people we either pity, fear or hope will move away. Felt by superb narration, and seen through the eyes of fifteen-year-old Jake Leeds, Polisar's keen observations range from the mundane look of hand-crocheted oven mitts to a fetid basement jail cell where sadistic lawman Blackie Savage orders Jake locked up for snooping too much. The summer starts with an initiation ritual by Jake's best friend, Mikey: sleeping alone in "an empty field of coarse reeds and vile secrets" finds Jake terrorized by the moans and shrieks of a young woman. He runs from a bloody apparition of the murdered victim, sensing that if he does not get away he will end up dead like Mary Prairie. Yet, obsessed with tracking down her killer, Jake gradually uncovers a tangle of unlikely relationships that include his family and even himself. Polisar's genius at characterization and regional dialogue breathes life into the colorful residents whom Jake encounters in his search -- unaware that his dogged persistence begins to endanger his own safety.
By novel's end we are taking more discriminating looks at our own neighbors and acquaintences: what stillborn secrets might we pry out of their intimate worlds?
Albert Noyer / The Getorius and Arcadia Mysteries

Lisa Polisar's style of writing moves the reader through the story of Jake and his adventures so effortlessly that you feel that you are Jake. You will be frightened, confused, humiliated, determined and hurt as he is as he moves through this mystery to fruition.

This is a journey you will never regret taking and may want to return to from time to time for the complete escape and pleasure of the experience.

To say this is simply a mystery novel is not enough. Yes, there is a dynamic and dark plot that spreads out and thickens in a way Arthur Conan Doyle would be proud of. There is a cast of diverse characters that create a web of entertaining combinations that keep the story on the road to the inevitable. There is a foreboding sense of what is to come at every juncture. But the unique thing about this story are the brilliantly woven underlying darker elements of the typical American family.
The central character, Jake, takes this story to shocking depths and his demeanor serves to inspire us all. Jake is a classic specimen of the heartland. He knows his surroundings as well as his people. But like so many searchers, fictional or non, yearns for something fierce, and he finds it. Jake's obssession with solving the mystery Sherlock Holmes style is as much a rite of passage is it is a matter of course. The author brilliantly places Jake's deepening distress with his dysfunctional family as a springboard for his ever developing sleuth skills.
Fascinating characters add to the brilliant and efficient pace of this story, which seems to shift emphasis at various points to take in the all-encompassing supernatural nature of the tale. Much like old horror films, deliberately hiding the monster makes it all the more frightening, and the darkness in this story looms just outside the circus of Jake's life. It calls, and he answers. The author takes you on that journey and you read much about what it is to be alive, through Jake. And you thank him at the end of the story, and Lisa Polisar welcomes you.

One might describe The Ghost of Mary Prairie as a coming-of-age story, but it's much more than that.

The protagonist, Jake Leeds, faces up to the terrifying circumstances of his fifteenth summer. Virtually abandoned by his family and goaded on by friends, he sets off on a night of initiation on the wild Oklahoma prairie. The vision he experiences triggers a chain of events that forces the young man to confront his worst fears and struggle against seemingly overwhelming odds.

Polisar weaves the tale in the first-person narrative voice of a male teenager. Maintaining authenticity of voice while transposing gender from author to character is no mean task, a task that Polisar executes expertly in this tense and captivating tale. As the story unfolds, characters and scenes appear vivid and surreal, and the reader is swept up in tides of rushing adrenaline and adolescent hormones, and, along with Jake, the reader is held hostage till the end.

The suggestion of evil is always more powerful than the dissection of it. So, if you're looking for pulpy, graphic description, look elsewhere. This book overflows with implied metaphors and the powerful insinuation of poetic imagery, rendering it literary.

"It was strange being able to sense the formation of the funnel without actually seeing it. The train was moving about fifty miles per hour, and I kept changing my mind about whether our speed was helping or not....From the aisle seat, I watched a sand flurry fill the air...just like someone had yanked up a giant tablecloth. Then the howl started. The rain pounded onto the east windows with fist-sized hailstones on the other side....The train car shook like an old washing machine now. I couldn't imagine it staying on the track. Women shrieked, babies were crying, and the men all had stone-white faces....The funnel thinned out, branched apart, and then braided itself together again, spraying the empty landscape with a destructive fury of grass, rain, hail, mud, steel, and wood, catching and releasing at the same time, using anything in its path to snowball its size."

As for the "suggestion of evil," our leaders and the press broadcast daily messages of fear and future-fear, with no end in sight. This obsession with fear could well be balanced with a message about personal sacrifice, hope, and courage. For an exploration of these virtues, read The Ghost of Mary Prairie, a novel for our time.

"The Ghost of Mary Prairie" is a mystery that's being solved by 15-year-old Jake Leeds. Jakes spends a night outside as an initiation and meets the ghost of a young girl whose murder was never solved. The encounter devastates Jake and he sets out to solve the murder as a way of coping with the encounter. This comes at a time when his family's disfunctions have broken through the surface and rendered his mom, dad and unmarried, teenage sister -- who has just had a baby -- incapable of support or even kindness. His connection to his best friend Mikey is getting frayed as Jake outgrows his immature childhood pal. And Jake has just met his first almost-girlfriend who provides more confusion than comfort.

So Jake's journey toward solving Mary Prairie's murder is a combination of a search for his soul as his life crumbles -- and an escape from his ambiguous and impossible-to-fulfill responsibilities to his family and Mikey.

This is quite the burden on young Jake. But Jake is smart, inquisitive and self-reliant. Desperation has given him strength, so he's up to the task. We eagerly follow him as he unearths clues amid his broken world.

The magic in this book is Jake's voice. Polisar uses first person to put us right in the heart of Jake's ragged spirit. It's a wonderfully rich voice that tells the truth without flinching. That voice carries us well as Jake moves through painful confusion to understanding and acceptance of his family's rotten secrets as he solves Mary's murder.

It was a very exciting book because it was a mystery and there were more than one murderers. I thought the character devolopment was very well done. The story was worked out very well and the plot had the a very interesting twist that occurred at the ending.

I can't belive what happined In this book . Uncle hoole and zak soposledly died from a haunted library that tash found . tash is devestasted . Forceflow is not who he is soposed to be . rent this book today.

I really enjoyed this book. It's so cool how Forceflow turns out to be Gog! At first, I couldn't believe what I was reading. Now I see that all of those "warnings" he sent were just for keeping Tash, Zak, and Hoole from meddling in Project Starscream. This book is a definate must-have for any Star Wars fan!!

Tash, Zak, Hoole, and droid DV-9 are hiding from the evil scientist Borborygmus Gog on the legendary space station, Nespis 8. On board there are a few treasure seekers looking for a haunted Jedi Library. Tash, being interested in Jedi gets curious and goes searching for the library. But when she finds it, something very strong is telling her to get out! This is definitly a number one book!

This book is a treasure to keep forever. On every page, a surprise awaits. However, I only gave it four stars instead of five. When Tash finally enters the "Jedi Library," the ghost roars at her to "GET OUT!". I do not like this line because many books and movies have that very same line. For example in the movie "The Shining," a character uses those very words. In other words, that line was lame. The line should have been in that same tone, I agree, but the actual words were . . . just too simple. Maybe John Whitman should have described the aura in the library a little more. Anyway, other than this part, the story was an excellent, well written piece.