Horror Books

Thank You for the Flowers is a rare book-- a single author collection without a single wasted page --- Scott's voice varies enough from tale to tale to avoid the reader being about to get a firm grasp on his world view --- no way of telling what's coming from second guessing him.

The mood of the stories shifts as well, from disquieting glimpses into aspects of human behavior to straight up fantastic with an odd not-ammoral twist . . . Scott is not precisely a moralist --- He does have opinions about right and wrong, good and evil --- while the reader may not always agree with his opinion the integrity of his fiction is such that you go along for the ride.

One of the stories in this volume is on my list of best stories I've ever read ---- several of them are worth the price of the book.

This is Scott's first book --- I suspect that collectors should grab it now ---

The only short story collection where each story shines. From touching your heart in The Vampire Shortstop, to chills and thrills, this is by far the best collection of stories I have ever read.

In this collection of 13 chilling stories by Scott Nicholson, you will not be disappointed if you have an appreciation of that tingly odd shiver that teases your spinal cord from time to time. In summary, here are the stories.

Haunted - One of my favorites, a story of who's-haunting-who?

The Vampire Shortstop - Probably my least favorite. I'm not a fan of humanized vampires or sports either. A young vampire boy just wants to play baseball.

Skin - Another favorite. Do donors haunt their parts?

Dead Air - Great story of a disc jockey's telephone relationship with a serial killer.

In The Heart Of November - A haunting relationship between two friends that crosses the border of the living.

The Three Dollar Corpse - A tale of prisoner's who sell the right to take corpses out from their camps in order to buy goods, and a revelation of who watches them.

Thirst - What, or Who, are the elements anyway?

Do You Know Me Yet? - The madness of a writer, and a bit of a dig at S. King.

Homecoming - Another of my favorites. A down to earth man is visited by the corpse of his son.

Kill Your Darlings - Not one of my favorites, another surrealistic writer's fantasy of his pages coming to life.

Metabolism - Not one of my favorites, a walk through insanity with a frail woman.

The Boy Who Saw Fire - Another story of what, or who, are the elements? Similar to Thirst.

Constitution - Another favorite. Loves crosses all boundaries, even death.

Afterwards - I listed this like it was a story, but it is not. It is Mr. Nicholson's tales of each of the 13 stories here, how he thought them up and where they were first published. Since I enjoyed his musings on his selection of tales, I included it as a story worth reading.

All in all, a fine collection of dreamy tales that are short and easily read, a worthwhile addition to your collection. Enjoy!

The one thing I came away from after reading these stories was, that Scott Nicholson is not confined to the horror genre: he can write solid pieces of fiction that I would suggest anyone read, even if they are not into horror.

Picks in this collection are the entire book; just read them all and enjoy.

Be sure to read the author 'after words' section at the end. There's some interesting info on where Nicholson got his ideas for these and what mags they were published in, for any writers out there.

5 STAR ESSENTIAL RATING. *****

Scott Nicholson, author of the very successful The Red Church, first began his career writing short stories. This short story collection assembles some of his quieter, more affecting pieces. And what a collection it is! You will not find a single story that rings false in this book.

Two of the best pieces, The Boy Who Saw Fire and Thirst, are two stories set in a strange mythology Nicholson has created. These stories explain the reasons behind rain and wind and the sunset/sunrise. They fully display Scott's great imagination and his skill with words.

There are also many ghost stories in this book. Haunted is a traditional haunted house story (every author needs to have one!) and The Three-Dollar Corpse is a strange ghost tale set in a concentration camp. Then, there is also In The Heart of November a very poignant and sad love story set around a ghost.

These are only some of the good pieces. The great ones are the ones we should talk about. First, there is Kill Your Darlings, a great little story that borders satire about writers and where they get their ideas. There is also The Vampire Shortstop, a great vampire tale about a little boy who just wants to play baseball. The ending will leave you all choked up.

The one story I enjoyed most was Dead Air, about a radio dj who receives calls from a murderer. The story is simple but the characters so likeable and the dialog so witty that I found myself grinning through the whole thing.

This is a great collection to have in your personal library. Every story has its own voice and style. Scott will surely become a great name in horror fiction, so you should grab his debut before they're all gone.

Private Investigator, Nicholas Tartaglia, is back . . .


Two men burglarize the home of the city's most prominent CEO, searching for a mystical book. What they don't know is, someone is home when they break in. In the flux of chaos, one of the burglars is dead . . . and so is the CEO's only son.


When Tartaglia receives a call from an old friend, he learns that she has just been assigned to represent the man accused of the burglary and murder. With time being of the essence, the defense attorney needs Tartaglia's help investigating the circumstances in order to establish a defense.


In a desperate search for answers, Tartaglia finds himself submerged in a raging river of deception, evil spells and witchcraft. It quickly becomes apparent that getting a man out of jail might be the least of Tartaglia's concerns as he uncovers an underworld consumed by the use of black magic . . . and a plot that scares the hell out of him.

For the first 120 pages this was one of the best books I have ever read. It was faced paced and I became an instant fan of Nicholas Tartaglia. I thought the last 50 pages were a little too unrealistic, even if you are willing to believe in Witches and Black Magic. There were also many (i.e., more than 10) grammatical errors throughout the book. I still give it 4 stars.

Phillip Tomasso weaves a fantastic tale of supernatural proportions in THIRD RING. This book keeps you at the edge of your seat, makes you question what you really believe, and entertains, all at the same time. I enjoyed reading this novel because it had just the right amount of characterization to make me feel like I know Tartaglia (the protagonist) but not so much that it took away from the plot.

Mystery and supernatural fans alike will delight in this novel. If you're looking for something fresh, you've just found it.

P.I. Nick Tartaglia has a knack for attracting cases out of the realm of normalcy. In THIRD RING, what started out as a case of burglary and murder seven months earlier, ends up pulling Tartaglia into a nightmare involving The Talisman, three books titled "Heaven," "Earth," and "Hell." He who possesses all three, possesses unspeakable powers of black magic. Just as in THE TENTH HOUSE, Tomasso expertly blurs the line between real and surreal, and knows how to flush out the dark side in chilling detail. An excellent follow-up to a promising series.

What if you had the power to control good and evil? What if this power came in three parts, and you only had one of those parts? Would you do anything you could to get the other two parts in order to control this power? And what would you do with this power, if you could obtain it?

Gordon Birdie, better known as Whine, and Anthony James broke into the home of Phillip Edwards Sr., one of Rochester's most prominent and powerful CEO's, searching for a mystical book. Both men were not normally thieves, nor had they ever done such a thing before, but getting the book was important and so they took the chance. The house was empty, or so they thought until Phillip Jr., the only son of the CEO, heard them. Upon hearing a noise in the basement, Phillip Jr. went to investigate. Carrying a gun he found Anthony and Whine robbing the safe. In the midst of the confrontation two men ended up dead, Anthony, and Phillip Jr. Whine ended up in jail, accused of burglary and murder.

Lynn Scannella, Attorney at Law, is assigned the case, when another attorney drops it. It is only a few weeks before trial and she has absolutely nothing to go on to defend her client. The only thing she can think of is to call her old friend, and private investigator, Nicholas Tartaglia to investigate and find out what happened, and why, in order to establish some kind of defense for her client.

Whine is giving Nick absolutely no help in finding anything that would help him beat the charges, even though he was not the one that killed either man. In fact Whine figures he is safer in prison than on the outside.

Nick follows up on some of the things that are already known, and soon finds out that there are three books, known as the Talisman involved. After searching for information about these books, what they represent and can do, as well as being warned to back off, which he refuses to do, Nick finds himself up to his neck in black magic, murder, and another world completely involved in the supernatural. A world that totally scares Nick to death.

THIRD RING is a very well written fast paced thriller with more than just a few twists and turns. It combines the occult with intrigue, mystery, murder, and even has a little romance thrown in.

Mr. Tomasso's characters are not only believable, and multi faceted, they are also intriguing. Some you will like, some you will hate, but all will grab your attention and pull you onto the next page.........and the page after that.

THIRD RING will have you questioning any prior thoughts you may have about the occult, or good versus evil. In fact if you had ever doubted there was a thing such as evil, THIRD RING may just dispel that doubt.

THIRD RING is a mix of mystery and the supernatural. A blend that Mr. Tomasso brings off in a smooth, fast paced manner. A manner that truly glides by the reader so smoothly and quickly that you won't even realize where the time has gone when you read the final words.

I definitely recommend everyone read this wonderfully crafted story. It will both entertain and intrigue you.

Mr. Tomasso is a talent we are all going to hear a lot more about, and what we will hear will be very good.

I do believe that after reading THIRD RING you will never look at the supernatural in the same way again. I know I won't. But I will definitely be looking for more out of Mr. Tomasso.

The Tomb by F. Paul Wilson is the first in the Repairman Jack series. Although he's referred to as a repairman, Jack fixes dangerous situations not plumbing. In The Tomb, he is approached by Kasum Bahkti, an arrogant, one-armed Indian, who is an United Nations diplomat. Kasum wants to hire Jack to find the thief who has beaten and robbed the diplomat's mother of a necklace, a sentimental family heirloom. The catch, he has to find the necklace before the diplomat's mother dies from her injuries, which gives Jack very little time. At the same time, Jacks ex-girlfriend Gia, grudgingly contacts him and asks Jack to look into finding her elderly aunt who has been missing, she supposedly disappeared without a trace from her home. Jack sees this situation as a way weave his way back into Gia's and her daughters, Vicky lives. He slowly discovers that the two seemingly unrelated cases do have a common history, one that dates back more than 100 years and involves demonic creatures known as Rakoshi.

What I like most about The Tomb was the fact that Jack did not have all the answers. Some conclusions came to him slowly, if at all. The pacing, characters development, and the action were dead-on. F. Paul Wilson writing made it easy to visualize everything that was happening and at times it was hard for me to put the book down. I am definitely a fan of Repairman Jack and of the author.

The Friday House
Xiii

Way back in 1984, I picked up this book and couldn't put it down until it was finished. It's the best horror novel I've ever read. It's one of those books that only a skilled storyteller could write.

Superb!

Repairman Jack could be described as a fixer - you got problem and for a fee, he can fix it, or a champion of the oppressed - you can't afford a fee, we'll work something out. To the government he doesn't exist. He has never collected a paycheck and has never paid income tax. He has no credit, no credit cards, no FICO score, has never voted, has no social security card, has never been arrested, has no driver's license or passport (at least in his real name). In short, he works outside the system totally under the radar.

Jack has a fiancee named Gia, who has a nine year old daughter named Vickey. She doesn't approve of what Jack does but Jack has saved both their lives on more than one occasion, so she grudgingly accepts his occupation. Jack is crazy about both of them and Vickey idolizes Jack.

More about Jack

Jack is average in every way - average height, weight, looks, hair and eyes and clothes. Since Jacks works within an underground society he works at blending in, being non descript if you will but that's where all similarities to an average man end.

Jack is tough as nails. When he doesn't have a client he works out and practices martial arts. Jack is deadly in a fight and is afraid of no one. Has Jack beat anyone up? You bet. Has he killed anyone? Only those who deserved it and even then, reluctantly. Jack has friends in low places like the intractable, Abe, proprietor of a sporting goods store that is a front for an armory, both legal and illegal weapons. The more you read him the more you decide that Jack is a very interesting fellow.

The Tomb

Jack can be your worst nightmare but as nightmares go, everything is relative and Jack takes second fiddle in this book!

Jack Meets a lovely but troubled woman named Gia. She has an adolescent daughter named Vicky. Jack grows to love Gia and Vicky. He would lay down his life for either and in this story he almost does.

Vicky's father (who's divorced and not in the book) has the surname Wesphalen and hence Vicky's is Wesphalen. None believe it but the Wesphalen family is living under a curse, precipitated by the murderous acts committed by an unnamed, greedy ancestor over a hundred years ago in India.

Kusum Bhakti, an East Indian priest of a tiny sect that worships the bloodthirsty deity Kali and his sister Kolobati are descendants of the victims of the atrocities perpetrated by this elder Wesphalen. They have come to New York City to carry out their vendetta and wipe out the rest of the Westphalen line. Kusum has brought with him the Rakoshi, vicious, flesh eating monsters, to accomplish this horrible undertaking.

Rakoshi are huge (over eight feet tall) hideous, malodorous, perversions of the humanity created eons ago.

Coincidently, Kusum hires Jack to locate the thief that mugged his aged grandmother and stole a necklace which is a family heirloom. Jacks thinks lightning just might strike twice so he dresses up like an old lady and sure enough our perp. attacks him. Jack quickly turns the tables and after a couple broken bones convinces the perp. to relinquish his ill gotten gains. Funny thing, the perp. claims the victim was young.

In fact, the aged grandmother is Kolobati, Kusum's younger sister and both of them are almost 150 years old. They maintain their young appearance because of the necklaces they wear (the family heirlooms) and of course when the mugger took the necklace, Kolobati began to age immediately.

When Jack returns with the necklace, Kusum is ecstatic and Jack walks away a few thousand richer and now has to visit Gia and Vicky. Gia called while Jack was on the Mugger case and needed to see him.

Gia Westphalen, who is a freelance commercial artist, had broken off her relationship with Jack after accidentally discovering his real occupation but decided to call Jack anyway, when one of Vicky's two aunts disappeared.

She's decided Jacks line of work, which she abhors and is the reason she broke with Jack, might be helpful to locate the Aunt. Unfortunately the aunt is long gone and the other aunt is next and Jack and Gia get dragged into a battle with Kusum and supernatural creatures, the Rakoshi to save the last remaining Wesphalen - Vicky

Conclusion

Not for the faint of heart, this story gets quite scary as our hero Jack must confront the apparently insane, murderous Kusum and his nest of monsters in order to save Vicky.

Wilson does introduce some homey, risible moments into the story, through Jack and a couple friends of his. For instance, Julio owns a bar which sometimes substitutes for Jacks office. Julio's Bar (Julio's) has dozens of dead potted ferns located around the bar because he thinks it will keep the yuppies away. Abe owns a pawnshop which is also Jacks armory. While Jack is somewhat upbeat, Abe is kind dour and pessimistic, always predicting a financial or a social catastrophe and he always seems to have a spot of ketchup or mustard on his shirt. Wilson uses moments of levity to lighten the overall darkness of the story.

The Tomb is an excellent fast paced read that I personally have read four times. Wilson's writing is very reader friendly and fast moving, though he does digress occasionally. The novel is fast paced and seems to cover a lot of ground in just over 400 pages. Wilson seems to be a natural storyteller. In this and other novels I have read by him, he draws you in and makes you terrified for our hero and his loved ones. For horror fans this is essential reading!!!!

This novel has ultimately been listed as one of six books that form the Adversary Cycle. I don't think it started out that way but it ended up that way. It and "The Touch" are self contained reads that can be taken that way with no further reading; however they should be read sometime before reading the final book of the series "Nightworld".

The horror genre is enriched by this book, which is inventive and original. Though the book is plot, rather than character, driven, it does not suffer for its lack of character development. The reader is kept too busy thinking about the plot to worry unduly about character development. Such is the power of this unusual and compelling horror story.

The plot is relatively simple. The horror reaches out across the world from India to the United States. A heinous defilement and murders by British soldiers in a temple in mid-nineteenth century India unleashes a curse that is to follow the descendants of the leader of the attack. Coupled with that curse is an entourage of creatures of unimaginable horror that have once again risen to do the bidding of one who would avenge past wrongs. With great power, however, comes great responsibility.

Enter Repairman Jack, a man who works to right what once went wrong and who earns his living by his wits and by his ability to defend himself to the death, if necessary. If one has a problem, he will fix it. When he agrees to help a one-armed Indian gentleman, Kusum Bahkti, retrieve a necklace that is a priceless family heirloom, he soon discovers just how priceless it is.

Jack suddenly finds himself thrust into the middle of a series of almost inexplicable events. Besieged by mysterious disappearances, rank odors, unusual substances of Indian origin, he finds that the necklace holds the key to an ancient horror. He then comes up against the most formidable foes he has ever encountered. He must find a way to vanquish some pretty hellish creatures or risk losing those whom he loves.

Highly original and inventive, this is a pretty well written horror story that should keep even the most jaded of readers turning its pages. It is also the book that introduced Repairman Jack, a popular character that would go on to have a series of books revolve around him.

WARNING: SPOILERS APLENTY!

A successful series character can be both a blessing and a curse. While authors desire the economic rewards that come from creating such a character, they sometimes grow tired of revisiting their children, often wishing (and even writing) them dead (the most famous example being Sherlock Holmes' plunge over the Reichenbach Falls). Perversely, a series both lowers and raises readers' expectations. Fans crave new thrills, but resist radical changes to characters they've grown fond of.

F. Paul Wilson understands this dichotomy, and so has handled his most popular creation, the enigmatic Repairman Jack, very carefully. For years, the author was down right stingy in using the character, limiting his appearances to a handful of short stories and two novels (THE TOMB and NIGHTWORLD). Then, in 1997, he published LEGACIES, the first of several novels which account for the time that elapsed between those two novels.

Jack conceals his identity from the authorities, choosing to operate in the shadows--he earns his living as a fixer, a professional who solves problems for a fee. Jack is a tough, creative individual, a man with a touch of the adventurer in him, a combination of Travis McGee, Dirk Pitt, and Alan Quartermain. The pragmatic repairman does what he must to
resolve problems, and will kill an adversary without regret if necessary.

Initially, I saw Jack as a distant cousin to John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee. When I questioned Wilson on this point, he acknowledged the similarity, but said that Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu stories had a far more direct influence on the books. Once stated, the resemblance is obvious, especially in relation to THE TOMB. Wilson cannily updates Rohmer's pulpish notions, creating equally evil, but far more realistic villains for Jack. Instead of the stereotype of the inhuman, inscrutable Chinese (Rohmer called Fu Manchu "The Devil's agent on earth!"), Wilson uses Indians and Arabs, real human beings with plausible motivations and real emotions. In THE TOMB, Kusum's sister Kolabati is an analog for Fah Lo Suee, Fu Manchu's sexy daughter. Jack himself is a stand in for Nayland Smith, a brash American who shares many of that adventurer's finer qualities.

In THE TOMB, Jack faces two dilemmas, one fantastic, the other more mundane. Jack, who, since his first repair job at the age of eleven has gained a substantial reputation for his effectiveness and discretion, is hired by an Indian diplomat named Kusum Bahkti to find the man who mugged his mother for a necklace she was wearing. Jack succeeds in this quest, returning the jewelry, little realizing the profound effect this repair Job will have on his life.

Jack's other problem involves his girlfriend Gia DiLauro, who only recently discovered the true nature of his "consulting" business. Shocked, she confronts him, leaving him when he refuses to give up his odd way of life. When Gia's Aunt Grace disappears, however, she reluctantly seeks Jack's assistance. Jack's search for the old woman leads him back to Kusum and his sister Kolabati, who are pursuing an ancient vendetta against Gia's in-laws, the Westphalens.

Aiding Kusum in his quest for vengeance are the Rakoshi, a savage race of monsters whose ferocity is only exceeded by their viciousness. Over the decades, Kusum and his kin have used the Rakoshi to exterminate the Westphalen family, until only Gia's aunts and Gia's daughter Vicky remain. At the conclusion of The Tomb, Jack is forced to battle dozens of these merciless creatures to rescue Vicky, the last Westphalen, who is like a daughter to him.

THE TOMB ends with Jack dazed and bleeding in his apartment, too weak to summon assistance. Jack survived, and subsequently appeared in several short stories and in NIGHTWORLD, part of Wilson's legendary Adversary cycle. Jack returned to center stage after many years in 1997's LEGACIES and has made almost annual appearances ever since. Each entry in the series is well written, deftly plotted, and well worth your time.

I bought this book to add to my collection of Greene Knowe Books that I read to my children when they were small. The stories kept the kids on the edge of their seats wondering what would happen next.

I almost had a fit when I saw this title, but with a little research learned that I already had it. The whole series is first rate.

Tolly has returned to Green Knowe and his Grandmother full of excitement at being there once more, but an unhappy surprise lies in wait for him: the portrait of the children Toby, Alexander and Linnet is missing from the wall. It would seem a small loss but for the fact that its absence means that the children's spirits are also not present in the house.

Grandmother Oldknow explains the painting's loss due to poor finances, though soon sparks hope in Tolly for its return due to the tale of the missing treasure of Green Knowe (which he vows to find), and stories of another family ancestor: Susan Oldknow. Born to a vain mother, a kind but absent father, a spoilt older brother Sefton, and an overly pious grandmother, Susan knows her blindness is a terrible blow to the family's pride: "I can't take her into society, she'll never be married, and I'll have her *always*!" her mother laments when the sad truth is revealed.

Smothered by a good-hearted but utterly disillusioned Nanny, Susan is not allowed to do a thing on her own, till her Captain father brings back a gift from his travels that shocks the entire family: a West Indian boy named Jacob to keep her company. Their extraordinary friendship can only be describe through L. M. Boston's beautiful prose, as when the two meet:

"'Who is it Papa?' Susan asked. Jacob answered for himself, in a voice whose smallest half-utterance she was never afterwards to mistake for any other. 'It's me, Missy.'"

As with Tolly's previous summer in the house, the line between past and present blurs, and he once again interacts with the older inhabitants of the house, though this time in a far more influential manner, going so far as to actively participate in the stories his Grandmother tells him each night. While other time-travelling stories leave me completely cross-eyed, the "Green Knowe" stories treat it as something utterly natural, and thus so do the readers.

As a sequel to "Children of Green Knowe", this second part (also published as "Chimneys of Green Knowe") is undoubtably superior to its predecessor. Though I missed Toby, Alexander and Linnet, their part in the first story was as whimsical spirits - Susan and Jacob have a definite story assigned to them, and interact with Tolly in a more important way, stirring events into being on both sides of the centuries.

Lucy Boston creates a sophisticated commentary on prejudice that still rings true today in her use of blind Susan and West Indian Jacob. As she comments, blind people were either poor and beggars, or rich and had servants to live for them, and Susan was certainly of the latter group. As such, the poor girl often finds herself strapped to a chair with her doll tied to its arm, disliked by her grandmother who thinks her condition a judgement for her mother's vain lifestyle, and punished for fingering things. Boston's descriptions of blindness in both Susan's life: "things stuck out of space like icebergs out of the sea", and Tolly's experiments (he discovers feet are more useful than hands in such an instance) are evocatively written, and so imaginatively told that it won't simply be children so have their minds expanded.

Second is Jacob, whose place in the story is still whilst England allowed slavery. This book was first published in 1958, and I was both impressed by Boston's distaste for slavery, and refreshed by the lack of extreme political correctness that so often clogs books on the subject written today. Boston presents the Slave Trade as a simple factuality, that could be neither explained nor excused, but simply a reality.

Truly, the "Green Knowe" stories are among the lost masterpieces of children's literature. Do everyone in your family a favour and read them - the house, the characters, the situations, and the sublime use of language that Lucy Boston uses is unforgettable.

I will never forget reading this book - and the others in this series - when I was in grade school. This was actually the first volume I read, although it's not chronologically the first in the group. It was one of those wonderful discoveries you sometimes make wandering aimlessly through the stacks in the local library - cracking a random volume, reading the first little bit, and realizing at once that you are beginning a literary love affair.

Then, as now, I was captivated by the magical "otherness" of L.M. Boston's Green Knowe and by the wonderful characterizations and tales within the tale. I couldn't put it down until I'd learned the fates of all the characters, and I wished that my suburban row house had even half the romance of the old manor house, and that my own prosaic grandma was a bit more mysterious.

Now that I'm much older (although not nearly as old as Grandmother Oldknow), I realize that the book is quite well-written - accessible for children but sophisticated enough to be enjoyed by anyone with a taste for the supernatural. And I've purchased a copy for my 11-year-old niece, who thankfully shares her auntie's interest in reading and love for stories with an otherworldly component. A must-read for book-lovers young and old.

It's the spring immediately following the events of "The Children of Green Knowe," and young Tolly Oldknow returns to the ancient manor of his family to stay with his great-grandmother over the Easter break. He barely steps through the door when he senses that something is wrong--and how horribly wrong it is: his ghost-friends, Toby, Alexander, and Linnet, have accompanied their portrait on loan-out to an exhibition, and may never return, for Mrs. Oldknow is desperate for money to make repairs to the house and has been offered a high price for the picture. Tolly resolves to search for the long-lost jewels of Maria Oldknow, the stylish wife of his 18th-century ancestor, which disappeared when the grand "new annex" of the manor burned down in a suspicious fire in 1798. Yet he soon finds that ghosts still lurk in Green Knowe--or perhaps not ghosts at all, since his blind ancestress Susan and her young black companion Jacob lived far beyond the ages at which they manifest to him. As is often the case at this house, time becomes a half-meaningless concept, past and present blend and communicate, and Mrs. Oldknow's stories of Susan and Jacob, Susan's vain and flighty mother and spoiled older brother Sefton, her young tutor Jonathan Morley (who, years later, she married), and the sinister manservant Caxton seem to draw these Georgians even closer to Now. Tolly himself finds that his modern-day actions resonate into the past and that--in one memorable sequence--he can even travel back to it and help Susan and Jacob conceal a young poacher from Caxton in a secret tunnel he has discovered. And in the end, even before those stories lead him to the hiding place of the jewels, the portrait is returned, and in a beautiful closing scene we get a hint of the possibility that Susan and Jacob may come to know Toby and his sibs as Tolly does. A worthy sequel to the first book and nearly as good.

Inside one spooky cover and rather spirited font, `Trespassing Time: Ghost Stories from the Prairie' is an assortment of exceptional stories far different from typical Halloween spook and rattling chiller. These tales are rather well written and polished. They hold a quality that soars beyond bare poltergeist; derelict halls; beguiling whispers in the cemetery; arrows of lightning in steep darkness; wind that howls dolefully then silently chuckles or floating ethereal beings in dust coated villas. Inside sharp writing are tales one could almost regard with fondness and others that swell bold enough to make one reconsider with growing intrigue the scratching on a misted window that revealed a stray kitten, matted and half-starved. Personal favorites include Geraldine A. Garretson's Dance With Me; Déjà vu by Barbara J. Baldwin; Maxie by Sheri L. McGathy and Linda Madl's One Night at Whistling Woman Creek. I am keen to read more anthologies from this prairie quartet. Notable mention extends to Forgotten But Not Gone and Fireball Faye.

Reviewed by Sherryl King-Wilds for www.fantasynovelreview.com

"Christmas at the Gates of Hell" by Linda Madl: Two girls are stranded in the dark at a haunted, old schoolhouse.

"Dance with Me" by Jerri Garretson: A brutal entity surviving in a portrait wants one last dance.

* "Griselda" by Jerri Garretson: A ghost cat reveals the gruesome secrets of a quaint house in the country.

"Déjà Vu" by Barbara J. Baldwin: The spirits of two injured children hang between life and death; only one will survive.

* "Forgotten, But Not Gone" by Sheri L. McGathy: An odd charm bracelet found in a cemetery comes with an angry spirit and much more than the finder bargained for. Bone chiller!

"Maxie" by Sheri L. McGathy: Maxie the dog is back from the dead and she is not alone.

"The Graveyard Dance" by Sheri L. McGathy: A man's visit to his childhood town brings out more than playful memories.

"The Rose" by Barbara J. Baldwin: A father/husband passes on but remains a caregiver, his memory living on in the blooming of one beautiful rose.

"Trespassing Time" by Linda Madl: An elderly gentleman reveals the mystical truth behind the Seven Cities of Cibola, the cities of gold.

* "Whisper on the Wind" by Barbara J. Baldwin: A troubled young man gets a new foster family; he also meets the family ghost, a barnstorming pilot.

"Fireball Faye" by Jerri Garretson: Faye dies in a fire and heats up the town with her deadly reappearance.

"What's a Ghost to Do?" by Sheri L. McGathy: The society of ghosts is in an uproar of comic proportions; they are under attack from a strange and invasive enemy.

* "One Night at Whistling Woman Creek" by Linda Madl: People disappear as the spirit of the prairie exacts a horrific price for the use of its lands. Bone chiller!

"Dreams of the Dead" by Barbara J. Baldwin: The dead have gotten in and are ostensibly driving a woman to madness.

"Lost in the Fog" by Jerri Garretson: A wife and husband buy a cheap though lovely home; they soon find out why the price was so low but far too late.

"Halloween at the Gates of Hell" by Linda Madl: Evil arises to possess the living.

All these stories come very well constructed with ghosties, ghoulies, and haunting aftereffects. Trespassing Time would be perfect for reading on a dark night around the campfire or on a candle-lit night at home without electricity.

The asterisks above show my favorites by each author; these stories all touched a note of compassion within me. The words bone chiller follow the stories "Forgotten, But Not Gone" by Sheri L. McGathy and "One Night at Whistling Woman Creek" by Linda Madl. These two stories scared the living hell out of me, instilling a fear I will not soon forget. Perhaps I should not advise reading either of these tales in darkness of any kind! But I do!

Trespassing Time also brings up the question "Do ghosts really exist?" The answer to that question is best left to each individual's experience or innate beliefs. As for me, I think they are out there. I just hope to never find any of the ghosts produced by the imaginations of the ladies who created this book.

Happy haunting, ladies!

If you're looking for something different, check out Trespassing Time. This collection of sixteen ghost stories has a little bit of everything. Set in the American plains, these stories include historicals that evoke the yearning for open spaces to settle, start a new life and call one's own. In contemporary stories, people both young and old question beliefs they've always held and their own perceptions of self. The stories range from the funny "What's a Ghost to Do" that explores the lighter side of today's technology's ramifications on the spirit world, to the chilling "One Night at Whistling Woman Creek" and "Lost in the Fog" that will make you check your locks, to the bittersweet "Déjà vu" and "Maxie" and the heartwarming "Whisper on the Wind." These stories aren't just for Halloween. The book opens with a holiday story in which two college coeds learn something about one's hometown and about themselves. "Dance with Me" and "Griselda" are eerie mysteries that will take you on a suspenseful ride along with their heroines until the end.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, Trespassing Time is an entertaining read that will take you away for hours, or for short whiles here and there - and will make you ponder your own beliefs.

***** Here are sixteen ghost stories by four tantalizing authors. Barbara J. Baldwin, Jerri Garretson, Linda Madl, and Sheri L. McGathy team up to give readers thrills and chills all night long. There is even an introduction by Troy Taylor who is the founder of the American Ghost Society.

As you begin reading each tale you cannot help but wonder how it will end. Take nothing for granted! Some ghosts are nice and mean the living no harm at all. Others are pure evil and seek only the demise of the living.

The title clearly states that these haunting stories are from the prairie. However, there is no certain time line. Some are present date, others are from the past, and one is even set a couple of years in the future. No matter the time, all are set in prairies. I hope in the future to see ghost stories from the mountains, the beach, the woods, and other such places. BRAVA! Give me more! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Everyone has fond memories of ghost stories, perhaps told around a campfire, or at a Halloween party. Children love to shiver with fright, knowing full well they're safe and sound and the ghosts can't *really* get them. But they grow up and discard the ghost stories and spooky tales as childish things best forgotten.

Well, get ready to shiver again. TRESPASSING TIME: GHOST STORIES FROM THE PRAIRIE is a series of ghost stories set in the plains of the Midwest, and believe me, these stories are anything but childlike. Barbara Baldwin, Jerri Garretson, Linda Madl and Sheri McGathy, four very talented authors, will have you looking over your shoulder, jumping at noises, and wondering how an abandoned schoolhouse on the prairie or a rented cottage in a tiny town can be the cause of so much terror.

The collection opens with "Christmas at the Gates of Hell" by Linda Madl which, despite its title, is a gentle, nostalgic tale of holidays on the plains. Two college girls find themselves stranded in a desolate school during a snowstorm, and like Ebenezer Scrooge, are able to witness the joy of Christmas past.

The fear is amped up a notch in Jerri Garretson's story, "Griselda." A woman begins to fear she married in haste when her new husband carries her across the threshold in a charming cottage in the middle of nowhere...and won't let her leave. And who is the ghostly face she sees looking out of an upstairs window or peeking around a doorway?

Barbara Baldwin's tale, "Deja Vu," is a plaintive tale of two small children in a coma after a bus accident...children who had always been best friends. Hand in hand, they wander through their small town alone, wondering why no one sees or hears them. Then, they hear voices calling them back...but what will happen when only one returns?

"Forgotten, But Not Gone," by Sheri McGathy, is perhaps the most frightening tale in the collection. Chloe and her boyfriend Matt find an old charm bracelet when exploring an ancient cemetery next to their high school. Chloe feels an instant affinity for the bracelet, yet she can't shake the feeling that the pale, bedraggled, mud-streaked woman she sees in her dreams and waking hours wants something from her...something Chloe doesn't want to give.

If you're looking for scary, well-written ghost stories set in an unusual, fresh location, look no further. TRESPASSING TIME: GHOST STORIES FROM THE PRAIRIE will have you sleeping with the light on for weeks! Don't say I didn't warn you.

Reviewed by: Elizabeth Delisi for Word Museum, (...)

Curlovich, John Michael, Rowe, Michael, and David Thomas Lord. "Triptych of Terror: Chilling Tales by the Masters of Gay Horror", Alyson 2006.

Scary Stuff

While shopping today at a local store in Little Rock, I was amazed to see both Halloween and Christmas decorations all over the store I was in. It's only August and we are already getting ready for the ghouls and the goblins as well as St. Nick. I figured if the stores could get ready for Halloween, so could I so I came home and read "Triptych" and prepared for the oncoming season.
"Triptych" is the combined work of three masters of horror. We have John Michael Curlovich with "A Holy Time for the Dead" about a powerful televangelist whose goal it is to get Halloween back from the spirits and reclaim it as a tool for Christianity. First he must manage to get rid of a closeted young minister and banish him to a church which is haunted. The young minister, however, resists and becomes a powerful adversary. More dark fantasy than horror, it is a story that will completely engross you.
Michael Rowe gives us "In October" and this is the best in the book. It follows a young man in a small northern town which is obsessed with maintaining the status quo. The most powerful person in the town and the biggest name is a preacher who controls the most powerful church in the area. Mikey Childress is harassed and bullied by the townsfolk and his one friend, a Goth girl, tries to protect him. He, one evening, turns to the occult as his method of revenge and what happens afterwards is sheer horror.
David Thomas Lord gives "The Secret of the Fey" which is a cautionary tale that shows how we should be really careful about what we wish for. 63 year old Tom Hogan is in pain over the loss of his longtime partner, Daniel. His grief paralyzes him and e rues growing older in an age when so much emphasis is placed on youth. His life is meaningless until he travels to a gay bar and is smitten by an Adonis and mistakes him as a leprechaun of sorts and wishes him to be his over. Here is a wonderful allegory on the Fountain of Youth with wonderful mysticism and erotic passion. When Tom realizes that he is living in a dream world, he also realizes that his dream is a nightmare and this is just the onset.
These three horror stories are bound t capture the reader. What a fun read this is and one that should not be missed. It is a creative look at the genre of horror writing and very refreshing.

I am not going to rehash the exact details and plots, since the other reviewers have already done this very ably.

I felt that the first piece, A HOLY TIME FOR ALL THE DEAD, was actually dark fantasy rather than horror. I enjoyed it.

The second story, IN OCTOBER, had me going, and I enjoyed it alot. It made me think of some horror movies that I have seen.

But the third piece, THE SECRETS OF THE FEY, was the most powerful, clearly horrific. There was this confusion, and a building sense of dread, leading to the climax. The ending was like a fist in the face for me, and I actually cried at the end of this story, and I rarely do that.

Whoever put together this anthology, I would like to see more, maybe a regular series, a new volume every couple of years.

Michael Rowe's stellar "In October" is the clear star of the three stories of Triptych of Terror. The story follows a young man who lives in a small northern town that's obsessed with the status quo. The town's biggest name is a popular preacher who is over the largest and most influential church in the community.

It is as chilling as it is erotic, passionate as it is calculated. When a mystery force starts killing off Mikey's greatest enemies, the story takes a dark turn that culminates in an ending that hits with disturbing satisfaction.

Thanks to Michael Rowe for taking me into this tale, I didn't want to come out of it!

It is with trembling pleasure that I give you (FINALLY) my review of Triptych of Terror, a horror anthology featuring the works of John Michael Curlovich, Michael Rowe, and David Thomas.


Michael Rowe's "In October" is by far the most enthralling of all three tales. It is delightfully disturbing and dark, with realistic main characters and a well-paced plot line in which readers find themselves drawn into Mikey Childress' world from the very first page. Michael Rowe is the Rembrandt of his genre, painting a mosaic of teenage angst amidst the backdrop of a small town insular high school populace subjugated by pitiless tormentors. His approach is both superbly erotic and chilling, and the ending unquestionably tugs at the heartstrings.



I graciously recommend this anthology. Rowe fans will not be disappointed.

John Michael Curlovich's novella "A Holy Time for All the Dead" leads off the intriguing new queer horror anthology, "Triptych of Terror". The reverend Steven Merchant is the newly appointed rector at the Old Stone Loaves and Fishes Full Gospel Fellowship Church in a run-down industrial town in the backwoods of Pennsylvania. Merchant is fresh out of Baptist seminary, assigned in part to the unglamorous locale because of a pesky homosexual indiscretion at the school. He is charged by the villainous Pastor Jack Cantworthy (an over-the-top antagonist who is equal parts gluttonous and nefarious) with creating a religious uproar over the secularization of Halloween in order to jumpstart the elder pastor's master plan to restore the holiday to its religious roots in honoring the dead. He arrives in run-down Glowney Junction to encounter an oddly-out-of-place cast of oddball characters - from the pedophile Catholic priest across the street, to the blind town business mogul and seminary benefactor affectionately known as the Zipper King, to a pair of decidedly queer-leaning, spiky-haired, eyebrow-pierced teenage boys who talk and act more like street hustlers in West Hollywood than small-town teens in an economically depressed industrial town.

Curlovich crafts a trippy little story about the freedom of sexual expression versus the repression of religious fundamentalism. He incorporates many classic elements of a haunting into the storyline, creating an effective metaphor for the repression of the closet. There are moments of genuinely scary imagery like the little dancing, flesh-ripping gargoyles whose use is quite effective. The author (who has also written some excellent haunted dwelling novels under the name Michael Paine) creates a fascinating protagonist in the Reverend Merchant, believably presenting him as a fully flawed mortal at a crossroads between his sexual orientation and the religion he loves. In the end, "A Holy Time for All the Dead" would have benefited from a novel-length treatment with several of the clichés trimmed down. Curlovich tries admirably to pack too much into too few pages, injecting some incongruous elements that detract somewhat from the storytelling. A Holy Time for the Dead is a haunting, dreamlike overstuffed piece of horror with some decidedly eerie imagery and a memorable spin on a classic story.

In Michael Rowe's superb novella "In October", readers are introduced to Mikey Childress, an outcast teenager living in a small-town Canadian suburb. Mikey's dreams of being loved are juxtaposed against his daily battles with an indifferent father who's dismissive and ashamed of his son's lack of machismo, a faith-obsessed mother who spends more time at church praying than she does loving her only child, and a particularly hateful group of high school bullies who subject him to a torrent of everyday horrors meant to humiliate and break his spirit. Mikey's one friend is Goth gal pal Wroxy, a self-professed white witch who offers an almost maternal love and serves as confidant to his coming out. After a particularly horrific bashing at the hands of notorious bully ring leader Dewey Verbinski and his jock cronies, Mikey turns to the occult and unknowingly calls out to the darkside for protection and revenge against his enemies. That protection arrives in the form of hunky Adrian, an enigmatic bad boy transfer student who materializes one day and takes an instant liking to the young protagonist. In Adrian, Mikey finds stalwart defense and an emotional security he has never known and a sexual awakening he has only dreamed about. But as all keen readers of the supernatural know, one cannot summon the darkside without casting a dark shadow. Soon Mikey's enemies start disappearing, meeting their demise at the hands (and claws, and teeth, and wings, and killer appendages, too!) of a demon who springs forth with equal fury to the homophobia leveled at the teen. As Mikey slowly comes to realize that Adrian may be the embodiment of his own hatred and resentment against those who've persecuted him, the teenager must make a heartbreaking choice between (literally) good and evil.

Rowe creates a masterful work with "In October", embracing the novella format like no writer in recent memory - so well as to fashion a thoroughly satisfying story. His depiction of Mikey's teen angst is dead-on, uncannily capturing the emotional loneliness and physical torments that mark the high school experience certain to resonant with every reader - gay and straight alike - on some level. From the beautifully tender and believable scene in which Mikey admits his homosexuality to a receptive Wroxy to the harrowing roadside gay bashing that leads him to seek out otherworldly intervention, Rowe brings the reader into the experience with a remarkable ability that few writers today possess. It is no small feat that Rowe can make us care so deeply for the characters and a testament to his ability as a writer that he does so within the concise format of an 80+ page novella. "In October" is a deeply-felt metaphorical homage to the horrors of coming out and an unsettling depiction of the straight world in which we do it. Rowe's tale of teenage anguish and loneliness is an exquisitely told cautionary tale, rich in visceral images of horror and the erotic.

"Triptych's" final installment is the devilishly magical "The Secrets of the Fey" by David Thomas Lord, another cautionary tale that reinforces the idea of being careful for what you wish for. Protagonist Tom Hogan is a sixty-three-year-old gay man grieving the loss of his longtime partner, Daniel. Paralyzed by grief, Tom is tired, lonely, and lamenting both the physical and emotional aches and pains of growing older in a gay culture in which youth and beauty are (at least theoretically) synonymous with happiness. His life is on autopilot, filled with meaningless everyday tasks and a select group of friends with whom he does brunch once a week. The narrative begins on Pride Day, with New York City bursting at the seams with the young and pretty. After a post-brunch altercation that sends him off alone to traverse the rainbow-laden cityscape, Tom happens upon a quaint gay bar called Land's End, where he meets the most beautiful man he has ever laid eyes on. Tapping into his Celtic heritage, Tom somehow quickly surmises that the porcelain-skinned redhead is a leprechaun-of-sorts and steals his clothes in some bid to force the granting of a wish. Despite stern warnings from the entrancing Will O'Gull, Tom wishes him to be his lover - one who will never leave him like Daniel did. But wishes always come at a cost, and what follows is an allegorical tale of the price we pay in pursuit of the fountain of youth.

Lord infuses "The Secrets of the Fey" with marvelous doses of mysticism, evoking images of malevolent fairies intermingled with erotic passion. He does a spot-on job chronicling Tom's post-wish transformation and the action moves along at a decent clip, never shortchanging the reader on character development (particularly in the case of Tom's plastic surgeon friend, Drew) or the hot sexual trysts that bookmark Tom's transformation. Lord's got quite a bit of symbolism and themes at work here - from the straightforward observations about the dangers inherent to pursuing youth and beauty at all costs to the less obvious commentary about sexual promiscuity and its ultimate loneliness in gay culture. Although this otherwise delightfully terrifying fable gets bogged down occasionally by Lord's distracting name dropping of New York City landmarks, the novella is quite an effective and chilling read overall. In the end, Lord reminds us that despite living in a culture that tells us otherwise, we can't really have it all, and that there are prices to be paid for discounting those blessings that are right under our noses.

Being as unbiased as possible - in the spirit of Skipp & Spector's BOOK OF THE DEAD, SKIN & BONES offers up a variety of takes on zombie lore. Some are more traditional but still a fun read. The best tales, though, are those that plunge outside the box into new (and weird) territory. Wellington leads the collection off with "Cyclopean", a tale as fascinating as it is scary. Absolutely worth picking up.

There are some incredibly interesting takes on the modern, undead cannibal zombie story here. Of special interest are Ryan Thomas' tale of a zombie makeover TV show, David Wellington's "Cyclopean" has fungus as a catalyst, and Kiwi Courters would kick me if I didn't mention her zombie mystery story. "Skin and Bones" is a fun read, and an absolute must for all zombie fans.

The Undead Volume 2: Skin and Bones anthology is chucked full of rotten undead goodness that will satisfy any zombie fan's appetite. The stories range from gore fests to what causes your heart to skip from raw fear. A particular gem in the anthology is Philip Hansen's "Agent Red." It radiates snappy dialogue and characterizations in a gripping story of duty and honor in the midst of unrelenting horror.

This is an anthology that belongs in your collection and that special rotten place in your zombie lovin' heart!

I enjoyed this volume more than Volume 1. Most of the stories in this edition drew me in and entertained me completely. As with any anthology, some tales will be enjoyed more than others, but this book provides hours of amusement with a plethora of different spins on an old story.

I found this book well worth the time.

I loved the first Undead collection so when Permuted Press released Skin and Bones the second edition in the Undead Anthology I know it was going to be another great collection. Permuted Press has once again delivered the goods. Skin and Bones is loaded with stories that will satisfy even the most picky Zombie fan. Some of the biggest names in the Zombie genre come together once again and deliver a anthology loaded with Non stop Action, Blood and Guts, Humor, and some truly frighting Horror. Skin and Bones is another reason why Permuted Press is the leader in Zombie and Apocalyptic fiction in general today. They continue to publish some of the most creative new voices in the Horror genre and their future is as bright as any publisher in the game today.

Skin and Bones has your classic Zombie stories along with some new takes on the undead. There wasn't a story in this anthology I didn't like, but there were some that really stood out. Some of my favorites include The Hill by Eric Shapiro, Ravenous Angels by A Kiwi Courters, The Abbot and the Dragon by David Dunwoody. Skin and Bones by D.L. Snell, and Agent Red by Phillip Hansen. The story that stuck out the most to me had to be Cyclopean by David Wellington. Wellington hit the scene a few years ago with Monster Island which was one of the best Zombie novels to come out in years and Cyclopean shows that he knows how to write one heck of a short story. I cant wait to see what he gives us next.

I highly HIGHLY RECOMMEND The Undead: Skin and Bones to all Zombie Fiction fans and fans of Horror Fiction in general. It is one heck of an anthology that will leave even the most jaded readers feeling satisfied. Permuted Press has published another winner.

If your 'bag' is classic horror films of the thirties and forties, especially Universal films, this book is a must-have. To many baby boomers that saw these movies when they were released for television in the fifties, this book will bring back a lot of memories. The book is great, but like all McFarland books, it is pricey. But for the true fan (which is short for fanatic) the price won't matter!

An amazing source of information for anyone who ever stayed up watching the late late show on a Saturday night. I am truly impressed at the thorough research that went into this book; many factoids which have escaped even the most die-hard of fans will be brought to light. I commend McFarland Press for providing fans of such an "un-hip" genre with consistently fine sources of in-depth information, especially keeping in mind that with each passing year the facts directly from those who were there are getting more and more difficult to find. This book probably does not hold a lot of interest for anyone who does not hold a special place in their heart for the studios' genre work prior to buying the book, and the authors do tend to often drift into becoming overly opinionated and putting much too much thought into subject matter that was never intended to be overanalyzed. Nonetheless, this is still an extremely fun read for any fan.

This book has it all for the serious student of classic horror films. Choose from a wide selection of bios, cast lists, plot summaries, anectdotes and more compiled by these mavens of the genre, Messrs. Brunas and Weaver. Thrill as they explore the nooks and crannies of the House That Universal Built. This comprehensive work is obviously the result of exhaustive hands-on research and deserves an honored spot in every true horror fan's library.

If your 'bag' is classic horror films of the thirties and forties, especially Universal films, this book is a must-have. To many baby boomers that saw these movies when they were released for television in the fifties, this book will bring back a lot of memories. The book is great, but like all McFarland books, it is pricey. But for the true fan (which is short for fanatic) the price won't matter!

The classic horror films of the 30's and 40's have never been as popular as they are today. Baby Boomers who grew up watching the old Shock Theater packages in the 50's and 60's hold a tremendous fondness for the films that terrified them as children. The Boris Karloff Frankenstein and Bela Lugosi Dracula are still the most recognized images of those two classic monsters...so much so that their families had to move to legally trademark their images to protect them.

The Universal horror films are the subject of Universal Horrors, the second edition of this outstanding book by noted classic film historian Tom Weaver and Michael & John Brunas. Throughout the massive 608 page hardcover, the authors cover each one of the 85 horror films made by Universal from 1931 - 1946. Just do the math...that's an average of about seven pages spent on each film during this period. This is no mere listing of actors with a one-page synopsis. Rather this is a definitive guide to these 85 films with complete cast and credits, detailed storyline synopses, production history, behind-the-scenes information, critical analysis, period reviews, and commentary by cast and crewmembers. Most of the comments come from the voluminous numbers of reviews that Weaver has conducted over the years.

The films are listed chronologically beginning with Dracula in 1931 and ending with The Brute Man in 1946. It even includes the Spanish version of Dracula which was filmed on the same set as the original at the very same time! White The Lugosi version was shot during the day, the Spanish crew took over at night. In many ways, the Spanish version outshines the Tod Browning directed original.

One of my guilty favorites of the Universal Classic film era is 1932's Murder in the Rue Morgue, presenting Lugosi in truly one of his most sadistic and macabre roles. This film ended up being the bone that both Lugosi and Director Robert Florey received for NOT getting their respective parts in Frankenstein, which instead went to Karloff and Director James Whale. This rather film features Lugosi as Dr. Mirakle, who injects the blood of an ape into women he captures. When the experiments fail, he dumps the women into a river. It's a highly underrated film and one of Lugosi's best roles.

Weaver and partners don't give a short shrift to lesser-known films. While the most popular films do get more coverage, even the least well-known of the Universal Horrors gets several pages devoted to it...and there are a number of lesser known films. Unfortunately a number of these are not on DVD or even VHS for that matter meaning that the entry in this book is probably the closest you'll get to the film without actually seeing it.

Many of these lesser-known films are not true horror but often murder mysteries with horror trappings such as "old dark house-style" films. These films include Secret of the Blue Room, Secret of the Chateau, The House of Fear, and The Black Doll. The appendix goes on to list several dozen more films that were borderline exclusions...close, but just not making the cut to receive a full write-up for various reasons. Actually it's somewhat difficult to figure out while some of these were left out of the main listing since many are quite similar in plot and tone.
This book is simply fabulous. Everything that Weaver does is always meticulously researched and extraordinarily entertaining. This is THE Bible to fans of Universal's classic horror films, and one of the finest film reference books I've ever read.


REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

Anne Rice has reached the ultimate boundary of thrills with the vampire chronicles. I felt I was one with the characters. Each page brought forth Anne Rice's imagination on paper. One of the best series of the decade. Diana.J

The first three books of the vampire chronicles are the most exciting books that I've read in a long time. There's action, adventure, love, betrayal, and even a few lessons to be learned if you can read between the lines. Other books in the vampire chronicles don't compare to these three.

Had never read anything by Ann Rice until Interview with a Vampire. Could not wait to start the second book and then the third. When I had finished the Vampire Chronicals I started looking for other books by Ann Rice. Each book leaves you hanging on for the sequel.

It was great! These books were so wonderfully emotional and dark, I could practically see in my mind's eye Lestat and Louis, and I could feel the strength of the old ones.

These 3 books were amazing... a friend on-line pushed me into reading the first, and I eventually borrowed the second and third from my English teacher... I couldn't stop! Lestat, Louis.. they're wonderful characters. Marius, Pandora, the same. But Armand has always been my favourite. Always has, always will. I am absolutely AMAZED at the way Anne Rice writes, and I am drawn to her books like a pencil to paper!

...they're so very "human"! I enjoyed the first Raven Hart book, but really loved this second one and made sure I had the third book firmly in hand before I let myself finish it!

Intense! The steamyness that was Jack and William was amazing! The way Raven Hart writes this series is absolutely outstanding.

I read the first one in the series and enjoyed it, but I liked The Vampires Secret even more. A lot more character development in this book and a lot of surprises. A good series.

"Secret" is an excellent follow-up to "Seduction!" The characters are richly developed, the story is fast-paced and unpredictable, and the dark showdown between the new-world and old-world vampires is both taught and suspenseful. All of the Savannah blood-drinkers just keep getting more tantalizing - on many different levels (as does the city herself). Grab a glass of wine, curl up in a comfy spot and enjoy this one - on a moody day, even better!

As you can read from the excerpt, this author doesn't slight on the sensuality--which slides about a inch from **ick** at all times--or the descriptions of vampire behavior. SO if you don't read much in this genre, this is an excellent start. However, even though her characters are thoughtful and well developed and the plot clips right along, this just didn't make the mark for me. It's hard to figure out which character is where because the author tries to use multiple character voices--she labels the start of who is speaking--but it's annoying to switch voices back and forth in your head. Finally, I know we can't "standardize" the "rules" of vampire behavior, but some authors have vamps fly/or not, reflection in mirrors-windows/not, and if I read one more scene of a vamp drinking from a bag of blood from a blood bank...! Every genre reaches it's saturation point--cowboys, babies, etc--have we reached it with vampires and this book? Could be....