Graham Masterton wined, dined, and romanced me with his gory, viscerally rich ‘The Devil in Grey.’ Here he makes the past cross the lines with the modern again, this time, as before, dealing with devilish spirits up to no good.

The plot is traditional type of ghost story, with possession, unexplained deaths, haunted houses, and mysterious ‘drawings’ to places and people of the characters. Sure, there’s nothing really new here, but it’s fun anyway.

Pacing doesn’t hurt the book, either. Spooks and chills are delivered without haste, action is tight and well delivered, violence is sudden, shocking, strong, and the ending is one that lasts in the readers mind even when the book is read, closed, and locked away on the shelf.

Characters are gripping and emotionally driven, particularly the wife Ellie. Since Craig is the one going through all the ghostly drama, I suppose Masterton chose to show so much through the wife’s eyes as she is a spectator and informant of sort for the reader to get the overall picture. Well done!

When violence strikes, it’s bloody, traditional Masterton style. The book isn’t creepy, but it is intriguing. The beginning starts off with action that’s not directly related to the plot but nail-grinding nonetheless, giving adequate back story to why Craig comes to Valhalla to begin with. The middle keeps flourishing and branching out, growing stronger as each scene feeds the next, wrapping up with an ending that left me pleased, content, but also a bit sad and ‘stumped.’

I’m a sucker for haunted houses, or even just old mansions/run down places that have such strong mysterious atmosphere a picture of Sherlock Holmes may as well be hanging on the walls. This one didn’t let me down in the least, going over inch by inch of the place, using the dark corners and demented rooms to its advantage.

Even though I hold minor qualms with how the ending turned out (not bad writing, just personal grimaces), I rate this book highly. Masterton’s writing style is crafty and addictive, his approach solid and strong, creating an end product that’s both memorable and enjoyable.

Find it, buy it, let your mind soak it up. One can never have too many haunted house stories, especially when the story surrounds manipulative, cruel ghosts who come back from the grave for reasons one would never originally expect. ( )

When Craig first saw the house he knew he had to have it. It didn't matter that it was a complete wreck or that it was supposedly haunted, it, he felt was the answer to all his problems. With it he could once again be whole. Effie, his wife, only felt the evil, from as far away as the gate. What would be Craig's survival could become Effie's undoing. It was not a particularly scary book but it carried the suspense theme well throughout it. ( )

This book could have benefited by being a 100 pages or so shorter. I got tired of the constant unnecessary details. I found the last part of the book more enjoyable because it picked up pace. This book for the most part I found boring. If you are looking for a book to keep you up at night I would not recommend this one. If you want something with gore this one might be a decent read. ( )

Not great literature, but very satisfying. If you like the haunted house genre, then you know that examples that bring anything at all different to the story are few and far between. I can't call this one exactly original, but it's not the same old premise. It also moves along at an excellent pace, and it's deserving of a quality film adaptation if one hasn't been made already. ( )

Taxis are harbingers of doom, both in books and in real life. (Wait until you have to dodge one on the sidewalk before you, dear reader, judge me harshly.) House opens with a character in a taxi. He's late for an important business dinner and it's raining. The gods have spoken and his fate is sealed. From there it only gets worse for Mr. Bellman - there are haunted houses, evil spirits, and lawyers.

This is an entertaining horror book and by that fact alone is way ahead of the curve. Masterton always seems to be able to create sympathetic characters and put them in harm's way, making us want to suspend our disbelief and hope for the best.