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erickibler4's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent and spooky novel that employs a non-linear narrative to tell a story about a family affected by ghosts and two serial killers.
By the time you finish the book there are still mysteries and unanswered questions, but I didn't mind. Tim Underhill is a character that appears in several of Straub's books, and maybe another book will reveal further secrets. Or maybe not.
I felt I got enough resolution to be satisfied and enough mystery as if to pick my teeth with after a fine meal.
By the time you finish the book there are still mysteries and unanswered questions, but I didn't mind. Tim Underhill is a character that appears in several of Straub's books, and maybe another book will reveal further secrets. Or maybe not.
I felt I got enough resolution to be satisfied and enough mystery as if to pick my teeth with after a fine meal.
feathersfootnotes's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest
mbpartlow's review against another edition
4.0
I often think that Peter Straub writes smarter than I read. Funny, in this case I'm willing to give the author more credit than myself. But this one hooked me from the beginning and carried me along for the ride, even if I felt the final disposition of what happened to Mark Underhill wasn't to my satisfaction. But that's my prejudice. The ending satisfied, even if it didn't go the way I wanted it to.
sandygx260's review against another edition
5.0
This book is vastly underrated. It sat next to my bed for a year so I could read the last pages and feel inspired. Brilliant.
Best of all Peter signed my book at last year's Readercom. Yeah, I experienced a fan girl moment. Lovely.
UPDATE:
I just read it again this January. So, potent, so frightening, so wonderful.
Best of all Peter signed my book at last year's Readercom. Yeah, I experienced a fan girl moment. Lovely.
UPDATE:
I just read it again this January. So, potent, so frightening, so wonderful.
nigellicus's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
5.0
Tim Underhill's sister-in-law takes her own life, and shortly afterwards his nephew goes missing. Yiug boys are disappearing in the locality and it seems almost certain that Mark has met with very foul play. But in the weeks running up to his mother's death and his disappearance, Mark had developed a strange obsession with a deserted house in his neighbourhood. Tim tries to follow events as they unfolded and understand the Mark's fascination with a truly terrible and evil place.
magicacat's review against another edition
2.0
I think I need to accept that I just don't like Straub's writing style.
This is an oddly disjointed mix of horror and crime and mystery that I honestly plodded through because it mostly failed to hold my interest.
Tim Underhill might be a master storyteller, unfortunately, in my opinion, Peter Straub just... isn't.
Nevertheless, two stars for a decent story - but the presentation needs work.
This is an oddly disjointed mix of horror and crime and mystery that I honestly plodded through because it mostly failed to hold my interest.
Tim Underhill might be a master storyteller, unfortunately, in my opinion, Peter Straub just... isn't.
Nevertheless, two stars for a decent story - but the presentation needs work.