“We don’t want to live like this, but we don’t want to die”
- Book: The House Of A Hundred Whispers
- Location: Dartmoor
- Author: Graham Masterton
Wow! I haven’t read a Graham Masterton book for many years and I had forgotten just how good his horror stories were and how they had the power to scare me witless!
He definitely hasn’t lost his touch and wields an experienced hand at penning a gripping, unconventional and unique plot, set in real life places which I could relate to, and which kept me engaged from the very first page to that final word .. or is it the final word in this terrifying journey? .. I’ll let you decide that for yourself, although I have a really bad feeling about everything!
Executed with total authority and confidence, Graham is totally in control of this complex, intense story from start to finish, cranking up the tension at just the right time to create an atmosphere of constant fear and suspense. Skilled in the imagery of words, Graham also evokes the sheer darkness and brooding of the Dartmoor landscape in the terrible weather conditions which prevail throughout the course of events, and believe me, this just isn’t the place you would want to be, let alone stuck in a remote crumbling heap of a house, which affords no protection, only engenders fear and a desperate longing to escape, but from what and to where?
This intense, multi-layered, well constructed story has a core plot which is supported by many other strands that play out in the background, so you really need to be on your toes to keep up with everything, until they are expertly and seamlessly drawn together in the heart-in-mouth, do or die, finale.
Graham only hints at this mind numbing storyline, so, to avoid giving away any major ‘spoilers’, I have searched for the best way to give you the ‘heads up’ about events, here goes! .. Take a ‘mash-up’ of Carrie, The Exorcist and Poltergeist; throw in some 17th century religious wars and a dollop of 20th century fraud and kidnapping; stir in a 21st century witch, wizard and priest; season liberally with folklore, myth and legend; and top off with a family driven mad and at the end of its collective tether, who are prepared to go to any lengths to break the spell .. Oh! and somewhere along the way, work out the conundrum of exactly how a ‘ghost’ has sex with a human, who then bears their child!! .. and voila there you have it! Meanwhile, the body count mounts at an alarming rate and is recorded in all too vivid colour and detail, definitely not for the squeamish, or just before a meal!
The storyline was quite equally character and plot driven, although what began as a small cast, quickly grew into a sprawling profusion of humanity, not all of it palatable or pleasant and all seemingly with their own agendas. Even the instigator of the events which drew everyone and everything together in the first place, sounded most disagreeable and unlikable – and he was already dead! Despite the fact they were well drawn and defined by the author, nothing really drew me to any one of these multi-faceted and complex characters in particular and there was little connection or empathy with their collective plight, although I may not have relished being in Rob’s shoes, and might even have felt a little sorry for him, after he made a discovery which I rather think he wished he hadn’t!
Definitely one to be read in daylight hours and not if you are on your own in the house!
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