I could cope with some of this if the book was actually frightening. It is not. The plot is ridiculous and for me not in the least bit scary. The sexual references I found to be out of place and verging on the weird. They add nothing to the plot. Etchison, Dennis, ed. (1991a). Masters of Darkness III. New York City: Tor Books. ISBN 978-0-8125-1766-8. a b Schudel, Matt (22 March 2013). "James Herbert, Britain's Stephen King, dies at 69". The Washington Post . Retrieved 24 March 2013. Gabe Caleigh is an Engineer. He is working on a project in the area and has brought his family down to the small, Devonshire, town of Hollow Bay to save himself a daily commute from London. He also thinks that it will do his family good to get away from the city. They need some time away, to heal. A year ago, Gabe’s young son Cam went missing and there is slim chance of the little fellow being found alive. It’s been too long now and the police offer little hope. Gabe’s wife Eve still has her hopes though and believes that her son is still alive. Somewhere.

Yes, we have the annoying dog Chester who senses something is wrong with old house, but otherwise I felt no building sense of mystery or of approaching unknowable horror. Instead, what I got was a stereotypical baddie ghost wielding a whip. The content of child abuse is disturbing, but the book as a whole does not provide the transcending experience that a good horror novel provides. The end was flashy but not satisfying, and by that point I didn't have a whole lot invested in the characters or story anyway. In fact, the character choices were a bit unrealistic and caused enough frustration to take me out of the story. In the house Eve hears her missing son’s voice for the first time in a year. He says he is alive and the children can tell her where he is. After Loren suffers a terrifyingly real nightmare where she gets whipped by the man with the cane, Gabe wants them all to leave, but Eve can’t bear to abandon her son. He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide. The characters are great and more to the point, believable. Throughout the book I was left there thinking, I DO THAT, notably the part where Eve mimics the tea drinking to Percy when offering him a cup.The following morning Nancy arrives at the house and is greeted by Maurice at the front door. On entering, Magda asks her to remove her shoes as they create too much noise. The children's shoes are lined up in the entrance hall... Williamson, J.N., ed. (1987). Masques II: All-New Stories of Horror and the Supernatural. Baltimore: Maclay & Assoc. ISBN 978-0-940776-24-1.

Sadly James Herbert passed away a few months ago (March 2013), so this review is intended to be something of a tribute. Thanks to his prolificacy while I have read many books by him there are still many that I have yet to read. The series closes on a bittersweet note. The truth is finally out, and all the ghosts except Augustus move into the beyond. Cam's parents are relieved to learn that Stefan led a happy life after escaping the orphanage. They bury Cam in the plot next to Stefan's, and the program closes with them laying flowers on both their graves. Eve and Gabe explore the cellar and discover a deep well, while Loren and Cally are washing-up in the kitchen. They are startled by a man peering in through the window. Cally runs to the top of the basement steps and calls Eve who runs up to investigate. He is now sitting in the kitchen with Loren and he reveals that he is Percy Judd and he once worked at this house. Clyde is barking outside and Eve asks whether dogs are allowed. Percy replies in the negative but he will keep quiet about the dog as long as the children stay out of the cellar. Williamson, J.N., ed. (1988). The Best of Masques. New York City: Berkley Books. ISBN 978-0-425-10693-8. Cabell, Craig (2003). James Herbert: Devil in the Dark. United Kingdom: John Blake Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84358-059-1.Francis, Clare; Upton, Ondine, eds. (1996). A Feast of Stories. London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-0-333-65340-1.