House of Bones (Point Horror Unleashed) - Softcover

Masterson, Graham

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0590196820 ISBN 13: 9780590196826

Publisher: Scholastic Children, 1998

Synopsis

No one lives for very long in the houses they buy from Mr Vane. Neighbours complain of noises that chill the blood, and then deathly silence. Maybe the occupants have moved away. But then maybe they haven't... John has just joined Mr Vane's estate agency. He thinks houses are for living in happily-ever-after. He has no idea about the hidden forces inside Mr Vane's properties, nor about their strange appetites. But he's about to find out...

About this title

About the Author

GRAHAM MASTERTON was born in Edinburgh in 1946. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair. At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with the wildly popular The Manitou in 1976. Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers and horror, to disaster novels and historical sagas, as well as four short story collections. He and his wife Wiescka live in Surrey, England.

Review

Young estate agent John knows something is wrong from his first day on the job at Blight, Simpson, and Vane. Co-workers Lucy, Liam and Courtney seem a bit standoffish, and Mr. Cleat, his supervisor, is a pain. But the most mysterious is old Mr. Vane, who has a "special list" of properties that no one else is allowed to show, much less sell. Poor John, who'd much rather be practicing with his rock band, finds out about the special list the hard way. Left alone in the office, he lends the key to one of the properties to an insistent client. When that client disappears, he goes to the spooky old house to investigate and finds the man's distinctive wedding ring...and nothing more. What follows is as fast-paced as a good campfire story, and even less plausible. Jolly Liam is the next victim, killed in a truly horrifying fashion that makes real estate seem like the devil's work. When John and Lucy begin to investigate, they uncover nightmarish pieces of evidence, such as the child's skull half-buried in a wall, that make this a searing narrative. --Kirkus Reviews, 1st October 2008

Masterton, the prolific author of over 70 books, has written yet another satisfying work of horror structured as a traditional mystery, emphasizing character and featuring organized spirits. A London youth is employed by an estate agency owned by Mr. Vane, a strange fellow whose personal accounts are forbidden to employees. On the newcomer's first day at work, the young man ignorantly visits one of these properties, where his fellow employee is pulled bodily into a brick wall by a mysterious force. This is followed by other disappearances in other residences, puzzling estate employees and the police until a number of skeletons are discovered behind a wall in a property undergoing demolition. The accessible vocabulary and splendid flow are great strengths and typical of Masterton's style, as are the contemporary young characters. Granted a smidgen of suspension of disbelief, even the horror of being pursued by a statue may be believable. The generous type size (typical of Severn House titles) may be appreciated by readers of any age. Recommended for all libraries. --Library Journal, 15th October 2008

Edition details

• Publisher: Scholastic Children
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0590196820
• ISBN 13: 9780590196826
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256