Ash by James Herbert

Readers, there really is no sadder day than when a much anticipated book by a favorite author fails to live up to expectations. In some cases, the anticipation itself is the evildoer. In this case, however, it seemed some completely different person created this book!

I came to James Herbert fairly late for a horror fan. My first of his books was Haunted, the first book to feature David Ash. It was a used bookstore find - in hardcover - and understandably a cherished addition to my book collection (it's in PERFECT condition and I expect will last through many, many rereads for years to come). Haunted was released in 1988 and was followed by a second David Ash book, The Ghosts of Sleath, in 1994. Surely rumors of the third David Ash book began much earlier than 2009, but that was when I first came across them and that's how long I've been anxiously awaiting the release of Ash, which hit shelves today.

If you can picture the dorky happy dance I did when the doorstopper 700-page finished copy of Ash arrived, you'll fall off your chair laughing. But it's true, and I dropped everything to start reading over the weekend.

We were good, me and Ash, up through a little over 1/3 of the book. Then it started to unravel. First the premise:

It's been two years since the events at Sleath and parapsychologist David Ash feels he's finally recovered. So does his boss, Kate McCarrick. It's fortunate really, as the Psychical Research Institute is about to take on a huge case and David is the perfect man for the job. A secret organization called the Inner Court owns a hush, hush facility in Scotland. Comraich Castle is a sanitorium of sorts, a sanctuary for the very wealthy and the very disturbed. The Castle has been experiencing an escalation in the weird and inexplicable and the powers that be are convinced the events are supernatural in origin. Before David can investigate, though, he and the Institute are sworn to secrecy. To break their contract and reveal anything about Comraich would mean harsh monetary repercussions. As such, David is the only investigator to be allowed on the grounds of Comraich. When he arrives, David finds himself completely cut off from the outside world. No communication with Kate or the Institute and no way to leave Comraich until the job is done. And what a job it is! Comraich Castle is surrounded by an air of menace. As David learns more about the history of the castle and the recent events, he becomes convinced that the origins are indeed supernatural. And there's nothing he can do to stop what comes next. 

One of my favorite things about Herbert is his attention to detail in building atmosphere AND his completely gory horror. It makes for hair-raising, stomach clenching reading - a great combination in horror where you more often only get one of the two.

Unfortunately, a lot of Ash is simply repetition. Multiple mentions of the same details (in almost the same wording). And surprisingly what seemed like a lot of contradiction as well. I have to chalk this up to editing and wonder how much time was actually spent on that part of the process.

Another big, big issue here was the romance. A lot of people loathe and hate instalove. I'm not a fan but if it had been the only issue with this book, I might have been more forgiving. If it had been worked in just a bit better, I might have been more forgiving. Instead, David Ash falls instantly in love with Delphine Wyatt as soon as she steps onto the plane he's boarded to travel to Comraich. Yes. That night, they're doing the nasty like it's the end of the world (and it's not -- yet). I get it. David needed to establish a strong emotional connection in a short span of time. He's only supposed to be at Comraich for a week (he says three days) and he's got to want to save someone! But, jeez! There are better ways to go about it.

Maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe it's simply that waiting for three years for a third installment in a series that I've gone ga ga over was too much pressure. Maybe Ash was destined to disappoint me from the get go. Maybe not. If this had been any other author, I'd still have to criticize the same things.

I was ok with the secret hideout for elite criminals. That was fine. I was ok with MOST of the ties to popular British history - I won't go into the one that jumped the shark for me, but yes, there was one that went beyond even my limit. I was ok with David and Kate. I was even ok with the lengthy but unnecessary first explanation of the Inner Court (unnecessary because Kate gets it and then it's reiterated to David. As the reader, we only need it once.). But the other issues I mentioned above combined with all of these things and many more made this a torturous read.

Why?! Why?! This should have been one of my favorites of the year. So sad.

A Horror Great!

Oh, you all know that I'm a huge fan of the horror genre. Not so much all of the trends of the genre, but I'm willing to try just about all of it at some point to see what I might like. I can't explain my fondness except to say that I've loved scary stuff since I was a kid.

A couple years back, poking around a UK site (because they seem to have a much more thriving horror industry than we do these days), I came across James Herbert's then new release, The Secret of Crickley Hall. I absolutely had to have it! Thankfully, it was wonderful and I then added Herbert to my must read list -- where he's stayed since. I've been slowly working my way through his backlist, saving them for "rainy days," so to speak.

According to the web, Herbert has a new book due out next year, but for US folks, Crickley Hall is brand spanking new from Tor this week! I'm so excited about this release that I had to resurrect my 2007 review for you (so you'll all run out and buy it -- or order it):

It's been almost one year since young Cameron Caleigh went missing when his mother fell asleep in the park. One year of hoping, beyond all hope, that he will be found alive. Gabe Caliegh and his family have left their London home and taken up temporary residence in Crickley Hall, a home in the quiet village of Hollow Bay. Here, they hope to recuperate and begin to recover from their loss. Eve immediately dislikes the ugly and foreboding house and insists that they leave. At the request of her husband though, the family decides to give the house a chance. Strange noises from a hall closet and the sound of footsteps in the attic keep the family up all night and they all begin to suffer from violently real nightmares. The Caleighs discover that the house has a terrible and tragic past: In 1943, a great flood swept through the town of Hollow Bay killing sixty-three people. Of these, eleven were orphans sent to Crickley Hall to be cared for during the war. Their caretaker, Augustus Cribben, was a violent and demented man. Now, heavy rains, similar to those that caused the flood of 1943 have started again and the spirits of Crickely Hall have awakened. James Herbert is commonly known as the King of British horror. The title is well deserved and although this particular book has yet to be officially released in the states, it is available in many specialty stores as well as online. This is a great haunted house story that kept the cabin fever at bay during our most recent snowstorm.

I loved this book. I mean loved it! And I can't recommend Herbert enough to folks who are looking for fantastic, atmospheric horror. He's seriously one of the best in the genre.

Happy reading!

Another Rec From My Reading Past

So Saturday I was seriously in the mood for some great horror and my favorite kind right now is the "classic" horror of the 80s and early 90s. I love the style and it's great because I haven't read a lot them -- I was too young. So all them are new to me! The fun thing is that they are reprinting a ton of it right now (and I think it's the right idea because really some of it is super fantastic!).

One of my discoveries was, of course, James Herbert. He's still around and writing away, though I'm not sure when his newest book will be released. It's rumored to be the third David Ash title, so I thought it would be appropriate to do a post on book 2, The Ghosts of Sleath. I'm not sure why this one doesn't get much attention, seeing as how it's creepy and totally amazing, and it's the follow-up to Herbert's Haunted, one of my favorite horror reads ever.

And, I'm forewarning you, but unfortunately the book is out of print in the US (even though Haunted is not). It is, however, still available in the UK, which means that if you're determined (like I would be) you can special order it through various channels, or you can just hunt it down used (so worth it).

Here's some info on the book if I've caught your attention:

Paranormal investigator David Ash returns in this chilling and atmospheric sequel to Haunted. Ash specializes in investigating and disproving paranormal activity, but he is still suffering the ill effects of his investigation three years ago at Edbrook. Still, cynical and slightly too reliant on his flask of vodka, he is one of the best the Psychical Research Institute has on staff. It is with some hesitation that the institute sends David out to the village of Sleath where multiple hauntings have been reported. The local vicar’s daughter has requested the institute’s help after her own father admits to having seen one of the specters. It begins with the death of a local woman’s son. After the funeral she becomes a shut-in unwilling to leave or even admit guests. It’s not that she’s upset by her loss, it’s that she believes her son has been visiting her from beyond the grave. Then, a local teenage girl wakes to find her childhood abuser standing over her in her sleep. The man died in prison not long after being sentenced, though. Something is very wrong in the village of Sleath and it’s David’s job to uncover the dark secrets behind these events. Herbert is great at combining psychological horror with the truly grotesque.

Herbert writes my favorite kind of horror: the kind that sneaks up on you. He's got some amazingly horrifying imagery as well. I think the combination of the quiet horror plus the gore is an effective one for me because the underlying creepiness gives you that hair-raising feeling and then he throws the really gory stuff at you all at once -- kind of like someone jumping out of a closet when you're walking around a quiet house at night and you're already sort of worked up and creeped out. It's the best of both worlds and it allows you to really get into the story knowing that the scary stuff is coming, and being on your toes waiting for it to hit.

I highly recommend any and all of his stuff to anyone looking for a great horror read. As I said, this is the follow-up to Haunted, which you can read more about on here.

Gearing up for Halloween

So, the polydactyl's older sister is helping tonight! Yep, she was chasing the mouse earlier. (The mouse, not a mouse, btw.)

Anyway, seeing as how Halloween is now officially one week away, it's time for me to get down to business. I love Halloween. It's totally selfish, too. I love watching horror movies and I love that there are still a few networks that plan their programming according my taste just this one time of the year. I also love handing out candy. I'll have to find something to do with the dog this year since I think she terrifies children being overprotective of me. Not really sure what instills this sense of dominance over everyone she perceives to be a threat to me, but anywho. 

I cleared my review schedule (not really, it just worked out this way) and am devoting as much of the week as I possibly can to reading horror! Yep. So I thought I'd start you out with what I am reading today (Friday). 

I just started reading James Herbert's The Rats. You know you'll all be Herbert converts by the time I'm done with you. The Rats was Herbert's debut novel and was originally published in 1974. It was adapted for film in 1982 and stars absolutely no one I've ever heard of. Guess it was a smash hit. 

Now, as you might have guessed, The Rats is a book about killer rats. Here's some of the info from the Wikipedia entry on the title. 

"[The Rats] was Herbert's first novel and was notorious for breaking the set boundaries of the horror genre then by including graphic depictions of death and mutilation... It was deemed far to graphic in its portrayals of death and mutilation and that the social commentary regarding the neglect of  London's suburbs was too extremist. However, many consider the novel to be social commentary influenced by Herbert's harsh upbringing in immediate post-war London. The underlying them of the novel is lack of care by government toward the underclass and a lack of reaction to tragedy until it is too late."

Hm, something to think about while you read about rats who have a taste for human flesh!

The Rats is a rather short read at just under 200 pages. The book was reprinted in 1999 and is available through most bookstores (special order of course) and is followed by Lair and Domain (both also still in print). 

Twenty-four of Herbert's works have been printed over the course of his thirty-two years as a published author. I hope for the genre's sake that he has many more years and books ahead of him. 

Not Sick

Congestion gone! Sweet! Took yesterday off. Mike's working crazy long hour lately and he actually had yesterday off, so I decided to take the day off as well. We hung out and went to a movie and went out to eat last night. I'm back now, though.  

Back to books! It's October and I am in the mood for some horror. Last year on a trip to Denver, I discovered this great used bookstore that had some hardcover James Herbert. Herbert, called by some the UK Stephen King, has been in the game since 1974 when his title The Rats was released. In looking into a publishing company that had released another book (not his), I had come across information on Herbert's The Secret of Crickley Hall. I ordered it and waited very impatiently for the import to arrive. You know I really like to read in the rain, and it never rains over here, but we just happened have a pretty bad snowstorm hit and I was reading Crickley in this. Made for great atmosphere and the book was super creepy. So when I found this used bookstore with copies of his hardcovers, I was more than a little excited. Moon is out of print and Haunted is available in paperback, but I like hardcovers when I can get them - I snatched them up without hesitation. 

Now, I am always on the look for new horror, or even new to me horror, and was really excited after reading Crickley to discover that even though a lot of Herbert's work was published in the 80s, many of the books are still readily available. So, knowing this, I had high hopes for Haunted - you know, that it would live up to Crickley and that I would have this hidden treasure trove of horror novels to work my way through. 

Haunted so exceeded my expectations in every possible way. Now, before you run out and buy it (which you all should), you should know that this is a very quiet horror story. Herbert takes his time setting the atmosphere and building the suspense up until the big revelation and the uber creepiness that occurs at the end. I savored every page of this book and honestly wish that I could find more horror like this. If you're a movie fan, think Others. 

Haunted is the first story to feature paranormal investigator David Ash. Ash has been hired by an organization that investigates purported hauntings and such, specifically because he is such a skeptic. His reputation earns him an invitation to Edbrook. Nanny Tess, her niece Christina Mariell, and Christina's brothers Robert and Simon have reported some strange events at the estate and they would like David to investigate. Surprisingly, David himself witnesses the ghost on his very first evening in the home. Of course he believes that there must be a perfectly rational explanation for what he's seen and vows to figure it out. 

I loved it! I loved everything about it! Strangely, in all my years reading horror, my only previous experience with Herbert had been shelving the few new titles that have made their way over here - Once..., Nobody True, and Others (nothing to do with the movie mentioned above). I'm surprised that I haven't heard more about him. I was too young to have been reading him back in the 80s, when the majority of his work came out. I think he's been sadly overlooked by the current horror readers. I've been working my way through his collection somewhat slowly, stretching out the older titles so that I have a Herbert title to read when I'm in the mood for one. Last night I began reading The Ghosts of Sleath, the second book to feature Ash. It's reported that Herbert has planned to pen a third Ash title. He's still writing, though, and I find that each of his books is pretty different from the others. 

So, after all this rambling, if you're looking for a great haunted house story and you like quiet atmospheric reads - slow and steady intense build-up rather than in your face constant gore (which has its place but isn't always what I'm in the mood for), then you should run out and find a copy of Haunted. It is still available on Amazon, and you may be able to find it in used bookstores as well. 

Oh, the horror!

I love horror. I'm usually first in line to buy the new Stephen King (and usually reading it asap). I'm dreadfully far behind this go-around, however. I've had Duma Key sitting in a stack of To Be Reads for quite some time now. In fact, I almost bought the unabridged audio for our trip home last month. I just couldn't justify spending another $60 when I already bought the hardcover!

I sometimes think that if in the literary world romance is the red-headed step child, horror is the kid locked in the basement. It's true. Very few authors in the field get the respect that they deserve in my opinion. King alone should be recognized as one of the greatest authors of our time (again, my opinion). Most recently his son Joe Hill burst onto the scene with an award winning short story collection, Twentieth Century Ghosts, and his Stoker winning Heart Shaped Box. The question among many readers minds, though, is what else is there?

So often people name King, Koontz, and even Saul as their first three picks in the genre. There are so many more out there, though. Dorchester publishes at least two new horror paperbacks a month. Their site is a great place to find new authors. The Horror Writers Association is another great place to find new authors, just look at their yearly Stoker nominations.

I've recently been going back to some of the 80s authors - horror was a different style then than it is now. I love old James Herbert and Clive Barker. I've got all of the Books of Blood sitting on my shelf now in hopes that I'll at least read "Midnight Meat Train" before the movie comes out next month.

Horror today is a crap shoot. I understand why so many people shy away from it. Some of the ones that I've read and enjoyed in recent years include:

The brilliantly fabulous James A. Moore. Moore doesn't pop one out every year, though, and most of his previous ones are out of print. His Serenity Falls trilogy is the most fun I've had in years!

Doug Clegg can be an acquired taste for some. He has some quiet novels, but most are in-your-face gore and lots of shock factor action - something I really don't mind.

Tamara Thorne is fun in a B-movie way. I especially love Moonfall.

Most recently I read Gary Braunbeck's Coffin County and really enjoyed it. I also just finished Sarah Pinborough's Tower Hill. There's an odd trend in the horror titles that I've read lately and I'm not sure exactly why there's such a surge in these titles. It's an almost Needful Things type trend. Pinborough's latest and Braunbeck's title, to an extent, both fall into this category as do Sarah Langan's debut and Stoker nominated The Keeper and Nate Kenyon's Bloodstone. In fact, I found Kenyon and Langan's titles oddly similar and both were nominated for Stokers in the same year.

Some other "new" titles that have been garnering attention are:

Infected by Scott Sigler (gory and fun!)

The Terror by Dan Simmons (historical horror)

The Harrowing by Alexandra Sokoloff (a ghost story with a twist)

Monster Island and 13 Bullets by David Wellington (zombies and vamps, respectively)

Interestingly enough, Wellington and Sigler both gained recognition thanks to their massive online following and both deservedly so.

Of course, there's one other to mention here and that's the upcoming title The Passage by Jordan Ainsley (aka Justin Cronin). Still rumored to be published sometime next year, it's a vamp trilogy that earned Cronin a six-figure deal. I sincerely hope it's worth it.

Anyway, my point is that there is so much out there and like all genres it's hit or miss depending on your own personal taste. Hopefully if you're a horror enthusiast, you'll have found a new author here to try. And, if you're curious, maybe you'll check out one of these authors even if you don't normally read horror.