Masterton is a master of mood and setting, and here he perfectly captures the air of an English summer on the Isle of Wight, in the midst of which stands Fortyfoot House with all it's menace...

The evil presence of a being known popularly to locals as Brown Jenkin, part giant rat, part human, scurries through the walls of the house, twittering and calling in the darkness. Strange lights and sounds come from the attic at night. Why did so many children die in the space of a few days at Fortyfoot House in November 1886? Why is the roof constructed in such a bizarre fashion, so that it's angles appear...impossible?

Masterton has drawn heavily from the Cthulhu Mythos originated by classic writer H. P. Lovecraft for this story. At first I was dismayed that he did this, as I am thoroughly versed in the original canon. My fear was that he would take such liberties as to ruin my enjoyment of this book, despite being such a Masterton fan. However, with reflection I do not see it as a problem at all. Sure, he has taken huge liberties with Cthulhu Mythos lore, but why not? Too many people are too precious about it. Besides, the constant addition and taking of liberties only serve to enhance and contribute further to the cycle. While this novel is certainly fringe-Mythos, it is still a fantastic read. And you cannot ask for more than that.

With plenty of gory detail to satisfy without overpowering you, Masterton has written another great horror tale. A classic horror page turner.

The Buchanan girls lose their little sister, Peggy, to the frozen lake behind their woodland house during WWII. In the years to follow, little Peg pays them several visits - and chills people they know to death. She isn't their little sister anymore, but a creature out of their collective imagination somehow freed and made real by the circumstances of Peg's drowning, and her/its continued presence in the Buchanan sister's lives is that of an unwelcome guardian angel. Until they exorcize it, it will kill those around them - friends and family, as well as enemies.

Masterton writes Americana better than most Americans - and he's a subject of the United Kingdom. His novel is epic and involving, following the Buchanan sisters from WWII to the 1960s (and beyond, in epilogue). His characters are well-drawn, complex and interesting. The texture of this novel is rich.

The central premise is hard to swallow, even from someone as gifted and experienced as Masterton admittedly is at selling the impossible. The ending of the book is too abrupt, and not all that satisfying.

But the read itself is terrific. Spirit is not Masterton's best novel, but it's overall a worthwhile foray into the supernatural.

'Spirit' is the epic story of the Buchanan family beginning in 1940's Connecticut. The real focus of the story is on Elizabeth and Laura Buchanan and their little sister Peggy. When we meet the family the three sisters are very young, spending their days lost in worlds of childish imagination. The sisters' favorite story is Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Snow Queen,' and the three occasionally act out parts of the tale for their own amusement, especially young Peggy. But then tragedy strikes when Peggy accidentally falls through ice and drowns in the family swimming pool. Her death causes the Buchanan family to slowly disintegrate, leading to premature aging for the father and a nervous breakdown with intermittent stays in a mental facility for the mother. Elizabeth and Laura grow up and try to do the best they can with their lives, but the death of Peggy casts a permanent shadow over everyone's life. For most people who lose a member of the family, life does go on after such a sad incident, but not for the Buchanans.

The problem comes when Elizabeth and Laura realize that Peggy hasn't gone gently into the good night. She returns as a spirit, a pale white shade dedicated to protecting her sisters from even the slightest dangers in life. When Laura has an improper relationship with the local preacher, Peggy is there to help clean up the mess in a particularly gruesome way. For over a decade, Peggy always shows up to deliver death, usually by using extreme cold as a weapon, to those who pose a threat to her sisters. It gets to the point where the two sisters feel they cannot even have a disagreement with another person without putting someone in harm's way. Then Elizabeth and Laura discover why Peggy acts in such an egregious manner. Peggy's actions in life, namely her imagination, have led to her return after death. After Elizabeth lives through an encounter with a terrifying creature invoked by Peggy, she knows she has to do something to get rid of her dead sister's influence.

'Spirit' is a deeply atmospheric story loaded with pop culture references, great character development, and a great idea about why ghosts exist. There are also extremely touchy examinations of taboo subjects and great gore sequences (imagine the consequences of a body exposed to temperatures of 200 degrees below zero). The conclusion to the story, while seemingly rushed to some extent and not all that interesting, is not a happy, 'we beat the monster!' ending. The sense of profound loss Elizabeth experiences in the end is only the final loss among many throughout the story. That may be the real theme of the story: loss and how we as living beings deal with it (or don't deal with it, as the case may be).

A word to the wary: this book deals with very adult themes described in graphic detail. There is pederasty and a brutal rape scene that is sure to upset even the most jaded readers. Fortunately, these sickening scenes are not inserted into the story for mere sensationalism, but actually do add dimension to the Laura Buchanan character. At the same time, it also highlights a potential problem with the story. Elizabeth and Laura both pontificate on how they wish Peggy would leave them alone and let them take risks and decide how to live their own lives. With the descriptions of Laura's misfortunes, it is obvious that this girl does not know how to live her life. In fact, without the ultimate intervention of Peggy, Laura probably would have been in a world of hurt far beyond learning lessons about life. Despite this and a few other problems with 'Spirit,' this Masterton book is highly readable and absolutely worth the day or two it takes to get through it.

The premise of the story was a little unbelievable, but in Masterton's deft hand, it takes on a life of its own. This is a ghost that is completely different than most you read about and probably more frightening. This reminds me of horror novels from the earlier part of the century being that it doesn't rely on shock value and sex to make the plot work. It takes place in the forties and fifties and the era is perfectly drawn here. There is a sense of innocence and loss as it spans before WWII and after when things began to change. Reading this book made me almost long for the days before I was born. This one is atmospheric as well as beautifully written.

If you like good horror, this book is for you. A wonderful novel!

Having said that, Masterton does write a very good horror story, and "Trauma" is no exception. We're sympathetic with the downtrodden and frustrated protagonist, and we can completely empathise with her situation. The storyline is a very effective study on the horror we sometimes bring upon ourselves, and there's just enough gore to satisfy the demon in us all.

3 stars, as I would have actually liked the story to be longer!

Bonnie is a tired mother and wife who works two jobs to support her family. By day, she sells cosmetics and by night, she works with her crime scene clean up crew. You see, when someone dies a horrible death, the police will not clean the mess that is left behind. It's up to people like Bonnie to clean up whatever is left at the crime scene once the body has been removed.

But as the days crawl by, as Bonnie gets more and more confused by her failing marriage, her abusive husband and her strange and slightly distrubed son, and as the things she sees at the crime scenes she is supposed to clean up get weirder and weirder, Bonnie will slowly began her tumble down into dementia.

Masterton found the perfect form to tell his story. The chapters are short and often straight to the point. The descriptions are sparse though he gives the reader just enough to sends shivers down their spines. By the time the climax comes by, you can't be sure if Bonnie is really insane or if what is sees and feels is actually real.

I really enjoyed this novel. It can be quite gruesome at time, but the gore never takes over the psychological suspense. The only problem I have with this book is that I wanted more. It's very short, though I don't think that having any more would have made the book any better. It's quite thrilling and intriguing as it is. Masterton proves once and for all that he is one of the most underrated voice in horror ficiton.

Oh, his writing style is still the same - it's just not as scary as is his wont.

To me, King lost his ability to tell a good horror story, beginning with "Thinner". They all started reading more like regular fiction than horror. "The House that Jack Built" actually made me feel scared when I read it at late night, in bed. I'm very concerned that Masterton may be losing his touch as I've seen happen to good horror writers. I'm also pretty disappointed because I've been waiting for a sequel to "Night Warriors" (can't remember if that's the right title) so I can see what happened to that baby born of a Night warrior and a demon. It floated away at the very end...

"Lord Denman is stunded when informed that his fiancee is dead. The circumstances are grotesque: she calmly immolated herself in a parking lot ... and smiled as the flames leaped up. Celia's is just the first bizarre death by fire. A busload of people bursts into flames in the desert. The passengers die .... calmly, waiting for the fire to reach them.

Celia and the passengers have become Salamanders - immortal beings, fire made flesh. Followers of a cult whose rituals were set to music by Richard Wagner, they have sworn to serve Otto Mander and the fourth Reich he intends to found"

I just could not put this one down. I could not go to sleep till i read it cover to cover.