Rather, it's a suspenseful tale with more than the usual measure of humanity. It's suspenseful and character-driven, and both aspects of the novel are equally absorbing.
Tor has unfortunately let this one go out of print; hopefully, it's on their short list for reintroduction to the market. In the meantime, this is one worth keeping your eyes open for in used bookstores and online catalogues.

As I read this book, I couldn't help but think that with the title.. McKain would've turned up in more books, yet he never did. But this Lancaster, PA based Private I is as entertaining as many others in a similar genre. It's a very interesting tale with a well thoughtout plot line. There's a subplot with a marriage falling apart which doesn't seem to work as well as the general plot-line, yet it was interesting to read.. Almost two tales in one.

In conclusion, anyone who has lived or been interested in Lacaster County culture OR who likes a good private eye tale will be amused, entertained and captivated.

Of this excellent book! They complain that the ghosts don't do anything, that the book focuses on how people react to them... But this is exactly the point! Any great fiction utilizes a device such as ghosts to give us a mirror with which to see ourselves a bit more clearly. That is exactly what Williamson does in Ash Wednesday. The ghosts aren't just spirits of the dead, they represent all of the past sins committed by the people of the town, and serve to remind them that no matter how deeply the past may appear to be buried, a day of reckoning will come for them.

chet williamson is one of the most underated of all horror authors. the review i read online does not understand one of the most powerful concepts of horror fiction: mystery. williamsons depictions of ghosts that don't move or speak let's us use our most powerful device for trancendental horrific experiences: the power of IMAGINATION. highly recommended.

I read this book close to 10 years ago, and it still pops up in conversations dealing with horror novels I have enjoyed. This book isn't a cheap thrill, run-of-the-mill slasher book like countless others that have driven the horror fiction industry to the brink of death. This novel brings the concept of horror to its' true home. The human heart and soul. The fact that the apparitions are not animated in any way forces the characters as WELL as the readers to examine themselves in a way many might not find so comfortable. You dont need a scaly monster or a knife weilding maniac to instill fear, or to haunt. Sometimes, all you need is a clear view into the depths of the human soul. There is where the real horror lives.

I really don't know what the other reviewers are talking about, as I had the distinct feeling I had read this book about a dozen times. Adam is interesting, the two "heroes" are not. The good doctor has some interesting points, but rather than expand upon them the author sort of drifts about between the monster and the doctor telling their tale intersprsed with the action. Thus the book starts out in third person, goes to first, then back to third, and then back to first, then back to third. It makes for disjointed reading. The 2 necromancers are boring. This book is not distinctive enough to set it apart from its source material. Mordenhiem is not particularly evil either, he is more indifferent than he is evil. His biggest crime is being self absorbed. Check out the original tale, skip this version.

If you like traditional horror stories and fantasy novels, this is a great read. Williamson expands on the Frankenstein plot and even works in a lot of the philosophy of the Shelley novel, but you never feel like you are reading the same book.

New additions to the legend include werewolves, gypsies, flesh golems, and Jack London-type treks across dangerous plains of ice.

A great book is one you don't want to put down, long after you should have been asleep. This is such a book!

Ravenloft has done it again: taken an old story and made it better. This time, the victim is Frankenstein, though the way this one resolves itself is quite different than your grandfather's walking behemoth. Adam- the flesh golem (the best term to describe Frankenstein's monster in RL) Darklord of Lamordia -is the villain (sort of) in this tale, though it is his creator, Dr. Victor Mordenheim, whom I saw as the true Evil and more deserving of the curse than Adam.

Perhaps the best thing about the book, though, was the fact that it takes place far after the inception of Lamordia, but doesn't leave you guessing. At no less than three points in the book do you receive an account of past times that dictated the final outcome, two of them being the same story, only from two greatly different vantage points. The best part about it, though, is that all three are told in first person, without any quotes, chapter by chapter, but as part of the storyline- which is, other than these instances, in complete third person.

The characters were fantastic, and though it took more than half the book for him to arrive, the true masterwork in this novel was Ivan Dragonov, the loup-garou ranger. Williamson did a fine job, too, with the use of firearms (which do exist in Lamordia) and the Vistani, especially their wrath upon an unwitting, unwilling servant.

So, to finish my rambling, Mordenheim is an excellent read and a fine novel. I say cheers to it, and cannot wait for another book by the author.