If you've read the reviews on this website before, you'll know we're die-hard fans (no pun intended) of Graham Masterton. Masterton is grossly overlooked and definitely deserves the title "King of Horror" more than Stephen King. Don't believe me? Just give his novels a try. Start out with Feast (review here: Dreamworld Book Reviews - Feast), THEN think about challenging this statement. Graham Masterton is also extremely prolific, so you'll find a horror novel that covers just about every nightmare you've ever had.House of Bones originally came out in 1998 but was re-packaged in 2008 with Severn House. The novel is about a young realtor named John who discovers that the office manager, Mr. Vane, is in charge of several spooky houses with walls that seem to "eat" people. Bones -- both new and old -- are found mysteriously behind the walls of these houses and people who view the properties are disappearing. When John witnesses a colleague undergo a horrifying, freakish death, he heroically begins to investigate with intentions of putting these nasty "house demons" to rest.Graham Masterton is such a master storyteller. No matter how ridiculous the premise of his novels may seem at first, you'll enjoy yourself regardless. With a people-eating house and a murderous, marble statue that comes to life in House of Bones, you'll truly shiver with disgust and horror while devouring this book. Masterton also weaves in some ley-line history which really adds to the overall creepy effect of House of Bones.The novel is engrossing, but really short. I love Masterton's dark humor, classic style and of course the doomed, unhappy endings. What more could you want from a true horror novel? Fans of this genre will really enjoy it -- although if you're a true horror fan, I'm sure you're already enjoying works by Graham Masterton.In addition to Feast (AKA Ritual 1988), my other favorite novels by Masterton include Prey(1992), Master of Lies (AKA Black Angel 1991), and Death Mask (2009).Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.
This is the first Graham Masterton book that I have read. The story centres around a teenager called John. He gets a job in an Estate Agents because his family need help to pay the bills. On his very first day he makes a mistake. It is a mistake that leads him to discover that things are not what they seem at his workplace. When I started this book I was really intrigued and could not wait to discover what may happen next. The story gets strange very quickly and although I still wanted to find out what happened at the end of the book, the middle part just did not hold my attention. This book is aimed at a younger audience than me which is one of the reasons I chose this book. I get scared very easily and thought that this book would be okay for me to read at night. I was right, this book did not scare me at all.
What do You think about House Of Bones (1998)?
This book, GRABS you and pulls you right in on the first page. This was a quick fast paced read. I had it done in 3 days and loved all of it. It is mysterious from every angle, lots of facts from the past and just things to really make you think. Wow could this REALLY HAPPEN? What a fantastic read. I gave this 5 stars for its story line, for its excellent writing, and holding my attention for the whole book! I loved that when someone in the book told someone else about what had already happened that the author didn't write what already happened yet again. I have seen that in alot of books and this author says it all perfectly. There were just enough characters and a ton of SPARKS!!! A must read. This was my second book to read from this author and I loved the first "WALKERS" I just picked up "SWIMMER" by the same author. Look out! Keep reading!
—Heather
When working within horror genre (and I specify this because I didn't really didn't care for his latest environmental thriller) Masterton really brings the goods. Even with this horror lite or possibly YA novel of his, it's still very good entertainment. John tries to be a responsible young man, getting a promising employment at 18, but first jobs can really be a killer, especially when dealing with hungry (literally) hungry houses. One of the best things about Masterton's horror is that always solid backstory and this one doesn't disappoint either with some heavy Druidic lore. This book is very pun friendly, so at the very least...it's all about location, location, location. Lot of fun and a very quick read, only a couple hours.
—Bandit
