The Ghosts of Sleath
Veteran horror writer James Herbert brings back the protagonist ofHauntedto  investigate psychic disturbances in a picturesque village in the Lake District of England. It's an interesting mishmash of a novel--not entirely successful, but enjoyable all the same. Herbert's penchant for gorgeously visceral carnage unfortunately clashes with his equally skilled ability to create a subtle mood of supernatural terror. And he throws way too many ingredients into the stew: family secrets, rape, infanticide, necrophilia, the "Black Arts," a moldering mansion, a sinister yellow fog, drowning children, poltergeist pranks, a haunted painting, a tormented vicar, a neglectful doctor, even an evil knight. Yet, asNecrofile: The Review of Horror Fictionreports, "None of these  flaws are fatal. These days, making a classic ghost story work at  all--let alone on the scale ofThe  Ghosts of Sleath--requires a daunting level of craft, control, and consistency....  Many of the novel's supernatural elements ... evoke the requisite chills."--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.