After a slow start where I considered setting the book aside, I eventually got wrapped up in the mystery and tragedy of F.G. Cottam's The House of Lost Souls. Though this wasn't a perfect book, it was an acceptable October read.
Paul Seaton is the only man who can help a trio of college students who are psychologically damaged after visiting a house where unspeakable evil lives -- because he is the only one to have defeated that evil once before. This is a story that visits the past -- the 1920s when a group of people gathered on the Isle of Wight at Fischer House for nefarious purposes under the watchful eye of real-life character Aleister Crowley. One of these people is the female photographer Pandora Gibson-Hoare. In the 1980's, Paul Seaton's girlfriend is a fashion student who wants to research Gibson-Hoare but has run out of time. Paul, as a journalist, steps in to help and precipitates an unbelievable chain of events. When Paul is approached years later to help the young women-- who are all now endangered after their trip to the Fischer house --he decides that this is a chance to help and to exorcise his own demons.
This was obviously another R.I.P. Challenge read. It was a good choice with more than enough ghosts and evil to tide one over for an entire season. Strangely, this wasn't as traumatic a book as I thought it would be. I tend to avoid plots that are strongly based in the evil that men do. While I feel rather safe from ghosts, vampires and magic, evil men exist and can be found anywhere. So I don't find a lot of entertainment in reading about murderers, sadists and other violent people. However, this book was much more about choices and consequences and this was a good balance for me. Some of the writing was a bit awkward and the book could have used more editing but it was a pretty solid horror/paranormal read.
Sticks and stones and vindictive ghosts may break my bones,
K
Support our site and buy The House of Lost Souls on Amazon or find it at your local library. We borrowed this book from the library.
glad to hear this was enjoyable.. it may well be my next read for RIP!
ReplyDeletejust how many books are you reading for the RIP Challenge? I mean, I know that Gothic Lit is your thing and all, but man...that's a lot of peril you've been imbibing!
ReplyDeleteDeslily - I hope you like it!
ReplyDeleteJ.T. - Haha! You should see my TBR piles and library list ... I'm barely making a dent in this genre of book. And I guarantee another half dozen or so RIP reads before the end of October (I've done 8 RIP posts so far). I'm trying to see if Carl will give me a prize for most ridiculous number of RIP reads. ;)
You just love you the scary books don't you? : )
ReplyDeleteYour RIP challenge is causing issues on my Wish List!!! Another one added!! Love the sign off this time too!! :)
ReplyDeleteJenners - I admit it! I do!
ReplyDeleteTif - Sorry. :) I hope you like this one!