Tuesday, October 13, 2009

"Nick Mason thought it ironic that he had always been so skilled at the covert aspect of the craft."

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.

6 comments:

  1. glad to hear this was enjoyable.. it may well be my next read for RIP!

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  2. just 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!

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  3. Deslily - I hope you like it!

    J.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. ;)

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  4. You just love you the scary books don't you? : )

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  5. Your RIP challenge is causing issues on my Wish List!!! Another one added!! Love the sign off this time too!! :)

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  6. Jenners - I admit it! I do!

    Tif - Sorry. :) I hope you like this one!

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