Halloweenland [Hardcover]

Al Sarrantonio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2009

Halloweenland by Al Sarrantonio A new full-length Orangefield Halloween novel from Al Sarrantonio! On a fallow pumpkin patch a carnival springs to life, bringing Death in its wake... In Orangefield, Halloween is never normal, and this year is no exception. For this year, Orangefield, already the pumpkin capital of the world, is the new home to Halloweenland, a holiday carnival extraordinaire run by the mysterious Mr. Dickens. Orangefield is also the home of Detective Bill Grant, who has seen it all, and who is on the track of a strange little girl who holds the fate of the Universe in her hands. The trail will lead from Orangefield to Ireland, the ancient home of Samhain, Lord of the Dead, and back to Halloweenland-where, on what may be the last Halloween ever, the ultimate confrontation between Death and Life will take place. And where Detective Grant, in the end, will find the strangest of allies... Reviews and Praise: "Cemetery Dance's signed, limited hardcover edition of the final chapter in Sarrantonio's Orangefield odyssey, 'Halloweenland', is a worthy addition to any collector's stash. Hardcover, artistic interior design, the stirring art of Alan M. Clark gracing the cover, it's an attractive piece, indeed... Sarrantonio paints portraits with words and imagery as well as anyone writing today. 'Halloweenland' pays a worthy homage to a season loved by many." - Shroud Magazine "No wordsmith since Ray Bradbury has crafted vivid pictures of the autumnal season quite like Al Sarrantonio" - Horror Reader Exclusive Review

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Cemetery Dance Publications; 1ST edition (2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158767176X
• ISBN-13: 978-1587671760
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,370,045 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FAST MOVING HALLOWEEN THRILLER, October 9, 2007

By 

Possum-Bread (Pasadena, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Halloweenland (Mass Market Paperback)

If you're looking for a fun paperback to read while handing out candy to the neighborhood kids on Halloween night, get this book. Al Sarrantonio cut his teeth on short stories that progress quickly and this novel is no different. It is fast-moving and entertaining.

The characters are well developed and the action bounces from place to place following a disgraced ex-cop tracking "Samhain", the death spirit of Halloween. I found the washed out cop a symathetic character. Oddly enough, I even began to empathize with Samhain by the end of the story.

There is no gore or sex. The language is adult, but mild. I recommend this as a good book for teenage fans of horror, as well as adults looking for a good, scary Halloween story to put you in the holiday mood.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Quick Halloween Read., November 24, 2007

By 

tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Halloweenland (Mass Market Paperback)

Detective Bill Grant has seen a lot of strange events (weird s**t as he calls it) over the years as a police officer in Orangefield N.Y. , the Halloween capital of America. It's enough to drive a sane man crazy or at least drive one to drink. Detective Grant hopes that Halloween this year will be relatively peaceful and free from any supernatural events. But this is Orangefield. Nothing is ever normal around Halloween. A few weeks before Halloween Jack Carlin is killed in a hit and run accident. After being notified of the time of his death, his wife, Marianne, claims that is impossible because Jack came home and made love to her an hour after he was supposed to have been dead. Samhain sightings, a mysterious pregnancy, harassing phone calls, and the bizarre death of one of Jack Carlin's best friends keep Detective Grant busy as he tries to figure out what Samhain, the Lord of Death, is doing this time around in Orangefield.

HALLOWEENLAND is not the first story set in Orangefield that features Det. Bill Grant. I was unaware of the previous stories while reading the book. That lack of knowledge did not take anything away from my enjoyment of the book nor did it hinder my understanding of the story. However, I think if someone has already read the previous stories with Det. Grant, they will probably have a deeper appreciation of the novel (for instance, characters from previous stories make appearances). The book moves at a fast pace and is very easy to read. I could have read the novel in one day, but because of a busy schedule took about three days to read it through. I did have a few minor qualms about some of the spiritual elements of the book, yet I found HALLOWEENLAND to be a fairly entertaining novel anyway. Overall, it is an average Halloween suspense yarn.

The collection also includes the novella, "The Baby". "The Baby" is basically the first part of HALLOWEENLAND, but with a completely different ending.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Halloween Season Read, October 18, 2007

By 

Chad Harry - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Halloweenland (Mass Market Paperback)

This guy is probably the closest thing to a new age Ray Bradbury, especially when it comes to describing the Halloween season. You can basically smell and taste the scenery he describes. A great and quick fun read.