House of Bones (Hardcover)

by Graham Masterton (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Masterton’s latest horror novel features a young man, John, who’s just starting out in a new job at the real-estate agency run by the mysterious (and somewhat cadaverous) Mr. Vane. When John makes the rookie mistake of lending a potential customer the key to one of the houses on Mr. Vane’s “special list,” he tries to make amends and stumbles on a horrible secret about the house. As always, Masterton puts realistic, carefully drawn characters into bizarre, otherworldly situations and lets us watch what happens to them. This novel is lighter than most of his work but just as suspenseful and just as frightening. --David Pitt

Review
Masterton, the prolific author of over 70 books, has written yet another satisfying work of horror structured as a traditional mystery, emphasizing character and featuring organized spirits. A London youth is employed by an estate agency owned by Mr. Vane, a strange fellow whose personal accounts are forbidden to employees. On the newcomer's first day at work, the young man ignorantly visits one of these properties, where his fellow employee is pulled bodily into a brick wall by a mysterious force. This is followed by other disappearances in other residences, puzzling estate employees and the police until a number of skeletons are discovered behind a wall in a property undergoing demolition. The accessible vocabulary and splendid flow are great strengths and typical of Masterton's style, as are the contemporary young characters. Granted a smidgen of suspension of disbelief, even the horror of being pursued by a statue may be believable. The generous type size (typical of Severn House titles) may be appreciated by readers of any age. Recommended for all libraries. --Library Journal, 15th October 2008

Young estate agent John knows something is wrong from his first day on the job at Blight, Simpson, and Vane. Co-workers Lucy, Liam and Courtney seem a bit standoffish, and Mr. Cleat, his supervisor, is a pain. But the most mysterious is old Mr. Vane, who has a "special list" of properties that no one else is allowed to show, much less sell. Poor John, who'd much rather be practicing with his rock band, finds out about the special list the hard way. Left alone in the office, he lends the key to one of the properties to an insistent client. When that client disappears, he goes to the spooky old house to investigate and finds the man's distinctive wedding ring...and nothing more. What follows is as fast-paced as a good campfire story, and even less plausible. Jolly Liam is the next victim, killed in a truly horrifying fashion that makes real estate seem like the devil's work. When John and Lucy begin to investigate, they uncover nightmarish pieces of evidence, such as the child's skull half-buried in a wall, that make this a searing narrative. --Kirkus Reviews, 1st October 2008

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 236 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Publishers (October 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0727866680
• ISBN-13: 978-0727866684
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #503,854 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Fell flat, March 10, 2009

By	Mo "Un-Mainstream Mom Reads" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews

A house being demolished is found to have over fifty skeletons hidden in the walls. A young man, John, starts work at an estate agency and mistakenly gives a house key to a prospective client. However that house was special and off-limits. Mr. Vane, the owner of the agency, has a list of houses that only he personally sells, but John didn't know that at the time. When his error is discovered, the office manager races after the client, but John and his coworkers have no idea why it's such a big deal.

Later that evening, John sees on the news that the client has gone missing. John and a coworker go to the house and find the man's wedding ring. They put two and two together with the skeleton house, and search out all of Mr. Vane's properties. One of John's coworkers gets sucked into the wall of a house, a wooden statue stalks John, and he keeps hearing creepy noises in the houses. Together with his coworkers, John will discover the secret behind the hungry walls, and try to prevent more deaths.

House of Bones was average and unimpressive. It was 236 pages of large type, and seemed underdeveloped. It could have been much better, but it came across as a rush job. Not only that, it really wasn't scary, so for a horror book, that's the kiss of death.

However, I can recommend some good Graham Masterton books: Trauma, The 5th Witch, Edgewise.

4.0 out of 5 stars More like a "young adult" book than usual., July 4, 2009

By	Horror Nut "Minion of Drew Goddard" (Philadelphia) - See all my reviews

This was actually a pretty good book, but I'm glad I didn't pay the cover price for it.

It reads a bit like a young adult version of WALKERS, which is a better book but out of print. (They both deal with ley lines and people moving through walls.)

It's a quick read and worth checking out of the library, but if you're going to buy a Masterton book, many of his books are both better and cheaper. Edgewise, Prey, Master of Lies, and The Manitou are all very good.

His latest U.S. paperback, "Death Mask", is also pretty good but much more violent and less suitable for younger teens than "House of Bones." (I actually read the hardcover of Death Mask, which had a different title, "The Painted Man.")