Prey [Paperback]

Graham Masterton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1992

David Williams takes a job restoring a dilapidated Victorian orphanage on the Isle of Wight and discovers a secret that threatens the whole of human survival.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

First published in the U.K. in 1992, this novel has taken seven years to make it across the Atlantic. One wonders whether it was worth the trip. David, a recently divorced father, and his young son, Danny, move into the deserted Fortyfoot House on the Isle of Wight to spiff it up so the owners can sell it. Originally a Victorian orphanage, the place is known to everyone on the island--except the newcomers--as downright weird. Ratlike scratching in the attic, ghostly appearances, a graveyard full of children who all died within a short period, a ruined chapel with a strange painting and a view back in time, a mysterious photograph that seems to change--Fortyfoot House makes the Overlook Hotel seem benign. David and Danny are conveniently joined by an unexpected houseguest, Liz, a buxom 19-year-old college student who quickly climbs into bed with the 30-something David. With the cast assembled, their living situation becomes threatened when the local rat catcher is gruesomely killed in the attic. Like any responsible father who is in love with a nymphet, David decides it's time to leave. But the rat catcher's son and widow have bashed his car into junk as revenge, so the trio must stay in Fortyfoot House another night. Parallel time dimensions, Lovecraftian mythos, a monstrous rat, slime, pollution, child sacrifice and the fate of the entire human race are all added to the mix. Masterton's vivid writing and over-the-top plot make the novel perversely enjoyable in the same way a B-movie can be so bad that it's good. (Dec.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Severn House Pub Ltd (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0727843419
• ISBN-13: 978-0727843418
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,963,039 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterton Does It Again!, January 7, 2000

By 

Paula S. "Book Diva" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prey (Mass Market Paperback)

David Williams with his young son Danny move into Fortyfoot House, a run down 19th century orphanage in Bonchurch to restore it. He hears scuffling and scratching in the walls and attic that could be a rat and in reality is more like a rat monstrosity. Locally the town has a history of children who disappear, never to be seen again. They are taken where the clock can't find them, taken by this rat/boy creature, Brown Jenkin. He starts to see spirits of people long dead, yet are not dead. He learns the history of the house, which is still happening yesterday, now and tomorrow. The house not only has a sinister past, but an equally sinister present and future. This time travel tale is unsettling, and engrossing. It's an uneasy read. I cannot stress to you enough just how good Masterton is, and if you can only pick up one or two books at a time, let this be on your list.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Return of Brown Jenkin, April 21, 2001

By 

Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Prey (Mass Market Paperback)

David Williams is not having a good year. His wife leaves him and his son, Daniel, for another man, taking most of his money in the process. In his emotional distraction he loses his business. It is only by happenstance that he finds a position restoring Fortyfoot House, a century old deserted orphanage. No sooner does he settle in but he starts hearing spooky scratching and rustling in the attic. And he sees ghostly presences in the garden and bedroom.

The only good news in David's life is the appearance of Elizabeth, an attractive college student, who moves in while on a summer job. She helps with the cooking and provides needed companionship. As David investigates the strange goings on about Fortyfoot House he discovers that the strange noises and lights are blamed by the villagers on a strange rat-like creature called Brown Jenkin. He is associated with the original owners of the house. In 1886 a terrible disease struck the orphanage and all the children died. In some fashion Brown Jenkin had something to do with the deaths.

Soon the haunting turns into killing, as first a rat killer, and then a neighbor, are horribly slaughtered. David discovers that the house isn't quite where it appears to be. The horror builds until the lives of both Daniel and Liz are threatened and David is drawn into an insane ritual that promises the end of the world. David must face inhuman evil if he wishes to end the nightmare.

Graham Masterton, less known that writers like King, Straub and Koontz, is still one of our best contemporary horror writers. "Prey," written in 1992, is something of a tour-de-force. Masterton makes use of both legends and occult mythology to craft a tale that draws the reader in and keeps him or her reading to the very end. Masterton has the ability to build the horror of a scene so that is has real impact. His narrative flows naturally and his use of internal dialog contributes to the dark atmosphere. "Prey" is a classic of top-notch spookiness.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Masterton Delivers Yet Again, July 3, 2000

By 

Elliott Campbell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prey (Mass Market Paperback)

I have been a fan of Graham Masterton's fiction for a number of years now, since I first came across his work when just a schoolboy. This is certainly a very entertaining horror read, and engages the reader on many levels.

Masterton is a master of mood and setting, and here he perfectly captures the air of an English summer on the Isle of Wight, in the midst of which stands Fortyfoot House with all it's menace...

The evil presence of a being known popularly to locals as Brown Jenkin, part giant rat, part human, scurries through the walls of the house, twittering and calling in the darkness. Strange lights and sounds come from the attic at night. Why did so many children die in the space of a few days at Fortyfoot House in November 1886? Why is the roof constructed in such a bizarre fashion, so that it's angles appear...impossible?

Masterton has drawn heavily from the Cthulhu Mythos originated by classic writer H. P. Lovecraft for this story. At first I was dismayed that he did this, as I am thoroughly versed in the original canon. My fear was that he would take such liberties as to ruin my enjoyment of this book, despite being such a Masterton fan. However, with reflection I do not see it as a problem at all. Sure, he has taken huge liberties with Cthulhu Mythos lore, but why not? Too many people are too precious about it. Besides, the constant addition and taking of liberties only serve to enhance and contribute further to the cycle. While this novel is certainly fringe-Mythos, it is still a fantastic read. And you cannot ask for more than that.

With plenty of gory detail to satisfy without overpowering you, Masterton has written another great horror tale. A classic horror page turner.