From the bestseling author of the 7th Guest comes a new gripping novel. As long as anyone could remember, the peculiar house in the hills has ben sealed off from outsiders by those in power. And now it has been unleashed. From every corner of the globe, inexplicable terrors erupt.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a page turner,
By D S Berger (Denver, Colorado) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Unidentified (Paperback)
Having recently finished the "Da Vinci Code", I decided thrillers with an international setting were for me. So I tried "Unidentified." Not only did fit the bill, but it was an even better read! The setup was both breathtaking, and intriguing, and as the book moved deftly between London, Scotland and the U.S., I felt as if I myself were the international traveller. I don't want to give away any of the plot, so suffice it to say that Costello has created a unique and unforgettably scary twist on the haunted house genre, resulting in a page-turner you won't want to put down. And as an added bonus, it really made me think. What a great summer read! (Just don't read it before going to bed).
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An All-New Haunted House But...,
This review is from: Unidentified (Paperback)
Be warned that this 'horror' novel treads into the realm of quantum physics, quantum biology and --gasp -- science fiction.Lovecraft, at least, would have been intrigued. A Literary Guild selection (rare for an original pb).
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Unrealized,
By
This review is from: Unidentified (Paperback)
Matthew Costello's new novel, "Unidentified," opens ominously enough, with a scientist heading to the ocean floor in a minisub to see what he can see. Most horror fans know that what's on the ocean floor will probably not allow the scientist to see the light of day again. But before the reader can get comfortable, the story shifts to another scientist, working for a genetic research company (Gentech) in New York, who stumbles across a secret file that contains DNA readouts unlike any the scientist has ever seen. Unease starts to grow, and she gets up to leave with her discovery secreted away, when...the story shifts, to a young student heading home from her London school, not knowing the danger her father is in. And so on and so on. This pattern of scene shifts maintains itself throughout the novel. On one hand, it could be argued that such a device heightens tension, keeps the reader turning pages, etc., but in "Unidentified," this tool instead makes for a frustrating, choppy read. Costello has a potentially good story on his hands, with its hints at a Lovecraftian horror, a mysterious metal house in the Scottish highlands, a strange town that Lewis Carroll would love, and killers who can crop up anywhere, anytime. Reality is a slippery concept. And Costello can quickly create believable characters (not an easy thing to do), but after he creates them, he rushes to another scene, another character, another place on the globe. For example, the author goes through the trouble of creating a crusty Jacques Cousteau-like figure (Father Farrand) on a marine research vessel who also happens to be a priest. The reader is intrigued about the possibilities of science and theology and, well, horror. All Costello ends up doing is having the character become monster meat. Which is fine, but more could of been done with the character before turning him into chum. Remember the brief, but very effective, appearance of the old Jesuit in the old 1930s movie "Werewolf of London." The old fellow, up in the movie's Tibetan snows, actually had something to say. It would of been nice if Father Farrand would of been given a similar opportunity to say something, foolish or wise, to contribute to the story. Basically, the main problem is that the author simply never allows his story to settle down into a pace, other than the frenetic introductory one established in the first few pages. And that's too bad, because Costello can write. I'm not a huge fan of padded horror epics, but this is one case where another hundred pages or more would of added the kind of texture this novel needed. As it stands now, "Unidentified" reads more like an outline for a potentially good book, with a number of very fine character sketches and scenes to build upon (which is why I'm giving it two stars). But as a finished work, there's not enough here for even a bad novel.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
