A woman commits suicide for no apparent reason. A week later, her son- fifteen-year-old Mark Underhill-vanishes. His uncle, novelist Timothy Underhill, searches his hometown of Millhaven for clues that might help unravel this horrible dual mystery. He soon learns that a pedophilic murderer is on the loose in the vicinity, and that shortly before his mother's suicide, Mark had become obsessed with an abandoned house where he imagined the killer might have taken refuge. No mere empty building, the house whispers from attic to basement with the echoes of a long-hidden true-life horror story, and Tim Underhill comes to fear that in investigating its unspeakable history, Mark stumbled across its last and greatest secret: a ghostly lost girl who may have coaxed the needy, suggestible boy into her mysterious domain.
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"This was my first Peter Straub book. I must say, he kept me reading without wanting to rush through it, yet the interest was maintained. I would read some, think about it, then read more. I liked the way he jogged back and forth between the actions of the boy and the thoughts of the uncle without confusing the reader. The mystery of the boy's disappearance almost disappointed me until I read the intro to his next book. Now, of course, I want to get my hands on the next book! Nice going, Peter!" — Shawnee (5 out of 5 stars)
"This was my first Peter Straub book. I must say, he kept me reading without wanting to rush through it, yet the interest was maintained. I would read some, think about it, then read more. I liked the way he jogged back and forth between the actions of the boy and the thoughts of the uncle without confusing the reader. The mystery of the boy's disappearance almost disappointed me until I read the intro to his next book. Now, of course, I want to get my hands on the next book! Nice going, Peter!"
" This was recommended to me by a friend. I am grateful. I had a difficult time getting started with the book. By the end of the first chapter, I was hooked though. I flew through it. I liked the POV. I enjoyed the setting. It was well orchestrated. I enjoyed the cast. I picked it up because it was a ghost story first. It is much more than that. It was, as advertised, a collection of my favorite elements of horror. I think it has something for almost all walks of horror fans. Check it out. "
" Very creepy supernatural story. "
" One of my favorite Peter Straub novels :-) "
" Started slow but picked up about halfway in. Hard to put down toward the end. Worth a re-read because you're never really sure what exactly is going on. The narrator in the story is a writer himself and more than a few times it is suggested that the events are "like something out of a book". "
" Enjoyed it. My first solo Peter Straub book. I will read his other works. "
" Haunted house, serial killer, children disappearing, a tortured daughter, a nephew with a crush on Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, this book has something for everyone. "
" Too short. I wanted more!! "
" Unusual and absorbing. Doesn't follow the "formula" as much as other Straub books. "
" it was ok...creepy in parts...but i like that "
" Very good! Disturbing and intriguing at the same time. "
" Good book but disappointed in the end. Just ended..would have liked a little more at the end "
" interesting concept but not satisfying at the end "
" This is the first novel I've read of Straub's, and a wonderful introduction to him! I actually got this because of Gaiman's blurb, but I was delighted to discover that Straub's writing suits my taste. Quick-paced, intriguing and a very good read! "
" This book didn't scare the bejeebus out of me the way Ghost Story and Julia did, but I couldn't put it down. Peter Straub is just an excellent storyteller and he creates really compelling characters. "
" Well written book, one that keeps you guessing all the way until the end, and then when you get to the end you are disappointed. Well that's how I was with this book. "
" A typical Peter Straub book, follows writer Tim Underhill, through the resolution (well, kinda) of yet another mystery. A story within a story that is somehow linked...the usual horror with a tinge of sex. "
" True to Straubs style a scary, supernatural story that feels like it could be real "
" A bit gothicy/horror for me. "
" Peter Straub is no Steven King, but I don't miss the gore. instead, my mind is busy sorting through the twists and turns and the writing within the writing. I absolutely loved this book. "
" Alongside "The Throat" one of the spookiest stories I've ever read. "
Peter Straub (1943-2022) was the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels. He has won the Bram Stoker Award for his two of his novels and a short story collection, 5 Stories; he has also won a World Fantasy Award and an International Horror Guild Award. He received a BA degree in English at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an MA from Columbia University.
Peter Berkrot, winner of Audie and Earphones Awards for narration, is a stage, screen, and television actor and acting coach. He has narrated over 450 works that span a range of genres, including fiction, nonfiction, thriller, and children’s titles. His audiobook credits include works of Alan Glynn, Eric Van Lustbader, Nora Roberts and Dean Koontz. In film and television, he appeared in Caddyshack, America’s Most Wanted, and Unsolved Mysteries. He performs in regional and New York theaters and directs the New Voices acting school.
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