Long before the film there was the written word. Long before we settled down in
front of video or now DVD players for our fright-fests, we would read tales of 
terror by candlelight.
For most, this has been lost, however there are still those that prefer the pages
to celluloid or even both and why not?
This section then is for you. To help you to search through the rubbish and find
stories worth your time to read. If you're an avid reader of horror novels then
why not join 'Castle Dracula' as an official 'staff member' reviewing them.
To do so, just click on the 'Join My Staff' link in the menu to the left for details
of this and other vacancies.

- The Devil In Gray -
- Graham Masterton -

FROM THE BACK OF THE BOOK:
A young woman brutally hacked to pieces in her Virginia home-with a weapon over a 
hundred years old. A retired Army officer butchered-by an invisible attacker. A young 
man blinded in his bathtub-then boiled alive. What do all the victims have in common?
What malevolent nightmare stalked them? 
He is not dead, but not truly living. He cannot be killed, only trapped. And for years 
he was trapped, buried alive in a desperate attempt to end the terror. But now he is
free again, free to complete his ghastly mission-free to slaughter the unsuspecting. 
Is he a spirit? 
An immortal madman? 
Was he ever human? 
What is.... the "devil in gray?" 

THE REVIEW:

The first word that comes to my mind when thinking of this book is "different." The 
second word is "ballsy." Whatever other words I can bring out of this head of mine, 
one thing remains true: this was a damn good read.
The plot, while not without its faults, delved into some interesting areas. It's not 
often that the religion of "Santeria" is discussed, and it was interesting to read 
about it. The author, 'Masterton,' is a history buff and it shows. Many of his works
involve situations in a modern world peppered with stuff from another age.
Sure, it's yet another detective story, but come on, do these grow tiring if 
done well? 
Human beings by nature love a good mystery. We enjoy shows with cops, movies 
with serial killers and books of the same vein. We have to know what compels 
the darker side of humanity, a side that is in all of us, and we want to be 
on the good guys side as he solves the crime!
But remember when I said the word "different" above?
While this book was familiar in cozy ways that make the heart feel warm in safe, 
in other arenas it was quite unsettling and alien. The detective himself, as 
the main character, was different from the bunch. 
The villain was based on a lore and myth I had never heard of before. His 
techniques for slaughter were vicious and without mercy.
Taking place in Richmond, V.A., 'Detective Decker' is a sarcastic lady go-getter 
determined to avoid entanglements with the female species since the unfortunate 
murder of his better half. Soon he's on the case of an "invisible man" ruining 
the days of a bunch of people in a seriously bad way and its up to the detective 
to gather the clues and solve the crime before it's too late. With his friendly 
partner (and partner's shy but talented wife), and the aide of a little girl who's 
disabled but "gifted," the group prepares for the ultimate hunt of the ultimate 
bad guy.
Before digging deeper into the plot, I'm going to dig deeper into the characters. 
'Decker' was an amusing detective who carried corny pick up lines close to his 
chest. He never failed to amuse me with his antics, and while he took his job 
seriously and did an admirable job, he wasn't another "unrealistic, God of 
detectives." You know the type - the ones everyone admires, the ones with an IQ 
that would rival a genious, with years of experience and unrealistic case wins?
The little girl, 'Sandra,' wasn't around that much but when she was she counted. 
Her mother needed valium and amused me greatly. 
The partner didn't have any personality flaw that stuck out that much, but he 
seemed real, and I liked him. 
The pace of the novel is well mastered by Masterton. It begins with a horrible 
crime and ends with a shattering climax. Masterton's writing style shines; this 
man almost paints the words on the page, beaming with great talent. Although he 
reveals a lot about the history, he does so in an interesting manner, so that it 
doesn't come out sounding like a school lesson. He takes his time to build atmosphere
and the story seem real without much effort on his part. There are minor flaws though. 
While 'Decker' was cute and appealing on a few levels, a few shades of his personality 
didn't paint the most convincing color. I also wasn't that surprised when the death 
of his wife was explored more; it was pretty obvious who would end up being responsible. 
I consider this a plus, but some readers may not: the book relied heavily on gore, 
blood and all the nice trimmings that come along with it. The pages didn't involve
so much violence I suffocated on it, but thankfully this author didn't avoid describing 
too much for his squeamish crowd. 
This is a treat I'll be picking up someday in years gone by and remembering fondly 
in the meantime. Besides good characterization, the history of the US war, psychic 
kids and their wives, the old religion "Santeria," etc, what more could one ask for? 
How about blood and violence too? 
You got it.

Reviewed By Erin Williams.

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