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David Ash #1
Haunted
Three nights of terror in a house called Edbrook. Three nights in which David Ash, there to investigate a haunting, will be the victim of horrifying and maleficent games. Three nights in which he will face the enigma of his own past. Three nights before Edbrook's dreadful secret will be revealed - and the true nightmare will begin.
228 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
About the author
James Herbert
96 books2,190 followersJames Herbert was Britain's number one bestselling writer (a position he held ever since publication of his first novel) and one of the world's top writers of thriller/horror fiction.
He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.
As an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.
He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.
As an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 598 reviews
December 20, 2022
Haunted is simply my most favourite ghost story… The narration is hallucinatory and haunting…
If you are an investigator of the supernatural phenomena on a mission then beware of falling in love…
Estate is extensive and desolate… Christina, her two brothers and their aunt inhabit the antiquated mansion…
Everything is unusual… Everything is unexpected and unpredictable… And with every elapsed hour things turn more and more mysterious…
Ghosts are always enigmatic and captivating even if they exist only in our imagination.
If you are an investigator of the supernatural phenomena on a mission then beware of falling in love…
He stopped to appreciate the car in which Christina Mariell sat waiting. It was a model he hadn’t seen in many a year, and only then in magazine features on popular old cars. The Wolseley’s bodywork and wheels appeared to be in immaculate condition and its engine was running smoothly with only a mild escape of exhaust fumes from the rear. The girl leaned across and pushed open the passenger door, her smile the invitation.
Ash shoved the suitcase over onto the backseat and eased himself into the front, keeping the holdall on his lap. ‘Some car,’ he commented. ‘There can’t be many still around of this era.’
She gave no reply but engaged first gear and pulled out into what little traffic there was.
Estate is extensive and desolate… Christina, her two brothers and their aunt inhabit the antiquated mansion…
No lights, no glow from within. Edbrook was a vast black bulk that merged with the blackness of night clouds. A breeze stirred through the gardens, ruffling foliage, disturbing trees. In the woods, night creatures hunted, their skirmishes violent but brief. Honey fungus glowed blue-green on decaying tree trunks, beetles scuttled in the undergrowth. The moon was a pale ghost seen only behind slow-moving monoliths.
Everything is unusual… Everything is unexpected and unpredictable… And with every elapsed hour things turn more and more mysterious…
He whirled around to face whatever it was rushing towards him, but was struck by a powerful force so that he hurtled backwards, the wall catching his legs, sending him toppling.
Stagnant water closed over his head, its grip cold and slimy. Ash struggled in panic as weed tendrils clutched him. He twisted frantically, their grip tightening. Clouds of mud stirred and swelled sluggishly so that the moonlight ceiling above was smeared.
As he fought to free his arm of syrupy fronds he saw, sinking towards him through those eddying clouds, a silhouette, a shape whose arms were outstretched, as if crucified, whose flimsy robe billowed and swayed with the currents, whose black hair spread outwards in Gorgonian tresses.
Ghosts are always enigmatic and captivating even if they exist only in our imagination.
October 22, 2021
"Haunted" was my attempt at a horror book. This was about an investigator from the Psychical Research Institute in London (a real thing as far as I know) who travels to a run down secluded English estate to prove or disprove a haunting. Before going any further, I must mention that I was interrupted several times during the course of my reading of this story. So one will understand why I am saying that the story was confusing at times, which detracted from my enjoyment of it. Some books I can come back to later and pick up right where I left off, but I had trouble with this one, especially with time jumping.
In the beginning I admired the author's mastery of the written word. He could describe mundane things in such a way that they set the setting. I guess some would equate it to world building.
As for the story itself, even though it was supposed to be scary, I had no trouble reading this at night. Then again, I was seated next to my wife.
In the beginning I admired the author's mastery of the written word. He could describe mundane things in such a way that they set the setting. I guess some would equate it to world building.
As for the story itself, even though it was supposed to be scary, I had no trouble reading this at night. Then again, I was seated next to my wife.
September 7, 2016
Stephen King gushes over James Herbert; I don't see why. Herbert is a decent writer and storyteller, to be sure; but, I found nothing fascinating about HAUNTED. For a haunted-house story, it was pretty clear from the beginning that Herbert never intended to do anything different from the already established sub-genre of horror fiction (how can a writer expect to top THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE?). With that said, it does have an interesting protagonist, an anti-hero named David who is battling his own personal demons while trying to debase the supernatural. But the supporting cast in this novel is laughable. Overall, this is a fast read that suits the Halloween atmosphere. Perhaps because it was written in the early 80s some of the pizzazz has been lost. Perhaps. You could do worse for a "fright" read. That being said, I am still going to read some of Herbert's other titles, they just won't be moving to the top of the TBR pile any time soon.
RECOMMENDED (with reservations)
RECOMMENDED (with reservations)
January 16, 2013
James Herbert continues to impress me. This book was so much better than an average haunted house fare, it was dark, well written, atmospheric and really kept the reader guessing as to what was going on. The characters were interesting and well developed and the pacing kept me turning the pages and finishing the book pretty quickly. Years ago (before I read any Herbert) I watched a movie this book was based on, I couldn't remeber much of the plot, but I remembered some of the cast and so while reading this book I kept picturing Ash as Aidan Quinn and Christina as Kate Beckinsale. Good casting, actually, although now I want to see the movie again. Very good book, highly recommended.
March 17, 2024
After reading ‘Ash,’ the last of the authors series of stories about the parapsychologist David Ash some time ago. I now finish ‘Haunted,’ the first in the series published in 1988. This book found in a book drop outside a local scout camp. Able to read quickly as woke in the early hours.
This was not as good as ‘Ash’ nor indeed some of his other works. But it paints the picture of a sceptical man wanting to debunk ghosts. But finding in this case that they appear to exist. Struggling with memories of the death of his sister when young. And struggling with the need to drink vodka at every opportunity.
A clever story. Not really scarey but still entertaining. At the end of ‘Ash’ I could comment that sadly there would be no sequel ( the author died). But with this book ending I can at least look for the second in the series.
This was not as good as ‘Ash’ nor indeed some of his other works. But it paints the picture of a sceptical man wanting to debunk ghosts. But finding in this case that they appear to exist. Struggling with memories of the death of his sister when young. And struggling with the need to drink vodka at every opportunity.
A clever story. Not really scarey but still entertaining. At the end of ‘Ash’ I could comment that sadly there would be no sequel ( the author died). But with this book ending I can at least look for the second in the series.
October 16, 2015
"Our complacency is shaken; we thought the universe was a tidy, locked room, but there seems to be a scratching outside the door. For a moment, we pretend to know everything and pridefully assert, 'There is no such thing!' Something out there seems to respond, 'Oh, really?'" --Lint Hatcher, "The Truth That Is Out There," Rutherford, 1995.
The above quote could well serve as an epigraph for this novel; for the author has very clearly set up a conflict here between two opposite views of the world. Hard-drinking, emotionally distant paranormal investigator David Ash is, above all else, an apostle of a hyper-rational, purely materialistic view of reality; natural causes, he believes, must explain all of the phenomena he investigates, and he's built a very successful career on debunking the supernatural. Now, however, when he's been summoned by the eccentric Mariell family to their isolated 16th-century country seat Edbrook to investigate a purported haunting, my shelving this book as supernatural fiction should be a dead giveaway that his worldview is going to undergo some revision. (And it won't be a particularly easy or comfortable experience.) Herbert's message here, IMO, isn't necessarily to be taken as a literal assertion that ghosts actually exist; but as supernatural elements in fiction often do, the haunting here serves as a metaphor for aspects of reality that aren't reducible to the neat, the mathematical, the rational, and the naturally explainable.
During his lifetime, James Herbert was the best-selling fiction author in the U.K. Often, best-seller status only testifies to the power of advertising and the ability of bookstore chains to manipulate the lists. But after reading this page-turner, I'd surmise that Herbert earned his status a different way: by providing serious readers with well-crafted, good-quality, extremely effective fiction, which is exactly what this is. His characterizations are round and life-like, and his prose style suited perfectly to his intention. The pacing is flawless, and the evocation of an increasingly scary atmosphere nicely done. Transitions from David to his Psychical Research Institute colleagues are ably positioned to build suspense; the prologue, set in David's childhood, and the flashbacks aren't just filler, but serve a very real purpose in the crafting of the whole edifice that is the novel. David's inner psychological baggage is as important here as the external goings-on at Edbrook; and as noted above, there is some real philosophical depth here, not just scares for scares sake.
This is definitely a dark novel, at many levels. Although there's no explicit sex, it has a franker treatment of sexuality than the classic ghost story tradition characteristically did; and while there's no obscenity, there's a certain amount of religious profanity that I found gratuitous (though, to be sure, some people do talk that way). But there's no splatter-punk; the horror here is mainly psychological (though that can be potentially lethal). One reviewer characterized the plot as "predictable." Personally, I beg to differ; I found it to be anything but, and in fact to involve more than one jaw-dropping surprise. But Herbert is a consummate master of literary surprises --he knows they have to grow organically from the story itself, not be dragged in from left field against logic, and he adeptly hides his clues in plain sight.
Much later, the author wrote two more novels with David as the central character, so that they form a trilogy. But this one stands on its own perfectly well, with no cliff-hangers and a basic resolution.
The above quote could well serve as an epigraph for this novel; for the author has very clearly set up a conflict here between two opposite views of the world. Hard-drinking, emotionally distant paranormal investigator David Ash is, above all else, an apostle of a hyper-rational, purely materialistic view of reality; natural causes, he believes, must explain all of the phenomena he investigates, and he's built a very successful career on debunking the supernatural. Now, however, when he's been summoned by the eccentric Mariell family to their isolated 16th-century country seat Edbrook to investigate a purported haunting, my shelving this book as supernatural fiction should be a dead giveaway that his worldview is going to undergo some revision. (And it won't be a particularly easy or comfortable experience.) Herbert's message here, IMO, isn't necessarily to be taken as a literal assertion that ghosts actually exist; but as supernatural elements in fiction often do, the haunting here serves as a metaphor for aspects of reality that aren't reducible to the neat, the mathematical, the rational, and the naturally explainable.
During his lifetime, James Herbert was the best-selling fiction author in the U.K. Often, best-seller status only testifies to the power of advertising and the ability of bookstore chains to manipulate the lists. But after reading this page-turner, I'd surmise that Herbert earned his status a different way: by providing serious readers with well-crafted, good-quality, extremely effective fiction, which is exactly what this is. His characterizations are round and life-like, and his prose style suited perfectly to his intention. The pacing is flawless, and the evocation of an increasingly scary atmosphere nicely done. Transitions from David to his Psychical Research Institute colleagues are ably positioned to build suspense; the prologue, set in David's childhood, and the flashbacks aren't just filler, but serve a very real purpose in the crafting of the whole edifice that is the novel. David's inner psychological baggage is as important here as the external goings-on at Edbrook; and as noted above, there is some real philosophical depth here, not just scares for scares sake.
This is definitely a dark novel, at many levels. Although there's no explicit sex, it has a franker treatment of sexuality than the classic ghost story tradition characteristically did; and while there's no obscenity, there's a certain amount of religious profanity that I found gratuitous (though, to be sure, some people do talk that way). But there's no splatter-punk; the horror here is mainly psychological (though that can be potentially lethal). One reviewer characterized the plot as "predictable." Personally, I beg to differ; I found it to be anything but, and in fact to involve more than one jaw-dropping surprise. But Herbert is a consummate master of literary surprises --he knows they have to grow organically from the story itself, not be dragged in from left field against logic, and he adeptly hides his clues in plain sight.
Much later, the author wrote two more novels with David as the central character, so that they form a trilogy. But this one stands on its own perfectly well, with no cliff-hangers and a basic resolution.
December 19, 2014
David Ash is sent to a remote village to investigate a haunting at the Edbrook house. Ash is renowned for debunking supernatural phenomenon, and he dives into this assignment ready to do just that.
Too bad the place is really haunted.
Well executed, but fairly predictable ghost story with some genuinely hair raising scenes.
I will certainly read the rest of the series.
Too bad the place is really haunted.
Well executed, but fairly predictable ghost story with some genuinely hair raising scenes.
I will certainly read the rest of the series.
April 26, 2024
I aren’t usually a massive haunted house fan but James Herbert seems to be changing my mind. I read The Secret of Crickley Hall this year and I really enjoyed it, so I began this series and I wasn’t disappointed. Crickley Hall still plays in my mind now and then and I have such a good memory of this, I don't feel like this book will last as long in my mind, but it will stay a while I feel.
It is quite simplistic in its writing but very effective. The very first chapter was captivating, petrifying and fabulous. I think the only thing wrong with this book was the pacing at times, it seemed to bounce around the timeline a little too often for me personally.
David Ash as a main character was really interesting too, a cynical ghost hunter, lovely! The whole book takes place in one manor/village so it really gives the reader the sensation of being trapped, vulnerable and alone. The atmosphere created throughout this book is astounding.
The horror descriptions in this book were indeed horrifying, they were creepy, disturbing and unforgettable. It’s a slow burn for sure but the last 50-60 pages were a lesson in writing and a joy to read.
I am really looking forward to the rest of the series because David Ash had some insane character growth and I can’t wait to read what he does next.
It is quite simplistic in its writing but very effective. The very first chapter was captivating, petrifying and fabulous. I think the only thing wrong with this book was the pacing at times, it seemed to bounce around the timeline a little too often for me personally.
David Ash as a main character was really interesting too, a cynical ghost hunter, lovely! The whole book takes place in one manor/village so it really gives the reader the sensation of being trapped, vulnerable and alone. The atmosphere created throughout this book is astounding.
The horror descriptions in this book were indeed horrifying, they were creepy, disturbing and unforgettable. It’s a slow burn for sure but the last 50-60 pages were a lesson in writing and a joy to read.
I am really looking forward to the rest of the series because David Ash had some insane character growth and I can’t wait to read what he does next.
July 9, 2018
I really liked the movie better! The book was a bit tedious. Maybe I was a bit balanced because I've first seen the movie.
Read
October 23, 2017can't think of a star rating I'm happy with right off the top of my head right now.
Back when I initially read Haunted (which was probably in the 90s), for some reason I thought it was one of the best haunted house stories I'd ever read; now rereading it, I think that it had its moments, it was fun, but in the end, it's really only the ending that saved this story from being just another ho-hum haunted house story. Before anyone who is a huge James Herbert fan starts mentally pelting me with rotten tomatoes, consider the fact that eons and a growing taste for more sophisticated haunted house stories now stand between this reading and my first time with it. What I did notice most prominently about it this time around, and what I really enjoy about it in the long run is that it's really quite twisted in a hugely-ironic way, and what the author's done here turns his story into something wholly unexpected.
plot (if you want it) without spoilers can be found here; if not, just keep reading.
The sad thing is that up to the last few pages, and I'm really sorry major Herbert fans, what happens along the way may have been earth shattering in the 80s but well, kind of old hat by now. That's not saying I didn't like it, but it really is a book that depends on its final few pages for the major shock value.
On the flip side, it was fun revisiting this novel even if I no longer think it's the greatest haunted house story ever told.
Back when I initially read Haunted (which was probably in the 90s), for some reason I thought it was one of the best haunted house stories I'd ever read; now rereading it, I think that it had its moments, it was fun, but in the end, it's really only the ending that saved this story from being just another ho-hum haunted house story. Before anyone who is a huge James Herbert fan starts mentally pelting me with rotten tomatoes, consider the fact that eons and a growing taste for more sophisticated haunted house stories now stand between this reading and my first time with it. What I did notice most prominently about it this time around, and what I really enjoy about it in the long run is that it's really quite twisted in a hugely-ironic way, and what the author's done here turns his story into something wholly unexpected.
plot (if you want it) without spoilers can be found here; if not, just keep reading.
The sad thing is that up to the last few pages, and I'm really sorry major Herbert fans, what happens along the way may have been earth shattering in the 80s but well, kind of old hat by now. That's not saying I didn't like it, but it really is a book that depends on its final few pages for the major shock value.
On the flip side, it was fun revisiting this novel even if I no longer think it's the greatest haunted house story ever told.
January 6, 2021
David Ash, il nostro protagonista, è un investigatore di eventi paranormali. Dal passato oscuro e misterioso, David, si trova ora a risolvere situazioni che alla maggior parte della gente farebbe rizzare i capelli. Un giorno capiterà in una casa desolata ad Edbrook, dove...
Il romanzo ha una scrittura molto scorrevole ed emana una forza evocativa tale da rendere il lettore parte integrante della storia, si è lì al fianco di Ash e si cerca di districarsi tra gli innumerevoli colpi di scena e il ritmo incalzante poi rendono tutta la narrazione al cardiopalma.
Sarebbe da leggerlo tutto d'un fiato, di notte col silenzio assoluto, inframezzato soltanto dal continuo gocciolare della pioggia sul vetro della finestra e con un leggera luce, proveniente dell'abatjour intermittente, data dal filo di tungsteno, della lampadina di tempi che furono, ormai quasi corroso dal tempo e lì nella semioscurità, sfogliare le pagine una dietro l'altra con il mistero ed il terrore che aleggiano sopra di esse e che si fanno beffe di noi!
Ghost story consigliata!
Il romanzo ha una scrittura molto scorrevole ed emana una forza evocativa tale da rendere il lettore parte integrante della storia, si è lì al fianco di Ash e si cerca di districarsi tra gli innumerevoli colpi di scena e il ritmo incalzante poi rendono tutta la narrazione al cardiopalma.
Sarebbe da leggerlo tutto d'un fiato, di notte col silenzio assoluto, inframezzato soltanto dal continuo gocciolare della pioggia sul vetro della finestra e con un leggera luce, proveniente dell'abatjour intermittente, data dal filo di tungsteno, della lampadina di tempi che furono, ormai quasi corroso dal tempo e lì nella semioscurità, sfogliare le pagine una dietro l'altra con il mistero ed il terrore che aleggiano sopra di esse e che si fanno beffe di noi!
Ghost story consigliata!
February 7, 2020
This was James Herbert's first novel of his David Ash trilogy.
.
The book website blurb was - 'Three nights of terror at the house called Edbrook. Three nights in which investigator David Ash will be victim of horrifying and maleficent games. Three nights in which he will face his own past. Three nights before Edbrook's dreadful secret will be revealed, and the true nightmare will begin'
.
And that blurb is as good as it gets. It feels like the more famous and money-making Herbert got, the less risk taken with his work. Seriously from The Fog and The Rats... to a haunted house investigation? 4 out of 12.
.
.
The book website blurb was - 'Three nights of terror at the house called Edbrook. Three nights in which investigator David Ash will be victim of horrifying and maleficent games. Three nights in which he will face his own past. Three nights before Edbrook's dreadful secret will be revealed, and the true nightmare will begin'
.
And that blurb is as good as it gets. It feels like the more famous and money-making Herbert got, the less risk taken with his work. Seriously from The Fog and The Rats... to a haunted house investigation? 4 out of 12.
.
October 20, 2022
I would give this book seven stars if i could,gripping ,blood chilling,everything you would want from a ghost story found within this short but also brilliant work of art. Hats off for James Herbert🥰🥰🥰
October 17, 2022
4.5 stars
July 1, 2017
I've already read Ghosts of Sleath - the sequel to this, didn't know it existed - and The Shrine, and it's very clear I need to read more of James Herbert's work.
April 4, 2020
My thoughts:
At the beginning - I love me a Ghostbuster tries to debunk the haunted house story with lots of cliches.
1/3 the way through - That is the wrong use of the word Szchiophrenic - I am really not liking this story.
2/3 of the way through - I know exactly where this is going - I love this particular twist when done well.
85% through - the protagonist is only beginning to suspect the twist ? He should read more ghost stories and see more movies.- wait this was written in the 1980's - some of them hadn't happened yet? Maybe some Shirley Jackson would have helped though.
100% Well Mr - How come it took you soooo long to see all of this?
Now? - Must read the next in the series.
At the beginning - I love me a Ghostbuster tries to debunk the haunted house story with lots of cliches.
1/3 the way through - That is the wrong use of the word Szchiophrenic - I am really not liking this story.
2/3 of the way through - I know exactly where this is going - I love this particular twist when done well.
85% through - the protagonist is only beginning to suspect the twist ? He should read more ghost stories and see more movies.- wait this was written in the 1980's - some of them hadn't happened yet? Maybe some Shirley Jackson would have helped though.
100% Well Mr - How come it took you soooo long to see all of this?
Now? - Must read the next in the series.
August 31, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up
May 28, 2021
“To be haunted is to glimpse a truth that might best be hidden.”
RTC
RTC
October 15, 2023
This was just an ok read for me. It had some chilling moments but I never found it downright terrifying, which is what I was expecting. I am starting to think that haunted house stories are just not for me, despite this book doing something different and unique with the standard trope.
I really enjoyed The Rats and The Spear so will continue to read more from this author.
I really enjoyed The Rats and The Spear so will continue to read more from this author.
July 9, 2023
I don’t write reviews.
Oh dear this was dull. I was excited at the start, not even perturbed by the “investigator is a die-hard skeptic” trope. Then nothing really happened. The house and set-up were reminiscent of a Carnacki story, but there was no pay-off, no thrills, no chills. A cast of characters like paper dolls, a main character I just didn’t care about and no story. I really enjoyed The Dark and The Fog, so I believe Herbert can do much better.
Oh dear this was dull. I was excited at the start, not even perturbed by the “investigator is a die-hard skeptic” trope. Then nothing really happened. The house and set-up were reminiscent of a Carnacki story, but there was no pay-off, no thrills, no chills. A cast of characters like paper dolls, a main character I just didn’t care about and no story. I really enjoyed The Dark and The Fog, so I believe Herbert can do much better.
October 12, 2022
'To be haunted is to glimpse a truth that might best be hidden.'
This has been a super quick read, partly because the story is shortish, and partly because it's a page-turner. It's a ghost story with atmospheric depictions of an old house, an overgrown garden and a scary forest. The main character is a paranormal investigator and a couple of chapters deal with his previous cases, - they produced the effect of embedded stories and gave more depth to the main plot.
This protagonist, I must say, is constantly swishing vodka and smoking, - I suppose the smell of him would be unbearable to me in real life. But the treatment he got over these pages was such that I felt sorry for him in the end ;)
I enjoyed the ending, except this: . But it didn't send me googling 'ending explained', as sometimes happens with paranormal fiction, and it had some nice touches of black humour which I appreciated.
It's not really horrifying, but spooky and very autumnal, - a perfect start for a season of scary reading :)
This has been a super quick read, partly because the story is shortish, and partly because it's a page-turner. It's a ghost story with atmospheric depictions of an old house, an overgrown garden and a scary forest. The main character is a paranormal investigator and a couple of chapters deal with his previous cases, - they produced the effect of embedded stories and gave more depth to the main plot.
This protagonist, I must say, is constantly swishing vodka and smoking, - I suppose the smell of him would be unbearable to me in real life. But the treatment he got over these pages was such that I felt sorry for him in the end ;)
I enjoyed the ending, except this: . But it didn't send me googling 'ending explained', as sometimes happens with paranormal fiction, and it had some nice touches of black humour which I appreciated.
It's not really horrifying, but spooky and very autumnal, - a perfect start for a season of scary reading :)
February 10, 2020
Add one over-enthusiastic GCSE English student to a generous helping of equally over-enthusiastic grammar teacher and arrive at a grade 2 result.
Total fucking drivel, possibly the worst thing I’ve ever read.
So it goes.
Total fucking drivel, possibly the worst thing I’ve ever read.
So it goes.
January 3, 2022
David Ash is a paranormal investigator/debunker who finds himself drawn back to the events surrounding the untimely death of his child sister years earlier when he’s commissioned to investigate a haunting at a rural estate. Whilst these events are largely unrelated, there’s cause for linking them as the story progresses.
Haunted doesn’t bring anything new to the haunted house sub genre and reads more as a gothic horror but it does maintain a heightened level of tension throughout. The ending is pretty easy to guess which dampers the experience somewhat but overall Haunted is a quick two-sitting horror read with some subtle (and some not so subtle) horror elements.
Haunted doesn’t bring anything new to the haunted house sub genre and reads more as a gothic horror but it does maintain a heightened level of tension throughout. The ending is pretty easy to guess which dampers the experience somewhat but overall Haunted is a quick two-sitting horror read with some subtle (and some not so subtle) horror elements.
July 30, 2021
Yet another lesson in not writing off a book too early. I was pretty much fully committed to declaring this a painfully average haunted house story, but the final 1/4 really elevated the hell out of this tale. It got really creepy really quickly after a super slow burn, taking me completely by surprise. I ended up liking this quite a bit by the end. Definitely want to check out more of his work.
April 6, 2019
Ash is a great character. The story a wee slow.
Paranormal investigators are a bit of a tired trope these days. I wish I would have read it years ago when it first came out. Still a good and entertaining read. I will definitely be seeking out the next in the series.
Paranormal investigators are a bit of a tired trope these days. I wish I would have read it years ago when it first came out. Still a good and entertaining read. I will definitely be seeking out the next in the series.
November 12, 2018
Pretty darn creepy!
February 26, 2009
First published back in 1988, `Haunted' was Herbert's fourteenth full length novel to be published.
`Haunted' was the first novel to introduce the anti-hero character of David Ash, who later returned in Herbert's 1994 novel `The Ghosts Of Sleath', which takes on the role of a loose sequel to `Haunted'.
From the very beginning the reader soon becomes accustomed to Ash's bad habits, cynical view on life and overall downbeat traits, of which followers of Herbert's work will recognise as a somewhat recurring theme within his novels. Ash is certainly not a polished, goodie-two-shoes type of character, and this in itself gives the novel a harder and more true to life feel to it.
The book follows the classic structure of a `haunted house' novel, laying down the premise of a possible supernatural presence from the offset. Herbert carefully builds the underlying tension of the storyline, interweaving the sub-plots of the developing character relationships, whilst still subtly hinting to the reader an uneasy atmosphere to the whole scenario.
With suggestive bursts of ghostly appearances that become more and more frequent as the tale progresses, the old cliché of "am I going insane" is thrown into the equation, until finally the horrifying truth is revealed in an almost explosive manner.
For sheer nail biting tension this novel delivers the goods from the very first page until the dramatic final conclusion. Well written, Herbert weaves a tale that beckons the reader into the storyline, with heart-stopping suspense that you can cut with a knife.
At only 224 pages in length, you will find yourself wondering how you managed to get so absorbed in the novel in such a short span of pages.
The film director Lewis Gilbert (him of James Bond fame no less) later went on to make the film adaptation of `Haunted' in 1995 of the same name. The film did not stick particularly firmly to the course of Herbert's original tale, but is nevertheless a reasonably enjoyable film.
`Haunted' was the first novel to introduce the anti-hero character of David Ash, who later returned in Herbert's 1994 novel `The Ghosts Of Sleath', which takes on the role of a loose sequel to `Haunted'.
From the very beginning the reader soon becomes accustomed to Ash's bad habits, cynical view on life and overall downbeat traits, of which followers of Herbert's work will recognise as a somewhat recurring theme within his novels. Ash is certainly not a polished, goodie-two-shoes type of character, and this in itself gives the novel a harder and more true to life feel to it.
The book follows the classic structure of a `haunted house' novel, laying down the premise of a possible supernatural presence from the offset. Herbert carefully builds the underlying tension of the storyline, interweaving the sub-plots of the developing character relationships, whilst still subtly hinting to the reader an uneasy atmosphere to the whole scenario.
With suggestive bursts of ghostly appearances that become more and more frequent as the tale progresses, the old cliché of "am I going insane" is thrown into the equation, until finally the horrifying truth is revealed in an almost explosive manner.
For sheer nail biting tension this novel delivers the goods from the very first page until the dramatic final conclusion. Well written, Herbert weaves a tale that beckons the reader into the storyline, with heart-stopping suspense that you can cut with a knife.
At only 224 pages in length, you will find yourself wondering how you managed to get so absorbed in the novel in such a short span of pages.
The film director Lewis Gilbert (him of James Bond fame no less) later went on to make the film adaptation of `Haunted' in 1995 of the same name. The film did not stick particularly firmly to the course of Herbert's original tale, but is nevertheless a reasonably enjoyable film.
July 8, 2020
Took another dip into 80s horror with Herbert's Haunted and found a good one. 80s horror can be a rather mixed lot, but a few authors rise above the rest, and Herbert is definitely one of them. David Ash, a professional investigator/debunker of paranormal activities, gets a call to investigate the Edbrook estate for a suspected haunting. Herbert does a good job providing backstory with a series of flashbacks and builds Ash's character up well. As soon as Ash arrives at Edbrook, things quickly become amiss. The ending was somewhat of a surprise, so I will not go into details.
Herbert's rather terse prose works well here, building a creepy vibe without a lot of wasted words. Thankfully, this novel has less lurid sex scenes than his normal (although of course there has to be a least a couple) and while quite short, it packs a good punch. 3.5 stars.
Herbert's rather terse prose works well here, building a creepy vibe without a lot of wasted words. Thankfully, this novel has less lurid sex scenes than his normal (although of course there has to be a least a couple) and while quite short, it packs a good punch. 3.5 stars.
April 21, 2023
First time author which was recommended to me wow what a read I absolutely loved it, as a medium myself it’s very true that spirits always know things that we don’t, the book also reminded me of what I do for a living which is solving cold cases using spirits. Look forward to the next book
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