I am not now a regular reading of horror, though that was not always the case. In the 70’s and 80’s, I read Stephen King, Peter Straub, and Dean Kootnz with glee, often discussing the stories with my friends and sharing books. Then, somehow I got out of horror and started reading action/thrillers, followed by a return to my first love, fantasy and science fiction. In the past few years, I have picked up a couple of Stephen King books, but they’re either not as good, or I have just changed.
Having said that, I was recently in my local public library perusing the “New Book” shelf and noticed a horror title. It being October and Halloween season, I decided to pick it up and hopefully, enjoy the type of fright I used to get from books like The Shining or Ghost Story. The book I chose was The House of Small Shadows by Adam Nevill.
This book is the story of Catherine Howard, an antiques dealer specializing in toys. She is delighted when Edith Mason, niece of the late M.H. Mason, tells her that she wants to sell part of the Mason collection of dolls, marionettes, and stuffed wild animals. Catherine is invited to the house of the late collector to conduct an inventory, but while there, she begins to experience some very strange things. The displays she is shown are morbid and macabre, and the visions she had as a child start to resurface and intermingle with her experiences in the house. She also has to deal with the strange behavior of the hostile Edith Mason and the mute, antisocial housekeeper Maude.
While interesting, the book did not scare me or hold many surprises. A short way into the book, I guessed much of what was going on, but had to wade through many more pages to get to the ending I suspected. It was also, in some ways, derivative of other books I have read in the genre. I will say that Mr. Nevill is a good writer and knows how to create a mood. As to the story, it was adequate and might prove scary and suspenseful to some, but not for anyone as familiar with horror as I am.