The Haunting of Hill House is a beautifully written, subtle, and terrifying novel. In this story, a professor brings a group together to stay in, and observe, a haunted house. The result is a psychological thriller that is absolutely stunning in its intensity.

In Danse Macabre, Steven King talks about the archetypical horror stories. One of them is the story about the Bad Place. This is the greatest Bad Place story of all time.

Literate, intelligent, and highly recommended.

The Haunting of Hill House is a beautifully written, subtle, and terrifying novel. In this story, a professor brings a group together to stay in, and observe, a haunted house. The result is a psychological thriller that is absolutely stunning in its intensity.

In Danse Macabre, Steven King talks about the archetypical horros stories. One of them is the story about the Bad Place. This is the greatest Bad Place story of all time.

Literate, intelligent, and highly recommended.

This Hercule Poirot mystery is set on an island resort. In this exotic setting, the vacationers watch each other, and learn a bit about each other's history and personalities - and gossip about the flamboyant, and possibly unfaithful wife, of one of the guests. When she's found dead, the investigation shows the guests have many secrets - suspicions of murder, financial difficulties, previous romantic entanglements with other guests.

As is typical of many Christie stories, it's one of those secrets that is key to solving the mystery.

Classic Christie puzzle plot with engaging characters. Well-written and a very enjoyable read. Recommended.

December is a beautifully written and original horror novel. Rickman's novels are long, and the pace is deliberate - but NOT slow. Rather, the deliberate build-up increases the tension.

This book isn't short, and you do have to have an attention span - but the payback is very much there for the reader. It's worth it.

This is the story of a psychic band, a Bad Place, the destruction when the two collide, and the quest to put right what went wrong. The depth of characterization and the careful weaving of plot lines make this a horror classic.

Highly recommended.

Christie sets this engaging mystery at an archaeological dig. Narrator Amy Leatheran, a nurse sent to care for Louise Leidner, doesn't believe her charge's tales of being in danger -at least, not until Louise is found dead. Who killed her? Her late ex-husband, who may not be dead after all? His brother? Another archaeologist who was in love with her? Once Poirot begins to investigate, most of those present on the dig turn out to have motives, or possible motives.

Hercule Poirot solves the mystery, which is well-done, but the interplay between the characters is equally engaging. Christie was fabulous at seeing, and describing, the social interactions between people. One of my favorite Christies and highly recommended.

Storm Track takes place as a hurricane bears down on Colleton County. The stories of a minister having an affair with a local attorney, the murder of an unfaithful wife, and the approaching hurricane weave together, resulting in murder, attempted murder, and possible scandal.

I liked the way Maron wove together her ending - without a fairy-tale happy ending, but instead a mature view of life's inevitable compromises. It was a satisfying and mature conclusion.

Excellent book, highly recommended.

Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos takes place at a re-enactment of the battle of Yorktown. The conflict on the field, however, isn't where the real action is. Instead, battles between the craftsmen and the "Anachronism Police", legal wrangles over crafts software, and an unexpected murder make the reenactment look positively tame.

Donna Andrews creates eccentric and engaging characters. Those characters are my favorite element of the Meg Langslow series. Meg's father, enthusiastically recreating 18th century medicine complete with leeches, is a hoot. So are her handsome and irresponsible brother, her elegant and surprising mother, and her boyfriend's formidable mother.

The wrought-iron flamingos of the title remind me of a real-life wrangle in historic Hanover Courthouse over pink plastic lawn flamingos. I found myself wishing there was some way I could have bought those wrought iron ones for myself.

If you enjoy a witty cozy mystery, this one's for you.

Phil Rickman is known for writing intelligent, literate stories of horror and the supernatural. This book is no exception.

In this Reverend Merrily Watkins mystery, elements of the supernatural combine with plain old human wickedness. Rickman's books are long, but for the reader who appreciates an intelligent and well-written novel, they are worth the effort. I ordered my copy from Amazon.com.uk -- US readers are lucky to now have _A Crown of Lights_ available stateside.

Recommended. Also, treat yourself to his back list - Rickman writes some of the finest and most original work in this genre. In addition to the Merrily Watkins mysteries, Curfew, December, and Man in the Moss are highly recommended.

Barbara Michaels is a master, and this book is one of her finest.

Ruth Bennett invites her niece Sara to stay at her historic Georgetown house. Starting with a seance, the past apears to manifest through Sara. Is she going mad, or is it something else? Sara's boyfriend Bruce leads an investigation into the house's history - and finds the key to understanding what is happening to, and through, Sara.

This is a classic ghost story, that I have read and reread over the years. Very enjoyable book.

Ten Thousand Islands has it all - an excellent sense of place, a hint of the supernatural, an archaeological puzzle, a twisted villian, and a competent hero. I lived in Florida during my childhood, which makes good Florida mysteries particularly enjoyable for me - and this is a good one.

White weaves the history of the Calusa Indians with modern-day grave robbers. Doc Ford searches for someone who desecrated the grave of a teenage girl - Dorothy, a girl with a mystic link to the history of Marco Island - a girl who may have been murdered.

A political candidate, his powerful businessman father, and hired thugs all appear to be looking for what was buried with Dorothy. Plain old evil, madness, and a hint of the supernatural weave together into a fast-paced and exciting story.

Very well done and a good read.