No sense of reality

A retired prison governor dies and his family gather at his house on Dartmoor. They are a disjointed group who have not met for some years. The house has a history of being haunted and when strange things start to happen the family is on the point of leaving, never to return when a five-year-old family member disappears.

The plot starts solidly and the parameters are well established so I looked forward to a decent read especially as Masterton is well known and respected in literary circles. However, very quickly the story descends into the highly improbable. The characters do not follow any semblance of logic and the parents of the missing boy act as if they are on a weekend jaunt.

There was little to engage the reader and some of the episodes were farcical. Additionally, several key questions were left unexplained. The book has been described as a horror story. In many ways it is, but not in the sense in which it was meant. The reviews seem to suggest that readers either loved or hated it. At the very least it was disappointing. Anyone who enjoys the horror/supernatural might perhaps better invest their time by picking up a copy of Clive Barker’s Coldheart Canyon.

mr zorg

Elite Reviewing group received a copy of the book to review.

I like what this did and the mix of thriller, horror and Country House mystery. The characters were well written for the most part but some of them all supernatural elements need to be expanded on further as they didn't seem as developed as they could have been in. I wish some of the the pacing have been a bit more even as it wasn't always easy to follow. The world was built well well and I could easily see the big house in Dartmoor where this is set. I think that the characters in the beginning needed to be a bit more distinguishable as they were a couple that seems bit too similar, this applied Bailey to the police officers and search and rescue team.

Supernatural horror. I thought I would give the horror genre a try but unfortunately, it was not for me. However, I could see that it was well written.
Thank you Netgalley and Head of Zeus for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

“We don’t want to live like this, but we don’t want to die”

Wow! I haven’t read a Graham Masterton book for many years and I had forgotten just how good his horror stories were and how they had the power to scare me witless!

He definitely hasn’t lost his touch and wields an experienced hand at penning a gripping, unconventional and unique plot, set in real life places which I could relate to, and which kept me engaged from the very first page to that final word .. or is it the final word in this terrifying journey? .. I’ll let you decide that for yourself, although I have a really bad feeling about everything!

Executed with total authority and confidence, Graham is totally in control of this complex, intense story from start to finish, cranking up the tension at just the right time to create an atmosphere of constant fear and suspense. Skilled in the imagery of words, Graham also evokes the sheer darkness and brooding of the Dartmoor landscape in the terrible weather conditions which prevail throughout the course of events, and believe me, this just isn’t the place you would want to be, let alone stuck in a remote crumbling heap of a house, which affords no protection, only engenders fear and a desperate longing to escape, but from what and to where?

This intense, multi-layered, well constructed story has a core plot which is supported by many other strands that play out in the background, so you really need to be on your toes to keep up with everything, until they are expertly and seamlessly drawn together in the heart-in-mouth, do or die, finale.

Graham only hints at this mind numbing storyline, so, to avoid giving away any major ‘spoilers’, I have searched for the best way to give you the ‘heads up’ about events, here goes! .. Take a ‘mash-up’ of Carrie, The Exorcist and Poltergeist; throw in some 17th century religious wars and a dollop of 20th century fraud and kidnapping; stir in a 21st century witch, wizard and priest; season liberally with folklore, myth and legend; and top off with a family driven mad and at the end of its collective tether, who are prepared to go to any lengths to break the spell .. Oh! and somewhere along the way, work out the conundrum of exactly how a ‘ghost’ has sex with a human, who then bears their child!! .. and voila there you have it! Meanwhile, the body count mounts at an alarming rate and is recorded in all too vivid colour and detail, definitely not for the squeamish, or just before a meal!

The storyline was quite equally character and plot driven, although what began as a small cast, quickly grew into a sprawling profusion of humanity, not all of it palatable or pleasant and all seemingly with their own agendas. Even the instigator of the events which drew everyone and everything together in the first place, sounded most disagreeable and unlikable – and he was already dead! Despite the fact they were well drawn and defined by the author, nothing really drew me to any one of these multi-faceted and complex characters in particular and there was little connection or empathy with their collective plight, although I may not have relished being in Rob’s shoes, and might even have felt a little sorry for him, after he made a discovery which I rather think he wished he hadn’t!

Definitely one to be read in daylight hours and not if you are on your own in the house!

A creepy old house on Dartmoor and people disappearing, what’s not to like? Having read several books by this author, I did find it slightly disappointing as it wasn’t really that scary. It definitely had its moments though! It was gory, chilling and quite comical in places. Sometimes it was edge of seat and others more laidback but never dull. The cover was atmospheric and would make me pick it up for a closer look inside

REVIEW

The House of a Hundred Whispers / Graham Masterton

The House of a Hundred Whispers is my first Graham Masterton book and it won’t be my last. There are many great haunted house books out there, The Haunting of Hill House by #ShirleyJackson and the recent Home Before Dark from #RileySagar to name a couple. Unfortunately this doesn’t live up to these lofty heights, however if you are looking for a creepy, ghost story/ horror story to read this winter then this fits the bill.

In short a group of siblings return to their family home Allhallows Hall to hear the reading of their fathers will, following his violent death. What follows is a story of family rivalries, missing children and the dark secrets of their family home.

What can you expect? The book starts slow but the pace soon picks up to a page turning pace. It runs the supernatural gamut from ghosts to demons, to hidden rooms and witches. There is some gore, so be warned and one uncomfortable sexual assault scene which I felt unnecessary. But the book is suitably entertaining for a dark winters night

Spooky horror book for lovers of things that go bump in the night ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Out of five

Brilliantly creepy and wonderfully written. Thoroughly enjoyed this and will be looking out for more by Graham Masterton.

I’m not a massive horror reader, preferring the crime and thriller genre, but I dip my reading toe in every now and again. Graham Masterton is a prolific author whose name I’ve seen a lot, he’s written a lot of books, but who I’ve never read. I decided to give this one a go, quite on a whim, and I have to say I’ve not been disappointed.

Allhallows Hall, a rambling Tudor mansion on the edge of Dartmoor, is owned by Herbert Russell, the retired governor of Dartmoor Prison. After he’s murdered, his estranged children and their partners return for the will reading. They soon learn that the house has been left in trust to young Timmy, Herbert Russell’s grandson (and the son of his least favourite son), and the only child present. This obviously causes friction with Herbert’s other children.

When Timmy goes missing this is just the first in a long line of events that soon reveals the house not to be what they thought, and that Herbert’s death was not a simple murder. Strange whisperings, the characters pushed and shoved by invisible people is just the start, soon other’s in their party go missing, and even people trying to assist them.

A House of a Hundred Whispers is not a gory or violent novel, well apart from two very gory scenes towards the end, which are also incredibly imaginative in how the victims meet their ends. From what I understand, Masterton can do blood and gore with the best of them (as he demonstrates with the two examples mentioned), but this is much more a supernatural chiller than a gore-fest. I wouldn’t even say it’s particularly frightening. But that shouldn’t put readers off, because it’s a supernatural tale well told which compels you to turn the pages and handles it’s competing elements well. And there’s a lot of elements here: ghosts, witches, demons, spells and lots of local folklore.

The family comes home when their father dies. They are reluctant to go there but need to as the will needs to be read. Roy’s childhood home holds no good memories for him. His dad was the former governor of Dartmoor Prison. They didn’t believe what they found out when the will was read to them. Timmy, Roy’s son inherits the house. Why was his older brother so upset? They decide to leave as the house is creepy but then Timmy disappears. Where is he? They examine every floor and room completely. No Timmy. Even though Timmy is only 5 years old, they search outside. Since they can’t find him, they call the police. The police get volunteers searching for him but they are unable to find him either. While the family is searching the house again, they find a hidden room but Timmy isn’t there. The family are on pins and needles as they are aware of the ghosts and something in the boarded up cellar. When they ask for help from experts, one disappears like Timmy did and two “experts” are killed. Will they ever find Timmy?

A story that immediate gives chills and creepiness from the beginning of the book. The supernatural events occur unexpectedly making you wonder what will happen next. They all hear whispering but not clearly enough to know what is being said. It scares the family. They become prisoners of the house as they are unable to leave. I was thrown off balance (as well as the characters are) due to unexpected twists and turns in the book. I enjoyed the creepy yet horrifying descriptions of events in the story. The house is described so well that it appears to be alive. This is an exquisite, excellent horror novel!

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

A very atmospheric story full of suspense and tension all the way throughout.
Ghouls, ghosts, demons, witches, magic and wizards all feature and a catholic priest brought to try and eradicate the spirit of the whisper filled creepy rambling Tudor mansion in the search for little Tommy who has disappeared.
A great book to read in October and one I would recommend to those that like ghost stories.
My thanks go to the publisher, author and Netgalley in providing this arc in return for a honest review.

Graham Masterson offers his own unique take on haunted-house horror in The House of a Hundred Whispers.

Taking place in the aftermath of their father’s violent death, the Russell siblings and their spouses gather at the family home, Allhallows Hall, to make post-mortem arrangements as well as bear witness to the obligatory reading of the will. Grievances, old and new, threaten to boil over before disaster strikes, when five-year-old Timmy Russell goes missing from the Hall, without a trace. Timmy’s father, Rob, must enlist the aid of his family and resolve the dark secrets of the ancient mansion if they are to have any hope of finding the young boy before it’s too late.

Masterson duly mixes in elements somewhat uncommon to the subgenre, making for an original telling rather than a tired trope rehash, and furthermore provides sufficient twists and turns to keep the reader guessing up to a thrilling – albeit somewhat contrived – conclusion (more on that shortly). The prose is quite competent, with visuals vividly yet succinctly described, dialogue thoroughly believable, and the setting very well realized.

To specify regarding the aforementioned conclusion (while attempting to remain spoiler-free), I will say only that that I did not find the mythology behind the supernatural elements well-integrated enough to avoid feeling of contrivance, nor the foreshadowing adequate to curtail a modest deus ex machina from diminishing an otherwise entertaining climax. Both issues might have been resolved with a leaner and more focused narrative, though it should be noted that, at times, the relatively wide net of plot threads cast by Masterson worked in his favour by misleading the reader’s assumptions.

Characterization was strong in some cases, with much of the supporting cast really coming to life despite mostly being painted in broad strokes; that in itself, a small triumph of storytelling. However, I specifically found protagonist Rob Russell to be alarmingly detached: while he does worry for his son, he never seems truly afraid, nor even particularly awed, by terrifying supernatural events. The conspicuous absence of emotional response hindered my empathetic connection to the character, lamentably resulting in deflating the tension thus utterly negating, for me at least, the fear-factor.

I do also feel compelled to note that I was disappointed by Masterson’s handling of female characters, who are primarily portrayed as ineffective bystanders. The lone exception to this is quickly nullified, sexualized, and – at risk of revealing a minor spoiler – requiring subsequent rescue by her male counterparts. Through the lens of my own inherent gender bias, I might not have noticed this regrettable feature were it not for a revealing display wherein Rob (in the absence of other capable men on-scene) earnestly states to four female characters that he appears to be the only one competent to save the day. Yikes. To be clear, this scene is apparently meant to play as a showcase for a character rising to a challenge, not in parody of (or even commentary on) masculinity or ego.

Despite its flaws, I did still feel that The House of a Hundred Whispers was a story worth following through to its conclusion, if for nothing else than to discover the secrets of the tantalizing mysteries laid out in the proficiently written opening chapters. However, for those seeking a truly terrifying tale with a strong connection to the lead character, or those turned off by poor female representation in their reading material, I would suggest looking elsewhere.

A nice creepy book and a pleasure to read a good old fashioned horror book that doesn't involve vampires or zombies. Graham Masterton doesn't disappoint, I loved the idea of a 'Witching Room' where time stops still. Also that the people who were trapped could roam about the house at certain times. I found it quite un-nerving that they could steal breath from sleeping people. I like this genre of book and Mr Masterton is one of the 'masters' of writing it,

i didn't like the first book i read by this author but I liked this one.
It's a classic horror, creepy and kept me on the edge till the end.
I liked the well described and spooky setting, the well thought characters and the plot.
It's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Who doesn't like a spooky horror ready for Halloween
This as everything you'll need
A creepy house
Whispers
Vanishing people
Witches
and Exorcisms

Spine ting!ing chilling

Thank you netgalley, Graham Masterton and Head of Zeus for allowing me to read and review this book

Graham Masterton has written so many classics with different angles that when you read a new one not part of a series you don't know what to expect. This one was no different. The story of 3 siblings and partners go to their deceased father's house and a son goes missing, then a brother, and then there's the whispers.
The story line is excellent, original, a few twists along the way, and there is the odd nod to previous classics (the hat is tipped to Walkers on a couple of occassions).
I enjoyed the book, and the ending, my only criticism is the apparent lack of distress over a missing child. Definitely recommended.

Excellent spooky horror story set on Dartmoor with all the classic ingredients, an old mansion house, a questionable death, a family with a disputed will, whispering and bumps in the night, people suddenly vanishing and attempted exorcisms. Violent deaths luridly described , great stuff!

Herbert Russell had lived at Allhallows Hall for many years which was a big old Tudor mansion, with creaking floorboards and clanking water pipes. He was an ex-governor of Dartmoor Prison and his children rarely contacted him. One day he was found dead at the bottom of his stairs, the postmortem showed he had been attacked and hit on the back of the head. His children came down for the reading of the will, expecting to inherit the house which was worth a fortune. After the reading, Rob and Vicky cannot find their son, Timmy, who had come indoors after playing outside. The house was searched from top to bottom, including the attic but no sign of Timmy. They searched outside, then inside again without success. Rob then decided to ring the police.

The police searched the house again and used a police dog as well. The dog refused to go near the house though, it was like it was afraid of something in there. They brought Timmy’s jacket out so the dog could sniff it. Still there was no sign of Timmy. However, in the kitchen garden they did find a claw hammer which they were taking away for tests. The only place not to be searched was the cellar as the door was clearly bricked up and had been for sometime.

Where was Timmy? He couldn’t just disappear, could he? Rob had bad memories of living in the house as a kid as he always thought there was a man under his bed although nobody had believed him. Even that afternoon, he had thought he had heard whispering but not loud enough to hear the words. Then there had been the suitcases in the attic, why were they there? What had his dad done?

I was really intrigued to find out Graham Masterton was writing a ghost story and not a crime one like the last few he’s written. There were ghosts involved with the book touching on the boundaries of being a fantasy novel. I really enjoyed the escapism of reading the story and got into it straight away then found it hard to put down because I wanted to know how it ended. The story flowed, it was very descriptive so you could build a picture in your mind and see it unfold. I thought it was brilliantly written.

In All Hallows Hall on Dartmoor, the owner and ex governor of Dartmoor Prison is found murdered.

His family arrive at the Hall for the reading of his will. Then 5 year old Tommy goes missing. So, they end up staying at the Hall while the search for the young boy is underway.

But, at night the whispers start..

This is classic supernatural horror. A creepy house on the moors, demons, witches, exorcisms and evil it has it all. What’s not to love ? Well written, atmospheric and thoroughly entertaining.

Thank you to The Publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of The House Of A Hundred Whispers.

House of a Hundred Whispers is Graham Masterton’s latest horror novel and boy is it creepily atmospheric right from the off. Dartmoor, with its mists, bleak winter weather and overwhelming sense of isolation, is the perfect place to build a prison. It's not a place many would choose to live - yet the Governor of Dartmoor Prison did just that. When Herbert Russell retired, he bought All Hallow's Hall - a rambling Tudor mansion on the edge of the moor, and lived there all his life. Now he's dead, and his estranged family are set to inherit his estate. But when the dead man's family come to stay, the atsmophere of the moors seems to drift into every room. Floorboards creak, secret passageways echo, and wind whistles in the house's famous priest hole. And then, on the morning the family decide to leave All Hallows Hall once and for all, their young son Timmy goes missing...

This is a riveting, chilling and addictive read which hooked me in from the very beginning and had my head spinning and my heart thumping. I have NEVER been disappointed by a Masterton book yet and I have read all of them. This is by far his best and most gripping of them all. It becomes quite spooky and like all of Masterston’s horror it gets under your skin and in to your psyche. The twists and blindsides were plentiful but also very well executed and made for compulsive reading. It's a brilliantly creepy story full of fun and it provides edge of your seat entertainment. It is also the perfect escapist treat for the beginning of autumn or for those who enjoy reading books about haunted houses around October time. You cannot go wrong with Masterton. Highly recommended. Many thanks Head of Zeus for an ARC.

All Hallows Hall Awaits....
Welcome. All Hallows Hall awaits. Edge of Dartmoor. Dark and dismal. Please come in! Superbly creepy, tense and disturbing this is a perfect Halloween read or one for those dark, cold nights preferably in safely by a roaring fire. Excellent storytelling.