Devil in the Darkness

4.5

I very much enjoyed this reprint from Valancourt.

There is not actually a "devil" but the word can be used interachangeably with the human heart and monstrosities we commit to each other, shown in backstory, revelations at the end, and the dry-rot atmosphere of the house (especially that bed scene!)

It has a genuine subtle creepiness and a back-history explained in good detail with the ending reveal being suitable grim. You also get the secluded, isolated snow storm with the trapped feeling. Sadly, no one becomes paranoid with each other, but realistically they are not housed together long enough for that to happen.

Valancourt specializes in "the rediscovery of rare, neglected, and out-of-print fiction," in particular gay titles and show more Gothic and horror novels from the 18th century to the 1980s. Not all my borrows and buys have been gems, but this is one of them. Most of their books have a lengthy introduction which I actually enjoy, mainly started due to the popular "Paperbacks from Hell", in which they have reprinted many from that book. In this case the author was a renowed scholar who got into the supernatural later in life, and this was his final of six books.

I plan to read several of the publisher's books this year, and so far this may be my favorite that I've tried. It's short and an easy read but has enough ambience to carry it through. show less

Our lovely delectable fragrant newly married couple, Paul and Carol, are off for a night of knee-trembling passion following their very recent marriage. Unfortunately travelling towards the holiday cottage in the Highlands of Scotland becomes impossible due to adverse weather conditions and they are diverted to the ghostly Gothic pile known as Ardvreck House. Here they encounter an assortment of misfits who are attempting to unveil the house's evil past and our young, innocent, naive couple become involved even trapped, unaware of the evil and the dangers that lurk...close by...in the shadows.....boo!!

This story is somewhere west of Margaret Rutherford and east of Agatha Christie where most of the players debate the merits and show more wickedness of previous owners whilst attempting to keep each other warm (Paul and Carol had no trouble there :) and relatively sane as a ghostly coldness makes its presence known. Will our heroes survive? Will the house remain intact? Will the secrets of the previous owners be laid bare....do I care? This was a very run of the mill story, slow and ponderous with wooden stilted characters and felt at times like the board game cluedo or the finale gathering in a Hercule Poirot adventure. Not a story I would recommend. show less

A mashup of [Benighted] and Hell House, told as an old fashioned, if malevolent, ghost story and without Matheson's grotty descent into depravity.

A terrific haunted house story