I read this short on my Kindle. It has references to
Ray Bradbury, which I didn’t fully get until I discovered Ray wrote a story
with the same title (one I haven’t read). I felt the style was closer to some
of the US detective stories I read in Ellory Queen, when I was younger, than to
the sublime style of Bradbury.
The tale is told from two points of view; the ‘hero’,
a celebrity returning to his home town, scene of a family tragedy, and the
young female reporter following him and intent on getting a unique story. The
writing is tight and moves the action along well. I felt the ending was
predictable but that didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story.
This was one of those books that held my attention
whilst I was reading but left me with no after-impression. So, an entertainment
rather than a deep piece of work. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this work of
horror/ghost story and would recommend it as a way to spend a short spell of
time alone in an old house, especially if you’re of a suggestible nature.
