perhaps i just don't like reading about creepy cults. it did not agree with me and i found it be over-obvious, eye-rolling. Herbert is a real professional: the screws are tightened expertly, our two leads are sympathetic & realistic (although one of them is a wee bit off), the mysteries unfold at a good pace, creepy supernatural goings-on abound, some enjoyable twists & turns pop up, and of course a mysterious & possibly threatening figure lurking on the edge of things appears. i read it all through one long rainy night.

easy to read and not particularly painful to get through. i don't think this is a particularly good book either. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension.

Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.Īs an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. James Herbert was Britain's number one bestselling writer (a position he held ever since publication of his first novel) and one of the world's top writers of thriller/horror fiction.

The Magic Cottage by James Herbert