Book Review: The House That Jack Built by Graham Masterton (1996)

The first chapter of The House That Jack Built, Masterton clearly intends to shock us in this gripping tale of a haunted house. It isn't purple prose, and each word draws us into the life and mind of the protagonist turned antagonist (Craig Bellman). It gives us enough information to build up a love-hate relationship that resonates and compounds the story that Masterton creates.

After his terrible ordeal, Craig finds a dilapidated mansion called Valhalla in the country. He is magnetized to it. At first, it is an infatuation that matures into a need for a big man to own a big house. Unaware of its possessive history of evil, The Bellmans buy the house and start re-building it brick by brick, despite a death that occurred upon the property and ghostly whispers within its walls.

A series of murders connected to Craig's unfortunate encounter in that first chapter links them, the house and its history, himself and a dark trail of breadcrumbs together. These breadcrumbs are the formula for the second half of the novel.

What are the links between the recent spate of murders in the city and the history of Valhalla? What is the relationship between a playing card found at the scene of the crime, and how does this fit in to the history of Valhalla's previous owner, Jack Belias?

With numbing tenacity, Effie continues to stay beside her husband, but after meeting a local psychic by name of Pepper, she starts to put the pieces together to form a cohesive background to the house.

Masterton delivers a tight story about a haunted house that time-shifts: yesterday is here and here is tomorrow, delivering a unique perspective to an old trope. He casts Valhalla as a character rather than a setting, each room a different aspect of its personality, allowing mood and history as if it were of the flesh.

The House That Jack Built doesn't go at breakneck speed like many modern day horrors and spans a period of almost five months. It is as steady as the day and the further you read, the hotter it gets. Containing sharp scenes of violence and sex, Masterton should be proud of this fine story with humour that is so well placed, it would've been said.

Overall, The House That Jack Built is a well-oiled novel with an exquisite setting with well-rounded characters. It reminds me in many ways of Stephen King's The Shining, but you'll have to read both to find out why for yourself!

RATING: 4 OUT OF 5

If you are interested in learning more about Graham Masterton, please visit his website at www.grahammasterton.co.uk. Like this review? Please give me your comments in my guestbook!