The Intruders

by Pat Montandon

Lenticular cover.

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 1982

Reviews

[Patricia Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intensely interesting book. I read it many years ago. The suspense level is high. Having lived in San Francisco, I have seen the haunted building on Lombard Street many times. The space is now worth five million dollars.

Pat Montandon narrates her chilling experience in late 1960's San Francisco. Her playgirl life was shattered by a chain of unexplained and tragic events.

I highly recommend this book.

[Helga Spotts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite the mystery...

I read the book because I heard about the mystery on the podcast "Dark House." It fascinated me enough that I sought out the book and having at one time driven down Lombard while on vacation.

Montandon has an easy to read style; it's been awhile since I've devoured a non-fiction (?) book.

I recommend this book; it's a mix of biography, mystery and paranormal.

[Jm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and mildly unnerving read. While reading an online story about haunted houses, after a late night movie binge with a friend, I came across an entry about a house at the foot of Lombard Street in SF. A book about this house was even published, in which tied several untimely deaths to the house. The author was a former well-known local TV personality back when local programming really meant something in the SF Bay Area. The time is just before and during my early childhood in Oakland, just across the Bay. I had to read this book.

The author lived in the house, at the time divided into apartments, for almost a decade. While she loved its location and how it could be used for entertaining at parties, living there eventually affected her health and well-being. Her story has several focal points that make the book an intriguing read: There is the fateful tale of the tarot card reader who cursed the author, her life, and the house. There are countless, collaborated instances recorded of strange happenings and feelings of extreme discomfort. And then the deeply personal tragedy of her close friend and associate being found dead in the apartment while it was in flames - her cause of death undetermined (to this day).

I agree that some places can have a certain feel to them, or retain an atmosphere of past events. The fact that the case bothered the lead detective, who also hunted the Zodiac Killer, is an eerie touch. I thought that while the tone of the book at times felt a bit fake to possibly both cover some unwise (to me) life choices as well as deal with a mounting emotional and vague topics (always hard to know how to communicate those), overall it did a very good job of balancing her personal experiences, providing collaborations by others, and documenting such evidence as she could find in a creditable manner.

Several names mentioned throughout the book I recognized from newspaper and TV familiarity over the years as I grew up. Reading the book brings back some strong memories for me of growing up in the SF Bay Area, the descriptions are so true. Some from the latter part of the book I recognize now, living an hour to the north of these events. This, for me, makes the story feel like a family secret just now being told. The book did not at all feel like reading a sensational cash-in. I do recommend it.

[deborah eden perfidio]

3.5 stars interesting ... not scary but very interesting account of pat montandons version of what happened when she lived in San Francisco , to me seeing Alcatraz would be creepy enough but she lived in an apartment that really had some strange events; sounds like she was depressed during this period but nonetheless worth reading but it’s not scary that’s a forewarning

[Connie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and could not put it down!

[Ann Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is fascinating and I’d love to see what a proper edit and a smattering of photos could do to elevate it. Super creepy.

[Shelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like an over dramatic friend who you love to spend time with. Sincere…you can’t help but believe…

[Grady Hendrix · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never hire a short-tempered tarot reader to work your parties.

[Margery Bogus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was fascinating and wished it wouldn't end. Definitely a must read if you have any interest in the paranormal.

[Matt Gough · Rating 1 out of 5]

According to the back cover of this book, this is the story of a woman’s real encounters with the supernatural. The apartment she lives in is cursed, and strange phenomena occur while she is living there. But, in the actual reading of the book, you realize that there are no strange phenomena. The author feels sadness and despair whenever she is in the house, and when anything bad happens to her, she immediately blames it on the house. The author seems to be the type of person who wants to blame misfortune on outside influences rather than on just the ebb and flow of life. She gets a string of bad luck and blames it on the supernatural as a way of coping with the tragedies. Not a good book at all. I just wanted to grab the author by the collar, slap her in the face, and yell, “Snap out of it!!”

[L.J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

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