IF YOU SEE THEM - RUN... A clergyman is murdered in his bed in the dead of night, triggering a chilling chain of events, each more bizarre and unnerving than the last – brutal killings, corpses vanishing, decomposed bodies digging their way out of graves.
These shocking events seem unconnected but, at each scene, people report witnessing swarms of flies – hundreds, thousands, even millions of them.
As DI Patel and DS Pardoe hunt for the mastermind behind these atrocious crimes, they are forced to is this person human – or is all of this linked to the mysterious figure caught on CCTV, running at speed without moving its legs?
And can they stop the swarm before they themselves are consumed?
Graham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles which eventually became Burroughs' novel The Wild Boys.
At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.
Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.
Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.
He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.
Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.
He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.
Patel & Pardoe are back! These two detectives work for the Metropolitan Police department. They are given the bizarre and perhaps supernatural crimes that the other officers on the force can't or won't handle. This time they are dealing with a rash of bizarre and horrific murders which involve a massive amount of coffin flies. Gross, gross, gross!
House of Flies is the 5th book in the Patel & Pardoe series. This could be read as a stand-alone. I feel Graham Masterton does a great job of giving enough information on the two detectives that new readers to the series can jump in and hit the ground running if they choose to start here. I have only read three books in the series and enjoyed all of them!
I enjoy Graham Masterton's writing, his plots, and his use of supernatural elements in this series. I believe fans of the X-files or John Connolly's Charlie Parker series, will enjoy this series. As I mentioned, I enjoy Graham Masterton's writing, his well thought out plots and his vivid descriptions. I enjoy the supernatural element and the not knowing what was going to happen next. I enjoyed the creep factor in this book along with the detective work. With things being supernatural, finding the culprit is not always easy.
If you are a bit squeamish this might not be the book for you but if you enjoy a supernatural detective story. I found House of Flies to be a quick riveting book which was equal parts chilling, dark, eerie, and horrific. Another enjoyable, gripping, and wonderfully written book in this great series!
3.5 stars
Thank you to Aria & Aries and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
A detective crime investigation with a supernatural element
This is the fifth book in the Patel & Pardoe, supernatural crime series, of which this was my first. The book starts in true Graham Masterton style, bringing me back with excitement to the horror books of his that I read many years ago.
The story follows unusual murders and events, whereby, the biggest link appears to be coffin flies which are acting strangely. Each killing and event, is written well and has the Masterton horror edge, keeping you on the edge of your seat and drawing you into a world that is uncomfortable, yet compelling.
The characters of DI Patel and DS Pardoe are easy to follow, although clearly being book five in the series, you will have missed the previous history and background. That being said, it did not affect my enjoyment of the story at all.
I have a couple of slight criticisms; firstly, the police procedural element didn’t always appear believable and some of the banter and comments did not seem fitting. Also, Patel and Pardoe often appear a little simplistic, when they are quite clearly experienced investigators, including of the supernatural. Towards the end of the story, there was a lot of repetition, this was unnecessary. Finally, the ending, too easy!
The horror element with the flies and the corpses is good; the description creates a clever visual and includes a sensory appreciation drawing the reader into the story. I could see, hear, smell and imagine each event and other related incidents. The mystery and tension in the early stages built really well and quickly captured my attention.
This was a quick and easy read which I enjoyed and would recommend. I will find time to read the previous and any future books in the series. It wouldn’t keep me awake at night, like some other Masterton reads, but a perfect supernatural read, particularly for those Autumn/Winter nights.
Thank you to Netgalley, Aria & Aries and Graham Masterton for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Due to be published on 9 October 2025.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I’ve not involved myself all that heavily with Masterton’s books (shocking for a horror reader, I know), so getting approved for this ARC was a welcome surprise. I didn’t realise at the time that it was part of a series, but to be honest, it didn’t really matter- the story is of the kind that allows you to pick up no matter where you come in.
We follow our two detectives, Patel & Pardoe, as they deal with a decidedly weird case of coffin flies invading the bodies of people they have no business flying about in. Some of the gore and descriptions of the violence and deaths that occur were absolutely epic, whereas others felt a bit laughable (looking at you, fuzzy grey man).
I think the concept was really strong, but it just could have gone a little harder into some of the themes. If you’re going to have the dead walking, give us a little bit more of a description and nastiness. The flies were definitely in the lane of gross, however, and I found that compelling as a device.
I understand why Pardoe is our main protagonist, but I did find him a little tiresome at times. The repetition in parts of this one too also did get to me a bit, but it was still a fun, supernatural police procedural. With a little more cutting and some little changes to the language, it would have been an easy four star for me.
I knew what I was going for when I requested this book on NetGalley (and many thanks to the publisher for the approval!): judging by the previous four books, I expected an easy read, with some intriguing imagery, nice banter, replete with British atmosphere, and escalating tension; above all, however, an easy read. In fact, I got my wish and more: this was TOO much of an easy read. There's an element of cartoonism in the portrayal of both characters and events, neither of which feel real; the characters, especially, feel rather mechanical and reactive to an already fixed plot - I just didn't get that sense of discovery present in the first books. Mixed feelings came up very often, mostly on account of the repetition and the silliness of certain situations. Can it be that I'm too old for this kind of book?
I missed the excitement of the first two books, and the strangeness and the mystery in this book just didn't cut it. I also expected the two detectives to somehow "catch on" faster to what was going on, I mean this is the fifth volume, they are now experienced detectives! (Some reviewers also object to the banter between the two in this book; and indeed there are fewer hits than misses, but I had no problem with it - Masterton is an old brit, after all). Oh, I also hated the ending: light and just too easy.
If you're stuck in an airport and/or have a long flight ahead of you, I wouldn't dissuade you from picking up this book, though I can't promise you'll finish it.
Patel and Pardoe are back at it again, this time trying to figure out a string of murders that involve flies, re-animated corpses, and a weird disease that may or may not be anthrax. In other words, a typical day at the office for Graham Masterton’s own version of Scully and Mulder from the X-Files.
And, in typical fashion, this one is Masterton doing what he does best, mashing up a bunch of plot elements and other weird, arcane/occult lore, and, as is the case more often than not, somehow making at all work in a coherent and enjoyable way.
Granted, this probably wasn’t my favorite of the Pardoe and Patel series, (that one being The Children God Forgot) yet there is a lot to like here. The title detectives have become their own characters by this fifth book, actually feeling original and unique. And even though this book skirts retconning a lot of previous stuff from previous books, it’s obvious that those past experiences have molded and shaped Jerry and Jamila. Furthermore, the whole plot in House of Flies felt a lot more grounded and realistic. Unlike killer re-animated clothing or weird parallel, universes that go back in time, this one was definitely a bit more of a straight up possession story that worked even if the ending felt rushed… Then again, that’s also a Masterton tenant.
i unfortunately wasn't a fan of this one... if you know me, you know books that follow from the perspective of law enforcement ain't my favourite and this was no exception.
the writing style also wasn't for me, i mean this in the best way possible but you can tell a man wrote this lol!
i got up to page 26 before deciding to dnf. it's just sadly not my type of book.
What an interesting concept this was! The pacing was also fantastic sometimes with detective stories they’ll start with a lot of action and then simmer down until it’s almost a race to the finish. This was engaging throughout, though there is no real tension or twists. At times I did get a bit sick of the repetition, how many times did I need to learn they were the pair who dealt with supernatural cases. Overall this was a very easy read, maybe the ending was a bit too far fetched for me, but it was still enjoyable.
Full disclaimer - I was so excited to review a new Masterston that I didn't do my due diligence until I opened Goodreads and discovered that this is the 5th book in an ongoing series focusing on two defectives. If you're a fan of the Patel and Pardoe books I wouldn't be surprised if your thoughts differed greatly to mine - after all, I'm missing out on presumably a lot of character development and back story, dropping myself into their relationship and history completely blind. With that in mind, please take my review with a pinch of salt.
House Of Flies combines the kind of classic British terrestrial TV series with supernatural horror, and is sure to get under the skin of anyone with an aversion to insects. Victims are found murdered, covered in - and sometimes full of - flies. Bodies that have been long buried are exhumed, seemingly digging themselves out of their grave. Clergymen and criminals, religious people and those on the underbelly of society alike, are turning up dead. It's on our two lead detectives, who have a reputation for solving the strangest of cases, to find out what's going on - as their investigation proceeds, they start to question if a demonic force is behind these biblical slayings... or perhaps even an angelic one?
The book zips along at a fast paced, rarely far from the next grisly discovery. There's a real escalation in stakes as the story continues, building to an intense final confrontation. Unfortunately I found the build up a little repetitive at points, with similar events occuring a few times in a way that occasionally slowed the momentum down. I also wasn't very enamoured with the character of Pardoe. Perhaps it'd be different if I started the series earlier, but I found his quips usually more tiresome than funny, and generally a difficult protagonist to relate to.
Masterston is a great author, and he hasn't lost his writing spark here. There may be a lot here for diehards, but if you're a relatively newbie to his work, I'd suggest starting with some of his horror classics, or even beginning with the first of the Patel and Pardoe books. There's a lot to like about House Of Flies, but as a standalone read without prior context, I found myself feeling like I was missing something.
Muchy w nosie Bohaterami najnowszego Mastertona są muchy. Poduczylam się w muchach. 😂 Poznałam inne ich odmiany niż mucha plujka. W treści entomolog najwięcej naliczył much trumiennych. Policzył je wszystkie. Te w ustach i oczach też. Trochę mu to zajęło. Skąd się wzięły? Zagadkowe muchy trumienne. Wszędobylskie. W mojej ocenie książka wzbudza większe mdłości ochydztwem cmentarnym niż strach czy grozę. Ponadto jest zabawnie I bardzo mi się podoba to zderzenie angielskiego humoru z makabrycznymi obrazami. Nietypowo. Zdarzyło mi się prychnąć z zaskoczenia zestawem słownym w kontrze do przedstawionego obrazka. Horror jako gatunek jest trudny, bo tak łatwo popaść w śmieszność. Tutaj autorowi udało się stworzyć atmosferę obawy przed nieznanym, zaskoczenia i zdumienia na zasadzie „ co ty gadasz?”. Podobało mi się, bo bywało zabawnie, ale nieśmiesznie. Taka subtelna różnica a jaka znacząca w odbiorze tekstu. Detektywi Dżamila Patel i Jerry Pardoe zostali zatrudnieni przy tym muszym śledztwie, bo to oni zajmują się przypadkami dziwnymi i niewytłumaczalnymi. Duchy im niestraszne. Tutaj w powiązaniu z muchami właśnie i religią w wielu wydaniach. Owady owadami a tu ludzie nie dość, że z grobów powstają to jeszcze mordują się wzajemnie, w takim tempie, że śledczy nie nadążają badać miejsc zbrodni! Śmierć pastora jest początkiem tej serii zgonów dziwnych i dziwniejszych. Kamery monitoringu uchwyciły dziwną postać, bardzo szybko się przemieszczającą, oblepioną muchami. Czy to morderca? Kto to jest? Wiem, bo autor nazywa tego kogoś. Ale nie powiem! Podpowiem tylko, że jego motywem jest zakończenie tej całej „hecy z wiarą w Boga”. Jest to nie kto inny tylko władca much czyli……. Oto zagadka czekająca na rozwiązanie. Jeśli kto delikatny na punkcie religii i obraża się religijnie łatwo i szybko, niech odstąpi od lektury, bo ona uczucia religijne obraża. Na bank!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Full disclosure: I did not know that this book was part of a series when I requested it, I just thought it sounded interesting.
Fortunately, the story does not require you to have read the previous 4 books in the series - although I imagine that increased familiarity with the characters would increase the enjoyment of this book.
I think the fact that this series as a horror series set me off on the wrong foot with the book, I don't know if it's the authors intent but this seems much more like a parody of procedural crime shows with supernatural horror elements thrown in. The characters are so broadly drawn and charicaturish that it's impossible to take them seriously.
There is a section in this novel where the leads consider God as a suspect in a series of murders, and one officer sincerely wonders how they can arrest god - it simply must be a comedy because no one could write this and expect it to be taken seriously, and I think some reviewers are missing that this MUST be a parody.
The story is appropriately creepy/disgusting. It's very fast-paced, although it does feel like it continually winds back on itself, and we revisit the same locations over and over, sometimes just a few pages apart.
I enjoyed it and will probably go back and read the previous entries, but yeah... straight horror it is not, and if you expect that, you will be disappointed.
A scary book very appropriate for this time of year, Halloween. This is book 5 of the series featuring DI Patel and DS Pardoe who have become known as the Ghostbusters due to their success in solving crimes involving the supernatural or unbelievable! My first read by this author and it read well as a standalone.
Briefly, if you shudder at the thought of flies swamping your body this may not be for you. This is a police procedural/ horror story where the murder of a clergyman sets off an unbelievable chain of weird murders where nothing is ‘normal’. The pair find themselves called on day and night as the chain of horrific killings shows no end. There is clearly an evil force at play but who, why and how? Even an exorcism doesn’t help until finally the pair come to the conclusion that, having ruled out the impossible, what remains however improbable has to be the truth.
I am that person. I hate flies of any sort and who knew there was such a thing as coffin flies! Consequently, I can confirm I felt very uncomfortable reading this book. The horror element was good and made my skin crawl at times. Yes the flies! It’s a fairly quick read with a simple plot but with enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. A dark and chilling read and very entertaining.
The House of flies by Graham Masterton is book 5 in the Patel and Pardoe supernatural detective series. Having read the other books in this series. I couldn’t wait to see what the author comes up with next. The Reverend Paul Wymarsh is murdered in his bed in the dead of night, triggering a chilling chain of events, each more bizarre and unnerving than the last – brutal killings, corpses vanishing, decomposed bodies digging their way out of graves. Di Patel and DS Pardoe are appointed the case due to their experience with Supernatural. And that CCTV has picked up a mysterious person feeling the scene without using his legs. There is a fast-paced police procedural that had me hooked throughout and at the same time in some incidences left me a bit squeamish how some of the victims were killed that others would feel a bit unsettled by it. Setting that aside I couldn’t stop reading and wondering where the author gets his imagination from as his ideas are always fresh but gruesome lol. This is not for the faint hearted. But fantastic read. 5 stars from me.
Having read all of the Katie Maguire books, my interest was piqued by this latest book from Graham Masterton. I didn’t realise it is book five in the Pardoe & Patel series, but I have to say it reads well as a standalone. As I expected from this author, the narrative is gripping from start to finish and the pacing is great - there aren’t many action-free sections. The author skilfully blends police procedural with the supernatural, which in turn creates a somewhat creepy atmosphere throughout. I will admit that I struggled to like Jerry Pardoe – his constant wise-cracks and rhyming slang became irksome around the mid-way point and I found myself wanting to hear more from Patel, whom I found much more interesting and grounded. All in all, an eerie and atmospheric read that had me feeling horrified and gratified in equal measures.
With thanks to the author, publishers Aria & Aries, and NetGalley for providing me with a DRC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I have read this author before but only a couple of his books from the 70s and 80s, one of which I really liked and the other not so much. This book had me gripped and on the edge of my seat from the off though, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.
It was my first dip into the Patel & Pardoe series, but I think (and other reviews I have read would seem to confirm) that this did not matter as the book worked just fine as a standalone novel. It offered a nice blend of detective fiction with lots of horror/supernatural elements, along with a decent amount of sarcastic humour which I appreciated! Throw in some of the most imaginative and gruesome deaths that I have read in recent years, and what’s not to like!
Without giving too much away if I had one gripe it would be that, given the apparent power of the “culprit” behind all of these deaths, they seemed to be dealt with a little too easily in the end. A small complaint though, for what was otherwise a thoroughly entertaining read.
House of Flies blends supernatural horror with procedural police drama, delivering a story that moves at a steady, almost episodic pace—much like a TV crime series. The plot revolves around a series of eerie, insect-infested crimes, with swarms of flies acting as harbingers of something far more sinister.
It features disturbing imagery—particularly the recurring swarms of flies—and incorporates religious themes to support its horror elements.
However, while the premise is compelling, the experience is marred by occasional moments of unnecessary racism that felt out of place and off-putting. These moments disrupted the flow and detracted from the overall story. Despite the well-paced structure and intriguing supernatural twist, House of Flies ultimately wasn’t for me.
I’ve not read a Graham Masterton book before and this is part of a series but I didn’t feel like I had to have read the previous books first to get this story. Although I will be reading all of the books in this series at some point. I enjoyed this supernatural crime book but I can’t imagine it’s a good one for those who are squeamish as there are a fair amount of grotesquely insect induced disgusting details. This book also has religious elements to it to support the story. I did find the beginning a little slow paced for my liking but it did pick up as the book went on. The end was a bit far fetched but isn’t the whole story? That’s what makes it fun! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC.
Masterton delivers a police procedural with a supernatural twist with his latest novel in the Patel and Pardoe series. This time the detectives find themselves investigating a series of strange deaths by a mysterious figure targeting Catholic religious figures in which the bodies are left bloated and crawling with flies. It's a mostly solid procedural that clicks along at a brisk pace and shows glimpses of Masterton's horror smarts - particularly with a number of gory death sequences. But the mystery kind of just unfolds without any real twists or tension, making this a breezy if somewhat forgettable read.
A clergyman is murdered in his bed in the dead of night, triggering a chilling chain of events, each more bizarre and unnerving than the last – brutal killings, corpses vanishing, decomposed bodies digging their way out of graves. These shocking events seem unconnected but, at each scene, people report witnessing swarms of flies – hundreds, thousands, even millions of them.
I was disappointed with this book. I’ve read lots of Graham Masterton’s work right back to his early horror to his Katie McGuire series of novels. All of which I thought were terrific but not this one. In fact, at times, I thought it was silly rather than scary. Sorry but it just didn’t work for me.
The idea of supernatural detectives pulled me in right away, and the pacing was refreshingly consistent—no slow, saggy middle like many mysteries fall into. While it didn’t offer much in terms of twists or tension, it stayed engaging throughout. That said, the repetition got tiring fast; I lost count of how many times I was reminded that they’re the pair for supernatural cases. Still, despite an ending that felt a bit too far-fetched for my taste, it was an easy, enjoyable read with a fun premise that kept me turning the pages.
I was so excited to see a new book in this supernatural detective series that I immediately dropped what I was reading to start it because it’s one of my all-time favorite series! This installment felt a bit less gory than the previous ones, but the descriptions involving the flies still made me uncomfortable and had my skin crawling. Some parts felt a little repetitive, but overall I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the next book when it comes out!
A Great gruesome horror. Victims are being found with flies covering their body and a report of a man flying. People with religious backgrounds are being hunted and it’s up to the two of them to find out why and to stop it.
This author really knows how to write horror/crime. I read this book in a few days as I could not put this down. Love how this author is able to create so much tension and build up towards the end. Highly recommend!
This series offer the best of both worlds, police procedural and horror. Patel and Pardue are called in to this strange case. The dead walking surrounded by flies also flies around the murders. I've been reading Graham Masterton since The Manitou and he has not missed a beat with this book. Loved it. Thanks to Aries & Aria and Netgalley for this review copy.
Crime and police procedural books are what I normally read and every so often its good to have a mix up. This book did exactly that, with a supernatural element it felt a little different from the normal crime books. I really like the two main characters, they bring a lot to wanting to follow this series.
Widać doświadczenie autora co najbardziej mi się podobało, dogłębne zbadanie niektórych wątków. Niekoniecznie podobało mi się budowanie napięcia które momentami było zbyt wydłużone. Ogólnie książka w porządku, dobra rozrywka.
This was ...okay. It didn't have quite the character and atmosphere that I usually get from a Graham Masterton book. I wasn't as invested in this one. Yes, it has gross and deadly elements and interesting main characters if that's what you are here for.
The fifth Patel and Pardoe book, and another belter. Picked it up last night, read the first couple of pages and couldn't stop. Masterton rarely lets the reader down, and he hasn't done so here. A ridiculously readable, gruesome delight.
I’ve only read one Graham Masterton book before The House at Phantom Park which I thought was brilliant, so House of Flies was gratefully received!
I didn’t actually realise this is the 5th in the DS Katie Maguire spin-off series featuring detectives Patel and Pardoe, but it can definitely be read as a standalone.
I was expecting more pure horror, but this turned out to be an eerie blend of horror, supernatural and thriller. As the title suggests, flies play a very big (and very creepy) part in the story and let’s just say… don’t eat before reading this one!
It didn’t make me jump in the same way as The House at Phantom Park, but it’s still deeply unsettling and disturbing. While there weren’t huge twists, the atmosphere and grotesque details more than made up for it.
I’ll definitely be going back to read this series from the start, a good pick for spooky season and fans of dark, creepy thrillers. It will literally make your skin crawl!!