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Omnibus: Tengu / The Devils Of D-Day / The Mirror / Charnel House
928 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2004
66 people want to read
About the author
Graham Masterton
425 books1,995 followersGraham 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 9, 2011
Tengu 3 stars (finished 15 July 2011)
Deformed Japanese madman seeks revenge on the United States for Hiroshima. It's an easy read with just the right amount of gore.
The Devils of D-Day 4 stars (finished 20 July 2011)
A US cartographer accidentally unleashes a demon held captive in an army tank since World War 2. I loved how the creepy factor was slowly built up and the style was reminiscent of 19th century gothic writers such as le Fanu and Polidori.
The Mirror 5 stars (finished 6 August 2011)
Martin Williams buys a mirror that once belonged to a child star of the 1930s who was horribly murdered by his grandmother. Strange things then start to happen. Loved this tale of demonic worship in Hollywood. Brilliantly trashy page turner.
Charnel House 3 stars (finished 8 August 2011)
Weird goings on as a house starts breathing. It all ties in with Native American legends of demons and shamans. It wasn't a terrible story and I did enjoy it to a certain extent but it wasn't brilliant.
Deformed Japanese madman seeks revenge on the United States for Hiroshima. It's an easy read with just the right amount of gore.
The Devils of D-Day 4 stars (finished 20 July 2011)
A US cartographer accidentally unleashes a demon held captive in an army tank since World War 2. I loved how the creepy factor was slowly built up and the style was reminiscent of 19th century gothic writers such as le Fanu and Polidori.
The Mirror 5 stars (finished 6 August 2011)
Martin Williams buys a mirror that once belonged to a child star of the 1930s who was horribly murdered by his grandmother. Strange things then start to happen. Loved this tale of demonic worship in Hollywood. Brilliantly trashy page turner.
Charnel House 3 stars (finished 8 August 2011)
Weird goings on as a house starts breathing. It all ties in with Native American legends of demons and shamans. It wasn't a terrible story and I did enjoy it to a certain extent but it wasn't brilliant.
March 30, 2017
This is a bargain you can't beat-God bless the omnibus book! If you bought all of these used as separate books, you will be out at least $40. You can get this one used for under five bucks, including shipping on Amazon. You can't beat that!
OK, overall quick review of all four books, written over the earlier chunk of Masterton's career. They are in order, from worst to best:
'Charnel House:' one of his first novels. So over the top it almost gets silly, but it is still fun. It's a decent read. The ideas are nutty, and his writing style wasn't fully formed at this time. Still, it's quick fun, with a breathing house, walking bodies with no facial flesh, evil Indian spirits, and the Golden Gate Bridge. See what I mean about almost silly?
'Devils of D-Day:' 13 evil WWII tanks driven by demons, and of course a stupid American finds one of the tanks and lets one loose. Writing is better on this one, a good page turner.
'Tengu:' Sure, crazed genetically created Jap strongmen bent on avenging Hiroshima, some 40 years later. Longer than the other two, and a faster pace-putting this one down is not easy. Not scary, but a great mystery-suspense read. Good ending too, heh heh! (if you read it, you get it)
'Mirror:' the best of the lot, this is a genuine shit-storm. Outstanding plot, and scary as hell. If you can visualize the book playing out as you read, this one will be mailing nightmares into your subconscious for some time to come. This is probably the best of his I have read, other than 'Family Portrait.' It's enough to make you nervous even approaching a mirror after. Also, a hell of a page-turner, I stayed up late two nights in a row, I had to know how it would end.
So, there you go. This work is worth every penny, lots of great writing from a great author.
My only bitch: it really annoys me that when Masterton needs to show misery and he doesn't want to hurt a person in his books, he resorts to cats. Douche. His comments make clear that he doesn't like them, so stop including them! He never picks on any other animals. Animal cruelty in books just really irks me-pet peeve of mine.
OK, overall quick review of all four books, written over the earlier chunk of Masterton's career. They are in order, from worst to best:
'Charnel House:' one of his first novels. So over the top it almost gets silly, but it is still fun. It's a decent read. The ideas are nutty, and his writing style wasn't fully formed at this time. Still, it's quick fun, with a breathing house, walking bodies with no facial flesh, evil Indian spirits, and the Golden Gate Bridge. See what I mean about almost silly?
'Devils of D-Day:' 13 evil WWII tanks driven by demons, and of course a stupid American finds one of the tanks and lets one loose. Writing is better on this one, a good page turner.
'Tengu:' Sure, crazed genetically created Jap strongmen bent on avenging Hiroshima, some 40 years later. Longer than the other two, and a faster pace-putting this one down is not easy. Not scary, but a great mystery-suspense read. Good ending too, heh heh! (if you read it, you get it)
'Mirror:' the best of the lot, this is a genuine shit-storm. Outstanding plot, and scary as hell. If you can visualize the book playing out as you read, this one will be mailing nightmares into your subconscious for some time to come. This is probably the best of his I have read, other than 'Family Portrait.' It's enough to make you nervous even approaching a mirror after. Also, a hell of a page-turner, I stayed up late two nights in a row, I had to know how it would end.
So, there you go. This work is worth every penny, lots of great writing from a great author.
My only bitch: it really annoys me that when Masterton needs to show misery and he doesn't want to hurt a person in his books, he resorts to cats. Douche. His comments make clear that he doesn't like them, so stop including them! He never picks on any other animals. Animal cruelty in books just really irks me-pet peeve of mine.
January 31, 2012
Great value for money, binding four decent-to-great novels.
Tengu is a pretty gruesome tale of Japanese demons spreading havok on the USA, as revenge for the atom bomb. There is gore applenty, as the people they possess are able to rip people to shreds with their bare hands.
Decent pacing that goes a bit too fast towards the ending (it is Masterton after all) but a good ending. (4 stars)
The Devils of D-Day is, to me, the weakest link. It starts quite nice, but after page 100 it just rushes head-long to an unfulfilling climax. The demon-possessed tank from WW2 left to rust in Normandie is a great idea, but badly realised. (3 stars)
The Mirror is a winner. A struggling holywood author, obsessed with a musical wonder-kid that was brutally murdered, buys his mirror. But something is wrong with the mirror, as items go in and other items come out, starting with a ball and then hell starts to break loose.
It may be a Masterton novel but it is not rushed at all. It builds up and delivers at all the right spots, the violence is gruesome and overdone and it manages to stay strong until the final confrontation with the villain, something few Masterton novels can boast. (5 stars)
Charnel house is also a very strong book. It starts a bit slow but builds quite well and, considering it is a MAsterton novel, ends in quite a decent manner (you probably guess by now that I have a beef with Masterton's endings).
Personally I was a bit annoyed by its 70's hippness that reads so dated today, but apart from that, there is little criticism I can give. (4 stars)
Tengu is a pretty gruesome tale of Japanese demons spreading havok on the USA, as revenge for the atom bomb. There is gore applenty, as the people they possess are able to rip people to shreds with their bare hands.
Decent pacing that goes a bit too fast towards the ending (it is Masterton after all) but a good ending. (4 stars)
The Devils of D-Day is, to me, the weakest link. It starts quite nice, but after page 100 it just rushes head-long to an unfulfilling climax. The demon-possessed tank from WW2 left to rust in Normandie is a great idea, but badly realised. (3 stars)
The Mirror is a winner. A struggling holywood author, obsessed with a musical wonder-kid that was brutally murdered, buys his mirror. But something is wrong with the mirror, as items go in and other items come out, starting with a ball and then hell starts to break loose.
It may be a Masterton novel but it is not rushed at all. It builds up and delivers at all the right spots, the violence is gruesome and overdone and it manages to stay strong until the final confrontation with the villain, something few Masterton novels can boast. (5 stars)
Charnel house is also a very strong book. It starts a bit slow but builds quite well and, considering it is a MAsterton novel, ends in quite a decent manner (you probably guess by now that I have a beef with Masterton's endings).
Personally I was a bit annoyed by its 70's hippness that reads so dated today, but apart from that, there is little criticism I can give. (4 stars)
July 29, 2020
Buku Omnibus yang mengandungi empat judul ini sudah agak lama berada di dalam simpanan atau koleksi saya. Cuma,pada tahun ini,pintu hati saya terbuka untuk membacanya. Jika diimbas kembali,saya membeli novel terpakai kerana tertarik dengan tajuk-tajuk dan sinopsisnya yang berkaitan. Terutamanya yang bertajuk Tengu dan The Devils of D-Day. Hal ini kerana,melalui sinopsis, kedua-duanya berkaitan dengan Perang Dunia Kedua,suatu subjek sejarah yang saya minati. Dan,ternyata tidak mengecewakan saya ketika membaca.
Dua tajuk lagi iaitu Mirror dan Charnel House juga tidak mengecewakan. Saya perlu akui,genre novel yang berkaitan dengan Occult Horror Thriller bukanlah sesuatu yang biasa saya hadam. Tapi,saya amat menyukai gaya penulisan Graham Masterton. Beliau mempunyai kemahiran penceritaan yang menarik dan lancar yang memampukan saya untuk mengikuti dan memahami jalan cerita dengan baik sekali. Cuma,sebagai penulis Barat,terdapat beberapa babak lucah di dalamnya. Namun demikian,secara keseluruhannya,tetap tidak menjejaskan kualitinya secara amnya.
Dua tajuk lagi iaitu Mirror dan Charnel House juga tidak mengecewakan. Saya perlu akui,genre novel yang berkaitan dengan Occult Horror Thriller bukanlah sesuatu yang biasa saya hadam. Tapi,saya amat menyukai gaya penulisan Graham Masterton. Beliau mempunyai kemahiran penceritaan yang menarik dan lancar yang memampukan saya untuk mengikuti dan memahami jalan cerita dengan baik sekali. Cuma,sebagai penulis Barat,terdapat beberapa babak lucah di dalamnya. Namun demikian,secara keseluruhannya,tetap tidak menjejaskan kualitinya secara amnya.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews