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Ghouls
DARK TOWN The murders were only the beginning. No one knew what went on in the sullen, dark house on the hill, but town cop Kurt Morris intended to find out. The sleepy town of Tylersville, Maryland was being stalked by an unimaginable evil, it had become the haunting-ground for horrors too grisly to be described. Young girls had vanished without a trace. Graves had been opened, corpses unearthed and carried away. Quiet moonlit nights gave way to a mindless slaughter, and to the sounds of hysterical screams… DARK HORIZONS Time was running out. How many more would be dragged off into an endless night, and for what hideous purpose? Fear led to wild speculations about psychopaths, crazed animals, vampires, and werewolves. But Kurt knew better. Deep in the fog-shrouded woods, he had seen the nightmare figures. And the truth was much, much worse… GHOULS! A novel of unrelenting horror in the tradition of Dean Koontz.
444 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1988
14 people are currently reading
535 people want to read
About the author
Edward Lee
267 books1,450 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.
Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.
He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his famous Cthulhu Mythos. Among these projects are THE INNSWICH HORROR, "Trolley No. 1852," HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, GOING MONSTERING, "Pages Torn From A Travel Journal," and "You Are My Everything." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.
Edward Lee is an American novelist specializing in the field of horror, and has authored 40 books, more than half of which have been published by mass-market New York paperback companies such as Leisure/Dorchester, Berkley, and Zebra/Kensington. He is a Bram Stoker award nominee for his story "Mr. Torso," and his short stories have appeared in over a dozen mass-market anthologies, including THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES OF 2000, Pocket's HOT BLOOD series, and the award-wining 999. Several of his novels have sold translation rights to Germany, Greece, and Romania. He also publishes quite actively in the small-press/limited-edition hardcover market; many of his books in this category have become collector's items. While a number of Lee's projects have been optioned for film, only one has been made, HEADER, which was released on DVD to mixed reviews in June, 2009, by Synapse Films.
Lee is particularly known for over-the-top occult concepts and an accelerated treatment of erotic and/or morbid sexual imagery and visceral violence.
He was born on May 25, 1957 in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Bowie, Maryland. In the late-70s he served in the U.S. Army's 1st Armored Division, in Erlangen, West Germany, then, for a short time, was a municipal police officer in Cottage City, Maryland. Lee also attended the University of Maryland as an English major but quit in his last semester to pursue his dream of being a horror novelist. For over 15 years, he worked as the night manager for a security company in Annapolis, Maryland, while writing in his spare time. In 1997, however, he became a full-time writer, first spending several years in Seattle and then moving to St. Pete Beach, Florida, where he currently resides.
Of note, the author cites as his strongest influence horror legend H. P. Lovecraft; in 2007, Lee embarked on what he calls his "Lovecraft kick" and wrote a spate of novels and novellas which tribute Lovecraft and his famous Cthulhu Mythos. Among these projects are THE INNSWICH HORROR, "Trolley No. 1852," HAUNTER OF THE THRESHOLD, GOING MONSTERING, "Pages Torn From A Travel Journal," and "You Are My Everything." Lee promises more Lovecraftian work on the horizon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
July 6, 2023
Edward Lee is always fun to read, and Ghouls is no exception. This is very early Lee, published in 1988 by Pinnacle Books, an imprint of Windsor Publishing Corp-- the same Corp that published Zebra books. Zebra was famous for not only its loud covers, but also for publishing previously unknown authors, and this was Lee's first book published under his own name (he wrote a few for Zebra before the under a pen name). I think Lee split his work into two: one aimed at a larger audience and published by mid-major publishers (like Leisure Books, etc.) and the other destined for small publishers due to their shear outrageousness (like The Bighead). In the latter, Lee works his splatterpunk wonders, but much more tame horror for the bigger presses.
Ghouls takes place in a small town in Maryland and our main protagonist-- Kurt-- is a local cop, one of about 4 for the town. Kurt's best buddy works night security at a large estate in town, owned by the only rich family around. The book starts of with a prologue set in Saudi Arabia where obviously the ghouls (ghala in Arabic) are found by some military operators (with disastrous consequences). It takes some time for Lee to tie in the prologue's events to the main story.
Anyway, people start going missing in town, including a recently buried man in his own coffin and a local cop, but no bodies are found (although lots of blood in some cases). The police are clueless, and even working with the county and state police. The coffin is eventually found on the large estate, smashed to pieces, along with the cadaver and a hand from the missing cop. Forensics yields some very confusing results (three fingered hand with no prints, etc.). Obviously, something is going on...
This is a very tame outing for Lee, but there is still some great action scenes. Lee focuses upon building his likable characters and clever plotting. That stated, there are not a whole lot of real surprises here, just general creepiness and some very tight situations. A fair amount of snarky dialogue and dark humor move the plot along. There are also some nasty rednecks, but that is just about a given for Lee. We also have his telltale door knocker-- a face with only the eyes. This seems to find its way into every Lee novel I have read.
Over all, a very fun and fast read! 4.5 ghoulish stars!
Ghouls takes place in a small town in Maryland and our main protagonist-- Kurt-- is a local cop, one of about 4 for the town. Kurt's best buddy works night security at a large estate in town, owned by the only rich family around. The book starts of with a prologue set in Saudi Arabia where obviously the ghouls (ghala in Arabic) are found by some military operators (with disastrous consequences). It takes some time for Lee to tie in the prologue's events to the main story.
Anyway, people start going missing in town, including a recently buried man in his own coffin and a local cop, but no bodies are found (although lots of blood in some cases). The police are clueless, and even working with the county and state police. The coffin is eventually found on the large estate, smashed to pieces, along with the cadaver and a hand from the missing cop. Forensics yields some very confusing results (three fingered hand with no prints, etc.). Obviously, something is going on...
This is a very tame outing for Lee, but there is still some great action scenes. Lee focuses upon building his likable characters and clever plotting. That stated, there are not a whole lot of real surprises here, just general creepiness and some very tight situations. A fair amount of snarky dialogue and dark humor move the plot along. There are also some nasty rednecks, but that is just about a given for Lee. We also have his telltale door knocker-- a face with only the eyes. This seems to find its way into every Lee novel I have read.
Over all, a very fun and fast read! 4.5 ghoulish stars!
August 1, 2020
"Ghouls" by Edward Lee begins in the desolate hills of Saudi Arabia in 1978, as a covert special ops mission goes violently awry. Battle is engaged between the mercenaries and an inhuman force, and a sole survivor escapes with his objective. This survivor is betrayed by his contact, however, and left to die in the wilderness.
then, ten years, in a small town of Tylersville, Maryland. Local cop Kurt Morris is called to the cemetery, where a recently-occupied grave has been found excavated, the coffin forced open — and the body missing. There is no clear motive for the crime, though there are plenty of strange characters to wonder about in town. The cemetery lies on the boundary of Belleau Wood, owned by the reclusive and wealthy Dr. Willard, rumored to be engaged in strange experiments. Officer Morris also has a personal grudge against the local criminal boss and drug dealer, Lenny Stokes, who married Kurt’s childhood sweetheart Vicky and abuses her regularly. No culprit comes to light, however, before people begin to be horribly murdered, first out alone at night, and eventually in their own homes. Officer Morris must seek out and destroy the monsters which are threatening his town, while dealing with his own personal problems.
then, ten years, in a small town of Tylersville, Maryland. Local cop Kurt Morris is called to the cemetery, where a recently-occupied grave has been found excavated, the coffin forced open — and the body missing. There is no clear motive for the crime, though there are plenty of strange characters to wonder about in town. The cemetery lies on the boundary of Belleau Wood, owned by the reclusive and wealthy Dr. Willard, rumored to be engaged in strange experiments. Officer Morris also has a personal grudge against the local criminal boss and drug dealer, Lenny Stokes, who married Kurt’s childhood sweetheart Vicky and abuses her regularly. No culprit comes to light, however, before people begin to be horribly murdered, first out alone at night, and eventually in their own homes. Officer Morris must seek out and destroy the monsters which are threatening his town, while dealing with his own personal problems.
August 27, 2018
H.P. Lovecraft's The statement of Randolph Carter meets small town 80s horror (with a fine pinch of Aliens in the end...) in Edward Lee's Koontz-style debut novel, a not much hardcore/extreme one like his following books, but after a slow start (but for the unexpected Middle East prologue) used by the author to build and flesh for good characters and creepy tension, Lee goes at full throttle and storyline becames an action packed thrilling rollcoaster with some of his explicit signature sex & gore splatterpunk scenes.
A must read if you like old 80s paperback horror novels, and the Randolph Carter easter egg was a real touch of genius for me.
July 22, 2017
Wow! I was very impressed because Ed Lee can be hit or miss for me and this definitely was a hit! Probably the best Lee book I've read to date. Of course, I tend to stay away from his more extreme stuff so I'm not sure if this is fair, but I loved this book. It had just the right amount of gore to gross me out and I felt like it was genuinely creepy and hard to put down. The characters were like-able and some were outright hate-able. Although, some of the dialogue felt somewhat silly towards the end. The historical facts about the ghala, whether true or not, was a very cool and interesting part to read about though it was left towards the end as well. Still, any book that shares a bit of folklore mystery gets an A in my book. Overall, it was a fantastic read. I recommend to Lee fans or as an intro book to this author.
July 18, 2017
3.5 stars
GHOULS, by Edward Lee, is not like what I've come to think of as a "typical Lee" story. This one featured more in the way of characterization, suspense, and atmosphere. I honestly liked this story, but felt that it took entirely too long for the "main event" to become apparent and able to be "visualized". If certain aspects in the novel had become a little more clear earlier on than the last quarter or so, I would have given this four stars, easily.
GHOULS, by Edward Lee, is not like what I've come to think of as a "typical Lee" story. This one featured more in the way of characterization, suspense, and atmosphere. I honestly liked this story, but felt that it took entirely too long for the "main event" to become apparent and able to be "visualized". If certain aspects in the novel had become a little more clear earlier on than the last quarter or so, I would have given this four stars, easily.
February 18, 2018
Extremely well written, fine characters and exciting read. I can only recommend this forgotten classic from the 80s. You don't want to mess with the Ghouls described here. You can't stop reading until you'll know how the story ends (I won't tell here, don't worry). Must read!
July 22, 2017
Another solid horror story from Edward Lee. I've read a handful of his books now, and haven't been disappointed yet. This one is quite a bit lower on the extreme scale compared to some of his others, but the overall story is good. I especially enjoyed learning some of the mythology of the Ghala. Definitely worth the read for horror fans.
October 5, 2010
Edward Lee's 1988 debut novel (I know about the Philip Straker novels, but Lee has disowned those), is a fun, fast, horror novel that is written in a mystery style. The reader is kept in the dark along with the main protagonist, police officer Kurt Morris. It isn't until the end of the novel that all of the pieces of the puzzle fit together, and then its a non-stop, action packed race to the conclusion. This novel isn't quite as polished as Lee's later stuff, even books he wrote just a few years later (like 1991's amazing "Incubi"), but it is still a very enjoyable, well put together story. This novel is also not nearly as gory as Lee's later works, but the scenes where he employs graphic violence stand out that much more in this less gonzo setting. The characters, especially Sanders, are excellent, the suspense is good and the atmosphere is great. This is a great horror novel, one full of style and originality. Recommended for Lee fans and horror fans in general.
October 16, 2023
Review to come.
November 15, 2017
Entertaining, though lengthy, tale of the grave-robbing beasts. This time, the brutes originate in the Middle East: they are fast and vicious.
October 14, 2019
Edward Lee is one of the most successful, if not most prolific, authors of splatterpunk. A career that expands several decades, and unlike many authors of kin, has not shied away from the nasty stuff that made him notable. In fact, he's upped the ante throughout his career, producing nasty stuff that's innovative and influential. He continues to churn out lurid, gross out horror today.
And it technically all started with this one, Ghouls, from 1988.
My interest in reading Ghouls was peaked by wanting to see where Lee started, to draw similarities to his more recent works. And yes, I know there's two books before this one written under pseudonym, but the author himself shares that they bear no resemblance to the rest of his body of work. That paired with the exorbitant prices those titles go for, for all intents and purposes, Ghouls is Lee's debut.
So is this thing a classic that opens floodgates to one of the legendary authors working today?
Unfortunately no.
It's a fine, super easy-to-read, mid-tier Horror novel, albeit with very, very little to set it apart from any of its many relatives. But is it groundbreaking or eluding to a career that would span decades? Not exactly.
It's slow as all hell, overwritten by at least a hundred pages and the short bursts of Lee's soon to be trademark gore and action hardly make it worth it. You could do worse, you could do better. I loved the build-up, for the first half of the book anyway. The pay off simply wasn't enough.
The book of the book touts "a novel of unrelenting terror in the tradition of Dean Koontz", and while I'd subtract the unrelenting terror part, that's a great analogy. This reads just like an early Koontz books, with the gore quotient slightly amped up:
A rash of unsolved disappearances and murders jostle a small town, leaving Kurt Morris, a townie cop and his bumbling colleagues to figure it out, with limited resources. Enter a mysterious stranger, who knows more than he wears on his sleeve and a bunch of entertaining subplots involving a slew of unlikeable hicks having lots of sex and/or beating the hell out of each other, with a dash of monsters and gore and you've got the very standard Ghouls.
For a book called Ghouls, there's not a whole lot of Ghoul-action.
Anyway, it's not bad, just pure middle-of-the-road stuff, a sign of the time. I guess the writing is marginally better than the other Zebra/Pinnacle authors of the time, but not enough to foresee that Edward Lee would become a cult figure.
Give it a spin if you want to see Lee's start, or have never read an 80s horror paperback, but would like to read a rudimentary example of what they were like. It's all standard, all the way.
And it technically all started with this one, Ghouls, from 1988.
My interest in reading Ghouls was peaked by wanting to see where Lee started, to draw similarities to his more recent works. And yes, I know there's two books before this one written under pseudonym, but the author himself shares that they bear no resemblance to the rest of his body of work. That paired with the exorbitant prices those titles go for, for all intents and purposes, Ghouls is Lee's debut.
So is this thing a classic that opens floodgates to one of the legendary authors working today?
Unfortunately no.
It's a fine, super easy-to-read, mid-tier Horror novel, albeit with very, very little to set it apart from any of its many relatives. But is it groundbreaking or eluding to a career that would span decades? Not exactly.
It's slow as all hell, overwritten by at least a hundred pages and the short bursts of Lee's soon to be trademark gore and action hardly make it worth it. You could do worse, you could do better. I loved the build-up, for the first half of the book anyway. The pay off simply wasn't enough.
The book of the book touts "a novel of unrelenting terror in the tradition of Dean Koontz", and while I'd subtract the unrelenting terror part, that's a great analogy. This reads just like an early Koontz books, with the gore quotient slightly amped up:
A rash of unsolved disappearances and murders jostle a small town, leaving Kurt Morris, a townie cop and his bumbling colleagues to figure it out, with limited resources. Enter a mysterious stranger, who knows more than he wears on his sleeve and a bunch of entertaining subplots involving a slew of unlikeable hicks having lots of sex and/or beating the hell out of each other, with a dash of monsters and gore and you've got the very standard Ghouls.
For a book called Ghouls, there's not a whole lot of Ghoul-action.
Anyway, it's not bad, just pure middle-of-the-road stuff, a sign of the time. I guess the writing is marginally better than the other Zebra/Pinnacle authors of the time, but not enough to foresee that Edward Lee would become a cult figure.
Give it a spin if you want to see Lee's start, or have never read an 80s horror paperback, but would like to read a rudimentary example of what they were like. It's all standard, all the way.
July 19, 2022
Really well written and great characters by Lee. Really dug the story.
March 16, 2015
From a writing standpoint, GHOULS is an impressive accomplishment. Seriously, this book is VERY well-written, though a bit heavy on the vulgarities and military jargon. However, from a story-telling standpoint, GHOULS fall short of the mark. Despite the outstanding prose and fully developed characters, the novel drags. The plot is simply too flimsy and predictable to hold someone's interest for 400+ pages. It isn't until halfway through that the novel begins to build some momentum. Horror fans will find it slow and dull; non-horror fans will find it too gruesome and bloody.
April 26, 2018
Every character in this book is an insufferable two-dimensional cliché, but the worst of it is the outrageous misogyny. If you don't like despising portrayals of women, you're not going to like it.
September 3, 2023
Edward Lee is by far one of the most unique masters of the splatterpunk genre, his work whilst really violent and grotesque is also very intelligent with a nice dose of humor. Ghouls whilst not his first novel, is actually the first book he released under his own name and is the earliest of his novels you can still get without any trouble. It's been my most anticipated of his novels for some time and since I managed to obtain an original paperback copy I decided to finally dive into it.
Tylersville, Maryland usually a fairly peaceful town with not much going on in terms of crime except for the abuse of housewives, is soon plagued by a series of brutal murders and people going missing. Kurt a police officer, heavily in love with a woman he's known since high school who's married an evil abomination of a human being, soon finds himself on the trail of a brutal killer, a monster in the shadows. A mystery is unfolding and it all connects to the manor on top of a hill.
Ghouls is a fascinating and incredible piece of fiction that is very violent but very story-focused with some really likable and three-dimensional characters. What I found surprising about this novel is how whilst it does feel like a Lee novel with some of his usual traits, it's nowhere near as violent, grotesque, or darkly comedic as his later works. It was amazing to see how far Lee has come since his first three novels and Ghouls whilst a very early contribution from him, still stands up as a brilliant horror novel with some terrific atmosphere, characterization, and nightmarish imagery.
Overall: I was not disappointed in the slightest with this one and loved every minute of it. I don't usually recommend Lee's novels to just about anyone due to how violent they can be, but I'll make an exception here as it's quite heavily toned down and still retains itself as an amazing piece of horror literature. 10/10
Tylersville, Maryland usually a fairly peaceful town with not much going on in terms of crime except for the abuse of housewives, is soon plagued by a series of brutal murders and people going missing. Kurt a police officer, heavily in love with a woman he's known since high school who's married an evil abomination of a human being, soon finds himself on the trail of a brutal killer, a monster in the shadows. A mystery is unfolding and it all connects to the manor on top of a hill.
Ghouls is a fascinating and incredible piece of fiction that is very violent but very story-focused with some really likable and three-dimensional characters. What I found surprising about this novel is how whilst it does feel like a Lee novel with some of his usual traits, it's nowhere near as violent, grotesque, or darkly comedic as his later works. It was amazing to see how far Lee has come since his first three novels and Ghouls whilst a very early contribution from him, still stands up as a brilliant horror novel with some terrific atmosphere, characterization, and nightmarish imagery.
Overall: I was not disappointed in the slightest with this one and loved every minute of it. I don't usually recommend Lee's novels to just about anyone due to how violent they can be, but I'll make an exception here as it's quite heavily toned down and still retains itself as an amazing piece of horror literature. 10/10
April 28, 2022
It’s exactly what I hope for when I pick up a horror novel by an author I’m not too familiar with. Classic monster story…great writing…likable characters…give it a try!
June 30, 2023
Not bad, a pretty solid story, theres some real uncomfortable gore at times, but its spread out through the book so it doesn't get too overwhelming. A fun read still.
spoilerish: theres 2 big asshole characters that should have gotten a death like the poor lesbians.. its a "off screen" death for them. like damn those are the deaths you wanna hear about not the poor teen girls. that was my big let down. the "off screen" deaths of the assholes and no descriptions of it after it happens, and the fast death of the bad guy. but you wanna hear about the innocent ppls deaths in detail? no? TOO BAD.
Spoiler: also the "let the army take the ghouls still alive to learn about" uhhhh.. how about NO! bc ive seen enough horror to know thats a BAAAD IDEA...
Back to say im still salty of the innocent ppls deaths that I had to read but somehow the bad guys get off screen and fast deaths.
Still disturbed at the 2 teen girls deaths. And some creepy dreams. Put detail in the wrong areas. You got villians focus the violence there???
spoilerish: theres 2 big asshole characters that should have gotten a death like the poor lesbians.. its a "off screen" death for them. like damn those are the deaths you wanna hear about not the poor teen girls. that was my big let down. the "off screen" deaths of the assholes and no descriptions of it after it happens, and the fast death of the bad guy. but you wanna hear about the innocent ppls deaths in detail? no? TOO BAD.
Spoiler: also the "let the army take the ghouls still alive to learn about" uhhhh.. how about NO! bc ive seen enough horror to know thats a BAAAD IDEA...
Back to say im still salty of the innocent ppls deaths that I had to read but somehow the bad guys get off screen and fast deaths.
Still disturbed at the 2 teen girls deaths. And some creepy dreams. Put detail in the wrong areas. You got villians focus the violence there???
January 17, 2015
At first glance, this one seems like Edward Lee's worst book. I don't see why Lee tried to write like Koontz. Edward's a great writer in his own right. And I don't understand that character Vicky, thinking metal music is infantile. Why do we have to listen to weak music just because we're adults? And why did she surmise that that one stripper was trying too hard to put on a show for weak, lonely men? The Bible says it's better to be abstinent. That doesn't mean they're weak. And then the comment about Black Sabbath's lyrics being dumb by the stupid protagonist. They were the first metal band ever, and they dealt with hard issues and the truth, not stupidity.
But don't give up on it!
The second half is fantastic, proving it's one of Lee's best, and even has a character who's into hardcore and punk.
But don't give up on it!
The second half is fantastic, proving it's one of Lee's best, and even has a character who's into hardcore and punk.
December 14, 2012
I pretty much like anything by Edward Lee. I realize that now. Not because he literally terrifies me, makes me think outside of the real and NOT fear the macabre, but because he really rights well-developed quirky characters. While Ghouls is nowhere near as bloody, gory or ominous as some of his works, I really did enjoy reading this tale of a monster type that is often ignored in the horror genre in favor of weres and vamps. While there's nothing sexy or sparkling between his pages, the lurking mystery of a race to be revealed is all there...and in Maryland no less! I think I like the author even more for just writing about the my home state and the very real supernatural aura that inhabits it at times.
June 24, 2019
sorry i had to change my review...this books started drag for me....it in my surprise for this author to be boring...which surprised me big time...i felt more like a drama with the horror after about 150 pages...when the people missing we do not what happen until the police investigating it...smh his other book are better
Merged review:
Nope nada
Boring book...I found this Edward Lee weak...he was too soft here and I find the gore fun to read because it explains what happen to the victims
Merged review:
Nope nada
Boring book...I found this Edward Lee weak...he was too soft here and I find the gore fun to read because it explains what happen to the victims
June 23, 2016
When you step away from your comfort zone in authors you are familiar with sometimes you find an incredible writer who you wished you discovered years ago. Edward Lee is one of them to me. I love it when I put a book down and it seems to be addictive because you don't want to stop reading. Can't wait to read more from Edward Lee, Ghouls was an awesome read!
March 22, 2012
First rate Horror novel. Just solid and well done. This is the kind of horror novel they don't make anymore.
January 7, 2015
My fave Lee so far. Tamer than his current stuff but effective nonetheless.
March 1, 2018
All books should be this good.
September 18, 2017
I like Ed Lee's gory horror novels based on old legends. "Ghouls," as you might suspect, is about the dastardly inhuman fiend known as the "ghoul," or by its original name, "ghala." An army man named Sanders is sent on a below-the-radar mission in 1978 Iraq, commissioned by his colonel to investigate a lair of ghouls. The colonel comes back; Sanders does not.
Jump ahead to 1985, and a couple of love triangles. A young cop named Kurt has it bad for Vicky, a waitress at the local strip joint. Vicky gets beat up on the regular by her sleazy, philandering husband, Lenny. Meanwhile Kurt's best friend, Glen, is carrying on an affair with the younger wife of a scientist who lives in an old mansion occupying the same grounds as an abandoned mine.
It's a small town, there are only so many people--so when a newly buried corpse disappears from its grave, roadkill appear to suddenly clean up themselves, and a handicapped girl goes missing--who do you think is to blame? The weird scientist living by that old mine?
"Ghouls" is an atmospheric tale of small towns and their monsters that doesn't quite reach the heights of Lee's "Black Train" or "The Golem," mostly due to a been-there-done-that ending that comes about seventy pages too late. Still, it's a good time, and Kurt the Kop's a solid lead.
Jump ahead to 1985, and a couple of love triangles. A young cop named Kurt has it bad for Vicky, a waitress at the local strip joint. Vicky gets beat up on the regular by her sleazy, philandering husband, Lenny. Meanwhile Kurt's best friend, Glen, is carrying on an affair with the younger wife of a scientist who lives in an old mansion occupying the same grounds as an abandoned mine.
It's a small town, there are only so many people--so when a newly buried corpse disappears from its grave, roadkill appear to suddenly clean up themselves, and a handicapped girl goes missing--who do you think is to blame? The weird scientist living by that old mine?
"Ghouls" is an atmospheric tale of small towns and their monsters that doesn't quite reach the heights of Lee's "Black Train" or "The Golem," mostly due to a been-there-done-that ending that comes about seventy pages too late. Still, it's a good time, and Kurt the Kop's a solid lead.
February 4, 2024
Ghouls, semi human creatures that eat dead people and animals when food is scarce. They come out at night and go dig up graves and exhume the dead from their rest. They then consume them. This story takes place in a small town in Maryland. The name of the town is Tylersville. The story is based around the the towns cops investigating all the people who have mysteriously been going missing. Little do they know, that they have a big problem in store for them. Ghouls, these hideous creatures of the night are killing and aren't going to stop, unless someone stops them. It won't be easy as these elusive creatures have become quite good at their forte of eating the evidence away. Anyhow , who's going to believe in Ghouls actually existing? Police officer Kurt Morris puts his life in danger to stop this carnage. He has the support of fellow officers Higgins,Rodz,Swaggart, and Chief Bards to help the madness coming about this small town. He also befriends a drifter he meets at the local bar, who also gets evolved in the hunt. Watch out for the Ghouls are real and they are coming to get you. This book will keep you reading to see who survives in the end.
January 18, 2025
Edward Lee surprised me with Ghouls. You can tell it’s an ‘80s novel from the slower pace and its focus on character development over the raw, in-your-face horror he’s known for later in his career. The story centers on Kurt Morris, a cop in Tylersville, Maryland, investigating a creepy house on the hill while the town is plagued by missing girls and desecrated graves.
Overall, the novel works well, and the characters are well-drawn. That said, it lacks a bit of action and, more importantly, the splatter that the Ghouls themselves would have been perfect for. On the plus side, the book doesn’t shy away from steamy scenes—a signature element Lee would refine in his later works.
If you’re new to Edward Lee, this isn’t the book I’d recommend starting with. But for fans, it’s an interesting departure from his usual style and worth checking out for something a little different.
Overall, the novel works well, and the characters are well-drawn. That said, it lacks a bit of action and, more importantly, the splatter that the Ghouls themselves would have been perfect for. On the plus side, the book doesn’t shy away from steamy scenes—a signature element Lee would refine in his later works.
If you’re new to Edward Lee, this isn’t the book I’d recommend starting with. But for fans, it’s an interesting departure from his usual style and worth checking out for something a little different.
July 24, 2019
Edward Lee's GHOULS focuses on a small town in Maryland, where strange happenings draw the attention of a determined local cop and gradually lead to a monstrous discovery. Though built around an intriguing idea, Lee's novel never reaches its potential. The author spends a great deal of time developing the setting and main characters, but fails to do anything particularly interesting with them. The plot unravels far too slowly and the creatures alluded to in the title don't get to do a whole lot and everything is resolved in perfunctory fashion in an underwhelming climax. A few unwise political digressions don't help matters any and serve only to take the reader out of the story even further. A good concept poorly realized, GHOULS is a disappointing read all round.
January 17, 2023
Dark, mysterious, violent and smutty. It's everything you have come to love out of 80s horror. In a small town people are turning up dead, all of the victims brutally dismembered. Who or what is doing this? When these deaths hit close to home a small police deputy goes searching for answers.
Like many novels of this time period there are many characters you love to hate and some that seem too perfect. If only they were all a little more gray. The plot is outrageous, but that's why you read a book like this. Ghouls is very typical of the genre. There are many books like this, but it's a fun 80s horror romp.
Like many novels of this time period there are many characters you love to hate and some that seem too perfect. If only they were all a little more gray. The plot is outrageous, but that's why you read a book like this. Ghouls is very typical of the genre. There are many books like this, but it's a fun 80s horror romp.
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