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Devil's Island
Devil's Island ... an abandoned island in the Caribbean Sea with a dark and bloody past ... an island with a terrible secret ...
Nick Gorman, billionaire movie producer, assembles a team of ghost hunters and scientists to investigate the Thornhill Manor on Devil's Island - the most haunted place in the world that no one's ever heard of. He's there to find proof of ghosts, evidence of an afterlife ... but he's also there to uncover the secret that is hidden on the island ... to possess it.
The ghost hunting team is led by Shane Edwards who lost his TV show in a scandal and now is a disgrace in the ghost hunting world; this is his chance to redeem himself and revive his career. But as soon as he steps foot on Devil's Island, he realizes that the fears from the Cranston House, a house he and his friend entered on a dare when they were twelve years old, fears he thought he had overcome, are all coming back. And everyone on the team is facing their darkest fears, the island somehow bringing them to life.
As Nick gets closer to unearthing the secret on the island, Shane begins to wonder if any of them will survive their two night stay on Devil's Island.
Contains: some strong language, slight violence and gore.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 22, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
February 10, 2019
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would - which (almost) always' happens, when trying out a new author.
From the outset (prologue) it was spookily atmospheric, where three employees of Lee Templeton (John, Curtis and Rob) are sent to Devil's Island to find out why the latest construction crew left in haste. Two work-crews have abandoned the project in the past few months - they saw things, and complained the place was haunted - so there wasn't much work done. They're also there to document what still needs to be done, as the property (Thornhill Manor) was in the process of being renovated; until the workmen kept going on the lam. There were some accidents, as well. They're not in the manor long, before there's an incident in room 214 - culminating in them getting out of there as fast as they can. Is the place haunted? Are there demon's in the three-storey building? - or are their imaginations, running riot, because of the setting?
Needless to say, Mr. Templeton isn't too pleased when he finds out. It looks as if Thornhill Manor won't be transformed into The Oceanview Resort, afterall.
An opportunity arises when he gets an unannounced visit, from a renowned, billionaire film-producer (Nick Gorman), who's wants to purchase the island and make a documentary about the supposedly haunted island - on condition, he gets to inspect it first. All he wants is to take his own team there for forty-eight hours and if he likes what he sees, he'll buy the property; which he's tried to do, multiple times, in the past, but the Thornhills' wouldn't sell it to him. Templeton's options are: send another crew there or sell the island. He eventually gets his wish from Templeton.
Gorman's crew are:
Shane Edwards: he quit ghost-hunting four years ago. Gorman wants him to lead the team, due to his expertise in the paranormal. When he was twelve-years-old, he and a friend were dared to go into the Old Cranston House - on the edge of town.
Dr. Warren Savage: he's a quantum physicist (scientist) and has his own reasons for going on this expedition.
Laura Coleman: she's a psychic, who has the ability to find things: missing things and dead people, etc. She's suspects, Nick has another agenda for being on the island. And what's he got in the wooden box he's been carrying around?
Nigel Cromwell: the skeptic. He doesn't believe in the afterlife, supernatural or demon's, despite an incident when he was younger. He proved a famous psychic, to be a fake. If you're looking to make a documentary about haunted buildings, it's a good idea to take a skeptic along. Will Cromwell stay skeptical, or will he become a believer?
Harold Penski: he's a geologist. Why is there a geologist on the team? - I wonder.
Kristen: Gorman's P.A. She's not happy when she learns she'll be going on the excursion, too.
Billy Toomer: if you want to catch evidence of paranormal activity on film - bring along a cameraman.
The island is about two hundred miles from Grand Bahama Island. Nick believes they'll only need to be there for two-nights, to gain sufficient evidence.
In summation: I really enjoyed this one. I liked the back-stories to each of the characters and of Thornhill Manor, which was originally going to be a sugar-plantation, when it was first built, by Thaddeus Thornhill and his wife Constance (a wealthy and powerful English family). Kristen's history lesson about the manor was very intriguing.
Juan Ponce De León (1460 - 1521) is mentioned. He's rumoured to have joined Christopher Columbus on his voyage to the New World. After hearing rumours of a magical spring, or fountain, about an island (Bimini) from the local Indians, he went in search of it. And when he landed on mainland North America - around Easter-time, he named it Florida (Pascua Florida - is the Spanish translation). Learn something new, everyday.
From the outset (prologue) it was spookily atmospheric, where three employees of Lee Templeton (John, Curtis and Rob) are sent to Devil's Island to find out why the latest construction crew left in haste. Two work-crews have abandoned the project in the past few months - they saw things, and complained the place was haunted - so there wasn't much work done. They're also there to document what still needs to be done, as the property (Thornhill Manor) was in the process of being renovated; until the workmen kept going on the lam. There were some accidents, as well. They're not in the manor long, before there's an incident in room 214 - culminating in them getting out of there as fast as they can. Is the place haunted? Are there demon's in the three-storey building? - or are their imaginations, running riot, because of the setting?
Needless to say, Mr. Templeton isn't too pleased when he finds out. It looks as if Thornhill Manor won't be transformed into The Oceanview Resort, afterall.
An opportunity arises when he gets an unannounced visit, from a renowned, billionaire film-producer (Nick Gorman), who's wants to purchase the island and make a documentary about the supposedly haunted island - on condition, he gets to inspect it first. All he wants is to take his own team there for forty-eight hours and if he likes what he sees, he'll buy the property; which he's tried to do, multiple times, in the past, but the Thornhills' wouldn't sell it to him. Templeton's options are: send another crew there or sell the island. He eventually gets his wish from Templeton.
Gorman's crew are:
Shane Edwards: he quit ghost-hunting four years ago. Gorman wants him to lead the team, due to his expertise in the paranormal. When he was twelve-years-old, he and a friend were dared to go into the Old Cranston House - on the edge of town.
Dr. Warren Savage: he's a quantum physicist (scientist) and has his own reasons for going on this expedition.
Laura Coleman: she's a psychic, who has the ability to find things: missing things and dead people, etc. She's suspects, Nick has another agenda for being on the island. And what's he got in the wooden box he's been carrying around?
Nigel Cromwell: the skeptic. He doesn't believe in the afterlife, supernatural or demon's, despite an incident when he was younger. He proved a famous psychic, to be a fake. If you're looking to make a documentary about haunted buildings, it's a good idea to take a skeptic along. Will Cromwell stay skeptical, or will he become a believer?
Harold Penski: he's a geologist. Why is there a geologist on the team? - I wonder.
Kristen: Gorman's P.A. She's not happy when she learns she'll be going on the excursion, too.
Billy Toomer: if you want to catch evidence of paranormal activity on film - bring along a cameraman.
The island is about two hundred miles from Grand Bahama Island. Nick believes they'll only need to be there for two-nights, to gain sufficient evidence.
In summation: I really enjoyed this one. I liked the back-stories to each of the characters and of Thornhill Manor, which was originally going to be a sugar-plantation, when it was first built, by Thaddeus Thornhill and his wife Constance (a wealthy and powerful English family). Kristen's history lesson about the manor was very intriguing.
Juan Ponce De León (1460 - 1521) is mentioned. He's rumoured to have joined Christopher Columbus on his voyage to the New World. After hearing rumours of a magical spring, or fountain, about an island (Bimini) from the local Indians, he went in search of it. And when he landed on mainland North America - around Easter-time, he named it Florida (Pascua Florida - is the Spanish translation). Learn something new, everyday.
March 15, 2018
4.5 stars!
DEVIL'S ISLAND, by Mark Lukens, is probably my favorite novel that I've read by him, to date. He combines the most desolate, eerie atmosphere along with a cast of well-defined characters--inventing a story that was impossible to pull myself out of once I had started.
". . . there was something on this island, something very bad . . ."
Billionaire producer and directer, Nick Gorman, has had an unhealthy obsession with the place known as Devil's Island for years. The large, gothic Thornhill Manor--empty for nearly 70 years--still stood, a testament to the evil legacy of torture and depredation that it was rumored to have been built upon. When a run of "accidents" paves the way for Nick to finally acquire the island, he wastes no time in recruiting a team to film a ghost-hunting documentary, with the intent of proving the existence of an afterlife of some sort.
". . . What is reality?"
Aided by his competent assistant, Kristen, we soon have a formidable group of individuals, including a former Ghost Hunter, a scientist, a spiritual "Finder", a one-man-camera-crew, the token skeptic, and another--unexplained--member of the group. Nick's instructions are only ever in the most vague of terms, leaving one to constantly wonder what fuels his fevered fixation with this plot of land that most avoid at all costs.
". . . this island you're going to, it's a very bad place . . . the dead don't stay dead there . . ."
Lukens does a fantastic job of introducing the readers to each and every character he brings on board. Not once did I find myself confusing one for another, as each felt every bit as real to me as someone I had known for years. In my opinion, great characterization is most often a crucial component to a truly memorable story. If the "people" are real in your mind, their situations will linger on long after you've finished reading that final page. They become "live", themselves, and through them, the author's story will keep coming back to--hopefully--haunt you. One thing I quickly picked up on here was that: ". . . Nick Gorman was a different animal altogether . . . "
". . . here we are, spending the night in the most haunted place in the world that no one's ever heard of . . . "
Another key element in the making of an unforgettable novel is an unmistakable setting, or atmosphere, that consumes the reader along with all of the characters.
". . . It seems like there's this dark and evil aura around this place."
From the start, when our crew is literally dumped off on the island, the magnitude of the isolated land's haunted legacy of corruption and wanton evil is immediately felt. Even the reader can sense this darkness.
". . . Terrible things had happened on that island and in that manor . . . "
The truly "crowning moment" where the dread first hit me the hardest was once they got their first real look at the monstrous manor that Thaddeus and Constance Thornhill had erected.
". . . even with all the rot and decay, the building seemed to exude a kind of strength, like it was playing hurt, pretending to be weaker than it really was, feigning vulnerability to entice people inside its (mouth) front doors . . . "
With evocative prose like the above, it was near impossible NOT to feel as though the reader was an actual participant in this expedition. Lukens doesn't overwhelm with a lot of overtly graphic and gory scenes, but rather leads the reader to come to their own "visions" of the true horror that is recounted in little "history lessons", which Nick dishes out in intervals. This is a tactic that I felt worked particularly well in a novel of this kind, as often my own imagination can conjure up horrors even more disturbing than any "written word" could convey so vividly.
". . . There might be other things roaming in this manor, but none of those things were alive anymore . . ."
By breaking up and giving select tidbits about the island's past, we're given enough fuel to believe--in this isolated environment--that nothing is impossible. In my humble opinion, fears that cannot be concretely named are the most effective in building up--and sustaining--an impenetrable sense of terror that lingers.
". . . You don't understand what you're playing with. But you will . . . you'll understand everything very soon."
As for the precise manner of haunting I felt . . . all I will add is that Lukens managed to surpass even my own expectations in the end--and in a most satisfying way. This is a book I look forward to re-reading in the future, and one whose's "ideas" are still floating around in my mind.
Highly recommended!
DEVIL'S ISLAND, by Mark Lukens, is probably my favorite novel that I've read by him, to date. He combines the most desolate, eerie atmosphere along with a cast of well-defined characters--inventing a story that was impossible to pull myself out of once I had started.
". . . there was something on this island, something very bad . . ."
Billionaire producer and directer, Nick Gorman, has had an unhealthy obsession with the place known as Devil's Island for years. The large, gothic Thornhill Manor--empty for nearly 70 years--still stood, a testament to the evil legacy of torture and depredation that it was rumored to have been built upon. When a run of "accidents" paves the way for Nick to finally acquire the island, he wastes no time in recruiting a team to film a ghost-hunting documentary, with the intent of proving the existence of an afterlife of some sort.
". . . What is reality?"
Aided by his competent assistant, Kristen, we soon have a formidable group of individuals, including a former Ghost Hunter, a scientist, a spiritual "Finder", a one-man-camera-crew, the token skeptic, and another--unexplained--member of the group. Nick's instructions are only ever in the most vague of terms, leaving one to constantly wonder what fuels his fevered fixation with this plot of land that most avoid at all costs.
". . . this island you're going to, it's a very bad place . . . the dead don't stay dead there . . ."
Lukens does a fantastic job of introducing the readers to each and every character he brings on board. Not once did I find myself confusing one for another, as each felt every bit as real to me as someone I had known for years. In my opinion, great characterization is most often a crucial component to a truly memorable story. If the "people" are real in your mind, their situations will linger on long after you've finished reading that final page. They become "live", themselves, and through them, the author's story will keep coming back to--hopefully--haunt you. One thing I quickly picked up on here was that: ". . . Nick Gorman was a different animal altogether . . . "
". . . here we are, spending the night in the most haunted place in the world that no one's ever heard of . . . "
Another key element in the making of an unforgettable novel is an unmistakable setting, or atmosphere, that consumes the reader along with all of the characters.
". . . It seems like there's this dark and evil aura around this place."
From the start, when our crew is literally dumped off on the island, the magnitude of the isolated land's haunted legacy of corruption and wanton evil is immediately felt. Even the reader can sense this darkness.
". . . Terrible things had happened on that island and in that manor . . . "
The truly "crowning moment" where the dread first hit me the hardest was once they got their first real look at the monstrous manor that Thaddeus and Constance Thornhill had erected.
". . . even with all the rot and decay, the building seemed to exude a kind of strength, like it was playing hurt, pretending to be weaker than it really was, feigning vulnerability to entice people inside its (mouth) front doors . . . "
With evocative prose like the above, it was near impossible NOT to feel as though the reader was an actual participant in this expedition. Lukens doesn't overwhelm with a lot of overtly graphic and gory scenes, but rather leads the reader to come to their own "visions" of the true horror that is recounted in little "history lessons", which Nick dishes out in intervals. This is a tactic that I felt worked particularly well in a novel of this kind, as often my own imagination can conjure up horrors even more disturbing than any "written word" could convey so vividly.
". . . There might be other things roaming in this manor, but none of those things were alive anymore . . ."
By breaking up and giving select tidbits about the island's past, we're given enough fuel to believe--in this isolated environment--that nothing is impossible. In my humble opinion, fears that cannot be concretely named are the most effective in building up--and sustaining--an impenetrable sense of terror that lingers.
". . . You don't understand what you're playing with. But you will . . . you'll understand everything very soon."
As for the precise manner of haunting I felt . . . all I will add is that Lukens managed to surpass even my own expectations in the end--and in a most satisfying way. This is a book I look forward to re-reading in the future, and one whose's "ideas" are still floating around in my mind.
Highly recommended!
June 15, 2021
This book was creepy and chilling!
A small backstory:
Nick Gorman is a famous Hollywood producer and he gathers a team together of ghost hunters along with a couple of scientists as he knows of an island that is considered to be haunted and he wants to film a documentary of the haunting.
When the team arrive to the island they find out that there is a house called Thornhill Manor where they will be staying which is also haunted as people have been injured there and no one ever wants to stay in the manor.
Though Nick has other reasons that he brought the team to the island as he is in search of something that he learned while in the process of researching the island, but he does not divulge the true reason to the team. The team soon learns that the house and island are haunted and they will be fighting for their lives before all is said and done as when the house comes alive there truly will be no escape!
Why is the island and the manor haunted? What secret is Nick keeping from the team? Does the team make it out alive? No spoilers here as you will just need to read the book!
Thoughts:
This was a great creepy atmospheric haunting and this was my first time reading this author as well. The writing style just flowed along smoothly and the world building of the island/manor slowly built up to a crescendo until finally the author lowered the boom and the haunting went into
full blown ghost mode!
The last half of the book I could barely put it down as so much was happening within the story from chapter to chapter that I had nights where I just couldn't sleep as I wanted to keep reading to see what the team had to experience next. Giving this story five "Macabre Manor" stars!
A small backstory:
Nick Gorman is a famous Hollywood producer and he gathers a team together of ghost hunters along with a couple of scientists as he knows of an island that is considered to be haunted and he wants to film a documentary of the haunting.
When the team arrive to the island they find out that there is a house called Thornhill Manor where they will be staying which is also haunted as people have been injured there and no one ever wants to stay in the manor.
Though Nick has other reasons that he brought the team to the island as he is in search of something that he learned while in the process of researching the island, but he does not divulge the true reason to the team. The team soon learns that the house and island are haunted and they will be fighting for their lives before all is said and done as when the house comes alive there truly will be no escape!
Why is the island and the manor haunted? What secret is Nick keeping from the team? Does the team make it out alive? No spoilers here as you will just need to read the book!
Thoughts:
This was a great creepy atmospheric haunting and this was my first time reading this author as well. The writing style just flowed along smoothly and the world building of the island/manor slowly built up to a crescendo until finally the author lowered the boom and the haunting went into
full blown ghost mode!
The last half of the book I could barely put it down as so much was happening within the story from chapter to chapter that I had nights where I just couldn't sleep as I wanted to keep reading to see what the team had to experience next. Giving this story five "Macabre Manor" stars!
July 7, 2024
I don’t write reviews.
But I wrote this: An evil haunted island where contractors can’t spend more than a few hours, becomes a money trap for a NY bigwig. So when a renegade daredevil movie producer offers to buy the property for more than he believed it was possible to get, he jumped on the offer. The movie producer sets up one requirement; he must be allowed to take a team down there for a two day pre-purchase exploration. This team includes: the newly open-minded atheist physicist, the sarcastic skeptic, the young psychic “finder,” the talented, but addicted, director, the reluctant production assistant, the silent geologist and their appointed leader, a retired paranormal investigator.
It was fine. I wanted summer reading. I got it, I think.
But I wrote this: An evil haunted island where contractors can’t spend more than a few hours, becomes a money trap for a NY bigwig. So when a renegade daredevil movie producer offers to buy the property for more than he believed it was possible to get, he jumped on the offer. The movie producer sets up one requirement; he must be allowed to take a team down there for a two day pre-purchase exploration. This team includes: the newly open-minded atheist physicist, the sarcastic skeptic, the young psychic “finder,” the talented, but addicted, director, the reluctant production assistant, the silent geologist and their appointed leader, a retired paranormal investigator.
It was fine. I wanted summer reading. I got it, I think.
April 27, 2017
Review of DEVIL'S ISLAND by Mark Lukens
DEVIL'S ISLAND is a delightfully scary book with lots of hauntings and terrors beyond hauntings. A small Caribbean island, deserted for a century, is the focus of first a corporate attempt to remodel the mansion into a resort, and second, of a billionaire filmmaker who allegedly wishes to film a documentary. But the Thornhill Manor is no ordinary abandoned residence, and the island is no ordinary island. Nicknamed “Devil's Island” by natives in the 19th century, after a brief period of residence by the Thornhills, the island harbors a force of prehistory, powerful and compelling.
The filmmaker, Nick Gorman, hires a motley crew of psychics and scientists to investigate Thornhill Manor over a 48-hour-period. What they encounter seems tailor-made to their particular fears, a factor which renders the story even more terrifying for the various characters and for the readers as well.
DEVIL'S ISLAND is a delightfully scary book with lots of hauntings and terrors beyond hauntings. A small Caribbean island, deserted for a century, is the focus of first a corporate attempt to remodel the mansion into a resort, and second, of a billionaire filmmaker who allegedly wishes to film a documentary. But the Thornhill Manor is no ordinary abandoned residence, and the island is no ordinary island. Nicknamed “Devil's Island” by natives in the 19th century, after a brief period of residence by the Thornhills, the island harbors a force of prehistory, powerful and compelling.
The filmmaker, Nick Gorman, hires a motley crew of psychics and scientists to investigate Thornhill Manor over a 48-hour-period. What they encounter seems tailor-made to their particular fears, a factor which renders the story even more terrifying for the various characters and for the readers as well.
November 1, 2017
Not my favorite book by this author. Ended up skipping portions because I just wanted it to be over. Maybe because stories about haunted houses tend to be the same thing told in slightly various ways so they don't surprise me anymore.
September 22, 2020
The Haunting of Hill House on Devils Island
What a crazy story. Crazy but very good. It reminded me of The Haunting of Hill House. Only this time it was a house on an uninhabited remote island. There were also strange things afoot for sure. Quite scary actually. Nick the organizer of the expedition had far more in mind than just hunting ghosts. He kept it a secret but eventually madness, created by the secrets of that island took over. I felt bad how he used the people and didn't really care who was hurt by it. Of course it was evil and it preyed on everyone's weaknesses and regrets. I do think this would make a great horror movie if done right because it was scary and when you find out what was done there it becomes very macabre and disturbing. I may even have nightmares about it. Being buried alive has always been my greatest fear and what happens here is beyond that. Definitely a great story crafted by a very twisted mind. I think I really like this guy. One warning: Don't read in the dark!
What a crazy story. Crazy but very good. It reminded me of The Haunting of Hill House. Only this time it was a house on an uninhabited remote island. There were also strange things afoot for sure. Quite scary actually. Nick the organizer of the expedition had far more in mind than just hunting ghosts. He kept it a secret but eventually madness, created by the secrets of that island took over. I felt bad how he used the people and didn't really care who was hurt by it. Of course it was evil and it preyed on everyone's weaknesses and regrets. I do think this would make a great horror movie if done right because it was scary and when you find out what was done there it becomes very macabre and disturbing. I may even have nightmares about it. Being buried alive has always been my greatest fear and what happens here is beyond that. Definitely a great story crafted by a very twisted mind. I think I really like this guy. One warning: Don't read in the dark!
August 2, 2021
This book has a great ending. Too often in horror novels the buildup is not matched by the discovery of what is causing all the supernatural trouble, but this time it did in a fascinating and even thought-provoking way. If you like the history of the Caribbean, you will likely be very pleased with Lukens’ explanation for why this island has come to be called Devil’s Island.
The plot is pretty straightforward. A dying billionaire has decided to make a documentary on a haunted island and the mansion that still stands on it. To accomplish this, he draws together some desperate individuals and pays them lots of money to help him make his film. The reader recognizes right from the beginning that the documentary is a scam and that there is something on this island that the billionaire thinks will save his life. Seeing as there is a lot of supernatural horror here (and in the opening chapter we actually witness demonic things kill and chase people) it feels like the unwitting employees are serving a role as primarily sacrifices or bait.
The only thing wrong with this part of the book is that it takes a lot of time before people start disappearing and dying. In the opening chapter, the impression is given that the horror begins in earnest about a half hour after they arrive, but with this larger group of stranded (the boat isn’t coming back for two days) individuals the demons are a little more patient. I actually think it would have been better not to give us that first chapter because it set in me expectations that weren’t fulfilled and I still don’t know why, but that’s really the only problem I have with the story. If I had started reading at chapter two, none of those expectations would have existed and I would have been totally happy with the way Lukens rolls out his plot. There is a ton of creepiness along the way and as I said before, the ending was great and the reason that all of this happened really resonated with me.
If you like horror and haunted houses, give this one a try.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
The plot is pretty straightforward. A dying billionaire has decided to make a documentary on a haunted island and the mansion that still stands on it. To accomplish this, he draws together some desperate individuals and pays them lots of money to help him make his film. The reader recognizes right from the beginning that the documentary is a scam and that there is something on this island that the billionaire thinks will save his life. Seeing as there is a lot of supernatural horror here (and in the opening chapter we actually witness demonic things kill and chase people) it feels like the unwitting employees are serving a role as primarily sacrifices or bait.
The only thing wrong with this part of the book is that it takes a lot of time before people start disappearing and dying. In the opening chapter, the impression is given that the horror begins in earnest about a half hour after they arrive, but with this larger group of stranded (the boat isn’t coming back for two days) individuals the demons are a little more patient. I actually think it would have been better not to give us that first chapter because it set in me expectations that weren’t fulfilled and I still don’t know why, but that’s really the only problem I have with the story. If I had started reading at chapter two, none of those expectations would have existed and I would have been totally happy with the way Lukens rolls out his plot. There is a ton of creepiness along the way and as I said before, the ending was great and the reason that all of this happened really resonated with me.
If you like horror and haunted houses, give this one a try.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
March 28, 2021
This was a decent creepy read about a severely haunted island. I’m a bit bummed I figured out nick was looking for the fountain of youth but with him being sick it wasn’t hard to put two and two together. Stupid of him to think he’d really be able to use power like that but I guess with a timeline on his life he was desperate. Glad the few got out and the irony of them being touched by the great water is pretty funny. Then again after all they went through it’s the least they deserve. I liked the epilogue and how Kristen took over, seems fitting especially since she’s doing good which he uncle did not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2024
3.5 stars. This had some interesting themes and a few scenes were even creepy. Nice. 👌🏼
March 15, 2018
There is an island in the Caribbean, that is called Devil's Island. The island has a bloody past and is hiding some deep dark secrets. The former owner of the island, wants to turn Thornhill Manor into a resort. After sending a couple of groups of contractors down to the island, strange things begin to happen. Freak accidents begin to happen, and the workers refuse to stay on the island. Billionaire Nick Gorman, who is a famous movie producer, wants to buy the island. Gorman assembles a team to travel to the island, to film a documentary on Thornhill Manor, and the ghosts that haunt this evil place. Each member is a specialist in their own field. Gorman only buys the best equipment that money can buy, to film this documentary. It turns out that there is only one boat that dares to drop them at the island. The captain of the boat, tells Gorman and his crew, that he will be back in two days. There seems to be no wildlife on the island, which is strange. As Gorman and his crew begins to set up for the shoot, strange things begin to happen. Footsteps are heard on the second floor and one of the team, swears, that they saw a shadow of a human outside the gate, that surrounds Thornhill Manor. This can't be true, because the island has been abandon for many years. Little did each member of the team know, that they would be confronted with their deepest darkest fears. For Gorman and his team, this is one hell of a roller coaster ride, with no turning back. The author does a great job on the development of the characters, which helps to build a stronger story line..I highly recommend this book.
April 21, 2017
Great book!
This book sounded scary so I bought it- it did not disappoint! Devil's Island has a horrible history among locals, and is so secluded no one knows about it. Someone purchases the island and tries to build a resort. The contractors have some accidents and refuse to stay. A millionaire producer finally purchases the island after years of being denied by the original owners and gathers a team of experts to prove supernatural entities live on the property. However, he has a different actual goal in mind.
This book sounded scary so I bought it- it did not disappoint! Devil's Island has a horrible history among locals, and is so secluded no one knows about it. Someone purchases the island and tries to build a resort. The contractors have some accidents and refuse to stay. A millionaire producer finally purchases the island after years of being denied by the original owners and gathers a team of experts to prove supernatural entities live on the property. However, he has a different actual goal in mind.
March 4, 2023
This book was very creepy and eerie I really liked it.
June 30, 2024
Liked the island and haunted mansion tropes. Plot is not really surprising. Characters stay flat.
Only read once.
Only read once.
October 10, 2024
Corny but fun.
March 11, 2017
I always enjoy reading this author. Always very interesting and different read. loved this book. Great read. It took me a while to read it because I just didn't want it to end.
September 10, 2017
Great Horror Storyline but slow with few horror scares
There were great moments in this book that produced a few scares, but overall I was a little disappointed. Mark Lukens does a fantastic job to scare the daylights out of you in Ancient Enemy, but Devil's Island just gives so much story with little action. It reminds me more of an adventure tale and not a story of great horror. The characters were great and the location was right out of a Halloween movie. The storyline was great and the book did a great job of setting up horrific moments, but failed to put the icing on the cake. I'm going to try another Mark Lukens book because Ancient Enemy and Darkwind impressed me very much.
There were great moments in this book that produced a few scares, but overall I was a little disappointed. Mark Lukens does a fantastic job to scare the daylights out of you in Ancient Enemy, but Devil's Island just gives so much story with little action. It reminds me more of an adventure tale and not a story of great horror. The characters were great and the location was right out of a Halloween movie. The storyline was great and the book did a great job of setting up horrific moments, but failed to put the icing on the cake. I'm going to try another Mark Lukens book because Ancient Enemy and Darkwind impressed me very much.
September 20, 2022
I am not crazy about horror stories! But this one sucked me in from page one, and I was reading every free moment. It was excellently written by author Mark Lukens, with the suspense and very believable Boo Factor kicking in from the beginning.
The story is about a Hollywood producer who builds a team of people to film a documentary on Devil’s Island. Give him 48 hours of your ghost hunting expertise and he will give you lots of money!
The island and huge manor being remodeled to use as a hotel on the sea, seem a bit creepy from the beginning of their trip, but keep reading!! You have not seen anything yet! BOO! And I mean that in the creepiest way possible!
The story is about a Hollywood producer who builds a team of people to film a documentary on Devil’s Island. Give him 48 hours of your ghost hunting expertise and he will give you lots of money!
The island and huge manor being remodeled to use as a hotel on the sea, seem a bit creepy from the beginning of their trip, but keep reading!! You have not seen anything yet! BOO! And I mean that in the creepiest way possible!
October 11, 2022
This was scary at times, but not overly so. Thankfully not gory. There were several characters that I was confident would still be around at the end (kind of like Daryl on The Walking Dead, it's obvious they'll never kill him off, so why worry about his fate?), so it was hard to feel that they were in mortal danger.
Most of the characters seemed realistic, save Tom Cruise (I mean Nick), but not all were likable. At times, the more mundane details slowed the story down.
The epilogue tied most everything up, but left just enough unfinished that there could be a sequel.
Most of the characters seemed realistic, save Tom Cruise (I mean Nick), but not all were likable. At times, the more mundane details slowed the story down.
The epilogue tied most everything up, but left just enough unfinished that there could be a sequel.
July 9, 2024
A really well written story of tense paranormal activity at a run down manor on an island.
It almost reads like a murder mystery: the main character entices a group of people to a small abandoned island with a deadly reputation to film and prove the existence of ghosts. Things go south from the minute they step into the house, and it escalates out of control until they question the real reason of them all being there.
Great plot and fun characters, steady eerie atmosphere and constant scares. Really recommend it, the audiobook was very well narrated too.
It almost reads like a murder mystery: the main character entices a group of people to a small abandoned island with a deadly reputation to film and prove the existence of ghosts. Things go south from the minute they step into the house, and it escalates out of control until they question the real reason of them all being there.
Great plot and fun characters, steady eerie atmosphere and constant scares. Really recommend it, the audiobook was very well narrated too.
March 9, 2017
I loved this book.
Once started you can't get it out of your head.
It was not extreme horror or extreme gore, no, but there was enough creepiness in it to give you nightmares hehe. Good job Mark Lukens.
Once started you can't get it out of your head.
It was not extreme horror or extreme gore, no, but there was enough creepiness in it to give you nightmares hehe. Good job Mark Lukens.
October 12, 2022
This book would make a fantastic movie or small Netflix or Hulu series maybe 3-4 episodes!!! Fantastic
April 13, 2017
Awesome read!
This story had me on edge the entire time. I never wanted to put it down. Nonstop from beginning to end it was truly a great read!
This story had me on edge the entire time. I never wanted to put it down. Nonstop from beginning to end it was truly a great read!
May 28, 2018
Interesting story, ok book
The positives: there's an interesting plot here, with decent characters loaded with motivation and conflicts. The anticipation builds in waves and at times you want to flip the pages to find out what happens next. The setting is rich and vibrant.
The negatives: the characters are a bit of a cliche. You know exactly what will happen with them because it happens with every character like them in every other story. And oh my gawd...how many times can an author use the word "like" and "seemed?" Each character goes to great lengths to explain what every other character is thinking of feeling in case the reader isn't bright enough to interpret the obvious signs. And the description is so over done you end up skimming so you don't have to read about each palm frond, broken window and packet of sweetener they are opening. The author could edit out about 40% of the words and still have a decent book.
Overall though I read and finished the book. I would have liked something a little scarier at the end, even something more detailed given how the author loves detail. But it was the one place he skimped on the detail.
The positives: there's an interesting plot here, with decent characters loaded with motivation and conflicts. The anticipation builds in waves and at times you want to flip the pages to find out what happens next. The setting is rich and vibrant.
The negatives: the characters are a bit of a cliche. You know exactly what will happen with them because it happens with every character like them in every other story. And oh my gawd...how many times can an author use the word "like" and "seemed?" Each character goes to great lengths to explain what every other character is thinking of feeling in case the reader isn't bright enough to interpret the obvious signs. And the description is so over done you end up skimming so you don't have to read about each palm frond, broken window and packet of sweetener they are opening. The author could edit out about 40% of the words and still have a decent book.
Overall though I read and finished the book. I would have liked something a little scarier at the end, even something more detailed given how the author loves detail. But it was the one place he skimped on the detail.
February 25, 2019
Mark Lukens has once again captivated his reader here with very well developed characters and strong story line. Haunted house stories are told all the time and probably the most classic one being the Overlook hotel.
Thornhill manor is different than Kings masterpiece due to the physical manifestations blended in with the background psychological baggage of each of the characters. Thornhill becomes the most intriguing character throughout the book as Mark finds a way to weave his demonic / alien prowess subtly into the story, crescendoing it to a powerful climax that beckons for a feature film.
Thornhill manor is different than Kings masterpiece due to the physical manifestations blended in with the background psychological baggage of each of the characters. Thornhill becomes the most intriguing character throughout the book as Mark finds a way to weave his demonic / alien prowess subtly into the story, crescendoing it to a powerful climax that beckons for a feature film.
January 18, 2024
Spoilers maybe? Why use 10 words when you can use 50? The most basic of actions are told to the reader: I don't need to be told about how the characters are putting sweetener in their coffee. Words are repeated three or four times in just as many sentences--synonyms exist and would have been helpful in this book. The plot makes no sense--demons, aliens, ghosts, zombies, boogeymen, evil house? Who knows, throw it all at the wall and see what sticks. I literally rolled my eyes at the ending. I only finished this book out of spite so I could properly complain about how poorly written it is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2021
Not terrible
For the most part I liked this book. It was very fast moving, descriptive, and I enjoyed the story and atmosphere. However, I found it "wordy" like the author often used 25 words where 10 would do. And there was lots of repetition - the same word used repeatedly in one sentence or paragraph. (This is one of my pet peeves.) Still, an interesting take on the haunted house genre.
For the most part I liked this book. It was very fast moving, descriptive, and I enjoyed the story and atmosphere. However, I found it "wordy" like the author often used 25 words where 10 would do. And there was lots of repetition - the same word used repeatedly in one sentence or paragraph. (This is one of my pet peeves.) Still, an interesting take on the haunted house genre.
April 30, 2020
Spooky and Enthralling!
This was a really entertaining ghost/horror story that had me hooked from the beginning. We had a mystical island, shunned by the locals, ghosts, demons, zombies, the usual mix of characters from a tv ghost hunting "documentary" and the fabled "fountain of youth". All mixed together and resulting in a cracking good read. Highly recommended.
This was a really entertaining ghost/horror story that had me hooked from the beginning. We had a mystical island, shunned by the locals, ghosts, demons, zombies, the usual mix of characters from a tv ghost hunting "documentary" and the fabled "fountain of youth". All mixed together and resulting in a cracking good read. Highly recommended.
August 26, 2018
Decent Read
The story was interesting enough, but there were some hiccups. Some of it was repetitive, sentences were awkwardly written, and the character development was a touch lacking. Still, it was a good read and I would read more from the author.
The story was interesting enough, but there were some hiccups. Some of it was repetitive, sentences were awkwardly written, and the character development was a touch lacking. Still, it was a good read and I would read more from the author.
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