Edgewise

by Graham Masterton

Confront the power of a spirit betrayed.

Successful realtor Lily Blake is disturbed in the middle of the night by two masked men who break into her home and kidnap her two children. The FBI can't find them, so Lily turns to Native American PI John Shooks. He asks a Sioux shaman to summon up the Indian spirit, Wendigo, to find them.

But Lily's firm is trying to sell land that once belonged to the Sioux. Now Lily must enter the destructive, cannibalistic world of the Wendigo where she will learn that you should never underestimate the power and force of a spirit betrayed...

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Literature, Adult

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Graham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles which eventually became Burroughs' novel The Wild Boys.

At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.

Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.

Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.

He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.

Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.

He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.

Reviews

[Janie Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a read along with several people and this is now my third time reading it. I come to the same conclusion, Graham Masterton is an amazing writer. Even after reading it for a third time I do not find it boring or repetitive.

In this book Lily's children are taken from her by a group called FLAME which stands for Father's League Against Mother's Evil. She does not feel like the FBI are doing enough for her to get her children back and she turns to George Iron Walker who claims he can summon the Wendigo, a Native American forest spirit, who will find her children and bring that safely back to her, but it will be for a pretty high price.

This is a very quick read and a definite page turner even after reading it many times. I read this in one sitting and still loved it just as much as the first time I read it. I love that it is based on Native American folk lore, the "Wendigo". I find it to be so engaging right from page one and it is very easy to follow. Some parts of the story are very graphic though so if you are faint of heart it might not be something you want to read.

I also have some favorite characters in the book. My favorites being John Shooks, who is supposed to be "not loved by many" and then also Special Agent Nathan Kellogg. Both have great characters. Although there is not a lot of background to these characters and not the greatest character developement it is still enough to fall in love with them anyway. The main character Lily, my favorite character, has a lot on her plate to deal with, she goes through so much and never seems to give up. I love the strong, perservering type, not the defeated, whiny ones that you wanna kill yourself.

I would recommend this book to anyone that loves horror, mystery or thriller and wants a quick easy to read book that is hard to put down. It won't disappoint!

[✨Susan✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you imagine knowing something is there but you cannot see it? Well that is a creep factor in this good thriller by Graham Masterton. This was a buddy read and it was fun to talk with others about the main character.

When Lily, a single Mother's children are kidnapped, she makes some very rash decisions and promises. In turn she is lead into a world that is beyond her understanding and is noway prepared for. At one point Lily is driven to take drastic measures, which throw her and everyone who tries to help her into an impossible situation with grave, no way out consequences. The backstory of the Wendigo had an interesting twist which added depth to this ancient, mystical creature and the story.

A fast moving thriller that had good cadence until the end which, for me,turned a bit into more of a movie ending, but all in all a good book for October spook reads. Thanks Janie for introducing me to GM, I look forward to reading more of his books.

Suzy James was a good voice for Lily.

[Mary Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great scary Halloween buddy read. Loved this book!

[Bandit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masteron returns to Native American Lore with his (unique as always) take on Wendigo. This book was a very fast, very enjoyable read, I loved every bit of it, especially all that had to do with the actual Wendigo and native american history. The main character and her occasional bouts of irrationality were the only detractions, but so very minor, plus the character does redeem herself (to me at least) as the book progresses.
I love Graham Masterton's work, always have, he can really do no wrong, he's such a great imaginative author and his books are always such reliably good reads.
Also, shout out goes to this edition. How menacing is that cover? I got a used british edition, a former library book from England, meaning this book has traveled further than I have and now it's all mine :)

[Alexander Draganov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Малко на финала след финала пресоли манджата, но книгата е толкова добре написана, че нема да се заяждам за глупости. Пет звезди, а реалното ревю е на линка:
https://citadelata.com/edgewise/

[AnarchyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something about Graham Mastertons earlier works you just have to appreciate.

[Kasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graham is my favorite writer. He is the one whose books I have discovered in my father's library during my teenage years and whose imaginative writing has started my insatiable taste for horror books. No one writes like Masterton and his use of folklore and different legends, spirits and creatures mixed with the world of humans always comes out with shockingly dark results that somehow seem possible. Some of my favorite books by the author are the earlier ones, I still have a very distinctive memory of books such as Tengu, Prey, The Sphinx, Picture of Evil, Pariah, Flesh and Blood, The Ritual and countless others.

Edgewise is his newest work out in paperback and this time the topic deals with Native American spirits and folklore. I have previously enjoyed the Manitou books by Graham, especially Manitou 2, which had a banging ending that I still remember so this story line felt familiar and in Graham's hands it melted like putty.

This tale begins with a violent intrusion to Lily Blake's house. In the middle of the night the action starts off right away before the reader gets their guard up. Her children are taken away and Lily is left to die in a horrible way. Unable to locate her kids she waits for weeks for the help from FBI but when all conventional methods of search come up with no results, she turns to a darker side for help. A Shaman by the name of George Iron Walker helps to summon the Wendigo, spirit of hunt that smells like burnt electricity and appears to be a hologram of a deer man, standing on two feet, limbs twisting backwards, antlers with sharp points and black eyes, oh yeah did I mention that he's a cannibal, that's right, he kills by eating his pray. He sniffs for tracks of her missing children and disappears to take his revenge on the person who took them.

When things go awry Lily realizes she took on more than she could handle and the horrific invisible to some demon is out on a hunt for her and her family. The bodies pile up; people aren't as safe as they appear. On top of that certain characters tracks though the line of morals and trustworthiness making the reader ponder the actions that are turning out in front of their eyes more. It all happens in whirring snow storms, dark woods with grey wolves and quiet night houses that squeak when the hunter is in them. Graham was breathed great atmosphere to his novel; the visuals are very strong and stimulating. The deaths were also pretty graphic, nothing I couldn't handle but my eyes would open rally wide on some sentences, I simply had to read them out loud to my boyfriend who was near by and watched for his grossed out reactions. The ending as usual was great; he never fails to connect all the plots into one tight braid that sometimes leaves something to the imagination after the last page is read.

Edgewise was fast paced and easy to read, something that can be devoured in two sittings and thought of pleasantly after. I really enjoyed finding out what the title really meant as that is thoroughly intermixed with the story. Now more Masterton please...

- Kasia S.

[Geoff Battle · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you pick up a Graham Masterton book, you are probably expecting a supernatural tale, which has a few twists, but on the whole is just an enjoyable and well crafted tale. The good news is that's all present and accounted for, plunging you in, as usual, in the very first chapter. Edgewise is a compact and brutal read, with more intestines than a haggis factory! It follows the tale of a mother who encounters ancient Native American forces and will do anything and everything within her power to protect her children. Although it's not as spine-tingling as some of Masterton's previous work, it still has well thought out and defined horror, suspense and action scenes. Once you've picked up Edgewise you're unlikely to want to put it down. Recommended for any fan of the supernatural or horror genres.

[Cassandra Glissadevil · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8 stars!
My least favorite Masterton novel, and it still deserves 3.8 stars. Give me more Graham Masterton.

Good, but nonessential horror.

[Jordan Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another straight up banger from Masterton, who, once again excels at creating a fantastic example of folk horror done right.

I’ve made it clear over and over again that folk horror is far from my favorite sub genre as it’s usually just old folk tales and Indian legends, but Masterton may be changing my feelings on that as Edgewise proves there are still some spooks to be written and interesting tales to be told.

This isn’t the first book I’ve read that contains the Wendigo as the main antagonist, but it’s easily the most entertaining as Masterton crafts a perfect mix of original ideas and Native American legend into a book that is a ton of fun to read, using the age old lesson that relying on Devil to do your dirty work always has consequences.

Edgewise has all the tenants of a great Masterton novel: it’s fast, tense, and gory, but also lacks a lot of the humor he’s known to throw into his books. Instead this one is pretty dark all the way through, and that more serious tone makes it all the better, as does Masterton’s choice to have an average woman in desperate need be the main character.

Honestly, this is one of Masterton’s best works of the 2000’s and I’m surprised it’s not a more highly recognized or regarded book. Just do yourself and pick this one up. It’’s well worth your time (as are most Masterton’s if we are being fully honest with ourselves).

[Nikola · Rating 2 out of 5]

To raczej krwawy thriller z wątkami nadnaturalnymi a nie horror, ale czytałam gorsze książki

[Ashley Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was okay, for the first half I was really hooked and enjoying it. Particularly the whole descriptions of the Wendingo, Masterton really outdid himself whenever he tried to describe it - some great, macabre imagery.

Real estate saleswoman Lily is awoken one night by some intruders who steal her children and try to kill her - after being sent by her bitter ex-husband. She gets mixed up with a PI who is of native American descent and he puts her in touch with a couple of native Americans who send out an ancient spirit called 'the Wendigo' to hunt down the children. However when she can't sufficiently pay them for their services things go horribly and fatally wrong.

As I mentioned I liked the first half and I also liked the descriptions of the wendigo itself, however things get a little too extreme sometimes. First of all the main character, Lily, is really unlikeable. Its her stupid attitudes to everything that cause a lot of bloodshed and murders, in some ways it would have been a better pay-off if she'd been killed by the wendigo but instead some daft sub-plot comes into play about an ancient God rising up. The ending felt rushed and left a lot of questions unanswered. Plus the best character in this is killed off 3/4 of the way through when he was far more likeable and interesting than Lily.

There's great material here for a truly good story and I think Masterton seems to have just written this to be an average page-turner, when there's scope here for a horror classic! He goes to much for gore and shot when a more subtle, creeping sense of dread could have been more effective. There's a scene where a car is attacked by the Wendigo and the couple inside and torn about, I felt it spoiled the flow of the terror and went for too much of a schlock value and I know that, if I was writing this, I'd have handled it in another way. As or Lily I'd have made her easier to sympathise with, a character you could root for - she has clear evidence of how deadly the wendigo is yet she still tries to defy it and not keep her word, even though admittedly it does turn out that she couldn't have paid it anyway. But still if it was me I'd have been obedient, and without conscience for what it was doing as my children's' lives would have been at risk.

That's another thing, fair enough traumatising children can make for good horror elements but the things these children go through are far too much - they'd be in an asylum. As for the whole thing with the native americans trying to summon a god, this is too undeveloped and I'd have had the focus more on destroying the wendigo as opposed to this other distraction. Also the FBI agents involved seem under-developed, yet they're very pivotal to the climax of the story - I'd have had a bit more development with them. There's also a character in this who seems to be a bit of a slimy antagonist at times, yet he receives no commupence at all - which is strange as Masterton seemed hellbent on killing every other character he'd introduced.

[John Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deliciously gory tale!

This story romped along at a breakneck speed, lurching from one gory horror to another. I struggled to sympathise with the book's heroine, even though she was subjected to one trauma after the other. She was very self righteous and directly responsible for the summoning of the "Wendigo". An action that led to a trail of horror and destruction. Still, it all turned out well in the end.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent horror novel about the mother of kidnapped children who makes a deal with a Native American Shaman to send a demon (the Wendigo) to get her children back, only to have the creature turn on her. Overall a decent book, it held my interest and kept me reading, which is all you can really ask of a mass market paperback horror novel.

[Michala Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

it s been a few years since i read this book but it is an absolute must read the book is amazing and the you get sucked int the world its one that i def need to re read the only shame is i have never seen it as an ebook

re read this still awesome one of my fave stories

[Hanniehae · Rating 1 out of 5]

1,75

[Mark R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Edgewise" is a sort of lame title for a pretty decent book. The term comes from the Native American spirit monster the Wendigo, and its ability to turn to the side, becoming nearly invisible when standing "edgewise." OK?

Now, what's this Wendigo up to? Well, a nice woman's had her kids snatched away from her by her weird ex-husband. He sends some people after her, to burn her alive after kidnapping the kids. The murder doesn't go as planned, and the woman contacts the police and is soon working with the FBI to recover her children.

The FBI don't come up with much, though, and, based on a reference she doesn't entirely trust, the scared mother contacts a Native American who claims to have the ability to call up the dreaded Wendigo, a spirit that can track just about anyone, and who will do so--for a price.

See, this woman's in real estate and could have the ability to hand over to the local tribe a piece of land stolen from them years ago. She promises this land to the man procuring the Wendigo's services. And then, you know, things go south from there.

Some exciting sequences populate Graham Masterton's fantasy-horror novel. It's not an entirely predictable story, and the writing style is up to the task of the story. I enjoyed this one better than the only other Masterton novel I've so far read, "Night Wars."

[John Bruni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Graham Masterton. It took me a while to get into this one, but when John Shooks shows up, it takes a 180-turn into new territory. That's when Masterton really turns it up to eleven. There are some pretty shocking scenes, and then there are truly gruesome scenes. The scene with the SUV is horrifying. There is a moment when the protagonist, angered that something had gone wrong with her plan, makes a clearly insane decision, and you can't help but think, are you crazy?! You know what happened to a couple of other characters. Do you think that *won't* happen to you?! This is a fantastic book.

Also, I couldn't help but think that if this was turned into a movie, Keith Carradine should play John Shooks. That was who I imagined as I read it, and it makes utter sense.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would have been ok for a first novel, but for someone who's been publishing books since I was one year old it was a disappointment. The plot revolves around a woman's whose ex-husband sends two masked men kidnap his children. The FBI can't find the children so she has the Wendigo summoned, then blames everyone else when bad things happen to her because she promised a payment she couldn't fulfill.



The best thing about this book is that it reads very fast, so it's over soon.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty quick read, absorbing, and well-written. But not scary enough for a 'horror', it didn't really affect me. Also, the plot was a bit predictable AND the main character was incredibly annoying. I'm aware it's probably just my impression but it seemed so unreal that every single male character in the book was friggin' attracted to/in love with/needed to protect Mrs. Blake and literally sacrificed their life for her. Personally, I didn't quite understand it, maybe because I didn't find Lily likeable.

[Nora Peevy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book didn't deliver the punch I've come to expect from Graham Masterton. It started out promising, but soon the believability of the sequence of events outweighed the story. There are a few macabre scenes that shone, but not enough to make this more than an average read for me. I expected more.

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Graham Masterton is one of the finest ever horror writers surpassed only by early King and certainly better than most of his overrated peers (You know who they are) Masterton always delivers and should be rated higher than he is. In this story he returns to one of his favorite themes - Indian legends
Recommend this and all his books

[Lavell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of the story, but found the wife too naive and too forgiving in what happened to her. It moved along well. The ending is where I had trouble enjoying. It had potential for a slightly better ending but ended the way it did. It was just okay for me.

[Deanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fairly quick and easy read, though I honestly didn't find the story all that interesting. I didn't really care what was going to happen next... I pretty much guessed what was gonna happen anyways.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fast, entertaining read. Masterton could have done with a better copy editor, but overall, I thought this was quite good.

[Rebekkila · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read about 100 pages of this book and couldn't get into it.

[Normand Kosztko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Liam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the book disappointing, and lacking a character whom I liked. The protagonist makes emotional irrational choices, bringing death to family and friends.

[Milena Siermińska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice book. One of my favs of Masterton.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was good, but it didn't have a definitive ending. It seemed like there was a chapter missing. Really odd.