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Jonah
Rare Book
296 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
36 people are currently reading
1049 people want to read
About the author
James Herbert
100 books2,377 followersJames Herbert was Britain's number one bestselling writer (a position he held ever since publication of his first novel) and one of the world's top writers of thriller/horror fiction.
He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.
As an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.
He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.
As an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
December 17, 2021
James Herbert's, I think 8th book, veers away from his usually shlock horror, and moves to the supernatural thriller genre for The Jonah. Although this book has a well rounded anti-hero lead and interesting enough story, the bar set by his horror work is just not reached in this book, but it still worth a read though. Admittedly my fave thing about this book, is its book cover! 5 out of 12.
2003 read
2003 read
March 14, 2017
Despite a promising opening scene of squalid childbirth on the floor of an underground bathroom, this winds up being lesser Herbert, despite its circa-1981 anti-drugs hysteria.
People die from ingesting a single pill of LSD and the bad guy is prone to making pages-long Bond villain speeches bragging about his LSD supply network. The speeches go on for so long even his henchman get restless. Think of how many times these poor schmoes have had to sit through this exact same speech. Never before has the need for a henchman's union been made more urgently.
People die from ingesting a single pill of LSD and the bad guy is prone to making pages-long Bond villain speeches bragging about his LSD supply network. The speeches go on for so long even his henchman get restless. Think of how many times these poor schmoes have had to sit through this exact same speech. Never before has the need for a henchman's union been made more urgently.
May 5, 2009
First published back in 1981, ‘The Jonah’ was Herbert’s eighth novel to be published. Moving slightly away from his previous splatterpunk and down right gritty horror subject matters, this well written and intriguing tale delivers a well balanced mixture between a thriller and a horror.
Set in a quiet coastal town, Detective Jim Kelso (a typical Herbert style anti-hero) is placed on an assignment to discover the reason behind how a good honest local family came into contact with the drug LSD, that almost saw the death of them during some extreme and vivid hallucinations. The plot thickens as Kelso discovers that there’s a lot more than just honest fishing work going on in this quiet location. As Kelso gets closer to the truth, a much more disturbing turn of events reveals itself.
‘The Jonah’ is a well paced novel that draws the reader into the developing storyline with the mysterious events that are occurring. Kelso is written as a very human and easy to identify with character. The interlacing subplots that run parallel to the main thread of the storyline add a good depth to the novel as a whole, whilst fleshing out the characters and their respective pasts.
Recurring flashbacks that haunt Kelso throughout the novel add an intriguing aspect to the tale, with a big question mark constantly hanging over the character’s unknown background. Obviously, Herbert draws this out until the end, building up the suspense throughout the novel.
Once the novel has set itself in motion, the action comes thick and fast, with regular cliff hangers ending each chapter making the book difficult to put down. The grand finale is quite surprising, with a rather obvious twist that is still over shadowed by the sheer explosion of events and the unveiling of the hideous truth that has been a constant undercurrent during the tale. The novel contains the usual input of sex and edge of the seat violence. The “who’s behind it” side of things is done well, keeping the reader guessing on each page for the first half of the book.
All in all, ‘The Jonah’ is another classic piece of dark fiction from this very well respected horror writer. The novel runs for a total of 253 pages.
Set in a quiet coastal town, Detective Jim Kelso (a typical Herbert style anti-hero) is placed on an assignment to discover the reason behind how a good honest local family came into contact with the drug LSD, that almost saw the death of them during some extreme and vivid hallucinations. The plot thickens as Kelso discovers that there’s a lot more than just honest fishing work going on in this quiet location. As Kelso gets closer to the truth, a much more disturbing turn of events reveals itself.
‘The Jonah’ is a well paced novel that draws the reader into the developing storyline with the mysterious events that are occurring. Kelso is written as a very human and easy to identify with character. The interlacing subplots that run parallel to the main thread of the storyline add a good depth to the novel as a whole, whilst fleshing out the characters and their respective pasts.
Recurring flashbacks that haunt Kelso throughout the novel add an intriguing aspect to the tale, with a big question mark constantly hanging over the character’s unknown background. Obviously, Herbert draws this out until the end, building up the suspense throughout the novel.
Once the novel has set itself in motion, the action comes thick and fast, with regular cliff hangers ending each chapter making the book difficult to put down. The grand finale is quite surprising, with a rather obvious twist that is still over shadowed by the sheer explosion of events and the unveiling of the hideous truth that has been a constant undercurrent during the tale. The novel contains the usual input of sex and edge of the seat violence. The “who’s behind it” side of things is done well, keeping the reader guessing on each page for the first half of the book.
All in all, ‘The Jonah’ is another classic piece of dark fiction from this very well respected horror writer. The novel runs for a total of 253 pages.
January 14, 2023
Setting: London & Suffolk, UK; 1950-1980s.
In 1950, a new born baby is found abandoned in a public toilet by the attendant, but the baby is not alone....
Many years on, Jim Kelso works as a detective in City of London Police's Robbery Squad. Although a good officer, he doesn't work well in a team and colleagues see him as a Jonah as officers with him on jobs often suffer mishaps yet Kelso always comes through unscathed.
Still seen as a good officer, Kelso is assigned to the Drugs Squad and ends up undercover in a small Suffolk coastal town, trying to discover the source of a recent LSD poisoning of a local family. Joined in his investigation by Customs Officer Ellie, the pair soon fall foul of a sinister drug manufacturing operation and both their lives are at risk. Will Kelso's 'guardian Angela's save him yet again?....
This is one of James Herbert's early books, published in 1981, yet it is every bit as gripping as much of his later work, albeit a bit dated in style. Also a bit different in being a crime novel with an element of horror rather than being totally horror. Nevertheless, I found the story thoroughly entertaining with an unexpected finale and a bit of a cleverly inconclusive ending that leaves the reader thinking 'I wonder?' - it certainly did for me! - 9/10.
In 1950, a new born baby is found abandoned in a public toilet by the attendant, but the baby is not alone....
Many years on, Jim Kelso works as a detective in City of London Police's Robbery Squad. Although a good officer, he doesn't work well in a team and colleagues see him as a Jonah as officers with him on jobs often suffer mishaps yet Kelso always comes through unscathed.
Still seen as a good officer, Kelso is assigned to the Drugs Squad and ends up undercover in a small Suffolk coastal town, trying to discover the source of a recent LSD poisoning of a local family. Joined in his investigation by Customs Officer Ellie, the pair soon fall foul of a sinister drug manufacturing operation and both their lives are at risk. Will Kelso's 'guardian Angela's save him yet again?....
This is one of James Herbert's early books, published in 1981, yet it is every bit as gripping as much of his later work, albeit a bit dated in style. Also a bit different in being a crime novel with an element of horror rather than being totally horror. Nevertheless, I found the story thoroughly entertaining with an unexpected finale and a bit of a cleverly inconclusive ending that leaves the reader thinking 'I wonder?' - it certainly did for me! - 9/10.
August 17, 2019
I’m a big James Herbert fan, and am always happy to dive into the any of the author’s work I have yet to read. Thus, I was eager to see what The Jonah would bring.
I’m going to be honest and say this one disappointed me. It wasn’t the usual James Herbert read: instead of being a creepy story, it was more a detective story with a small amount of the paranormal thrown in. Usually I love such stories – detective stories are some of my favourites, and I never say no to the supernatural – but this one failed to hit the right spots for me.
Early in the book, I was willing to give this one a three-star rating. It wasn’t my favourite James Herbert book, but it had me curious to see what would come next. The ending, however, let me down. When the supernatural was finally explained, it was done so simply and the story came to an far too sudden end. I expected more from this one, finding myself let down by the way things concluded.
I’ll continue to read James Herbert, hunting down those few I have yet to read, but The Jonah disappointed me.
I’m going to be honest and say this one disappointed me. It wasn’t the usual James Herbert read: instead of being a creepy story, it was more a detective story with a small amount of the paranormal thrown in. Usually I love such stories – detective stories are some of my favourites, and I never say no to the supernatural – but this one failed to hit the right spots for me.
Early in the book, I was willing to give this one a three-star rating. It wasn’t my favourite James Herbert book, but it had me curious to see what would come next. The ending, however, let me down. When the supernatural was finally explained, it was done so simply and the story came to an far too sudden end. I expected more from this one, finding myself let down by the way things concluded.
I’ll continue to read James Herbert, hunting down those few I have yet to read, but The Jonah disappointed me.
March 9, 2025
James Herbert has been a permanent feature of the bestsellers lists since “The rats” was first published in 1974. Often considered, mainly by those who haven’t read his books, to be a horror writer, his books and actually generally thrillers, all-be-it often with a supernatural twist. In fact, his most famous series – Rats, Lair and Domain – are closer to science fiction.
“The Jonah” is a detective story with a touch of the supernatural. Jim Kelso is a detective with the Drugs Squad in London. He is good at his job, but he has an unenviable reputation for bringing bad luck to those around him. The death of a fellow officer on a drugs bust is the last straw for his boss and Kelps finds himself working undercover in a remote Sussex fishing village.
Playing the part of an ornithologist undertaking research for a bird charity, Kelso is alone so he can’t hurt anyone, or so it seems at first. With frequent flashbacks we begin to uncover the dark secret behind the inexplicable events in Kelso’s life.
Investigating the mysterious events that led to an otherwise unassuming family falling foul of the effect of LSD. The police are baffled as to how a quiet family like the Preeces have come into contact with illegal drugs. And is there any connection with the death of a USAF pilot, also under the influence of LSD?
On the verge of giving up the investigation he is joined by HM Customs investigator Ellie Sheppard. Despite his reservations about working with her, the pair soon begin to uncover the truth the lies beneath the surface of the small community. But for Kelso, it is the revelation of the secrets of his own past that bring the greatest danger.
James Herbert is a great storyteller, no matter the genre. One of the things I love about his books is the care he takes with his characters, even those who barely live longer than two pages. As disaster strikes the village, we are introduced to a number of locals and, in Herbert’s trademark style, we get to know a lot more about them than is necessary. That is not a negative by the way, I love the way he builds up his incidental characters. “The Jonah” is typical James Herbert. Not necessarily one of his best (that would be “Magic Cottage”), but well worth the read and a reminder for me of why I got hooked on his books in the first place. I began reading his books when I was a teenager, but the Jonah is one of several I missed at the time. I think now that I need to catch up a bit.
“The Jonah” is a detective story with a touch of the supernatural. Jim Kelso is a detective with the Drugs Squad in London. He is good at his job, but he has an unenviable reputation for bringing bad luck to those around him. The death of a fellow officer on a drugs bust is the last straw for his boss and Kelps finds himself working undercover in a remote Sussex fishing village.
Playing the part of an ornithologist undertaking research for a bird charity, Kelso is alone so he can’t hurt anyone, or so it seems at first. With frequent flashbacks we begin to uncover the dark secret behind the inexplicable events in Kelso’s life.
Investigating the mysterious events that led to an otherwise unassuming family falling foul of the effect of LSD. The police are baffled as to how a quiet family like the Preeces have come into contact with illegal drugs. And is there any connection with the death of a USAF pilot, also under the influence of LSD?
On the verge of giving up the investigation he is joined by HM Customs investigator Ellie Sheppard. Despite his reservations about working with her, the pair soon begin to uncover the truth the lies beneath the surface of the small community. But for Kelso, it is the revelation of the secrets of his own past that bring the greatest danger.
James Herbert is a great storyteller, no matter the genre. One of the things I love about his books is the care he takes with his characters, even those who barely live longer than two pages. As disaster strikes the village, we are introduced to a number of locals and, in Herbert’s trademark style, we get to know a lot more about them than is necessary. That is not a negative by the way, I love the way he builds up his incidental characters. “The Jonah” is typical James Herbert. Not necessarily one of his best (that would be “Magic Cottage”), but well worth the read and a reminder for me of why I got hooked on his books in the first place. I began reading his books when I was a teenager, but the Jonah is one of several I missed at the time. I think now that I need to catch up a bit.
August 8, 2014
Basically, I have the same complaints and same praise that I have for most James Herbert books. The overly detailed and gratuitous sex scenes just had me rolling my eyes and rushing through the words as fast as I possibly could. Not quite as bad, but also useless and jarring is the switch to random people's viewpoints during an event. I don't much care what some random old man is pondering as he's about to die, I mean, if I wanted to read that, I would have read an introspective book about life or something like that. The love interest was also incredibly obvious and had basically no character of her own, which is sadly typical of Herbert. The villains were nearly one-dimensional and kind of disappointing, but that wasn't a huge issue with me.
However, I did like the overall pacing of the book and the length was almost exactly perfect to get the story across and not waste my time. The extra viewpoints at the end padded it out, and were absolutely unnecessary in my opinion. Strangely, I kind of liked the flashbacks, which I usually hate, but here seemed to work once I was about a third of the way in.
Overall, this was a rather good Herbert book, probably top ten for me.
However, I did like the overall pacing of the book and the length was almost exactly perfect to get the story across and not waste my time. The extra viewpoints at the end padded it out, and were absolutely unnecessary in my opinion. Strangely, I kind of liked the flashbacks, which I usually hate, but here seemed to work once I was about a third of the way in.
Overall, this was a rather good Herbert book, probably top ten for me.
April 7, 2022
A best of both worlds book; entertaining crime fiction in the middle bookended by gory and nightmare inducing horror (the opening stanza is is incredibly vivid and disturbing, equally so for the ending).
Side note; James Herbert would’ve been a great crime writer if this is anything to go by.
Side, side note; I need to read more ‘twin’ horror - this sets a bar (if only there was more!).
Side note; James Herbert would’ve been a great crime writer if this is anything to go by.
Side, side note; I need to read more ‘twin’ horror - this sets a bar (if only there was more!).
September 19, 2018
Very unHerbert-like. More of a crime thriller, with a teeny bit of horror at the end. To tell the truth, I've had more thrills trying to put my Ugg boots on. Where is the underlying tension so typical of Herbert? Like in so many movies, the Good Guy is captured by the Bad Guy, and is then subject to a great big long dialogue about how the Bad Guy runs his operation until you're left thinking, "For God's sake, just shoot him and get it over with - pleeeeeze"!
December 19, 2017
One of my favourite authors. Really miss the books by James Herbert. Recommended.
November 24, 2022
'"When we've done with you mate,' the man called Bannen said softy, 'I'm going to cut off your ears. Then your nose.' He roughly tweaked Kelso's nose between thumb and finger. 'Then, cocker, I'm going to split your eye balls with a razor blade.'"
It was kind of obvious where this was going, but it took a long time to get there and the payoff wasn't quite worth it...
It was kind of obvious where this was going, but it took a long time to get there and the payoff wasn't quite worth it...
October 28, 2007
Although an entertaining read, this thriller wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped.
[WARNING: SPOILERS]
My main problem with the story is the climatic ending. After a straight narrative, competently plot driven staying with the main characters, Herbert breaks the general style with an interlude of scenes where we all of a sudden see what happens to other persons in the local. Although supposed to add to the climatic sea storm breaking in over the area, it was to me an annoying break from what was really important to the story. And way too long.
The idea with the mysterious and fatal accidents surrounding the protagonist's life was interesting enough but the actual revelation was somewhat lacklustre, in my opinion (even if some fascinating, almost Lovecraftian descriptions of the indescribably popped up here). It was also too obvious what was going on.
Not Herbert's best.
[WARNING: SPOILERS]
My main problem with the story is the climatic ending. After a straight narrative, competently plot driven staying with the main characters, Herbert breaks the general style with an interlude of scenes where we all of a sudden see what happens to other persons in the local. Although supposed to add to the climatic sea storm breaking in over the area, it was to me an annoying break from what was really important to the story. And way too long.
The idea with the mysterious and fatal accidents surrounding the protagonist's life was interesting enough but the actual revelation was somewhat lacklustre, in my opinion (even if some fascinating, almost Lovecraftian descriptions of the indescribably popped up here). It was also too obvious what was going on.
Not Herbert's best.
November 20, 2016
I've read all of Herbert's pulpy novels as a kid, and im enjoying re-reading them now, sort of as a palate cleanser between more serious or heavy novels. this one is good - but I'd actually give it 3.5 stars if I could. a troubled narrator - check. page turning action - check. graphic sex scenes - check. horror - check, but not nearly enough and too late on. but it's a bit of fun, to while away an hour or two.
July 27, 2021
Oh god The Jonah is a slog to get through; it's drawn-out, boring, cheesy and so shallow that you can basically skim through and not miss anything important. The characters are few, Kelso is a pretty good lead character but the only other main character is Ellie and she's very annoying. For a James Herbert book I was surprised at the lack of quality in the style of writing, it felt amateur, and the plot.
I definitely would not recommend this book.
I definitely would not recommend this book.
July 23, 2011
This was good but not one of his best. It failed to have the sense of sustained horror bubbling beneath the surface that is usually a presence in Herbert's horror books. The horror aspect doesn't really appear until it's too late to make much of an impact. It's a quick, easy read but there are other Herbert books I would pick up again before this one.
April 28, 2012
I read this as a 14 year old school girl, and the fact the story remains as scary to me today, some 25+ years later is testament to James Herbert's fantastic imagination! Despite scaring the absolute cr*p out of me this remains one of my favourite books ever! Read it!
September 18, 2022
As a huge Herbert fan, I was sadly disappointed in this book. Despite a fantastic climax that finally addresses the horror aspect of the story fully, the majority of the plot is a boring police/drug melodrama.
October 31, 2012
Another brilliant James Herbert masterpiece. This guy needs more than the five stars allowed.!
March 26, 2014
166/6th/12
May 8, 2015
Very slow, didn't have the underlying tension that I'm used to from Herbert, was hoping for a climactic ending, that just didn't "come", hurts to give the rating, but I have to be honest :/
April 30, 2024
I used to read James Herbert a lot in my teenage years. That heady mix of sex, horror, and the supernatural was intoxicating. Revisiting as a 51yo, I struggle to rekindle that same level of fascination.
Having said that, this is enjoyable enough and easy to read. And just what my frazzled brain needed after a heavy few weeks and some serious non-fiction reading.
I read this one about 5 times in the past but either never remembered or failed to notice the disturbing detail on the last page.
It's funny how something you think you know so well can surprise you.
Having said that, this is enjoyable enough and easy to read. And just what my frazzled brain needed after a heavy few weeks and some serious non-fiction reading.
I read this one about 5 times in the past but either never remembered or failed to notice the disturbing detail on the last page.
It's funny how something you think you know so well can surprise you.
May 26, 2022
Read this quite fast. Sadly this seems to be so far the first Herbert novel to really let me down. It was really just a basic crim thriller until very near the end. The supernatural/horror element is barely there and doesn't seem to balance well against the rest of the book. Not absolutely terrible, still a good read but probably not what I expected and not one of his best.
July 18, 2024
Great read
March 14, 2014
I am reviewing the supernatural thriller The Jonah by James Herbert which is a very good novel which I bought from a car boot sale. This novel was originally published in 1981 and this book was republished in 1988 presumably because James had achieved more success as an author. He is the most successful British horror author and is probably most famous for his novels The Spear & The Fog. The plot to this book starts in 1950 when the key character is a new born baby a few hours old that has been dumped in a public WC where is found by a lady who works there who subsequently adopts him. He grows up and joins the police but although he always remains safe the people working with him always seem to have something unlucky happen to them. This culminates in a heist on a armoured van in Blackwall Tunnel in London where a police driver is shot and killed and Kelso the key character has his gun jam. The tunnel prevents their walkie talkies from working and they aren't expecting the gang to do the robbery in there. After this although they accept it is through no fault of his own, no one will work with him and he is transferred to the Drugs Squad in another part of the country. There people are being slipped LSD and a lady customs officer and he team up to investigate. There is an airforce pilot flying an A10 that dies when he crashes his plane into the sea and is found to have 10 times the fatal amount of LSD in his blood. The trail leads to an aristocrat who owns a bird sanctuary and has been doing conservation work for various charities. Kelso is ultimately slipped some LSD that regresses him to when he was a baby and he realises why there seems to be a curse on him. I really enjoyed this novel which isn't one of Herbert's more well known novels but is pretty good.
February 21, 2015
Jim Kelso is niet zoals andere mensen en hij weet het. Hoewel hij uitblinkt in zijn werk als politieman en met niemand ruzie maakt, weigeren toch bijna alle collega's om met hem samen te werken. Want wie te dicht bij hem in de buurt komt vergaat het slecht. Kelso brengt onheil!
Een rustig Engels kustplaatsje wordt plotseling opgeschrikt door een aantal gruwelijke gebeurtenissen. Een heel gezin wordt de dood ingesleurd. Een vliegtuig stort met donderend geweld in zee. Afschuw en angst maken de dorpsbewoners zwijgzaam als het graf.
Samen met de mooie politie-agente Ellie wordt Jim Kelso er op uitgestuurd om een grootscheepse misdaadorganisatie te ontmantelen. Maar het onderzoek levert een nachtmerrie op. Kelso komt oog in oog te staan met iets dat hem al zijn hele leven achtervolgt.... en hij weet dat ontsnappen onmogelijk is!
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Omdat ik, toen ik het boek las, nog geen (echte) beoordelingen en mening gaf over boeken is het voor mij niet mogelijk om nu een juiste waardering aan het boek te geven. Ik hoop in de aankomende jaren tijd te vinden om oude boeken weer op te pakken om opnieuw te lezen, zodat ik ook dit boek een juiste waardering kan geven.
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Overige boekinformatie:
The Jonah
Uitgeverij: Luitingh (1981)
ISBN : 90.245.1882.2
270 pagina’s; Paperback
Een rustig Engels kustplaatsje wordt plotseling opgeschrikt door een aantal gruwelijke gebeurtenissen. Een heel gezin wordt de dood ingesleurd. Een vliegtuig stort met donderend geweld in zee. Afschuw en angst maken de dorpsbewoners zwijgzaam als het graf.
Samen met de mooie politie-agente Ellie wordt Jim Kelso er op uitgestuurd om een grootscheepse misdaadorganisatie te ontmantelen. Maar het onderzoek levert een nachtmerrie op. Kelso komt oog in oog te staan met iets dat hem al zijn hele leven achtervolgt.... en hij weet dat ontsnappen onmogelijk is!
---
Omdat ik, toen ik het boek las, nog geen (echte) beoordelingen en mening gaf over boeken is het voor mij niet mogelijk om nu een juiste waardering aan het boek te geven. Ik hoop in de aankomende jaren tijd te vinden om oude boeken weer op te pakken om opnieuw te lezen, zodat ik ook dit boek een juiste waardering kan geven.
---
Overige boekinformatie:
The Jonah
Uitgeverij: Luitingh (1981)
ISBN : 90.245.1882.2
270 pagina’s; Paperback
June 27, 2023
Another re-read of one that I remember being disappointed in first time round. Unfortunately my opinion hasn't been changed. It's more police procedural than horror - which is a shame as the supernatural idea behind it is a really good one.
It's not that thrilling either, with very little incident and/or tension and there's an exposition dump by the villain in which he explains every detail of what he's doing and how he does it that's toe-curlingly awful and contrived.
There's a(nother) huge deus ex machina too; probably not sure as how to end the story, the author just chucks a huge tidal wave at everything (the presence of which hasn't even been hinted at at any point in the proceedings) to wipe out the whole operation. There are a number of vignettes at this point in which various members of the community meet their watery ends which just seem shoe-horned in to up the wordcount and which actually distract from the build-up to the conclusion.
Maybe there was a deadline to be hit which resulted in a mash-up of ideas but unfortunately the end result is neither one thing or the other.
Still not as bad as Ash, but definitely not top drawer Herbert.
It's not that thrilling either, with very little incident and/or tension and there's an exposition dump by the villain in which he explains every detail of what he's doing and how he does it that's toe-curlingly awful and contrived.
There's a(nother) huge deus ex machina too; probably not sure as how to end the story, the author just chucks a huge tidal wave at everything (the presence of which hasn't even been hinted at at any point in the proceedings) to wipe out the whole operation. There are a number of vignettes at this point in which various members of the community meet their watery ends which just seem shoe-horned in to up the wordcount and which actually distract from the build-up to the conclusion.
Maybe there was a deadline to be hit which resulted in a mash-up of ideas but unfortunately the end result is neither one thing or the other.
Still not as bad as Ash, but definitely not top drawer Herbert.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2020
I have mentioned in other reviews that I am a fan of James Herbert. This was written in 1981 so was a very early work of his.
This is mostly a detective story and a good one. The horror that the author was renowned for is not a big part of story for the most part. I feel that it could have been left out and it still would have been a good read (though some of his other fans might disagree). The main character is never truly unbelievable despite a few quirks. I enjoyed the story without ever truly loving it.
My main negative about the story is that I don't think that the author ever wrote a convincing sex scene. One here wasn't as laughably bad as some written by (mostly) male authors but it also wasn't something that I could recommend about his writing.
This is worth a read even nearly 40 years on.
This is mostly a detective story and a good one. The horror that the author was renowned for is not a big part of story for the most part. I feel that it could have been left out and it still would have been a good read (though some of his other fans might disagree). The main character is never truly unbelievable despite a few quirks. I enjoyed the story without ever truly loving it.
My main negative about the story is that I don't think that the author ever wrote a convincing sex scene. One here wasn't as laughably bad as some written by (mostly) male authors but it also wasn't something that I could recommend about his writing.
This is worth a read even nearly 40 years on.
January 13, 2018
Good writer but this seemed a bit padded.
December 30, 2013
I am a huge fan of James Herbert and this is the only work of his I have read and can honestly say was a disappointment. It was extremely slow and often almost painful to continue. A book that normally takes me a few days to read took weeks. I can not usually put a book down but this one I found I always seemed to have 100 things to do instead of picking up the book. In the end it was magically descriptive and the reader felt as though Herbert's words came alive and played out in front of the eyes, but it just was not enough to earn this book a higher rating. Hurts me to rate any Herbert book like this, but truth it truth.
May 18, 2013
Enjoying the book quite a bit so far, but it needs to be said that Herbert's ideas about LSD are out-of-date. According to members of the UK government's Science Select Committee a few years ago, there are no recorded deaths from LSD, it is non-addictive, you can't overdose on it, and stories of people believing they can fly and jumping through windows are limited to only one or two cases in the 1960s.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews