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Silent Stalker
"Beware of the one who hides, who watches in the dark!"
Before Jenny Logan even entered the forbidding castle - a replica of the Worthingtons' ancestral home in England - a terrified stranger warned her away. Was the warning real - or just another example of the family's macabre sense of humor? Jenny couldn't be sure. She only knew her summer vacation with her father suddenly became a nightmare when the predatory Sir John Worthington invited them to stay - and his grandsons, the gorgeous Malcolm, his twin Derrick, and their mischievous cousin Wit spun a web of intrigue, romance and deceit around her. She's forced to play by their rules now, and battle the castle's ancient curse, which decrees that she will go mad, or die...or simply disappear...
Before Jenny Logan even entered the forbidding castle - a replica of the Worthingtons' ancestral home in England - a terrified stranger warned her away. Was the warning real - or just another example of the family's macabre sense of humor? Jenny couldn't be sure. She only knew her summer vacation with her father suddenly became a nightmare when the predatory Sir John Worthington invited them to stay - and his grandsons, the gorgeous Malcolm, his twin Derrick, and their mischievous cousin Wit spun a web of intrigue, romance and deceit around her. She's forced to play by their rules now, and battle the castle's ancient curse, which decrees that she will go mad, or die...or simply disappear...
214 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
27 people are currently reading
583 people want to read
About the author
Richie Tankersley Cusick
50 books798 followersRichie Tankersley Cusick is the bestselling young adult author of over 25 titles, including two adult horror titles, Scarecrow and Blood Roots. Her popularity grew at the height of the horror/YA boom in the late '80s/early '90s, particularly with books like Lifeguard , Trick or Treat and Teacher's Pet, just to name a few, allowing her to keep company on the bestseller paperback lists with the likes of R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike. Her fan base expanded about the time she changed publishers to Archway/Pocket Books with titles like Vampire and Someone at the Door.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
July 23, 2021
At the end of this book, Jenny's Mom says, “I thought your father had changed, he’s so irresponsible." That is the understatement of the year. Jenny spends the summer with her Dad who takes her to a creepy castle in the middle of nowhere, ditches her with the gross family he barely knows who live there, they try to kill her (a lot), then he just never comes back. I feel like he shouldn't even be allowed weekend visitations.
June 22, 2012
Oh, the Internets. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember what life was like before you, when I was doomed to forget all but the slightest of fragments from books I once loved, never to read them again. But now, thanks to one of the massively awesome sides of the Internet--fantastic book lovers who will help you to remember the titles and authors of books about which you only remember a small number of details--I am able to be reunited with the books I ate up when I was but a preteen back in the good ol' days of R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike. I know other ladies of a certain age remember those classics!
I should start off by saying that I just love this book. Seriously, I love it. I've loved it for over twenty years, a love that was strong enough to make me suddenly remember a few obscure details of this book while out taking a walk on a very sunny, beautiful day. In other words, I have no idea what made this book suddenly pop into my head at that time, especially considering it had probably been a good twenty years or so since I'd last read it. It just goes to show you how powerful books can be, how they can stick with you long after you've closed their pages and moved on to other phases in your life. Still, while I did love it as much as I did the first time I read it, some of it likely had to do with the nostalgia factor as, now that I'm older and more experienced, I recognize there are some pretty big flaws with this book. Some spoilers to follow.
For one, Jenny is a bit of a Mary Sue. We know so very little about her, other than the fact that she has blond hair, blue eyes, and a penchant for turkey legs and mildly threatening, handsome guys. I wondered if this lack of character development on her part was deliberate, making it easy for the reader to insert herself in the story, or if it was just oversight. Either way, it does lead to a flawed narrative. It would have been nice to at least know what Jenny's favorite color is, or something. Still, at least Jenny sticks up for herself and shows a little initiative, so we don't have a total damsel in distress scenario here.
The other really HUGE flaw with this book is its treatment of mental illness. I was rather dismayed by the way the other characters treated Nan. That poor girl obviously needed some therapy but, instead, she's kept around as a servant because she doesn't talk back to Sir John. Seriously, if that doesn't make you wince, it should. There are some aspects of this book that give it a sort of Jane Eyre vibe, but this isn't the 1800s anymore. It was rather uncomfortable to read some portions of the book because it did leave a bad taste in my mouth with regard to how a character like Nan was treated.
There are also some really strong points to this novel. For once, I give a huge A+ to the creation of atmosphere. Cusick is so good at it! Between the surreal nature of the medieval fair contrasted against the dilapidated castle, gothic horror doesn't get much better than this. It is a deliciously creepy read with a dash of very mild gore.
I also just love the Worthington family--and it's not just because the brothers are oh-so-dreamy (though they are quite dreamy). I especially love Wit. I think he's a particularly well-drawn character because his mannerisms and the way he speaks are indicative of so much about his personality. I'm also quite fond of the handsome twins who, while not as developed as Wit, still have pretty distinct personalities, as made evident by their roles in the fair. On the whole, the fair is a nice device not just for the atmosphere, but because it makes for some good symbolism, as far as character development goes. However, Jenny's dad gets a big failing grade. What kind of father leaves his daughters in a strange castle with Sir John and his three teenaged (or slightly older) sons? This is not a stellar example of parental responsibility.
This book is like mental ice cream. It's rich and pleasurable but not exactly bursting with healthiness. Still, I enjoy reading purely for enjoyment as much as the next person, so I'm not opposed to the pure pleasure of a delicious book that doesn't necessarily contain a great deal of substance. While the nostalgia factor certainly helps, this is still a book that has a lot of appealing elements blended together into a tasty finished product.
I should start off by saying that I just love this book. Seriously, I love it. I've loved it for over twenty years, a love that was strong enough to make me suddenly remember a few obscure details of this book while out taking a walk on a very sunny, beautiful day. In other words, I have no idea what made this book suddenly pop into my head at that time, especially considering it had probably been a good twenty years or so since I'd last read it. It just goes to show you how powerful books can be, how they can stick with you long after you've closed their pages and moved on to other phases in your life. Still, while I did love it as much as I did the first time I read it, some of it likely had to do with the nostalgia factor as, now that I'm older and more experienced, I recognize there are some pretty big flaws with this book. Some spoilers to follow.
For one, Jenny is a bit of a Mary Sue. We know so very little about her, other than the fact that she has blond hair, blue eyes, and a penchant for turkey legs and mildly threatening, handsome guys. I wondered if this lack of character development on her part was deliberate, making it easy for the reader to insert herself in the story, or if it was just oversight. Either way, it does lead to a flawed narrative. It would have been nice to at least know what Jenny's favorite color is, or something. Still, at least Jenny sticks up for herself and shows a little initiative, so we don't have a total damsel in distress scenario here.
The other really HUGE flaw with this book is its treatment of mental illness. I was rather dismayed by the way the other characters treated Nan. That poor girl obviously needed some therapy but, instead, she's kept around as a servant because she doesn't talk back to Sir John. Seriously, if that doesn't make you wince, it should. There are some aspects of this book that give it a sort of Jane Eyre vibe, but this isn't the 1800s anymore. It was rather uncomfortable to read some portions of the book because it did leave a bad taste in my mouth with regard to how a character like Nan was treated.
There are also some really strong points to this novel. For once, I give a huge A+ to the creation of atmosphere. Cusick is so good at it! Between the surreal nature of the medieval fair contrasted against the dilapidated castle, gothic horror doesn't get much better than this. It is a deliciously creepy read with a dash of very mild gore.
I also just love the Worthington family--and it's not just because the brothers are oh-so-dreamy (though they are quite dreamy). I especially love Wit. I think he's a particularly well-drawn character because his mannerisms and the way he speaks are indicative of so much about his personality. I'm also quite fond of the handsome twins who, while not as developed as Wit, still have pretty distinct personalities, as made evident by their roles in the fair. On the whole, the fair is a nice device not just for the atmosphere, but because it makes for some good symbolism, as far as character development goes. However, Jenny's dad gets a big failing grade. What kind of father leaves his daughters in a strange castle with Sir John and his three teenaged (or slightly older) sons? This is not a stellar example of parental responsibility.
This book is like mental ice cream. It's rich and pleasurable but not exactly bursting with healthiness. Still, I enjoy reading purely for enjoyment as much as the next person, so I'm not opposed to the pure pleasure of a delicious book that doesn't necessarily contain a great deal of substance. While the nostalgia factor certainly helps, this is still a book that has a lot of appealing elements blended together into a tasty finished product.
June 14, 2024
So at the end she's gonna be in a RH relationship with the twins and Wit, right?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2011
I loved this when I was a kid and had a pretty intense crush on the character Wit. I apparently was a very lonely nerd.
January 5, 2024
Ok small PSA:
How is the Kindle version of this 7.99 for 180 pages, but Richie's 300+ page adult novels are like 1.99 each? I don't usually complain, as every artist and author deserves to be paid for their work. However, why the weird price difference for a book half the length of her two bigger novels? Is this one better, more popular? What's up?
Update 12/16/2023 (finished):
3 stars for untapped potential and a disorienting and sometimes confusing narration.
I liked the concept for this story (haunted castle and medieval faire), however the entire story was bogged down by a very confusing, and unreliable narrator: Jenny. I know that was part of the story, and part of Cusick trying to build suspense about who the murderer was, but it took away from the reading experience at times.
I like Cusick's longer Adult horror books more than her shorter YA ones, such as Blood Roots. They are more developed, and even though Blood Roots has the same unreliable type of narration it's much more coherent. Say for instance in Silent Stalker I was very confused 50% of the time on where Jenny was in the castle or on the grounds, where as in Blood Roots it was always clear where Olivia was on the plantation ect. I feel like if an author chooses to use unreliable narration, they have to pick if that's going to be towards the character's perception of people or places, if it's both it's very confusing and not an enjoyable to read.
It's weird to me that this was written after Blood Roots as it comes off less polished. Typically an author's writing improves as they write more or publish more books. This felt like a first draft of a story.
I can confirm the price does not reflect the quality nor the story, go read Blood Roots instead. I'm still scratching my head on why this is 7.99 on Amazon and Blood Roots is 1.99.
One thing I want to add is that everything I have read by Cusick so far can be described in one word: addicting. Event though this is the lesser novel. I consumed both this and Blood Roots. If you are looking for original and interesting horror stories definitely give her a try. All of her books that I have read so far are very cinematic and engrossing.
And if you like Blood Roots and this, go read Nenia Campbell's Raise the Blood, which is way better than both, and one of my top books of 2023.
How is the Kindle version of this 7.99 for 180 pages, but Richie's 300+ page adult novels are like 1.99 each? I don't usually complain, as every artist and author deserves to be paid for their work. However, why the weird price difference for a book half the length of her two bigger novels? Is this one better, more popular? What's up?
Update 12/16/2023 (finished):
3 stars for untapped potential and a disorienting and sometimes confusing narration.
I liked the concept for this story (haunted castle and medieval faire), however the entire story was bogged down by a very confusing, and unreliable narrator: Jenny. I know that was part of the story, and part of Cusick trying to build suspense about who the murderer was, but it took away from the reading experience at times.
I like Cusick's longer Adult horror books more than her shorter YA ones, such as Blood Roots. They are more developed, and even though Blood Roots has the same unreliable type of narration it's much more coherent. Say for instance in Silent Stalker I was very confused 50% of the time on where Jenny was in the castle or on the grounds, where as in Blood Roots it was always clear where Olivia was on the plantation ect. I feel like if an author chooses to use unreliable narration, they have to pick if that's going to be towards the character's perception of people or places, if it's both it's very confusing and not an enjoyable to read.
It's weird to me that this was written after Blood Roots as it comes off less polished. Typically an author's writing improves as they write more or publish more books. This felt like a first draft of a story.
I can confirm the price does not reflect the quality nor the story, go read Blood Roots instead. I'm still scratching my head on why this is 7.99 on Amazon and Blood Roots is 1.99.
One thing I want to add is that everything I have read by Cusick so far can be described in one word: addicting. Event though this is the lesser novel. I consumed both this and Blood Roots. If you are looking for original and interesting horror stories definitely give her a try. All of her books that I have read so far are very cinematic and engrossing.
And if you like Blood Roots and this, go read Nenia Campbell's Raise the Blood, which is way better than both, and one of my top books of 2023.
May 19, 2019
What strikes me about retro YA horror like these is the sense of abandonment it inspires. Jenny wakens from a rough sleep in an unfamiliar place, having seen (or dreamt?) ominous visions of a hangman with a noose at the foot of her bed. She remembered being dragged to a dungeon in pitch darkness where she was promised the most deathly scares by a menacing trio, and when she wakes up, what did she find? Her dad fleeing in the
middle of the night on an important assignment, leaving his daughter in the mercy of a castle where women either go mad, die, or simply disappear.
This feeling of desolation may somewhat feel familiar to its target audience. Their parents are either busy with their careers or can't emphatize with what what's happening to them, and so they're left to their own devices. It's no wonder than that these books are a treat to them. Though their ordeals may not be as deadly, they're empowered by the thought that someone went through metaphorically similar experiences and survived. They're also easy and fast reads so there's that.
I did enjoy the book, though I think our poor victim's experiences were a tad too harrowing and traumatizing. As a horror/thriller it works well due to its suspenseful cliffhangers. As a mystery though, it's not particularly effective.
I'm rating this 5.5/10 or 3 stars out of 5.
middle of the night on an important assignment, leaving his daughter in the mercy of a castle where women either go mad, die, or simply disappear.
This feeling of desolation may somewhat feel familiar to its target audience. Their parents are either busy with their careers or can't emphatize with what what's happening to them, and so they're left to their own devices. It's no wonder than that these books are a treat to them. Though their ordeals may not be as deadly, they're empowered by the thought that someone went through metaphorically similar experiences and survived. They're also easy and fast reads so there's that.
I did enjoy the book, though I think our poor victim's experiences were a tad too harrowing and traumatizing. As a horror/thriller it works well due to its suspenseful cliffhangers. As a mystery though, it's not particularly effective.
I'm rating this 5.5/10 or 3 stars out of 5.
June 29, 2023
There is so much about this one that almost had me not liking it at all but because it is an RTC book I got enough to keep me hooked until the end.
Jenny Logan's parents are divorced. Her mother is away on business in Paris but her father thinks she is just gallivanting around. He decides to spend time with his daughter now while being a reporter which never had him having quality time with Jenny to begin with.
Mom thought it would be a good idea too instead of Jenny hanging out with her friends like any normal teenager (it's never stated but she has to be between 15-18 years old because that is usually the normal age of the girls. As the book progresses, I'm hoping at least 17-18...)
Ed Logan's latest story idea has him visiting England to talk to a man named Sir John Worthington who is hosting a renaissance faire on the land that his home to the replica of the original, ancestral castle.
They arrive to have a dark figure check the older man's I.D. with no eyes visible in the dark of the evening and clearly dressed in black. It is storming and raining and a girl throws open Jenny's door on the passenger side.
Her hair is matted and she warns Jenny to stay away, that "he" will like her and she will be in danger. The man in black pulls her away and Jenny's father is oblivious to all of this as they drive inside. Jenny tries to talk to her father about the weird incident that just occured but he rushes inside right before a bolt of lightning strikes the tree beside their vehicle, a branch crushing it.
Jenny is left screaming for her dad when a hand goes across her mouth. When face to face with a man who had his hand over her mouth, Jenny is ready to spit fire but is caught off-guard by his handsome features in his old-fashioned clothing.
He introduces himself as Malcolm Worthington and is surprised when Jenny tells him she came with her father. This was obviously not the original plan and Malcolm leads Jenny inside, courteous yet flirty. They end up at the dining hall to find her father eating dinner and surrounded by three others, all of them men.
First is Sir John, silver-haired to his shoulders with a gaunt face and a silver goatee on his chin. He seems shocked at first at Jenny being there but he is polite if a little creepy at noting that Jenny is "lovely".
Then there is a young man dressed in jester clothing and playing the part to the hilt. His name is Wit (very clever) and he ends up introducing the other man present. Malcolm's twin brother, Derreck, is obviously not very pleased with Jenny being there and is more rude about it than his father.
Jenny's dad ends up inviting themselves to stay in a rather off-handed way after learning his car got destroyed and even though there is some unease felt in the air at first, Sir John has Malcolm and Wit show the Logans to their rooms.
Jenny's room end up being in the tower and her conversation with Malcolm and Wit on the way gives us a few details. First, all of them are brothers with Wit being the youngest and last born before their mother died.
They grew up in Worthington Hall but do not live there anymore, only recently "summoned" back by their father to help out with the faire. People pay to come and experience renaissance living and take a tour of the castle and its dungeon and the profits will help with repairs.
The Worthington sons are not happy to be back here as the place has lost all of its magic since they are not little boys anymore. It is clear however that they think their father is getting too old and probably a bit senile to stay here but know he will not leave and probably die here in the castle.
Speaking of dying, Wit says that there is a curse on the Worthington family that extends to the castle itself. Young women do not fare well in these walls and soon start seeing a ghost wandering the halls, the ghost of an executioner clad all in black with his hood about his face.
Soon after, they go mad...or disappear...or meet an untimely end through accidents or suicide.
Her first night, Jenny hears sounds like rats and when she leaves her room, she falls down the stairs in the darkness of the dilapidated castle. Roaming about she comes upon the figure of the executioner, screams for her life and then Jenny comes across either Derreck or Malcolm before being blindfolded.
It is not a soothing voice, it is a menacing voice in her ear that tells Jenny that all of this is a game where she will be the prize if she can figure out which of the three is the one.
Malcolm and Wit find her at the bottom of the stairs later in the evening during a check on her welfare and Jenny is confused and terrified as she slowly awakens from being drugged with chloroform. She believes it was real but the nightmare is that her father has left for another story in the middle of the night!
Jenny is now left in the care of the very strange Worthington family until her dad comes back. Two handsome twin brothers who she can not tell apart, a younger brother who plays the literal fool to his family and a patriarch who might just slowly be going insane?
There are macabre secrets about and Jenny finds herself caught in a deadly game as the prize of a silent stalker hiding in the shadows...
I almost became lost at points wondering what the heck was going on but then I got a twist that really did take me off-guard and it was starting to look up...
Then came the ending.
It swerved so suddenly into an epilogue that I barely had time to recover from that shock, caught some wrap-up information and then it was over.
Some romance and intrigue kept it from being okay but the last act of Silent Stalker felt so...anti-climatic. It's not the best of RTC's work but it had promise...it was just one it couldn't keep.
If you have not read this one, it's worth at least a read through. Not a high recommendation but again, it's all in one's own opinion.
Jenny Logan's parents are divorced. Her mother is away on business in Paris but her father thinks she is just gallivanting around. He decides to spend time with his daughter now while being a reporter which never had him having quality time with Jenny to begin with.
Mom thought it would be a good idea too instead of Jenny hanging out with her friends like any normal teenager (it's never stated but she has to be between 15-18 years old because that is usually the normal age of the girls. As the book progresses, I'm hoping at least 17-18...)
Ed Logan's latest story idea has him visiting England to talk to a man named Sir John Worthington who is hosting a renaissance faire on the land that his home to the replica of the original, ancestral castle.
They arrive to have a dark figure check the older man's I.D. with no eyes visible in the dark of the evening and clearly dressed in black. It is storming and raining and a girl throws open Jenny's door on the passenger side.
Her hair is matted and she warns Jenny to stay away, that "he" will like her and she will be in danger. The man in black pulls her away and Jenny's father is oblivious to all of this as they drive inside. Jenny tries to talk to her father about the weird incident that just occured but he rushes inside right before a bolt of lightning strikes the tree beside their vehicle, a branch crushing it.
Jenny is left screaming for her dad when a hand goes across her mouth. When face to face with a man who had his hand over her mouth, Jenny is ready to spit fire but is caught off-guard by his handsome features in his old-fashioned clothing.
He introduces himself as Malcolm Worthington and is surprised when Jenny tells him she came with her father. This was obviously not the original plan and Malcolm leads Jenny inside, courteous yet flirty. They end up at the dining hall to find her father eating dinner and surrounded by three others, all of them men.
First is Sir John, silver-haired to his shoulders with a gaunt face and a silver goatee on his chin. He seems shocked at first at Jenny being there but he is polite if a little creepy at noting that Jenny is "lovely".
Then there is a young man dressed in jester clothing and playing the part to the hilt. His name is Wit (very clever) and he ends up introducing the other man present. Malcolm's twin brother, Derreck, is obviously not very pleased with Jenny being there and is more rude about it than his father.
Jenny's dad ends up inviting themselves to stay in a rather off-handed way after learning his car got destroyed and even though there is some unease felt in the air at first, Sir John has Malcolm and Wit show the Logans to their rooms.
Jenny's room end up being in the tower and her conversation with Malcolm and Wit on the way gives us a few details. First, all of them are brothers with Wit being the youngest and last born before their mother died.
They grew up in Worthington Hall but do not live there anymore, only recently "summoned" back by their father to help out with the faire. People pay to come and experience renaissance living and take a tour of the castle and its dungeon and the profits will help with repairs.
The Worthington sons are not happy to be back here as the place has lost all of its magic since they are not little boys anymore. It is clear however that they think their father is getting too old and probably a bit senile to stay here but know he will not leave and probably die here in the castle.
Speaking of dying, Wit says that there is a curse on the Worthington family that extends to the castle itself. Young women do not fare well in these walls and soon start seeing a ghost wandering the halls, the ghost of an executioner clad all in black with his hood about his face.
Soon after, they go mad...or disappear...or meet an untimely end through accidents or suicide.
Her first night, Jenny hears sounds like rats and when she leaves her room, she falls down the stairs in the darkness of the dilapidated castle. Roaming about she comes upon the figure of the executioner, screams for her life and then Jenny comes across either Derreck or Malcolm before being blindfolded.
It is not a soothing voice, it is a menacing voice in her ear that tells Jenny that all of this is a game where she will be the prize if she can figure out which of the three is the one.
Malcolm and Wit find her at the bottom of the stairs later in the evening during a check on her welfare and Jenny is confused and terrified as she slowly awakens from being drugged with chloroform. She believes it was real but the nightmare is that her father has left for another story in the middle of the night!
Jenny is now left in the care of the very strange Worthington family until her dad comes back. Two handsome twin brothers who she can not tell apart, a younger brother who plays the literal fool to his family and a patriarch who might just slowly be going insane?
There are macabre secrets about and Jenny finds herself caught in a deadly game as the prize of a silent stalker hiding in the shadows...
I almost became lost at points wondering what the heck was going on but then I got a twist that really did take me off-guard and it was starting to look up...
Then came the ending.
It swerved so suddenly into an epilogue that I barely had time to recover from that shock, caught some wrap-up information and then it was over.
Some romance and intrigue kept it from being okay but the last act of Silent Stalker felt so...anti-climatic. It's not the best of RTC's work but it had promise...it was just one it couldn't keep.
If you have not read this one, it's worth at least a read through. Not a high recommendation but again, it's all in one's own opinion.
January 13, 2017
This was one of my favourite books growing up. I probably read it about a million times. It also was my favourite by Richie T Cusick. I probably loved it because it had a castle with tons of secret passages and rooms and had this real medieval feel right down to the dungeons and damp and drafty hallways.
I think I also had a huge crush on Derrick even though you don't really get to know him very much. I also loved Wit (and still do) - he plays his part well.
I don't think I ever noticed when I was younger that things like why they stuck her up in a tower room if they were afraid for her safety and not in a room that was closer to them (ie the room her dad was supposed to stay in). But for nostalgic purposes I can ignore the unanswered questions :)
I think I also had a huge crush on Derrick even though you don't really get to know him very much. I also loved Wit (and still do) - he plays his part well.
I don't think I ever noticed when I was younger that things like why they stuck her up in a tower room if they were afraid for her safety and not in a room that was closer to them (ie the room her dad was supposed to stay in). But for nostalgic purposes I can ignore the unanswered questions :)
July 14, 2019
Um. I give that one five stars. This is a book that is actually very dark really from the very beginning. They show up at this like old castle. Really right from the beginning you get a feeling from the author that they're just really not being completely honestly. Like they know more than they're letting on. You might add I'm referring to the people that live in this castle full time. Basically the main character and her father travel to this castle because her father has some business with the older man that lives there with his sons. However, due to bad weather her and her father end up like spending the night and when she wakes up the following morning, it turns out her father had to leave early in the morning for some type of business absolutely had to deal with and he didn't have time to wake up and get her ready. So she ends up spending several weeks at this castle, and over the period of time, she discovers that she is really not alone. 'Cause she can never quite shake the fear that someone is with her, someone is watching her. And this seems to be confirmed on several occasions when she sees a dark figure in her room. She feels a dark hand reach out to her in the dark when she's walking up the stairs to her room that is in a high tower due to the fact that parts of the castle are in disrepair and can't be stayed in. Over the course of the book, the mystery kind of unravels itself. It kind of comes out that not everything in this castle is really quite what it seems. It was a really great book. I enjoyed reading it with my fiance. And we both loved it. If you ever run into this book, you should give it a try. Mmm hmm. Wink. I'm done with the review. Hehehe click click click. Haha very funny. Very funny. I gotta use the restroom. I'll be right back.
June 5, 2024
My least favourite RTC
October 6, 2021
Melodramatic gothic fever dream. WILD.
Also, if some nerd cartwheeled away from me to avoid confrontation, I’d be PISSED.
Also, if some nerd cartwheeled away from me to avoid confrontation, I’d be PISSED.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2023
Another fun RTC adventure complete with a smart, likable heroine, hot handsy dudes, a castle & ren fair setting, terrible parenting and suspense out the wazoo. I didn’t see the final twist coming despite the hints being there as I was so distracted by the main four characters and their antics. Full Review to come.
March 8, 2022
It's been nearly 30 years since I first read Silent Stalker. I loved it as a young teenager, and enjoyed it again as an adult. It has some chills and thrills and suspense. A classic YA thriller!
Want to read
December 10, 2022Still slightly scarred by the experience of reading what appears to be this books spiritual predecessor Blood Roots
October 31, 2015
Jenny is spending some time with her dad who happens to be working which mean she’s stuck tagging along with him. This week it’s to an old castle with a renaissance fair but her dad hasn’t made arrangements on where to stay so he’s hoping they can stay at the castle. While driving up to the castle in the rain Jenny’s door is thrust open with a warning that she shouldn’t go any forward but she didn’t listen. Instead at her father’s insistence they continue driving up to the castle even planning on seeing if they can stay at the castle while he’s writing his piece for the article.
Jenny and her father are staying at the castle only instead of staying in rooms together they have her staying tucked away in a tower. At least she won’t be alone there are three guys as well as their father and some help in the castle. Her first night is anything but restful when she’s dragged from her bed hunted by the executioner who’s said to roam the halls of the castle. While Jenny tries to survive her time at the castle she needs to figure out what the secret the guys are keeping from her is. Will she make it out alive or be the executioners next victim?
It’s been at least 10 years since I read Silent Stalker but I still had a general idea how it would play out. It’s a fast paced story that is a quick read I had no problem finishing it in a little over an hour. I like the idea of the creepy castle as well as the fair going on it was very unique. A good suspenseful thriller I just wish it wasn’t so short now that I’m older I want more. I also found the concept and secrets surrounding the guys a great twist I didn’t see it coming. I connected with Jenny to the point that I liked her and didn’t want her to die but I just didn’t get enough time to really love her. Honestly I enjoyed Silent Stalker it’s a perfect book for a quick scare if you have a little downtime because it has a mystery romance and a killer who keeps you on the edge of your seat. Considering it’s over twenty years old it’s a perfect quick scare. I can only imagine if the author wrote the same kind of books with the modern spin on them. Super curious to check out her newer books.
Jenny and her father are staying at the castle only instead of staying in rooms together they have her staying tucked away in a tower. At least she won’t be alone there are three guys as well as their father and some help in the castle. Her first night is anything but restful when she’s dragged from her bed hunted by the executioner who’s said to roam the halls of the castle. While Jenny tries to survive her time at the castle she needs to figure out what the secret the guys are keeping from her is. Will she make it out alive or be the executioners next victim?
It’s been at least 10 years since I read Silent Stalker but I still had a general idea how it would play out. It’s a fast paced story that is a quick read I had no problem finishing it in a little over an hour. I like the idea of the creepy castle as well as the fair going on it was very unique. A good suspenseful thriller I just wish it wasn’t so short now that I’m older I want more. I also found the concept and secrets surrounding the guys a great twist I didn’t see it coming. I connected with Jenny to the point that I liked her and didn’t want her to die but I just didn’t get enough time to really love her. Honestly I enjoyed Silent Stalker it’s a perfect book for a quick scare if you have a little downtime because it has a mystery romance and a killer who keeps you on the edge of your seat. Considering it’s over twenty years old it’s a perfect quick scare. I can only imagine if the author wrote the same kind of books with the modern spin on them. Super curious to check out her newer books.
August 27, 2019
This another book where the main character has an odd romantic relationships with boys that have to be in the 20s where she is still in High School. She also has Divoved parents, but this time the dad appears and he useless, so bad dads and mothers always on Business trips is very much a thing for Cusick. Weird Rich people are definitely a trope for her.
This is definitely one of the more unlikable protagonists that Cusick has written for Point Horrors. She such a damsel, the whole time. Sure, some small gaslighting goes on in this one. She always has to be saved by another character. Her agency is mostly just wandering about in the darkness.
The Twist/solution was fine. It wasn't as obvious as a lot of Point Horrors are, it's more accurate clues are laid out. But it also okay, whatever kinda afair.
I really didn't like the Protagionist so I didn't like this book.
This is definitely one of the more unlikable protagonists that Cusick has written for Point Horrors. She such a damsel, the whole time. Sure, some small gaslighting goes on in this one. She always has to be saved by another character. Her agency is mostly just wandering about in the darkness.
The Twist/solution was fine. It wasn't as obvious as a lot of Point Horrors are, it's more accurate clues are laid out. But it also okay, whatever kinda afair.
I really didn't like the Protagionist so I didn't like this book.
November 10, 2019
I was definitely NOT expecting there to be a jester in this book, but I just loved the surprise. His name is Wit, and is my favorite character; I fell in love with him.
Jenny Logan has been shanghai’d to assist her father, Ed, in writing a ‘feature on fairs and festivals in America’ and staying at the Worthington Mansion. Upon arriving, he begins to feel like the real story is the Mansion itself.
Jenny seems paranoid along with feeling incredibly forced into coming with her father. Since her parents got a divorce, she’d barely seen him, and yet her mother thought sending her with him was a good idea (makes you wonder what she’s up to, the mother).
She hears this voice in the car that doesn’t seem to belong to her father. At the Mansion, Malcolm Worthington mistakes her for an intruder after her father carelessly leaves her behind by the car without making sure she knows the way. Malcolm is a twin to Derrick Worthington.
It’s a very captivating story right from the beginning, although written in a somewhat dramatic way that I just loved. It is now one of my faves.
Jenny Logan has been shanghai’d to assist her father, Ed, in writing a ‘feature on fairs and festivals in America’ and staying at the Worthington Mansion. Upon arriving, he begins to feel like the real story is the Mansion itself.
Jenny seems paranoid along with feeling incredibly forced into coming with her father. Since her parents got a divorce, she’d barely seen him, and yet her mother thought sending her with him was a good idea (makes you wonder what she’s up to, the mother).
She hears this voice in the car that doesn’t seem to belong to her father. At the Mansion, Malcolm Worthington mistakes her for an intruder after her father carelessly leaves her behind by the car without making sure she knows the way. Malcolm is a twin to Derrick Worthington.
It’s a very captivating story right from the beginning, although written in a somewhat dramatic way that I just loved. It is now one of my faves.
March 4, 2025
So much wasted potential here. This is far from the author's first work, but it reads like a debut in comparison to her other books. The ebook I read also had lots of typos which was a little distracting.
Jenny is under characterised. We know next to nothing about her and there's little character development. We have the YA useless parent trope alive and well here. Jenny's father clearly doesn't want her around, then ditches her leaving her in a creepy old house.
As for the mystery, none of the other characters have any sense of discretion, with Jenny overhearing things all over the place. I guessed what the story was fairly early on. We have another 90's YA trope in truly dreadful depictions of mental health issues.
Overall, a skipper, but it is available as part of Kobo Plus.
Jenny is under characterised. We know next to nothing about her and there's little character development. We have the YA useless parent trope alive and well here. Jenny's father clearly doesn't want her around, then ditches her leaving her in a creepy old house.
As for the mystery, none of the other characters have any sense of discretion, with Jenny overhearing things all over the place. I guessed what the story was fairly early on. We have another 90's YA trope in truly dreadful depictions of mental health issues.
Overall, a skipper, but it is available as part of Kobo Plus.
June 21, 2025
so I read this book when I was in highschool. I loved it then I love it now. the other day I was thinking of all the books I gave up in my early 20s because I was ' too old now' for them. I regret it bitterly lol. this book and a book called night stands at the door kept popping up in my memory. and my Victoria holt Anne of Green gables many drew and fear street books. I thought this book was called night stalker but thank goodness for AI and google. I can't wait to start getting all these books back again and this time I'm keeping them regardless of how old I am .now I'm too old to care lol 😆
January 13, 2021
This was nostalgic. Reading an almost gothic horror for teens. Something I used to do before I graduated to modern pulp horror and then all over the map. This particular one used multiple of the same type of events to build up suspense and horror.
The reveal itself was okay. All the facts were there early and so it was solveable. As an adult, I didn't find this as fun any more. I haven't read a lot of horror from that time period recently and I wonder if I just don't like it.
I will be rereading some John Saul later this year and that will give me a good idea
The reveal itself was okay. All the facts were there early and so it was solveable. As an adult, I didn't find this as fun any more. I haven't read a lot of horror from that time period recently and I wonder if I just don't like it.
I will be rereading some John Saul later this year and that will give me a good idea
October 4, 2019
Not my usual genre but I was really not a fan of this😏
The MC was terrified of everything one minute and then stalking the place looking for killers the next? 🤔 I didn’t connect with her at all and found the storyline to be unnecessarily confusing.
I guessed the twist and the ending wasn’t a shock..
I did listen to this on audio so gave an extra star to compensate for the fact I disliked the narrator which didn’t help my experience.
The MC was terrified of everything one minute and then stalking the place looking for killers the next? 🤔 I didn’t connect with her at all and found the storyline to be unnecessarily confusing.
I guessed the twist and the ending wasn’t a shock..
I did listen to this on audio so gave an extra star to compensate for the fact I disliked the narrator which didn’t help my experience.
February 10, 2023
Definitely my least favourite out of all the books I've read from this author. The layout of the castle was hard to picture and the plot somehow just as incomprehensible. I figured out the twist almost immediately, which is perfectly fine for a YA pulp novel and actually it meant I was hanging on waiting for the twist the whole way through the book, so it kept the momentum of the read going for me.
November 2, 2018
still one of my favorite novels from my pre-teen days.
October 9, 2018
Great setting who doesn't love a spooky castle with hidden passages. Nicely scarey and good characters.
October 23, 2020
I’ve remembered this book for 25 years... The name Wit, in particular. I’ve seen so much with a similar plot since first reading this story, but for me, this was the first! Love it.
dnf
June 5, 2023DNF at 50%.
The plot makes absolutely no sense. And why are all of RTC's female characters TSTL?
The plot makes absolutely no sense. And why are all of RTC's female characters TSTL?
August 28, 2023
So this is one of my favorites by this author.
December 9, 2023
I liked the writing and parts of the story but felt meh about the book overall.
Read
March 22, 2024A quick and entertaining read. The scene in the bedroom on the first night did creep me out.
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