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The Soul Stealer: A chilling horror novel that will keep you gripped in 2025
'God, he's good.' Stephen KingAn American Indian demon is unearthed in the present day. Original, disturbing and utterly terrifying, this is the new standalone from master of horror, and author of The Manitou, Graham Masterton.
Nemo Frisby used to be a detective. Now he drives an Uber between billionaire mansions in California. But he never lost the nose for the case – and when his housecleaner Trinity Fox discovers a young woman lying dead in her neighborhood, she persuades him to help her prove it wasn't suicide.
Their investigation leads them to the Bel Air home of a wealthy movie producer, who built his mansion over an American Indian burial site. Ancient mythology tells of a demon who, if unearthed, can imbue evil men with terrible power. But only if the demon is fed by the sacrifice of innocent lives...
Graham Masterton is a true master of his genre, famous for his original, disturbing, and utterly terrifying novels. The Soul Stealer will stand alongside The Manitou as one of horror's most chilling explorations of the native magic of the ancients.
Praise for Graham Masterton:
'One of the most original and frightening storytellers of our time' Peter James
'Suspenseful and tension-filled... all the finesse of a master storyteller' Guardian
'One of Britain's finest horror writers' Daily Mail
'You are in for a hell of a ride' Grimdark Magazine
Nemo Frisby used to be a detective. Now he drives an Uber between billionaire mansions in California. But he never lost the nose for the case – and when his housecleaner Trinity Fox discovers a young woman lying dead in her neighborhood, she persuades him to help her prove it wasn't suicide.
Their investigation leads them to the Bel Air home of a wealthy movie producer, who built his mansion over an American Indian burial site. Ancient mythology tells of a demon who, if unearthed, can imbue evil men with terrible power. But only if the demon is fed by the sacrifice of innocent lives...
Graham Masterton is a true master of his genre, famous for his original, disturbing, and utterly terrifying novels. The Soul Stealer will stand alongside The Manitou as one of horror's most chilling explorations of the native magic of the ancients.
Praise for Graham Masterton:
'One of the most original and frightening storytellers of our time' Peter James
'Suspenseful and tension-filled... all the finesse of a master storyteller' Guardian
'One of Britain's finest horror writers' Daily Mail
'You are in for a hell of a ride' Grimdark Magazine
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2022
128 people are currently reading
495 people want to read
About the author
Graham Masterton
422 books1,968 followersGraham 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
July 26, 2022
Not for the faint of heart, Graham Masterton's 'The Soul Stealer' is an extremely graphic and psychologically twisted horror novel like none I have encountered to date. The first three quarters is filled with psychological mayhem as it slowly builds to scenes which are so unimaginably perverse and stomach churning they left me reeling. If you seek the ultimate in hardcore dark horror, Masterton's 'Soul Stealer' will not disappoint.
Narrator Lyssa Browne does a remarkable job performing all the characters and an impressive job building up the suspense and bringing the intensely shocking scenes to life so vividly I was cringing with empathy for the sufferers.
*PLEASE NOTE: Not recommended for people triggered by graphic violence and/or explicit sexual content*
Narrator Lyssa Browne does a remarkable job performing all the characters and an impressive job building up the suspense and bringing the intensely shocking scenes to life so vividly I was cringing with empathy for the sufferers.
*PLEASE NOTE: Not recommended for people triggered by graphic violence and/or explicit sexual content*
January 22, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
I went into this book thinking I was going to have a great time. I had never read Graham Masterton before, but I had always heard good things. The description was interesting, it sounded like it would have heavy folk horror vibes, and I was really here for it. Unfortunately, it was a huge miss for me.
I only made it 15% into the book before I was ready to drop it. I only continued because it was an ARC, and I was telling myself that it might get better. That hope ended up being unfounded as the book never did get better. But it did keep getting worse.
This book suffers from a range of ailments. The characters were cardboard, the dialog and overall writing was stilted and awkward, and the plot was fairly atrocious. I went into the book expecting some "problematic" content based on what I read in the summary. Let me preface that I'm not someone who thinks that we should never write/read about problematic things. But context is important, and in the context of this story, I felt like this book way overstepped the line and walked right into misogyny territory while trying to pretend that it was about women's empowerment. I don't want to say too much and give away the plot, but suffice to say that I was not impressed with the content.
Overall, I was incredibly disappointed by this book. I tried really hard to find at least one positive thing that I could say about it, but I just couldn't do it. I used to have a lot of Graham Masterton on my to-read list, but I've taken most of them off.
If anyone reading this had read some of his other works, drop me a comment and let me know if this is just a fluke or if all his writing is like this.
I went into this book thinking I was going to have a great time. I had never read Graham Masterton before, but I had always heard good things. The description was interesting, it sounded like it would have heavy folk horror vibes, and I was really here for it. Unfortunately, it was a huge miss for me.
I only made it 15% into the book before I was ready to drop it. I only continued because it was an ARC, and I was telling myself that it might get better. That hope ended up being unfounded as the book never did get better. But it did keep getting worse.
This book suffers from a range of ailments. The characters were cardboard, the dialog and overall writing was stilted and awkward, and the plot was fairly atrocious. I went into the book expecting some "problematic" content based on what I read in the summary. Let me preface that I'm not someone who thinks that we should never write/read about problematic things. But context is important, and in the context of this story, I felt like this book way overstepped the line and walked right into misogyny territory while trying to pretend that it was about women's empowerment. I don't want to say too much and give away the plot, but suffice to say that I was not impressed with the content.
Overall, I was incredibly disappointed by this book. I tried really hard to find at least one positive thing that I could say about it, but I just couldn't do it. I used to have a lot of Graham Masterton on my to-read list, but I've taken most of them off.
If anyone reading this had read some of his other works, drop me a comment and let me know if this is just a fluke or if all his writing is like this.
dnf
January 13, 2022I only read about 12% and i just couldn’t force myself to continue.
The writing was terrible and the way the male author wrote women just doesnt sit right with me. I wanted an uncomfortable horror feeling reading this, not being uncomfortable because of the misogyny in this book.
I decided to skip to the end and i saw some stupid stuff that made me glad i did not continue…
(thanks netgalley for the book tho!)
The writing was terrible and the way the male author wrote women just doesnt sit right with me. I wanted an uncomfortable horror feeling reading this, not being uncomfortable because of the misogyny in this book.
I decided to skip to the end and i saw some stupid stuff that made me glad i did not continue…
(thanks netgalley for the book tho!)
October 7, 2023
*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*
I think maybe I've just been having bad luck with ARCs lately. The Soul Stealer is fine, but it's definitley not good. I can't believe Stephen King blurbed it. It's written like Masterton watched Grand Theft Auto and then wrote some fan fiction for it.
Honestly I'd rather read a biography of Masterton himself, his life seems pretty nuts.
I think maybe I've just been having bad luck with ARCs lately. The Soul Stealer is fine, but it's definitley not good. I can't believe Stephen King blurbed it. It's written like Masterton watched Grand Theft Auto and then wrote some fan fiction for it.
Honestly I'd rather read a biography of Masterton himself, his life seems pretty nuts.
March 27, 2022
The Soul Stealer might be the worst book I have ever read, and reading it was like being hit over the head with a cast iron pan. Unfortunately I cannot recommend it to anyone. Not only is it sexist to the extreme, but there are so many unsavory elements like kidnapping, torture, rape and much more. The story is supposed to be set in present day Los Angeles, but the attitudes of the characters are straight from the 1970s. Masterton paints an awful picture of Hollywood and the movie business, and while I’m sure a lot of this stuff goes on in real life, I doubt it’s as extreme as this (taking out the supernatural elements, of course).
Setting aside the horrible characters, I was surprised how bad the writing is, especially since the author is fairly well known and has published a lot of books. The author didn’t even try to make the characters convincing. The story takes place in Los Angeles, and as a native I can tell you NO ONE speaks like this. The characters all sound like thugs straight out of 1970s Brooklyn. Also, if you live here, you become familiar with the movie business by osmosis, whether you are involved it in or not. In one scene, Trinity and Nemo are looking for clues on a movie set (and you have to ignore the fact that they just wandered onto it without anyone stopping them, lol), and Trinity, oddly enough, does not even know what a movie set is. She thinks the “room” they are in is real! OMG.
The female characters are basically dishrags. They can’t make any decisions for themselves and need a man’s opinion to do anything. Even the main female character who is trying to solve the mystery of her dead friend needs a man by her side in order to get things done. This was so offensive to me I honestly can’t believe this was even published, and the actions of the characters are so out of touch with reality that I figure the author must have been channeling another era while he was writing the story.
The last thing I want to mention is the graphic violence. I’ve read a fair amount of it, and when it makes sense for the story it works. But here it’s just sensationalized, as if the author were doing everything possible to shock his readers instead of delivering an actual story. It was gross and distasteful and unnecessary, in my opinion. Things like tying a woman down and graphically describing cutting off her tongue (for absolutely no good reason), or tying down a man, cutting off his balls and force feeding them to him (I am not kidding) for absolutely no good reason just made me want to throw up.
Add in uneven pacing, a mystery that doesn’t make any sense, and ridiculous twists, and you have a book that, in my opinion, needed a whole lot more editing to make it even slightly palatable.
Setting aside the horrible characters, I was surprised how bad the writing is, especially since the author is fairly well known and has published a lot of books. The author didn’t even try to make the characters convincing. The story takes place in Los Angeles, and as a native I can tell you NO ONE speaks like this. The characters all sound like thugs straight out of 1970s Brooklyn. Also, if you live here, you become familiar with the movie business by osmosis, whether you are involved it in or not. In one scene, Trinity and Nemo are looking for clues on a movie set (and you have to ignore the fact that they just wandered onto it without anyone stopping them, lol), and Trinity, oddly enough, does not even know what a movie set is. She thinks the “room” they are in is real! OMG.
The female characters are basically dishrags. They can’t make any decisions for themselves and need a man’s opinion to do anything. Even the main female character who is trying to solve the mystery of her dead friend needs a man by her side in order to get things done. This was so offensive to me I honestly can’t believe this was even published, and the actions of the characters are so out of touch with reality that I figure the author must have been channeling another era while he was writing the story.
The last thing I want to mention is the graphic violence. I’ve read a fair amount of it, and when it makes sense for the story it works. But here it’s just sensationalized, as if the author were doing everything possible to shock his readers instead of delivering an actual story. It was gross and distasteful and unnecessary, in my opinion. Things like tying a woman down and graphically describing cutting off her tongue (for absolutely no good reason), or tying down a man, cutting off his balls and force feeding them to him (I am not kidding) for absolutely no good reason just made me want to throw up.
Add in uneven pacing, a mystery that doesn’t make any sense, and ridiculous twists, and you have a book that, in my opinion, needed a whole lot more editing to make it even slightly palatable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2022
Nemo Frisby used to be a detective. Now he drives an Uber between billionaire mansions in California. But he never lost the nose for the case – and when his housecleaner Trinity Fox discovers a young woman lying dead in her neighborhood, she persuades him to help her prove it wasn't suicide.
Their investigation leads them to the Bel Air home of a wealthy movie producer, who built his mansion over an American Indian burial site. Ancient mythology tells of a demon who, if unearthed, can imbue evil men with terrible power. But only if the demon is fed by the sacrifice of innocent lives...
Strange and stupid are the two words that come to mind when I think about this book. I have now officially decided that I am NOT, nor ever will be a Masterton fan.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of the ‘out there’ horror genre and yes this novel, at times was scary and full of suspense… I get that! But men with massive scorpion peni sucking souls out of desperate starlets women and creepy voodoo ghost women lounging in bel air mansions just doesn’t do it for me. Sorry.
Men are fickle will do whatever it takes to gain fame, money and women isn’t a new concept but I just don’t know if I’m quite ready to believe that they’d sacrifice gorgeous blondes to an ancient Indian God to do so.
Their investigation leads them to the Bel Air home of a wealthy movie producer, who built his mansion over an American Indian burial site. Ancient mythology tells of a demon who, if unearthed, can imbue evil men with terrible power. But only if the demon is fed by the sacrifice of innocent lives...
Strange and stupid are the two words that come to mind when I think about this book. I have now officially decided that I am NOT, nor ever will be a Masterton fan.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of the ‘out there’ horror genre and yes this novel, at times was scary and full of suspense… I get that! But men with massive scorpion peni sucking souls out of desperate starlets women and creepy voodoo ghost women lounging in bel air mansions just doesn’t do it for me. Sorry.
Men are fickle will do whatever it takes to gain fame, money and women isn’t a new concept but I just don’t know if I’m quite ready to believe that they’d sacrifice gorgeous blondes to an ancient Indian God to do so.
April 21, 2022
Nemo, a former detective who is going to investigate a young woman's death, ruled a suicide by the police, realise that is not an easy case. Together, with Trinity, are going to face an American Indian demon to save many young girls. The violence against women is taken in.
It is a well-written story.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book.
It is a well-written story.
Thanks to Netgalley for this book.
February 10, 2022
After reading two of Graham Masterons books this year I have decided that he is not for me.
Its a shame as I really like horror novels and with both books the spiel sounded right up my street.
The spiel here loosely involves native American folklore and spirits(how much is based on actual beliefs I do not know and wasnt inclined to look into) the Hollywood elite and the usual sacrifices, torture and a bit of cannibalism thrown in for good measure!
The problem I have is with the writing. Its like a teenage boy wrote the prose at times. I did wonder was it supposed t be comically bad but I dont think it was deliberate.
The writing of the female characters was appalling. "Damsels in distress" that needed saving by men seemed to be the blue print for them. Plus they made some ludicrous decisions and nearly seemed to just brush off the sexual violence towards them. It was utterly bizarre.
The books too long for what it is. A wafer thin story to work with that just stretches out way too far.
As I said, I dont think Masterton is for me. Some of his writing in both books I found offensive, just not in the way that would be expected.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
Its a shame as I really like horror novels and with both books the spiel sounded right up my street.
The spiel here loosely involves native American folklore and spirits(how much is based on actual beliefs I do not know and wasnt inclined to look into) the Hollywood elite and the usual sacrifices, torture and a bit of cannibalism thrown in for good measure!
The problem I have is with the writing. Its like a teenage boy wrote the prose at times. I did wonder was it supposed t be comically bad but I dont think it was deliberate.
The writing of the female characters was appalling. "Damsels in distress" that needed saving by men seemed to be the blue print for them. Plus they made some ludicrous decisions and nearly seemed to just brush off the sexual violence towards them. It was utterly bizarre.
The books too long for what it is. A wafer thin story to work with that just stretches out way too far.
As I said, I dont think Masterton is for me. Some of his writing in both books I found offensive, just not in the way that would be expected.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
December 26, 2025
I wish I hadn't tried reading this one during breakfast time.
March 4, 2022
Well, how an earth do you explain this! I LOVED this from the get go. How have I missed this authors previous work!
This is dark, so so dark, but it’s well worth a read! I know there aresome hardcore bookstagrammers who wouldn’t even batter an eyelid at it, I didn’t 😂 I don’t think I will look at a scorpion again without thinking of that!
I really liked how the story build, especially Trinity’s relationship with her brother and sister, I also liked seeing Zuzana POV. Well liked is the wrong word 🤔, but you will understand once you read the book.
Thank you so much to Polly at @headofzeus for inviting me to be a part of the blog tour and my #gifted copy.
This is dark, so so dark, but it’s well worth a read! I know there aresome hardcore bookstagrammers who wouldn’t even batter an eyelid at it, I didn’t 😂 I don’t think I will look at a scorpion again without thinking of that!
I really liked how the story build, especially Trinity’s relationship with her brother and sister, I also liked seeing Zuzana POV. Well liked is the wrong word 🤔, but you will understand once you read the book.
Thank you so much to Polly at @headofzeus for inviting me to be a part of the blog tour and my #gifted copy.
January 15, 2022
I loved Graham's Pardoe/Patel series. This doesn't come close. Too sexually charged and descriptive, the writing is a bit stilted. I won't be finishing it. I'm sure plenty of people will enjoy it.
Also, the synopsis isn't accurate at all. That should be corrected. Trinity is NOT Frisby's housekeeper, they are total strangers. And she doesn't "find a body in her neighborhood". She goes to meet a friend at a bar and the friend is set on fire in a bathroom stall. Kinda different.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me the chance to read this. All opinions are my own.
Also, the synopsis isn't accurate at all. That should be corrected. Trinity is NOT Frisby's housekeeper, they are total strangers. And she doesn't "find a body in her neighborhood". She goes to meet a friend at a bar and the friend is set on fire in a bathroom stall. Kinda different.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me the chance to read this. All opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2022
I've read this book unfortunately I just couldn't get stuck in this ARC I only got to 10% and I just couldn't finish it at all. I'm not one to give up on a book but I hated the written I couldn't invest at all in the characters. So sorry not for me.
Thanks Netgalley, the publishers and author for the ARC in exchange for my fair and honest opinions.
Thanks Netgalley, the publishers and author for the ARC in exchange for my fair and honest opinions.
January 2, 2023
I make no bones about the fact that I love Graham Masterton, in particular his early books & especially the Manitou series, or indeed anything involving native demons/spirits/whatever from wherever. As "The Soul Stealer" features ancient gods, mythology & Shamen what would not be to love? (hope that sentence makes sense!) Well yes it's a good story & while I loved the old myths & magic from native folklore, I have to say overall it had the feel of being a bit formulaic - or maybe it's just down to the fact that I've read soooooo many of Masterton's books.
But talking of following the same formula, sadly in recent years the amount of nasty sexually violent scenes in Masterton's book has been steadily increasing both in number & in their misogyny & "The Soul Stealer" continued this unpleasant trend, containing some passages that I found particularly distasteful - PLEASE tone it down!! (& I say that as someone with a strong stomach & a love of gore)
While this will be added to my ever growing collection, it won't be one that I'll be re-reading regularly.
3.5 stars from me
But talking of following the same formula, sadly in recent years the amount of nasty sexually violent scenes in Masterton's book has been steadily increasing both in number & in their misogyny & "The Soul Stealer" continued this unpleasant trend, containing some passages that I found particularly distasteful - PLEASE tone it down!! (& I say that as someone with a strong stomach & a love of gore)
While this will be added to my ever growing collection, it won't be one that I'll be re-reading regularly.
3.5 stars from me
March 9, 2022
I’ve been a fan of Masterton for a long time. I’ve also stepped away from his books for a long time…some of it was pure availability, some of it was his newly found penchant for series, but at any case, I read one of his recent supernatural detective stories (yes, from one of those series) and it was lots of fun. Made me think, why not read more Masterton. This was the only other book of his available on Netgalley at the time, plus, a standalone, so yeah…
No. Categorically not. Should have listened to the other negative reviews of it for this is definitely one of Masterton’s lesser works. Authors have those, especially ones with such a gigantic oeuvre…the one offs, the ones done for a paycheck, sure, but it’s always disappointing coming across them. It’s one of those…knowing what they can do and seeing how short of that standard the book lands.
So, what’s wrong with Soul Stealer specifically? Oh, so much. It might have had any intention of being a decent read, possibly even a commentary on the seedy exploitative side of movie business, but instead it ended up being as seedy and exploitative of a read as a Weinstein’s casting couch. Too soon?
For the backstory, and Masterton to his credit always done a fun one, he returns to his beloved Native American mythology. Ever since Masterton’s Manitou days, the man has been combing through the folklore and finding this or that terrifying deity’s myths to fictionally spin. In this book, it’s a deity that empowers the show biz movers and shakers…for a cost.
Enter abduction, rape, and more rape, followed by sacrifice for good measure. Whatever statement this book had to make, it went way, way over the top with it, to the extent that it ends up gratuitous, prurient, and overall, dramatically cheap.
The plot features amusingly named protagonists – a young woman and an older former detective – who team up to defeat the evildoer wizards behind the curtains of the silver screens. The plot is preposterous, silly and way too skinemaxy for its own good.
The writing is crap too, which is surprising. Not the crappiest of craps - Masterton after all these years, can probably spin a readable yarn in his sleep – but it’s very much bottom of the barrel. Also, not at all Americanized the way it ought to be for a story set in Los Angeles. Usually, Masterton is aces at that, but this story is loaded with Americans spouting Queen’s English and all sorts of Britishisms throughout, which is just distracting. Masterton has written tons of US-set books and usually does a terrific job on realistic place depiction, so this just serves to highlight how much lesser-than this book is.
Overall, with its leaf-thin plot and its thickly laid on sex and violence, often sexual violence, this one will leave your soul intact, but is going to steal some of your time with nothing to offer for it. Pass. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
No. Categorically not. Should have listened to the other negative reviews of it for this is definitely one of Masterton’s lesser works. Authors have those, especially ones with such a gigantic oeuvre…the one offs, the ones done for a paycheck, sure, but it’s always disappointing coming across them. It’s one of those…knowing what they can do and seeing how short of that standard the book lands.
So, what’s wrong with Soul Stealer specifically? Oh, so much. It might have had any intention of being a decent read, possibly even a commentary on the seedy exploitative side of movie business, but instead it ended up being as seedy and exploitative of a read as a Weinstein’s casting couch. Too soon?
For the backstory, and Masterton to his credit always done a fun one, he returns to his beloved Native American mythology. Ever since Masterton’s Manitou days, the man has been combing through the folklore and finding this or that terrifying deity’s myths to fictionally spin. In this book, it’s a deity that empowers the show biz movers and shakers…for a cost.
Enter abduction, rape, and more rape, followed by sacrifice for good measure. Whatever statement this book had to make, it went way, way over the top with it, to the extent that it ends up gratuitous, prurient, and overall, dramatically cheap.
The plot features amusingly named protagonists – a young woman and an older former detective – who team up to defeat the evildoer wizards behind the curtains of the silver screens. The plot is preposterous, silly and way too skinemaxy for its own good.
The writing is crap too, which is surprising. Not the crappiest of craps - Masterton after all these years, can probably spin a readable yarn in his sleep – but it’s very much bottom of the barrel. Also, not at all Americanized the way it ought to be for a story set in Los Angeles. Usually, Masterton is aces at that, but this story is loaded with Americans spouting Queen’s English and all sorts of Britishisms throughout, which is just distracting. Masterton has written tons of US-set books and usually does a terrific job on realistic place depiction, so this just serves to highlight how much lesser-than this book is.
Overall, with its leaf-thin plot and its thickly laid on sex and violence, often sexual violence, this one will leave your soul intact, but is going to steal some of your time with nothing to offer for it. Pass. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
July 9, 2022
DNF--
After a scene depicting a young woman Zuzana being drugged, raped, and sodomized by an older "movie maker" and then she seems to decide "As long as he can make me famous."
I'm out.
After a scene depicting a young woman Zuzana being drugged, raped, and sodomized by an older "movie maker" and then she seems to decide "As long as he can make me famous."
I'm out.
December 8, 2023
DNF with 20% left. Wasn't invested at all.
February 7, 2022
The Soul Stealer by Graham Masterton
I give this book 4 stars
Nemo Frisby used to be a detective,when his housecleaner Trinity Fox discovers a young woman lying dead in her neighborhood, she persuades him to help her prove it wasn't suicide.
Their investigation leads them to the Bel Air home of a wealthy movie producer, who built his mansion over an American Indian burial site. Ancient mythology tells of a demon who, if unearthed, can imbue evil men with terrible power. But only if the demon is fed by the sacrifice of innocent lives...
This book totally gave me the creeps but l was engrossed in the premise of ancient mythology.It’s definitely a horror not for the faint hearted. The pace got faster as the plot grew more intense and terrifying. The author fills the pages with atmosphere and graphic detail which draws you in and horrifies the life out of you .l was praying for Trinity and Nemo to get to Zuzana in time to save her.
With thanks to Netgalley, Graham Masterton and Head of Zeus,an Aries Book for my chance to read and review this book.
I give this book 4 stars
Nemo Frisby used to be a detective,when his housecleaner Trinity Fox discovers a young woman lying dead in her neighborhood, she persuades him to help her prove it wasn't suicide.
Their investigation leads them to the Bel Air home of a wealthy movie producer, who built his mansion over an American Indian burial site. Ancient mythology tells of a demon who, if unearthed, can imbue evil men with terrible power. But only if the demon is fed by the sacrifice of innocent lives...
This book totally gave me the creeps but l was engrossed in the premise of ancient mythology.It’s definitely a horror not for the faint hearted. The pace got faster as the plot grew more intense and terrifying. The author fills the pages with atmosphere and graphic detail which draws you in and horrifies the life out of you .l was praying for Trinity and Nemo to get to Zuzana in time to save her.
With thanks to Netgalley, Graham Masterton and Head of Zeus,an Aries Book for my chance to read and review this book.
June 11, 2022
Weird, disturbing, far-fetched. This one is going to stay with me for awhile.
Did I mention disturbing??
Did I mention disturbing??
January 15, 2022
Old school horror at its finest. The characters were filled with emotion and the story line was fantastically creepy at best. A quick read. Graham masterson tells a supernatural scary story like no other,
Thank you NetGalley for this arc
Thank you NetGalley for this arc
January 26, 2022
It was OK. That's about all I can say really. I hated the way woman were portrayed in this book but I liked the folk elements. I just wanted so much more.
February 24, 2022
I was excited to be able to read the e-ARC for The Soul Stealer because I typically enjoy Graham Masterton’s books. The concept is great . . . Native American folklore complete with a demon and the evil misdeeds of the Hollywood elite. Unfortunately, my excitement faded as I delved into this book. The basic concept of the book deals with how Weywot was an evil being in Tongva mythology who discovered how to steal females inner power for himself. A Hollywood creeper has found a way to use Weywot’s ability to steal this power to pass the power to others in Hollywood so they can be more successful. Essentially less valuable lives are sacrificed so that the important people can flourish. Along the way, an innocent maid named Trinity Fox is pulled into this scene because one of her friends supposedly committed suicide, but she thinks she is murdered. She meets an ex-cop named Nemo Frisby and begins investigating what really happened. Some goons find out about this informal investigation and target them. The duo receive aid from a couple of Native Americans who teach them how to use Native American magic. The pair instantly are able to use the magic and can disguise themselves as other people, have dream friends, and can kill people simple by saying three words. This required no training and works the first time. There is also multiple passages portraying graphic descriptions of rape and torture. At one point the main character has sex and it was like a teenage boy fantasy. There are plot holes and there are also phrases and terminology written throughout that Americans do not say. I have no problem with British terminology (for example referring to athletic shoes as trainers), but if the setting is in California, please write dialogue that people would use in the US. I wish this would have focused more on the folk horror aspect of this story. I would have loved to know more about the mythology. There was a passage talking about a possible movie idea where the Hollywood people discussed reverse manifest destiny. I would love to read that book, but this just didn’t work for me. Graham Masterton is still on my list of great British horror authors, but this story just didn’t work for me at all.
December 31, 2022
The Soul Stealer by Graham Masterton is actually my first dive into his work. This is the story of ex-Detective Nemo Frisby who is an Uber driver in California. When housecleaner Trinity Fox finds a young woman lying dead, she persuades Nemo to help her prove the case wasn't suicide. We are led to Bel Air to the home of a producer who has built his mansion over a Native American site. The mythology tells of a demon who can imbue evil men with terrible power but only if fed by the sacrifice of innocent lives.
I didn't make it very far into this book before I got bored and disinterested but kept reading in the hopes the books would live up to the name. Unfortunately, I expected folk horror that would set in my brain but this was a huge miss for me. The characters felt one dimensional and awkwardly written. The plot did nothing to drag me in and did nothing to grab my attention like the blurb did. The part that may have taken me out from the story is the content itself that i don't think Masterton really grasped and delved into territory out with his own scope.
I was hoping to read this and get into other Masterton works but I'm not sure what i will do moving forward. Hopefully this is just a bad book and i can get invested in others.
I didn't make it very far into this book before I got bored and disinterested but kept reading in the hopes the books would live up to the name. Unfortunately, I expected folk horror that would set in my brain but this was a huge miss for me. The characters felt one dimensional and awkwardly written. The plot did nothing to drag me in and did nothing to grab my attention like the blurb did. The part that may have taken me out from the story is the content itself that i don't think Masterton really grasped and delved into territory out with his own scope.
I was hoping to read this and get into other Masterton works but I'm not sure what i will do moving forward. Hopefully this is just a bad book and i can get invested in others.
March 2, 2022
OK, I understand Masterton’s vision of wanting to focus on the Me Too movement in his plot but the line between denunciation and glamorization of the subject matter is very thin. The main story of wannabe actresses who get used sexually and savagery by very bad men in Hollywood is really hard to read at times. I never mind explicit contents in horror books (they come with the territory) but the violent situations in this one almost end up coming across as anti-movement, which of course leaves a bad taste in this reviewer’s mouth. BUT perhaps that’s what Masterton wanted to convey in the first place, that misogynistic men still rule the movie industry. That, plus the addition of some fun folk horror elements make THE SOUL STEALER an interesting if controversial read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
March 8, 2022
Not a book I would recommend...my full review can be read here ---> https://wp.me/p5t5Tf-1XJ
March 8, 2022
3/7/2022 2.5 stars. Full review tk at TheFrumiousConsortium.net.
3/8/2022 Horror with a distinct 1970s/1980s vibe is definitely having a resurgence, as recent novels such as John Darnielle's Devil House and Simon Jacobs' String Follow have shown. And who better to ride this wave than one of the luminaries of the scene himself, Graham Masterton, whose prolific, prize-winning career began in 1976 with The Manitou, a tale of body horror featuring his take on the Native American spirit of legend.
Fast forward nearly fifty years, and Mr Masterton has returned to his beginnings with The Soul Stealer, based this time on Tongva/Chumash mythology and beliefs. Set in present-day Los Angeles, the plot revolves around Trinity Fox, a 23 year-old house cleaner whose old high school friend Margo Shapiro calls her, desperate to meet. Trin agrees, but when she arrives at the agreed upon bar, finds that someone has followed Margo into the ladies' room and lit her on fire.
The bar owner immediately calls his old friend, disgraced former police detective Nemo Frisby, to come in on standby just in case the bar might be considered at liability. Thus both Nemo and Trin are stunned when, far too quickly, Margo's case is closed as a suicide. Nemo and Trin join forces to shake some trees in an effort to discover what really happened to Margo, only to have Internal Affairs show up to tell them to back off. The only real clue the duo has left is the fact that Margo attended some Hollywood parties that, after dazzling her at first, wound up really shaking her to the core.
Meanwhile, young Zuzana is a waitress with dreams of stardom and the reality of an abusive live-in boyfriend. When a Hollywood hot shot offers to take her to a party where she'll get to mingle with some of the movie industry's most powerful people, she doesn't hesitate, despite Rod's violent objections. But is she in for a whole lot more than she bargained for when her glittering dream of Hollywood turns into a nightmare of perversity?
Teeming with action, sex and violence painted in broad, vivid strokes, The Soul Stealer certainly feels like a throwback to reading the pulpy horror novels my Dad would pick up from the airport on his international business travels. At times, despite the references to #MeToo and COVID-19, it feels very much stuck in that era as well, but for the sly (and frankly well-deserved) digs at American healthcare and our treatment of our Indigenous peoples. More jarring was the fact that everyone spoke like a British person of the late 20th century. More than once did I mutter, ironically, "Stop trying to make fetch happen." Americans just very rarely use that word outside of a pet command.
Which leads, ofc, to the more glaring flaw of the novel, that the characters just didn't act like real people in the 21st century do. The sheer naivete of so many of the characters here, coupled with the cackling villainy of the bad guys, made the cast feel more out of Old Hollywood than 2022. I can believe that rich and powerful elites could get away with stuff like this even a handful of decades ago, but Harvey Weinstein's abuse of young actresses has been the worst kept secret in Hollywood since, oh gosh, at least 2007. I mean, even I knew about it then, and I live on the East Coast and have no connections to Hollywood besides tabloids and gossip blogs. Granted, the fact that he kept getting away with it for over a decade after that speaks to the ability of the mighty to evade justice, even without supernatural help. And the supernatural was, honestly, the most compelling part of this book, not the relatively flimsy characterizations. If you want to enjoy some throwback horror without exercising your brain too, too much, then definitely snag a copy of this novel.
Anyway, we're part of the book tour, spread out all over social media! Check out some of the other bloggers and their opinions using the infographic on the website!
The Soul Stealer by Graham Masterton was published March 3 2022 by Head Of Zeus and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
3/8/2022 Horror with a distinct 1970s/1980s vibe is definitely having a resurgence, as recent novels such as John Darnielle's Devil House and Simon Jacobs' String Follow have shown. And who better to ride this wave than one of the luminaries of the scene himself, Graham Masterton, whose prolific, prize-winning career began in 1976 with The Manitou, a tale of body horror featuring his take on the Native American spirit of legend.
Fast forward nearly fifty years, and Mr Masterton has returned to his beginnings with The Soul Stealer, based this time on Tongva/Chumash mythology and beliefs. Set in present-day Los Angeles, the plot revolves around Trinity Fox, a 23 year-old house cleaner whose old high school friend Margo Shapiro calls her, desperate to meet. Trin agrees, but when she arrives at the agreed upon bar, finds that someone has followed Margo into the ladies' room and lit her on fire.
The bar owner immediately calls his old friend, disgraced former police detective Nemo Frisby, to come in on standby just in case the bar might be considered at liability. Thus both Nemo and Trin are stunned when, far too quickly, Margo's case is closed as a suicide. Nemo and Trin join forces to shake some trees in an effort to discover what really happened to Margo, only to have Internal Affairs show up to tell them to back off. The only real clue the duo has left is the fact that Margo attended some Hollywood parties that, after dazzling her at first, wound up really shaking her to the core.
Meanwhile, young Zuzana is a waitress with dreams of stardom and the reality of an abusive live-in boyfriend. When a Hollywood hot shot offers to take her to a party where she'll get to mingle with some of the movie industry's most powerful people, she doesn't hesitate, despite Rod's violent objections. But is she in for a whole lot more than she bargained for when her glittering dream of Hollywood turns into a nightmare of perversity?
Teeming with action, sex and violence painted in broad, vivid strokes, The Soul Stealer certainly feels like a throwback to reading the pulpy horror novels my Dad would pick up from the airport on his international business travels. At times, despite the references to #MeToo and COVID-19, it feels very much stuck in that era as well, but for the sly (and frankly well-deserved) digs at American healthcare and our treatment of our Indigenous peoples. More jarring was the fact that everyone spoke like a British person of the late 20th century. More than once did I mutter, ironically, "Stop trying to make fetch happen." Americans just very rarely use that word outside of a pet command.
Which leads, ofc, to the more glaring flaw of the novel, that the characters just didn't act like real people in the 21st century do. The sheer naivete of so many of the characters here, coupled with the cackling villainy of the bad guys, made the cast feel more out of Old Hollywood than 2022. I can believe that rich and powerful elites could get away with stuff like this even a handful of decades ago, but Harvey Weinstein's abuse of young actresses has been the worst kept secret in Hollywood since, oh gosh, at least 2007. I mean, even I knew about it then, and I live on the East Coast and have no connections to Hollywood besides tabloids and gossip blogs. Granted, the fact that he kept getting away with it for over a decade after that speaks to the ability of the mighty to evade justice, even without supernatural help. And the supernatural was, honestly, the most compelling part of this book, not the relatively flimsy characterizations. If you want to enjoy some throwback horror without exercising your brain too, too much, then definitely snag a copy of this novel.
Anyway, we're part of the book tour, spread out all over social media! Check out some of the other bloggers and their opinions using the infographic on the website!
The Soul Stealer by Graham Masterton was published March 3 2022 by Head Of Zeus and is available from all good booksellers, including Bookshop!
January 27, 2022
The Soul Stealer Kindle Edition
by Graham Masterton
Thank you to Graham Masterton, the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary reviewer's copy. I am choosing to leave a fair and honest review.
Graham Masterton is often referred to as the British Stephen King, which raises expectations for all his novels. With that in mind, had this book been written by any other author, it would definitely be a five star, unputdownable book.
Masterton returns to the world of Native American folklore, a place that birthed his The Manitou novel. The Manitou is a must read in the horror cannon. This time, he uses the folk lore to skewer Hollywood, the US and the patriarchy in this slow burn thriller.
Trinity's sister disappears with her best friend Sally, driving Trinity to team up with Nemo, a former police detective.
There are problems with this book, ones that should not have come from such a talented and seasoned writer.
Masterton literally uses the 'Indian Burial Ground' trope. Then there is the dialogue. This novel takes place in Los Angeles, California, yet at times the characters sound as if they were in a London pub. This is a bit jarring. It took me out of the story as I had to pause and parse out what it would be in American. Masterton also uses the “Nobel Savage” trope and Trinity could easily be called a Mary Sue, who, inexplicably can use Native American magic. The pay off for the story comes so, so very late in the book, my eyes began to glaze.
I appreciate his attempt at a Jordan Peele like story, but where Peele and James Wan have one issue they take on, providing a clear path for the reader, Masterton had too many to concentrate on.
But the scares are good. The pay off is awesome.
Had this been anyone else's book, it would be a definite hit, but I expect more from you, Graham!
4 stars out of 5
https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Stealer-G...
*** This book releases on March 3, 2022
by Graham Masterton
Thank you to Graham Masterton, the publisher and NetGalley for the complimentary reviewer's copy. I am choosing to leave a fair and honest review.
Graham Masterton is often referred to as the British Stephen King, which raises expectations for all his novels. With that in mind, had this book been written by any other author, it would definitely be a five star, unputdownable book.
Masterton returns to the world of Native American folklore, a place that birthed his The Manitou novel. The Manitou is a must read in the horror cannon. This time, he uses the folk lore to skewer Hollywood, the US and the patriarchy in this slow burn thriller.
Trinity's sister disappears with her best friend Sally, driving Trinity to team up with Nemo, a former police detective.
There are problems with this book, ones that should not have come from such a talented and seasoned writer.
Masterton literally uses the 'Indian Burial Ground' trope. Then there is the dialogue. This novel takes place in Los Angeles, California, yet at times the characters sound as if they were in a London pub. This is a bit jarring. It took me out of the story as I had to pause and parse out what it would be in American. Masterton also uses the “Nobel Savage” trope and Trinity could easily be called a Mary Sue, who, inexplicably can use Native American magic. The pay off for the story comes so, so very late in the book, my eyes began to glaze.
I appreciate his attempt at a Jordan Peele like story, but where Peele and James Wan have one issue they take on, providing a clear path for the reader, Masterton had too many to concentrate on.
But the scares are good. The pay off is awesome.
Had this been anyone else's book, it would be a definite hit, but I expect more from you, Graham!
4 stars out of 5
https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Stealer-G...
*** This book releases on March 3, 2022
April 6, 2022
A young woman dies in a fire in the restroom of a local bar. Authorities are sure it was suicide. Her friend who was to meet her does not and neither does a former cop now doing some private investigation for the bar owner. What ensues includes powerful and evil people, corrupt law enforcement, ghosts, demons and powerful healers. There is native peoples' lore scattered throughout. Although much is difficult to believe (or stomach), it is both different and interesting. It did not, however, have the polish I would expect from a this well-seasoned author i.e. not his best work. Easily a 3 nudged up to a 4 by the end of the book. I wonder if the main characters will be able to continue to use their acquired powers in future stories.
January 31, 2022
I have such mixed feelings about this book.
First, I’ve got to say Masterson is adept at character voice. You can feel the subtle differences in word choice and even sentence structure; in how some characters are written about with finesse and others with grit. Regardless, all of his characters are very real, very human. There are no saints here.
That said, there was no thrill or build up for me in this book. You know who the ‘bad guys’ are pretty much from the start, and you can see the basic route that will follow. There’s no strategy from the villains – it’s just misogyny (hidden under false praise of ‘female power’) and abuse (written off as ‘this is just how it is, in Hollywood’). As a woman, I felt like the #metoo movement was just being used as a plot device and as an excuse for murder and sexual assault. The best I can say is that the abuse wasn’t too graphic or romanticized.
The book does show highlight issues of sexual & physical assault, racism and privilege of the white male wealthy elite. They don’t see people as people; they never plan to keep their promises. What troubles me the most is that none of the bad guys are ever punished for their actions. Most of them get away with it. The head honcho himself merely gets a quick death meted out, but none of the pain and suffering he inflicted on others is reflected back onto him.
There’s a quote that struck me partway through the book: “Out of the worst situations that you can think of… incredibly wonderful things can get born. All it takes is a little love.” At the time, I hoped that quote was foreshadowing something good to come out of all the dark gore. Instead it was more ‘Out of the worst situations, you can suffer and die, or survive into an unchanged world and realize that any power you may have can’t change the injustices continuing around you.’ And maybe that’s a realistic take on the world we’re suffering through today. Maybe the privileged just get to go unpunished – and the best we can hope for is to occasionally see the herd of abusers thinned out by a percent or two.
(I received a free copy of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
First, I’ve got to say Masterson is adept at character voice. You can feel the subtle differences in word choice and even sentence structure; in how some characters are written about with finesse and others with grit. Regardless, all of his characters are very real, very human. There are no saints here.
That said, there was no thrill or build up for me in this book. You know who the ‘bad guys’ are pretty much from the start, and you can see the basic route that will follow. There’s no strategy from the villains – it’s just misogyny (hidden under false praise of ‘female power’) and abuse (written off as ‘this is just how it is, in Hollywood’). As a woman, I felt like the #metoo movement was just being used as a plot device and as an excuse for murder and sexual assault. The best I can say is that the abuse wasn’t too graphic or romanticized.
The book does show highlight issues of sexual & physical assault, racism and privilege of the white male wealthy elite. They don’t see people as people; they never plan to keep their promises. What troubles me the most is that none of the bad guys are ever punished for their actions. Most of them get away with it. The head honcho himself merely gets a quick death meted out, but none of the pain and suffering he inflicted on others is reflected back onto him.
There’s a quote that struck me partway through the book: “Out of the worst situations that you can think of… incredibly wonderful things can get born. All it takes is a little love.” At the time, I hoped that quote was foreshadowing something good to come out of all the dark gore. Instead it was more ‘Out of the worst situations, you can suffer and die, or survive into an unchanged world and realize that any power you may have can’t change the injustices continuing around you.’ And maybe that’s a realistic take on the world we’re suffering through today. Maybe the privileged just get to go unpunished – and the best we can hope for is to occasionally see the herd of abusers thinned out by a percent or two.
(I received a free copy of this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
December 18, 2022
Since I have been reading this author since the publication of his FIRST horror novel; The Manitou WAY back in 1975 i have been HOOKED and that is a good thing!!
The author goes back to where he started with dealing with the American Indian people, Tongan people, their beliefs in ancient Magic and what can go wrong if it gets in the wrong hands. This book has it all.....suspense, HORROR, and very graphic may I say, be WARNED!! If it only had a better and more scary book, he would get all his old fans back!! Highly recommended if you like your Horror thought provoking, fast moving, graphic and VERY believable. I LOVED it.!
See full review video of this book here:
https://youtu.be/FNYUjvihOu8
5 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
The author goes back to where he started with dealing with the American Indian people, Tongan people, their beliefs in ancient Magic and what can go wrong if it gets in the wrong hands. This book has it all.....suspense, HORROR, and very graphic may I say, be WARNED!! If it only had a better and more scary book, he would get all his old fans back!! Highly recommended if you like your Horror thought provoking, fast moving, graphic and VERY believable. I LOVED it.!
See full review video of this book here:
https://youtu.be/FNYUjvihOu8
5 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
August 11, 2023
This book is like watching a train wreck, you don't want to stare but you can't look away either. The storyline was full of plotholes but strange gore kept happening so I was just too shocked to stop reading.
Also this book was sexist as HELL, all women in this book were either completely useless or were some kind of damsel in distress type where they always needed some kind of men to help them out.
I bought the book because it had a Stephen King quote on the cover that said how good the book was, Stephen you LIED.
Also this book was sexist as HELL, all women in this book were either completely useless or were some kind of damsel in distress type where they always needed some kind of men to help them out.
I bought the book because it had a Stephen King quote on the cover that said how good the book was, Stephen you LIED.
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