St. Helena

by Christopher Knight

Ron and Janet Borders have just moved into their 'dream' home...an old, decaying lighthouse on the island of St. Helena, in Northern Lake Michigan. For the next two years they will live on the island, alone, restoring the dilapidated building. But something is very very wrong. Soon it becomes more than apparent that the Borders family aren't the only inhabitants on the island...and now they realize that the forces they're up against are much stronger and more powerful...and more evil than they could have ever imagined.

Genres: Horror

280 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 13, 1999

About the author

Christopher Wright is the author of dozens of horror fiction books for children and young adults. He writes under the pseudonyms Johnathan Rand and Christopher Knight. Almost all of Wright's books (save American Chillers) take place in his home state of Michigan.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Reviews

[Casarah Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read all almost 300 pages of this book in less than 24 hours, I could not put it down, and when I did I had to pick it right back up again.

A quickie about the story, it takes place on an island in the Great lakes by Mackinac. A father, mother and two young children temporarily move to the island to play handyman and restore the failing lighthouse. There is really no easy way on or off the island and crazy stuff happens. That's all I'm going to tell.

The writing is so super detailed that I was there, every description put me in the place. I loved the realness of the characters, the whole range of playfulness, nervousness, fear and communications between them. Now the story, well it goes a little off the norm, I mean like stuff doesn't really happen that way... or does it. It stepped outside the norm but it wasn't silly or obnoxious about it.

Oh and there is a bit of history in the books, talking about shipwrecks and stuff near that island, and yeah that stuff is for real too, I Googled it. And the references to yooper and troll, if you live in Michigan you know....

This is a great read, highly recommend.

[Max Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was it. The last book I read by Christopher Knight aka Johnathan Rand and this was a good one.

I took a break from reading, because I was busy trying to get my life back on track so it was nice to relax a little and open a good book. This book was definitely a page turner, and one of the scariest I've ever read (but don't worry, I handled myself just fine).

The people in this book are a family of housw flippers and they make the terrible mistake of buying the lighthouse on St. Helena island near St. Image which holds a sinister secret. The book is chock full of all the creepiest stuff you could ask for: mentals hospitals, ghosts, crazy vortexes...cops.

I am now ready to move on to another author, until Rand releases the final six books in the American Chillers series (which is another series I enjoy reading)

Thanks for reading all my Rand reviews! I recommend reading them in chronological order, starting with the date the first Chillers book he ever wrote was: Mayhem on Mackinac Island.

[Kristie Pendred · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story line was pretty good. However, the ‘scary parts’ were not very believable.

[Fallon Raynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story gave me chills to read it, and I have those same chills running down my spine as I recall the time I had read the story. That was about 10 years ago. Yes, this book had that kind of impact on me. :-)
My daughter and I had picked up a few of Christopher Knight's books at his store in Michigan, when we were camping at Indian River. Johnathan Rand had made an appearance at her school when she was younger, and had fallen in love with the Michigan Chillers and then the American Chillers. I am so happy to find him here on Goodreads!

[Brittany Richmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Knight really knows how to write a thriller. The characters are so real and they all have distinct voices. It’s amazing how lots of people don’t believe in hauntings, so they pose the people as crazy. I mean it does sound crazy. Everything that happened was so darn bizarre.

I was on the edge of my seat. I know how Mr. Knight writes and I was just waiting for my spine to tingle and my arm hairs to stand straight up.

4/5 stars all of the way!

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spent this book alternating between fear, with the horror themes, and nitpicking inaccuracies, since the island is near and dear to my heart, and I've been there a couple times. (There's no porch. And no outside door to the tower...) but the idea of writing about the island is one that has caught my fancy several times, and I'm impressed that Knight followed through with it.

[Deborah Fehner]

Great read, surprise ending

[Dark Star · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good thriller with a killer ending.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for a stormy night.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a while back but am thrilled to discover Christopher Knight on Goodreads. I first learned of his writing when reading his Michigan Chillers series with my boys. After he visited their school and I found out he wrote adult books under a pen name, I decided to get St. Helena, figuring it would be similar to his MC kids books. I was so wrong, but in the best kind of way. It was one of the scariest books I have ever read! I can't even go into a lighthouse anymore without thinking about this book. That's a great impact for any author, to steal the imagination of a reader after so many years.

[Clint · Rating 5 out of 5]

A supernatural book with an excellent view of one of the lesser known islands in the Straits! Felt like a cross between The Shining and Pet Sematary and kept me reading through the night. For the first time I can actually say that I had to read a book ALL the way to the end to get the full story. Looking forward to another book written by Knight!

[Stephanie Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It was thrilling and hard to put down!!!! It was especially great after a trip to Mackinac Island seeing all of the lighthouses along the way. I cannot wait to read more by this author. The ending was unexpected and a good twist and had me turning back through the book looking at all I had read.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I don't really know how to describe this one. Interesting characters with a very different story. I love that it is set in Michigan and an island with a lighthouse. Love those lighthouses. Very well done with quite the ending. I wasn't sure how it was going to end but I really thought it gripped you to the very end.

[Alyssa Januska · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story. It’s a unique horror story and although a lot of the scary moments are unbelievable, I think that’s what made it so fun for it. It’s not like anything I’ve ever read or watched really, so I appreciate that.

[☕️Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fun albeit a bit far fetched. Reminded me of The Amityville Horror. However, we get to the very end of the book and the people the lighthouse needs to complete its task get away, but the lighthouse succeeds anyway? The ending made no sense to me.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book some parts made me scared had to stop reading it till the next morning will never look at st helena the same way again when I go up north

[Keely · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the scariest books I’ve read. MI author!