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Fears Point
Jonathan and Kelly Cain were struggling in Chicago until Jonathan's estranged father left him a large inheritance and a Fears Point, Mississippi, mansion. But when they settled into their new home, they discovered that Jonathan's father had also willed them a coven of witches!
- GenresHorror
Mass Market Paperback
First published July 30, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 16, 2025
A hauntingly gothic, satanic plot.
Very well done for a first novel but obvious in that parts could use some polishing and certain plot points could be cleaned up.
Very well done for a first novel but obvious in that parts could use some polishing and certain plot points could be cleaned up.
August 25, 2012
I enjoyed this book, though the plot was simple. I didn't like the killing off of a character just because his faith wasn't strong enough. I also thought the ending a bit garbled.
There is also confusion between real Witches/Wiccans and Santanists in the plot. The author seems to think they are one and the same.
I loved the descriptions of Ravenshead, the old mansion :)
There is also confusion between real Witches/Wiccans and Santanists in the plot. The author seems to think they are one and the same.
I loved the descriptions of Ravenshead, the old mansion :)
May 13, 2014
This should actually be closer to a 4-star review, since it had me riveted, not wanting to put the book down, but ultimately I just "liked it" rather than "really liked it" so 3 stars it gets. A more accurate rating would be 3.5, maybe even 3.75. But anyway...
I'm a sucker for first novels, and this one did not disappoint. It's an older book, written by an author whose contemporary claim to fame is vampire fiction, but he did a great job with this non-vampire book. Although the last chapter felt a little rushed, overall the narrative was paced well and led to a great climax. It was believable, moody, and surprising -- and you don't often see that in horror fiction.
Some critics have complained that he confused "witches" with "Satanists" or "Wiccans," but I forgave that since "Wicca" is basically an 80s invention (in terminology at least) and prior to about 1970, when the term "satanist" came into popular usage, any spell-casting and demon-wielding person was considered a "Witch" or "Warlock." I'm not going to argue the semantics of "Witch" so the usage (or mis-usage) of the term didn't bother me.
First novels are often clunky, in terms of language, but this one was not. This book read as though it had been through multiple drafts, getting better with each revision, and while I wouldn't say it was "poetry," it definitely was well-crafted. The characters were believable and mostly sympathetic, and although there were a few "over the top" moments, mostly this read well and moderate. For the horror, the author relied on the implications of character actions rather than the "gross-out" and I appreciated that.
As far as I can tell, this book is now out-of-print and no ebook version exists, which is a shame. I did enjoy this book immensely, and read it in two days, resenting the times I had to put it down to do mundane things like sleep or go to work. It's not exactly a new idea, and wasn't even at the time of writing, but I thought it was done well enough that it stood out among books with the same general plot. If you can find it second-hand, do pick it up. It's worth a second look!
I'm a sucker for first novels, and this one did not disappoint. It's an older book, written by an author whose contemporary claim to fame is vampire fiction, but he did a great job with this non-vampire book. Although the last chapter felt a little rushed, overall the narrative was paced well and led to a great climax. It was believable, moody, and surprising -- and you don't often see that in horror fiction.
Some critics have complained that he confused "witches" with "Satanists" or "Wiccans," but I forgave that since "Wicca" is basically an 80s invention (in terminology at least) and prior to about 1970, when the term "satanist" came into popular usage, any spell-casting and demon-wielding person was considered a "Witch" or "Warlock." I'm not going to argue the semantics of "Witch" so the usage (or mis-usage) of the term didn't bother me.
First novels are often clunky, in terms of language, but this one was not. This book read as though it had been through multiple drafts, getting better with each revision, and while I wouldn't say it was "poetry," it definitely was well-crafted. The characters were believable and mostly sympathetic, and although there were a few "over the top" moments, mostly this read well and moderate. For the horror, the author relied on the implications of character actions rather than the "gross-out" and I appreciated that.
As far as I can tell, this book is now out-of-print and no ebook version exists, which is a shame. I did enjoy this book immensely, and read it in two days, resenting the times I had to put it down to do mundane things like sleep or go to work. It's not exactly a new idea, and wasn't even at the time of writing, but I thought it was done well enough that it stood out among books with the same general plot. If you can find it second-hand, do pick it up. It's worth a second look!
October 18, 2012
It's a shame there is no image for this book on GR's database, cause it's a super cheesy 80s cover, although for a change not entirely irrelevant to the book. The book was, in a pleasantly suprising way, considerably better than the cover would suggest. Not overly original, but well done for what it was and fairly entertaining. This was Romkey's debut novel and the only book he's written that has nothing to do with vampires.
February 22, 2019
Solid witch story
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews