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Book Review
Oct. 9th, 2017 09:42 pmThe Family Plot
by Cherie Priest
This atmospheric and effective haunted house story hits all the right notes. Priest isn't doing anything terribly innovative here, but she does it all so very well, with the right balance of creepiness, mystery, and horror. The story begins when Music City Salvage takes an offer to strip a condemned old mansion and its outbuildings of its antique fixtures, windows, moldings, flooring, etc. before a demolition. The owner's daughter, Dahlia, her cousin Bobby, his son Gabe, and company employee Brad head to the remote mansion to do the work, planning to camp out in the house as they do the work. However, very soon after their arrival, it becomes clear that the painstaking removal of delicate stained glass, custom tiling, and marble fireplaces is not the only thing they must contend with in that house.
Priest spins a tale of angry ghosts and dark family secrets, with interesting takes on a couple of the tropes, and a really effective ending. I especially liked the way the entire crew is aware of and affected by the supernatural goings-on - there is no questioning the sanity or motives of any of the characters, and a refreshing absence of the unreliable narrator trope. I also like the way a group of people who spend a lot of time working in empty old houses pretty much accept the existence of ghosts - it felt right and allowed the story to cut to the chase a bit more. Cherie does a great job of describing the house and its trappings - I always knew exactly where everything and everyone was, and could really feel the layout of the rooms. The place did not quite become a character in its own right, but it was certainly one of the more vivid settings I've read.
by Cherie Priest
This atmospheric and effective haunted house story hits all the right notes. Priest isn't doing anything terribly innovative here, but she does it all so very well, with the right balance of creepiness, mystery, and horror. The story begins when Music City Salvage takes an offer to strip a condemned old mansion and its outbuildings of its antique fixtures, windows, moldings, flooring, etc. before a demolition. The owner's daughter, Dahlia, her cousin Bobby, his son Gabe, and company employee Brad head to the remote mansion to do the work, planning to camp out in the house as they do the work. However, very soon after their arrival, it becomes clear that the painstaking removal of delicate stained glass, custom tiling, and marble fireplaces is not the only thing they must contend with in that house.
Priest spins a tale of angry ghosts and dark family secrets, with interesting takes on a couple of the tropes, and a really effective ending. I especially liked the way the entire crew is aware of and affected by the supernatural goings-on - there is no questioning the sanity or motives of any of the characters, and a refreshing absence of the unreliable narrator trope. I also like the way a group of people who spend a lot of time working in empty old houses pretty much accept the existence of ghosts - it felt right and allowed the story to cut to the chase a bit more. Cherie does a great job of describing the house and its trappings - I always knew exactly where everything and everyone was, and could really feel the layout of the rooms. The place did not quite become a character in its own right, but it was certainly one of the more vivid settings I've read.
