In the Dark of the Night / by John Saul

The Brewsters think they’ve landed a steal when a summer rental home on the lake becomes available. Chicago-ans vacationing in Wisconsin, they’re excited about spending some quality time together with their two kids—Eric and Marci. For his part, Eric and best friends Kent and Tad can’t wait for some R&R before what’s sure to be a great senior year. Upon arrival, the house is better than anticipated with already furnished, spacious rooms and green lawns shaded by lofty pines—all just feet from the lake! Some old knick knacks, probably forgotten by the old owners, even provide a quaint element of antiquity to the place. Sifting through all the old junk (tools and rusted lawn equipment, mostly) proves a great way for the boys to pass the time; progressively more so as they become ever-more drawn to the house and its alluring secrets, secrets shrouded in a mysterious past.

But any harmless fascination soon turns treacherous as creepy, suspicious, and ultimately life-threatening incidents crop up with increasing frequency; making the boys all the more conscious of a supernatural presence in their midst, a presence emanating malevolence with each passing hour. With time seemingly running out and their very lives endangered, it’s up to Eric, Kent, and Tad to uncover the treacherous secrets surrounding the 'house in the pines'.

John Saul has authored dozens of horror novels over the past few decades providing plenty of fun for readers who love a good fright-fest. Some imagination is required as elements of the paranormal are prevalent in many of his works. Here, fans of horror flicks like Amityville and Poltergeist (even Friday the 13th, somewhat) will resonate with a plot that follows well-tread (but never dull) paths of ghostly apparitions, unexplained occurrences, and morbid details on previous homeowners, all culminating with the house essentially repelling its inhabitants. The plot’s not so formulaic though as, to be sure, certain twists along the way ensure that readers won’t be bored. Saul is not as deep as Stephen King or Anne Rice, choosing to focus on the action rather than the characters, who at times seem really farcical in the horror-flick heroine sort-of-way. (FIC SAUL)