William Patterson is a connoisseur of horror films, especially the made- for-TV variety of the 1970's. I also love classic movies like Trilogy of Terror and Let's Scare Jessica To Death. With The Inn he has written both a homage and an engaging (but sadly not terrifying) thriller.
Annabel leaves New York with her husband, after a mental breakdown. They agree to run the old family inn that Jack's grandmother still lives in, along with a grizzled old caretaker. If she knew before arriving that it was listed in guidebooks as a 'haunted house' for thrill seeking guests to visit, she would have stayed home. There is another couple staying at the inn, British ghost hunters excited by the history of the house. The first day the two couples arrive, ghosts are sighted in the woods, and the strange events begin. At first excited by renovation plans, Annabel quickly discovers the house, or the deadly evil dwelling within, does not want to be touched. Jack has neglected to tell her his family history: that his grandfather, his mother, his sister, his father, various neighbours, and every guest who ever stayed in the house has disappeared or turned up as a head or a hand. The new arrivals will be no exception, including a string of contractors and workers - and forget about calling the police as they also disappear. When a whiteout snowstorm arrives, and her husband begins to act almost possessed, and her troubles really begin.
As horror stories go this seems to have everything you could want, including nods to classic horror themes. It had a lot of promise, but for me there was a major flaw I couldn't get over, whom I'll call Tommy Tricky to not spoil it for anyone. The explanation of her fear of him was not enough, and too coincidental he would show up again. As the house unleashes it's demons, they were too humorous to be frightening, which severely dulled what could have been a shocker. I wish it were more serious, like The Sentinal. This was a solid read, but the action too comical to keep you up at night, which is what I am always hoping for. I love to be scared, and am always looking for a good ghost story. I have a copy of his other thriller Slice, so I'll try him again.
I found myself thinking I'd rather read Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco again.
2015 / Paperback / 250 pages
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