The Secret of Crickley Hall - James Herbert

INTRO
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I'm a big fan of James Herbert even since I read "Haunted" a few years ago and have been an avid reader of his many horror novels ever since. So I was extremely excited when I heard that he was releasing a brand new book. Finally, a Herbert novel that I could look forward to ("Nobody True" having come out under my nose without me noticing it's initial release).

However, would it live up to its usual horror style and keep me turning the page?

TECHNICAL INFO
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Release Date: October 2006
Publisher: Macmillan
Pages: 600 approx.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL
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Moving into a new home is never easy. Especially for the Caleigh family who have just purchased Crickley Hall down in Devon. A large manor built in the countryside away from the hustle and bustle of city living, it does not appear to be anything other than an old home that needs the zest of life.

But when strange noises are heard in the night and doors are left open, the family become uneasy with their new home. But it's only when they discover the history of Crickley Hall that they realise that this quiet, country home harbours a dark and horrifying secret.

Get out while you can!!

MAIN CHARACTERS
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The Caleighs
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Gabe Caleigh - Father (originally from America)
Eve Caleigh - Mother
Loren Caleigh - 12 year old daughter
Cally Caleigh - 5 year old daughter
Chester - Family dog

Other characters
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Percy Judd - Gardner for Crickley Hall
Lili Peel - Local psychic who befriends Eve
Gordon Pyke - Paranormal investogator
Augustus Cribben - Strict headmaster who ran Crickley Hall during WW2
Magda Cribben - Augustus' sister

MY THOUGHTS
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This is a very modern take on the classic haunted house story. Typical with James Herbert novels, the author likes to build up the suspense and come jumping out at us towards the end. We are introduced to the characters in-depth and with twists and turns throughout it makes for an enjoyable read. It may not be as scary as his other books but it can certainly cause unease to whoever is reading it at night. Essence of a good horror novel I think.

The problem with this book is that it is not Herbert's best effort. I can forgive him for the cliché story as it is always nice to read a good ghost tale no matter how many times I have read them. The problem I find is that it is lacking in something. It does not pack the punch that I had hoped for. It also seems to be about 2/300 pages too long. There are scenes in the novel that we did not need to know or could have been abridged significantly in order to trim out the unnecessary details.

I also felt that the dialogue was far too Hollywood movie script. At several intervals I found myself thinking "Nobody talks like this in real life" and unfortunately that ruined it slightly. I understand that dialogue in books is different to how we talk normally but you expect a certain degree of realism to at least keep the reader engaged and intrigued.

This had the potential to be an excellent read had it not been for some of the "cheesy" moments. The storyline is great and the with plenty of creepy and eerie sequences I was really hoping that Herbert could pull this one off and turn it into a horror masterpiece.

The characters themselves were difficult to connect with. I felt, at certain points, that I could not sympathise with their dilemma and I'm not sure what it is about them that I did not find believable. The only character I felt I could sympathise with was Eve, she's a very strong character, despite her outward expressions, who carries the family's anguish alone and puts her children ahead of herself. This makes her a very believable character and a good Mother.

My advice: read this if you are already familiar with his other work. But I would not expect you to pick this one back up for quite some time.

LAST NOTE: For some reason Ciao thinks that this is an audio book, not the paperback that I actually am reviewing...