It's no secret that I, as I near the end of Herbert's bibliography, have not been impressed by much of his output since...well honestly, not much has impressed me since his second novel, The Fog from back in the mid-70s.

Having said that, with his last novel, '48, and now with this one, he seems to have been stepping out of his comfort zone and trying something a little different. And while the results are uneven, I have been enjoying the books a little more.

With that though, I will say I started the audiobook for this and was, quite frankly, immediately turned off by the opening scene. I actually flipped over and started listening to a completely different novel, which I hated and will not review or mention. Thinking that Herbert's couldn't be worse than the other one, I abandoned it and moved back to Herbert. Taking a deep breath, I carried on and was happy to see the book shift focus with the main story (though that opening scene was a serious spoiler that told me exactly how this book would end), my joy was short-lived when the story just kind of...sat there...for the longest time.

To be honest, the plotting and pacing of this novel was just kind of bizarre. As though Herbert knew how to end it, but didn't have much story to throw before that ending that took up a solid final quarter—if not a full third—of the end of the book.

Overall, though, it was a reasonably good return to horror for Herbert, and I likely would have enjoyed it more if the story hadn't relied as heavily on two tropes I typically don't enjoy.

The first is pretty much an enjoyment killer for me, and that's a heavy reliance on dreams. Dreams, to me, are just big pauses in the story, where crap happens that has little effect on the story proper, and are usually inserted to cause doubt and unease in the readers' minds. The only time I've enjoyed dream inserts are when they have a real and lasting impact on the characters. Think Nightmare on Elm Street. So, that was, aside from the opening, turn off number one for me.

The second is a heavy reliance on a psychic character who always shows up just in time to move the plot forward. And man, does Herbert rely on one in this story. Like, literally, there'd basically be no story without someone who has no right knowing what they know showing up to push Diz in the right direction, over and over again.

So, aside from the opening, the dream sequences, the psychic, and questionable pacing, I will say there's some really good set pieces, and some decently horrific stuff that Herbert leads you through, at times almost skirting Clive Barker territory.

Herbert takes some chances here. Some work, some don't. But at least he took some chances again, because it felt like he'd been playing it safe for far too long. ( )

I went into this expecting a horror story, as I had formed the impression that that was what Herbert wrote.

This was just sad. A mis-formed detective starts having dreams, visions about something horrible.
But it is so long leading up to that that I was bored. Then things get really rushed and then it ends.

There was nothing scary. There were some horrible things described, but nothing scary. So I am disappointed and doubt I'll read more by this author. ( )

Another one of James's books that had me mesmerised!

I loved the beginning of the book where the main character was given another chance to redeem his life by coming back as private investigator, Nicholas Dismas who is completely the opposite of who he was in his past life!

I was completely floored when he went to investigate a missing baby at the seemingly quaint, 'Perfect Rest' nursing home.

Less peaceful and more the place where nightmares are born - I loved this book because it had suspense, romance, intrigue and horror! ( )

great holiday read ( )

This is my second novel by James Herbert, and I'm proud to say this one gave me a nightmare. Why am I proud to say this? I read a lot of Koontz and King and love a good thriller and naturally enjoy a bit of a fright! It's hard for a writer to make the reader 'jump' or 'get the creeps' and for me it's the mark of a great author and an excellent book! It certainly gets the adrenalin pumping and the mind racing into the wee hours.

It follows that there is a skill in making a reader cry but first and foremost, I don't really enjoy deeply depressing stories, or stories that are going to upset me for days and days afterwards. Secondly, it's rare for me to cry during a movie, so for a book, this state is almost unattainable. Besides, I'd rather be scared out of my wits, or contemplating the dark side of human nature in a way that is removed from my daily life and therefore 'safe'.

Okay, now onto the book. Dismas is a private investigator in the 'Others' and is born into the world disfigured. The character development and insight here is phenomenal and a little painful at times which deepens the story even further. Dismas is asked to investigate a missing baby supposedly declared dead following the birth, and thus begins a course of events involving babies born with hideous deformities. Without ruining the story-line, I was really creeped out one night reading about the hospital at 'Perfect Rest' although it sounds completely harmless, doesn't it?

The theme of redemption is echoed throughout the novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed following the character's journey and learning about the fate of the Others.

I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good fright, or is a fan of either Stephen King or Dean Koontz. ( )