Review: The House by the Cemetery

The House by the Cemetery by John Everson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY by John Everson

Outstanding. I can seldom resist the Feckless Hero, which is certainly what we have here in Protagonist Mike, a young carpenter in Cook County, Illinois. I liked Mike (to a point), but he and a whole lot of others would have benefited if he had just--matured. Developed personal integrity. Got a life. {Sigh} Guess my opinion of him didn't rank as high as I thought.

Nevertheless, the story is outstanding. Quite extreme, but given the context of the plot, not over the top. I particularly admired author John Everson' s gift with characterization, which I fondly remember from his novel FAMILY TREE. He delineates his characters quite fully but subtly, without telegraphing in advance, but letting readers' realization gradually unfold. This was a one-session reading for me, as I was so absorbed in both plot and characters. I adored the setting, too, and Mr. Everson delivers suspense and revelation in perfect doses for a tale of haunted locales and haunted character.

View all my reviews