Grant, Charles L. Books

Black Oak 3: Winter Knight (Black Oak)

Charles L. Grant

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Grant's best so far in the Black Oak series 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

While Black Oak #1, Genesis, was an intriguing introduction, and Black #2 was a bit confusing, I have to admit that I enjoyed Winter Knight the most. Clear, spooky, and more inspired.

Fun, quick read 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Let's face it: this Black Oak series is just plain fun! GENESIS and THE HUSH OF DARK WINGS start out the series. Grant introduces us to Ethan Proctor, the brooding but brilliant leader of Black Oak Security. If there is a creepy twist, Proctor and company are sure to find it!

WINTER KNIGHT finds Proctor in the quaint town of Pludbury, Englad. The townsfolk readily accept the legend of one of the town's forefathers who will grant them their deepest desires in exchange for their souls. Proctor, of course, digs and digs to discover the mystery of the resident ghost.

This series is imaginative with Grant's patented writing. If you are new to Grant, these are an excellent way to get an idea of the depth of his writing. Besides, each is so much fun to read that you certainly won't regret the investment!

Editorial Review:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The X-Files novels, Goblins and Whirlwind...

A new case from the files of Black Oak Investigations--experts of the unexplained...and inescapable.

Private investigator Ethan Proctor delves into the dark secrets of a town cursed for generations--by an evil that can grant your heart's desire...for a price.

"Grant is a grand storyteller who never lets his audience know if they're on the mortal or supernatural plane...a truly great gothic tale."--Harriet Klausner

* Charles Grant is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of the X-FILES novels, Goblins and Whirlwind, and other books

* In the tradition of "The X-Files" and "Poltergeist: The Legacy"

Nightmare Seasons

Charles L. Grant

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Nightmare Seasons 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

A pretty good book. Not as good as his book "The Tea Party", but nonetheless, a good book. I highly recommend it to those who love horror, suspense, and an ending you never plan for.

Black Oak 4: Hunting Ground (Black Oak)

Charles L. Grant

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

See no evil, speak no evil 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I am a big fan of Charles Grant. I cannot think of anything I've read by him that I haven't liked. HUNTING GROUND fits well into that reading tradition. I love this Black Oak series; it's creepy, it's fun, it has all the elements of great suspense. Grant's writing, as usual, is superb, and I enjoy getting to know the characters a little more with each addition to the series.

Proctor is the dark, moody leader of Black Oak Security. He has experienced a lot of weird things in his life, and this only continues as each of the agency's cases gets more and more bizarre. Even moodier than usual, Proctor mopes around his employees who then decide that the boss needs to take a vacation. What better way to forget your troubles than a jaunt in Atlantic City? Proctor, Doc and Taz arrive at a boardwalk casino just in time for two things: a heavy, raging winter storm that traps everyone in their hotels and The Ripper who (or what?) is picking off tourists and locals one by one in a most unpleasant manner. Of course Proctor gets caught up in the investigation; it even breathes a little life into him. Along the way, he meets up with Petra, a mysterious character who may or may not be human. The body count rises, the suspense holds, and Proctor finds more and more clues that the cases he investigates may be part of an overall plan to eliminate him. The question is: who wants him out of the picture?

This series is fun reading. The books remind me of the wonderful old cliffhangers; I devour one only to wait impatiently for the next to hit the shelves! I can't wait to read on and find out how the conspiracy surrounding Proctor and his agency unfolds. I highly recommend this series!

Editorial Review:

Ethan Proctor, the brilliant, enigmatic head of Black Oak Security, reluctantly submits to his employees' orders to take some R&R in Atlantic City. But his vacation soon develops into something entirely different--a web of murder, lies, and...vampires?

Praise for the Black Oak novels:

"Highly effective."--Science Fiction Chronicle

"Attractive entertainment."--Locus

Praise for Charles Grant:

"A leading exponent of subtle dark fantasy."--Publishers Weekly

"Grant eschews gore for more subtle thrills."--Kirkus Reviews"Grant's characteristic 'soft' horror...relies more on atmosphere and suggestion than on more extreme devices."--Science Fiction Chronicle

Black Oak 2: The Hush of Dark Wings (Black Oak, 2)

Charles L. Grant

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

"This week, on Black Oak . . ." 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

With Black Oak, award-winning author Charles Grant is clearly creating something that works better as a series than a bunch of individual novels. While not a serialized novel like King's Green Mile, readers will get more out of The Hush of Dark Wings if they've read the previous volume (and presumably still more when the next installment comes out). It should come as no surprise that the reader is coming in on an ongoing story; the book is clearly labeled #2 on the cover and spine, and "Episode Two" inside. Having said that, while The Hush of Dark Wings does pick up on elements from Genesis, and parts of this book appear to carry over into the next installment, the main story does begin and end in this volume. Additionally, the story opens with a "Previously in Black Oak" recap of the important events from Genesis (a lesson more series should learn), and ends with a "Next, in Black Oak" teaser, letting us know that the author knows he didn't explain everything, and that's by choice, not sloppiness.

While The Hush of Dark Wings has the same overall tone as the first book, the plot is considerably less complex. At one point, the characters even realize how little time has passed over the course of the story. The book serves primarily as an introduction for (presumably) new regular Vivian Chambers. We also learn more about how the mysterious Ethan Proctor works and how he thinks, if not much more about his background. The paranormal mystery is weird and creepy, with some particularly vivid and graphic scenes. Graphic, that is, in the Charles Grant sense, where he gives the reader just enough information that you imagine something truly gruesome, without being spoon-fed all the gory details.

It's easy to make comparisons to X-Files, and I'm sure this series, like Chet Williamson's Searchers trilogy, owes its existence to that TV series' popularity. What makes Black Oak distinct is its varied cast of characters. Grant manages to create vivid personalities who come to life in front of the reader. I find myself looking forward to the next installment, not only to find out what happens next, but also to spend more time with these people and learn more about them. The Black Oak books may be quick reads, but they're a lot of fun, and may be one of the best TV series in print.

Editorial Review:

Black Oak Security is a crack team of private investigators led by brilliant, enigmatic Ethan Proctor. He is a careful man. Careful in what he says, careful in what he does. And very careful about which cases he takes. But when a letter arrives from a woman he once knew, begging him to investigate strange happenings in her town, Proctor is careless. He takes the case without knowing exactly what he's getting into.

Black Oak 1: Genesis (Black Oak , No 1)

Charles L. Grant

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Been there, read that (and better, too) 2 out of 5 stars.
7 of 13 people found this review helpful.

Listless, uncompelling little horror exercise that takes a long time getting started and then just plods along without ever picking up speed. Your usual stock characters (about 90% of which are in their 40s, interestingly), lotsa hints concerning the main character's past that are obviously intended to make him more intriguing but utterly fail to invoke anything other than slight annoyance with their lack of originality, not a hint of erotic tension - a hard task considering that part of the "action" (or lack thereof) takes place in a strip joint. The "conclusion" is neither surprising nor very believable, and it reads like something the author thought of at the spur of the moment - man, I have to finish this thing somehow! I don't know if Mr Grant's main reason for writing (and publishing!) this pale tale was an upcoming mortgage payment or if his creativity and imagination really have become this dried up, but to me "Genesis" was a major disappointment. I don't much like Poppy Brite, but if you could cross her over-the-top prose with Grant's grandfatherly style, you would actually get a readable book. As it is, this one's the literary equivalent of reheated Mac & Cheese; mushy, flavorless, with just a hint of cardboard, and not very filling.

Editorial Review:

Black Oak investigators is a firm that handles office fraud, missing persons, and a variety of white collar crime. But Black Oak also investigates situations that are not quite the norm as owner Ethan Proctor discovers when one of his operatives turns up dead in a town cowering in fear from something raoming the hills, leaving dead bodies in its wake...

FINAL SHADOWS (Shadows)

Charles L. Grant

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Fair Number of High Quality Short Stories in This Collection 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Final Shadows is a collection of 36 stories published in 1991, all by different authors, some by big names and some by authors you've probably never heard of. Like any multiple author collection the quality of the stories within varies greatly. There are masterpieces or ones close to that, but you've also got a few which aren't much more than a waste of time.

I'll start my reviews of these stories with the best ones (undoubtedly you may well disagree with my order, but that's fine, to each their own) but if you haven't been able to track down Final Shadows, at least you'll know what they are about.

Magpie, Stephen Gallagher - Author recounts his school days as a fat kid and how a bully got his comeuppance. Some great plot idea stories included through the child character's imagination. If Gallagher has actually written any of these I'll definitely check them out.

A Father's Dream, Chet Williams -the tale of a father who has a nightmare about his son lying dead in the street outside an unfamiliar house. When he goes on vacation to his brother in law's house he immediately recognises it as the one from his dream. Instead of dragging his family away and looking stupid he decides to just take precautions such as not letting his son play at the front of the house.

Together, David S Garnett - Adam's unemployed wife is becoming more and more lazy, and less interested in him. She never leaves the house, which they can ill afford now with just one income. Adam soon becomes suspicious that she is having an affair.

I'll See You on Saturday Night, Gun N Smith follows Jerry an ugly small town mechanic who is infatuated with the beautiful Isabel. When he buys some sunglasses from her she mentions she is going to a dance on Saturday night. She tells him I'll See You on Saturday Night and Jerry of course tells everyone he has a date with her.

Beijing Craps by Graham Masterton follows a compulsive gambler of over 20 years who last saw his son when the child was 3, never having left Vegas casino floors since. He's won a lot of money but there's a new game in town where you bet to take years of your life or lose them if you do.

Samhain, Bernard Taylor - Doris has been keeping herself looking all right by jogging. She is disappointed by her husband Arthur's increasingly flabby body, days spent in front of the TV and well basically his existence. Doris delves into ancient witchcraft to get rid of him once and for all on Halloween (or its proper name Samhain).

The Stone Face, Colin Greenland - Neil and Gwen take a much needed holiday in a seaside small town bed and breakfast. Gwen isn't much fun and doesn't want to do anything. When Neil picks up a stone he can make out a face in it, the holiday suddenly gets a lot more exciting.

Fastening, Julie R. Good - A woman stops to help an old lady whose car has broken down on the side of the road. Stopping is only the start of her nightmare.

That's it for the best but the next couple are also worthwhile reads.

The Boarder, Wendy Webb - A writer Jack Sampson wants a place where he can pretty much type and be alone, isolated from society but with not much money answers an advertisement for looking for a boarder for a room in a large house. He is told by the maid a bunch of restricting rules such as he must attend dinner nightly at 8pm with the lonely house owner. He doesn't really care he plans on spending most of the time in his room anyway but what he discovers at dinner will make him revaluate the decision to stay.

Out Behind the Shed, Bill Pronzini - Mechanic finds a body behind the shed but his boss cannot see the body and tells him there's nothing there and to get back to work.

Fear O' Ghorta, Peter Tremoyne - A priest listens to a man who calls himself Fear O' Ghorta (Man of Hunger) who recounts a sin he has not confessed for 25 years that took place during the Irish potato famine.

Going Away, Craig Shaw Gardner - Tom has gone to Florida to escape the winter and memories of his dead wife. She however seems to keep popping up in his mind and talking to him. He hopes escaping to Florida will make her go away.

The Mermaid, Tanith Lee - Michael recounts his encounter with a mermaid proving they are more an animal then the legends portrayal as human women with fish tails instead of legs.

The Beautiful Uncut Hair of Graves, David Morrell - One of the biggest names of this collection has written only an above average story. A man finds some documents amongst his dead parents' possessions. He thinks he may be adopted so sets off to his birthplace, Redwood Point to find out. What he finds there is pure evil.

Against the Skin, Mark Morris - Lee is an unemployed loser who poaches wildlife for extra cash. He meets a girl at a club who convinces him to take the bus home instead of a cab.

Mulberry's Crystal, Brian Mooney and Stephen Jones- The story which obviously inspired this collection's cover design. A man runs into his friend from uni days, Silas Mulberry. Silas invites him back to his place, shows him a crystal that he says is responsible for his imminent brutal murder.

The Door, Sharon Webb - Classic haunted house thriller about a young couple who buy a house that they know was severely undervalued. When painting a wall they discover there's a hidden door but can't open it.

The next stories will pass the time but they're nothing memorable.

When They Gave us Memory, Dennis Etchison - A soap actor is getting married so goes to visit his parents that he hasn't seen for a while to tell them the news. His parents and everyone else don't seem to remember he's an actor, in fact their memories and his yearbook show a different past to what he remembers.

The Magic House, Lynn S. Hightower - Old lady remembers the story of a magic house and that she had indeed found it down the road when she was a child. Now the visiting grandkids are missing.

Rescheduled, Mike Chinn - Graeme forgets the keys to his office, suffering from both migraines and a hangover he has to ride the train home and back to get the keys. His headaches won't be his only obstacle.

Medusa's Child - Kim Antieau - Matthew likes the eyes of a vagrant woman on the street so offers her food if he can paint her. She wants a place to stay while he paints. Leila takes more than this.

Past Tense, Brian Hodge - A guy who likes a constant variety of women is always breaking up with them. Many have done little things as acts of vengeance but Lisa, his latest dumpee takes vengeance to a new level.

Island of the Seals, Samantha Lee - A female writer moves to an isolated island where there are no humans, just seals. A mysterious man appears, tells her stories, makes love to her then disappears every morning before sunrise. Life is great until the seal clubbers arrive.

The rest of these stories are pretty average but this is what they're about.

Under the Boardwalk, Lori N Allen - Some kids find a body in the sand under a Coney Island boardwalk but the older girl doesn't want to tell anyone as she doesn't like nightmares.

The Picnickers, Brian Lumley - Busybody kid overhears his doctor uncle talking to grave diggers about holes in a buried coffin and discovers gypsies have unleashed an obour.

Fry Day, Melanie Tem - Mother of a rape and murder victim goes to a carnival as she counts down the hours before the switch on the murderer's electric chair is thrown.

The Sweetest Rain, Nancy Holder - Some guy visits and talks to his dead wife at her grave.

Wrong Side of the Road, Norman Partridge - Helen meets Roy, a guy who lost his legs and soul in the war.

Thirteen Lies About Hummingbirds, Michael Bishop - Some guy wants to impress a woman so offers to buy her gifts. One thing she asks for is a hummingbird so he buys her a broche.

The Tape, Jessica Palmer - A bad driver gets lost on the way to Deer Island, finds it, then can't find the bridge out again.

The Dark Places in Between, Karen Haber - Seth is a successful painter but is struggling to pay the bills as he hasn't painted anything decent in years. Does Maria have the answer?

A Sailor's Pay, Jack Candy - A murderer killed his wife with a knife and has fled in a boat with a kidnapped little girl so the coastguard is looking for them.

Photo Call, David Sutton - Jeremy Hitching is becoming more and more successful as a photographer. A huge fan of Norton Bainbridge he writes him many a fan letter. One day he gets a reply to meet his idol.

Parralax, Nicholas Royle - Couple out hiking come across a cemetery. One of the statues appears to move out of the corner of their eyes and a grave looks partially open but isn't. These are just tricks of the eye right?

Of Natural Causes, Ashley McConnell - A mother dies and the daughter finds it hard to accept that the corpse at the funeral is her.

Something About Camilla, Juleen Bratingham - A bunch of stuck up privileged women are reliving their school days. Amongst other memories Sherry asks if they remember Camilla? No one does as each memory path investigated turns out to be someone else. But they should remember Camilla for a very good reason.

The best collection I've ever come across of short stories is Mystery Writers of America Presents Death Do Us Part: New Stories about Love, Lust, and Murder which was just about full of five star worthy rating stories.

Soft Whisper of the Dead

Charles L. Grant

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"X-files" (The X-files)

Charles L. Grant

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Freaky, yet wanting 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I just finished "Goblins."

I won't give away anything, but I was dissapointed in Scully's characterization. Bleah. Talk about a bubbleheaded bimbo who's always fussing with her hair?! When does Scully giggle, fuss with her hair and nag Mulder all the time?

The story properly freaked me out, however, and made me wish I hadn't read it right before bed!

dissapointed 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I'm a big fan of the x-files but I have to say that this book was a big flop! The story seemed to drag and drag and drag. I wouldn't recommend this book.

Not Free SF Reader 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Am omnibus of the first couple of X-Files books, Goblins and Whirlwind.

Goblins

First tie-in seen.


When a tv show gets really popular, particularly of this sort, there are bound to be books to follow.

In this case, it wasn't a particularly good one, unfortunately.

Mulder and Scully and some hangers around have to investigate what appear to be attacks by an invisible man. So, bit of a strange title to start with. Just an ordinary, story, really.

Whirlwind

Second of the same.


The next X-Files tie-in is basically the same as the first, in terms of quality, that is, not very good.

Also another strange series of killing to investigate for the FBI duo, only with some boring even for Mulder odd occurrences along the way. These were definitely disappointing.





2.5 out of 5

Editorial Review:

Over 40 million insatiable viewers tune in to see Fox TV's highest-rated show--the suspenseful, fascinating and absolutely extraordinary paranormal adventures of FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully who investigate the cases no one else will touch. Here, for the first time, are the first two X-Files mass market books, Goblins and Whirlwind, in one highly collectible volume.

Fantastic Science Fiction & Fantasy Stories, February 1975 (Volume 24, No. 2)

Juanita Coulson, Robert F. Young, L. Sprague de Camp, Charles Grant

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Gothic Ghosts (Thorndike Press Large Print Paperback Series)

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Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Editors Charles Grant and Wendy Webb explain that they were looking, in this anthology, for stories with mood and atmosphere, for traditional, character-driven stories. They also sought to showcase the ways in which the Gothic terror genre, which originated in 1765 with Horace Walpole's Castle of Otranto, has evolved into a contemporary form:

Some have said that the principal elements of Gothic are the presence of the supernatural and a quality inherent in the world that arouses such feelings as fear or terror. To some degree, that's still true, but instead of castles and stark terror, today's Gothic atmosphere, and what we sought, can be found in narrow alleyways, a moonless waterfront, or in the corner of a familiar room where light always falls short. And it can be found deep within each of us.

And so these 19 tales are steeped in melancholy, in an oddly gentle form of despair. Carrie Richardson's "Nuestra Señora" is told by a man who helps two lovers, a man and a ghost, meet once a year in the eerie spaces of a flooded church. Jessica Amanda Salmonson's well-crafted "A Mirror for Eyes of Winter" is about an aged widow caught in a winter storm: "It seemed to me that death was an icy terror that displaced the soul; it was a dark, dark cloud, iron hard even though insubstantial." Other tales feature ghosts that lure people into facing long-buried secrets, ghosts that seek to pull their loved ones into death, and even the hoary image of ghosts haunting crumbling ruins.

If this anthology has a drawback, it's only that the artistically conservative style may seem a bit tame to some readers. But the stories in Gothic Ghosts are subtle and well crafted, and will definitely please fans of understated horror. --Fiona Webster