The House of Lost Souls

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Just weeks after four students cross the threshold of the derelict Fischer House, one of them has committed suicide and the other three are descending into madness. Nick Mason’s sister is one of them. To save her, Nick must join ranks with Paul Seaton—the only person to have visited the house and survive. But Paul is a troubled man, haunted by otherworldly visions that even now threaten his sanity.Desperate, Nick forces Paul to go back into the past, to the secret journal of beautiful photographer Pandora Gibson-Hoare and a debauched gathering in the 1920s, and to the dark legacy of Klaus Fischer—master of the unspeakable crime and demonic proceedings that have haunted the mansion for decades.Because now, the Fischer House is beckoning, and some old friends have gathered to welcome Paul back. . . . From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. British author Cottam (Dark Echo) makes his U.S. debut with a riveting supernatural thriller. A decade earlier, while on a research trip to London's notoriously haunted Fischer House on the Isle of Wight, psychically sensitive journalist Paul Seaton barely escaped a demonic entity that occultist Aleister Crowley had summoned in the 1920s. Now, Paul investigates a new tragedy: four unfortunate philosophy students encountered something so foul at Fischer House that it killed one and threatens the sanity of the three survivors. The only way for Paul to help the students and redress the shambles that his life has become since his nightmare experience is to return to Fischer House and lay the evil that still stalks the grounds. Cottam evokes influences that range from Dennis Wheatley (who has a minor role) to Shirley Jackson, and conjures a mood of paranoia perfect for Paul's unsettling adventure. Rich in atmosphere, the book builds to a shattering finale. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review"Skillful characterizations draw you into a relentlessly congealing atmosphere of menace and dread. A compulsive and truly disturbing read. I hope to see more from F. G. Cottam, and soon.”--F. Paul Wilson, author of the Repairman Jack series"A mad spiral of mystery and horror, totally engrossing and richly evocative of the decadent twenties, The House of Lost Souls is a remarkable debut."--Keith Donohue, author of The Stolen Child "The House of Lost Souls is an elegant ghost story that will keep you up all night and haunt you long after the last page."--Carol Goodman, author of The Night Villa "Energetically reviving a neglected genre, Cottam delivers convincing chills alongside engrossing and highly cinematic heroics."--Kirkus Reviews "A riveting supernatural thriller. . . . Rich in atmosphere, the book builds to a shattering finale."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Echoes of The Blair Witch Project resonate throughout this chilling novel. Cottam's ... adrenaline-charged prose is drawn tight with suspense."--Financial Times (UK)"In this brilliant and chilling novel real events in the past impact on the present and a terrible sense of foreboding will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page."--Lancashire Evening Post (UK)"F.G. Cottam employs old-fashioned suspense combined with modern horror imagery to produce a fine example of the genre."--Times Online (UK)