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No one lives for very long in the houses they buy from Mr Vane. Neighbours complain of noises that chill the blood, and then deathly silence. Maybe the occupants have moved away. But then maybe they haven't... John has just joined Mr Vane's estate agency. He thinks houses are for living in happily-ever-after. He has no idea about the hidden forces inside Mr Vane's properties, nor about their strange appetites. But he's about to find out...

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 1998

31 people are currently reading
710 people want to read

About the author

Graham Masterton

422 books1,968 followers
Graham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles which eventually became Burroughs' novel The Wild Boys.

At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.

Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.

Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.

He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.

Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.

He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.

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5 stars
164 (17%)
4 stars
280 (29%)
3 stars
351 (37%)
2 stars
120 (12%)
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32 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
Profile Image for Peter.
4,073 reviews801 followers
August 4, 2022
Did you ever hear about a house with skeletons in the wall? How is it possible that people are literally eaten up by a house? Graham comes up with an eerie tale only he can tell. References to druids, ley lines and a mysterious wooden statue included. John works for a real estate agency to support his struggling family. Soon after Mr Rogers vanishes without a trace he's by chance uncovering the secret of his boss. Will he survive the attacks of the past? Will he be the next victim or the next master? Compelling pulp horror in the fine old Masterton tradition. A quick and entertaining read with a good shot of uncanniness Really recommended!
Profile Image for R.J. McCabe.
Author 6 books26 followers
May 14, 2020
My first journey into Graham Masterton’s world...Hmm...

As an aspiring horror author, I always try and keep abreast of who the most popular (as-well as upcoming) horror authors are, yet somehow I missed Graham Masterton completely, and, if truth be told, I always thought Masterton and Matherson (I've read Matherson) were the same person...Oops!!
And so, upon researching Graham Masterton and seeing just how many works he'd published I got a little excited, called myself a "silly sausage" and began reading the first Masterton novel I could get my hands on.
That novel is of course House of Bones, which I hope is nowhere near his best.
The plot is pretty good, and the idea was also quite captivating, however I found the dialogue in this book borderline cringe, with cardboard, stereotypical characters who at times said the most ridiculous things.
There's a moment in this book where John (main protagonist) is telling Courtney (slightly annoying co-worker) about being followed by a killer statue. Rather than saying "What the fuck are you waffling on about?" Which I think would be the most typical response, It takes two sentences until Courtney has swallowed the story as if it's an everyday occurrence to be chased by a statue. He handles the news as if John has told him he's merely had his bike stolen; i.e very mild concern.
This unbelievable, childish tone continued throughout the book and when it ended I felt as if i'd just read a slightly gorier version of a Goosebumps tale.
Also, there's a moment when the old mysterious Mr.Vain, tells John he's been waiting for someone like him to come along for a looooooong tiiiiiiime. The question I had was why? As John seemed, for the most part, an immature wet lettuce, who spent most of his time scared, and running away from things.
I would rate this book as mildly entertaining, an easy read but not my cup of tea. I liked the idea of the killer houses, but aside from that nothing much else. I sincerely hope my next foray into Masterton is a little more harrowing.
Profile Image for ItzSmashley.
142 reviews9 followers
July 1, 2023
3.5 stars
Another solid entry in the point horror unleashed series. Interesting to see Graham masterson tackle the the teen horror genre. This was a unique setting and I felt the characters were well fleshed out. There's a bit of lull in the middle 50 pages or so, but I was interested enough to keep going and I really liked the ending.

John starts an internship at an estate agency, all is going well until a man asks to see a property on the boss' "special list " and disappears. When the police discover a house with 70 skeletons in the walls, John realises that is also on the list. Can he and the other estate agents stop the horror lurking in the walls of the houses? Or will it consume them all?
Profile Image for Ken.
2,562 reviews1,377 followers
August 21, 2018
A quirky horror mystery with a fascinating premise where houses are absorbing their occupants.

John starts working for a London estate agent as soon realises that something is not quite right with some of the properties on the company’s books.

Whilst trying to get to the bottom of the mystery, John heads to one of the houses in Brighton.
I always like stories that are set in my home town, so i really enjoyed this segment of the story.
It really raised the stakes as the threat wasn’t just contained to London.

A highly enjoyable read.
This book was originally published under the Point Horror Unleashed range, it’s perfect for young teenagers.
Profile Image for denudatio_pulpae.
1,589 reviews35 followers
December 5, 2025
John rozpoczyna pracę w agencji nieruchomości pana Vane'a. Już na początku zalicza wielką wtopę – oddaje klientowi klucze do domu ze specjalnej listy pana Vane'a (których nie wolno nikomu ruszać), po czym potencjalny kupujący znika bez śladu razem z rzeczonymi kluczami. John i jego koleżanka z biura, Lucy, próbują naprawić sytuację i rozwiązać tę zagadkę, ale tajemnica, którą odkryją, zmrozi ich do szpiku… kości :)

Moja pierwsza książka Mastertona, przeczytałam ją jako nastolatka i wtedy nawet zrobiła na mnie pewne wrażenie – w końcu byłam wtedy grupą docelową. Po latach nie da się nie zauważyć, że książka jako horror jest słaba, "liczące sobie trzy tysiące lat druidyczne duchy" wyskakujące z szafy, drewniana rzeźba w natarciu? Oj nie, to raczej nie jest coś, co może podziałać na moją wyobraźnię.
5/10
Profile Image for Alexander Draganov.
Author 30 books154 followers
April 14, 2021
В последно време ми се случи да зарежа доста книги и поредици по средата, просто защото бях недоволен от нивото на авторите. Осъзнах, че съм в криза и имам нужда от доказано, сигурно качество. Такова може да се намери при много малко писатели, но поне за мен пръв сред тях е Греъм Мастертън, носител на наградата “Брам Стоукър” и автор на класиката “Маниту – Кошмар в Манхатън”. Той отново не ме разочарова с великолепната книжка House of Bones – “Дом от Кости”.

Прочетете ревюто ми на линка!
https://citadelata.com/house-of-bones/
Profile Image for Paula Brandon.
1,267 reviews39 followers
July 15, 2021
John French wants to be a rock star, but that dream is on hold while he goes to work for Mr Vane's real estate agency. On his first day, he mistakenly gives a visitor the keys to a property on Mr Vane's list, which no employees are allowed to do. Days later, John learns that the visitor to the house has disappeared without a trace! He convinces his young co-workers to visit the houses on Mr Vane's special list, and they soon learn something very weird is going on! Suffice to say, it has links to the Druids, and involves the houses absorbing those who live there into its walls.

I found this to be a really fun horror tale. For every stinker that Point Horror Unleashed, erm...unleashes (such as the diabolically awful Scissorman),it can deliver a fun, inventive and spooky horror story like this one. The pace is consistent from start to finish. There are scenes that are spooky and scary. The story builds a solid mythology regarding the druids and old ley lines that provides an easy to understand reasoning behind everything that's happening. Main character John was a bit too scream-ey and panicky for my liking, but I suppose it made sense in light of the fact he was only 18.

Not much else to say on this one. House Of Bones has an interesting plot, and delivers fast-paced, scary fun.
Profile Image for O_Anka.
240 reviews90 followers
May 16, 2025
Wole jak jest wszystko bardziej na poważnie.
Profile Image for Armand.
184 reviews33 followers
June 3, 2019
This is the most thoroughly British horror novel I've read yet. It's not just in the expressions (Oi!) or the food (ice lollies and fish & chips), but more importantly in the subject matter, dealing as it does with

Our young hero John is the newest recruit in a real estate agency. He uncovers sinister hijinks involving several properties in their boss's special listing, and it's up to him and his pals to stop a vast and primal force that spans millenia from claiming more victims.

I think a more accurate title would be Houses of Bones since we're dealing with more than one murderous residence here. This is an exceptionally enjoyable romp, except maybe for modern-day Druids because it casts the past practitioners of their order in a most unflattering light. It's a solid offering with an intriguing ending that leaves the door open for a sequel. I'm rating it 7.5/10 or 4 stars out of 5.
Profile Image for n :D.
108 reviews5 followers
April 22, 2025
książka nie aż tak zła, żeby zasłużyć na jedną gwiazdkę, ale więcej nie jestem w stanie jej dać. zaznaczę, że to moje pierwsze spotkanie z mastertonem i nieszczególnie zachęca do poznawania jego dalszej twórczości. powiedzieć, że zamysł dobry a wykonanie kiepskie to i tak dużo, bo to, w jakim kierunku poszła fabuła to chyba jeden z gorszych ruchów kreatywnych w historii wszystkiego, co przeczytałam. tak, książka zawiera w sobie elementy horroru, niektóre nawet dobre na tyle, że bałam się przewrócić stronę, ale co z tego jeśli to napięcie utrzymuje się przez trzy strony i potem znowu jest totalny kicz?? dialogi postaci są jak pisane przez chat gpt, bez żadnej głębi i stwierdzające najoczywistsze fakty, o naiwności i łatwowierności nie wspominając. bohaterowie są durni jak kłody, które sami sobie rzucają pod nogi. czy zakończenie ma sugerować, że historia zatoczy koło, czy jest tylko po to, aby nakarmić czytelnika najoczywistszym zwrotem fabularnym w historii literatury? na prawdę starałam się nie hejtować tej książki, ale ona sama pogarsza swoją sytuację. może i bym najgorszemu wrogowi życzyła jej czytania, ale z wielkimi wyrzutami sumienia.
Profile Image for Bandit.
4,946 reviews579 followers
April 1, 2015
When working within horror genre (and I specify this because I didn't really didn't care for his latest environmental thriller) Masterton really brings the goods. Even with this horror lite or possibly YA novel of his, it's still very good entertainment. John tries to be a responsible young man, getting a promising employment at 18, but first jobs can really be a killer, especially when dealing with hungry (literally) hungry houses. One of the best things about Masterton's horror is that always solid backstory and this one doesn't disappoint either with some heavy Druidic lore. This book is very pun friendly, so at the very least...it's all about location, location, location. Lot of fun and a very quick read, only a couple hours.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
1,940 reviews2 followers
October 1, 2013
This one was very tame for what I expect from a Masterton book, but it was a great story with a lot of historical background to it. I really enjoyed where the origins for the story came from, and felt that Masterton took a unique approach in regards to the plot of this particular novel. The research was fantastic--as expected--and the supernatural thread really brought the book together well. I highly recommend this book to fans of supernatural horror fiction, and natural mysteries combined!
Profile Image for Sarah.
361 reviews16 followers
February 16, 2011
If you've read the reviews on this website before, you'll know we're die-hard fans (no pun intended) of Graham Masterton. Masterton is grossly overlooked and definitely deserves the title "King of Horror" more than Stephen King. Don't believe me? Just give his novels a try. Start out with Feast (review here: Dreamworld Book Reviews - Feast), THEN think about challenging this statement. Graham Masterton is also extremely prolific, so you'll find a horror novel that covers just about every nightmare you've ever had.

House of Bones originally came out in 1998 but was re-packaged in 2008 with Severn House. The novel is about a young realtor named John who discovers that the office manager, Mr. Vane, is in charge of several spooky houses with walls that seem to "eat" people. Bones -- both new and old -- are found mysteriously behind the walls of these houses and people who view the properties are disappearing. When John witnesses a colleague undergo a horrifying, freakish death, he heroically begins to investigate with intentions of putting these nasty "house demons" to rest.

Graham Masterton is such a master storyteller. No matter how ridiculous the premise of his novels may seem at first, you'll enjoy yourself regardless. With a people-eating house and a murderous, marble statue that comes to life in House of Bones, you'll truly shiver with disgust and horror while devouring this book. Masterton also weaves in some ley-line history which really adds to the overall creepy effect of House of Bones.

The novel is engrossing, but really short. I love Masterton's dark humor, classic style and of course the doomed, unhappy endings. What more could you want from a true horror novel? Fans of this genre will really enjoy it -- although if you're a true horror fan, I'm sure you're already enjoying works by Graham Masterton.

In addition to Feast (AKA Ritual 1988), my other favorite novels by Masterton include Prey(1992), Master of Lies (AKA Black Angel 1991), and Death Mask (2009).

Read more book reviews at http://dreamworldbooks.com.
Profile Image for Gavriel Sasha.
12 reviews
March 13, 2024
nigdy zadna ksiazka nie przestraszyla ani nie zestresowala jak ta. w swoim zyciu mialem wiele przeczytanych dobrych ksiazek jednak ta uważam za najlepsza w moim zyciu. Koniec książki szokuje i zostawia w duzym podenerowaniu "co dalej? czy to sis skonczylo? a moze zaczelo?".
Profile Image for Hayley.
105 reviews6 followers
March 12, 2008
I loved this book, especially as it was based on the Druid mythology and was based in England - a lot of the Point Horror books are based our Amercian High School Students.
Profile Image for Assayah.
717 reviews17 followers
June 23, 2023
❗TW: śmierć

Książka przeznaczona raczej dla nastolatków - tak też mówi notka od autora - lub osób zaczynających z horrorami, bo nie ma tu brutalnych scen (poza jedną na samym końcu), scen erotycznych czy przekleństw. Strach mają wzbudzać nawiedzone domy; zniknięcia ludzi, którzy do nich wchodzą; znalezienie kilkudziesięciu szkieletów w ścianach i to, że we wszystko zamieszany jest pracodawca głównego bohatera. Osobiście nie uważam, żeby ta książka była straszna czy niepokojąca, trochę przypomina kryminał, bo bohaterowie starają się rozwiązać zagadkę domów, a wytłumaczenie paranormalnych rzeczy jest jak z fantasy.

Co do bohaterów, to byli dla mnie zwykli. W opisie jest napisane, że John chce zostać gwiazdą rocka, ale w książce nie ma wątku z tym związanego - dla mnie lepiej, bo nie lubię motywu muzyki. Pojawia się też inteligentny wujek, który oczywiście znajduje rozwiązanie całej zagadki, bo tak się składa, że pisał pracę na studiach, która dotyczyła w w pewien sposób tych paranormalnych zjawisk (trochę xD). Moim ulubionym bohaterem jest rzeźba, może to przez to, że lubię nietypowe postaci.

Podobał mi się wątek legendy, który przyczynił się do rozwiązania tajemnicy nawiedzonych domów. Było to na pewno oryginalne. Jestem ciekawa, czy ta linia(linie?) faktycznie istnieją czy zostało to wymyślone na potrzebę książki - nie domowiem się tego, bo nie mam książki w papierze, ani ebooka, żeby sprawdzić nazwę, ale będę wierzyć, że to nie fikcja.
Profile Image for Beata.
23 reviews
December 14, 2025
Zapowiadana jako horror dla młodzieży, więc nie oczekiwałam jakiegoś strasznego gore, ale opis brzmiał ciekawie. Niestety dla mnie nie było tu nawet namiastki horroru. Nie jestem wielką koneserką gatunku, ale moje pierwsze zetknięcie z nim w dzieciństwie to był właśnie Masterton i jego debiut "Manitou". Wtedy mnie trochę wystraszył i obrzydził. Od tego czasu z takimi emocjami kojarzył mi się horror. Tu czułam jedynie znudzenie. Słabiutka.
Profile Image for Brendon Lowe.
413 reviews100 followers
May 31, 2022
This was decent for a quick YA novel by the master of horror Graham Masterton. I liked the characters but the constant talk about making coffee or cups of tea which is mentioned like 50 times had laughing.
Profile Image for Philip Lindsay.
122 reviews
November 9, 2018
Another good but eerie tale

This story grows and grows.
Towards the end I couldn't put it down.
Intriguing and quite fascinating.
He thinks strange does Masterton
Profile Image for Izabela.
54 reviews1 follower
January 17, 2025
Naprawdę lubię sposób w jaki rozwija się fabuła tej książki, a także jak dojrzewają postaci
Profile Image for Susie.
5 reviews
Read
August 18, 2025
He wrote two books about evil Druids stealing people into the walls of ley line-adjacent homes and he thought I wouldn't notice. Maybe worst Masterton subgenre.
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