The Possession

by Ronald Kelly

Years after a Confederate soldier arrives home to find his wife dead and then dies himself, Laura and Rick Locke move into the soldier's Tennessee plantation and find themselves becoming obsessed with a century-old nightmare.

Genres: Horror

384 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1993

About the author

Ronald Kelly was born and raised in the hills and hollows of Middle Tennessee. He became interested in horror as a child, watching the local "Creature Feature" on Saturday nights and "The Big Show"---a Nashville-based TV show that presented every old monster movie ever made ---in the afternoons after school. In high school, his interest turned to horror literature and he read such writers as Poe, Lovecraft, Matheson, and King. He originally had dreams of becoming a comic book artist and created many of his own superheroes. But during his junior year, the writing bug bit him and he focused his attention on penning short stories and full-length novels. To date, he has had thirteen novels and twelve short fiction collections published. In 2021, his extreme horror collection, THE ESSENTIAL SICK STUFF, won a Splatterpunk Award for Best Collection.

He currently lives in Brush Creek, Tennessee with his wife, young'uns, and an ultra-hyper Jack Russel named Toby.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Kelly is always a pleasure and The Possession was no exception. The prologue tells the tale of a Reb officer returning to his plantation, Magnolia, in 1864 after three long years, only to find it in burnt ruins and his wife gone. Obviously, the Union did something nasty here (he gets some intel from a dying slave), but what exactly happened Kelly gives us in flashbacks (largely via dreams) as the novel progresses.

The title really sums up the tale, for the story centers on possession and the fate of the couple that bought and restored the old Magnolia plantation in 1994. Laura is a successful historical romance author and her husband Rick paints covers for novels. All in all, they are doing pretty well! Laura grew up in the nearby town of Franklin (just south of Nashville), but on the poor side of the tracks. She always had a strange fascination with the Magnolia ruins (she even saw a ghost there one Halloween!) and she talks Rick into helping restore the mansion. Shortly after they move in, however, they both start experiencing some strange things; Laura sees the ghost of Jessica (the Belle who lived at the mansion before the Union torched it) crying in the yard while Rick sees images of fire and some spectral figure digging in the yard. Obviously, the former couple haunt the place, but at first it seems rather benign.

Kelly quickly adds a number of other characters to the tale-- a local couple who run a bookstore in Franklin, a young black man in Detroit who is looking for his roots, and a pair of parapsychologists who you know will eventually end up at Magnolia. Finally, there seems to be another ghost haunting the place, and this one is definitely hostile!

I liked how Kelly kept me guessing throughout, even though the plot seemed fairly transparent from the get go, and I love his writing style. I would call this southern gothic, especially given the hauntings and the mansion. My main misgivings concern having an author as a main character (Laura); this is a pet peeve of mine and it happens way to often in the horror genre. I get it, it does add to the story, but please. Secondly, this was rather a slow burn and was really more of a mystery than a horror novel per se. It was in the end about what I expected-- a nice, solid novel that kept me engaged, especially past the halfway point. Not Kelly's best, but well worth reading if you find a copy. 3.5 haunted stars!

[DJMikeG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ronald Kelly is one of the most consistent authors in the horror genre. I have read nearly everything he has written so far, and I've yet to be disappointed by any of his works. This book didn't kick quite as much ass his other novels, but its still a very well written and satisfying story. This story reminded me more of a classic gothic tale, not quite as visceral or 'blood n guts' as his other stuff. That said, there are still some very shocking and disturbing passages. Overall, not my favorite Kelly novel, but still a great read. Recommended for horror fans.

[Rebecca L. Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read book!