Death Dreams

by William Katz

Crista Spalding is haunted by the ghost of her young daughter, Jennie, who wants to tell Crista who is responsible for her death

Genres: Horror, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery

297 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 12, 1979

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It began, like most horrors, without warning. It would take more than a year to pass. Before it was over i t would fascinate a nation, terrorize a town and consume a family".

Death Dreams by William Katz


Good book. Creepy book! One that I read as a kid and recently reread. I'll be honest..I did not love it as much as I did as a kid. But it is still a good, haunting, genuinely frightening and quite unique book. Man.... they knew how to write GOOD NON GORY HORROR back in the day!


So this book is about Crista who tragically loses her daughter Jenny when Jenny drowns. Crista is of coarse utterly devastated.

SPOILERS: Though honestly it's all here on the back of the book and in the description so...

Everyone labels it an accident.

Until Jenny appears one night to her mom to tell her that in fact, it was her step dad and Crista's husband who killed her.

So..... a Ghost story/Mystery. And it is told very well. Crista becomes obsessed with bringing her husband to justice.

The story and the way it plays out does leave you on the edge of your seat. It is also genuinely creepy. Is Jenny really appearing to Crista? Who will believe her? And will Crista be able to get justice for her daughter?

I'd recommend this. I would not say it is my favorite of all time but it is a good read that is short, intense and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. And that ending..whoa! What a powerful ending!

3.5 stars..mystery lovers should read this.

[Frida Hultgren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still to this day it's one of the best books I have read. I have re-read this one at least three times.

EDIT: no this is not the best book anymore. I'm getting too old for this book, and some things doesn't add up. Crista is acting like a baby or teen with her acting out. Some things are still good and I will appreciate it for the memories and getting me into thrillers back in the day.

[Nik · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those random reads - I picked it up from a book swap shelf at a holiday resort. Loved loved loved the ending; I'm sure plenty would say it was predictable, but I found it to be a bit of a GASP moment!

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

A very fast read that will keep you guessing thru the whole book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

[Dolceluna ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

William Katz, autore del bel “Gli occhi del terrore”, è stato uno dei miei primi incubi da lettrice. E, memore di questo ricordo positivo, quando mi sono ritrovata fra le mani questo suo secondo lavoro, in una bancarella dell’usato, beh, non si ho pensato due volte. Forse avrei fatto meglio a pensarci ben più di due volte. Lo schema della trama di “Sogni di morte” richiama molto quello dei romanzi di Koontz (i risultati, però, saranno diversi): una donna traumatizzata che, coinvolta in un mistero, si ritrova da sola contro tutti. La malcapitata qui è Crista la quale, in seguito a un incidente, viene dichiarata clinicamente morta ma poi inspiegabilmente si rianima e sopravvive: nulla però sarà più uguale a prima perché Crista inizierà ad avere (o meglio, così dovrebbe essere) strane e macabre visioni in cui le apparirà la figlioletta morta anni prima. Ovviamente nessuno le crederà. E nella mente del lettore prenderà piede il solito e amletico dubbio: è pazza lei o sono “colpevoli” (di che cosa? Di una congiura?) tutti gli altri? Insomma, trama allettante ma che sa di visto e rivisto. Peccato che, al di là di quello, manchi tutto il resto. La lettura non fa paura ma fa quasi ridere, le “apparizioni” sono descritte in maniera banale, senza spessore, la scrittura si disperde misteriosamente in fatti secondari e fastidiosa è l’abitudine dell’autore di introdurre ogni singolo personaggio secondario con dovizia di particolari. Insomma, caro Katz, questa volta hai fatto cilecca. Non ricordavo tutti questi difetti in “Gli occhi del terrore” o forse, vista l’età e le poche letture fatte allora, ero molto meno esigente. Peccato.

[Roxana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book by chance and I was instanly atracted by its plot. Let's say curiosity lead me well this time.
Crista's life is surrounded by tragedies. Her first husband died serving his homeland as a soldier while she was pregnant, so she had to raise her daughter alone. After a while, she meet George Spalding and they get married, he adopted her daughter... Everything was fine... But one day, tragedy knocks her door again, her five years old daughter died drowned in the lake behind her house. Of course Crista gets depress, and she also feels her daughter presense arround her. Her husband suggest that she seek help from a psychiatrist but she doesn't want to...
But this is just the foundation. The real story begins when Crista suffers an accident where her best friend dies. She sees her dead friend saying goodbye to her.. Has Crista, after being declared dead and brought back to life, develop the ability to communicate with the dead...What do the dead have to say to her? Or is it all just part of her imagination and pain? Is she crazy or not?
I can't say anything more, just read it.

[JO i els Meus Llibres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Soñar con los muertos es normal, hablar con ellos despierto es cuestionable, si además una muerte considerada ocasional te dice que ha sido asesinada, crea un problema de credibilidad.
Un relato coherente, fácil de seguir la trama, con episodios dramáticos, paranormales y jurídicos, con final inesperado.

[Ellen Dalena · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mum recommended this book to me. She originally read it the same year I was born, when it was first released. It’s definitely my genre, but I wasn’t sure that I was going to enjoy the book as much as I did! 5 stars from me.

[Veroncol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un romanzo semplice, non troppo articolato, che scorre veloce e racconta una storia che si adatta perfettamente a film americano. Consigliato per spezzare libri un po’ più corposi; insomma un libro da ombrellone.

[Lara Trusendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for this breathless book.
I do miss this author and I can’t get why he doesn’t write more books and they’re hard to be found.