Floating Staircase

August 1, 2011
Malfi (The Ascent) gives a few deft twists to the traditional haunted house theme with eerie, unpredictable, and exciting results. Horror writer Travis Glasgow and his wife, Jodie, have just moved into a house in Westlake, Md., when they discover that Elijah Dentman, the previous tenant's young son, died in a diving accident in the lake behind the house. Travis is still haunted by the similar death of his younger brother when he was a child, and he concludes that details of Elijah's demise have been covered up. Spurred by his sense of a ghostly presence in the house, Travis goes looking for the truthâand finds that it is uncannily different from what he expected. Malfi's lyrical prose and sensitive approach only heighten his tale's emotional impact, and the final turn of events is both surprising and expertly set up.

August 1, 2011
What at first looks like a less-silly version of The Amityville Horror very soon turns into a deeply unsettling psychological horror novel. Novelist Travis Glasgow and his wife, Jodie, move into a new house in a small town in Maryland. Soon Travis, who carries some heavy baggage related to the childhood death of his brother, begins to experience nightmares, frightening visions, and events that seem too real to be imaginary, but for which his wife provides more prosaic explanations. It's clear Travis is being haunted, but the question is, by whom? Himself, or his dead brother? Just to make things even more interesting, Malfi works in a dark secret concerning the house, one that connects to Travis' tragic past. Malfi appears to be one of those writers who can handle any genre he tackles. Shamrock Alley (2009) was a fine crime thriller, The Ascent (2010) was a compelling story of self-redemption, and this is a clever, emotionally resonant foray into horror.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)