Graham Masterton - The Devil In Gray

[Cerridwen]

This was a very gory book, and quite scary to read late at night if you are on your own.The main character is a homicide policeman called Decker, his girlfriend has been murdered and in his job he is investigating a series of very strange murders, on the surface it looks like an invisible man has been going round murdering different people. The descriptions of the murders are really quite graphic so be prepared for that, it certainly made me gasp in horror.

The murderer has a hidden agenda which unfolds towards the end of the book, the only person who seems to be able to see the murderer is the down syndrome girl who is extremeley sensitive and refers to him as the 'so-scary man'.

I found the fact that the invisible man murdering people quite bizarre and could not get my head round it even though I enjoyed it very much, as in I have read more of Graham Masterton's books but, this one still remains my favourite. I since discovered that this book is based on Santeria (similar to Voodoo but, much more powerful).

I found the intervention of The Queen of Richmond not a terribly exciting part of the book, although it is very much a part of the whole story there were parts of that I got bored with even that said I really think this was a brilliant book scary and gory which I love!!

[Anonymous]

Hi Clare!

I have read a few Graham Masterton books,The Wells of Hell was one, amongst others but the one I remember most is *Spirit* and it had me enthralled.

I must check this one out!

Thanks for the heads up !

:D

[Cerridwen]

Hi Tracey :wave:

I loved Spirit absolutely brilliantg, I loaned it to my sister and I haven't seen it since :roll: :lol:

I have read a couple of others of his but, this one and Spirit really stand out for me :D

[Michelle]

Sounds like we need a Masteron thread, so we can find out more!

[Kell]

The Devil in Gray (http://freespace.virgin.net/the.sleepless/masthome.htm)
Author: Graham Masterton
ISBN # 0843953616
Publisher: Leisure Fiction
1st Published: 2004
355 pages

An attack on a young couple, expecting their first child, by an invisible assailant & a retired US Army Officer, disembowelled by some seemingly satanic force. What connects them? Decker is the hardboiled cop in charge of these horrific murder cases where nothing seems to fit. Through it all, he is plagued by terrifying nightmares of a burning wood teeming with screaming soldiers, & continuous warnings from the ghost of his murdered girlfriend. Can he unravel the mystery & find the missing link before he becomes a victim himself? How can he apprehend the Devil when nobody can see him but a talented young girl with a very special gift?

This was the Book Club Forum Reading Circle choice for February, but I managed to nab myself a copy earlier than expected & so began ahead of schedule so I could pass it on to another member.

This was my introduction to Graham Masterton & I can certainly see the appeal. The horror is pretty, well, horrific, actually. The descriptions are incredibly vivid & I was plunged head-first into a mad whirlwind of action from the get-go. I actually exclaimed out loud, after reading the first chapter, “Wow! What an opening!”

It seemed to me that there were two definite halves to the book. The first half set the scene, leaving things seeming to be completely unconnected. It’s not until the 2nd half, when both the American Civil War & Santeria are brought fully to the fore that things really start to pull together, meaning it loses the feeling of disjointedness somewhat.

I don’t know a great deal about Santeria, but I think Masterton really did his homework. Even if he’s taken a few liberties here & there, the information behind it has remained, as far as I can see, on the actual beliefs & practices of this religion, so that nothing felt “fake”.

I think I may well be tempted to search out one or two other books by Masterton – I’ve heard a lot about Spirit, so perhaps that might be one to try. If this one is anything to go by, I think I should quite probably enjoy it a great deal. I don’t know how I managed to miss Masterton in the first place!

Rating: 6

[Michelle]

I tend to agree with Kell here.. there are some horrific murders at the beginning, but they're well written (as opposed to the likes of Laymon, who to me just likes to see how gory he can get),

In the middle of the book there suddenly seems a jump into something different, and you are left with a disjointed feeling. However, the whole things then starts to come together really well, and it kept me glued towards the end.

The main character is well written, and very likable, and I could imagine more stories with him in.

And yes, Kell.. you should give Spirit a try. :)

[Inanna]

I loved it alot, totally awesome book :mrgreen: